How About...?

How about a writing prompt? It's been a little while since we've had one, so thought I'd post one today:) It's always fun to see what my writer friends come up with. Everyone's perspective is unique and it generates a nice assortment of stories. So here goes:

Write a flash fiction story using this line as the opening:

"How much is this bunch of carrots? Lydia asked.

After you write it, please share the story! My email is karenelange(at)gmail(dot)com. Perhaps you won't even mind giving me permission to share it in a future post...but only if you want to, of course.

Happy Writing!

Dawn's Prelude Book Review

Dawn's Prelude by Tracie Peterson
Bethany House Publishers

Recently widowed Lydia Gray is not sad; she is actually relieved that her late husband Floyd cannot torment her any longer. Lydia's marriage was a business arrangement between her father and Floyd, a practice not uncommon in 1870 in Kansas City. She is surprised to learn that she inherited Floyd's entire estate. Determined to break free from any ties to Floyd's greedy and insensitive adult children, she secretly makes plans to move to Sitka, Alaska, where Aunt Zerelda, her only remaining relative, lives.

A bit of intrigue ensues as Lydia makes her way to Sitka where she finds herself in the arms of Kjell Lindquist. Literally! Kjell catches Lydia right off the boat, sick and worn from her travels. The plot thickens as Lydia fights her way out of a web of bitterness and distrust from the treatment she received at Floyd's hands. Will Zerelda's gentle faith speak to Lydia? Will Lydia accept this new land as her own? Will Kjell have any part in Lydia's future? And what of Floyd's family, will their greed drive them to drastic measures?

The beauty of the Alaskan territory comes alive in Ms. Peterson's latest book. I have yet to find a book of hers that I disliked. She is a wonderful story teller; her stories have depth and an eternal message. Check this one out; adventure and surprises await!

Happy Reading:)

Bethany House provided this book free of charge for review purposes.

Email Adventures

I recently got locked out of my hotmail account. Apparently it was a widespread glitch, as others encountered the same problem. One minute I had access to my account, the next, I did not.

My hotmail account is a primary email address that I have used for over 10 years. Let's just say I did not weather this storm without a measure of frustration, and yes, a bit of anxiety. I tried all the help options, spent hours on the net trying to find solutions, and changed my password, cleared my cache, cookies, and checked for viruses. Still locked out. The automated responses from the help desk sent me in circles. I scrambled to remember addresses and touch base with contacts through my other email addresses. Finally, after four days, they said that they'd verified my account and gave me access again. They apologized for the delay, as they normally respond in 24 hours, but with a high volume of other users experiencing the same issues, they were backed up. I was back on, hooray!

Thankfully, I did not miss anything monumental while I was locked out. I had to wade through over 300 emails, but got back on track in a short time. I have to admit that I learned some valuable lessons - like keeping a list of my email contacts elsewhere. I also learned that it's a good idea to change passwords every so often, using these tips for a more secure password. I was also reminded that you shouldn't use the same password for every account you have, whether email, for online shopping or banking, or other kind of account.

Finally, I was reminded that this was just a little thing in my life's big picture; I managed to get through the week without using that account. Funny how the Lord uses little things to teach us things and smack some perspective back into our lives. I'm thankful that He was patient with me while I scaled this little trial. He is good!

Had any little perspective aligning adventures lately? :)

Blessings!

Christian Short Story Contest

Sunpenny Publishing is sponsoring a Christian Writers' Short Story Competition. Contest is open to all writers, no matter what experience level. Entry fee is $8 per story, and cash prizes will be awarded for first and second place. Entry deadline is April 30, 2010. Click here for contest submission guidelines and details.

Based in the United Kingdom, Sunpenny Publishing is also looking for writers of good Christian fiction, poetry, children's books and more. They happily accept new authors from all over the world. They work with printers in the UK and US to produce a professional product aimed at being a witness to the world through the written word.

Who's up for writing a good contest story? Go ahead, we'll cheer you on!

Happy Writing:)

I am blessed to pass contest and other info along here; please note that I cannot completely vouch for each company represented.

Blog Readership

Promoting Blog Readership, a recent article in an online Writer's Digest newsletter, offered five blogging tips for writers. This article was linked with another, 22 Essential Elements of Sharable Blog Posts. The latter, written by Chris Brogan, elaborates further on what things catch the blog reader's eye.

Even though I was familiar with many of these tips, these articles made me pause and consider my philosophy and blog writing and visiting habits. What are they? Well for starters, I like to comment on my favorite blogs because I want to show my interest and support. If I can, I also like to comment on reader's comments to my posts. I appreciate their interest and the time that it takes to stop by the blog and say hello. Another initial thought was about my blogging goals. My desire is to share helpful and interesting info for writers, things that have been helpful in my writing journey.

What blogging tips and habits have you found helpful? What kinds of blogs capture your attention? Share your thoughts with us!

Blessings to you all, and of course, Happy Writing! :)

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Susanne Dietze, who is the winner of this wonderful book by Kim Vogel Sawyer. I'll contact you, Susanne, to work out the details. Thanks to all who participated!

Happy Reading:)

Blurbing for Structure

What exactly does Blurbing for Structure mean? I wasn't sure, but I was curious when I saw the article title in the Long Ridge Writers Group's enewsletter recently. Long Ridge Writing Instructor and author Mary Rosenblum is kind enough to explain what she means by this phrase. Ms. Rosenblum shares how to remedy issues with story lines by using a blurb to identify exactly what the plot is and where it is headed.




She starts out by explaining how this is a helpful tool for novice writers, but I think that she outlines a good method for all writers, novice or not. She compares blurbing to the description on the back cover of a book - the interesting, yet brief summary of the story. I liked her suggestions and think that they will be useful for all types of writing. Check it out, I'd like to hear what you think. What structure will you be blurbing today?



Happy Writing!


P.S. Last call for the Fields of Grace book giveaway. It ends tonight, so if you'd like to participate, click here for details.