June 22, 2007

When Your Thumbs are Tied

Caution reader: I'm about to expound on a right knavely rave! 

It was bound to happen. I mean really. Having logged tens of thousands of hours on the Internet over the past few years to market my books, I knew there would come a time when the Golden Days of Internet Access would end. And end it did with the clap of God's hands.

Last Thursday, June 14, our telecommunications line sustained damage after lightning struck. As the clap came down, I ran around the house, turning off my two computers and newly purchased wide-screen TV. The children, like horses in a rainstorm, grew skittish. The storm continued past their bedtime. Jackson's eyes widened.

"What's that?" In the bluish light of the storm, his face revealed primal fear.

"It's God taking pictures," I said. He froze, pondering this possibility. He must have bought it. I heard him snoring minutes later.

Well God's green Earth certainly is, well, green, as we move into the thunder showers of summertime. But my big beef is not the Kodak moments God/the Universe/the Divine Spirit decided to have. It's the fact the Telecom has refused to clean up the mess.

Um....what century are we living in? Are we in the Western World?

So now I have been forced to rely on my old stand-by. Gasp. Dial-up. I feel as though I should be wearing padded shoulders again. Someone. Help me.

Three Fridays have passed, and still no telecom. They seem to be enyjoing playing cat and mouse with us. You've got to be kidding, right? You can't fix the fax line, which runs into our DSL line, so 45 households can get back to the real world? I'm a writer on a rampage and want to call my Congressman. It is only then that I wake up from my reverie to realize I don't live in his district, much less his country anymore!!!!

 

 

Posted by authorscompanion at 10:20:43 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

June 20, 2007

You know, writing is a funny thing...

 

I need to write. I know I need to write. And still I don't. Or maybe can't.

I know this is a total downer for my second post to the blog, but tis' true - writing has been a chore lately. Here's the backstory - at the end of April, I lost my mom very suddenly. As in she was at my house babysitting my kids the night before and was gone by lunch the next day. That can really mess with your head, as I have found out.

So here I sit. I have a second edition of Domestically Challenged to work on, as well as a line of books in the series, but here I am blogging instead. Hey, it's still writing, right? And right now, I'll take any writing I can get.

I have been doing a lot of journaling and it turns out, that's writing too. I think I just needed to rework my writing muscles (which translates into aggrivating my carpal tunnel) and remember what it feels like to feel my fingers glide over the keyboard.

I actually had a revelation yesterday. You see, before my mom got sick, she was a tough as nails woman. It hit me that she wouldn't sit on her butt if she knew she had writing to do - she would just do what needed to be done, no matter the situation. This is what I need to do as well. Yes, I am hurting now, but I still need to take care of the important things.

Besides, she was really excited for me to write more books. I can't let her down now, right?

 

Posted by Alana at 13:51:18 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

June 05, 2007

BEA 2007

Here's hoping a little Chicken Soup magic will rub off on me as I grab Mark Victor Hansen for a photo. (He was really coming to talk to Malonda, he noticed her from afar as she shot our amazing BEA video (take a look!!.)

I had an amazing time in New York, meeting some of my authors was beyond incredible.

Here's Christine and I on the way to the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards....

And, while we didn't take home the gold, we're so proud to have the Silver!

Cheers everyone.. .from left to right: Christine Hohlbaum, Leeda Bacon, Nancy Cleary, Malonda Richard, Marna Krajeski, Jennifer Kalita.

~ Nancy

Posted by A Book is Born at 18:02:32 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

June 03, 2007

My fears are begining to be lifted

One of my biggest fear with writing this book was having my work ripped apart by others. Especially since I laid my heart, soul and most personal feeling out there on the pages of my book for all to read. These were things that my family and closest friends may not have known about me. Yet, for some reason when I started to write, it just poured out of me. It just seemed like the right thing to tell my story (warts and all.)
So after the book was published, I waited. And worried. I relasped into an old nail biting habit. Then the emails and letters started coming in. What a wonderful overwhelming surprise I received! People actually seem like my book!
The e-mails I have received so far have given me new confidence. I am not worried anymore. (ok that last part is a lie)
Here are a few:
"I just finished your book and I am blown away! You are awesome. I am going to buy copies to give to people. It's so inspirational. Your honesty, courage and strength are extremely impressive, and you express yourself very well. Your book makes the minor hassles of life seem insignificant, and rightly so. I gained a lot of life perspective from reading it and I know it will make me stronger. And I'm just an old fart. I can't wait for my girls to read it!"
"I just finished your very sweet book with tears in my eyes. It is lovely and I am so proud of you! What a great mother you must be. Your writing style is so simple (in a good way!), honest and moves right along. I found it hard to put down. I hope that you will write more. Best of luck. Thanks so much for sharing your family story and your thoughts on the higher power."
"Hello Jennifer -- I just wanted to say that I read your book last night and very much enjoyed it. You have a great story to tell and an admirably punchy style to tell it with. It's a great achievement for anyone to take a book to completion -- to do it when you are the parent of two young children, and have to work around the challenge of dyslexia to boot, is amazing! Well done!"
After a lifetime of rejection in the academic world, I am able to slowly lift my head and say to the world, "Yes, I am an author!"
Even though I had convinced myself that I was always going to stand behind my work no matter what anyone said, these warm, wonderful and heart filled responses make it much easier to push forward.
Blessings and peace,
Jennifer Thie
Author of "And Then... Came Arthur"

 

Posted by Jenn at 22:06:56 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

June 02, 2007

Book Expo America

Meeting Nancy and the other Wymac ladies was super wonderful. Everyone was beautiful in person and had wonderful personality's. I am exhausted from the whole experience and wish that I could have spent more time networking. I did have time to produce, shoot and edit a video of ABIB's Book Expo Debut.

I am definitely looking forward to meeting more of you in the future. Please check out this wonderful video of A Book is Born's debut at BEA. Enjoy.

 

alt : http://www.youtube.com/v/5e3w-qPRWlw
Posted by Malonda aka Chocolate Mama at 20:18:48 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |