Just reminding my writer friends to follow my new blog on all things writing at http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com
It’s all about the writing process. Hope to see you there as this one is on its way out. 
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I had such a great time with I Got U! Blogfest yesterday! Thanks to all who participated and helped spread the blog love. Huge thanks to Sheri A. Larsen for letting me participate! You can find her Writer’s Ally blog on the link to the right
Since I started blogging back in May, I’ve wondered if I should’ve gone with a Blogger blog. They are so much more user friendly when it comes to following. After some comments yesterday, I’ve decided to switch over from WordPress to Blogger.
I hope you will hop on over to my new blog and become the first of my followers. It’s a shame WordPress doesn’t have the follower option (although maybe it’s a good thing?) but Blogger makes it super easy to follow majority of my other blogger friends.
So please take a moment and check out my new blog. I’ll be updating it soon with my feelings on the R word (yes I’m talking about rejection.)
I’ll be fazing this one out in next few weeks.
Here it is:
Who will be my first little head under the followers??
A heartfelt thank you to all my friends!
Yes, this uber-fantastic day is all about the Blogfest! What is I Got U! Blogfest, you ask? It is the beautiful brainchild of fellow writer/YA author Sheri Larsen. It’s all about showing your fellow bloggers a little love.
Today, for my first ever Blogfest, I’ve decided to honor the blog of a very talented writer and friend, Nathalie Schiltz. First of all, her blog design is awesome. I mean, it’s worth checking it out just to see how pretty it is. Secondly, you can learn all about the native Canadian and read a snippet of her amazing story, The Curse of the Phoenix, from her blog. Now, I’ve had the great pleasure of beta reading Nathalie’s story, as well, as the sequel to the saga, and I was begging for more. Unfortunately, she hasn’t written books 3 and 4 yet. Seems, she has this other life going on that takes her away from writing… I don’t know–something about university and a career in translating. Definitely not as important as getting her characters back together, if you ask me. 
Seriously, take a few moments to visit Nathalie’s blog. She’s funny, smart, talented and has only had her blog up a few weeks. She’s definitely one to watch, and once she gets her book out there, I’m telling you, you’ll be begging for more. I’d love to give you a blurb on what her book is about, but hey, don’t take it from me…. read it for yourself on Nathalie’s blog and show a little blog love.
After all, it is I GOT U! BLOGFEST!
You can access the link from my Other Great Blogs list on the right, or click here for Nathalie Schiltz:
http://nathalie-schiltz.blogspot.com/
But before you go off to peruse Nathalie’s fantastic blog, don’t forget to come back and check out Sheri Larsen’s clever and totally fun blog afterwards. She’s got the Blogfest going on, as well as all kinds of interesting tidbits. So don’t be shy, spread the blog love today! You know what they say, what goes around comes around.
http://writersally.blogspot.com/
And hey, why not see how many other blogs you can visit and comment on today?? Not your usual blogs, but new ones! Show some blog love to someone’s you don’t usually visit. Who knows, you may even gain a new follower.
Thanks to Sheri Larsen for starting (what I hope won’t be the last) an awesome tradition of honoring a fellow blogger. Let the blog love shine through!
Thanks for visiting! And happy blogging!
Here’s your chance to win a free edit of up to 100k words!
Just fill out the form from the link below and enter the contest. Hey, who couldn’t use a free edit on a WIP or your supposed final draft (lol…. oxy-moron)
C.A. Marshall is a freelance editor and literary agent intern. This contest is super easy. Good luck!
http://www.camarshall.com/2010/09/freelance-editor-ca-marshalls-free-edit.html
And thanks to Bekah for sending the message along. That’s where I first saw it.
You can find Bekah’s fantastic blog here:
In film reviews, that is. In the last twenty-four hours I watched three different movies I’ve never seen before. That happens like NEVER. Equally astounding is the fact that I really enjoyed all of them! The planets were in alignment or something, I guess. So straight to the point….
Nanny McPhee Returns
Okay so I never would’ve picked this one to see at the theatre if I didn’t have kids. It was a rainy afternoon after school and we just had to get out of the house. Glad we did. It was adorable. My kids loved the original (we’ve seen it a hundred times at least) and I really like the story as well. It’s not a Disney version of a magical English nanny story–which is probably why I like it so much.
Anyway, to keep it short, the kids loved it. I loved it. It’s one of those feel good films that makes you want to slow down and appreciate life a little more. Set in Britain in the WWII era, there were no fancy gadgets or stunning effects. Just a fantastic setting and fun, colorful wardrobes. Maggie Gyllenhall plays the mum and did a super job with the British dialect. There’s also a fine cast including cameos by Maggie Smith, Ewan MacGregor, an Ralph Fiennes. Leaving the theatre I had the urge to pack up the fam and move to a bucolic farm in the lush countryside. I found myself longing for a time when technology didn’t exist to steal our attention away from our loved ones. Aside from that pesky old world war, I could step back to that time of life wthout qualms.
It’s Complicated
This DVD has been sitting next to my bed for three months. I find it hard to justify the two hours of my reading/writing time it takes away to watch a movie at home, but last night I just did it.
It was really great. Totally adult oriented, though not vulgar in any way. You have to love Meryl Streep–she’s such a believable actress. I prefer her in roles where she plays quirky moms. This movie made me laugh out loud a few times. One time in particular I laughed so hard I couldn’t stop for like five minutes. Alec Baldwin plays her ex-husband. He’s the epitome of arrogance to me. He does such a great job playing the pompous jerk, although this role was a little different. I couldn’t decide whether to like his character or not. Then you have Steve Martin (whom I love) in a nice guy, kind of geeky role. Great combination of actors there and fun movie.
My Life in Ruins
This was totaly unexpected. I just happened to be vegging out this morning in front of the TV. Wasn’t expecting to keep this one on, but so glad I did. I liked My Big Fat Greek Wedding alright and Nia Vardolos is adorable, but this film was even better. Maybe because it was set in beautiful Greece. Nia plays Georgia, an American Greek tour guide who is a little bit bitter that her tourists never seem to be interested in the history or architecture that Greece has to offer, but more so in the food and cheap souvenirs. lol! Loved the characters in this film—from the obnoxious Americans to the chill Canadians to the life-loving Greeks! This would be a great film to watch for those of my writer friends who may need a little inspiration on how to breathe life (and quirkiness) into their characters.
So now that I’ve met my movie maximum for the week, it’s back to the writing grindstone and beta reading. It’s good to take a little breathing room from time to time, but I’ll be back on track by tomorrow and no more such indulgences shall sway me from my duties…. unless, of course, chocolate is invloved.
Have a super stellar weekend! Peace and love!
For those of you who read this and are not writers, it may sound kinda eerie. No, I’m not talking about my lunacy and my split personalities/schizophrenia….. although they are annoying at times.
This is something different, although maybe only because they’re a little more creative. :s We all have those voices that speak to us when something is wrong or when someone/something is annoying us. As a writer, those voices are even more important– they are vital to writing the story.
The voice can be the overall tone of the story, or each distinct individual character. It’s important each character have their own voice, while the overall voice of the story is something else entirely. If you’re reading a novel for entertainment, these aspects probably won’t even be noticable to you–you’ll be swept away by them if they’re done well. But as writers when we read novels, we read in two different ways: First, for entertainment; Second, for craftsmanship. Writers notice things in novels that typical readers won’t. Quite simply, because we know exactly all the work it takes to make it seamless.
It’s a lot harder than you may think.
I’ve had beta readers–who weren’t writers–read my work and find very little wrong with it. Then, I’ve had writer betas who’ve picked the same stories to pieces for all that was wrong with them. Um …. I think I’m digressing ….. lol
The voices. Yeah, that’s it. Anyway, artists and writers simply have to listen to their inner voices. It can be the inner voice that whispers a genius idea, or one that tells you to keep on keepin’ on even though you just received another rejection. It could be the voice telling you not to make the change your critique partner suggested. Or it could be the inner voice of your character telling you exactly how to write your story.
It’s my theory, that these inner voices make up our indivdual style, and thus, the overall voice of each story we write. Just as if we were trudging down a lonely back alley in order to make a short cut as we’re out for our morning walk/jog/shopping trip ( fill in blank … whatever), that little voice starts nagging us to turn around, something doesn’t feel right. Call it instinct, intuition, what have you. But it’s the same when you’re writing. We have to learn to trust the voices. Keep an open mind. They’re there for a reason.
A lot of my most recent story, Coffee & Donuts, was written that way. I’d be doing laundry, or washing dishes, or cleaning the kids’ room, and suddenly a voice would pop in my head and tell me what needed to happen next, or which character needed to make it happen. Sometimes, as writers, we strain too hard to hear the voices, when if you take a quick breather and clear your mind, focus on other things, they sneak up and speak to you.
Keep an ear out for your inner voice. You don’t have to be a writer to need them. They are part of who we are as human beings.
Ever thought about who you’d really dig some one on one conversation with? Just for kicks I came up with a list of my top 10. In no particular order:
Carol Burnett —– I’d love to pick her brain on comedy
Dalai Lama —– To share philosophies
Jane Austen —– Pick her brain on clever dialogue
Jerry Seinfeld —– He just cracks me up
Jim Morrison —– We’d get along smashingly
JK Rowling —— I’d have a small questionairre for her
Tori Amos —— I just love her wacked lyrics.
Rosa Parks —— I wanna know just how it felt
Stephen King —– DUH!
Hayden Christensen — Just for fun so he can practice his smoldering gaze on me.
Who would you like to have drinks with??
SPINOUT:
My friend and fellow writer did an interview with me on her blog. I talk a lot about my recent manuscript, Coffee & Donuts. Check it out here
http://mlmansfield.blogspot.com/2010/08/q-with-pk-hrezo.html
Happy September, everyone!
It’s quite fitting that my very first blog interview also be my very first critique partner whom I met at WD Community’s Weekly Chapter Challenge. My apologies if my language is formal, but I just watched a trailer boasting Jane Austen dialogue and her lush language always affects me so. :s
Back in spring, I had the pleasure of pairing up with ML Mansfield for a weekly exchange in writing. We both had a story to write, but hadn’t begun to flesh it out. After connecting on Weekly Chapter Challenge (which I highly recommend, created by the ever charming EJ Wesley,) Marisa (ML) and I agreed upon our exchange and traded chapters of our first draft each week. This was really fun–such a great idea for motivation. I can’t recommend it enough.
Marisa’s story, The Epitome of Truth, is a young adult dystopian tale about two high school graduates’ search for the truth. Living in a country taken over by terrorists and formerly known as the United States, they seek answers and a better way of life, regardless of what they have to do to get it. It’s an adventurous tale, packed with action, romance, deception, and revelation.
I loved working with Marisa. She gave back great advice and suggestions when my story sagged. On the other hand, she is also a talented writer with lots to offer the lit world. Without further ado, I give you a peek into the literary mind of ML Mansfield:
1. So who are you, exactly, Marisa?
I’m a 24 year old girl from Iowa. My husband and I will be celebrating our first anniversary this September and are expecting our first kiddo in March (a very exciting year to say the least!). While I’m sure all of us would love to be full time novelists, it’s not possible for me at the moment so I work as a Care Coordinator for a local agency dealing with family services. I make sure the children in the home are safe, provide parenting lessons, arrange supervised visits between the parents and kids if they are placed in foster care…a variety of different things.
2. How long have you been writing?
I would have to say a year. I’ve always been more of a reader than a writer so I’ve only just recently joined the forces.
3. How’d you discover the WD WCC forum?
EJ gave me some feedback on a post (I forget which one at the moment), and said that he had been throwing the idea around about starting this group. I told him that I’d LOVE the opportunity to swap chapters with other writers, as I really had no idea what I was doing. And viola! A week or so later he created it and I joined!
4. What are your fave books/authors?
I’ll read just about any genre but my true love will always be for young adult fantasy. My favorite YA author is Suzanne Collins. Other authors that I know I can rely for a good read are Wally Lamb and Dean Koontz.
5. If you could pick only one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Determined.
6. Your WCC story is called The Epitome of Truth. Tell us the premise and what inspired you to write it….
THE HUNGER GAMES really blew my mind. I had no idea that you could incorporate a government as such a strong plot point without making it totally boring. Government structures are a huge interest of mine (my major was in Law Enforcement and Justice Administration) and throwing it into a YA book was genius. Collins did it so effortlessly. My mind just took off after that…. creating Genevieve Rue and Christian Weaver, two of the most bold and spirited individuals that the year 2250 has ever seen. A nation overthrown by terrorism, the Utopia of the Sacred, enforces laws that strip citizens of their rights. THE EPITOME OF TRUTH follows Genevieve and Christian from their escape of the corrupt country to finding someone with enough power to help.
7. What do you hope readers will take away from it?
While it may seem like I’m all “damn the man” and such, that’s not the thing to take away. It’s about knowing what you’re willing to do for the well being of others, even if it means not surviving yourself.
8. What’s the best advice on writing you’ve received?
DON’T GIVE UP!!! I’ve struggled with this from time to time, but ultimately I haven’t quit. I’ve never said, “No…I’m done.” Something that has always stuck out in my mind is something that I read on a blog somewhere: Is it just the people who are relentless that are published? Or is it the talented writers that are published? You could be the best writer in the whole world but if you give up you will never get anywhere.
9. What other advice would you give first time authors?
Have as many critique partners or beta readers as you can get your hands on. Their advice is PRICELESS. It’s a little scary putting your work out there for someone else to (potentially) butcher, but I promise it is so worth it.
10. How do you find the time to write?
Right now I’m in the editing phase so I’m not actively writing anything at the moment. This is something that I continue to struggle with actually… Life has a way of getting away from me, especially in the summer. So I’m not offering any advice on this one as I’m still trying to learn how to do it myself J
11. Any future stories planned? Any clues for us?
Well…. There will definitely be at least a sequel. Anyone who has read my manuscript knows that while things are tied up, Genevieve’s story is far from over. The story for the sequel hasn’t came to me yet so there are really no clues to give…sorry!
12. Who would you want to play you in the film version story of your life?
Hmmmm…. I would have to say Rachel McAdams. She’s young, talented, and can be the heroine or the villain…much like myself J
13. Say your book really makes it big, you make a million, and become a worldwide celeb. How would you use this success to help others?
Something that I’ve always had a passion for is art. Whether it’s putting paint on a canvas or words on a page it is all an art form that takes talent, passion, and dedication. Schools in my area (and probably every other part of the country) are slashing funding for art and music programs like crazy. I would donate computers and art supplies to the schools… no questions asked.
14. What’s next for The Epitome of Truth? What stage are you in now?
I’ve been in the editing stages for what seems like forever, but it’s getting there. After all of my edits are complete I’m going to search out a few more beta readers to give me more feedback. Editing is something that’s never truly done.
15. What was it like working with PK Hrezo?
Like having a dictionary/encycolpedia review my work. She is a wonder with words and a spewing fountain of wisdom. ( LOL! Marisa did not say this. I didn’t ask….. just my weak attempt at humor) LOL!
ML Mansfield is an author at large. The Epitome of Truth is her first novel and you can follow her journey to publication on her blog:
Aspirations of a Wannabe Writer http://mlmansfield.blogspot.com
SPINOUT:
Have you heard about the groovy contest on Kody Keplinger’s blog? You can win a copy of her new book, The Duff! Check it out here:
http://kodymekellkeplinger.blogspot.com/2010/08/are-you-duff-enough-contest-numero-uno.html
Kody’s brand spankin’ new book, The Duff is in stores in a week. It sounds fantastic. DUFF stands for “Designated Ugly Fat Friend.” It’s a YA story written by an 18 year old. How awesome is that? Kudos to Kody and be sure to check out her new book!
Yesterday I dropped my son off for his first day of kindergarten, and my daughter for her first day of preschool. Wow. What a milestone! This marks the first time since I’ve given birth that’ll I’ll have free days during the week. I still work, but while my son is is kindergarten for six hours a day and my daugter for the first three of the morning, I will have time to write! I can polish off those last two recent novels, and get ready to start a new one. I don’t have to wake up at 4am to get writing in anymore. This is so huge!
But it also means my babies are growing up. This makes me very sentimemntal. I find myself thinking of the days they were born and how tiny and helpless they were. I’m sure many of my fellow kindergarten moms have been thinking the same thing. We want our babies to grow up to be strong, independent adults, but at the same time we don’t want them to stop needing us… because we need them so much. They light up our lives and fill our hearts with a love like none other. That’s not to say they’re not a royal pain sometimes, but worth every gray hair that will fill my head before I know it.
My son, Sammy, was so excited yesterday. He woke up on his own, got dressed–putting on his brand new collared shirt he picked out–and had a smile on his face all morning. He felt proud. I could see it in his face. He was ready. Nate took the morning off to be there for the big first day (what a great dad!) and we did the family walk to Sammy’s K class. He knew the way all by himself from orientation. He had his Transformers backpack on and his Mickey Mouse lunchbox in his hand. Of course I took a hundred pictures of every possible expression. When he sat down at his desk he looked at us as if to say, “It’s okay, I’ve got this … you can go.”
Oh! My little baby is a big boy! His new teacher, Ms. Chen, is probably younger than I am. She’s pretty and sweet and I could tell she really wants to do a good job. She’s a perfect first teacher.
We had to hurry over to Abbie’s preschool to drop her off. She’s never been in daycare or anything. She was a little less excited. She did not want to stay there. She knew her teacher from visiting Sammy in preschool, as well as the classroom, but she wasn’t happy. She was so brave, though! Her little lower lip quivered as we stepped away from her circle time. She hated being there, but she didn’t cry. Not once. She sucked it up, saddled up like a real cowgirl. I was proud of her for that.
They both ended up having a fantastic first day! As did Nate and I. It went by really fast! Being in a kindergarten class again reminded me of my kindergarten experience: the look of the classroom, my teacher Ms. Brown, listening to stories, watching Charlotte’s Web, meeting the inflatable Letter People. I can remember a lot, actually. And it was thirty-three years ago! I think those special first memories stay with you forever, though. It’s such an important time in a child’s life–a time that can influence him/her to be a good student, to want to be a good student. It may be only kindergarten, but it’s not insignificant in any way.
It’s a beginning! What do your remember about kindergarten?
SPINOUT:
Stay tuned for my next blog: Interview with my fellow writer and Weekly Chapter Challenge partner ML Mansfield! She’s an excellent writer and has a great story I was lucky enough to read during our WCC swap. Should be up soon, so come on back to learn more about Marisa!
Ah, well … good to be back Stateside, as always. Nothing like cramming in a quick trip right before school starts. And that’s exactly what we did. Lots of cramming involved, indeed. But well worth it!
Now, I’ve been to this lush, tropical country in Central America before, but my husband hasn’t. I’ve always wanted him to see its beauty. I, myself, have always wanted to return there. As always with air travel–especially when you only have a few days–it’s the hurry up and wait game. And if you travel like me (standby) there’s another element of torture to the process. We hurry up and wait to see if there’s a spot on the plane for us. It can be agonizing when you really need to be somewhere. On the flip side, we don’t pay for anything.
So, moving on to Costa Rica…. once we arrived we rented the smallest, most ridiculous excuse for a car we could find. Hey, we gotta cut costs where we can…. on an airline agent’s and firefighter’s salary we don’t have a lot to work with. A little tidbit about Nate–he doesn’t speak a lick of Spanish. He’s never been further south than Mexico. If you know anything about Costa Rica, you’ll know the locals speak very little English. This would be discomfort #1 for Nate.
At this point on our trip, we have Nate (who’s never been to CR) driving a tiny car in a foreign country where they speak hardly any English and have hardly any street signs. But on the up side, we did have very specific directions to the house we were headed to. Not just any house, but the Java hut! My dear good friend allowed us to rest our weary heads at his lovely home located in the rolling green mountains of northern Costa Rica. Getting to the mountains from Liberia airport was a breeze. But picture this:
A little car, called the Alto (which coincidentally means stop in Spanish), climbing the rugged, rocky dirt roads of the mountains. This car was so small, we had to shut off the AC to conserve power getting up the steep incline. No joke. Of course, the plethora of potholes didn’t make matters any easier. My friend gave us the exact turn off from the main highway, down to the kilometer, but with no signs to indicate the small village we were headed to, we were concerned we turned off in the right spot. We did.
An hour of climbing the mountain later, we reached the very small village of Nueva Guatemala, where the Java Hut sits below an emerald green mountain. There’s a coffee plantation at the Java Hut. Steve grows his own coffee (yum!) and the scenery surrounding the Java Hut is just gorgeous. We chose not to use the generator and roughed it. Actually, it was far from roughing it, but considering we had no internet or phone service or electricity, we were totally disconnected. It wasn’t so hard… maybe a little inconvenient, but that’s the beauty of it. Total quiet. Lots of birds to hear and watch. Howler monkeys in the distance. Cows grazing to the west. Pura Vida!
We had a reservation at Tabacon resort on Lago Arenal. This resort is located at the base of the Volcano Arenal–an active volcano that still spews year round. If you’ve never heard of Tabacon before, look it up. I’ll include a link below. This is one of the most relaxing and beautiful places I’ve ever been. I actually felt guilty this time around that I’ve now gotten to see Tabacon twice, while some peeps will never experience the serenity and magic this place had to offer. Imagine the greenest, most exotic and tropical place you can. Add to it, a volcano in the near distance, and within the vegetation, pool after pool of naturally heated water cascading into one another. There are waterfalls flowing from one pool to the next under a canopy of vivacious greenery. These pools are separated by rock formations … nothing artificial except the wooden walkways and bridges ascending and descending through the gardens.
You know how in America you can’t climb on anything (for liability purposes most likely)? Well, not so in Tabacon. You can climb the rocks from one hot spring to the next. You can jump off the bridge into the pools. There’s no pool blocked off from entry. You can dip your toes–or your whole body for that matter–anywhere you darn well please! Pura vida! So incredibly relaxing and tranquil. This is like the most wonderful honeymoon spot ever. It is pricey, but well worth it. And the nice thing is that they limit the amount of visitors each day to preserve the experience.
Now, we had to work to get there. Remember, we were driving the ever-so-tiny Alto over the mountains to the lake, then around the lake on the winding narrow pothole-ridden roads to get there. Over narrow wooden bridges, past muddy avalanches and caved in curbs. If you’ve ever driven the Hana Highway on Maui, imagine that under much worse roadway conditions. Yeah. Nuts. Nate kept remarking how much he felt like he was in the Romancing the Stone movie driving the little white car through a foreign, tropical country. Yep, he called me Joan Wilder, too. And around every bend he expected to drive the car off into the river. LOL! I have to admit, it did feel a lot like that movie–minus the treasure map and colossal emerald. But I don’t think Nate was ready to wrestle any yellow bellies, anyway.
It was challenging getting to Tabacon from Java Hut in the morning… took us 2.5 hours. But try this on for size: Once we left Tabacon it was dark. Not only did we have to navigate the treacherous roads in the dark with little to no street lights, it was also raining and there are no street signs. LOL! If we were to have a blow out, we’d be stuck in the middle of nowhere for who knows how long. Those conditions were hanging over our heads, but you know something, it was all part of the adventure!
We found our way back and had no problems at all. We are so lucky to have so many wonderful peeps in our lives that made our short but sweet trip possible! Our in-laws for watching our kids, our good friend Josh for watching our dog, and our good friends Steve and Leo for providing us a place to stay.
I didn’t have smartphone or internet access til I got home on Friday. I was jonesing toward the end there, especially once I got back Stateside, but before that, it wasn’t bad at all. It was nice to disconnect. I feel refreshed. And now that my emails are mostly caught up, I’ve got some mega blog reading to do. What’d I miss????
One thing that’s always nice about visiting a third world country, you always appreciate what you have when you return. We are so spoiled. Inevitably, we are greedy. Perhaps it’s all the ads that are constantly shoved down our throats every where we look. We are conditioned to think we need all the stuff we see ads for. In all actuality we need very little. And while we may feel sorry for those in third world countries who have so little, I think, in all honesty, they have more. They learn to be happy with what they have, and they enjoy the beautiful earth God’s given them.
Enjoy the link to Tabacon Resort! http://tabacon.com/
Pura Vida!
