Meet the Assistant Editor

To say that we're having fun is an understatement; we're having a blast!  This photo was the second day of the Leaf & String Festival and Authors on Grayson St. Book Fair.

What started as a 62 page hand written manuscript (1979), became a favorite read each summer for my daughters, then became a way of sharing my heart with my grandchildren and then two books.

Each book represents the siblings; there are two more siblings.  I plan to write at least two more books in the series.

Now to get my Assistant Editor helping me with the Elf story I hope to publish before Christmas!
;)

LEAF & STRING FESTIVAL & AUTHORS BOOK FAIR

If you're in the area, stop by and say hey!  ;)

Finding Joy in the Journey: LEAF & STRING FESTIVAL & AUTHORS BOOK FAIR: Chapters Book Shop I am finally having my first book signing at Chapters Book Shop during the Galax Leaf & String Festival and A...

31 Chapters, how many more???

I just completed my 31st chapter of my re-write for my Elf story.

 

As I've retyped my manuscript, I discovered the original chapters are much longer than I like to have, so several of them I'm dividing.

 

I like to keep my chapters 5-10 pages long.  I think it gives the reader a better experience of completing chapters, but also allows for them to find a part of the story they might like to reread quicker.

 

How many chapters do I have left?  I don't even have the answer!  Lol!  I am well passed 92,000 words and counting!  ;) 

    

LEAF & STRING FESTIVAL & AUTHORS BOOK FAIR

Chapters Book Shop

I am finally having my first book signing at Chapters Book Shop during the Galax Leaf & String Festival and Authors on Grayson Street Book Fair.  It is June 14th & 15th. 

If you're a Mer fan and happen to live nearby, come by my table.  ;)

Happy 70th Birthday Mom! ;)

Today is my mother's 70th Birthday.  She is still a very beautiful, youthful and jubilant lady.

She always made my brother and I feel like we could do anything we wanted to in life.  He was a Prince and I a Princess growing up within our haven of a home.

She always celebrated each holiday; we had a large front window in our home where she displayed decorations for each.  I can still remember walking home from school and the excitement rising within me as I saw a new decorative window.

She made even the toughest of times seem light and she taught us that we could celebrate life no matter the circumstances and that joy was a choice.

I tried carrying on that tradition within my own home with my husband and daughters.

Thank you mom for being the lady that you are and Happy 70th Birthday; it looks good on you!  ;)  

Setting the Stage

Since my story is an old fashioned Fairy Tale I've decided to keep my hard left margin with one spacing between paragraphs.

I know everyone else is using the indented paragraph with no spacing between.  But, I like to be different.

I thought it would be fun to have the Elves speak Scottish Gaelic and the Pixies Irish Gaelic, since I'm told by my family we have a bit of both in our ancestry.

In my mind I'm not sure if it's a different place altogether, but most definitely a different time; when Elves, Pixies and Faeries roamed the land.

I'm having quite an adventure!  Well, I better get back at it!  ;)
 

What inspires you?

I originally wrote a draft of my Elf story in 2008 after learning that I had cancer.  I wrote all 300+ pages in 2 months because I had never told my children about the story.  I especially wanted my grandchildren to know it.

Now I'm about in the middle of the rewrites and my heroine has just gotten to a place where no matter what she does, it seems that things prevent her from getting her people safely to their new home.

There is a song by Tenth Avenue North called Worn.  This song especially inspires me because so much of what is in it is also in my story, amazingly.  I think its also a great time to reflect on such things with Easter nearly here.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and enjoy God's creation as spring is beginning to bloom here in the Blue Ridge.  ;)