Something To Lift You Up

A friend sent me this video and it brought me to tears. Thought I would share it with you. It's absolutely beautiful.

The Words of One Man CAN Make a Difference

A few years ago, I had the privilege of attending a stake Relief Society gathering where the guest speaker was Janice Kapp Perry and her husband Douglas. The theme of the day was to surround yourself with the good things in life. Children. Joy. Love. Friends. And of course, music. After both Janice and Douglas spoke about their lives and shared humorous and spiritually uplifting stories about their family and relationship, there was a musical medley performance of Janice's most popular songs and then we were dismissed for the luncheon.

While Janice was having her picture taken with the presidency and anyone else who wanted to take advantage of the photo op, Douglas stood back and watched. He had a glint in his eye and a smile on his face as he watched his loving wife and her many fans swarm around her. I just happened to be standing near him and asked him if he ever got tired of being Mr. Janice Kapp Perry. He laughed and said that he didn't. That seeing her achieve her dream of being a song writer was more fulfilling to him than anything else in the world.

Then he turned his attention on me. At first I felt uncomfortable, fidgeting with my napkin and paper plate and acting way too shy for my own good. But after only a few seconds, he put me at ease with his mere presence. And then he asked me if I liked music. I told him yes, that I played the guitar and even liked to write a song now and then, but wasn't very good at it. I also told him that the problem I had was that I love to do so many things, that I had a hard time concentrating on doing just one thing really well. I couldn't seem to choose what single talent defined me or what thing I could do better than all the rest.

He thought for a moment and then said something that has changed my life. He told me I should choose one thing, give it everything I could for one year. Eat it. Drink it. Breathe it in everyday and make it part of my life. Learn everything about it and if after doing that, if I'm not in love, then leave it behind and move on to another one.

I couldn't imagine devoting an entire year to just one thing, but I took his advice and began to take my writing seriously. A few days later at a Relief Society board meeting, the sisters were asked to share one thing about themselves that no one knew. I said I liked to write.

Afterwards, a new sister in the ward, Angie Schultz, came up to me and said she and some other women had started an online magazine called Segullah and she invited me to send in some of my work. I was so excited, I went home that night and looked it up online. It was there that I found out about the LDStorymakers Conference and the rest is pretty much history. I was hooked. It didn't take me a year to figure out I was in love. I still play the guitar occasionally, scrapbook, crochet, paint, draw and do so many other things, but writing is my passion. Writing is what defines me as a person, a woman and as a daughter of God.

I've since thought about writing Brother Perry and thanking him for his great advice, but as yet, have not done so. That one man's words can affect a person's life in such a way is unbelievable. Someday soon, I will write that letter or email and let him know how grateful I am for him taking a few minutes to care about what mattered to me. In the meantime, I'm off to write the next best seller. Thanks for letting me share my story.

Friendly Friday - Daron D. Fraley

Daron D. Fraley

I had a curious thought this week. It stemmed from a conversation with an acquaintance. She said, "I don't read many books."

On any other day, her statement might not have caught my attention. The words themselves were simple. Plain words even. And yet, they did not flow through my mind as an idle comment easily discarded. Like a barbed wire released too soon when crossing through a fence, and me having one foot still not on the ground, I was hooked. Something about the comment troubled me.

That evening, with time to reflect, I realized what I should have said: A person MUST make time to read.

Let me paint a picture.

Daron Fraley: Graduate of Cody High School, in Cody Wyoming. Decent grades, but not high enough for scholarships. Interests in several fields and a desire to learn. Went to college. Married and started a family. Ran out of money. Dropped out of school. Tried about 20 different jobs. Got back into school. Family grew. Ran out of money again. Dropped out of school again. Had a computer. Got a copy of Word Perfect. Read the manual. Learned to use the word processing program. Gained computer skills. Got a better job. Learned more programs. Read everything about them. Read about the computer. Read about networking. Read about programming. Got an even better job. Decided on a whim to start writing again. Had a killer idea for a novel. Wrote it. Read blogs about publishing and writing. Followed the advice of others, from their blogs. Got a contract with a publisher. Met really cool people. Got invited to do a guest blog.

This is WAY oversimplified. But do you see a trend?

And this doesn't even touch on the finest details of my life: The parts which make me who I am. Those eternally important, strongest, most ingrained parts which came about through reading.

Did you know that Daniel DeFoe's book, Robinson Crusoe, is not a story about a guy who is shipwrecked and survives? I swear, it isn't. There have been movies made about Robinson. And a whole slew of imitations, too. Swiss Family Robinson. Cast Away with Tom Hanks. Others. They typically deal with the issues of being alone, surviving in the wild, close calls with death, escaping the island, etc.

I never would have known this truly fascinating theme within the story had I not read DeFoe's book. Robinson finds a bible in the shipwreck. And he converts to Christianity. And he learns to repent. And he changes. And then he helps Friday to convert to Christianity. DeFoe's book is a conversion story.

That is what Robinson Crusoe is about. Don't believe me? I defy you to prove me wrong! Read the book!

What does that have to do with this post? I will tell you... Everything I have learned or done in this life has come about through three means:

1. I was taught by somebody else

2. I watched somebody else and tried it myself

3. I read about it and then applied that knowledge

And the most effective method, in many cases, has been the third on the list. Reading is powerful.

I am of the opinion that if every person in this country would read just two books a year, one fiction and one non-fiction, we would live in a very different place. Imagination, fired up by fiction, would drive innovation. Understanding and wisdom gained through non-fiction would further strengthen a better educated citizenry.

Perhaps I am a poster child for the school of the self-taught, and I have been a little overzealous. If so, that is OK. It is who I am. But the message remains:

Reading is power.

What do you think?

I'd like to thank Daron for being my guest today. It just so happens that it's his Birthday, so head on over to his blog and wish him a happy one. His debut novel is due out in March. Be sure to pre-order your copy by clicking on his book cover . You can also find him at any of the links he's provided below.

National Book Launch Party
Date: Tuesday, March 16th 2010
Time: 6:00-8:30 PM
Location: Barnes & Noble Booksellers
The Gateway
6 North Rio Grande Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 456-0100

Author of "The Chronicles of Gan: The Thorn", coming March 2010
Website and Blog: http://www.daronfraley.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DaronFraley
Follow me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3031982.Daron_D_Fraley
Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daron-D-Fraley-Author/258188354131

Happy Birthday, Daron!!!

My guest next week will be Kimberly Job.

Book Review - Shiver

"Shiver"
By Maggie Stiefvater



Book Review By C. K. Bryant
5 STARS



(Teensy spoiler alert!)

About the book:

The book begins with Grace as a child when a pack of ravenous wolves have stolen her from the tire swing in her back yard, have bitten her and are getting ready to eat her. That is until the wolf with warm yellow eyes appears and saves her from the rest of the pack. From that moment, she has a certain connection with the wolf who visits her, always keeping his distance just at the edge of the forest near her home. What she doesn't realize is that the wolf, Sam, is also a human. When the temperatures drop down to freezing, he joins his pack, but in the summer, he is a man.

After a young boy is injured by the wolves, a hunting party is unleashed in the forest, sending a spray of wild bullets in the pack's direction. Sam is injured and ends up in human form on Grace's back step. One look into his yellow eyes and she recognizes him as her wolf. The connection they have for each other continues as they fall in love, struggle to understand the changes they are both going through and try to find a cure for the curse that will take him away forever on what will soon be his last warm day as a human.

The Review:

When I first started this book, I thought the premise of a wolf and a teenage girl falling in love wouldn't be able to hold my interest long enough to finish the book, but because I'd heard so many rave reviews about SHIVER, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised at how I was swept up in the story right from the first page.

I've given this book 5 stars for a reason. It's dang good. The feelings and emotions that drift across the page and into your heart will make you a fan as well. The ending is so gripping and well done that I cried real tears. It isn't often I read the ending of a book more than once, but I've gone back three times now just to experience it again and again.

I hope you run out and get your own copy. Click on the book cover and it will take you to Amazon.com where you can order it.

The sequel, Linger, is due out July 20th, 2010.

Life, Changes and Priorities

Although we officially celebrated it yesterday, tomorrow is my son's 16th birthday. In so many ways, he's growing up, but in others, he seems to be regressing. Our son has autism and struggles daily with behaviors that seem to keep him from experiencing the normal life of a teenage boy. We've fought for years to get him in programs that help him and to keep him in the mainstream classes at school, but now we've hit a snag.

The place that's been providing behavior therapy for him has been having trouble keeping good therapists and the only one's they have that can work with Joshua can only take him from noon until 3pm. This means he'd have to get out of school early, missing P.E. and some of his favorite classes. The school might be willing to work with us on some things, but we're afraid the changes may cause more behaviors for a boy that is obsessed about his schedule being the same. So as far as school goes, this would be a bad thing.

However, as far as therapy goes, these two therapists are the BEST in dealing with behaviors and have volunteered to give Joshua one on one intense behavior therapy to see if they can get his aggressiveness under control, which will benefit him in the long run. This is good, right?

And then there's me. The change would mean Joshua getting home at 3:00 instead of 5:30 and would also have me making more trips into town to transport him from one place to another. That boils down to a lot less time to devote to my writing career. In fact, it would bring it to a screeching hault for several days or weeks until we could get his schedule figured out and make sure he is well taken care of. It also means that if the changes cause MORE behaviors in the beginning, my nights home alone with him will be HELL!

I'm already at my wits end with him and everything that's happened with my writing over the past few months. Will I be forced to choose between my son and my writing? As much as I love to write, there is no question that my son will win out.

So, as my husband and I ponder all the new changes on the horrizon, I ask for some patience in my blog posting, an occassional encouraging word from my writing buddies and perhaps an extra prayer as you go to sleep tonight. I could use all the help I can get.

Tagalong Tuesday

Quite a selection of posts today. I don't have as many as usual, not because they aren't out there, but because I got a late start and have a ton of stuff to do today. The ones I did choose are great though. Please click on the link and read the entire post on their blogs. We've got a lot of talented bloggers out there and I don't want you missing anything. Have a great week. (P.S. I have no real reason for this picture, I just thought it was kinda cool.)


Writing has always been an outlet for me. I can spew my thoughts and feelings onto a sheet of paper, and feel as though I have some sort of resolution for any problem or concern. (Teri Clawson - What I Can't Say)

There is a time for everything, a time for nothing, and a time for the things in between. A time for painting, a time for cleaning, a time for mothering, a time for writing, a time for exercise, I even hear there is a time for sleeping (I am not sure if i believe it though.) (Amber Lynae - ...French Inspiration & a giveaway)

So, it's a two edged sword. One we need to wield delicately. What we say out there, stays out there, so it better be something we'll look back on and be glad we said. (Melissa J. Cunningham - Too Bad We Don't Use White-out Anymore)

If you get discouraged, you are welcome to join me in my quest for hope. Let us all, refuse to criticize our leaders. Shun those who would preach gloom and doom. Hold onto our core values and don't let anyone call them into question. Just think. If there were enough of us, we could Conquer the world with positive hope. (Keith Fisher - Hope Floats)

Sometimes I get way too much silly pass-along email, but this one I got yesterday seemed to hit the spot for writers. These are supposedly actual headlines. (Marsha Ward - Proofreading Is a Dying Art...)

I"m not an expert, but I'm willing to share some of the things that have helped me on my road to becoming a published author. With all the tips that keep coming to mind, I'll probably do another series on this, but here are 6 tips that topped my list. (Rachelle J. Christensen - 6 Tips for Writing Success - Tip #1)

An Awesome Blogging Award

A friend of mine gave me this awesome award for my blog. Thanks Paulette. You can take a look at her blog by going HERE.

Along with this award came some rules. I hate rules. So instead, I'll list them here for the next blogger to follow. I will, however, give the award to a few of my blogging buddies. They are . . . Ali Cross, L.T. Elliot, Karen Hoover, Elizabeth Mueller, Shanna Blythe, and Shari Bird.

Here are the rules ladies. Hope you're better at following them than I am.

◦Put the logo on your blog in your post.
◦Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.
◦Link the nominees within your post.
◦Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.
◦Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

Something To Lift You Up

Sorry, I couldn't find the embed code for this video, so you'll have to click on the link below. I was so touched by the love these young girls showed one of their disabled classmates that I just had to share it with you. I have a fifteen year old son who has received similar acts of service and inclusion both at church and in his high school. This makes me very grateful for all the selfless young men and women out there and the parents who've obviously raised them right.

Click HERE to watch this video.

"LINGER" By Maggie Stiefvater - CONTEST

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

Book Review - The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox
By Mary E. Pearson

Reviewed by: C. K. Bryant

5 STARS

It's been a while since I've done a book review. I'm not sure if that's because my reading list has become quite scarce or if it is because I haven't been very impressed by what I've read. Either way, I couldn't go without telling everyone about this wonderful book.

Jenna Fox is a 17 year old girl whose been in a coma for the past year. When she wakes up, not knowing anything from her past, including her name, she feels lost and alone. As the days go by, she learns to walk again, speak again and eventually gets used to being called Jenna. But who is Jenna? She has no idea, and as she seeks to discover herself, finds that those around her, those who she's been told are her loved ones and those who care the most about her, have been keeping secrets. Jenna is NOT who she appears to be.

In an attempt to solve her own mystery, Jenna finds out things about herself she would have rather left forgotten.

Her inner struggle is poetically spread across the pages like no other I have ever read. The author's voice, Jenna's voice, is internal, deep and emotional. Her feelings pour out before you, making you a part of her life, sucking you into her sorrow and confusion. You laugh when she laughs, cry when she cries.

There were points in the book when I thought I had it all figured out, but then Jenna would discover something else about herself that pulled me right back into the mystery, searching right along with her to find the truth of it all. Even the ending, the last page, last sentence and last word, were a surprise. So much so, that I cried real tears. Not because it was sad, but because it touched my heart in a way no other book has.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox will forever be on my list of my favorites. And I must say it is a short list.

You can find out more about Jenna Fox, the book and the author by clicking HERE.

Friendly Friday - Karen E. Hoover

Karen E. Hoover was born in California and spent her growing up years in Washington, Oklahoma, and Utah. She was raised in rural areas for much of that time with no one to play with but her little brother. She spent her summers reading and playing "space" with her brother, which consisted of anything from aliens invading our planet to creating swords and shields with the jigsaw.

Currently she lives in the west with her husband of fifteen years, her two sons, and a multitude of animals. She loves music, nature, great friends, and good food.

Learning to Juggle

I've always wanted to juggle. My little brother was pretty good at it growing up, tossing those balls and bean bags up in the air and somehow always managing to get his hand under each one just in time to send it sailing skyward again. I can juggle one bean bag really well, I mean REALLY well. I get two in my hands and I do mostly okay. But give me three bags and I'm done. I can toss them up maybe three or four times, but then I'll toss one out a little too far and to compensate I'll lean out to catch it, getting me out of the path of another bag tumbling on the other side and before I know it they're all on the ground. Eventually I came to realize something.

I am a TERRIBLE juggler.

This poor brain of mine was meant to handle one or two bean bags at a time. It just can't seem to make those minute adjustments that will keep all the balls or bags in the air. I have found this to apply to every aspect of my life. I can't seem to write and keep a clean house at the same time. I tend to neglect people I love dearly when I'm hyper-focused on a task--usually writing--and my kids end up eating fruit, toast, and cheese or ramen noodles with veggies for dinner. My friends will text me, wondering where I've disappeared to, and usually the simple answer is I've been visiting other worlds.

I'm a fantasy writer. That means I daydream a lot and come up with characters who make the impossible seem real. It's a fun way to live and think. I like my job and love being a writer, though I do wish I could juggle a little better. Over the years I have just come to realize that I am who I am and make the best of it. So my dishes don't get done regularly and my kids have more than their fair share of leftover dinners, but you know what? They don't mind. They've shown me how supportive they are of my writing. They know what passion is and are beginning to find it in their own lives, and if I can do one thing in my life, I would want it to be to teach them the lesson my mother taught me--that anything is possible. That they can accomplish anything in this life if they want it bad enough and are willing to put in the effort.

That, I believe with all my heart, is a gift we are all given. Any single one of us can do anything if we aren't afraid to try. We can write those books or build those shelves. We can sing, or dance, or speak in public. We can play the guitar and piano, we can be a good friend. We can do anything.

Even juggling.

Thanks for being my guest today, Karen. I think you'll find that you're not alone in the world of writing or juggling. It's not easy trying to be the perfect mother, wife, daughter, teacher, musician, or writer. Even harder to make sacrifices to achieve our life-long dreams. Personally, I think you're doing a fabulous job.

You can read more about Karen on her blog HERE.

She also has a debut novel coming out in March. "The Sapphire Flute" can be pre-ordered HERE.

Launch Party Details:

Tuesday - 16 March 2010 - 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
The Gateway
6 N Rio Grande Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1184
(801) 456-0100



My guest next week will be Daron D. Fraley,
author of "The Thorn", also due to be released at the above launch party.

Finding the Right Antagonist

My new WIP has a problem. No protagonist. I have the entire book plotted--the whole series actually--but can't figure out what evil force is fighting against the good. Here's the premise:

Since the beginning of creation it has been foretold that a time will come when the earth will weaken and need to be mended. That time has come and there are four chosen to do the task. They are each half human, half earth spirit, each one representing one of earth's elements. Aquatara, the water spirit. Blayze, the fire spirit. Willow, the earth spirit. And Sky (not sure on this name yet), the air spirit. At the end of the series they come together to heal the earth. Their powers will combine to seal it so that the natural destruction that is taking place (earth quakes, volcanoes, etc) will stop and the inhabitants will be safe.

And here is the problem.

I don't think the natural disasters working against them is enough. I feel like there needs to be a stronger force causing these things to happen, an evil force that is working against humanity, trying to destroy the earth for its own purpose. So what is it?

Should the evil forces also be spirits? Maybe the 1/3 that chose Satan in the war of Heaven? When the world was created, were they sealed within the earth's core and they are trying to get out? Or is there a demon on the surface of the earth chasing the element spirits? As much as I struggle NOT to make this about the environment (ozone layer, pollution, etc), I'm sure there may be some of that in here, but I don't want that to be THE force against them.

I also have one more element--a fifth--that I'm weaving into the overall arc of the series, that will be revealed at the end. But it is a good element, something that will make the others' powers stronger and controllable, like the ground wire in an electrical system.

What I really need is a brainstorming session with my writing buddies. So here's your chance to be creative and give me your best. What kind of evil forces can you invent that will fit this story? I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

Tagalong Tuesday

I love sharing all these goodies with my friends and I have a wonderful variety for you today. I enjoy reading everyone's blog. It's so uplifting and inspiring. Hope you enjoy today's selection.



***My daughter worked at Putnam going through the slush pile a few summers back. She told people her official job title was: Dream Crusher. A lot of agents could also put this on their business cards. (Janette Rallison - Rejection Contest)

***As writers, it can be very gratifying to pull one over on your readers. But it’s even more gratifying if you’ve surprised them despite the foreshadowing and clues you’ve planted throughout your story. (Jordan McCollum - Surprise- and Betrayal)

***I'm on the hunt for that healthy, slim body I use to have. I lost it somewhere between my kids graduating from high school and my becoming a grandma. (Kathi Oram Peterson - Hunting for a Healthy Body)

***There is no better feeling than being a part of a family. Even on days when I'm frustrated or angry, I wouldn't give up my family for anything.I'm not just talking about my husband and kids, although, I love them more than anything and anyone in the world and they are the center of my world. (Nichole Giles - ...I Love My Family)

***Ok, whatever, that's my alter ego speaking. I'm actually very timid and scared to death of submitting my work. The reason? Take a guess... it's only one word.
You're right. Rejection. The fear of rejection is almost paralyzing. (Autumn Ables - I Can Do This. Just Breathe)

***I've been thinking a lot lately about creativity and inspiration. Where does it come from? What are the best ways to channel it? How do you find it again when it's gone? (Jenn Johannson - Funny Inspiration)

Music Monday

I couldn't think of a song to post today, so asked my husband to think of one for me. The moment I asked, I cringed, thinking . . . OH NO!! Our taste in music is so totally different, I wasn't sure what he'd come up with. I was surprised when he said he had just the song and that it was his THEME song for ME. EEEK! Was I scared or what? However, I love it. Take a listen.



Paperback Writer - The Beatles

Paper back writer (paperback writer)
Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
It's based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

It's the dirty story of a dirty man
And his clinging wife doesn't understand.
His son is working for the Daily Mail,
It's a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

Paperback writer (paperback writer)

It's a thousand pages, give or take a few,
I'll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

If you really like it you can have the rights,
It could make a million for you overnight.
If you must return it, you can send it here
But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

Paperback writer (paperback writer)

Paperback writer - paperback writer
Paperback writer - paperback writer

Something To Lift You Up

What better day to share a video on loving one another, than on Valentine's Day. As you go through this day, just don't think of your friends and family, but on others you may show love for. A simple act of kindness can change a person's life and lift them up.

Friendly Friday - Ali Cross

Ali Cross has always been a dreamer. When she would tell her family what new adventure she wanted to embark upon, they’d roll their eyes and say something like, “Oh yeah? Well let us know how that works out for you.” Meaning, of course, that no one expected her dreams to amount to much.

She wanted to be a pilot in the Canadian Air Force, a Royal Canadian Mounted Policewoman, and Prime Minister of Canada.

She wanted to be a youth minister, an opera singer, and a ballet dancer.

She wanted to be happy.

The good news is . . . not all dreams stay relegated to dreamland forever.

She performed with Opera Idaho for five years and tried ballet for one magical summer when she was thirty years old.

She's discovered new dreams that are coming true even as we speak.

It’s true, she's a dreamer. But man, where her dreams have taken her!

You can learn more about ali by visiting her website, blog or drop her a line ~ she's always happy to make new friends!

I Heart Vlogging

Recently I’ve joined the vlogging world with a weekly episode each Friday called ask ali. I started the vlog on a whim: I wanted to find unique and interesting ways to draw readers to my blog and thought that might be a fun way to do it. Today is my fourth ask ali episode, and I can’t really say that it’s increased traffic to my blog, but there have been many other benefits.

♥ Trying to come up with creative ways to answer my readers’ questions has helped me be more creative in my writing.

I am a fan of the book and self-realization program The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. In it, Ms. Cameron teaches that feeding our creative self will help us reach our maximum potential in the creative outlet of our choice. If you’re a writer, you might find dancing, coloring, drawing, and sculpting, frees your creative self.

This is what vlogging has done for me.

♥ Getting in touch with my sillier side has made me happier.

In fleeting moments my mom was very silly. As brief as they were, I remember those moments as my most favorite. A few years ago my sister accused me of not being who I was supposed to be. She said I was just like Mom, full of silly potential, and that by not embracing who I was, by denying my sense of fun, I would end up sad, lonely and unhappy like our mom did.

Her words didn’t hurt me, rather they sang with truth in my heart. Since then, I’ve been trying to welcome the silly into my life. It’s not too hard when you’ve got kids, but sometimes I really have to give myself permission to laugh and be silly.

Recording my vlog each week has demanded it of me. The sillier the better. And man, it’s been liberating!

♥ Accepting myself for who I am.

I have allowed myself to get heavier than I should have. I’m no longer the cute and tiny girl I once was—now, there’s a whole lot more of me. Sometimes, I fear going to conferences or out to meet new people because I don’t like how I look. That poor body image has held me back a lot.

Putting my face, and body, into the public eye every week—in all my chubby glory—has been both humbling and liberating. It’s true I’ll not be winning any beauty pageants, but I’m coming to see that people are willing to look past the shell to get to the good stuff inside. And the more I feel confident about that inside-stuff, the less the outside shell bothers me.

Because lots of people have seen me on my blog now, I feel less concerned with letting new people see me out in public. I am who I am, and I’m no longer afraid to show it.

All in all, vlogging has been a really positive experience for me. I hope you’ll come on over and take a look, and leave me a question to answer in a future episode. And if you decide to give it a try, let me know—I’d love to see it.

Thanks for being my guest today, Ali. You always have such fun stuff on your blog. I love going there and hanging out.


Next week my guest will be: Karen Hoover

FYI -I slipped up and forgot to remind Melissa Cunningham that she was scheduled to be my guest today and she was extremely busy and didn't have time to do it. (Sorry Melissa) But if you'd like to go to her blog and take a look at what's going on over there, click HERE. Melissa will be back in April.

Do Ya Love Me? CONTEST

Thanks to all my loyal followers and friends

I'm having a GREAT contest just to say
THANK YOU!!

Here's how to enter:
If you're already a follower, you get 5 points
If you bring a friend and get him/her to be a follower, you get 5 points
AND your friend gets 5 points.
That's it, easy right?

For each point, you get a chance to win, so the more friends you share with me and talk into becoming a follower on my blog,
the better chance you have of winning.

Now here's what you can win.

A $20 Gift Card to:

Amazon.com

OR

A $20 Gift Certificate to:



If you don't have a consultant near you, click HERE and mine would be happy to take your order.
You can pick what kind of crock you want and your own scent.

Told you it was a great prize.

So bring your friends over, get them to become a follower and then leave a comment below and tell me who your friend is.

I will tally all the points after the deadline
(February 28, 2010 @ midnight MT)
and post the winner here on March 1st.

So, you decide . . . Do Ya Love Me?

Contest Ideas Needed!!

In an attempt to boost my followers and increase interest in my blog, I want to run some COOL contests, but I need some ideas.

I want something fun and different.

I've already got some great ideas for prizes and such, but need your help to spark my tiny little creative brain on the contest part of it.

So, my first contest is going to be . . . getting ideas for a contest. Funny, huh?

I will take all the people who make comments suggesting a contest idea and put their names in a hat.
The name I draw . . . THE WINNER . . . will get a
GIANT Symphony Chocolate Bar.

You can't beat that, right?

Well, okay, maybe you could beat that, but since this is a simple contest and I want to save all the really, really great prizes for later, you'll just have to get the silly candy bar.

You know you want it!

So leave me some ideas . . .

Pretty Please!

Deadline is Saturday, February 13th @ Midnight.
Enter as many times as you want, but put them in separate comments.
One entry per comment/idea.
I will post the winner on Valentine's Day
right here on my blog.

Good Luck!!

Tagalong Tuesday

This week I found a whole treasure chest full of wonderful posts--so many that I had a hard time choosing. I didn't even get through them all before I felt I had enough. Sorry if I keep missing some great blogs. If you have a post that you'd like me to share with my followers, just email me at christine at ckbryant dot com.



“Will you please just get out of that hole?” Looking down in the pit of darkness. “But I can’t! I’ve dug down way too far and I forgot a ladder.” Voice echoing through hole. (Carolyn Vawdrey - Talking To Myself Again)

Well, one day, my muse decided to take it a step further and throw a banana in my makings. (Elizabeth Mueler - What Are You Waiting For?)

In case you haven't guessed, I'm feelin' the love and have decided this is a week for giveaways! There will be a giveaway every day this week! (Ali Cross - I Heart Friends)

To compact the true feeling of the story all in a couple sentences that don't even fill a millionth of a page???? Let me commit suicide first! it'd be less painful. (Paulette "Pendragon" - blurbing)

It was one of the stories that Dad actually liked to tell the grandchildren because it showed a positive side of the war, and there wasn't much of that. (Cathy Witbeck - True Story)

How many times do we go the extra mile in our relationships with other writers? How do we give help to those who are beginning their writing journey? When I was a beginner, many people in the writing community went out of their way to guide me through the pitfalls and snares of the world of writing. (Marsha Ward - Going the Extra Mile)

Thanks for letting me quote your blogs today. I have such fun reading them all. Have a great week and don't forget to keep blogging.

Music Monday

I've been in kind of a mellow mood lately and this song has been playing constantly for a week, along with a few others. Just thought I'd share it with you. I also like that it's a love song. Keeping with the whole Valentine theme.

Something To Lift You Up

As I struggle to succeed in the writing world, I'm often faced with thoughts of depression and doubt. I want to know what the future brings and why, when things seemed to be going well for me, it was suddenly cut short and a new path was laid out before me to follow. A path of uncertainty. A path with no time frame or structure. I also find that I'm having to exercise more faith in my Father in Heaven, leaving certain details of my future in his hands. Faith is sometimes the most difficult for me.

As I was looking for a video to put on my blog I found "Come What May and Love It" by Joseph B. Wirthlin. Listen carefully to the "Principle of Compensation." It seemed to ring true to me and filled my heart with the hope that there are yet bigger and better things out there for me. I hope you find comfort in what Elder Wirthlin had to say.


***For some reason, the video embed code wasn't working. Please go HERE to watch this powerful message. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Am I Cheating On My Characters?

For two years I've been working day and night on my book series, Blood Bound. For the past few months, I've lived and breathed along side my characters, Kira and Octavion. I've eaten with them, fought their battles with them, felt their pain and watched them fall in love. Now, after getting a little nibble of what the publishing world is all about, only to see it drift away, I find myself frantically grasping at everything I can to keep ahold. Fighting for that dream. Kicking and screaming my way upstream in a frail attempt to get all that I've lost back. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter. I'm not telling you this to gain sympathy or support, I'm merely saying I've done all I know--all I can--and gotten no results. I'll keep submitting to agents in hopes that one of them will share in my vision and accept my book AND accept me.

But in the meantime . . . I'm starting over.

I've found that my reason to write has changed over the past few months. In the beginning, it was my passion. I wrote to satisfy the need, to fulfill my dreams. I wrote because it was who I was--what I was. Somewhere along the line it became about something else. Whether it was just being published (which we all want) or the money or simply for the validation, I don't know. But it changed for me. I don't like where I am right now--who I am. I'm writing to sell, to impress, to prove to others that I'm not a failure, that I wasn't cast out because I was a bad person or because my book wasn't marketable. This person I've become is NOT me.

A week or so ago, I had a dream. It was so vivid and clear that I jotted it down. Over the days that followed, my muse grabbed hold of it and now it is the beginnings of a book--a series of books actually. So as I sit down to begin this new project, I find myself thinking about Kira and Octavion. Deep down, I know they're okay, sitting on a rock somewhere chatting about whatever, just waiting until I come back and write the next scene. But somehow I feel like I've abandoned them. They've become a part of me--become my friends. Am I cheating on them? And what about my new characters. I'm sure I'll make friends with Tara and Quinton. Their story deserves to be told just as Kira and Octavion's story did, and still does.

So I'm curious. How do you move on? How do you work on a project for weeks or months and then leave it behind to create something new and wonderful? Do you miss your characters, or is leaving them behind easy for you?

If you want to meet Octavion and Kira, go HERE.
And to meet Tara and Quinton, go HERE.

Friendly Friday - Rachelle J. Christensen

Rachelle J. Christensen was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. Her creativity developed easily in the rural area as she spent many years working in the fields with only a few weeds to distract her daydreaming.
After graduating from USU, she and her husband moved to Utah County. Rachelle loves spending time with her family and laughing with her silly kids: two girls and one boy. She also enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading.
Rachelle hopes that someday she’ll be able to do some research in Hawaii for a novel and then maybe England and Scotland. For now she’s doing research close to home and working on several new story ideas.

Her books include a romantic suspense novel, Wrong Number, and a nonfiction book, Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage.

As I stared at the blank page on my Word document trying to think what to blog about for my guest post, I thought of something. No, it wasn’t how many loads of laundry I needed to do, or what I should fix for dinner, or that I really need some stronger air freshener for my baby’s latest diaper…

I thought about life and why I love to write—why I need to write.
When I’m in the first stages of writing a new novel, a blank page can be frightening. I want to get it right. I want to develop my characters so that they sing from the pages. I want to write the next best-seller. So it’s a little frightening, but it can also be exciting. The anticipation of how words will fill that blank page and become part of a story, how one sentence might change the whole direction of the story—the power of one word—all these things can make writing quite exciting once you’ve put those first words on the page.

Maybe it’s the writer in me or maybe some of my synapses are just pointing in a different direction, but I feel like so much of my life is like the writing process. Life is much like a blank page. Each day I wake up with a list of things that need doing and I try to plan for life, but it always surprises me.

I think that’s why I like writing, because to me, it feels like a natural extension of life. It’s how I communicate with life. All of those thoughts buzzing through my mind can at times feel overwhelming, but when I’m writing a novel I can pull in stray thoughts from the far reaches of my brain and tie them together with the nagging worries hovering on my cortex and create a story. A story where I can escape the wave of notions going on in my head and organize my thoughts into a novel.

And when I’m finished writing—or more likely when I get interrupted—I’ll go and change that diaper, change that load of laundry, start preparing dinner, and all the while I’ll be smiling, thinking about the conversations my characters are having in my head. My fingers will itch to write down the words bouncing around in my brain and I’ll fill up those blank pages.

I’ll make some mistakes and I’ll have to rewrite, but that’s life—it really is. Every day I make mistakes, but that doesn’t keep me from trying to be the best wife and mother I can. It won’t stop me from trying to show my children every day how much I love them and that I love them enough to try and fix my mistakes and become a better person.
Character flaws are what make a story interesting, but in real life I wish I could be rid of them. So I’ll keep writing, filling up those blank pages, and living, hoping for the day when I can write that perfect page.

You can pre-order Wrong Number online now at

Borders

Amazon.com

Barnes & Noble

Watch the book trailer below:


Thanks for being my guest, Rachelle. Life does indeed feel like writing sometimes and I'm glad we can edit and rewrite some of our mistakes out of our lives. Can't wait to read this book. Every time I watch the trailer I get more and more anxious to get my copy.

Next week on Friendly Friday, my guess will be Melissa Cunningham.

WHEW! What a Ride!

I was talking to my friend yesterday about how, where my writing career is concerned, I've felt like I'm riding a roller coaster, especially the past few weeks. One day I'll be happy and anxious to start on a new project and the next . . . well . . . this picture pretty much sums it up.

The thing is . . . I used to love the roller coaster. The thrill of the ride. The anticipation as the thick cables and chains pulled the cars to the top of the arc. The way you could see forever while you crest the peek and the sinking feeling as your stomach seemed to rise up in your throat as the coaster plummeted to the deepest valley and then began its ascent to the top again. I loved the way the wind blew through my hair and that you could scream at the top of your lungs and everyone understood. Everyone knew what you were feeling because they were going through the same thing and screamed right along with you. And then when you were done, how you could hardly walk and felt like you wanted to puke, but dang if you didn't get right back on and do it again.

Well, I still like the highs, but that sinking feeling and the desire to scream at the top of my lungs doesn't seem to bring the same thrill that it used to. And to be honest, I'm not too happy with the shaky legs and the urge to vomit the contents of my stomach all over the place. And then there's the feeling of loneliness, like I'm the only one on that coaster and the only one screaming, even though, deep down I know I'm not.

The worst part is I don't seem to be able to get off the ride, not even for a brief rest. When I finally think I'm going into the little station and I'll be able to get off and rest for a while, someone hits the switch and the ride starts all over again. It's getting to the point where I just close my eyes and hold on for dear life, not even enjoying the high points and the view anymore. So how do I get off, or at least learn to enjoy it again? I'd love to hear from you if you've been through something similar or have some great advice. In the meantime, I'll be the one screaming
"GET ME OFF THIS RIDE!"

A New Work In Progress

About two weeks ago I had a very vivid, and LONG dream. Most of my dreams are gone before I wake up and I don't remember them, but this one stuck with me, grabbed hold of my muse and took on a life of its own. Needless to say, it is my current work in progress. I'd like to introduce it to you and see what you think.
It is Young Adult Fantasy. Of course the details are still a little sketchy and I certainly don't want to give away too much, but after searching the image file on google, and finding suitable pictures to help with my story description, I'd like to give it a go. So here it is:

Aquatara

The Water Spirit

Tara has lived by the ocean as long as she can remember. Her grandfather being her only family, she's content with her simple life. But when her grandfather dies a few days before her 18th birthday, leaving her alone to fend for herself, she finds he's been keeping secrets from her. Secrets that will change her life forever.

Tara has always loved swimming in the ocean, sometimes even dreamed of being a mermaid, but kept telling herself there's no such thing, that her uncanny ability to stay under water longer than anyone else she knew, and the speed with which she could swim, was just from years of practice. But after taking a journey across the Nevada desert finds her near death, she starts thinking there's more to her little fantasy than she imagined.

But then comes along Quinton, a 21 year old construction worker from Colorado who saves her life and convinces her there's more to her dreams than she thinks. That it's the only explanation for why she can't survive without the revitalizing flow of water over her thirsting skin.



Together they travel across the country searching for answers--but what they find is far more unbelievable than Tara becoming a mermaid. Tara's real name is Aquatara and she's the lost granddaughter of King Nereus, the ruler of the water spirits and Myst World that lies deep in the Altantic.
But it's not just Tara's past that holds its secrets--Quinton's own heritage puts him at odds with his father, a Hunter, sworn to track down land dwelling water spirits like Tara and return them to the sea.

Refusing his birthright as a Hunter, Quinton will defy his father and do anything to protect Tara--even if it means risking his life in the frigid waters of the Atlantic.

So, what do you think?

Tagalong Tuesday

Welcome to Tagalong Tuesday, where I search from all my blogging buddies and a few strays I happen to stumble on out there in blogging world and quote their most recent post. I'm amazed at the variety and caliber of writers out there and have had a difficult time picking just the right ones to go on here. I hope you enjoy today's selection. I know you'll love these stories, some heartwarming, others educational and of course a little comedy relief thrown in for good measure. Until next week, KEEP BLOGGING!!


I mean, seriously!! I can't do it right ALL THE TIME, but I was hoping if I could get things right more than half the time, the stronger half would win. That makes sense, doesn't' it? Apparently not. (Lori Conger - The Stronger Half of My Influence)

There are many things in life that are just out of our control and all we can do is go with the flow, keep swimming, and hope that at sometime things will work out. (Kathi Oram Peterson - Just Keep Swimming)

In honor of Groundhog Day—well, yes, if we're going to have a day named after some weird animal, we'd better at least honor it—I'm posting a humorous children's story. We're all young at heart so I'm sure you'll enjoy it. (C.L. Beck - One Weird Animal)

The story starts with a family trip to Target (money-sucking black hole) in the middle of winter (horrid cold/flu season). My children have recently raided my purse for gum and are all chomping away as we enter. (Kasie West - How to make sure your kid catches every virus around)

I’ve never done this before but I sat down and began composing diary entries from the perspective of this rather reluctant character. I’ve interviewed my characters, drawn up histories and charts and pedigrees, but I’ve never written journals for them. (L.T. Elliot - A Writer's Forgery)

Everyone has had that one pair of shoes that even though you have worn them a million times, and they are obviously falling apart, you still keep wearing them. They are comfy, and snug, and you don't want to find something else, since new shoes always hurt your feet until you get used to them. (Chantele - Making Old Ideas New)