If I Only Had the Nerve!

The spooky/lying challenge sent my way by Mari Juniper has me thinking. A lot of you spoke about spooky things that have happened in your lives. And you know I've got a few in mine. (I was alone in the school on Friday. It was relatively early - only around 6 pm - and I heard the steps again. I thought the evening caretaker was in, but no luck. I didn't stay much longer. :) When I went in on Sunday I was alone for about 4 hours & no footsteps.)

Even though the school footsteps don't really bother me much, I'm a bit of a wimp. Okay more than a bit. I read King's The Shining in high school and haven't read a horror book since! He scared the bejeepers out of me. I had nightmares for months (okay...years). To me the characters were so vivid - and he made the situation real. I believed. So I was terrified.

I heard years later that King himself is a bit of a 'fraidy cat. I don't recall the details, and I don't even know if it's true, but I read that King checks under his bed and in his closet every night before he goes to sleep. Hmmm.

So, does it help to be easily frightened if you want to add some horror or spooky elements to your writing? Are the brave souls not the ones who write the best horror? Does it take those of us who imagine the worst horrors to write the truly terrifying stuff? What do you think?

'Fessing Up

Last time I posted my lies & truths for the Creative Liar challenge sent my way by Mari Juniper. Time to 'fess up! So, here are my 4 spooky lies with my 2 spooky truths mixed in.


(I found the awesome Steampunk Ghostbusters at Kilgore Laboratories).

1. My school is haunted. When I'm in at work on the weekend - I often hear footsteps coming down the hall. At first I thought it was the boiler. Nope. I've called out assuming it was another teacher. Nope. Footsteps stop. And nothing. True. I've heared the footsteps multiple times - but there's never anyone there. Definitely spooky. I don't go in to the school at nights alone anymore :)

2. I once lived in a haunted house. We only saw her a few times - when we came home late at night. We leave the stove light on when we're out, so we saw her (wearing an old-fashioned bonnet) silhouetted in the kitchen window and on the stairs. Not true - but true for a friend's house. I haven't seen the phenomenon myself, but 4 very down-to-earth people have and they believe it completely.

3. I had a premonition once. I dreamt my school bus would be in an accident outside of Burger King and I would lose my leg. Called my friend and told her about it. She laughed and made me feel ridiculous. So I got on the bus. We had an accident. Outside of Burger King. But I only twisted my ankle in the fall. Thankfully no one was really hurt. Not true - but true for a friend. I was the one she called on the morning of the accident. When her bus didn't show up at school, I was in a total panic until they arrived.

4. We had a dog growing up who barked at the chimney, but only during thunderstorms. We thought it was odd, but nothing spooky. Until some of the bricks fell off during one really bad storm. During the repair process, human bones were found. The police never did figure it out, and the cold case is still on file here. Not true - totally made up :)

5. A year after my dad died, my mom & sister & I went to scatter his ashes. On the way up to the spot, 6 of his favourite songs played on the radio. Including the one he asked me to sing for him shortly before he died. These are not popular songs that you normally hear on the radio and they are not all the same style (country, easy listening, rock, jazz). True - are you happy Jan? :)

6. My mom grew up next to some woods in Scotland. Gypsies visited on a regular basis. Some of the neighbours weren't always kind to the gypsies. One neighbour tried to have his way with one of the young women and found himself the victim of the evil eye. In the next few months he lost his job, broke his arm and his wife died. Not true. The Gypsies did stay in the woods near her home, but there weren't any evil eye stories :)

So there you have it - my spooky lies and truths :) Thanks for playing along!

.. and the next thing

This...

Go Elana! If you've somehow missed the fantabulous news, Elana Johnson sold her book Control Issues. Go here to check out her story. And find out about the amazing contest she's holding in celebration!

Elana is one of those folks - you know the kind. She's fun and funny. Kind and honest. Smart with a heart of gold. Her book is going to completely rock! Congrats Elana - we'll all be in line to buy your book when it comes out!

That...

It's a long weekend up here in Canada. Happy Victoria Day to my fellow Canadians :)

Most of my family was out of the house (fishing, camping, golfing...) for most of the weekend, so I got a ton of work done on my Steampunk! I finished a really big revision round. Now I'm going to dive back in and see if I can add some of those little details I keep missing (see last post if you're confused).

And the Next Thing...

I've got more thanking to do!

The lovely Lisa Gibson awarded me the AwesomeSauce award. This is a wonderful award - and came with a really amazing message. Thanks so much Lisa!

Al over at Publish or Perish tagged me. If you want to see my answers, click here. Al has the most amazing photographs from Down Under. You've got to check out his site!

Mari Juniper over at Mari's Randomities awarded me the Creative Liar Award. With a twist. Thanks Mari :)

Here are my 4 spooky lies with my 2 spooky truths mixed in.

1. My school is haunted. When I'm in at work on the weekend - I often hear footsteps coming down the hall. At first I thought it was the boiler. Nope. I've called out assuming it was another teacher. Nope. Footsteps stop. And nothing.

2. I once lived in a haunted house. We only saw her a few times - when we came home late at night. We leave the stove light on when we're out, so we saw her (wearing an old-fashioned bonnet) silhouetted in the kitchen window and on the stairs.

3. I had a premonition once. I dreamt my school bus would be in an accident outside of Burger King and I would lose my leg. Called my friend and told her about it. She laughed and made me feel ridiculous. So I got on the bus. We had an accident. Outside of Burger King. But I only twisted my ankle in the fall. Thankfully no one was really hurt.

4. We had a dog growing up who barked at the chimney, but only during thunderstorms. We thought it was odd, but nothing spooky. Until some of the bricks fell off during one really bad storm. During the repair process, human bones were found. The police never did figure it out, and the cold case is still on file here.

5. A year after my dad died, my mom & sister & I went to scatter his ashes. On the way up to the spot, 6 of his favourite songs played on the radio. Including the one he asked me to sing for him shortly before he died. These are not popular songs that you normally hear on the radio and they are not all the same style (country, easy listening, rock, jazz).

6. My mom grew up next to some woods in Scotland. Gypsies visited on a regular basis. Some of the neighbours weren't always kind to the gypsies. One neighbour tried to have his way with one of the young women and found himself the victim of the evil eye. In the next few months he lost his job, broke his arm and his wife died.

Okay - so I'll never write horror! But it was fun :)

So any of this ... or that to add?

Big Picture or Little Details

A few things lately have me lamenting my inability to focus on the little details in life.

At a workshop recently, I met a really interesting woman. When I returned to my group of friends, I told them about her and turned to point out this terrific woman in her pink top. We searched the room. No pink top. Everyone sat. No pink top. I totally turned out the next speaker becasue I couldn't believe I couldn't find her. She`d mentioned she was looking forward to the next workshop so I knew she hadn`t left.

I finally spotted her. I'd looked at her and past her several times. Hadn't recognized her. She was wearing a black top. Black. Not pink.

After that speaker I moved closer to her and realized her glasses were pink. Black top - pink glasses. Not exactly as illustrated :)

Of course my friends thought it was hilarious. I laughed too - life is too short not to laugh it up when you have the chance! But later I wondered how I had made the mistake. I hadn`t recognized her face several times, but I could tell you all about her life, her approach to teacher and even her parenting style.

I think it's another example of my global brain. I tend to look at the big picture in everything I do. I know instinctively when someone is having a tough time, the kids at school think my ability to understand them is kind of spooky. I know who will be friends, who won't get along. I know when they haven't eaten, when they don't understand a topic and when they need to let off steam or have a shoulder to lean on. I know when they`re going to blow and can almost always stop it.

How? Don't have a clue. When pressed I can come up with some body language cues but that's about it. I think my brain just absorbs the big picture and translates it for me.

On the flip side, don't ask me what anyone wore today. Don't ask me to notice a new haircut... or colour. Those are the little details the more linear brains seem to notice.

In my writing I do the same thing. I work from an emotional level. Anyone reading my stuff should get a good feel for the characters - should know them, should be able to anticipate their reactions. But they might be hard pressed to describe them. Because I don't. Hardly at all.

Although I'm fairly artsy, the visual details aren't always noticed and rarely make it into my writing.

What about you? Are you a 'big picture' or 'little detail' kind of writer?

On another note, I've got a few fine folks to thank.

Two terrific ladies, Charmaine Clancy at Wagging Tales and Laurel of Laurel`s Leaves, passed the Blogger Buddy Award my way. Did they know how pretty it would look on my blog?

The lovely Lydia Kang at The Word is My Oyster awarded me the Sweet Blogger Award. 

Please do yourself a favour and check out these awesome ladies and their wonderful blogs. You'll most definitely enjoy the visits :) 

Enjoy a fabulous long weekend everyone. At least everyone in Canada. Is it a long weekend anywhere else?

15 Fantasy Island Favourites!

Arlee Bird over at Tossing it Out has sent out another challenge. This is a one day blog hop showcasing which 15 albums (am I showing my age???) you'd most like to have with you if you were alone on a deserted island. I'm posting a little early because tomorrow is going to be insane and I don't know if I'll be on the computer until quite late. Gotta love those kind of Mondays!

Music is a HUGE part of my life. Some of my earliest memories revolve around singing and listening to music. I remember vividly my first record player (yes record player) - it was plastic and it was purple. I loved it and played it endlessly. Now I prefer my iPod with its 1000+ songs. :)

So here are the top 15 albums in my life. In no particular order:

1. Elton John: All of them??? Okay, okay. Greatest Hits 1970-2002. If I had to pick one artist, it would be him. He amazes me.

2. Billy Joel: Greatest Hits - all 3 CDs! That counts as one, right? Sure!

3. Bryan Adams: The Best of Me. I adore Bryan Adams. He's got a great edgy voice and his songs are pretty diverse. He's great no matter what my mood is.

4. Shania Twain: her self titled album - the one where she really made a name for herself. This album is full of fun songs and upbeat rhythms. And watching Shania (who came from another small city here in Northern Ontario) change the face of country music and even fashion itself was so much fun!


5. Barry Manilow: The Ultimate Manilow. Yup - I'm a Manilow fan. Big Time! Sad, but true :) Barry gets a bad rap, but his song writing ability is incredible. Many of his songs reach right into me. There are so many good memories associated with his songs. In fact, I'd probably take along a few more of his CDs with me. Maybe I could bring the boxed set?

6. Barbra Streisand: the Concert Album. Babs has the ultimate voice. When I'm in the mood I can listen to her for hours on end.

7. Queen: Night at the Opera. I loved this album growing up - wore it out and had to buy another one. Mercury's vocals are awesome. One of my prouder moments in life was being able to play Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano. It's such a wild song - still love it!

8. Something by Sharon, Lois & Bram. My kids didn't watch tons of TV when they were little, but they were mesmerized by reruns of SL&B's Elephant Show. I have no idea which CD to take, but I'd want one for all the memories it would bring me of my kids.

9. Burton Cummings: Best of Burton Cummings. I've always loved this album. He's got such a unique sound. And it would send me right back to my teen years. And my first concert. Great stuff!

10. Genesis: probably The Way We Walk: The Shorts - although there are several from this band I could choose. And maybe one of Phil Collins solo albums too.

 

11. Phantom of the Opera: the album with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Their voices send chills through me.

12. Nylons: Most of their albums are short, so I'd like to compile a few together. They have awesome a capella harmonies and great tunes from the 50s, 60s and 70s - as well as some beautiful tunes of their own. Human Family and Buy Back the Amazon are incredible songs with powerful messages.

13. Cher: One of her greatest hits albums - probably If I Could Turn Back Time. From the time I heard that voice, I was a huge fan. She's an amazing lady.

 

14. Tina Turner: Simply the Best. Yes.

15. Bon Jovi - The boxed set counts? Super because 100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong. Okay then, the Live From the Have a Nice Day Tour instead. :)

Okay that was really hard!! There are so many more I could include. I didn't include any of my more modern faves - these are the ones that have stood the test of time for me. But I'd really like Daughtry, Nickelback, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson... Then there's the James Taylor, Carly Simon... Then the classical composers... And Aerosmith. Journey. John Cougar Mellancamp. Yikes I forgot the Barenaked Ladies!!

I'm not changing it anymore! This is so hard... *sigh*

Pop on over to Lee's blog to follow the blog hop!

So, who be the artist you couldn't live without?

To Verify or Not To Verify

I'm considering taking word verification off the blog. I don't like slowing people down. Many of you visit a LOT of blogs and every second can count.

But... (there's always a but!) I'm not home most of the time. I'm gone 9 or more hours at the job every day and then another bunch of hours on the weekend. Then there are all the times I'm at home but not on the computer.

In other words, I won't be able to patrol the blog. I'm worried about creepy comments. I don't have a problem eliminating inappropriate, nasty or creepy comments. I'm a teacher - I can shut down temper tantrums and whiners in a heart-beat. But I have to be on the computer to do that.

Our board has updated its policy. We cannot access personal sites or blogs from the school's computers any longer. So if someone leaves a yicky comment it could be quite a while before I get a chance to remove it.

Is this a big deal?

What choices have you made in regards to word verification? If you've removed it (or never used it) have you had any troubles? On the flip side, have you known people who've not bothered commenting or dropping by because of word verification? Or is it not a big deal and I should just leave it on?

Thanks - Any and all input appreciated!

On a side note, Wendy at WM Morrell's Musings from Down Under has passed the Blogger Buddie my way. It's got the sweetest graphic which is totally appropriate because Wendy is one of the sweetest people I've ever 'met'!

Jackee at Winded Words has tagged me in the 5 Questions 5 Way tag game. To see my answers click on this link. Jackee has the coolest job and her blog is definitely worth a visit!

Laura Marcella at Wavy Lines has passed the One Lovely Blog my way. She's got one of those herself and if you haven't made it over, you should. Check out the great zebra while you're there :)

Once again I'd like to pass these along to some friends I've known for a while as well as a few of my newest blog buddies. You can choose whichever you'd like - one of the awards, or the tag game. As always these are no pressure awards - do with them what you will :)

DL Hammons at Cruising Altitude
India Drummond
Kimberly Loomis at The Perpetual Writer
Lynn Simpson at Place to Create
Tamara Heiner at Chasing Dreams

Mother's Day Blog Tour

Mother’s Day – Twitter Chats Blog Tour

Welcome to the Twitter Chats Blog Tour, organized by Mari Juniper at Mari's Randomities and Anne Tyler Lord at Don’t Fence Me In. Today's theme is Mother's Day.

You'll be traveling with us through the blogs of some of the fantastic authors and writers who participate in our weekly -- funny, entertaining and educating -- Twitter chats. This tour will feature writers from #writechat, #litchat, and #fridayflash.

You will be directed to your next stop at the end of this post. Please feel welcome here, and have a happy Mother's Day!

Welcome to those of you who have popped on over from Marisa Birns' blog Out of Order Alice! Marisa is a great blogger and I'm thrilled to follow her on the tour. :)
~~~~~~~

Mother's Day is always a tough time for some kids. As a teacher, I've come across many kids who don't live with a mom. In some circumstances the kids are living with only a dad, in others the kids live with a stepmom, grandparents or other relatives, in others with a foster parent and yet others live in a group home.

Kids in books often end up in similar circumstances, and it's surprising how many of my favourite characters don't have an official mom in their lives, but they've sure got a mother figure.


Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables fame is an orphan who goes to live with an elderly brother & sister team - Matthew and Marilla. These two share the mother role for Anne. Marilla is tough, structured and hides a great big heart behind a rough exterior. Matthew is quieter, gentler and offers a more obvious kind of love to Anne. Matthew's death still brings me to tears.

Nancy Drew's mom died when she was three - leaving her with her father and housekeeper. My memories are more foggy with Nancy (even though I read every single book several times!) but it seems to me these two adults also shared that essential role of a mother.


Frodo's guiding spirit is his uncle Bilbo in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Gandalf and Aragorn also provide aspects of the mothering role - although neither character is typical mother-figure at all.

Jonas in The Giver has a mother, but she's neither biologically nor emotionally his mother. This is the norm in their community. Jonas doesn't feel the lack until he begins to 'see beyond' the sameness of their community. The Giver, an elderly male, provides much more mothering than his mother ever does.

I'm lucky. I've always had a great mom - and I still have her. Moms or Mother Figures are essential for us and for our characters. We need a 'mom' to guide us, to show us that having a heart and listening to it are vital parts of being human. We need a 'mom' to remind us to stop whining, suck it up and get it done. We need a 'mom' to stand in our corner and show us the real meaning of love, courage and compassion. I hope you are all lucky enough to have had a 'mom' in your life.


In my current ms, I have two MCs. The female was lucky enough to have two solid parents in her formative years. She's learned a lot from both. The male MC was raised by an unrelated elderly man. His mothering techniques varied from, 'You screwed up, you fix it,' to 'Come on, let's find the magic,' to 'I've got your back, take a risk.' Not a bad job of mothering.

So who are the 'moms' in your stories?

PS - Happy Mother's Day Mom!! Luv you! :)

~~~~~~~

Thanks for stopping by! Your next stop for the Mother's Day Twitter Chats Blog Tour is Deanna Schrayer's blog The Other Side of Deanna. I just 'met' Deanna recently & I'm thrilled I've done so - she's a great lady. Enjoy your visit :)

The complete list of participants can be found at the host's blogs: Mari Juniper and Anne Tyler Lord.

Dealing with the Unexpected

Our local internet was down all last evening. Drove me batty. I must have refreshed my browser a bazillion times hoping it would be fixed. No luck until this morning. So, my apologies to all of you who posted great stuff yesterday. I missed it all. Sorry. :(

So many people post on Mondays! According to my blog roll I was about 110 blogs behind before I left for work. Yikes! Catch-up is most definitely NOT going to happen. So I hope I didn't miss any spectucular announcements. If I did, let me know!

Instead of blogging last night I spent the 'bonus' time writing and reading. It was great :)

The male MC in my current story is pretty flexible. He is used to life throwing him twists and can turn the new situtation to his advantage more often than not. (Do you remember watching Lucy react to all the twists her plans always took? Awesome!)

My female MC is another type altogether. She prefers plans to be kept. She's had a safe and happy life growing up and does not appreciate the twists life throws at her in the ms. She tends to stop and take deep breaths and she tries to analyze each step before she takes it.

They make a great pair. Each takes the lead in dealing with unexpected situations at different points in the story - and neither of them gets their way all the time.

What happens to your characters when you throw an unexpected twist to their day? Do they find an alternate activity quickly and happily? Do they stomp and pout? Or do they keep hitting their head against the twist?

Congrats to Jenny!

BIG news!!!! One of my good online writing buddies has signed with a fabulous agent. Jenny Martin has signed with the amazing Mary Kole from the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. They're going to make such a good team!

It's so exciting - Jenny's such a fun and fabulous person. You've got to read her post on her signing journey. And the one where she sings Eye of the Agent. And the one on Twitter Spam I Am. And maybe the one ... Okay you get the idea. She's hilarious and creative and fun. No wonder she's signed!

Congratulations to Jenny! If you haven't met her yet pop on over & say hi!