Christmas Seasons

With Christmas but a few days away, I want to send my wishes that your Christmas will be filled with love and peace. Most of us can recall those special Christmases, perhaps those of our childhood, or with our first love, or later, those with a growing family, followed by those with grandchildren.

Over the years, Christmas celebrations tend to evolve as each of us builds our own treasure trove of memories. If you're like me, some of the memories fuse into others. As a child, I remember getting a tangerine in my stocking and so, the smell of a tangerine will always evoke childhood Christmases for me. Over the years, time changes our celebrations. I can't imagine ever putting a tangerine in my children's or my grandchildren's stockings!

I remember meeting my husband, Will. Those were the days when we took lots of pictures. This picture, taken in 1959, was our first Christmas together. We were young, then, and carefree, too. I recall we had to visit both sets of parents that year. And try to eat two turkey dinners, as well.

Since then, we've celebrated fifty-five Christmases together. If I had a chance to relive those years, I would have kept a Christmas journal. Then, I would be able to go back and check out each one. Now, they merge into a lovely pattern much like a quilt made of many hues.


In quick succession, our four daughters came along and with them, late nights of putting toys together, then arranging them under the tree. Ginger, our oldest, was always the "scout." While her sisters quivered with excitement, she would run down the steps, check out the scene, then call up to her sisters, "Santa came!" Then we'd hear another three sets of feet bound down the steps. And our Christmas morning would begin...way too early, but nevertheless, filled with joy.

Way too quickly, they grew up, married and began their own Christmas traditions. Again, Christmases evolved but with glad tidings as life was developing as it was meant to be.

Soon, grandchildren hit the scene. Another golden time, another gilded, ribboned wrapped growth of Christmas change. This, for me, was really special. This picture of me with our grandsons Nathan and John, was taken a Christmas that I'll never forget. Nathan, four months old, was sleeping on a blanket close to the tree while we were all in the kitchen. We heard a thud and ran in. The tree had fallen over and Nathan was under it! Not a sound was uttered by this dear baby boy. We pulled the tree off of him, unsure if he was hurt, but thankfully, not a branch had touched him.

Those years went quickly, way too quickly. And now my beloved and I find we're back to the beginning. Our children and our children's children all live far enough away that Will and I are two once more. We still celebrate with gifts and phone calls, then visits after Christmas day. We're content and feel blessed to be together and well. We rejoice in the day and knowing all of our loved ones are safe and celebrating, too.


May you and your family have a blessed Christmas and fun making memories together!

Protecting Freedom To Read

In yesterday's paper, an article about Banned Book Week caught my interest. This annual event is celebrated by libraries across the United States this year from September 21-27. This event is fueled by the belief that people should be able to determine what they want to read without any censorship from any group.

I was surprised when I read a sampling of some of the books challenged or banned at one time or another somewhere in America. 

To Name a few:

·         The Lorax by Doctor Suess

·         Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

·         Charlotte’sWeb by E.B. White

·         Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

·         Beloved by Toni Morrison

·         To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

·         The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck

·         The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

As an avid reader and one who absolutely loved all of the above, I wanted to know more. Before researching the topic on Google, I was sure that most of the challenges or banning must have occurred in the early history of our country, or at the very latest in the first half of the twentieth century. 

Not so, I learned. Challenges continue. In fact, in the decade 1990 to 2000, individuals have raised 6, 364 challenges to books, according to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. Consider, in 2003, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was removed from the Renton School District in Washington State. Even more astounding, like the scene from The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, the Harry Potter series was burned in 2003 in Michigan.

As long as beliefs conflict, most likely there will be those who will want to challenge the reading of some books. The difficult determination for school boards, communities, librarians and teachers will be to protect intellectual freedom while respecting personal values.

That’s a daunting task! And one we must all weigh in on so we protect our freedom to choose. Perhaps the comedian, Tommy Smothers, may have said it best: “The only valid censorship of ideas is the right of people not to listen.” Or in the case of books, choose read or not.

In the meantime, I think about the loss of insight and inspiration these books offer. Most importantly, they challenge us to think and ponder life as it is and also how it should be.  The world would be less rich without them. So, I encourage all of you to check out the lists of past banned books. If there's books on the list you haven't yet read, take them out from your library. 

Most of all, find a way to Celebrate Banned Books week and intellectual freedom!

Have Blog, Will Travel

On my way from our Florida home to our summer hangout in New Jersey, Kim Trotto, a member of my writers group invited me to participate in this Writers’ Blog Tour. It sounded like too much fun to decline. So, suitcase yet unpacked, here I am.

The Writers’ Blog Tour is sort of a chain letter of writers all answering the same four questions. It’s a great opportunity to share about why we write and how. I’ll be passing the tour on to Doris Meredith and Karen Kelly Boyce. You can read more about them below. So here are my answers to the four questions.

   

1)  What am I working on?

Right now I’ve written the beginning of a mystery about a traveling nurse. I’ve also started a relationship story about a woman in her early sixties who realizes her life needs changing. I’m also considering writing a sequel to my first novel, Bellehaven, an idea that I initially rejected but after so many readers asked me for a follow up novel with the characters they said they loved, I’m considering it.

2)  How does my work differ from others of its genre?

When I write, I try to leave out the parts of a novel that many readers, including me, skim read “to get to the good stuff.” I avoid filler as much as I can. I also incorporate my life experience working with older individuals in a way that I believe is unique and speaks to the value of all people. My novels are character rather than plot driven.

3)  Why do I write what I do?

Much of what I write, though fiction, comes out of my life experience in elder care. I learned so much from those I cared for as a nurse, nursing home administrator and consultant. I want to help others understand the life process, but in an entertaining way, if possible. It’s important to me that my characters reflect their life history and are drawn as completely and multilayered as possible, even though they are fictional people.

4)  How does my writing process work?

I like to write spontaneously when I first begin a story and just let it unfold, though I must admit I do have a loose outline of how the story will go. Then I put it aside for several days. While I’m letting it ‘rest,” I find I am still writing in my head, working out what I may change or what the next scene or chapter will contain. Once I have the rough story or novel written out, I review with what I like to think is an analytical eye to see what is missing, out of place or unnecessary. I would like to say I write every day but while I don’t do actual physical writing, I am always writing in my mind. Sometimes, while driving, I  pull over to jot down an idea or scene I visualize. Fortunately, whether we’re on our island home in New Jersey or Florida, the traffic is not thick enough to get in the way!

Now it’s time to introduce our next two bloggers. Be sure to check them out next Tuesday, May 13, to read about their writing.

Karen Kelly Boyce: http://www.karenkellyboyce.com/blog, has written and published six books and the first four won the esteemed Catholic Writers Guild seal of approval. Down Right Good was awarded the 2012 Eric Hoffer Gold Award in fiction. She’s written a memoir, A Bend in the Road, which speaks to her journey with breast cancer. Her other works include fiction for both children and adults. All her books are faith based and uplifting.

D.R. Meredith: 
http://highwatermysteries.wordpress.com , is a split personality: a suburban wife until all the chores are done and the errands run, then she locks herself in her office and commits murder. As her second personality she has written three different mystery series, multiple short stories, and a historical series as a chance of pace. She has twice been a finalist for the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original. She reviews books in her spare time.

The Test of Time

Today, April 23, is Shakespeare’s birthday. Many communities will celebrate with World Book Night. World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person.  Each year on this date, thousands of people in the U.S. go out into their communities and give away a half a million free paperbacks. In the future, I hope to join this effort as a volunteer. 

Since I couldn't participate this year, I thought I’d commemorate the occasion by asking a few avid readers if they could name the best novel they’d ever read, the one book that stood the test of time. For some who participated in my informal survey, it proved to be an impossible task. They were driven to name more than one book. Others had no problem at all choosing one. Here’s a few of their picks:

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: Tinka first read the book as a teenager, then attended the movie with a friend. “We packed a lunch and took it with us because it was such a long movie,” she relates. The book will always represent a special memory of those years, she adds.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: Lorraine chose this classic because she “reread this two years ago and was so impressed on so many levels---narrated by a child who sees the world through innocent eyes and Atticus Finch who bravely challenges the social prejudices of the times.”

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver: Ginger had a hard time narrowing her choices down to one, however, this was the first book she mentioned. She explains, “This book caused me to question so many things I’d ‘assumed’ about the world around us, forcing me to realize I’m pretty ‘democracy centric’ and yet there is a whole world beyond what I’m accustomed to in terms of ideals---that our way is not the only way.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: Megan chose this book without wavering because while reading the novel, she felt a sense of belonging, almost as if she was in their world.  “What I love most was how Louisa May Alcott portrayed the character Jo.  Jo was strong, driven, stubborn, and she refused to accept gender stereotypes and conform to society's expectation of women.  Jo pursued her interests and dreams and allowed no one come in between them, even though they were frowned upon. I have always admired Jo, and even used her name when I played ‘make-believe’ as a child.”

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy: Fellow writer, Iris, chose this book because she appreciates the author’s passion and his gift of language. “You can pick up the book, turn to any page, and enjoy his descriptions of characters, places and events without even knowing the plot of the story. I’ve read this novel more than once and have always found something new to make the reading worthwhile.”

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper: Bill read the book as a young boy and the vivid tale fueled his imagination of that time in history. “I’ll always remember reading this book and how I could see the characters---Chingachgook and Hawkeye. I could visualize living as Hawkeye did in the woods.”

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith: This is my pick. Recently, it was a selection for my readers group. I hesitated at first, not sure if I wanted to read it again because I feared it wouldn’t resonate as it did when I first read it as a teenager. My second reading experience was even richer and I found my life experience enhanced my understanding of the book and the metaphor that the title exemplifies.

Can you name a sole favorite book? A book that stands out from all the others you’ve read? Try it. There’s something about singling out one book from all the others. Not an easy task, for sure, but one that is worth the effort.

And next year, consider finding a way to celebrate World Book Night and the great book giveaway.

Happy Reading!

Stepping Up

In my last blog, I spoke about publishing my novel, Bellehaven, and reaching the final step in the process: marketing. Richard Morgan, a member of our Long Beach Island writers group and a wonderful poet, shared some great advice, telling me, “Just have fun with it.”

So, now I’m embracing the challenge, learning all I can about social media, publicity and stepping up to any potential opportunity.  Initially, however, I had some trepidation about doing the all-important author presentation. 

Although I’d done a lot of public speaking in my career, this was different. Speaking about my book seemed, well, more personal. Still my desire to share my story with readers gave me the impetus to do so. 

So, I forged ahead and learned some valuable lessons from my initial appearances.

Here's my five tips toward a successful author presentation:

1. Develop a theme in your talk, one that draws in  the audience.

2. Don’t read long passages, intersperse short    excerpts through your presentation.

3. Practice before a friend or family member, one  who will give you an honest critique.

4. Take note cards with keywords of what you want  to say.

5. Keep it short enough to hold their interest.  Twenty to twenty-five minutes is good.

Face your fears of public speaking. There’s nothing wrong with a little stage fright! It will keep you on your toes. And if all else fails, express your fear in writing. If you’re like me, you find that a very therapeutic approach. 

Here’s a poem I’d like to share with you that describes my initial feelings before doing my first author talk.

Battle Ready

The morning comes quickly.

Like mercury, the hours slip by.

I dress for battle, for the test

Of my strength.

I’m ready. I’ve rehearsed

Until my strategy is

Cemented squarely into the

Psyche of my soul.

The time has come. I clothe
Myself in a façade of calm

To go forth and show

The mettle I hope is within.

                                                      

Battle ready, I lift my chin,

Square my shoulders,

Paint a smile upon my face

And step up to the podium.

And yes, I am finding it’s fun although it takes energy, planning and courage, too. I’ve found real joy in sharing my book with others.

It's That Time of Year...Again

For those of us who believe in making New Year's resolutions, the time is now. And for all of you "nonbelievers," consider the value of reviewing, reflecting and possibly even beginning the tradition by establishing goals for 2014. It's never too late to begin!

Last year, one of my most important goals was to publish my novel, Bellehaven. And as many of you know, that happened. What I didn't completely realize was that marketing should have also been one of my goals for last year. So, one of my major initiatives this year is to market my book.

I have a great desire to see it read and so, the marketing takes on a whole different perspective for me. I find it's less about recouping my publishing costs and more about knowing it's been read by as many people as I can reach.

Earlier today, my oldest daughter, Ginger, called to wish us a Happy New Year. She told me about a challenge she'd heard about where rather than making a list of resolutions, we should find the one word that reflects what we hope to accomplish or change in 2014. "Take some time," she advised me, "And the word will come to you. Then post that word everywhere---on your mirror, over your computer, maybe even on your car visor."

Instantly, as she was telling me, "my" word came, as some things come to me. My word is "productive." My goal is to write bigger, more authentically than in the past. And to do so, I know I must write every day. Consider doing this exercise. Whether your goal is a writing one or simply one thing you'd like to do differently this year, I challenge you to find your word. Once you have, try to live it.


Happy New Year, everyone!