On the Road

Kerri Carpenter, , , ,

April is traditionally a brutal month for me, full of conferences, writing retreats, Easter, lots of miles on the car and limited sleep. This year, I slept in four different beds over the course of two weeks. I’ve packed, unpacked and repacked so many times that at this point I am seriously considering installing a California Closet in the trunk of my car. And let’s not forget that I have little-to-no control over the food I get to eat.

So how does all this traveling bode for my weight loss goals and The Sparkle Plan?

Yeah… not so great.

Why is it when we travel different rules suddenly apply? For example, I never eat Combos. I like them, but they’re not something I buy. Yet, every time I’m in an airport, the first thing I do after I pass through security is buy a big pack of cheddar cheese Combos.

I drink coffee with skim milk every day. Yet, when I’m in a hotel, all of a sudden I’m adding full fat cream to my cup of much-needed caffeine.

How often do I include a roll with real butter with my meals? Um, never. Accept when I’m eating at a conference luncheon or dinner. That’s when I become Queen of the Carbs.

Working out? Besides running from my hotel room to event, and meeting room to exposition floor, I’m not getting anywhere near the needed exercise. The Diva Kerr-ina

This is Month 4 (can you believe it!) of my completely made-up weight loss plan called The Sparkle Plan. (Check out last month’s entry here.) Typically I talk about my big and small goals and set new goals for the upcoming month. But this time around, I thought I would do it a little differently.

I am rebounding from my month of travel. I have been reunited with my dog, Harry (yay!!!!!) and I get to stay in one place for an entire week! I have a goal this week of going for a run four times. (My back is still healing but I can run about 1 mile now.) I am not eating after dinner and I’m taking Harry for lots of walks.

Here’s where you help.

We’ve all traveled. We’ve all had those rough months where you think it’s impossible to get everything done. And sometimes, we need to ask for help. So help please!

Tell me in the comments your tips, tricks and suggestions for staying on your diet/exercise routine while busy or how to rebound when you are finally off the road.

 

*I am not a doctor or anything close to a doctor. In fact, I wouldn’t even be able to play a doctor on TV – sick people, even people pretending to be sick, annoy me. Always consult your own physician before embarking on any fitness or eating plan.

The Lost Art of…Lost Arts

Alethea Kontis,

Alethea MermaidLike many a work of prose, this blog post was born from the merging of two entirely separate ideas.

Idea Number One: I often joke to friends about certain “Lost Arts” of the twenty-first century — habits that are fading out of existence that wouldn’t normally cross the mind of anyone over the age of 25. A few examples:

Handwriting
Journaling
Introducing oneself in person
Politely answering a house phone without caller-ID
Backing up in a car without a rearview camera
Nursery Rhymes

Idea Number Two: Researching is a fabulous rabbit hole. A writer can google “bird wing anatomy” and find herself hours later researching Native American snake myths. (Not that I’ve done this before…ahem…) A few times I have been temped to blog about my researching adventures, and the myriad of things I’ve discovered in my virtual travels.

So in researching what other folks might consider “Lost Arts”, I stumbled upon a few things I hadn’t considered.

The Lost Art of Handpainted Movie Billboards — there is an octogenarian artist in Greece keeping this alive.

The Lost Art of the Unsent Angry Letter — Therapists recommend it, even Abraham Lincoln utilized this practice to keep himself calm. In today’s world of social media, it’s often In Brain, Out Fingers.

The Lost Art of Pickpocketing — Because, really…that’s just too much hard work.

The Lost Art of Quitting — It’s actually okay to let go of the things that don’t matter. Sometimes your pride is just bullshit.

The Lost Art of Sacred Art — No one has time to be Michelangelo or Fra Angelico anymore, leading to Churches of Ambiguity.

The Lost Art of the Baseball Signature — Famous players just don’t have time to sign legibly. (See also: Handwriting)

The Lost Art of Doing One Thing At a Time — Self-explanatory. And I kind of love it.

What are some “lost arts” you’ve noticed in your every day life? Anything in particular  you think might be going extinct in the next few decades?

Inspiration

Kerri Carpenter, , ,

“Why do you go to those writing conferences and retreats?”

This question was posed to me recently by one of my non-writer friends. My initial answer was something super-eloquent along the lines of, “Because!”

Can I argue a point or what!

All joking aside, I thought about why I do like going to writing conferences and retreats. Sure, there are the informational sessions and workshops. You get to pitch to and chat with industry professionals like agents and editors that you would normally not have access to. You get to catch up with your writing friends and critique partners. There’s often really amazing swag and tons of free books. You get to wear really cute sparkly shoes. (Okay, maybe that’s just for me.)

The Waterworld Mermaids at the 2012 WRW Retreat

The Waterworld Mermaids at the 2012 WRW Retreat

Any one of those reasons is enough for me to register. Yet, there’s still something else that makes me use vacation time at work, buy that plane ticket, pawn my dog off on one of my friends or family members, put my life on hold, etc. And that reason is … inspiration.

Spending a couple days with other writers always puts me in a really amazing mental place. The minute I walk in the door, I feel the creative wheels beginning to turn – even if I’ve been in a major writing draught. I love listening to stories of successful authors who started in the same place that I did. It’s amazing to sit next to an editor or agent and realize they are just a normal person looking for that next great story.

My advice to any newbie writers starting out is to find a writing conference or retreat, get yourself a pair of comfy shoes and go be inspired.

To help you, here are a couple of conferences/retreat that will give you a good place to start:

WRW’s “In the Company of Writers” – I’m partial to this retreat because my local RWA chapter puts it on every spring AND it’s where the Waterworld Mermaids met.

RWA Nationals – The Romance Writers of America® host a large, multi-day conference every summer. This is a whirlwind, but really, really informational. It changes locations every year too.

RT Booklovers Convention – I’ve never been but I’m dying to go! Plus, I’ve never heard anything but good, fun comments about it. This one is for both writers and readers of romance.

Remember, you don’t need to spend any money or go someplace exotic to get that same inspiration. You can always have a homemade/staycation conference that I like to call a write-in. Invite some writer friends to your house for a day, a couple days or even a couple hours. Turn off the internet, buy some chocolate and wine (especially if you’re inviting me) and do your thing.

It’s Retreat Time!

Conferences, Dana Rodgers, mermaids, , ,

Dana MermaidIt’s Thursday. How did it get to be Thursday already!?! Tomorrow morning I leave for Washington Romance Writers Retreat and I haven’t even begun to pack. My CDO (my OCD is alphabetized) is kicking in. I must make a list!

Let’s see, what’s important?
1. Clothes (Yep, I’m betting that it’ll be too cold to be naked, so clothes would be good. Plus, probably no one needs to see that. ☺ )
2. Make Up and Toiletries (Definitely important! And might even hide the under-eye luggage after a wild night singing karaoke or playing romance jeopardy with this rowdy crew.)
3. WINE (Which will make me brave enough to sing karaoke and hang out with all of these crazy women… and Tim. ☺ )
4. Chocolate (Because one must eat.)
5. Costume Stuff for Karaoke and Romance Jeopardy (Like anyone needs a reason for fun.)
6. Notebook and Pens (To write down those pearls of wisdom from all of those fabulous workshops!)
7. Gift Basket Donations (Hmm… must go shopping. I’m thinking more wine and chocolate, maybe some yummy smelling lotion.)
8. Book Donations (One must give back, after all… Especially when ones bookshelves are overflowing into multiple boxes and bags.)
9. Money and return address labels for Raffle Tickets (I don’t know how I’m going to win without Carlene—our luckiest mermaid and perhaps the luckiest person on the planet based on how much that girl wins—to rub my raffle tickets on before tossing them into each bag. (You will be missed this year, sweetie!)
10. And Friends! (Because what would retreat be without catching up with old friends and making new ones?)

It’s been a busy week full of that darn day job, cello rehearsals, lacrosse games and a crew dry walling my basement. I feel like I’ve run a marathon and its not even 8:00am, but now that I have my list—all is right with the world. I can hardly wait to pack and get on the road. WRW Retreat here I come!

So now that I’ve told you what’s on my list, what do you pack for a writing conference?

Self Efficacy: Sexy

Carlene Love Flores, Motivation, , ,

Mermaid CarleneHi fishy friends! It doesn’t happen often, but I’m slipping out of my silly mermaid fins and using some of my bigger words today. I hope you enjoy them.

“Your belief in your own ability to do the things you want to do.”

That’s self-efficacy.

Not too long ago, hubby left a ten page article on my desk with a small note: “PLEASE READ”.

The article was by Ian Walker (www.iantwalker.com) and it was about an experience Ian had that made no sense until he discovered the concept of self-efficacy. It was a great read. I encourage you to check it out where it appeared HERE at The Art of Manliness blog. (PS–As a romance writer, I love this manly blog!!!)

Back to hubby’s note. This was rare. I knew he meant, “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, please.”

Later that day, before I’d had a chance to read the article, hubby let me know he was unhappy at his day job and he was quitting in the next month to finish his master’s degree as a full-time student.

I’ll admit, there were parts of me, especially the stay-at-home-mom parts of me who depend on hubby to support the family, that had to bite down on the immediate worry his declaration brought on. But the partner who supports hubby’s happiness said, “Okay babe. Let’s do this.”

Even though it’s a scary feeling, there’s something I’ve always been attracted to about hubby and that’s his fearlessness. It got him through twenty-one years in the Army, going off to war a couple times, and now it’s gotten him out of a situation that wasn’t fulfilling him personally and professionally. I have confidence he’ll make something happen for himself and therefore our family as well. Determination, fearlessness, confidence = Sexy!

I dipped down into the tub the day hubby gave me that ten page article and read. What I realized is that I want to be “self-efficacy sexy” for hubby, the same way he is and has been for me. That means I better really believe in my ability to do the things I want to do in life, even if they’re as crazy as being a successful romance writer. I better never quit. I know he won’t.

**Update: I started this blog post last year, knowing I wanted to share it eventually. Well, hubby has been pursuing his master’s degree in counseling for about six months now. We’re living on a student budget which is all kinds of fun. But you know what? He’s never been sexier to me. He’s gonna do this. He’s gonna see it through and he’s gonna help a lot of kids when all is said and done.

Here’s to you believing in yourself and acting on that belief.  There’s plenty of room for more in the Self-efficacy = Sexy club.  Feel free to share a time when you had to rely on a belief in yourself when perhaps it wasn’t the popular thing to do. Maybe a time when doing something you knew in your heart was right even though it made no sense. Have a great day everyone!

Fishy kisses!

Carlene Mermaid

Mermaids & Friends: Lynne Silver (Giveaway!)

Books, Carlene Love Flores, Giveaway, Guest Post, Kerri Carpenter, Mermaids & Friends, , , ,

Good morning, everyone — Carlene and Kerri Mermaid here with a special introduction.

Kerri: Guess who’s here in the lagoon today? Our critique partner and friend to the Mermaids, the fabulous Lynne Silver!

Carlene: Oh! After someone tall, dark and handsome, that was going to be my next guess! I can’t help it, I have Rowan from her new book, “Desperate Match” on my mind.

Kerri: I understand – Rowan’s hot and sweet! Is he your favorite of Lynne’s characters?

Carlene: Yes! He’s a total smarty pants but backs it up with a big heart…

Kerri: I love that about him – although you know I’m partial to Adam in the first Coded for Love book!

Carlene: Ohhhhhh…Adam. Why do you love him so?

Kerri: He’s alpha and yummy!

Carlene: All the Coded boys are alpha and yummy! It’s like an alpha yummy buffet.

Kerri: True that, boo! We should probably stop drooling and let Lynne talk now. Want to introduce her?

Carlene: Yes! Tall, fair and beautiful…Lynne Silver! Author of yummy alpha boys, some really bad guys and some pretty awesome girls too!

Kerri: Welcome to the lagoon, Lynne! We hear you wanna know what type of readers we all are AND that you’ve got a copy of Desperate Match to give away! Let’s get this chat underway…

************************

Lately it seems there are a rash of bloggers and readers out on social media talking about their newfound love of reading. Some of them haven’t read much sinceLynne Silver high school or college, and they can all credit a book special to them for getting them back on the reading bandwagon. Welcome back. We authors are thrilled to have you.

So yes, I’m an author, but I’m a reader first. To say I’m voracious would be an understatement. In kindergarten, students got a star sticker on their name strip for every book they read. My stars went off the strip and around the room.

I get lost in books. My husband says it’s as though I’ve left the room. And I have. My body is present, but my mind is in the world of the book.

And I’m a re-reader. There are certain “comfort” reads that I go to again and again. I can’t find a pattern in which books are my comfort reads. They run the gamut and include: Little Town on the Prairie & These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, All of the Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas, Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh, Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon, He She & It by Marge Piercy, and the whole Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace.  See an eclectic mix.

There are other books I adore, yet I’ve never re-read them. So what makes a comfort read? I obviously have no idea, judging by my crazy list. The only thing in common is that I own all those books in print. I don’t read them on an e-reader. I love certain things about e-readers, but I hate that Candy Crush and Facebook is one easy click away.

Have you noticed your reading patterns change depending on the medium? Do you have comfort reads? What are they?

Thanks for having me!

Lynne

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Thanks so much for swimming with us today, Lynne! For all our fishy friends, Lynne has generously donated an e-copy of “Desperate Match” and so we will be picking one random winner from the comments section to take Rowan home with them.

More About Lynne:

By day, Lynne Silver lives the suburban soccer mom life; volunteering with the PTA, doing laundry and working. By night she enters the sensuous world of alpha males and passionate heroines.

She calls the nation’s capital home and lives in an old fixer-upper with her husband and their two sons. When not writing romance, she reads it. Lots of it. Over and over and over again, preferably with a bag of M&Ms in hand. She is represented by literary agent, Jessica Alvarez of Bookends LLC http://bookends-inc.com/index.htm

Visit Lynne at her website http://www.lynnesilver.com/

And be sure to check out her sizzling hot and heartfelt new title, DESPERATE MATCH.

Desperate Match

 

 

Congratulations!!!

Kerri Carpenter, , , , ,

The Waterworld Mermaids are flipping our fins, pouring some delicious cocktails and getting the party started in our magical lagoon today. We have a lot to celebrate!

We want to congratulate 3 (yes 3!) of our very amazing, talented, beautiful Mermaids for being finalists in this year’s Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® contest. Congrats to all – well done!

Denny S. Bryce – “Chasing Damn” in Romantic Suspense

Kimberly MacCarron – “Chasing Fireworks” and “To Feel or Not to Feel” in Young Adult Romance

Pintip Dunn – “Carlie in Crisis” in Young Adult Romance and “Fit to Die” in Paranormal Romance

We’ll all be cheering you on this July when they announce the winners!!!

Golden Heart and Rita nominees, oh my!

mermaids, Susan Jeffery, Writing, , , , , ,

SusanMermaidFriends, this is the LAST DAY in 2014 when RWA members will be in the dark. Yes, tomorrow is The Day for the announcement of Golden Heart and Rita finalists!

Hi, Rita! <3

Since you all know I’m incredibly helpful in dealing with anxiety (first lie), I offer these ideas (gleaned from the incredible brains of the young men I teach).

– play video games
– watch movies
– go to the gym
– play sports
– listen to music
– lock yourself in a dark room and avoid talking (really!)
– get your guitar and rock out
– there is no such thing as anxiety in my world (yes, he really said that)

courtesy Darien Times

This, as opposed to the usual stress ideas I see on other blog posts, which usually I include references to cookies, ice cream and alcohol consumption.

Also, I have two family members who are entered in the Golden Heart this year.  Just imagine the free-floating anxiety at home today…

So, GOOD LUCK to all our GH and Rita entrants!  Throwing copious sparkles in your direction today and please allow me to offer an online fruity drink.  With parasol.  And fresh fruit garnish.

Where Do You Write?

mermaids, Pintip, Writing

pintipThe place I write most often is my recliner.

My favorite place to write is probably in my bed, first thing in the morning, when I’m snuggled into my pillows, sleepy and uninhibited.

The strangest place I’ve ever written is flat on my back, under a glass coffee table, dictating to a laptop which is face-down on the glass.

I’ve written almost everywhere, in coffee shops and on airplanes, in friends’ houses and libraries, on the sidelines at gymnasiums and swimming pools, at the beach, a ski lodge, a bench at the Navy Pier in Chicago. Basically, anytime I have a free moment, I pull out my iPhone and write.

But where am I most productive? This answer might surprise you. I certainly never would’ve expected it.

In my car. Yep, that’s right. Behind the wheel, my seat slid all the way back, parked on some side street or lot. Sometimes, I’m between appointments, and it’s not worth my time to drive all the way home. Other times, I’ve been known to drive to a parking lot and sit for eight hours, finding a coffee shop or restaurant for food and restroom breaks.

I’m not sure WHY I’m so productive in the car. Maybe it’s the complete and utter lack of distractions. Maybe it’s because the seats aren’t comfortable enough to make me feel drowsy. Maybe it’s because I’d feel silly hanging out in my car if I *weren’t* writing. Whatever the reason, I can almost guarantee a high word count and minimal wasted minutes when I write in a parked car.

So why don’t I do it more often? Good question. I’m not really sure — although I suspect it has something to do with the fact that I’m weird but not quite weird enough to make that my regular office space.

What about you? What’s your favorite/most productive/weirdest place that you write?

Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day!

Kimberly MacCarron, mermaids, Writing, , , ,

No green beer for me this year due to another bout of snow and a yucky cold.

But, I have to admit that I love St. Paddy’s Day! When I was in junior high, I was sent to the office for a violation of the dress code. We weren’t allowed to wear buttons with sayings, and I had about seventy Irish buttons all over my clothes. It took me a good half hour to remove them all. They didn’t say anything about the pointed leprechaun shoes or the bright green wig though.

The fascination with all things green and Irish continued throughout the years. When I was in my early twenties, I went to Ireland and decided I wanted to move there. Clearly, that didn’t happen, so I settled on getting a leprechaun tattoo instead.

What is it about St. Patrick’s Day that makes everyone happy? I’ve never been to a pub when fights break out. People share their excitement and wear green sparkles and goofy hats and pointed shoes. Or seventy buttons.

It’s a day full of possibilities. It’s full of magic. It’s a time when adults can cling to childish imaginings and just blame it on the pint of green beer.

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and all things lucky, I have compiled a short list of lucky legends (not all Irish):
1. The Four Leaf Clover—stands for faith, hope, love and luck.
2. Horseshoes—preferably made of iron, hang this sucker facing up, so that luck can fill it and not spill out.
3. Dreamcatchers—these will catch the bad dreams before they enter the home.
4. Evil Eye—protects you against evil.
5. Rabbit’s Foot—this is supposed to be lucky, but I think not…you have to catch the poor unsuspecting bunny at night on a full moon in a cemetery and cut off the left hind foot while it’s still living in order to ward off evil magic and have good luck. I call that bad, Bad, BAD karma.

Just remember to never open an umbrella inside the house or you’ll be asking for bad luck to rain down on you.

There is another superstition involving the number 13 and the bad luck it brings. Some architects won’t end stairs on the 13th step or elevators on the 13th floor. Some people are so scared by the number 13 that they actually have a phobia name for it: triskaidekaphobia.

My daughter Kaitlin disagrees heartily with this phobia. Her golden birthday (when you’re date and age are the same), will fall this year on Friday, June 13th. She’s been planning this exciting birthday party for years. I think it’s all in how we look at things. Are things in and of themselves lucky or unlucky? Or do we make them that way through the power of our own suggestion?

I happen to disagree with the number 13 being unlucky, and I’m sure the Golden Heart® finalists from last year will attest to that because they’re named the Lucky 13s. Throughout the past year, we’ve become friends who support each other on a shared journey, and we never would have met if it hadn’t been for a Lucky Year–2013. ☺

I’ll leave you with a great Irish saying that sums up my feelings about all my wonderful writing friends: “Friends are like four-leaf clovers—hard to find but lucky to have.”

Do you believe in any good luck charms or legends?