Exciting News: Down and Out and Ready for a Miracle is Now Available!
Cheers!
I am thrilled to announce the release of my latest book! After many months (okay, years) of dedication, procrastination, creativity, and passion, my new work is officially available to readers everywhere. This book represents a slice of life of those who are reaching their finish line and is inspired by my husband’s family. The story follows Jacko, a middle-aged homeless man, as he forms connections with a disjointed group of senior citizens—especially the unpredictable Oscar—experiencing humor, heartache, and inspiration along the way. Jacko learns that you are never too old to start again, especially if you find a community that will come alongside you despite the crazy and possibly dangerous friends which have become a package deal for him. Laughter and tears are inevitable as two ways of life collide in a delightful and quirky neighborhood which most people have forgotten.
Themes
This new book delves into themes of personal growth, friendship, family, faith, and aging. Readers are invited to follow Jacko as he inserts himself into the life of Oscar and his neighbors. With his not-so-well-meaning friends bringing chaos along the way and threatening his hope of a new life, Jacko learns to trust and find faith in others and God.
Availability
Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.
Get your copy today and join me on this new adventure!
We recently watched A House of Dynamite on Netflix. It is #3 on the IMDb Top 10 this week. Here’s the plot as per IMDb, “When a single unattributed missile is launched at the United States, a race begins to determine who is responsible and how to respond.”
I like a pending nuclear disaster movie as much as the next guy, which is usually my husband, so we tuned in. Two of the stars are Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson, so that was a good sign.
Early into the movie we realized that we were watching the same story from three different perspectives. That was interesting and really brought home the plot line. I was wondering how this impending disaster would resolve. Which characters would survive? How would POTUS respond? Would this be the beginning of the end of the world?
Here’s the SPOILER ALERT: By the end of the movie, we were aware that, to use their words, “we are all living in a house of dynamite.” It could blow anytime. Therefore, director Kathryn Bigelow, elects to leave the ending unresolved. She wanted the audience to think for themselves about the impending results from a nuclear event. She thought it was important to get information to the viewers to start a conversation. To quote her, “That’s the explosion we’re interested in – the conversation people have about the film afterward.”
My sister Linda, Bob, and I had a conversation at the end, but I don’t think it was what Bigelow was hoping for. It was more along the lines of, “You have to be kidding me! I hate this! I need to punch something!” Originally, I thought we were watching a movie, but now I know it was a film. In my experience, filmmakers want you to think when you watch their story, so my mistake. I was looking for a good story with good acting that would be all tied up with a bow at the end. Two out of three is not enough for me. I need the ending.
About endings, as a writer I know that they are hard to do well. How drawn out should an ending be? Should it be a surprise or exactly what you expected but in a satisfying way? I’m no deep thinker, but in my humble opinion, a director who opts for conversation instead of ending a film well has taken the easy road, though it may look virtuous. This is why I like comedies. They never leave you wondering what happened. They may leave you wondering about other things, but they have an ending.
More about endings. In about two weeks, on November 20, you will be able to order my new book, Down and Out and Ready for a Miracle. It’s humorous and inspirational. You’ll be able to order it on Amazon. It has a beginning, middle, and an ending. So, you can depend on me not to leave you hanging. I’ll tell you more about it in future posts. Oops, I guess I am leaving you hanging a bit. Stay tuned.
I’ve been thinking about how long I have been blogging and why I keep doing it. Is it just for me to get the words out with the hope that they uplift, encourage, or entertain somebody along the way? Or a way for me to keep a record of my life over the years? It’s more than that.
It’s a way to spread some magic.
And hopefully bring a smile.
But this morning, as I looked in my memories of this day in 2011, I more clearly remembered why I started.
Since those early days 13 years ago when I wrote under the name A Ship Bound for Tarshish, I have had a lot to say. I realize that many of my current friends – both physically in my life today and on social media – may not realize that I do this pretty much weekly. If you’d like to subscribe, you can follow me (see the box on the right) and you’ll never miss a post.
Here’s a link to my 2011 post to sum up what my blog is all about and why I write it. As always, I appreciate everyone who reads my stuff! There’s a lot out there to take up your time! Thank you.
P.S. The cuties in the pictures are two of my precious grandchildren, but I’ll bet you guessed that already!
After we toured Edinburgh Castle, we strolled down the bustling Royal Mile, popping into a shop or two while listening to a bagpipe being played on the corner. The Royal Mile is the much-traveled cobblestone street that connects Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, Scotland’s official residence of the British monarch. It was on the chaotic side, which may have been due to the warmness of the day – a balmy 60 degrees, the highest temperature of our trip. Everyone was out soaking in the sun.
Bagpipes sound charming for a little while.
Bob wondering how he will cross the sea of people to get to the other side of the Royal Mile.
The iconic British buses winding up and down the streets – I wondered how nobody got hit by one as people seem to share the streets with them without a second thought to their safety. Perhaps it’s because they are more polite to pedestrians in the UK.
Along the streets there are alleyways leading to closes. The openings are so narrow and lined by tall buildings on either side that it’s easy to miss seeing these passageways, which lead to off-the-beaten-path courtyards (closes). As we walked by Lady Stair’s Close, I noticed a sign stating something to the effect that this was the way to life in Old Edinburgh. I almost didn’t notice the beckoning sign but was glad I did! It made me realize that I probably miss a lot when I travel because there is so much sensory overload.
Bob relaxed on a bench, and I wandered down with anticipation of stepping back into history. To my delight it opened to Makars’ Court, a literary monument to Scottish writers. There are quotes from great Scottish writers inscribed in the courtyard flagstones and a lovely museum dedicated to the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Burns.
The museum inhabits Lady Stair’s House. Built in 1622 and renovated at the turn of the century (1897-1907), it is a grand mansion in the Old Town portion of Edinburgh and such a fitting place to honor the three above-mentioned literary legends.
This building celebrates my favorite 2 of the 3Rs. I leave the ‘rithmetic to Bob.
My golf-weary husband whose body was rebelling against any further walking was willing to come on down, especially since there was comfortable seating inside.
This type of stairway was common in the 1600s. It served as a type of alarm system as they would construct the stairway with one step that was extra tall (notice the white step). This would prompt intruders to trip and make noise thereby alarming the sleeping residents of impending trouble.
I inquired about my favorite author, the recently knighted Sir Alexander McCall Smith. He resides in Edinburgh and has a huge volume of work, but I guess he is too current to be included in the museum, at this point anyway. This was a lovely interlude of quiet in the midst of an active day in Edinburgh.
There are more celebrated authors who are not yet included in this Edinburgh museum. Harry Potter is not in a genre that I typically read, but I do admire J.K. Rowling. My understanding is that she also currently resides in Edinburgh. The Elephant House is a “magical café” where she wrote some of the Harry Potter novels. It is known as the birthplace of Harry Potter.
Unfortunately, the original location, which was a gathering place for local writers, burned in 2021. It was located on George IV Bridge not terribly far from the current location, which was just a few doors down from our hotel. I was thrilled to literally stumble upon it as we were looking for a place to lunch – a perfect, dare I say magical, find!
Hoping some of Ms. Rowling’s writing magic will rub off on me.
The re-creation of J.K. Rowling’s writing nook was impressive. A niche in an upstairs room with a desk and guest book and the actual chair which she used set the mood, but the mural through the window depicting the scene from the George IV Bridge made it feel authentic. I sat in the chair, signed the guest book, and wondered why she didn’t choose a more comfortable chair. To each their own, I guess.
One last stop before we left the restaurant because one must never miss a free toilet opportunity, and besides you know I’m fascinated by toilets in Europe.
I chose not to go that way. We all have our own path!
One of my favorite scripture verses is Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
My thoughts on that verse have changed from when I was a young Christian. My emphasis initially was on him giving me the desires of my heart. That sounded like a great deal, but truthfully, I had no idea what it meant to delight in him or what I should desire, and I was often guided by my emotions or felt needs.
In later years I realized that as I got to know Jesus, he changed my heart’s desires and gave me new ones that would bring me closer to him and actually be good for me – unlike some of the weird things I had asked for in the past, most of which I cannot even remember.
Today is my blogging anniversary. When I started this blog 12 years ago, my desire was to highlight the lighter side of life, which of course includes at the top of the list – Jesus. He is the light of the world. I also wanted to make people smile or laugh – lighten their load for a moment. I wanted to offer something fun, humorous, or interesting and definitely non-sad. (Is that a word?)
Not long before I launched my blog, I went to Honolulu to visit my daughter and her family who were working there for several months. (My sweet husband was moved to send me there when he saw how much I missed them all. As grandparents, you do what you have to do!)
The kids took me to beautiful Hanauma Bay for a day of sunshine and snorkeling. I was captivated. I took lots of pictures that day, but one stood out to me as the embodiment of pure delight. That was my five-year-old granddaughter Ella enjoying the day while floating in her pink inflatable ring. I needed a picture for my blog header and this one filled the bill for me.
Now Ella is 17 and getting ready to graduate from high school. She is no longer that carefree girl but a lovely young woman. Among her senior pictures was a shot of her in her happy place – on the horse that she loves. It took me back to that little girl over a decade earlier because the face was the same – pure delight. It brightened my day and I am sharing it with you as I mark 12 years of blogging.
Thanks for reading. My blog has changed over the years, but so has my life. When I began, I had no idea Bob and I would travel so much, so it has come to include my travel diary. (There will be more of that in the future, too.) We’ve increased from 5 to 8 grandchildren. We’ve moved from the house where we raised our family for over 30 years, and now my mom and sister live with us. We’ve been through happy times and sad times, but Jesus has been faithful through it all. I appreciate each of you and hope you’ll keep following my journey and even have a chuckle or two.
Just a reminder of my Monday post about my publisher’s sale of the kindle version of our books (mine included). The sale ends Friday morning, so take advantage quickly! Here are the details:
All the authors who publish through my publisher, Prevail Press, are offering a 99 cents deal on the Kindle version of our books (where available in Kindle, of course). I have read all these books and recommend them.
I think you’ll enjoy meeting our authors and seeing what they have to offer.
Please click here to check out all the Prevail Press authors and their books. Also, I would love it if you would share this post to help get the word out before the sale ends on Friday morning. We know a lot of folks have some extra time on their hands right now! Thank you for checking us out!
Somehow or another, Thanksgiving was two weeks ago and Christmas is two weeks away. There is a lot going on, and I am trying to savor the moments.
Speaking of savoring, November was an exciting month for me. As I referenced in my post of November 11, I spent a lot of time writing last month. Time that was measured in both minutes and words. As for the minutes, God only knows how many of them I spent sitting at my computer pounding out a first draft for my next novel. The words can be counted though, and according to Microsoft Word, I wrote 50,018 of them. (What makes it better is that when added to my prior writing, I now have a complete first draft.)
According to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo*) hierarchy, that makes me a winner. And if you’re a winner, you get stuff. That means I get stuff! Stuff I can purchase to show everybody that I’m a winner. I know, it sounds funny. But you better believe I have ordered myself a t-shirt that declares to the world that I won NaNoWriMo. Not only will I proudly wear it, but I’ll also happily confuse people about what in the world NaNoWriMo is. So, it’s doubly good.
And, I am not the only winner in our family. My 13-year-old grandson, Manning, plays Pop Warner Pee Wee Football and his team had an amazing season. The day after Thanksgiving they won their Division II Regional Championship.
Manning asked for a picture with him and his whole (present) family after his team won the Regional Championship. It was special to have cousins in town to cheer him on.
Do you know what that means to win a regional championship? It means they’re going to Disney World – specifically the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. There they have played two games against other regional winners and have smoked them. On Friday morning they will play in the Pop Warner Superbowl for all the marbles and ESPN 3 will even televise it.
I am so proud of Manning and his brother, Winston, too. Winston’s team did not make the playoffs this year, but I can tell you that both boys have practiced and trained so that they can be the best they can be on the field. It bleeds over to off the field as well. They are turning into fine young, albeit goofy at times, men.
Friday morning you can find me out at Disney rooting for Manning. I hope he wins! Of course, in my book he is already a winner. Well, not in my actual book, but you know what I mean.
The complex is huge. It’s like a city, and they really went all out for the kids.
*****
*If you’ve ever entertained the idea of writing a novel, this is a great way to launch those ideas into a bonified manuscript. Maybe you’ll want to join in next year. Here is the NaNoWriMo mission statement:
“National Novel Writing Month is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.”
I’ve been thinking about killing someone off, and it’s harder than I thought it would be. I am participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which is a campaign to write a novel (at least 50,000 words) in the month of November. I have reached the juncture in my story where someone must die. I knew death was inevitable, but I’ve been writing around it for the last three days. I can’t bring myself to do it.
I am pretty sure that it’s a good thing that this is hard for me. It should be hard. After all, my novel is based on real events and real people whom I closely know, so this is personal. Even though death is a part of life, I wasn’t prepared to do the deed with my own hand on the keyboard.
In 1839, novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton penned the words, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” That may be true unless you’re on the wrong end of the sword. Get my point?
Anyway, when I finish this post. I will open my Word document and try again. I hope I can finish the job this time. The rest of my characters are waiting to react to the event. Right now, they don’t know what’s going on.
Hopefully sometime next year I will have this book published. Hopefully you will read it and forgive me for this weak spoiler. If you’re anything like me, you will have forgotten about this by then, so I think we’re safe.
As of this morning, I have written 31,438 words. If I add this to the 14,008 words that I wrote earlier this year, I am well on my way to completion of my first draft. In January, I will have massive editing to do, so there is that; but I am on pace to finish by the end of November. Thanksgiving may cause a problem, still I’ll press on and hope for the best without making my husband and myself crazy.
Last weekend, Bob and I took our local grandsons to the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. We were excited to introduce them to this favorite place of ours and get me out from behind the computer for a while. A wildlife drive will offer idyllic scenes of beautiful birds flying about or perched high above and wading birds floating around the water surrounded by flowers.
Great Egret in the Burr Marigolds
It will also offer a decaying corpse of an alligator. The boys were fascinated. The gator was swollen and floating upside down in a pond. It was gross and we were thankful we were upwind of him. I did not capture a picture of him even though the boys requested one. You can’t give them everything they want. I don’t want to spoil them too much.
Bob, our grandsons, and an Anhinga (aka Water Turkey or Snake Bird)
In keeping with the death theme, which has been on my mind as I try to do in my character, we came across this lovely scene.
Great Blue Heron with a snack-sized American Alligator
I don’t think I gathered any ideas which I can use in my death-scene writing dilemma, but you never know. Would you be surprised to find out that one of my characters had been killed by a bird or an alligator? Maybe I’ll try to work that into the plot. Maybe not.
I have a friend named Robert Alexander Swanson. Rob makes me think about things I don’t usually think about. He pushes me to do more in my craft. He is also the publisher of my book, Always Look for the Magic, as well as the leader of my writers’ group. His latest challenge to me is summed up in the following question:
Have you ever thought about what it means to be creative?
Let’s get more personal. Do you think of yourself as creative?
We can either think too highly of ourselves, or worse, not confess to our true talents. I think the latter is more of a problem. The right and proper answer to “do you think of yourself as creative” is revealed in Rob’s new book, CREATIVITY WEARS BOOTS.It’s a brain thing. “This book explains why you’re creative and how art is the birthright of every human being.”[1]
Twenty years ago, if you asked me if I was creative, my answer would have been much different than it is today. Here’s my current answer:
I am creative. I even call myself an artist, though that still feels a little strange coming out of my mouth after decades of denial. I am learning what it really means to be creative and how important it is to view oneself in that way. You can learn all about it in CREATIVITY WEARS BOOTS. Plus, Rob has sprinkled the book with profiles of several interesting artists throughout the book, including me! (I thought you should know!)
Learn more about this wonderful book by clicking here. You can also order directly from Amazon.
To celebrate Rob’s new book, I am giving away a copy of it. There will be one winner. Here’s how to enter to win:
Share this blog post on social media. One entry per share. Be sure to let me know in the comments that you are sharing.
Comment on this post either directly on the post or on Facebook – one entry per comment
Are you new to my blog? Follow me and receive a dose of Life on the Lighter Side in your email inbox every week. You get an entry for being a new follower. Please comment that you are doing so. That gets you even closer to winning!
The contest will end at midnight on Tuesday, August 27. I will reveal the winner in my blog next Thursday. Thanks for entering.
*Of course, it should go without saying that my family is not eligible to win, but since Bob let it slip that he was scheming to flood my blog with comments to win, I thought maybe I should say it. My family is not eligible to win. There you go!
[1] Quoted from the back cover of CREATIVITY WEARS BOOTS.
This is it – the end of April and The Ultimate Blog Challenge. It has been fun and I’ve “met” some new and interesting people. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Remember, if you haven’t already, you can follow my blog and have it delivered right into your email. Look on the right column -it’s easy.
Now you may be asking – “What will May look like for you, Bonnie?”
Or you may be begging me to keep on posting daily as I have become habit-forming.
You’re too kind!
My plan is to resume posting once a week, but there is the possibility that I won’t be able to restrict myself to that. We’ll see. So, I’ll be around weekly, at least.
I also have other writing projects which are getting dusty inside of my computer. (Can that happen?)
My grandson liked it better than Wonder. I’m taking that as an unbiased critique.
Last year I published my first book. It is a middle-grade novel (aimed at 9-13 year-olds), but it has appeal to multiple generations. ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE MAGIC is based on my father’s life as he grew up in Baltimore during The Great Depression. Eleven-year-old Artie and his brother have to adapt to the changes that The Depression brings to their family. Will he be able to pursue his dream of being a magician? The book could be considered a coming-of-age story – it has heart and humor. You can order it from Amazon. There’s a link on the right column.
I have begun working on my next novel, which is for adults (not to be confused with an adult novel). I have a good start on it, but I need to dedicate some time to working on it before the next influx of family comes in July.
I published my first book through Prevail Press. You can check out their website here. I tried the traditional publishing route, but could not secure either an agent or a publisher. It is very difficult to publish traditionally in today’s world, especially if you don’t already have a platform. I believed that my book was worth publishing, and Prevail Press provided exactly what I needed to get it done. If you are in need of a great publisher, Prevail Press might fill the bill for you as well.
For the last 15 years, I have benefitted greatly from being in a writers’ group. The leader of our group, Rob Swanson, began Prevail Press. He also writes a wonderful blog on writing. Check it out here.
This blogging challenge has made me realize that I have a greater capacity to write than I had given myself credit for. I’m hoping to use that as motivation to not only blog but finish my next book.
Below you’ll find a YouTube from an interview of me talking about ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE MAGIC. You can tell I’m a little uncomfortable with that medium, but you can look at it to find out more about my book, which is available on Amazon.
So now that April is over, I think I need to get off my computer, go outside and walk a little, maybe even go for a jog. Just kidding. In case you don’t know it, that jogging comment was a joke. I only run if something is chasing me.
This is it! Post #30 in the Ultimate Blog Challenge to post every day in April.
I have a friend named Robert Alexander Swanson. Rob makes me think about things I don’t usually think about. He pushes me to do more in my craft. He is also the publisher of my book, Always Look for the Magic, as well as the leader of my writers’ group. His latest challenge to me is summed up in the following question:
Life on the Lighter Side 