My editor Kat O'Shea gives some inside info about her private life at:
http://behindthegardengate.blogspot.com/2009/01/champagne-editors-tell-all-kat-oshea.html
If you've ever wondered if editors are REAL PEOPLE, check it out! And you'll understand why I love her snarky sense of humor.
You might want to check out Kat's other articles while you're there. She has a great one on PASSIVE VOICE. If you struggle with this, see her easy suggestions for weeding it out of your garden.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!!
May all your dreams come true in 2009. I'm grateful for all the wonderful opportunities that have come my way this year. I've learned how much the power of positive thinking can affect the outcome of situations. I imagined a great deal of magic into my life this year--love, money, health, book contracts, and wonderful people who bring me joy. Spark of Magic was only the first of many exciting triumphs. If you believe in yourself and your dreams, the universe will support your steps in that direction by bringing you all need--contacts, mentors, opportunities. All you must do is believe and take those first, tiny steps toward your heart's desire.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Happy Holidays from Wild Rose Press
Wild Rose Press put together a book of holiday recipes for their authors to share with friends and family. Lucky you! I'm sharing the link below so you can enjoy the recipes. Bet it has the hottest cover you've ever seen on a cookbook. Enjoy!!
BTW, check out the recipes I contributed. If you need quick, foolproof desserts, I guarantee these will get raves. Better yet, the kids or your DH (or significant other) can make them, so you can spend your time on better things. Or if you believe the way to a man's (or woman's) heart is by cooking, try some of the recipes for romance. Stir up a little magic in your kitchen...and watch the sparks fly.
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/publisher/media/TheGardenGourmet_2008.pdf
Monday, November 3, 2008
Knitting Together Plots
Today I'm guest blogging at Anna Kathyrn's blog. Stop by and learn how I plot my books at:
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/2008/11/knitting-plot-together.html
There's also an interview with me:
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/2008/11/meet-lily-stone.html
And if you post a comment, you have a chance to win a copy of Spark of Magic. I'll be drawing a name at 11 pm tonight, so be sure to stop by for a chance to win.
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/2008/11/knitting-plot-together.html
There's also an interview with me:
http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/2008/11/meet-lily-stone.html
And if you post a comment, you have a chance to win a copy of Spark of Magic. I'll be drawing a name at 11 pm tonight, so be sure to stop by for a chance to win.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Reframing Flaws
Fall is almost here. I love it when the air turns crisp. Reminds me of apples, falling leaves, and hayrides. By now, the excitement of the first day of school--sharpened pencils, new crayons, pristine notebooks--has worn off. In its place are stacks of assignments, overdue books, and a long haul until the first decent vacation at Thanksgiving. Walking along the road in the morning, I often startle wild turkeys and hope none of them will end up on the dinner table.
September is my birthday month. Every year I buy a new notebook to keep track of my goals. Each birthday is a fresh new start. My birthday goals remind me of fall leaves. Beautiful, eye-catching, and varied, but short-lived. Some have already fallen by the wayside to mix with the crunchy, dead leaves by the side of the road. And it's only been one week.
Seasons come and go. So do goals. Sometimes I reach them, sometimes I don't, but I always set them. I used to berate myself for not reaching them, but a friend--a psychologist--helped me reframe my expectations. I asked her why I always put so many things on my to-do list that it was humanly impossible to complete them. I thought it was a failing on my part. I hoped she would label it for me (e.g., superwoman syndrome or delusions of grandeur). She did, but not the way I'd expected.
"It means you're an optimist," she said.
How lovely! Now I have a beautiful new way to look at my lifestyle choices in a positive, upbeat way. It took a lot of pressure off. Maybe it's time for you to reframe something you criticize yourself for...Look at it as an asset rather than a detriment. Be good to yourself this fall.
September is my birthday month. Every year I buy a new notebook to keep track of my goals. Each birthday is a fresh new start. My birthday goals remind me of fall leaves. Beautiful, eye-catching, and varied, but short-lived. Some have already fallen by the wayside to mix with the crunchy, dead leaves by the side of the road. And it's only been one week.
Seasons come and go. So do goals. Sometimes I reach them, sometimes I don't, but I always set them. I used to berate myself for not reaching them, but a friend--a psychologist--helped me reframe my expectations. I asked her why I always put so many things on my to-do list that it was humanly impossible to complete them. I thought it was a failing on my part. I hoped she would label it for me (e.g., superwoman syndrome or delusions of grandeur). She did, but not the way I'd expected.
"It means you're an optimist," she said.
How lovely! Now I have a beautiful new way to look at my lifestyle choices in a positive, upbeat way. It took a lot of pressure off. Maybe it's time for you to reframe something you criticize yourself for...Look at it as an asset rather than a detriment. Be good to yourself this fall.
Friday, August 22, 2008
LAST WEEK TO WIN!
Only one more week to go in the Wild Rose Press eReader contest. If you buy Spark of Magic for only $1.50, your name will be entered the drawing for the giveaway on Sept. 2. Deadline is the end of the month. The link for the contest is in the post below. In addition to my book, there are many other wonderful novels/stories to choose from--the list of authors is posted at the site. Buy more than one. Each time you enter, you'll get another chance to win.
I've spent this past week taking a terrific writing course--Write 50 Books a Year! This class taught by multi-published romance authors Elle James and Delilah Devlin offered lots of insight into ways to schedule writing into your day no matter how busy you are.
When I used their idea of counting the number of words you need to write to finish a book and divide it by the number of days until the due date (either the publisher's deadline or your own imposed deadline), I was shocked. I'd been psyching myself out, picturing the 60,000 words I needed to write. If I want to finish it in 2 months, all I have to do is write 1000 words a day. Why was I so scared? Because 60,000 sounded too hard. So I kept procrastinating.
That may sound like a simple tip, but it was eye-opening for me. And has helped jumpstart my writing. I won't give away all their secrets--if you want to find them out, take the workshop next time it's offered. Check it out along with the other workshops they offer at Rose Colored Glasses: http://www.rosescoloredglasses.com/.
Just heard that I made it into an October workshop with a Newbery-award-winning author. More about that later....
Only one more week to go in the Wild Rose Press eReader contest. If you buy Spark of Magic for only $1.50, your name will be entered the drawing for the giveaway on Sept. 2. Deadline is the end of the month. The link for the contest is in the post below. In addition to my book, there are many other wonderful novels/stories to choose from--the list of authors is posted at the site. Buy more than one. Each time you enter, you'll get another chance to win.
I've spent this past week taking a terrific writing course--Write 50 Books a Year! This class taught by multi-published romance authors Elle James and Delilah Devlin offered lots of insight into ways to schedule writing into your day no matter how busy you are.
When I used their idea of counting the number of words you need to write to finish a book and divide it by the number of days until the due date (either the publisher's deadline or your own imposed deadline), I was shocked. I'd been psyching myself out, picturing the 60,000 words I needed to write. If I want to finish it in 2 months, all I have to do is write 1000 words a day. Why was I so scared? Because 60,000 sounded too hard. So I kept procrastinating.
That may sound like a simple tip, but it was eye-opening for me. And has helped jumpstart my writing. I won't give away all their secrets--if you want to find them out, take the workshop next time it's offered. Check it out along with the other workshops they offer at Rose Colored Glasses: http://www.rosescoloredglasses.com/.
Just heard that I made it into an October workshop with a Newbery-award-winning author. More about that later....
Thursday, June 5, 2008
New Review & Free E-Reader
Romance Reviews Today has given SPARK OF MAGIC a 4 Rating. Reviewer Marilyn Heyman says, "A very cute short story, humorous and sexy, and a fun read. All romance readers will enjoy this one."
And in even more exciting news, Wild Rose Press is getting ready to roll out a new contest for readers. Every few months a groups of authors will be featured. Buy one of their books and your name will be entered in drawing for: A SONY E-READER!
So if the reviews have enticed you to read Spark of Magic, you're in luck. Lily Stone is one of the featured authors for the first contest. Check out my book for a chance to win.
Watch the blog for details about contest starting date.
And in even more exciting news, Wild Rose Press is getting ready to roll out a new contest for readers. Every few months a groups of authors will be featured. Buy one of their books and your name will be entered in drawing for: A SONY E-READER!
So if the reviews have enticed you to read Spark of Magic, you're in luck. Lily Stone is one of the featured authors for the first contest. Check out my book for a chance to win.
Watch the blog for details about contest starting date.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)