December 25th

Hi it’s Christina –

Merry Christmas to all! There won’t be a writing challenge again today, because I am functioning on about three hours of sleep. By the time everyone left last night and I got everything ready for this morning, I didn’t fall asleep until after 1:00, and then my internal clock had me up at 4:30. It’s going to be a very long day, but for once I really don’t mind. Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep in tomorrow.

Christmas Eve service at our church last night was beautiful. It was nice having my oldest daughter singing with me in the choir. I did have one strange thing happen though. In our first song, the last note we had to hold out a high “G”. We had an “E” to a “G”, then took a breath and back to the “G” for twelve beats. I took a breath, opened my mouth, and nothing came out. Thankfully I was only one of three on the note, so hopefully no one noticed. After, I was still able to sing the rest of our songs, but I wasn’t able to project very well. I think I may be coming down with a cold or something.

My son, his girlfriend Alex, and one of his best friends Jason, were at the house when we came home. They had gone to Alex’s church this year instead of coming to ours. It was strange not having them at our church, but I’m going to have to learn how to share holidays. At least I still got to see them on Christmas Eve.

 

 Ages ago, my husband’s parents started a tradition of Christmas jammies for the grandkids, which they receive on Christmas Eve every year. For the second year in a row, the tops for the jammies have had funny expressions on them. The girls’ (there are four granddaughters) shirts read, “Joke’s on you Santa, I wanted coal”, and the boys’ (two grandsons) shirts read, “Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas are the phone #’s of the girls on the naughty list”. Needless to say, the shirts caused more than a few chuckles.

Even though I charged my camera battery for a couple of hours before I needed it last night, after only a few pictures, my camera died. I plugged it back in and let it charge overnight, so hopefully I will have better results today. The pictures posted are the few I managed to get before the camera pooped out. When Jason wakes up, hopefully he'll email me the pictures I took on his phone. I got a really cute one of all five kids.

 

Everyone will be gathering here at ten, so I need to finish getting ready. I need to run the dishwasher again with all the stuff that didn’t fit from last night’s dinner, then slice and plate all the bread, nut roll, crumb cake, and cookies. Our friends are bringing frittata, and my mom is bringing an egg and sausage casserole, so I don’t have any hot dishes to make this year. YEAH!

Okay, I had best get going. I wish you all a blessed day, and the writing can wait until tomorrow! Go enjoy your family!

November 14th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Good morning! Well, I’m getting there. I breached the 20K mark yesterday. I’m still behind, but the margin is getting smaller. I am a little worried though, because next Friday starts a string of days where I won’t be able to write. If I have any hope of reaching the goal this time, I need to seriously start cranking out pages, nay, chapters.

A few months back, on my blog, I ran a survey asking what types of writing challenges y’all preferred. Your choices were: photo challenges, three word challenges, broad challenges, specific scenario challenges, and one other I cannot remember right now. I didn’t get a whole lot of responses, but the ones I did said you like the specific scenario challenges best. Of course, these are the hardest ones to come up with, and to be perfectly honest, I did hunt the web for some ideas, then tweaked them a little for you. Yesterday’s challenge came from a teacher. I wanted to give her, or at least her site, credit for the prompt in my blog today, but when I went back this morning to look for the information, I couldn’t find the site again. I feel bad because some of her prompts were really interesting and I thought you would have enjoyed them.

Okay, as fun as this is, I really must skedaddle if I have any hope of reaching my goal. I  hope you have a lovely day, and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge:

 

You are walking down an alley and you come to an unusual dead end. There are several recognizable portals in front of you – Alice’s Rabbit Hole, A Wardrobe, The Entrance to 221B Baker Street, Boo’s Door, Maxwell Smart’s Phone Booth, Dumbledore’s Spiral Staircase, (insert one I didn’t think of). You turn around to go back, but you find your way blocked. Your only option is to choose.

 

Since forward is my only option, I guess I have to choose. I walk over to the rabbit hole and peer down. It’s dark and dirty with rocks and roots protruding from the edges and creepy crawly things scurrying everywhere. Although Wonderland would be an amazing adventure, I think I’ll pass.

 I press my ear to the wardrobe’s door and close my eyes. I hear music and laughter and then Aslan’s roar and I smile, but I step back to survey my other options when I hear the unmistakable clash of swords.

 

 

 

 

 

If I choose the next door, I will be transported to London in the late 1800s. I will be given a chance to interact with one of the most brilliant, observant, reasonable minds of all time. Even though I am a respectable woman, I’m not sure I should be walking the streets of London with a serial killer on the loose.

 

 

 

I trace the pretty purple flower on the next door. If I go through, I could personally choke Randall, high-five Mike, and give Sully a hug, but other than that, it really doesn’t hold much appeal to me.

 

Only two options left; the world of spies and espionage or the world of magic and wonder. Both fascinating in their own ways, yet both with inherent dangers.

Which will I choose?

 

 

 

(Photos added after the ten minutes. FBers, if you want to see them, you’ll need to visit my actual blog.)

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

You decide to take a photography class for fun. For your first assignment, your teacher tells you to go to the park and simply snap photos of anything that catches your eye, then bring the film back to class to be developed. When the pictures start to develop, your teacher teases you about how the assignment was supposed to be a variety of things in the park which caught your eye, not one subject. Having no idea what your teacher is talking about, you look at the pictures and notice, there is a man in every single scene, staring back at the camera.

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

November 7th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Greetings y’all. I hope you had a wonderful evening. Last night my hubby and I watched the CMA Awards. Did any of you? It was interesting.

 

Brad and Carrie were rather funny, most of the time. Although, I’m not quite sure about the feuding skit; I guess I missed some juicy gossip and the meaning behind it went over my head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their bit with the Duck Dynasty guys was hysterical.

 

 

I didn’t much care for Eric Church channeling Metalica, but I was moved by Alan Jackson and George Straight’s tribute to George Jones.

 

 

The tribute to Kenny Rogers was also sweet, especially when the entire audience sang along with Kenny and Jennifer Nettles to Islands in the Stream, and when Darius Rucker started with the words "You gotta know when to hold um...". I will admit, I had never heard the Kenny Rogers' song Rascal Flats played, and I really thought I knew them all.

 

 

 

Husband and wife dynamic duo, Blake and Miranda, both walked away with their fourth awards for male and female vocalists of the year.

 

 

Kacey Musgraves looked none too pleased when Miranda won. Media had been predicting for weeks that Kacey would be sweeping the awards this year, and I guess she bought into all the hype. She’s still very young and has not mastered the grace yet to hide her disappointment when all cameras are upon her, but she will. The girl is crazy talented and will be getting her fair share of awards in the future.

 

 

Kasey did win for new artist of the year. Florida Georgia Line won for single of the year and duo of the year.

 

 

 Lee Brice won song of the year for “I Drive Your Truck”, a song that still chokes me up even though I’ve heard it a million times. When the award was presented, we got the back story for the song. It was inspired by a soldier who lost his life in Afghanistan and his father who still drives his truck (in the song it’s a brother).

 

 

 

 

 

Little Big Town won for vocal group of the year and Blake Shelton won for album of the year.

 

 

 

  

 Now maybe it was just me, but Tim McGraw didn’t look well. He sounded marvelous, but something just wasn’t quite right. He appeared overly thin, his face was drawn and gaunt, and those ridiculous high-waisted grey pants he was wearing didn’t help. He is doing another movie right now, so maybe he needed to lose weight for the roll. I hope that is all it is and he isn’t ill, for the sake of him, his family and his fans.

 

 

 

  

Unsurprisingly, considering this was the last year he could win the award because he has announced his retirement, George Straight won for entertainer of the year. The same thing happened years ago when Garth Brooks announced his retirement, but unlike Garth, I think Mr. Straight will stay retired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of Garth Brooks, because of his mega worldwide stardom, in 2005 the Country Music Association created an award called the Pinnacle Award for singers who become a global phenomenon. Until last night, Garth Brooks had been the only recipient of this prestigious award. Now he has company. Miss Taylor Swift has joined him in the country music elite. Not too shabby for a twenty-three year old. What a beautiful, classy woman she’s becoming.

Now you probably know more about country music than you ever cared to know. Sorry if I bored the non-country music lovers, but I do love country music, it is predominantly the only music I listen to, so CMA awards night is special.

I hope you have a great day and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge:

 

Something old, something new…

 

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her shoe. We have all heard this, and if you are a woman who has gotten married, you probably made sure you adhered to the poem, well maybe not the sixpence, but do you know why you did?

The poem originated in the late 1800s and it was the supposed good luck charms to ensure the bride of a happy, successful marriage. The “something old” was there to ward off the “evil eye”, which could render her barren. My something old was my grandmother’s cross necklace, so I guess I was doubly protected. The “something blue”, traditionally the garter worn by brides, was also a tool to ward off the “evil eye” in the form of a distraction. Think about it, the bride was all in white, the groom in black and white, the only color around was the blue garter which the groom would throw, drawing the “evil eye’s” attention away from the bride. Of course my garter was blue. Do the make them in any other color for brides?

The “something borrowed” is supposed to be from a woman who has already been blessed with children. Are you noticing a theme here? My borrowed was a handmade handkerchief from my aunt. She had one child, so I guess I was covered.

There is no information on the “something new” or the “sixpence in the shoe”, but I would say the new symbolizes a new beginning and new life together, and the sixpence is to ensure you will never be without funds. Let me tell you, by the end of the night, the penny in my shoe was becoming rather annoying. At one point, when I took my shoe off so I could wiggle my toes, the penny fell out and rolled across the dance floor. Now there was a sight; me in my voluminous white dress, chasing a coin across the room.

At the time of my wedding, I had no idea as to where the traditions had come from or what the meanings behind them were, yet I still made sure I adhered to each and every one, as I am sure many brides before me have done and many brides will continue to do in the future, whether they know why or not.

 

(Twenty-three years and counting.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

The countdown has begun…

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

October 31st Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 

First I want to wish everyone a very happy Halloween. Next I want to wish my friend Keith a very happy Birthday! Y’all know my friend Keith, the horror author. I called him last night and left a message teasing him about being cliché – a horror writer whose birthday is on Halloween. (giggle)

So, the cowgirls are off and running. My daughter and her friend slept over another friend’s house last night, and her mother did all the girls’ hair this morning for school. She did a great job. I think they look adorable! (My daughter’s the one on the left.)

I cannot believe NaNoWriMo starts TOMORROW! I still have so much to do before I start writing. I keep thinking about all of the days in November that are going to pull me away from my writing, that I am already starting to panic over getting the 50K words finished. The first day I won’t be able to write is Sunday because I am doing another book signing at Canterbury Tales.

Not a good thing to happen three days into a project, but I cannot exactly put the book signing off until December. It will be too dang cold then to be outside for five hours! Sunday will be bad enough. It is supposed to be cloudy with the high of only 52°. Burrrr!

Okay, already had a late start to the day, so now I really feel like I’m behind. I need to do more work on the never ending insurance papers and then finish the research for my NaNoWriMo project.

I hope you have a spooky day and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge:

 

Start your story with: It’s Mischief Night and you’ll never believe what my friends have planned.

It’s Mischief Night and you’ll never believe what my friends and I have planned. There is an older couple who live down the street from me, and as far back as I can remember, every Halloween morning, their house has been a mess. There’s toilet paper hanging from their trees, there are smashed egg guts everywhere, and one time, their mailbox and cars were shrink wrapped.

Although I found the last prank rather clever, I still felt bad for the Emersons. As I said, they were an older couple, both long since retired school teachers. I had heard the stories about them being particularly difficult teachers, but come on, enough is enough. Their last batch of students are all married with their own children in the school system, the time for this abuse to cease is long overdue.

So, here is the plan, and I will tell you the Emersons did not want to go along at first, but after we convinced them none of the mischief makers would be physically harmed, well at least no permanent damage would be inflicted, they relented. My friends and I will be lying in wait in the Emerson’s bushes. When the culprits arrive, they will be doused with foul smelling, dyed water from high powered super-soakers.

 

It is supposed to dip into the thirties tonight, so not only will the delinquents stink to high heaven, be stained a lovely shade of Barney purple, they should also be good and chilled by the time they reach home. Won’t they have a lovely time explaining to their parents their sorry appearance? Gee, I hope purple goes with whatever Halloween costume these kids had planned, because it will be several days before their normal skin tone returns.

 

Hopefully, this will put an end to the annual attacks on the Emersons. If not, I know where I will be spending next Mischief Night.

(Photos added after the ten minutes. FB folks, if you want to see the photos, you’ll need to go to my blog.)

Your Next Challenge is:

I’m going to give you a whole lot of leeway on this one. Tell us about your favorite Halloween memory. It could be a special Halloween, an extra special costume or party, tradition, whatever you want to write about.

 

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.

October 27th

Hi, it’s Christina – 

Not feeling well today, so I am not even going to attempt the writing challenges, sorry. I’m not even going to church today. My choir director is going to kill me. This means I’m going to be missing two weeks in a row. The wind and the cold yesterday took their toll on my voice and my stomach is also acting up, so it would be hard to sing with no voice and from the bathroom. I get glares in two weeks, but she’ll forgive me. 

In spite of the cold and lack of actual sales, we had a great time yesterday. Tons of people took our cards and paperwork, so we all will more than likely see a spike in our Kindle sales this week. The same thing happened last time as well.

The neat thing this time was two different people who stopped at my table told me they already had Taking Chances on their Kindle, and one of the people had read it already – and she wasn’t just saying that, she actually made relevant comments about the book, and when I asked, she agreed to post a review on Amazon for me. She also said after finishing Taking Chances, which she downloaded while I was doing one of the free promotions, she went and purchased A Second Chance because she wanted to see how the series all started. She also started bugging me about the release date for Simply By Chance.

That alone would have made yesterday worth freezing my butt off for five hours, but as I said, she was only one customer who I chatted with. She had two friends with her who took my business card and told me they would be downloading my books as well.

Keith, Linda and I worked so well as a team. Whenever someone stopped by any of us, we all talked about each other’s work, not just our own. It’s an easy thing to do when we are all fans of each other’s writing. And, even though our writing genres are different, we each have elements of the other’s in our own pieces. Other than hard core non-fiction readers, we had something to offer everyone who passed.

As I said before, I’m really not feeling well, so I am going to head back to be for a few hours. I hope you have a Super Sunday (this concludes the alliterations) and Happy Writing!

October 11th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina – 
 

What a cold and dreary end to the week! This time last week it was eighty-five degrees and sunny. I do realize that was unusual as well for October in the Northeast, but something a little more gradual would have been nice.

 

So, I am still awaiting the information I need to tie up the loose ends on Corporate Blues. I was able to get in contact with the FBI, however, with the government shutdown, the department who handles research requests for authors and film makers (yes, we actually have our own department) is operating on a skeleton crew.

 

In the meantime, I have a publisher in New York who is chomping at the bit to get his hands on the manuscript, but I won’t release it until it is finished. In the middle of one of the chapters it literally reads “{{{INSERT INFORMATION FROM THE FBI HERE.}}}”. Call me crazy, but I don’t want to give it to him looking like that, so my hands are tied until the government is up and running again. Needless to say, I’m starting to seriously doubt I will make my November release date.

 

I was so hoping to have Corporate Blues well on its way to the production stage before NaNoWriMo. Oh well, the best laid plans… This means, by the end of November, I am going to have three novels, in various stages of completion. I just hope I will be able to keep the feel of each of them true while I try to juggle. Each is so completely different, in time, concept, location and even speech, it may prove a bit of a challenge.

 

I have pretty much decided I am going to go with the Faerie Tale for the NaNoWriMo project. The general concept of the book is a young author/illustrator is required to spend a year in Ireland to fulfill the terms of her grandfather’s Will. The books she writes are a children’s series based on the stories her grandfather told her, when she was a child, of a magical faerie realm. When she gets to Ireland and some unexplainable things start to happen, she begins to wonder if her grandfather’s stories where more than just bedtime tales.

 

What do you think of me using “Faerie Tales” as a title? Do you have other suggestions for me? I would love to hear what you have to offer.

 

I hope you have a fantastic day and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

 

 

My heart beat in tandem with the echoed click of my heels on the marble floor. Although it happened innocently enough, I knew if I were caught, there would be grave consequences to pay. How I was separated from the tour group, I do not know, but in my effort to find them I became hopelessly turned around in the labyrinth of endless hallways.

I knew I was in a forbidden area of the castle, but for the life of me, I did not know which direction I should choose to remedy the situation. The windows were too high for me to peek outside and attempt to get my bearings. The urge to hurry nearly overwhelmed me, for although my sense of direction had abandoned me, my sense of time remained acute. I knew it would be getting dark soon and there was not electricity in this part of the castle.

I figured if I could locate a set of stairs, I would stand a better chance of finding someone who could lead me to safety. Each path I chose led to a T, forcing me to pick a direction. At first I chose willy-nilly. However, after passing the same painting at least three times, I decided a more methodical approach was in order.

I had decided to always choose the option to the left. Worst case scenario, I would end up back where I started, or so I hoped. The left theory ultimately landed me at a dead end and I needed to back track, wasting precious daylight.

Oops, ran out of time as usual.

Your Next Challenge is:

 

The pain was blinding…

You have 10 minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.