Grateful for Writing Groups by Lynn Lovegreen

November is a great month because of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it focuses on family, food, and gratitude. What can be better than that?  I am thankful for many things in my life, including my family, my friends, and my home. Today, I’m going to write about something else I am grateful for: my writing groups.

 

I belong to several writing groups, including 49 Writers, the Alaska Writers Guild, RWA (Romance Writers of America), SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), and local chapters AKRWA and SCBWI-AK. (Full disclosure: I’ve been active in RWA’s reformation toward a more inclusive writing community, and I am the President of AKRWA.) While my participation varies now and then, all of these groups have helped me grow as a writer.

 

Writing groups give many benefits to writers. They provide information about the craft and business of writing through programs such as classes, webinars, and conferences. Many host critique groups, which in my experience is one of the best ways writers can enhance their writing process and improve their writing. And I am thankful for the camaraderie—I love to hang out with other people who have characters running around in their heads and understand the highs and lows of the writing life.

 

If you don’t have one now, I encourage you to look into writing groups to find one that suits your interests. Here are a couple links for ideas:

https://www.rwa.org

https://www.scbwi.org

 

Whether you’re just starting out on your writing journey, or you’ve been on the path for years, I encourage you to create your own writing community. Find a writing group that supports you, and you’ll have much to be grateful for.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for most of her life. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering for her local library. Her young adult historical romance is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. 

From Coffee to Shipwrecks: Modern Research Floats My Fictional Boat

Every morning when I fire up my computer, and fire up my brain with coffee, aka life’s elixir, I’m thankful to be living in this modern era. Not only for the electricity to power the computer and the coffee maker, and let’s not forget indoor plumbing, but most especially for the instant connection to the entire developed world. 

At no time am I more thankful than when I’m brainstorming a new book, and my brain is filled with ideas and overflowing with questions. Sure, I make stuff up for a living, but if one of my characters has a certain profession, I can’t invent what they do during an average day on the job. 

Which brings me to my current project, a future book in my MacLeod’s Cove series in which a large component of the plot will be maritime archaeology. What do I know about maritime archaeology? Absolutely nothing. 

Back in the olden days of my childhood/teenage-hood/young adulthood when working on a school project, I’d flip through the set of encyclopaedias sitting pride of place in the living room. If they weren’t adequate, I’d trudge to the town library and pour through research materials to find the answers.

Now, thanks to the wonders of science, all the information I need is at my fingertips in the virtual encyclopaedia, aka, the internet.

In less than an hour it became clear that Dr Eliza Steadman, my heroine, will be one busy lady as she searches for a historical shipwreck near MacLeod’s Cove. But I needed details, some insider knowledge to add spice and colour to my blank pages, so back I went to tapping the keys and clicking the mouse.

The first thing my expert needs to do is comb through records and archives and maps to define the search area. Then she needs to obtain proper permits and authorizations from both provincial and federal authorities before conducting any exploration. 

She will of course get all the permits and authorizations she’ll need, because fiction.

But then there are the logistics, like hiring a boat and a captain. I write romance. Bonus points if the captain is perfect hero material. Mike Boudreau ticks all the boxes.

Okay, I’ve got her in some kind of boat (I’m still working on that detail) with a hunky captain, bobbing in the ocean. How can she detect things on the ocean floor? *tap click scroll* Aha! Her mentor and old family friend comes to the rescue and loans her a magnetometer for detecting metal objects under the water. Isn’t he a nice guy? Well …

Not clear sailing yet, though, because even if she locates the wreck, she must follow the legal requirements for reporting the discovery, and they are many. And even then, there’s no guarantee she can do anything with the discovery. There are lots of regulatory and legal stuff to navigate. 

Now, remember, I’m at the starting point of this book so I have no idea what’s going to happen between Eliza and Mike. My research opened all sorts of possibilities. Will this become another Oak Island mystery? Will the hardship and turmoil of yet another failure convince Eliza to change careers? Will an angry local person sabotage her research vessel? I can’t wait to find out!

Luanna Stewart is a Canadian author who has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing many flavours of romance, torturing her heroes and heroines before helping them find their happy-ever-after. But when she’s taking a break from wreaking people’s lives, you can find her pulling weeds, baking something delicious, or enjoying a cup of tea whilst completing a craft project. Enjoying (most of the time) an empty nest, she lives in Nova Scotia with her patient husband and a yard full of voracious deer. 

Website ~Bookbub ~ Instagram

Thankful for the Covid Pandemic

The pandemic had devastating worldwide implications. But I will forever be thankful that because of Covid-19, I was able to create memories in what turned out to be the last year of my mother's life.

If Covid hadn't escalated I wouldn't have got marooned in Britain and spent five quality months living with my Mum. Alzheimer's is known as the long goodbye. You lose the person you love, one piece at a time. Each stage feels like the worst you'll experience, but it's just one more step along a deteriorating road.

The carers said she knew who I was. They were just being kind. There was no flicker of recognition when I walked into the room. She'd forgotten she had a daughter, but she let me cuddle and kiss her—and that was enough.

She had an eye for a younger man, and took a special interest in my husband. She'd slip her hand into his and trot by his side. Her eyes sparkled and the corner of her lips twitched upwards. She was the cat who got the cream. It was a heart-warming to see her experience a moment of joy. 

There were many of these small moments during the height of the pandemic. Simple, but memorable. Etched in my mind. 

Sketch I drew of my Mum and brother for the Order of Service

When she passed, my brother and I were sitting at her bedside. We knew it was going to be the day. Her breathing pattern changed multiple times. We took it in turns to play songs from our past. Shared childhood memories. Waiting for the inevitable. My Mum took a sharp intake of breath and grimaced. Then just incase we'd missed it, she did it again. Then she was gone. 

I hugged her. She was still warm and the back of her neck radiated heat. For a brief moment I could imagine I was tucking her in and sharing a goodnight kiss. But this was a forever sleep. I caressed her mottled hand and said my goodbyes.

A Mother Remembered

I wrote a poem for the order of service, told from my mother's perspective:

I lived my life, full speed ahead.

Got up early—escaped my bed.

My days were full, of things I loved.

I weeded hard, with both hands gloved.

My cottage garden in full bloom

A piece of art to tend and groom.

I strode across the countryside.

A pair of Westies as my guide.

I loved the freedom. Loved to roam.

The green landscape would lead me home.

I had so many things to do. 

I’d juggle them the whole day through.

My coffee cakes and Bakewell tarts.

A hit in Mary Berry’s charts.

I’d knit and crochet, do some crafts.

Share’with my kids, through photographs.

I couldn’t bear to sit and waste,

Remaining time, so I would chase.

The hours to fill my day ahead

To dodge the thief within my head.

About Jay Artale

Jay Artale abandoned her corporate career to become a digital nomad and full-time writer. She’s an avid blogger, podcaster, and nonfiction author helping travel writers and travel bloggers achieve their self-publishing goals. She shares tips, advice, and inspiration to writers with an independent spirit at her website Birds of a Feather Press, and documents her travels and artistic endeavours at her blog Roving Jay. Follow her on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter.

Jay is the author of A Turbulent Mind: A Poetry Collection of a Mother's Journey with Alzheimer's.

Thankful for Mundane Things by Sarah Raplee

What would we do without hot running water?

As I've moved through life, I've learned to pay more attention to being grateful for mundane things. I'm talking about things we take for granted that make our lives easier or more comfortable than it would otherwise be; or less frustrating or less annoying in some way.

For example, every time I take a hot shower, I thank God for hot running water and indoor plumbing. Millions of people don't even have clean drinking water. Or they must walk miles to fetch and carry water to their homes. And toilets! Don't get me started.

How about zippers? Have you ever counted the buttons on a dress from the eighteen-hundreds? My arthritic fingers ache at the thought.

The Mute button on the tv remote is pure genius for getting a child's attention! Am I right??? And how about the one on your laptop? Your cell phone?

Office items alone could fill a whole blog post: paperclips, ballpoint pens, sticky notes, file cabinets, laptops, office chairs, foot rests, staplers, printers - the list goes on and on.

I hate to waste food. Thank heavens for bag clips that keep chips and cereal fresh! And canned food, microwaves, refrigerators, can openers, freezer paper, coffee mugs, baby spoons...

Garden tools sure make outside chores easier. Think about hoses, shovels, hoes, trowels, rakes, brooms, wheelbarrows, clippers, pruning shears and so on.

Combs, snaps, nails, clothespins, tape measures, sponges...this could be The Never-ending Blog Post, but i think I've made my point. 

What everyday items are you most thankful for?

Thankful for All God's Creatures

 We've moved to a new home in northern CA.

Leaving Bend, OR, I was afraid I'd not have wild animals in my yard like we did in Bend. Silly me! We have been visited by lots of animals and birds.

Our little pond with the waterfall is a favorite spot for all kinds of birds. We eat dinner and watch the birds come in and take baths or for a drink. We've seen Tangers, blue birds, hummingbirds, wood peckers, black birds, crows, finches etc. It is very entertaining.

Each day a doe and her fawn spend the afternoon under our fig tree in the back yard. They eat all the apples that fall from the  apple tree.

In the evening a buck, and two more does wander through the yard.

We've also seen foxes, squirrels, and lizzards.

The fawn is fun to watch as it explores and jumps around. It noticed a butterfly on a rock the other day. When the butterfly moved it's wings the fawn jumped straight up and ran to it's mother.

I wanted to share this picture of some funny characters to watch. They've been through the yard 4 times so far. Usually in a group of twenty.

We've been enjoying and thankful for all the animals who've graced us with their presence.

Do you have any wild animals in your yard?

Thankful for Alaska Summers by Lynn Lovegreen

 For this month’s “Thankful” theme, I considered all the things I am thankful for: family, friends, good health, and so on. I could easily write about any of those things, but I thought I’d pick something a little different. 

 

I am thankful for living in Alaska. It’s a beautiful place, with friendly people who are often quirky individuals. This time of year, I especially love Alaska because of the long days, fun activities, and lovely scenery. Here are a few examples.

 

Denali National Park is easiest to visit in the summer.

Riding the train to Spencer Glacier is another treat.

The wildlife at Katmai National Park is awesome, too.

Prince William Sound is my favorite area in the world.

I am so thankful I get to see these things on a regular basis. Summer in Alaska is magical.

 

What are you thankful for where you live?

 

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for over fifty years. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young adult historical fiction is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Lifelines

 

The things I am grateful for have changed over the last year and a half, as they have for most of us. After having to stay home more, our focus shifted to other things.  

So grateful for the gifts that my writing life has bestowed on me this past year. Couldn’t do it if it weren’t for my family and Rooby-Doo, our precocious golden retriever, who is my writing buddy. If not for them, writing just wouldn’t happen.

As much as I used to grumble about the evils of the Internet, I realized that without it, becoming an author would not have happened either. I took on a “What do I have to lose?” frame of mind, as I approached everything. I jumped in and took risks I was afraid to take before when it came to writing.

Grateful for my fun Anchorage girlfriends. We laugh so hard when we have lunch we forget about food and are shocked no one kicks us out of the restaurants. Grateful for my writing friends in Alaska and Outside. They’ve taught me so much. I’m awed by the generosity of the writing community everywhere. Writers are so giving and generous with advice, and freely share their wisdom.

I don’t take anything for granted anymore after this past year and a half. Before, I attended every writer’s conference I could afford. One of the highlights was traveling from Alaska to Dayton, Ohio, on the east coast for the Erma Bombeck Humor Writers Workshop. Back then I wanted to be a humor writer, so took a session where they made us get up onstage and tell a joke. Despite decades of comedy theatre acting I was terrified and stage-struck. All I could think of was to do my Sarah Palin imitation about seeing Russia from my Eagle River house. It brought the house down. I made the East Coasters laugh! That’s all I wanted—to make people laugh and forget their problems if only for a few seconds. I was so thankful I was able to do that.

I miss traveling. I had finally retired and hooked up with my cousin’s travel group out of California. We went everywhere the first three years…Spain, France, Portugal. Then the following year Germany, Austria and Eastern Europe. So much fun. I’m grateful for the friendships I formed with my new California travel family. Last year’s trip was canceled and this year’s as well. Fingers crossed we can go next year. In the meantime we all stay in touch online and through phone calls.

At the beginning of each year, our local writing group has us each set goals. I set the goal of publishing my first novel by the end of last year and it happened. Through our constant Zoom calls and efforts to stay in touch with each other, we helped each other stay on track. I’m so thankful for all of them. I made some new online friends that we can’t wait to meet each other in real life, whenever it’s more practical to do so.

It seems like now, I am more “in the moment” than I have ever been. Not seeing extended family and friends this past year taught me that every moment is precious, to be savored with all the gusto I can fit into my heart. Looking back, in some ways I felt cut off from so many. But in other ways, I connected with people I may not have otherwise…some became good friends and kindred souls that became lifelines for me in all kinds of ways.

And for all of this I am grateful. So very grateful.

LoLo Paige was a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service. She's an award-winning author of two novels in the Blazing Hearts Wildfire Series, Alaska Spark and Alaska Inferno. Her stories contain edge-of-the-seat, invigorating action, strong-willed female firefighters, and romantic suspense. LoLo and her husband divide their time between their beach house in Kachemak Bay, Alaska and sunny Arizona. 

What readers have said about LoLo's books... 

"I could almost feel the heat of the wildfires that surrounded the crews as they staved off threats..."

"The men are wild and yummy and the women are strong and lovingly feisty. The plot moves along at a fast pace..."   Watch the book trailer for ALASKA INFERNO!   

 GET INFERNO HERE!

Website / Bookbub / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest

 

Garden bounty...

You may find this hard to believe, but I’m thankful for my zucchini plants. I know they get a bad reputation, and urban legends abound of midnight deposits of giant zucchinis on neighbour’s front porches. But I’ve made my peace with the prolific plant. The key is to pick ‘em early and pick ‘em often, because it seems they double in size overnight. And while zucchini bread is all well and good, (chocolate zucchini bread is even gooder), my new favourite way to enjoy the unassuming vegetable is to turn it into a cheesy, salty, crispy snack. 

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

(Smitten Kitchen)

Olive oil or cooking spray

2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound total)

1 to 2 egg whites

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup plain, dry breadcrumbs, such as panko

A couple pinches sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Coat two baking sheets lightly with cooking spray or thinly with olive oil. Slice zucchini into slightly-less-than 1/4-inch thick rounds; if they feel especially wet, spread them on a towel while you prepare the other ingredients. In a small bowl, lightly beat first egg white with 1 teaspoon water to loosen it. Combine cheese, crumbs, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Dip each zucchini coin in egg white, letting excess run off before gently dipping them in parmesan mixture. Arrange in single layer on baking sheets. If additional egg white is needed, prepare it the same way, with 1 teaspoon of water. If additional crumb mixture is needed, make a few spoonfuls at a time, matching the volume of crumbs and cheese.

Bake zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping each over halfway through. Please keep an eye on them; they may need to be moved around on the tray so the ones at the edges don’t bake more quickly than the ones in the center. Take them out only when they’re golden all over and let them cool on the tray on a cooling rack or a plate.

Keep at room temperature until needed. Crisps are best on the first day.

(Here’s the link for more discussion and photos of the process.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/09/zucchini-parmesan-crisps/ )

I always need more egg and crumb mixture so automatically use the two egg whites and double the crumbs. Keeping an eye on the crisps as they bake is key – they can go from nicely brown to “oops!” very quickly, though are still tasty even if they’re veering toward burnt.

If you've come to appreciate this problematic veggie, how do you most enjoy it?

THANKFULNESS

 by Rosalie Redd

When the leaves tumble to the ground and there’s a chill in the air, images of warm fires, good conversation, and family and friends fill my mind. For those of us in the United States, Thanksgiving is just around the corner and many of us will have the good fortune of spending time with loved ones. This holiday is often a time to reflect on what we are grateful for.

As romance authors, we strive for the happily ever after at the end of the book. In many ways, the hero and heroine grow, learn about themselves, overcome obstacles, and often, are thankful. They are thankful for what they have, thankful for having someone in their lives, thankful to be alive. I’m grateful that I get to write about these types of characters and their emotional growth. I’m also grateful for my health, my friends, and my family.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I searched for some inspirational quotes on thankfulness to share with you. Here are a few that inspired me.

The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.  Robert Louis Stevenson

Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts. Henri Frederick Amiel

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses. Alphonse Karr

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out my nose. Woody Allen

How about you? What are you thankful for?

Bio….

After finishing a rewarding career in finance and accounting, it was time for Rosalie Redd to put away the spreadsheets and take out the word processor. She writes Paranormal/Science Fiction Romance inspired by classics from the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres layered with a good, hot dose of romance.

She currently lives in Oregon, where rain is just another excuse to keep writing. When not at her computer, you can find her at Jazzercise, waterfall collecting in the Pacific Northwest, or relaxing with her husband and their pesky cat, Snookums.

Rosalie Redd ~ Discover otherworldly love…

www.rosalieredd.com

What am I Really Thankful For?

By Diana McCollum

Normally when someone asks me what I'm thankful for, I say all the most common answers. And I am thankful, truly for these things:  Family, health, home, friends.

Mom, daughter katie, grandson Eli, Me.

I want you, and me, to dig a little deeper. Sure I'm thankful for family, but I'm also thankful for a family I can count on, I can be proud of, and I can laugh with and cry with and know they won't judge me.

I am thankful for my health. I've been lucky enough that I only take one prescription drug. I exercise regularly, I'm thankful I can afford to pay for a trainer at the gym and she keeps me on track. Because frankly, I have no will power when it comes to working out. But if I pay Johann Trass, I'm there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday!

Not only am I thankful for the beautiful home we share with my Mom, but I am thankful for living in beautiful Central Oregon. We have the desert 5 mins east of us and the Cascade Mountains. With Mt. Bachelor 15 mins to the west of us, gorgeous country!

 

Cultus Lake Cascade Mts.

Now I come to friends. It took a while to meet new friends when we first moved to Central Oregon. I can now count 12 ladies, who are all writers, as my friends. We only meet once a month and I so look forward to those get togethers.

I have friends that live in California, Kansas, Washington, England, Australia, and Canada etc. Some of these friends I've met in person and have been able to continue our friendship through the internet. I've met many new friends through the internet, Google +, Twitter, Writing Loops, Facebook etc.

So I'm adding a new thing to my "Thankful List", I am so-o-o thankful for my laptop and the internet. I'd be pretty lonesome without them. And these friends are also very caring and helpful. Some I may never meet in person, but we are still close.

What things besides family, health, home and world peace, you know the normal things people mention, are you thankful for?    

Bio:

A lifetime avid reader, DIANA MCCOLLUM loves creating worlds where anything is possible. Always with an element of the paranormal her stories end with a happily-ever-after.

Website: Dianamccollum.weebly.com

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