September 16th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! It’s a chilly, rainy, yucky day here in central New Jersey, but I’m not going to complain. It has been forever since we have had rain, so it is desperately needed.

Sorry I didn’t do a blog post yesterday. I knew, the way my day had started, I was not going to do much other than complain. Yesterday started with me waking up early, because Dani was supposed to go back to school, and I come out into the living room to find it completely littered with trash. My hubby forgot to take the garbage out on Sunday night, and Colby helped himself. Not the sight I wanted to see at 5:00 a.m.

I said Dani was “supposed to” go back to school yesterday. It didn’t quite work. She got up, showered, dressed, put her make-up on, and she was done. She came out of her room, shaky and white as a sheet; and I said, “Uht, ah. No way. Back to bed.” I knew she wasn’t up to it because she didn’t fight me on it, not one complaint. She just turned around and went back to bed.

So, at nine, I called the doctor and told him what happened. He advised she slowly work her way back into school, so that’s what we are doing. Today she will be at school through third period, tomorrow through sixth, Thursday through eighth, and then the full day on Friday. It’s a good plan. Now I’m just keeping my fingers crossed it will work out that way.

I brought her to school this morning, and we went directly to the nurse’s office. We got her a pass to get out of gym, a blanket hall pass to the nurse’s office whenever she needs it, a pass to use the elevator because she’s still having issues navigating stairs, and a pass to get to class, because by the time we got all the paperwork filled out, she was late for first period.

Since first period had already started, the nurse asked me if I would walk Dani to class. I get her to the classroom, I signal the teacher I would like to talk to him for a second, Dani walks in, and the first words out of the teacher’s mouth are, “You picked a bad day to come back.” What the heck? Is he out of his mind? Why would he say that??

Then, I’m still standing outside the classroom, and he completely ignores me. You would think, he would excuse himself for the fifteen seconds it would have taken for me to bring him up to speed, but no. After five minutes I gave up and left. Man I really hope this was an isolated situation and this guy isn’t such a jerk all the time, or we are going to have an issue.

I refrained from posting yesterday because I didn’t want to complain, and here I am today, complaining; so enough with that.

I had the radio interview on ArtistFirst Radio Network last night. It was a ton of fun. Ron and I spent most of the hour laughing. I did get to talk a bit about me, my books, and the stories behind them. I also managed to work in shout-outs for three of my author friends, Keith, Linda and Dorothy May. All three of them will be appearing on The Ron Shaw Show sometime in the near future. We also talked about the covers for my books, so I was able to give Linda’s son Matt – the creator of my Corporate Blues cover, and her daughter Krista – the model for my Corporate Blues cover, some airtime as well.

It was so surprising how quickly the hour sped by. Ron warned me it would, but honestly, I didn’t believe him. Let me tell you, I enjoyed the radio interview far more than the TV interview last week. I got to do my radio interview in a sweatshirt, old pair of shorts, no make-up, and my hair was probably a mess, and it didn’t matter. You can’t get away with that on TV, that’s for sure.

We had such fun last night, Ron asked me to come back on his show the second Monday in December, and I accepted. Not exactly sure what we will talk about then, but what the heck, right?

Hey, if you get a minute, go check out ArtistFirst’s website. I glanced at it before, checked to make sure there were no errors in what they put up about me and my books, but I didn’t really look at the whole page. I did last night, and I got a big surprise.

My book’s cover and my bio are right next to a picture of Johnny Depp! Other folks they have interviewed are Dr. Oz, Priscilla Presley, Joan Collins, Jaclyn Smith, Ben Vereen, and MANY more names you’d know – HOLY CROW! Here they are, interviewing all these mega stars, and then little old me. I feel unworthy. I’m so glad I didn’t notice that until AFTER my interview, or I really would have been ill.

In case you were wondering, the last challenge was a quote taken from The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. If you haven’t had a chance to read this book yet, I highly recommend it. As a rule, I pretty much do not read non-fiction. The spare time I have to read, I want to escape, to be taken away to another time, another place, and most of all to a happily ever after; and let’s face it, non-fiction usually cannot deliver my requirements.

This book however, was an assigned reading for Dani last year, and I read all of the books my kids have had assigned to them. I finished the book in a little over two hours, and then I went and watched the video of the actual lecture. The book was amazing, and it is the first book EVER that I did not find a single editing error. That alone impressed me. My only complaint was the insane cover price for the tiny book. $22 for a 4X5, 205 page book, even the Kindle edition was $11. I’m sorry, I don’t care who you are or what you’ve got to say or how amazing what you have to say is, it’s not worth that kind of money. I managed to get a used copy for $5, and I strongly suggest, if you plan on reading it, you should too.

Okay, I’ve rambled on long enough. I have to get this puppy posted everywhere and then go get Dani from school.

I hope you have an amazing day, and happy writing!

Your Next Challenge:

I think I can, I think I can…

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.

July 16th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! I’m not overly thrilled with our recent weather pattern. It seems Tuesday is monsoon day around here. For the second Tuesday in a row, I’ve had to drive through blinding rain in order to participate in my writing group. At least this time I was only dealing with flooded streets as opposed to last Tuesday when I was dodging falling branches. It figures, doesn’t it? I really don’t venture far from home, if at all, the other six days a week, but on the one day I do…

It was a very small group yesterday. At first we thought it was only going to be four of us, but by 7:30 we were up to eleven. Of the eleven, only five of us read. The timing was perfect for a small group. We have roughly an 1,100 word max on what we read, so there will be enough time for everyone who wants to read. Since my stories are comprised of short chapters, staying under the 1,100 words has never been an issue.

However, last night’s chapter went over the max, but because the group was small, it wasn’t a problem. Still, in the back of my mind, I knew the piece was longer than allowed, so I picked up the pace while I was reading, and I got yelled at to slow down, twice. Chapter seven of Faerie Tale Queen was well received, (I’ve been reading a chapter every time we meet). I got chuckles in the appropriate places, and they seemed to enjoy the main character’s quirky relationship with her GPS. I got some good feedback which I will be able to use when I sit down to work on my initial edits (the ones I do BEFORE I send the manuscript off to be edited).

Two gentlemen, ironically both named Alex, read last night. One Alex is a regular to the group, and a majority of the time he writes plays or performance monologues. Last night he read an excerpt from a performance piece which was hysterical. I’m talking, I couldn’t catch my breath, had tears in my eyes, and snorted because I was laughing so hard. I’m still chuckling right now, just trying to tell you about it.

The flip side of the coin was the other Alex. He is brand new to the group, last night was his first night, and he brought us into a dark place. He also accomplished an extremely difficult task, keeping us engaged in a fiction piece told in first person. The story was, I don’t want to say creepy, and I don’t want to repeat myself by saying dark again, but I don’t know a better way to describe it. What I can say is I am looking forward to hearing more of the story in the weeks to come.

With a little luck, I will hit the 25K mark today. I’m close, but it will still take a fairly good push to get me there. Considering today is the halfway point of the month, I’m only a few hours behind.

On that note, I should get writing because I only have two hours and 2,300 words to go. I hope you have a wonderful day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

The morning light looked strange

Out of desperation to come up with a challenge to give you yesterday, I looked up, in hope to think of something, and that’s when I noticed the strange light coming through my living room window. It reminded me of another time, many years ago, when I saw a similar light.

I’m not sure exactly how old I was, but I do remember I was a teenager, and I was home on summer break. My mom had left for work already, but it was still early when I padded downstairs to forage for something to eat. I looked through the kitchen window and was greeted by a weird orangey yellow haze. Figuring my sleep filled eyes and summertime hazed brain were playing tricks on my, I ceased my breakfast preparations and went out on our front porch to investigate.

From my new vantage point I was able to see a sight I hope to never experience again. The sky to the south was blanketed in varying shades of amber and brown, and there was an acrid stench in the air. I quickly reentered my house, then ran from room to room and closed all the windows and doors. I than began to furiously flip through the radio dial to find a news station, or any station which would be able to enlighten me as to what was going on.

***

I ran out of time, but I figured if I had left the story there, I’d get hate mail. I found WCTC, which is a central New Jersey new station. Since sunrise, their radio station had been inundated with calls. It turned out the haze and the smell were due to a wildfire, raging out of control, in the Pinelands, over seventy-five miles away from my home. It was days before the sun could penetrate and the smell dissipated, and until it did, most of the state was shroud in an unnatural light.

Your Next Challenge is:

I am…

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.

February 14th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Thankfully we didn’t get as much snow last night as was predicted. We only got another two inches – on top of the almost ten inches yesterday morning. What was the real shocker was the thunder and lightning we storm we had last night and the pouring rain. The rain only lasted for about half an hour and it didn’t really make a dent in the mounds of piled up snow. There will probably still be piles in places come Mother’s Day.

Unfortunately, the lightning did have an effect. It struck a building at the Girl Scout camp a few miles away. I haven’t seen any updates this morning, but as of last night they said the main building was completely destroyed. It’s sad, because in March of 2010, the same thing happened, so the building which was destroyed was new. Hopefully they will be able to rebuild again.

As of right now, the kids have a delayed opening, but I’m not sure if that will change. The rain last night did cause flooding in town and we had road closures. The water may have receded by now, so we may be ok. They said we’d hear by 7:30 if the schools will be closing.

I wanted to let you know, I will not be around tomorrow, so there will not be a blog post. Yup, you get an extra day to do the writing challenge. I know there are a whole bunch of new followers of this blog, so let’s see if some are feeling brave. J

I hope you have a lovely day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

Write a story containing the following: Peanut Butter, Kitchen & Diaper

I swear it was five minutes. Less than five minutes! I left him in front of the TV. He was in a Barney coma. He NEVER moves when Barney is on, and there was twenty minutes left on the tape.

I ran downstairs to flip the laundry. I’m carrying the basket of clothes to be folded back upstairs and I step on something. I look down and it’s my son’s sneaker, then, a couple of feet away, his other sneaker. Hmmm, didn’t he have his shoes on? Maybe not. Maybe the dog got a hold of them.

I put down the basket and pick up the sneakers, then I see the socks. Did I leave his socks shoved in his sneakers? I walk the few steps to retrieve the socks and I spot the pants. I know those are the pants he was wearing, what the heck?

I get to the living room to ask my son why he took off all his clothes, and he’s not there.

Ran out of time. I was going to find him sitting on the kitchen floor, in nothing but his diaper, with peanut butter smeared all over him and everything around him.

Your Next Challenge is:

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.

August 16th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Sure enough, our last day of vacation looks like it is going to be a total wash-out. It’s grey, misty, windy and chilly. In general – YUCKY. What a downer. If you have a good last day for vacation, you leave with a good feeling. However, when you have a day like this, you remember things like your almost twelve hour drive to get here, the traffic, the water only really being nice one day, the problems with the house, etc.

The last time we came to the Outer Banks, I said I wouldn’t do it again. I should have stuck with what I said. I should have sucked it up, drove the extra two hours, and went to Myrtle Beach where we have always had fantastic vacations. It stings even more knowing this will probably be the last vacation we will be able to take for a few years because money is tight, so I really had my heart set on it being great.

The girls had said they wanted to go see the new Percy Jackson movie, so I guess, after we get the packing finished, they will get their chance. I may or may not go. When we got here, the house was really dirty and it set the tone for the week. I don’t want the next people’s vacation to start off on such a sour note, so I think I will take some extra care cleaning up the place, and the best time to do it would be when no one else was here.

After our long drive home tomorrow, we are going to have several jam-packed days ahead of us. Sunday the girls are going to Dorney Park with their aunt, and my husband and I are going to a brunch in celebration of what would have been my grandmother’s 100^th Birthday. Sunday night we are going to dinner at my sister-in-law’s. Monday we have the eye doctor’s and various other running around to get all the last minute things for my daughter. Tuesday we need to get her packed up and clean the house for the party. Wednesday’s the party and then we leave on Thursday for Vermont. I guess being so busy is a good thing. I don’t have time to dwell on my daughter leaving. Maybe that’s why my son gave us virtually no warning as to his move date, so I wouldn’t have days or weeks to get sad over him leaving.

Just a reminder, there will be no writing challenge Saturday since I will be driving home all day. So, you have until Sunday to work on today’s challenge.

Hope you have a wonderful day and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

 

As beautiful as it looks, it is really a sad sight. The hanging of the life preserver on the back of the “Thanks for visiting us. Come back soon.” sign on the day after Labor Day, is a custom in the town. A signal to all that the summer has come to an end. The lifeguards have gone home, it is time for us to go home too; back to school, back to work. Before long the days will become shorter and the air will become chillier. Soon we will be caught up in holiday preparations and, before we know it, another year will come to an end. Hot lazy days will merely be a faded memory. But, if by chance, during the cold dark months you happen to drive past, the life preserver on the back of the sign will still be there; a testament that the joy of summer will come again.

 

Really short today. I knew what I wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t flow. I guess my mood is matching the weather, and it’s hard to write when you’re feeling blah. I need to figure out a way to fix that, figure out a way to make rainy days ideal writing days. Think about it, it’s logical. Why should I stay cooped up inside writing on beautiful days? Whatever, I know it’s not going to happen. I’m wired weird. Logic plays absolutely no part in the equation of me.

Your Next Challenge is:

 

You’re stuck in the house on a rainy day.

 

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.

August 14th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

Yesterday, by 11:00 am, the sun was out and the day turned beautiful, so my daughter and I hit the beach. The sand was so hot, it actually burned. I much prefer a sunny beach day after it had rained the night before, then you can actually walk on the sand. The water had turned cold and rough again, so getting relief from the scorching sun was not a pleasant venture. Then, very quickly, the storm clouds started to roll in again, so we elected to pack up. My husband and other daughter never even made it to the beach.

Although it thundered and lightening, no rain came, and the storm ended up blowing through, but at that point I was showered and dressed, so I wasn’t going back to the beach. Now, looking out the window, I wish I had. It is dark and threatening already and the rain is supposed to start around one and then be pretty rainy for the remainder of our stay. The joys of the Eastern Seaboard during hurricane season, but at least it isn’t a hurricane and we are not being evacuated.

The locals told us about a restaurant about six miles down the strip which I think we will try tonight. Supposedly the food is good, there’s a large selection to choose from and it is very inexpensive by OBX standards. I’ll let you know how it was tomorrow.

 

Hope you have a wonderful day and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

 

Aria danced along the Queria falls, climbed their mossy slopes and dove into the rejuvenating pools. There was much to be done, and she knew she should have been working, but she also knew a few hours of pleasure would make her much more productive in the long run. Aria knew she was taking a chance being at the falls in the midday, knew she ran the risk of being seen by the Talmandae. Her brother Bain would be livid if he ever found out.

Well, he will just never have to find out, she thought to herself as she reached the top of the highest fall, spread her arms and pushed off. She loved the feeling of soaring through the air, even if it was for only a few brief moments. She adjusted her arms above her head and broke the surface of the water cleanly, plunged deep the resurfaced.

Just a few more minutes and I’ll head back. She closed her eyes and floated on her back, drinking in the warmth of the sun on her skin.

Your Next Challenge is:

 

You are sorting through some things you had inherited and you find and old, sealed letter addressed 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.

August 13th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

The sunrise this morning was beautiful, feathers of glowing red and purple dusted over the sky. However, “Red skies in morning, sailors take warning” holds water. The threatening black clouds have now rolled in, and today may be a total wash-out. On the bright side, I should be able to put a serious dent into my editing project. I’ll lock myself in the bedroom, put my earplugs in and go to town. Not exactly the ideal activity while on vacation, but the work needs to be done.

I’m kinda bummed about the storm, not because it will be a rainy day, but because yesterday the ocean water was actually pleasant, still a little cool, but much better than on Sunday. Now today’s storm might very well make it cold again. Of course with the warmer water temperature, the number of jellyfish increased. Luckily they were the clear ones, so they posed no threat.

Since I cannot change any of this, I will not stress over it, and just enjoy whatever the day will bring. I figure I have about two more hours before the household wakes up, so I should probably start working while I have the quiet.

Hope you have a wonderful day and happy writing!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

Write a story using the following three words: Lobster, Plastic, Noise

It wasn’t on the map, nor in the eating guide listing all the restaurants in the area, but the little shack on the water held such charm, we just had to give it a try. The first thing to greet us as we lumbered up the sandy path through the dunes was the noise of the two seagulls arguing on the patio. Of course, being the strange family we are, my girls put fitting words to the quarrelling gulls’ squawks, so by the time we climbed the stairs, we were all laughing like loons.

We were told to take any seat on the patio we liked as we were the only people in the establishment at the time. An unoccupied restaurant would normally be a warning as to its quality, but something just felt right about being there, so we stayed. It was a clever idea, this shack. In the center was the kitchen area surrounded on three sides with a covered patio with tables and chairs, all with a view of the ocean. The décor was nautical; pillars wrapped in rope, nets with plastic lobsters, crabs and starfish. There was even a ship’s wheel mounted under a hand-carved maidenhead.

We had a wonderful dinner. The girls got burgers, chicken fingers and fries, and my husband and I got to enjoy some fresh seafood. At one point the owner/cook sat down and chatted with us. He told us all sorts of seafaring tales. The man was a gifted storyteller and had us enthralled for hours. We were quite surprised to realize just how much time we had actually spent at the shack, and as the hour was growing late, we thanked the owner for a wonderful time and bade him goodnight.

The next day, I was chatting with an older local couple on the beach and I had asked why they thought the shack was not listed in any of the brochures. They gave me a strange look and ask why I thought a place that burned down almost fifty years ago should still be listed.

 

Wow, this one just flew out of my fingers, and with probably two or three more minutes, I would have been able to finish the whole story. Oh well…

Your Next Challenge is:

 

 

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.

July 13th Challenge

Hi, it’s Christina –

It’s Saturday again. Boy that week went fast! We’ve had quite a long string of hot (in the 90s), sunny days with only a passing thunderstorm in the late afternoon, which are to be expected.  Today it is cool and rainy, and my sister-in-law is probably having an absolute fit. In about six hours, she is to have a house full of people, who very well may end up IN the house as opposed to in the back yard as planned. UGH! Say a little prayer that the rain lets up.

Yesterday I did hit the half way mark at camp, so Corporate Blues is shaping up. Still haven’t heard back from the email I sent the FBI about a procedural question, but they’ll respond eventually; it’s not like research for a novel would be any kind of priority. In the meantime, I have a sign in the middle of the chapter that reads {{INSERT INFORMATION FROM THE FBI HERE}}. The same sign will probably appear again several chapters down the road if they don’t get back to me in the next week, but at least I’m not letting myself get hung up over missing information. If the info they give me contradicts something I’ve written, I can always fix it, but I will worry about that during the first editing phase.

Since I only have until nine-thirty to write, I’m going to sign off for the day. I hope you have a great Saturday!

 

Your Last Challenge was:

 

So much sorrow, so much pain

Play over this blood soaked ground like a somber refrain

Daily I wander, rail and cry

For all the young souls who had to die

 

Can you hear me?

Most didn’t understand what they were fighting for

But now they know there can be no winner in a war

Broken promises, hopes and dreams

Torment and heartache to extreme

Can you feel me?

 

I search these woods from dusk ‘til dawn

For a love who’s now long gone

Someday we’ll find each other again

And be able to walk away hand in hand

 

Can you see me?

 

ICK – I gave myself the chills. Poems still surprise me when they come out, and I found it really strange that a picture challenge prompted one. I can’t recall if that has happened before…

 

Your Next Challenge is:

 

For me, THIS is the happiest place on Earth

 

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.