Don't Mess With Me

Living in the eye of the storm this week. I'm doing it all: nursing sick kids and husband while doing my best to stay healthy, supporting a sister who's facing troubling challenges in her life, holding down the household, and writing a series of articles on voice and tone in literature -- all while gearing up for Sunday's half-marathon race. My diet should be better...and I should be stretching and meditating more...but life is a juggling act that shifts along with my changing energy levels.

One way I'm going to recharge my batteries is by taking time off today to spend with Summer Frey. We're doing a little coffee shop writing, a little mall shopping, and eating a little lunch. Can't wait! She's the sweetest thing on earth and my only writer friend outside cyber-land.

Speaking of the series of articles I'm writing, I'd like to pose an opinion question to you:

When you hear the term "Voice in Literature," do you think it refers to the author's voice or to the voice of the main character? Is one more important than the other? Any random thoughts on voice?

Your input is greatly appreciated! Have a wonderful day :))

                                   

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Slice Magazine Issue 10...coming soon!

Photo found at http://www.paperdarts.org/blog/tag/slice

I've just received word from the editors that Slice Magazine's tenth issue is headed for the printers! The "Growing Up" issue is  my literary magazine debut, featuring my short story In the Wake of Silence. (I hear whispers of symbolism in both titles.)

I've been reading about the authors whose work mine will be printed alongside. Can I just say, wow. I'm not eating at the kids' table anymore!

Accolades for Slice's past issues include:

“Beautiful, compelling, irresistible: Slice will knock you right out. In the best way possible.”
           -- Junot Diaz, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

“Slice is among the golden few of modern literary publications, not only because of its fiction, poetry, interviews, and articles, but because it's simply the one everyone is talking about.”
           -- Simon Van Booy, winner of the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and author of The Secret Lives of People in Love


And, from the website in the above photo caption:


"Where has this literary magazine been all our lives? Slice has both beauty and brains. Not only do they regularly feature a fantastic assortment of illustrators, their mission is to publish  emerging writers alongside the established. Not to mention their coveted interview with Alan Moore. Our hearts are fat and happy after a slice (oho!) of this literary pie."
              -- Regan, Meghan, Jamie, and/or Courtney: Bloggers at Paper Darts(dot)org

Should you wish to pre-order your copy of Issue 10 or subscribe to Slice Magazine, simply follow this link:  http://www.slicemagazine.org/subscribe.html

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

                                   

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Can't Get Enough

I'm fifty pages from the end of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and I wish it wouldn't end. It's been a long time since a book has mesmerized -- hypnotized -- me the way this one has. 


Just read this line:  He does not feel confined, only separate, as though he and Celia are overlapping the circus, rather than contained within in. 


The threads of this story are billowing ribbons floating on magic currents of air, and as they twist and weave together a fabric emerges that I want to wrap myself up in, forever.


I look forward to reviewing this book. I could talk about it for days. In fact, I am dedicating my next two newsletters over at Writing.com to the tone and voice Morgenstern created in The Night Circus. As always, I will publish those newsies here too.


If you're looking for a book that will transport you away from everyday life and into a world where extraordinary and enchanted possibilities exist, to witness a love story so unique your heart will squeeze, you need to pick up a copy of The Night Circus today.

                                   

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Photos from Belize

Christian, Sidney and me on the sun deck of the Axioma

Our recent trip to Belize with family and friends was magical, full of dazzling colors and breathtaking sights.

Cody, swimming off the back of the yacht.

The waters of the Carribean Sea were so crystal clear with ridiculous visibility, perfect for snorkeling. In the above photo, my son is swimming about 3 ft. below the water's surface.

Matt, helping me ready for my first ever dive!

I tried scuba diving on this trip. I admit, I was scared! But I LOVE activities when excitement and anxiety churn in my stomach -- nothing makes me feel more present than that. I ended up doing 4 dives total. The deepest and longest dive was 35 ft. for 25 minutes. Amazing!

My sister's deepest dive was 85 ft. Look what she saw down there:

Sting ray

Sea turtle!

Our nights were as amazing as our days. One night, we had a barbecue on a tiny private island -- just us!

In this photo: Cody, me, Christian, my sister Nadine, Louis, my sister Natalie, Luchino, Michael, and Dominique

We pulled ourselves away from this...

The snorkeling on the reef around this island was FANTASTIC!

...for one day to visit the Mayan temple ruins on the mainland:

Xunantunich

The View from the top as phenomenal.

There were wild Howler Monkeys in the trees all around the ruins. Their cry is blood-curdling.

Spending this vacation with my sisters was definitely one of the greatest blessings the trip had to offer. Miss them so much now!!

Sisters!

There are plenty more photos available for viewing at Facebook. Just follow this link:

Belize 2012 Photos

And if we're not FB friends yet, let me know and we'll connect over there!

Have a wonderful day!

                                   

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Belize or Bust

In just three short days, I will have escaped the bone-chilling, humid grip of Georgia's winter weather and been transported to the sugary sands and turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Yep, Sunday it's Belize or bust!

Besides the ridiculous beauty of the country, I have a lot to look forward to. Two of my sisters will be there, and there are so few opportunities in our busy lives to get us all together. What memories we'll make!

Also on the trip will be a dear friend, his cousin (whom I have met before -- he's an hilarious story teller!) and his sister, whom I will be meeting for the first time.

I know one sister's son is coming, and my fingers are crossed that the other's children will be there. My two kids have such a grand time with their cousins! And in this locale? Forget about it! (<-- Please read this with your best New Yorker accent. Thanks :D)

Belize 411 borrowed from Belize on the Wild Side:

Approximately 9,000 square miles, bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

The latest census in Belize shows a population of over 300,000 made up of Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, Maya, and Europeans. Belize in general has very young population with over 50% under 18 years old.

English is the official language and is widely spoken throughout the country. Other languages spoken: Creole, Spanish, Garifuna, Maya, and German.

Belize is a member of the British Commonwealth, with a stable democratic government established along the model of the British Parlimentary system. 

The Belize Dollar has a fixed rate of $2BZ = $1US. 

Belize has the second longest barrier reef in the world (165 miles long). 

And one of the many reefs in the system includes The Lighthouse Reef. It's center is known as The Great Blue Hole. Our friend and host of the trip is an avid and experienced diver. He plans to explore this natural wonder of the world.

The Blue Hole is perfectly round, more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) in diameter and 480 feet (146 meters) deep. It's  the result of repeated collapses over 15,000 years of a limestone cave system that formed as the sea level drop during the last ice age journey. I don't dive, though I want to learn. One day, I too will dive into The Great Blue Hole. This time, I'll simply enjoy the snorkeling experience.

So, that's what I'll be doing from Sunday the 19th to Sunday the 26th. I hope you have a lovely week too, no matter where in the world you'll be. See you back here at the end of the month!

                                   

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#BeInspired!

The week is coming to a close, and you've earned a few days of much deserved R&R. Make the most of your downtime!

Photo Found Here

Wishing you a happy Friday, a day to kick off a spectacular weekend full of inspiration and creative energy!

I'd love to write in this kitchen! Look at that natural light and warm color!
Photo Source Here

Whether you're writing, cooking, painting, singing, or just spending time with friends and family, I hope you're inspired to live out loud. Feel free!

Photo Source

     

However you see your reflection in the mirror of your soul ~you in your most beautiful light ~ let that spirit shine this weekend.   

And on Saturday, please stop by Laura Barnes's blog Laura B. Writer where I will be interviewed as part of her Savvy Sensation series. She asked me some really interesting questions!

Until tomorrow then, have a great day!                     

      

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Spark it up!

Yesterday, I sat in front of the dreaded blank screen. There's a scene I want to write. I have the scene mapped out on paper. I know its goals, its tone. But I can't "see" it yet. So, every sentence I typed, I backspaced over. (Shush! I know I shouldn't rewrite/delete/go back. First drafts should be forward, forward, forward motion. Duh.) And yet, I did it. Over. And over. And over...

I'd check Facebook and Twitter and my other cyberspaces of choice, then go back to the WiP. When I was tired of the blank screen, roughly every seven or eight minutes, the urge to check in again hit me. (Hey, someone may have posted an hilarious photo or thought-provoking link in the past five minutes.) Rinse and repeat. That was my Monday.

Today will be different.

I've packed my bags. Once I hit the publish button here, I'm off to the gym for some cross training. I'll change out of my damp clothes afterwards and into a pair of yoga pants and hoodie. Then I'm driving to an undisclosed location with no WiFi access, that resembles the setting of the scene I want to write. I'll record sounds, smells, feelings I get from the space. I'll take photographs. And, I'll write. I may not write the actual scene, unless that's the direction my inspiration takes me. 

At any rate, the screen will not be blank today.  

What are your writing plans? Doing anything proactive to spark new inspirations?

                                   

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