September 20th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! Sorry I have been MIA for the past two days; I’ve been busy with marketing, writing and reunion stuff. Yesterday I hunted for classmates until my eyes crossed. I got through the M’s. Let me tell you, we’ve gotten creative in searching.

While we were at the meeting and talking about who we were still missing, when one of the classmate’s names came up a reunion committee member mentioned that the classmate’s dad passed away recently. We searched online to see if there was an obituary, and when we found it, we went to the “He was survived by…”, found our classmates name and the town he lived in, then went on White Pages and got his phone number and called him.

The whole process took about half an hour, which isn’t too terrible, but times that by the hundred classmates we are still missing… In some cases, where there is simply no bread crumb trail to the classmate, we are hunting for their parents, siblings, spouses, other family members, whatever we can. We only have two months left to find these folks, and very soon there needs to come an “I give up” point, but I’m not there yet.

Okay, I only have a few more minutes. I have to go get ready for the book signing at Canterbury TalesForever in Peddler’s Village. I need to be up and running by ten, it’s a fifty minute drive, I have to stop at the store to get candy for my basket (and lunch for my belly), and I still have to shower, do my hair and put on make-up. I won’t be getting dressed up today like I usually do, but I’m excited about what I’ll be wearing.

My “Christina Paul Books” T-shirts came in, and I will be wearing mine for the signing today. My banner came in as well, so wish me luck for figuring out how to hand the dang thing from my table. I brought fishing line, and I think I should be able to rig it with the fishing line under the table cloth.

Don’t forget, this weekend is the Scarecrow Festival at Peddler’s Village, so it is going to be a lot of fun. Please, if you have time (and don’t live halfway around the world), come check it out. It’s fixing to be a picture perfect day. The laundry and yard work can wait another day. Come out, have fun, and stop by to say “Hi”.

Gotta boogie. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Next Challenge:

There’s a chill in the air…

You have ten 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.

September 5th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good morning! First off, I want to wish my sister in law, Cindy, and brother in law, Frank, a very happy 22^nd anniversary. Here’s wishing you many more wonderful years together!

Yet again, we are saying a final goodbye to a legend. You may have loved her, you may have hated her (and even if you loved her, there’s a strong chance there were times when you hated her too), but there is one thing you must agree on, Ms. Joan Rivers, was a pioneer for women in comedy.

Not to under mind great comedic ladies like Gracie Allen and Lucille Ball, because they were amazingly talented women, but Joan Rivers busted through the “boy’s club” walls of stand-up comedy. Her humor was often raunchy and offensive. She pulled no punches, and did not apologize for anything. She was a tough New Yorker, and had more hutzpah than most of her male counterparts.

Whether you remember her for patented “Can we talk?”, her acerbic tongue, her every changing – compliments of multiple plastic surgeries – face, or for her critical fashion opinions, please remember her with a smile. I cannot believe Heaven got Robin Williams and Joan Rivers in such a short time frame. Boy is that going to be a “standing room only” performance or what?

As I said, the blog over the next few days is going to be short so I can concentrate on Faerie Tale Queen, but I wanted to give you a few updates. Thankfully, Dani’s day got much better after she got to school. Lys did visit the doctor at school and they gave her some kick-butt antibiotics, and she’s feeling much better now. There were only four of us at the reunion committee meeting last night, but we got A LOT accomplished. We have another meeting in two weeks, and then we start with weekly meetings until the 11/29 reunion. 

I’m going to be scrambling for the church meeting tonight because my friend, who is a yoga teacher, was supposed to be our guest tonight, but she had a scheduling conflict and cannot make it. Dani asked to be picked up from school today so she can take time to find her locker. Apparently it is not in the same location as last year, and she’s not sure where it is. From there, I’m going to pop into ShopRite to get the fixings for smoothies for tonight’s meeting.

Okay, that’s me in a nutshell. Off to the wilds of Ireland. I hope you have a fantastic day, and happy writing!

Your Next Challenge is:

Use the following: A Grasshopper or Cricket, An Empty Can, and Rain…

You have ten 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.

May 21st Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! Yesterday was a glorious day; 82°, no humidity, tons of sunshine and a gentle breeze. You couldn’t make a better day if you were to conjure it yourself. I only wish I wasn’t feeling yucky for most of it so I would have been able to enjoy it more. I’m feeling better today, but it’s grey and muggy out. Figures.

My daughter has been baking up a storm – and trashing my kitchen in the process. Her boyfriend’s birthday is coming up on Sunday, but he’ll be in Vegas, so she’s going out to Long Island tomorrow to spend some time with him. He mentioned he loves the Entenmann’s marble pound cake, so she made him one of those. She also made a dozen whoopie pies, a dozen Oreo cupcakes, and a batch of brownies.

She has them all in a huge box, wrapped in birthday paper, which has me a little nervous. You see, we are putting her on a train in the morning to NY Penn Station, and from there she needs to catch the LIRR. I’m not real comfortable with her walking around Penn Station, carrying a huge birthday present. I think it’s just asking for trouble. 

Someone’s going to see the huge box and think it is some expensive give worth taking. I think she should put the box in a black garbage bag, but she says it would raise red flags to the cops. Hmm – raise a flag with the cops vs. peak interest with a crook… you know which way I’d lean.

She has fifteen minutes to navigate Penn Station – which she’s never been to before - carrying this box and an overnight bag, purchase her LIRR ticket, and catch the train to Long Island. I anticipate a teary panicked phone call, but then again, she’ll probably be fine and I’m just projecting my own phobias.

Ugh! As if I wasn’t grey enough already! I’d ask her to text me updates at each step of her journey, but I think that would add more stress to her – juggling the box, the bag, and the ticket, is more than enough. Mom’s just going to have to take a chill-pill and let it go. I will have her text me when

she gets on the LIRR so I know she made it.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to get her to the train station in the morning. As luck would have it, I have to be at work early tomorrow morning, and I’ll be headed in the exact opposite direction of the train station. I made a few calls, then left a message for Grandpa. Hopefully he’ll be able to help his granddaughter out.

Okay, I have an hour before I have to leave for work, and I need to get more editing done. I’m seriously starting to question if I am going to be able to finish in nine days. I hope you have a great day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

You are going to your twenty fifth high school reunion, and the person who was voted “most likely to succeed” shows up.

“Samuel Tucker, as I live and breathe.”

“Hi K.C.”

“I’m surprised to see you here Sam. You haven’t been to any other reunion.”

“Yeah…well, you know how it is.”

“Actually I don’t. Never did manage to get out of our little town.”

“Um… it was nice seeing you. You look good. I’m…uh…gunna go see who else is here. We’ll … uh…catch up later.”

As Sam wove his way into the crowd, Darcy snuck up behind K.C. and hissed in her ear, “Tell me that wasn’t Sam Tucker you were just talking to.”

K.C. turned, “Yup, it was.”

“I can’t believe he had the nerve to show his face.”

“What are you talking about Darcy? That’s Sam. All Star athlete in both baseball and football, full ride to college, voted “most likely to succeed”. Why wouldn’t he want to come to his 25^th high school reunion?” K.C. watched Sam’s progress through the room, openly admiring what she saw.

“Seriously K.C.? Have you been living under a rock?”

“Just right here in Green Meadow, then again, that pretty much means the same thing.”

Darcy gasped and grabbed K.C.’s arm to get her full attention. “Lord girl, you really don’t know, do you?”

“Darcy! What?”

Ooo, this one could have probably gone somewhere if I had more time. I may have to file it away for a later date. What do you think?

Your Next Challenge is:

Use the following (chosen from a random page, from a random book on my shelf) as either your first or last line in a story:

“So that’s it, then? Nothing I say is going to change her mind?”

You have ten 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.

May 19th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Afternoon! Dang, I am seriously late for this blog today, but I have a good excuse. I needed to finalize the invitations for Dani’s Confirmation Party and my husband’s surprise party (shhhh, it’s a secret). Plus I had to create maps on Excel to send along with the invitations, which took forever! Now all I have to do is print them all, print the mailing labels, and get them mailed before my hubby comes home. There are folks who are invited to both parties. Do you think it’s cheesy if I stick both invitations in one envelope?

Radishes

Yesterday’s blog was too long to include a blurb about my garden, so I held it for today. Stuff is growing already! I made thirty little holes to plant the radishes, and stuck two seeds in each hole. Much to my surprise, all sixty radishes are coming up. I think I gave them enough space so I won’t need to thin them out, but what am I going to do with sixty radishes?

Corn

Next to the radishes are the carrots, and then I left a section to be able to plant something else. Unfortunately, it appears the rain displaced some of the carrot seeds, so now they stretch completely over the area I had left free. We’re going to end up with a boat load of carrots, but at least I can freeze them without worry.

Climbers

The corn has tripled in size already. There will be no issues getting it “knee-high by the Fourth of July”. The beans have all sprouted and are almost three inches tall already. The green beans are doing better than the wax beans, but I’m sure it will all even out. We did get the lattice up so they can climb when they are ready. Can any of you tell me if they need to be coaxed onto the lattice or if the plants figure it out on their own?

It appears all the broccoli and cauliflower seed took as well, and since they were well spaced, I shouldn’t have to thin them either. The only things which have not made an appearance yet are the peppers, the dill from seed, and the rosemary from seed; but it’s only been a week, so I

Broccoli

really hadn’t anticipated anything to be growing yet.

I spent about an hour out there yesterday trying to get all those annoying maple tree seed helicopters out of the beds. The big ones weren’t bad, but those tiny ones are a pain. I gave up, figuring it will be easier to pluck the saplings when they sprout, than the seeds now.

After I straighten up the kitchen and throw in a load of laundry, it will be nose to the grindstone for me. There are only twelve days left in the month, and I have a TON of editing to do, and I best get to it. I hope you have a marvelous day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

They sat next to each other, but pretended to be strangers

Who do they think they’re fooling? A blind person could sense these two knew each other. No one goes so far out of their way to avoid interaction, even here on the subway. Smiles, glances, an “excuse me” or a “thank you” are inevitably exchanged, yet these two are as animated as Buckingham Palace guards.

Their build and their dress are so similar, and their presence simply screams “Feds”. The real questions are what are they doing here, who are they watching, and should I be concerned? After glancing about the car, and being unable to discern the object of their focus, I elect to exit at the next stop, then take the next available train. Much to my chagrin, the two follow me off the train.

I wrack my brain. Was it me they were following? What do I know? Nothing. Did I see something? Hear something? If I did, I am not aware. As nonchalantly as possible, I climb to street level. Perhaps I can lose them in the crowd. One block, two, I catch a glimpse of them in the reflection of a store window. They are still following me. What if they’re not Feds?

Your Next Challenge is:

You are going to your twenty fifth high school reunion, and the person who was voted “most likely to succeed” shows up.

You have ten 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.

April 14th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Happy Monday Morning! Even though it’s Monday, you can’t be too bummed when it’s such a glorious day. It’s over sixty degrees already, and the sun is shining. We are supposed to reach a high of seventy-seven today. {{{Clapping my hands.}}} *\0/* Doing a happy dance. *\0/*

It’s going to be tough to sit inside and writing all day, but I gotta do it. It was a busy weekend, and I didn’t get as much writing done as I should have. So today, I need to buckle down and crank out a few chapters. After I do, then I’ll take a little break and run to the grocery store – something else I never got to this weekend.

At least all I have to get is cold cuts, bread and milk. I don’t need to get any dinner items at all. Wanna know why? Because, somehow, at some point after I had gone downstairs to retrieve a Digorino’s pizza on Friday for dinner, the freezer door opened. I don’t know if I didn’t close it all the way, or if I had dislodged something, and after I closed the door, it hit it and opened the door. Several items thawed out completely, but were still cold, so I’m hoping they are still good. UGH! I hate when that happens!

I forgot to tell you yesterday about one other person I met at the Princeton Author’s Day. His name is Ravi, and he is a marketing guru. He has such fabulous ideas about how I should be marketing my books, and he is also looking to write his own book. He spent about twenty minutes chatting with Keith and me. This will be great, we can give Ravi tips and help with his writing, and he can give us tips and help us with our marketing. Man, I love networking and bartering.

After church yesterday, I went with Rebecca to the mall. Yeah, I know your saying, “Christina went to the mall?” because you all know how much I hate and try to avoid the mall at all costs. There’s a true glimpse into how much I love Bec, if I was willing to deal with a mall for her. Anyway, she is starting a new job, one which requires true business attire as opposed to business casual, so she needed to shop.

Since she hates the mall almost as much as I do, we decided to slay the beast together. Thanks to Macy’s, we had a productive day. We did find two tops in Lord & Taylor. Then we hit a couple of other stores with no success. We were about to give up, but I said, that since we were there, let’s just go to Macy’s. At that point we were both tired, and a little discouraged, but we trudged to the petite department.

After about five minutes of looking around, we gave up, partly because the foul odor in the department. I swear it smelled like someone had peed on the floor, it was disgusting. We were walking out, when something caught my eye. I pulled out a few tops, Bec tried them on, found one she liked and purchased it.

So now we were done, and headed home. We walked a little further, and something else caught my eye. I pulled down two more tops for Bec to try, and that’s when she remembered the brand name of some tops she liked. We asked the sales lady where those tops were located, and she sent us to another department. Pay dirt! Not only did Bec find several more tops she liked, I found a top for Easter, and for only $22. 

Oh, by the way, the one I got at Kohl’s did not look right, and it’s going back, so I ended up wearing an oldie but goodie to the PPL Author’s Day. (I still haven’t received any pictures from the day, as soon as someone sends some, I’ll post them for you to see.)

I also splurged a little. Vera Bradley sent me a 40% off coupon in the mail, for my birthday, and since my current pocketbook has seen better days, and I had some money from my mother in law for my birthday, so I indulged. I got the “Mandy” bag in “Petal Paisley” and a wallet to match, since my wallet’s pretty shot as well. It’s been a while since I have treated myself to something frivolous and pretty, so I’m a happy girl.

Okay, enough of my “warm-up”, time to do some “real” writing. I hope y’all have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

A reunion they’ll never forget…

‘Twenty-five years, where had the time gone?’ was a common phrase heard from the 1989 Culver High School graduates, as they reminisced with old friends, or gave fake smiles and platitudes to their old nemeses. The former “nerds” and “unpopulars” gloated and berated the former “jocks” and “populars”; the guys were all fat and bald, and the gals were funding either Miss Clarol, a plastic surgeon, or both, while they had all become one of the “pretty people” or incredibly wealthy.

As nostalgic music began to play, the dance floor filled, and only a few grimaced or commented on how terrible music from the eighties had been. The houselights dimmed, the mirrored ball began to rotate, laser lights began to bounce around the room, and the fog machine’s mist blanketed the dance floor. The conversation was loud, the music was louder. Then, above the cacophony, a scream silenced the room.

The crowd parted. Someone brought up the houselights. There, lying in the middle of the dance floor, blood trickling out of his nose, ears and mouth, was Jeff, the Raging Rooster’s star quarterback, the kid who had lead Culver High to back to back state championships in ’88 and ’89. He was motionless and most assuredly dead, but how? He was drinking, laughing and dancing just moments before.

Your Next Challenge is:

Does this taste funny to you?

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.

April 12th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

The car’s all packed and ready to go. I had to use the larger suitcase, but I got everything in one, so that’s good. I had to have my husband put it in my trunk though, because I couldn’t lift it. The folks at the Princeton Library recommend you bring twenty-five copies of your book to the fair. I’m only bringing twenty, but when you have three books... The books, business cards, bookmarks, sign, stand, pens, candy, plus all the little table display things, it becomes really heavy.

I should be able to slide the suitcase out of the trunk without too much difficulty, and hopefully without breaking one of the wheels. Then, with any luck, by the end of the day, my inventory will be considerable decreased, so the suitcase won’t be too heavy for me to hoist it back up into my van. If it is, I’m sure I could beg some passerby to lend a hand.

Okay, I only have half an hour to spare, and I want to get a little writing done. Then it’s shower, hair (which there isn’t a whole heck of a lot of after yesterday’s haircut), make-up (yuck), a quick stop to pick up a bagel, and the drive to Princeton for the ten o’clock workshop. So, I’m going to get going. I hope y’all have a super day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was– again stolen from my Tuesday writing group. This is a random line, from a random book, selected off the library’s shelf. You must use the line in your story. Bonus points if you can make this the last line in your story. More bonus points if you can identify the line (no fair Googling it):

“There, old gent, there’s a drop of something to cheer you up.”

“Lies I tell you, lies.” Jeb spat. “That’s all she’s given me.”

Butch tried to calm his distraught friend, “Now Jeb, how can you say that? Sally Mae has stood by your side through thick and thin she has.”

“Aw Butch, that’s just what she wants you, what she wants everybody to believe, but it ain’t true.”

“Okay Jeb, I’m not saying I’m not believin’ ya, but I think Sally Mae’s done right by you and the boys. After your Molly passed, she stepped right in and raised them like they was her own. She goes to church on Sunday, and to prayer group on Wednesdays. She doin all sorts of volunteer work for the homeless, and for that soup kitchen down in Carver City.”

“Oh yeah, she’s a God fearin’ woman alright,” Jeb snorted. “More like a preacher lovin’ woman. Her and that Reverend Peterson have been doing their own version of holy rollin’, and I’m not going to stand for it anymore.”

Not sure how to process this bit of news, Butch opened up one of his best bottles of whiskey, poured two fingers worth and placed a glass in front of Jeb, “There, old gent, there’s a drop of something to cheer you up.”

So, did any of you guess where the line is from? I’ll be honest, never in a million years would have been able to guess it correctly. It from a book of American plays, and this line was taken from Rip Van Winkle.

Your Next Challenge is:

A reunion they’ll never forget…

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.