I Wish You

For 2018, I wish you...

Less hurry

More slow

Less take

More give

Less worry

More peace

Less rush

More time

Less hurt

More heart

Less struggle
More success

Less sad

More joy

Less lonely

More love

Sending hugs and hopes to all of my friends in the bloggyverse. 

May 2018 be kind to you and yours.

Theresa Milstein & A Moment in Time

Please welcome one of my blog buddies and all around sweetheart Theresa Milstein to the blog today!
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I have a question I pose at the end of this post:

If you could relive any moment in time, what would it be?

Before you answered, I thought I should share my own answer. Then I realized how hard it is to answer this question. Sorry! I could choose the births of my children, but I don’t want to experience all of it again. I could also choose my wedding day—that was pretty great.

One of the poems in my collection is called “Un-Perfect Moment,” which was inspired by a family party a couple of years ago, dancing outside with my cousins and my daughter. Many of my aunts and uncles were there.

“those blood-bond circles of life swirl

through the past and towards the future

you sweep away in a shared moment

as hot and sweet as summer’s breath”

It panged me at the time thinking that in a year or two or five, some people might no longer be there. And that captures me entirely—even in a blissful moment, my head can’t stay there. I’m always thinking back, looking forward.

So I tried to consider if there were times when I was just present. I recalled another summer on vacation. My husband and kids wanted to take surfboarding lessons in Santa Cruz. I had no interest in doing so. They got into gear and climbed down to the ocean. I stayed on top at a small sitting area with my laptop. While I revised on that perfect-weather day with others out there enjoying the day, some older guy played guitar and sang original songs. I revised while I enjoyed the music and periodically looked out at my family, little dots upon at sun twinkled waves.

That was a very good day.

With subtle wit, and poignant imagery, the unrelenting passage of time connects the vignettes in Theresa Milstein’s Time and Circumstance. This reflective collection of real and imagined poetry and prose, speculates on an erratic childhood, the uncertainty of adolescence, and the reality of parenthood, through flashbacks of love lost and found.

Theresa Milstein writes middle grade and YA, but poetry is her secret passion. Her vignette collection, TIME & CIRCUMSTANCE, will be published by Vine Leaves Press in March 21, 2017. She lives near Boston Massachusetts with her husband, two children, a dog-like cat, and a cat-like dog. For her day job, she works as a special education teacher in a public school, which gives her ample opportunity to observe teens and tweens in their natural habitat. 

TIME & CIRCUMSTANCE is available for preorder!

$3.99 AUD (eBook)
Kindle AUS
Kindle US
Kindle UK
Kindle CA
iBooks | Kobo | Nook

$12.99 AUD (paperback)
Amazon US
Amazon UK
​Amazon CA
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Chapters Indigo

Leave a comment  and you’re eligible to win a prize during my blog tour!

1 $25 Amazon gift card

1 signed paperback copy

1 ebook

Answer the question:

“If you could relive any moment in time, what would it be?”

Extra entries if you share on Facebook or Twitter and link it to me.

@TheresaMilstein on Twitter.

@Theresa Milstein on Facebook

#ReliveMoment or #TimeandCircumstance

Winners will be announced on April 5, 2017

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Thanks Theresa! There are so many wonderful moments in a life, but finding a perfect moment to return to... so hard. I think I'd choose a bright summer day when my hubby and I were teaching the kids to play t-ball. So much laughter and joy and love. One of those days full of potential.

How about you? What's your moment?

IWSG & Time to Write

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

September 7 Question: How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

That's a great question!

Like everyone else, my life is full to overflowing. Busy full time job (no spare time even during lunch for us!), homework for the job, family, house upkeep, treadmill & physio exercise, and then all the fun stuff.

Because of all of that, I rarely get uninterrupted writing time. A whole hour in a block is a thrill during the school year. Thankfully, I've trained myself to sink into the story without any rituals or warm up activities. As soon as I boot up the laptop, I'm ready to dive in. I can write in small blocks of time and then jump back in again after the interruption.

Elizabeth Spann Craig's blog is a fabulous source of hints for the busy writer and I've adopted and adapted a lot of her ideas to fit my own world.

How about you? Do you write in small chunks as well? Any hints to squeeze in more writing time?

Quirky

I'm the first to admit I'm a quirky person. I don't fit the mold - any mold.

Growing up, my parents often joked that I must have been switched in the hospital. No one else in my family loves the things I do. They're all list-making, linear, logical thinkers who can organize the heck out of a room, a desk, a house, a wardrobe and a life. Me? Well...

I love science fiction & rom coms & musicals & sports, but don't ask me to watch relationship reality shows (*shudder*). I don't own a dress or shoes with heels. I don't like hot climates. I eat the same thing for a snack and a lunch at school every day. I cry at sappy commercials - every time I see them. All my socks are the same so I don't have to worry when the washer/dryer eats one... I think I'd better stop there. :)

This post lists a lot of fun writer's quirks! So does this one. I kind of want one...

But, sadly, I don't have time for writerly quirks and if you pop over to From the Write Angle today, you'll see why.

Hope to see you there, but before you go, what quirks do you have? Any suggestions for me?

Time and Watched Pots

This has been a weird week! Trying to squeeze some computer time in between my kids' studying and assignment schedules is nuts. They're both busy & organized & hard-working - which is great, but it does mean I can't borrow their computer very often. It's only been a week since mine was sent to the laptop homeworld for repair, but it seems much longer :)

Time is elusive. The old adage about the watched pot taking longer to boil is so true. This week has flown by, but it's also been forever since I had my own computer!

Time can also be elusive in our writing. We decide how to make time pass for our characters. We obviously don't want to follow them each and every moment of their day, so we pick and choose which moments to highlight.

We want to have a few of those watched pots moments - building anticipation. We also want unwatched pot moments - where time flies by and the characters are taken by surprise by a sudden event.

Writing both of these types of scenes takes different kinds of skills. I like writing both. I love to slam a surprise into my characters when they least expect it, but I also like to build that tension - to make the waiting unbearable.

Do you have a favourite way of handling time? Do you prefer watching the pot boil or letting it surprise you?

(On another note, I've received a few blog awards from some great people. I'm going to hang on to them for a bit (another time issue!). I just can't hang on to a computer long enough to do the linking required. I'm doing a lot of my blogging on my iPod Touch. I'm glad to have it, but it takes me forever to do anything and my eyes just can't work on the small screen for very long! But I do appreciate the awards and I will do a proper thank you when the computer's back!)