I Met The Most Interesting People

"Have you ever been compared to the Paula Deen of the writing world?"

"No," she laughed, "But I'll take it."

Kaki Warner was one of the most delightful people I met at the Crested Butte writer's conference. There are times it would be nice to own the home next door and keep it as a guest cottage. If I were in that financial bracket, this is one woman I'd love to have move in and stay for a very long time. She made me laugh, and she really knows her craft. Her writing craft.

There are two types of writers, basically. One type plans everything out painstakingly before ever setting down a word of the actual story on paper. They know from first to last exactly what will happen. The other type of writer sits down with the characters all yelling in her head and lets them tell their story through her as it unfolds. Kaki and I both fall within that latter category.

As an aside, let me say that my characters woke me up for months before I was told that if I didn't write their story nobody else would. Melissa Mayhue said that to me when I went to one of her book signings. I wasn't planning to try because I'd never written a novel before. Why would I have to nerve to think I could be a novelist, just because I'd written all my life? I'd never written anything that long.

Now, back to Kaki. She was giving one of the workshops when a hand shot up. The question related to how much time or attention she gave to outlining each novel before beginning the first draft. She replied, "What's an outline?" or something like that. Then she explained that she doesn't tell her characters what they're going to do—they tell her. She said she got half way through one book and was starting to write something when her hero told her, "I can't do that. I'm dyslexic!" She said, "Well, why didn't you tell me that at the beginning of the book?"

She said she occasionally has to go back and fix things, since her characters don't always explain themselves up front. That's what "pants-ers," as those of us who write by the seat of our pants are called, pay for the creativity we get in return for allowing our characters the freedom to react to the flow of the story. We get a character-driven plot, rather than plot-driven characters.

I liked her. I understood my own writing style better, and felt the importance of her answer. I had been ashamed to admit that I didn't outline and plot each chapter. It was the reason I would have an eight page chapter followed by a two page chapter. It was what the characters needed.

The only problem with meeting someone like Kaki is that I now have three new books (signed, so they won't be carted around on our trips) that I want to be reading. Well, I'm world building right now, so they're waiting. Books are so patient.

God, please grant me another twenty years to write, and then fifteen more just to read and blog.

The Accidental Conference

Thank you Robin D. Owens. Thank you John Harrell. If it weren't for the two of them, I would have spent my weekend writing at home instead of being at the Crested Butte Writer's Conference. Attending wasn't in our budget, but when Robin wanted a passenger for the six-hour trip, I mentioned it to John, not expecting a positive response. I'm blessed to have his wholehearted support for my writing. He said it was an important opportunity.

It was. As I mentioned in my last post, I had three appointments to discuss my fantasy novel, A Different Song. Two were with agents, and one with an editor. All three asked to see more of the novel. One asked me to email the entire manuscript. I got all that done today. Not only that, but I honestly enjoyed these people. Yes, they were professionals, but all were unpretentious. I loved the questions they asked. I loved having answers for them.

What will happen? I don't pretend to know. I could have three rejections, or I could end up with an editor and an agent. If so, I know these are people I could work with, editorial beasts to help me improve this novel while writing the sequels. In fact, I need to mention world building.

The most exciting workshop of the weekend, and there were several to choose from, had to be the world building workshop given by Michael Braff, Del Rey Spectra Books editor. His information on constructing your characters' world, from history and customs to religion and a timeline, was amazing. It's a good thing I type over a hundred words a minute. He talks fast and doesn't waste words. My notes are fabulous. I won't be having my characters falling out of context in the sequels. Thanks, Mike.

There are more stories to tell, writers published and not whom I met and enjoyed. I'm going to spend a few evenings sharing the weekend in my blog. I did look down several times today, though, and my feet really are still touching the floor. It just doesn't feel like it.

How To Know When You're A Writer

Conversation during a recent Mini Conference in Denver enlightened me on the various ways my peers deal with friends and family members who scoff at the time they spend writing. To those of us who are pre-published, the term now being used when none of your work has managed to sell, the conversation triggered many questions.

How long do you continue writing before you decide this is just a hobby rather than a profession? What can you do to express your gratitude sufficiently to those closest to you who show their support with their own time, or pay for conferences from the family budget? Who cheerfully drive an hour to drop you off at a meeting point so you can carpool to another writer's conference, and miss your cooking for four days? And how do you know when you really are a writer?

You continue writing forever. It's not a choice. You write because you must. Most authors, even those of us who have never been published, were born telling stories. My parents said they thought my first stories were just lies. Then I got old enough to start putting them on paper, and they realized I never expected to be believed when I strung out intricate stories about what I saw in the park, or my reason for failing to change clothes after school. My stories were simply more interesting than the truth.

This will never be just a hobby. I work too hard at it. Spend too much time perfecting the craft. Music is a hobby. I'm happy just to have fun and entertain with the guitar and accordion. I don't need to be Chet Atkins or Les Paul. I'll never be willing to invest sufficient time in practice to achieve perfection. I'm not sure I'd ever have the talent for it. Knitting and crochet are hobbies. Writing is work. I enjoy it, but it's work I'm passionate about.

To thank my husband for his unflagging support, I plan to spend a couple of hours today cooking. I'll make sure the fridge is stuffed with food choices for him while I'm gone the next four days. The Crested Buttes Writer's Conference will be an exciting learning experience. He shouldn't starve because he wants me to allow me to grow in my career. My words of appreciation aren't enough. Food says it best for John. As soon as I return, we'll celebrate Father's Day together. His gifts are wrapped. His card is signed and waiting for him to open on Sunday morning. He knows how I feel. The good old days are the ones we're sharing now.

How do you know when you're really a writer? Everyone has to answer this question individually. I can gauge my progress as a professional by a quick glimpse at my DVR's Recordings Screen. I have 27 Jeopardy programs awaiting my attention. Seven weeks of 20/20 are ready for me to have time to watch them, along with 19 hours of House, 21 episodes of The Event, 7 Bones, 14 Fringe, and 8 movies. There are other things on there as well, totaling 39 hours.

My "to be read" shelf is stuffed. My dictionary and thesaurus get more action on most days. I used to read a book a day while I was working in corporate America. I read during all the cracks in my day. Every break, and even walking across the building to the printer would see me with a book open, walking and reading at the same time. Now, I'm plotting and thinking.

This weekend I'll have appointments with two agents and an editor. They've read the written pitch for my novel along with my first two manuscript pages, and requested a meeting at the conference. I'm somewhere between levitation and hyperventilation. Yes, I'm excited. Whether or not they're interested enough to sign on as my agent, request the entire manuscript, or even buy the novel, I know one thing with no doubts. I am a writer.

Loving the Internet

I'm sitting comfortably at Pat and Betty's home in Parachute. He's my brother, and she's his wife and treasure. I wish we could stay for a long visit, since they're great people. We always enjoy seeing them, but we'll leave early in the morning. (I can say anything I want. They don't read blogs—anybody's. Not even mine...)

My feet are up, my laptop balancing on my legs, and I just finished doing some research. I'm so grateful for the internet. How would I learn how to write a synopsis without it? We'd have to stop at a book store, I guess, and buy references with our gas money. Or food money. I wonder why I didn't realize I would need to have a synopsis ready if the editor at the pitch session yesterday wanted to see more of my book. It's ready. I'm not. No synopsis. I should have known.

I have now printed about 30 pages of contradictory information to read in the car tomorrow as we continue on toward California. Then I'll write the synopsis as if it needed to be even better than A Different Song, the novel it will represent. After that, I can attach it to an email along with my first three chapters, as requested, and send it to New York.

Am I excited? Do bears... oh, that's not appropriate, is it? I may be pre-published, but I'm still professional, right? Let's just say I'm decidedly satisfied with life.

All Packed Up and Places To Go

Springtime in the Rockies is never my first choice for leaving home. We are, however all packed up and more or less ready to leave in the morning.

Nature bid us goodbye with a rollicking thunderstorm today. Everything stopped while I listened to the pounding rain as the storm crossed the lake and passed over the house. Hail came down for awhile adding its clattering music while daylight hid behind the clouds. An hour later it was gone and the sun was again shining on my budding iris plants. I pray they'll wait to flower until our return. I hope the deer hold off on having their little spotted babies until then, too. The fawns are usually running all around our acre by now.

We had already been to town for my Critique Group meeting, and it went very well indeed. It's a fine group of six—a fairly new group, still getting to know each other. We write everything form fantasy to Westerns. Each one is a serious writer, which makes the group meetings lively and intense while still being helpful and friendly. They're all supportive of my adventure tomorrow as I go to pitch my novel at a mini conference near Denver.

Yes, I'm excited. I'm much calmer than I was three weeks ago. Much more prepared. John will have the utility trailer hitched behind us when we arrive at the conference, since we'll head across the Rockies as soon as it ends. We won't see home for almost three weeks. Tomorrow night we'll stay with my brother and his wife, and spend Sunday with them as well. It will be good to get in a good visit with them.

Monday morning we'll head to the Las Vegas area, and Tuesday we'll arrive in California. We take it a lot slower when we pull the trailer. Don't expect regular blogs while we're on the road. We'll be staying with my ninety year old mom. She doesn't believe in the internet. It's alright, though. She says the internet doesn't believe in her, either.

We're coming, Mama. I can hardly wait to see you.

Ault to Be Learned

Northern Colorado Writers offers many classes for writers at their Fort Collins studio. I attend what I can. Most of them are quite reasonably priced. Today was the first time I know of that a class was offered on a Sunday. Normally I wouldn't consider a Sunday class, but this is crunch time for editing A Different Song, and when a class I could afford was offered I considered it carefully.

The lecture title was promising: Weasels, Ferrets, and the Seven Deadly Sins of Writing, by Sandi Ault. How could I resist? If you know me personally, you're already laughing. Yes, I sat in the front seat. I had my hearing aids turned all the way up. I didn't want to miss a word. I was not disappointed.

I'm down to five working days before I go to the pitch session next Saturday. I'm close to being ready to pitch. I'm going to re-edit with the handouts given today, though. This was valuable information.

Just so you know, weasels are words or phrases that are throwaway words. Unnecessary. They clutter up your story and steal the power from your sentences and paragraphs. They make your story drag, cause readers to yawn and wonder what's in the fridge. I need to find those weasels and weed them out.

Ferrets are even sneakier. They are the habitual things each writer does without thinking about it that are peculiar to him alone. (No, I'm not politically correct. I still refuse to say him or her.) Some writers are in love with adverbs. If they were to do a search for 'ly' at the end of a chapter, they'd find dozens of such examples—and remember, not all adverbs end in ly. I happen to love gerunds. I'm already aware of that, and have been exterminating them as I edit. Not all of them. Let's say many if not most. I'm trying. I do love them, though. Each writer has his own favorites. We must ferret them out.

The seven deadly sins were a surprise. I listened with interest as we went through the list. I won't give the list here, as it's not mine to give. Take her class if you get the chance. I will say, though, that when we got to Deadly Sin number 6, I said, out loud, "Oh, crap."

This is where being new at wearing hearing aids gets you in trouble. I would have sworn no one could hear me. The chuckles in the class stated otherwise. The two deadliest sins, numbers six and seven, will be problems for me to correct. Number six I'll have to practice to overcome, since it deals with using the passive voice. Shall we just say I have been known to do that? Number seven deals with defeating fear and self doubt. Yeah, right. I've been attempting that in every area of my life for over sixty years.

In one of her books, Wild Inferno, Sandi Ault penned this message to me: Kathleen, I believe in you.

If she does, on such short acquaintance, how can I not? Sandi—you have my profound gratitude for four of the shortest hours I've spent in years.

My New Reference Shelf

Who knew I could get so excited about a forty dollar book shelf? I now have so many reference books on writing, editing, and publishing that the trip across the room to my big bookshelf was really intrusive. This week I spent the big bucks to get a small convenient shelf that fits quite cleverly between my chair and the lamp table.

Now my Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus is at my fingertips. My copy of Diana Hacker's A Writer's Reference, with its big tabs and concise tips and explanations is always within reach. No more teetering piles will spill from the lamp table when I have my notebook computer on my lap.

What else do I have on my shelf? Noah Lukeman's wonderful volume, The First Five Pages is there, along with two by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, The Well-Tempered Sentence and The Disheveled Dictionary. (Transitive Vampire, also by Gordon, is in the car right now, to read on the road.) One of my favorites is Orson Scott Card's Characters and Viewpoint. I bought it because I love his novels. After reading it, I understand better why I love them.

Oh, look... There's Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. Maybe I'll reread a few pages before bed. This may be the best forty dollars I've spent in a long time.

I Need a Business Card?

Preparation for representing myself in something as important as pitching my novel has been an eye opener. Everyone in the industry seems to have an opinion about the best way to go about it. I've been getting so many tips I can't keep up with them, but I've been trying to choose the smartest and prioritize.

• Condense my novel into four sentences. I'm still working on that one.
• Dress professionally. How about from the waist up? Does that count? Good jeans can be professional, as long as they're paired with a great top and blazer—right?
• Edit your first chapter until it's as exciting and completely polished as you can make it, with particular attention to the first 140 words. Some people say 120, some 100. If those aren't pretty close to perfect, you're bound for the slush pile. That's what I'm reading.
• Don't sweat. Be calm. Don't rush into your pitch. Spend some time building rapport first. Remember, you'll probably have a whole ten minutes together.

I could go on, but there are so many of these lists available, I hate to be just one more. A major detail was obvious once I came across it. Don't forget to have a professional business card to present. Oops. Why didn't I think about needing a business card?

This week I took time out of my editing to design a card. The photo above is the one I chose from my collection of glorious Colorado pictures I've taken. I'll end up printing note cards to match. Luckily, the cards will arrive with three days to spare.

I now have a whole week left before I face the editor. I'm actually beginning to look forward to this.

Trusting My Own Opinion

I've been taking an online course given by Margie Lawson called Deep Editing and Rhetorical Devices. It came highly recommended by a couple of my writing friends. It's definitely giving me more and better tools for my journey toward publication of my novel, A Different Song.

This is my second online class, and since I've really just started rolling with this one, I'm getting a good process going. I'll work on a class lecture, do the homework assignment related to the new tip, trick or tool, and then go back to the spot where I left off editing my novel. I'll read the next chapter, then go back and edit using what I've learned in the class up until then. It definitely is working for me, and I'm learning to trust my own opinion more. I also have an edits partner. We mail homework assignments back and forth, and our comments hopefully help each other keep things tight and on track.

Today I was reading one of my chapters. I call it Facing the Fire. It was my first read-through in a while. Sitting at the computer, I was unaware when John walked into the room and stood next to my chair. I didn't see him as I continued reading. I didn't see him as tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn't see him as emotional despair swept me away from home and computer, lying half broken beside the injured bodies of two beautiful people who wanted only to die.

"Is it that bad?" John asked, tearing me out of my story world.

I didn't see him for long, as I reached down and grabbed for the electric flyswatter I keep by my chair.

Extreme Condensing

Today I was advised to write three or four sentences to sum up my 86,000 word novel. Then I'm to perfect those sentences and get comfortable with them. That's what I'm to use when I pitch my book in two weeks. Now, that's what I call tight editing. I've been laughing on the inside ever since.

I suppose I could start by deleting all the adjectives, pronouns and adverbs in the entire manuscript. Might as well get rid of most of the verbs. You don't really have time for much action in three or four sentences. I suppose I'll begin by painstakingly choosing four really powerful nouns—one would have to be fantasy, I suppose. The editor is going to insist on being told the genre.

That really only leaves me three sentences to describe a world, a couple of immortals, human protagonists, nonhuman guardians and the villain. Maybe I could leave the characters out and just hint at what happens. Obviously somebody or something is going to make it all happen. Editors must already know that.

This reminds me of that old joke about how to sculpt an elephant. It's really very easy. "You get a huge block of granite, a hammer and a chisel, then just go around and knock off everything that doesn't look like an elephant."

I wonder if there's a way to find out if this editor I'm meeting has a sense of humor.

Plans Are Good

It's said that life is what happens while you're making other plans. I suppose that's why people buy trip insurance. Sounds like a good idea to me. Seems like forever since I actually got around to my blog. It's been nearly four months, and that's definitely too long. I'll begin by saying there's no excuse. Then I'll give you no excuses, but tell you what I've been doing.

I've been writing. Remember my novel? I decided it was high time I got busy re-writing the entire thing and getting it ready to offer up for publication. Is it ready? Nope. But I'm taking some editing classes and business for writers classes. Tomorrow I have a class on copyright law—just an hour at the Northern Colorado Writer's Studio. We'll all bring lunch and listen to some really important information. It's so great to be surrounded by professionals. Then on Friday I'll be back at the studio for my Critique Group. I just got word from one of my critique partners that he thought this week's submission was my best yet. They're all helping me work through some of the rough spots on the novel.

Now I'm pushing backward for a couple of weeks, trying again to be satisfied with the first chapter (I'm not) because I'll be pitching said novel to an editor on May 21st. As I told some of my email buddies, pitching is such a great word for it. My stomach has already started.

The next day we'll take off for California to visit my mom. We'll stop on the other side of the Rockies to visit my brother Pat and his wife Betty on our way there, then stay overnight in Henderson, outside Las Vegas. Before we leave California to return home, and it'll be a fairly quick trip altogether, we'll make a run up to San Francisco to see Tighe, our oldest son. Our return trip will take us through Salt Lake City to see Stacey and Ryan, friends who deserved a visit in December and didn't get one. I was an emotional mess then and was afraid to meet their baby son. Sorry, Sully. I'm much better now.

We need to be home by June 9th or 10th, since I believe I'm singing in church again on the 12th. I should double check that on Sunday, shouldn't I...

Then we'll be running back to California for a flying trip in July to meet our newest grandson, Aiden and see our beautiful granddaughters, Kate and Ashley. It's hard to see them so seldom, but so special when we do get together. They're flying out for their annual leave, timed for her family reunion, so part of the time there they'll be unavailable to us. That being the case, we'll only be with them a short time, but it won't be a problem since we'll be seeing them again shortly after that.

We'll return home only until August, when we'll have a grand celebration of our 35th anniversary. Like I tell John—ten wonderful years! (And he's starting to understand my sense of humor.) We'll go to The Netherlands, Sweden, Estonia and St. Petersburg, Russia. Sounds beyond wonderful to me... Time to start looking at travel blogs again.

Am I ever glad we spent thirteen weeks going to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Institute classes at our church! We're in better financial shape for taking a trip like this than we've ever been. Ever. And I may never see London or Paris, but I've never chosen the best traveled path in my life. Why should I start now? Thanks, Ben, for wanting such an interesting adventure. I can hardly wait. And yes, I did buy the trip insurance...

My First Blog Award

While we were on vacation abroad, I was honored (and more than surprised) to receive my first award for my blog. It is called a Sweet Blog Award, and was given to me by Patricia Stoltey, a published author from here in Colorado.

I noticed some new people visiting my blog and leaving good comments, and then got an email from Patricia herself, telling me of the award. Of course I had to go back into Patricia's blog to find it. What a treat!

It made me feel especially good after getting one remark in an email this morning from an unnamed acquaintance stating that she would never blog because "Writing a blog would imply that I think I have something important to say." Hoping she was just kidding me, I said it made me wonder if she thought I should stop writing. She wrote back and said we'd discuss it later, that it was time for her breakfast. Okay.

Thanks, Patricia. I'll just bookmark this award and look at it on mornings like this one.

Paperback Swap Club—I Love It

Jeremy and Elisha called tonight, and were very excited about their first prenatal ultra sound. This grandma was pretty excited as well, of course. They're both working hard and pinching pennies. Any expectant parents who aren't are just irresponsible.

While we were talking, I mentioned John putting up a bigger mailbox

for me, to hold all the wonderful audio books I was getting through PBS, the Paperback Swap Club that's been saving my own budget so much by allowing me to trade books instead of buying them. Jeremy said he was getting ready to buy an audio book himself. I asked him what it was, and he said "Rich Dad, Poor Dad."

"Well, let me check the club listings." Within two minutes I had the audio book on its way to him, at no cost to either of us, from a helpful club member who had it on her shelf and no longer needed it. She'll pay the postage to mail it directly to him. I'll give her two credits, earned from mailing an audio book to someone else who wanted one of mine. The club keeps all the records so I don't have to do any of that. List price for the audio is $24.98.

Just then Elisha chimed in. "Find out if they've got Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth." I asked if she wanted paperback, hardback or audio. She wanted paperback so she could throw it in her purse and carry it around easily. Again, within two minutes PBS came through for me. Another member had it on her shelf, and it was ordered for Elisha. Since it's a book, it cost one credit, and the member will mail it directly to Elisha for me. The list price for this book is $12.95.

That means they just saved about $38—if they could find them in one place. They could beat that price on Amazon, of course, but not get them free. Then there's shipping and handling charges, too, unless they're Amazon Prime members. I don't believe they are.

What a great way to share books, save money and make friends. It's amazing to me that I've met some really great people through the club. You find people with similar reading tastes and put them on your buddy list. Messages go back and forth almost as often as books. What a blessing this club has been for me. And the new mail box looks terrific. I hadn't realized how dented and old the other one was. Our mail carrier even called out to John and told him what a nice box it was. I think she was just relieved at the size. Some days I get seven or more audio books. They fit much better in the new big box.

Telling You Why I've Written Less

The last few weeks it's been very difficult for me to write in my blog very often because I don't want it to turn into a political blog. I do occasionally share my opinions and frustrations, or a bit of political humor, but I can't allow it to turn into a soap box. Unfortunately, the events of the last month have so overwhelmed my attention that it's just been very difficult to change pace and write a humorous blog, or put together something that deals with the quirks of my everyday life.

So with this nonverbal expletive, I'll sign off tonight with the resolve that tomorrow I will download my camera of the photos I've taken during my walks the last couple of weeks and see if I can't put together something a little more cheerful. But before I put this away, I have two things to add. Did you like the new ObamaCare Logo pictured above? And have you seen the latest music video released to try to get people to laugh while worrying and praying? I couldn't resist adding it below.

Recommending Another Blog

Have I ever recommended someone else's blog? I don't think I have, and perhaps that's a mistake. I read several that are very good. I'm going to highlight two this week that are particularly wonderful for people who love to read. Sounds like me. I'll begin with the one I found first, and let you enjoy that for a couple of days before pointing you toward the next one. They're very different, and each has its own strong points.

Thoughts in Progress is a reader's blog I should have mentioned months ago. Mason Canyon is the blogger's pen name, and while she's giving writing tips and holding great contests and give-aways on books and audio books, she's also hosting guest authors. They talk about their latest books, writing methods, inspirations and more. It's a very inventive way to learn about what's happening in a broad spectrum of the publishing world.

I realized a long time ago that no one was going to just let me read all day, and that even if it were possible, there are simply too many great authors for me to be up to date on all the really worthy ones. My tastes are too eclectic to keep up with all the genre fiction I love as well as all the great literature that is being written in so many styles. Besides, if all I did was read, when would I write?

Give Mason's blog some time. Enter her contests. I've won books or audio books twice now, so I know it can be done. It's really exciting, too, to get that email in your inbox telling you your name was drawn. I'll admit, though, that even if I was never one of the book winners, this is still a site I would go to regularly to see who is writing what that I might want to put on my reading wish list.

Mapping My Readers

For the first long while after I started blogging, I thought I was writing into a black hole. My friend Sherrie and my son Ben and his wife Ruth were reading it. They said they were and seemed to know what was happening in our lives when they called, so I believed them. I figured I had three readers. Even my husband didn't read it. I thought about giving up, but then I thought, "What will my grandchildren say someday when they find out that I didn't save all the funny stories about their parents and uncles and grandparents (and greats-) and so forth, for posterity?

Still, it's hard writing for an audience of three and me. I saw a map on somebody else's blog. I'm really fond of reading other people's blogs. (Today on my son and daughter in law's blog I found out, for instance, that my three year old granddaughter has learned what a wedgie is, and she doesn't like them AT ALL!) She's so funny. I love that Ruth shares this stuff...

I added the map. It was free. Anyway, the map was good for awhile. It showed about a day's worth of dots, and they covered about a fifth of a state. If you were somewhere in California, I could tell roughly where you were. Twelve hours later you were gone. At least I knew I had some people, so it gave me hope. Then one day, and I don't remember why, I was checking Google to look into bigger maps. Better maps. Maps that would tell me more. I wanted to know how long they stayed, and how many pages they looked at. I wanted to know how they found me.

I found Counter Central. I got it free for a month. Now it costs $7, but I love it. You see my map? It's big. It's the whole world. It has as many dots as I want, from the last 50 to the last 1000. I think I have it set at 500. You're the red dot, unless you're me. I don't show up. That's my choice. If you're reading this as a subscriber through Google Reader, you don't show up either. That's your choice. But if you actually come to the blog (which you don't on the reader or RSS feeder services) you'll show up as a dot on my map.

I can open a little window that tells me a bit of other information. It's everything I dreamed of, but not enough to worry you. It doesn't tell me who you are or how to find you. It does tell me if you've been there before (unless you clear your cookies after each visit), and how you found me. If you searched Google or Bing or ask.com, it'll tell me what words you used.

Did you find me looking for bison chili? Or maybe The Ringling 5? I've had a lot of people find me looking for If Jesus Was a Norwegian. That's incredibly popular. My pecan pie crust and lemon custard pie recipes are still getting requests, too. Lately I've had more than 100 hits on my blog about the Jeopardy contestant, Rebecca Dixon. That surprised me. They came from all over the world, including Canada, Singapore, Cambridge, four Canadian provinces, and nearly every State in the union, including the District of Columbia. No Alaska, though.

I've had more people than I ever would have believed looking for information on broken ribs and accidents in the bathroom. Go figure. I love this kind of thing. So, obviously, I can see the City, State, and Country your server is in. That's not necessarily where you live, as one of my sons is so careful to point out. In fact, my friend Sherrie looks like she moves every week or so. I know her IP number, so I can see when she's on my site, which is nice, since we're not in the same time zone and I might want to call her at a weird time. If she's on my site, she must be awake. Right now she's listed in Whittier. Last month she was shown in Bellflower. A couple of weeks before that it was Pico Rivera. (Gee, Sherrie, slow down!)

What else do I see? I see how many pages you visited and whether you were on a Macintosh or a PC. That's about it. It's fairly useless fun. Nevertheless, it's addictive. I find myself yelling down the stairs, "Hey, John! I got 2 visitors today from Moscow, one from Naples, two from Norway and one from Singapore!" And he'll answer, "That's nice, dear."

Trading Audio Books is Just A Start

I've seen ads and buttons on other blogs. For the most part, I ignore them, thinking that if people need to earn a little money, that's probably one way to do it. It wouldn't be a way I would choose. However... today I spent an entire day so excited I hardly ate. I almost didn't remember to cook for my poor husband tonight. (He reminded me.) Yes, there is now a button on my blog for the PaperBackSwap website.

It's almost too easy. I have bookshelves. Lots of bookshelves. They overflow with books, audio books, CDs, and DVDs; most of them get dusted fairly regularly. The audio collection is pretty well documented on a spread sheet to keep me from re-buying one of these expensive beauties just because it's reissued with a new cover. That happens in the book world. I couldn't begin to list for you all my paperbacks and hardbacks, let alone our CDs and DVDs.

As my regular readers are aware, because of a seizure disorder my neurologist "prescribed" three hours a day of listening to audio books to reconnect synapses in the brain. They tend to get messed up in the electrical storm commonly referred to as grand mal events. Audio books really help, but they are not tax deductible, nor are they an insurance item. You can't get help paying for them from any State agency, and there are only so many sales and coupons available.

I went through just about everything my library had to offer within the first six months. I learned that non-fiction could really be riveting. [Try "Born on a Blue Day," by Daniel Tammet.] My husband and I scoured the area for used book stores and found that I'd have to part with two of my good ones in order to getone usually not so good one. The selection was pathetic, and the distance from home was too far. I had more audio books than the used book stores. (They usually only had about 30 to choose from, and I had often already read them.)

This morning I was involved in a discussion thread on Amazon, laughing at some sheer nonsense (which is another story entirely) when one of the ladies said, "You should try PBS." It took about four voices in the conversation before I found out what they meant: PaperBackSwap.com. They are a trade group, a club if you will, that enables people like me to trade their books, audio books, CDs, and even DVDs with others around the country for the cost of postage—right from my home.

They're huge. People have been doing this for years, saving hundreds of dollars and probably laughing at me while I go to the bookstore. Well, maybe they're not laughing at me, because now they're waiting for my audio books to arrive in their homes, and I'm getting points to spend on their audio books (or regular books) and waiting for them to arrive at my home. This is the life.

If you refer someone, you'll get a point, good for a book. Audio books take two points. That seems fair to me. They cost twice as much. Of course, when you send an audio book to someone, you get two points, so you're not losing anything. If you click on my link, their logo on the left, I'll get the referral. If you don't want me to get a referral, just log in by yourself. I'm not trying to trick anybody. I'm just excited enough to put their logo on my blog site. It's the first time that's happened.

Time to go. I have another bookshelf to clear off.

Reading Mariah Stewart's Hard Truth

Just over half way through a book by an established author who happens to be new to me, I have to stop and share a recommendation. In one word, wow. The book, Hard Truth, written by Mariah Stewart in 2005, has really kept me thinking. It's very well-written with a fascinating plot and lots of unexpected character twists. I have no idea who the culprit is, and the story line just keeps thickening. I love it.

I just went to Wikipedia to see if perhaps I might have read anything else she had written (I hadn't, but soon will) and found out that this is book two of a four-book "Truth" series. I would never have guessed there was something preceding this. It stands on its own perfectly. I'm heading over to my Amazon link next to order the other three volumes.

It's worth mentioning that the pain medicine has me close to brain dead lately, so if a book can keep me this awake and interested, it's beyond good. I was going to go to bed early, but I need to see how many more bodies show up in that field. And I don't really trust Mr... Well, you'd better read it for yourself. Like I said, I'm just over half way through (57% mathematically). Now, if you do read it (or have already) and manage(d) to figure out "who-done-it" in fewer pages, I'd love to know, so come back and comment. Especially if you're on pain medicine.

Thank God for books. What richness these stories add to my life.

Writer's Retreat and Snowfall

The November writer's retreat put on by the Northern Colorado Writer's group was small but powerful. We took up two cottages at the Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, about nine miles from our home. A writer's retreat is different from a conference. You don't sit through how-to lectures and workshops as you would in a conference.

Each person goes to a quiet, private spot and writes. There are times for discussion and helping each other, popcorn and movie night, meals together and such, but the primary focus is on writing. Well, I was editing, but it amounts to the same thing, although I've found that writing is MUCH EASIER than editing!

I was delighted with our time there and the wonderful and focused women of the group. The grounds were beautiful as well, but never more so than after the snow began to fall. I ended up having a couple of hikes through the snow with my cameras while working through ways to handle advice I didn't want to follow on my manuscript edits. (Sometimes it's almost impossible to tell good advice from bad, especially on your first book.) When I have to think things through, I walk, and if it's snowing—I walk in beauty. Here's the proof.

Redesign

Obviously I don't have time to redesign my blog, but that's what I want to do. Originally, I just wanted to change the map. It's not that simple. The map won't go on the right, where it belongs. Maybe it would go there for someone else—someone who knew how to make it right justify. That person wouldn't be me. I guess I'll end up redesigning the entire blog to go with the new map.

But don't you love the map? It shows the last 1000 visitors, and you're the red dot... I love it.