Texas State Flower Bluebonnet

Texas Bluebonnets from March - April

Lucy, Dezzy, PW, and Blue

A few months ago, the back fields around our home were covered in a purple-blue wildflowers. The sight was spectacular. Bluebonnet flowers blanketed almost every field surrounding freeways causing people to pull of to the side of the road to take photos. (Not a bright idea, but people did it.)

Davis Demographics Company Cruise April 2014

Lorne's boss paid for all of the employees and their spouses to go on a three day cruise to Ensenada a month back. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the time with my husband. Dad and me collapsed on our cabin bed after the five hour flight from Dallas Love Field to LAX.

 Everyone says how wonderful the food is on the ship, but I wasn't too impressed. The formal dining was the best part because my husband's coworkers and their spouses enjoyed each others company. We sampled foods that I would not have tried before... I.E. frog legs and alligator. The portions were small and the dinner menus had four or five appetizers listed and the same amount of entrees to choose from. Every night the waiter would ask, "What can I get you?" And we would hand back the menus, nod, and answer, "Yes."

  Cottage Cheese Plate 

                                                             Fruit and Veggie Plates

                                              Mini Golf on the Ship 

Turn Down Buddies 

                                      Carnival Inspiration Library

Little Boy Blue and His Book Fetish

Every morning, I rise at five a.m. to let our three boxers outside to pee after a long night being couped up in the house. This morning, I was too tired to drag myself out of bed so I nagged my hubby to get up and let the dogs out for me. After numerous slaps on his shoulder with the backside of my wrist, along with a promise of some hanky panky later that morning, he finally got out of bed at five-twenty-two. Sleepily my hubby plodded through the dark house, opened the screen door, and returned to bed.

I arose at seven a.m. and fixed the dogs breakfast. Even as early as seven, the Texas humidity began to seep into our house, so I stepped outside to pull the door closed. What I saw on the back porch raised my blood pressure thirty points. There on the concrete step was the jacket flap of Eleanor & Park (at least my book was safe) by Rainbow Rowell.

Immediately, I knew the culprit was our newly adopted pound puppy Blue. He's a three-year-old boxer and, as any boxer owner can tell you, boxers are troublemakers until they're about five. When Blue saw me bring in the jacket sleeve he put himself in self-imposed time out.

The rest of the morning went swimmingly, I thought, until my fourteen-year-old daughter, Lucy, went looking for her book by John Green titled The Fault in Our Stars. Upon further inspection, we found the YA fiction novel laying in the side yard with the front cover torn off and the first hundred pages pock-marked with canine bites.

It took Lucy all day to forgive Blue as he shadowed around her feet. Lucy was upset because she suffers with word/sentence tracking issues and dysgraphia. She's only read one other book cover-to-cover (The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum) by herself, and that was in the summer before seventh grade.

Lucy was proud of herself because she had just a few more chapters untill she'd finish The Fault in Our Stars, which she was determined to finish before the movie adaption will be released in a couple of weeks.

A side note:  Lucy's auditory skills are exceptional and she reads through audiobooks, acting out the facial expressions and gestures the second words are expelled from car/stereo/ear bud speakers. Watching her listen is always entertaining. Currently, her favorite author is John Green and she listened to An Abundance of Katherines and Looking for Alaska in one sitting--that's six audio CDs (90 minutes each) per book. 

Back to Blue... Since we have motion sensor cameras around our home, we rewound the tape to catch the criminal in the act. From 5:59 a.m. to 6:09 a.m. there was Blue on Candid Camera. First, he circled the book she left of the couch, trying to decide what would be the best way he could get a hold of it. Next, we watched as he stood on his hind legs and stretched his neck just enough to snag the book in his jowls. 

One-by-one each motion camera he passed shows the book in his mouth. Once he knew he's safe on the side of the house, he gently set the book on the grass, nudged the cover open with his nose, and began to enjoy every word.

We copied the ten minutes of footage from the security DVR onto a flash drive, but we weren't able to make it compatible with Microsoft Media Player or condense the file small enough to post to YouTube. However, I hope you can see from the photos above how much our Little Boy Blue enjoys a good book.

Photos of Blue and our other boxers are posted on a blog post a few months back.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Last September, I attended the SCBWI Dallas Chapter convention. There was an editor—pardon my inability to remember who it was—who recommended Rainbow Rowell’s book Eleanor & Park. It’s been on my mind over the last ten months to read the novel, but I haven’t had a chance.

Then, on the last day of school, my daughter came home with her summer reading list and Rainbow Rowell’s novel Fan Girl was on the list. Humm… with two of her (Rowell's) novels on must read lists it was time I investigated what all the hubbub was about. Also, I had no more room for me to toss any more excuses in my bucket of procrastination, so I ordered both books from Amazon.

Since Eleanor & Park was the first book suggested for my reading pleasure, I removed the pretty new jacket sleeve (I always do this when reading so I don’t damage the cover) and began to read. The novel is told in third person, past tense with both Park and Eleanor’s points of view. This I found curious because I don’t remember other novels told in dual points of view like Impulse by Ellen Hopkins or The Wanderer by Sharon Creech narrated in third person, but I’ll have to double check.  

No matter the narration, it didn’t stop me for enjoying the book within from the first few pages. Right away, I knew this book would be about bullying (not the theme, mind you, but part of the plot) and, compounding the difficult situation, about a child who is abandoned by the very people who are supposed to protect her: Her parents. 

Now, I’ve read other MG/YA books with bullies. Crash by Jerry Spinelli is one of my favorites, but the combination of the two set me on edge the second Eleanor had to crawl out the window to call the police. At that point, as a mother, I had to set down the book so I would stop fuming about her mother’s unmotherly behavior. I understand that there are reasons why women stay with men that are bad for them, but when you have children the reasons don’t seem valid. My heart bled for Eleanor and I wanted to sweep her away and into my arms so she’d be safe. But since I can’t do this, I set down my book and preoccupied myself with every other little task I could do so I wouldn’t have to be so emotionally involved in the lives of fictional characters. I've done this before (distanced myself) when I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, but their issues were meant for an adult audience. 

On to Park… he is wonderful (not to mention his incredible choice in music) and his family life is believable and one I can relate to. The thoughts and reactions he experiences as he falls for poor sweet Eleanor are endearing to the max—I can say that because the novel takes place in the eighties. But, I’m so wrapped up in caring for Eleanor that I’ll flip if he does anything to hurt her. That’s another reason I set down my book: Fear of future events.

Time to look at the novel from a writer’s perspective, since I dissect the books I read. Here's what I've learned so far: 

First, Ms. Rowell’s ability to make the emotions and actions of her characters is something I want to emulate. I would love my characters conversations, thoughts, actions and reactions to be just as real as Park and Eleanor. For this I’m glad I invested my money and time into the novel.

Second, Ms. Rowell makes me (the reader) so sympathetic toward the characters in the story it makes me distance myself from continuing to read.. This is also a good thing: To create an emotional reaction for readers so that my writing is able to hit raw nerves in my readers. The question is: am I capable of ripping out my readers heartstrings?

One of my favorite authors, and specialist at describing dysfunctional families, is Sara Zarr. I love her books, but I was always able to turn the page and continue reading. It is different with Eleanor’s story and I can’t understand why. Rainbow is that good. 

I know my writing has the ability to bring tears to my readers eyes in the same way Jennifer Holm, or Jacqueline Woodson, or Kimberly Willis Holt does with their audiences—I’m not comparing myself to them… they are my heroes. I’m only stating that I have that ability to create a similar reaction through human experience.

Readers want to share in their character’s experience. I just worry that I’m too scared to hang with Eleanor as she deals with hers. 

Writing and Mental Illness: My Story

I recently read a post on DearEditor.com from a wonderful writer with a question on mental illness. My heart went out to this writer because I, too, understand and occasionally feel the isolation she spoke of in her post. The advise the editor gave was excellent, but I could stop myself from sharing my experience as a writer with mental illness. Here was my response:

I, too, suffer from a mental illness: Bipolar Disorder. When I'm Manic, I think everything I write is awesome, but when I'm down I think it's crap. I hate to say BPs feel deeper than others because rejection sucks for everyone, but I know as a BP personality, I obsess more. I hired the best professional editor in the world and over the last seven years I've learned more than I ever thought possible. I'm more proud of what I've accomplished as I grow as a writer, than the fact I haven't been picked up by an agent/publisher. The best piece of advice I've ever received was from Deborah which is READ, READ, READ the genre you want to right [*write* Opps...I have the worst time with homonyms]. The characters in the novels you read and writers who write them can support you as you study their technique their technique, their word choice, and their storytelling. Another thing that helps is joining a critique group, not only for the support and encouragement your fellow writers will give you, but because (as I tell my children) YOU ARE WHO YOU HANG OUT WITH. So, hang out in writing blog websites, immerse yourself in a good novel, and remember to enjoy the writing process as you learn. 

Another person commented on the original post about how he/she is able to write on topics that do not bring up mental illness. I agree with point his/her comments about the stigmas associated with mental illness and commented on her/his point as well:

Excellent points Taurean. Mental illness still has a stigma. I recently moved from California to Texas and one of the questions [on the driver's license application] was: Within the past two years, have you been diagnosed with hospitalized for OR are you NOW receiving treatment for a psychiatric disorder? I answered honestly and wrote Yes, I take medication for BP. When I got to the desk, the clerk changed my yes answer to no. I found that interesting. My first fiction novel was about a girl living with a mother with mental illness. I wrote it as an apology to my children and to express the pain they must be going through as we learned to cope as a a family. Although the feedback I've received from agents/editors has been positive, my novel has not been picked up to date--and that's okay, now. It was therapeutic for me. I read similar fiction novels to uses as comparative works in my book proposal. What I learned was invaluable because I learned technique, which I've applied to a second novel. It is nothing like my real life and because of this distance in the story my plot, POVs, and theme are much stronger. Best wishes.

I love writing. It is a way to express myself, despite the fact that my husband, friends (not writer friends) and family aren't particularly excited to hear/read what I write. When I first started my writing journey, I shared/made everyone I knew hear/read my story. It reminds me of the scripture (Matthew 7:6 NAS version) that says "... do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
No matter how excited I am to share my work, I try not to push my work onto people who don't share my enthusiasm because their reaction is what brings me down. As a writer, my work is precious to me. Eventually, my words will be read by people who like to read--AND THAT IS WHAT MATTERS.

Sharing Advice on Writing

I paid for a professional critique and I shared the comments from the critique with some of my fellow writers. Maybe the comments could help them improve their writing also by pointing out common mistakes. One of my friends replied by telling me I was brave to share the suggestions. This was my reply:

Seven years ago I would have been afraid to let people see all of her corrections, but I've worked with Deborah since 2008. When I first met Deborah, my tense was all screwed up and I mixed past and present tense all the time. At a SO CA SCBWI Spring Retreat, Ellen Hopkins--author of Impulse, my favorite contemporary YA verse novel written with three distinct points of view--told me my novel had to be written in present tense. Nine months later I joined  a critique group--which is where I met Carol, Maria, and some of the best critique buddies ever. I learned so much from listening the critiques that were given to others in their manuscripts along with my own. 

At conferences, I took notes from editors and agents on their pet peeves in the manuscripts they receive. I.E. Don't use a lot of prepositions or words like THAT; how to rewrite sentences to avoid passive tense; to avoid words that take the reader out of deep POV like FEEL, GUESS, THINK; and show don't tell (this took me years to understand, learn, and apply.) I would have been very ashamed of myself if Deborah would have pointed these mistakes to me like she'd done back when I first met her.

Also, I read from blogs like Writing and Illustrating by Kathy Temean and Fiction Notes by Darcy Pattison. I even use one of her plotting charts to plot out my novel which is why this novel is stronger than my last.

And I've read hundreds (I kid you not) over two hundred MG and YA novels. When I read, I study technique; I highlight sentences I love; and get lost in voice. If there is a book I'm reading (it doesn't happen often) and I don't melt into the story's plot and bond with the m/c after the first five chapters I stop reading--even if it is an award winning novel. Sometimes, I feel, some of the books are chosen unfairly like the make-up Academy Award that was given Whoopie Goldberg for Ghost when the year before she was robbed of her recognition for The Color Purple.

I count audio books as books I've read. Most of the time, I read the book and if it's fantastic I buy the audio book and listen to it with my daughter. When a writer listens to an audio book it's a whole different experience. The words seep into our subconscious in a way that reading doesn't. 

The Harry Potter series is a good example. It is read by Jim Dale and he is fantastic. It is through the audio books of a good writer (and narrator) that I pick up on dialogue and word choice flow. Other excellent audio books include: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater,  The Year of Secret Assignments by Jacklyn Moriarty, The Book Thief by   Markus Zusak, and any audio book written by Karen Cushman (especially Cathrine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice.)

Finally, I read books on the Writing Craft. I told everyone about the two books which helped me understand how to make my writing really strong, which are: Rivet Your Readers With Deep POV by Jill Elizabeth Nelson and Thanks, But This Isn't For Us by Jessica Page Morrell. You can see the difference in how I write now compared to years ago. I'm not saying I'm the next NY Best Selling Author or anything, I'm only explaining my journey. 

It's been a long haul. I've had lots of rejections, including one today from an agent from Full Circle, and a rejection in March (last month) which I submitted in 2011. 

As time goes by, my rejections get more personal and include specific praise. Some can't take on my project because they have something similar on their list. They tell me what book it is and I read it. Other's tell me they didn't bond with the character or to make my story start in the second chapter. But, it is encouraging when, at every conference I've attended over the last three years, my story was chosen as Editor's or Agent's pick and I get to meet personally with an agent. This would not have happened with out patience.

Patience is the number one quality a writer must have. Patience and the ability to be a duck--to not get my feathers ruffled when someone rejects my work or criticizes me. I take this as a compliment and use it in ways to make my writing stronger. I've done over twenty revisions of my first book--Deborah can attest to this. I am not afraid to revise. 

I love writing, but because I'm bipolar I think everything I write is fabulous when I'm manic. Thank God for critiques to bring me back down to earth. I'm just grateful I've learned to be patient because it is the law of large numbers game. 

The real trick is to never give up.

Our Little Sprout...

 To plant asparagus in our garden, we needed to dig a ditch. Then we placed the little starters/seedlings in the ground and covered them up with a mulch mixture. After ten days or so, they began to sprout there first little crowns. Unfortunately, we have to cover up their little heads with a mixture of mulch and Texas clay soil. We need to repeat this until our ditch becomes a mound. And then next season it will be, to quote the Queen of Hearts, "Off with their heads!"

We named this one Waldo. Can you find him?