I forgot to add one thing about my class at BYU, and that was the Low-ku contest. (Haiku that is low on the poetic scale.) I thought Mike in my class wrote the best Low-ku poem. He was simply robbed when he didn't win the contest, so as a consolation prize I am posting his poem here where it will be seen by (according to statcounter) approximately five hundred viewers this week. Of course also according to statcounter many of these viewers will be from countries that don't actually speak English,so I'm not sure why they are stopping by my blog. Oh well, everyone is welcome here and if I knew how to say that in Portuguese and Chinese I would.

Boogidee
By Mike Blakesly

Boogidee the bird
flew by Tansy the bird dog.
We still find feathers.

This, according to Mike is a true story.

On a heavier note--heavier because I'm completely switching topics and now speaking about all the calories I've consumed lately--I'm returning to Arizona tomorrow. I've been traipsing around the Oregon and Utah for the last three and a half weeks and basically eating like I've been living on the Good ship Calories-don't-matter-so eat-whatever-tastes-good.

Seriously, I don't think I've ever eaten so many deserts and stuff. There is a tub of chocolate covered raisins upstairs in my mother's kitchen which I keep returning to like some sort of homing pigeon. Through constant use, I've rubbed off some of the lettering on the tub so that it now reads: Chocolate sins. And yes they are.

Reality and bran flakes will come tomorrow. Tonight there are more chocolate sins to be devoured.

Happy 4th of July, everyone! I'm so grateful for this day we have to think about our blessings and to recognize how incredible this great country is. I was going to write a blog to this effect, but then I ran across this one and realized I could never say it as well, so go read Kerry's blog instead.

In the meantime, I have another reason to celebrate but also to mourn. My daughter is turning twelve today. She's excited to go to Girls' Camp and Young Women and to grow up and be a teenager, and I'm mourning the fact that she's going to Girls' Camp and Young Women and growing up and being a teenager. I still feel twelve -- I'm not ready for this -- I keep wondering if I've taught her enough and if she feels like she's got a strong foundation and most of all, wondering how she can be turning twelve when I so plainly remember the day she was born and dressing her in tiny little sleepers and holding the length of her entire body on my forearm. And it's all burned into my memory and lives like it was just yesterday, and now she's telling me that she's twelve? I think someone's playing a big trick on me . . . she's really only two.

I'm not as amused as I'd like to be at this moment.

I've seen this tag going around Blogland, and every time, I've thought, "I'm so glad they didn't tag me!" Well, my luck has ended. I blame Danyelle for it all.

I will play this game, truthfully and honestly, but I'm going to preface this by saying two things.

A. I came down with a screamingly bad headache last night, nearly threw up, and feel like all sorts of bad things this morning. Consequently, nothing is as it should be.

B. I reserve the right to post pictures of these same locations later, after I get everything back to normal and after I've showered.

With those two qualifiers in mind, let's begin:

1. My Kitchen Sink.


Yes, it's a sink. And that's about all I have to say.

2. Inside My Fridge

At least there's food in it, right?

3. My Favorite Shoes

The brown shoes on the left are my favorite for author events and times when I want to feel a little more stylish. The sneakers are new and very cushy on my feet. I have to be nice to my feet.

4. My Closet

This could be a lot worse.


5. The Laundry Pile

You're going to have to turn your head to the side. I don't care enough to try to rotate the picture. Plus, with it sideways, maybe it will look smaller.

6. What My Kids Are Doing Right Now

My daughter requested a TV Off Week this week, and we're easing into it. This is actually one of the few times the tv has been on, and you caught me!

7. My Favorite Room

This is my bathtub. It's big enough for me to soak in. It used to be Danyelle's house (we bought it from her) so I'm showing this picture to get her back for tagging me. I have the bathtub now and you don't! Neener neener! But it is really my favorite place in the house. I've gotten some really good book ideas in there. None of them about a bathtub, though.

8. My Recent Purchase

See the contents of my fridge. The most recent thing I bought was groceries.

9. My Fantasy Vacation (I didn't take any of these pictures)

Any vacation has to have a big, comfy bed. I would wake up in a bed like this, at my leisure, roll over and go back to sleep. I would probably return to it later in the day for a nap. And I wouldn't have to make it.

There would be a big stack of books nearby, all my favorite authors.

There would be a broad selection of foods to choose from that I neither had to cook or clean up after.

And, at the end of the day, my sweetie and I would go for a walk in the sunset, hand in hand. Notice that the woman in this picture is skinny. If we're going to have a fantasy, I can visualize myself skinny!


10. Self-portrait

Okay, I hear that hysterical laughter! Keep in mind, I'm unwell!



Now, who can I tag . . .

Lynne

Annette

My first contact with J. Scott Savage was when I was the chapter president of the Utah Valley Chapter of the League of Utah Writers. I found his contact information in the back of his first book and e-mailed, asking him to speak at the January meeting. He agreed.

A few weeks before the meeting, he came to our critique group's annual Christmas dinner as our newest member, and that's when I first met him. (At Brick Oven. How could I ever forget? Yum . . . .)

That was six and a half years ago, if I'm doing the math right. (I was expecting #4 then, and it was right before my first book was accepted. Yep.) He was a bit of a turkey when it came time for him to speak. I sent a confirmation e-mail to him, and he replied with something snarky like, "What? Was that THIS week? I totally forgot. . . . Just kidding."

I knew right then that he was a goofball, or, er, a riot to get to know.

It's been great having him in the same critique group (especially as the first male, someone to tell us when our male characters were acting, um, less than manly).

Today I get to have fun mentioning his latest publishing achievement, his upcoming book, Farworld: Water Keep, the first in a young adult fantasy series. The book will be on shelves in September, a mere two months away.

Since I agreed to be part of his cool blog tour before I hopped aboard the Whitney Committee and could no longer review 2008 books or publicly mention my opinion of them, I'll keep mum on what I think of the book itself.

Never fear; there are plenty of places you can learn about the book, as his blog tour is going for two months and is quite extensive. You'll be able to find great question-and-answer sessions, reviews of Farworld, and more all over the blogosphere.

However . . . since I can't review the book, I thought I'd have some fun. So . . . this may be the only place you get to find out about the real J. Scott. Here are six little-known facts I've learned about him in the six and a half years I've known him. I picked six because it's a fun number and not too big. I could have gone with twenty-six and had plenty to say. I've got a lot of dirt, but I decided not to mention the . . . oh, wait. :D

1) He enjoys being an anomaly.
For example, he finds it great fun to be the only bass in the room singing, "As Sisters in Zion" at Relief Society Literacy nights.

2) He's observant.
At last year's critique group Christmas dinner, he gave one member a miniature (toy) vacuum that actually sucked . . . that plugs into the computer. I think he knows we women ("The Ladies of Wednesday Night," as he so lovingly refers to us) do a balancing act between housewife and writer.

3) His biological clock is seriously messed up.
The poor man travels so much, my head spins. More than once as we're getting RSVP e-mails about meeting, he'll send a last-minute message along the lines of, "I was supposed to be flying in to SLC tonight, but there was an emergency in [Georgia, Las Vegas, LA, fill in the blank] so I'm headed there right now. Sorry; I won't make it tonight." Forget his biological clock; I bet that half the time even he doesn't know what time zone he's in.

4) Disneyland has played a part in his writing.
On a couple of counts. First, he once wrote a scene as an exercise of how to take a normal, happy situation and make it scary and creepy . . . using the "It's a Small World" ride. (Last time I rode it, my girls loved it, but I kept waiting for doll arms to reach up out of the water and kill me. Yeah. Thanks, dude.)

Second, since his sweet wife, Jen, adores the park, his family goes there a lot. On something like their third trip of the year, he once spent the day at Disneyland, writing, while his family played.

Talk about a writer's happiest place on Earth . . .

5) He feeds his friends.
Or maybe it's Jen who does it. Regardless, whenever he hosts critique group, there will be chips and salsa on the table. A good thing, too, because I often skip dinner as I race out the door. Therefore, most of the chips and salsa end up being eaten by me. Yeah, I know. Oink. (Oops. I think I just revealed more about me than I did about him.)

6) He gives the dreaded, "It's great . . . just two things," critiques.
Those two things are often something like, "I totally didn't buy the premise of the scene" or "The main character's motivation for doing any of this fell flat" or "It's just boring." Dang it all if he isn't right 95% of the time, but fixing his "two things" requires hours and hours.

(And he complains because I write all over his manuscripts. Sure I do, but adding commas and deleting adverbs doesn't take nearly as long as rewriting an entire scene . . .)


There you have it; six things I bet many people don't know about J. Scott Savage. But here's one more you may have figured out: He's a great friend who is willing to help out any way he can. That's something rare and valuable. I consider myself lucky to be one of the Ladies of Wednesday night.

Now for the (other) fun part: One of my blog readers will get an Advance Reader Copy of Farworld: Water!

To enter the drawing, simply make a comment on this post by midnight (MDT) on Sunday, July 6, 2008. I'll put all the names into a hat and have a small child draw the winner. I'll announce the winner here the next day, on Monday, July 7.

If the winner doesn't don't contact me with their mailing address within two days, we'll draw another name. Good luck!

So we got back on Saturday and we survived, although that last day of flying home about broke me. I love my kids, really, but dang was I tired of them by the time we got home. Funny thing about vacations, even in a different country where they speak a different language, you're eating out all the time, and having the time of your lives--the whining does not stop. We started all the kids out at 20 points, which they lost each time they were pills and gained back when they did something particularly appreciated. #1 came home with 5, #2 had 2, #3 and #4 will owe us for some time. But it was lots of fun and a great thing to share with our kids. However, I'm glad to be home too.

I took my Isagenix stuff with me and did about one shake a day as a meal replacement; we were lucky in that we had a blender in our rental place. I weighed myself the morning after we got back and had only gained 1.2 pounds even though we ate out 2 meals a day and I wasn't living as if I were on a 'diet'. I was quite pleased with that. In a couple days I'll be starting their maintenance program and I'm looking forward to that; it will be interesting to see if I'm able to maintain and still feel the balance mental stuff I've appreciated.

I managed to write 25 pages using my beloved Alphasmart, I read 4 novels, got a tan, napped nearly every day and didn't wear make-up for a week. It was awesome.

Last night I made my kid's favorite dinner--Taco Salad--a unique meal in that they ALL like it and it's full of good stuff like veggies and beans they that they usually don't like. It's an easy thing to make a 'base' for that keeps in the fridge and can be mixed with the lettace, dressing, and chips at the last minute. I thought I'd share it with you guys for no particular reason.

Nonna Mae's Taco Salad

1 lb hamburger--drained
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 green pepper, diced
1 can olives, sliced
1 can beans (any type, not seasoned) drained
1 can corn (optional)
chopped cilantro (optional)
sliced mushrooms (optional)
3 chopped tomatoes (optional)
1/2 bottle Catalina salad dressing
1 bag iceberg lettuce mix or the equivalent of head lettuce
1/2 back Nacho Doritos crushed (can use other types of corn chips, doritos are out favorite)

Brown hamburger, add seasoning and water, mix well. Add green pepper, olives, beans, corn, cilantro, mushrooms & tomatoes. Mix well. This is your base and can be refrigerated and used as needed. When ready to serve, mix base with lettuce and dressing, mix well. Add chips last and serve. Keep in mind that the chips will go soggy relatively fast (about an hour or two), so add them just before serving. If your base is still warm when you mix it with the lettuce, the lettuce will lose some of it's crispness, which is why this works really well do to the base ahead of time then cool before mixing together. The base freezes well, just leave out the olives, mushrooms, and tomatoes until serving.

Hope everyone is having a great summer.

I've been asked a couple of times lately to explain the difference between narrative and exposition. Sounds like a great blog topic to me!

Narrative -- narrative links the dialogue together. For instance: Tom crossed the floor and picked up the antique vase, wondering where it had come from.

Exposition -- exposition tells us what happened in the past and catches us up-to-date. For instance: When he'd been working as an excavator in Mexico, he'd seen some artwork that reminded him of the designs on this vase. But in Mexico, his mind had been on anything but art. Instead, his days and nights had been consumed by thoughts of a certain dark-eyed girl and the way she flicked her hair over her shoulder as she walked away from him. Always walking away from him.

Essentially, narrative tells us what's going on now and exposition tells us what did go on, a little while ago. It's a past and present thing.

Over the last two blogless months, I've spent my time becoming intimately acquainted with the new floor my husband recently installed in our bathroom. Along with the floor, I've developed a love/hate relationship with the porcelain fixture that sits atop it. I love that it's there to receive what my stomach decides to regurgitate; I hate that I haven't dare strayed too far from it the past several weeks.

Our new floor is a nice, wide plank laminate that looks great next to the newly-installed beadboard and brushed nickel fixtures on the wall. However, I've found myself missing the twelve-years-old carpeting that previously covered the floor. Many times over the years we've lived in our home I have asked myself why on earth I chose carpeting for our master bath. The answer came to me this past month as I lay on our new floor---I was pregnant when we were building and moving into this house. Some part of my subconscious must have recognized that carpet would be much nicer to lay on when curled up in a ball of nauseated misery.

Fortunately our new bath mat from IKEA is a soft place to rest one's head while contemplating whether it is worth it to get off the floor and attempt to do something (anything---start a load of desperately-needed laundry for my neglected family, fix a meal for my surviving-on-mac-n-cheese kids---oooh food. Bad thought. Nevermind. I'm not going anywhere). I've also had plenty of time to contemplate the past year or so of my life, and particularly what I was doing exactly one year ago.

Last June I was getting my feet wet with booksignings and just beginning to get the sense that people liked Counting Stars. The (great) experience was tempered somewhat by the unexpected, early-second trimester miscarriage I'd had in May, and while I was thrilled to finally be published, I was still pretty sad. For a long time both my husband and I had felt like one more child was meant to come to our home, and the loss went very deep.

Flash forward one year. I'd thought (planned, hoped, believed) that once published I would---like my brilliant friends Annette Lyon and Heather Moore---have a book come out with Covenant each year. The manuscript I turned in last November had some problems initially, but I felt confident I'd worked those out some time ago, and though I knew I'd missed getting a June release again, I still had a vague hope for later this year. But, things don't always work out the way I think they should (a pattern repeated often throughout my life---I should get it by now :D). And here it is June, and still I wait to see if Beneath A Canopy of Stars will even be accepted. I'd be lying if I said this isn't discouraging, depressing, and downright frustrating. But I'd also be lying if I said it was hugely important right now.

Something much more important has happened---a late in life miracle, if you will---and it looks like we are going to be blessed with that one more child in our family after all. Considering the medical trials and prognosis I've had over the past year, this really is a miracle. And so I'll happily trade booksignings last June for lying on the bathroom floor this June. There's a time and season for everything, and if I've learned one thing throughout my life it is that you can have it all---but not necessarily at the same time.

And maybe, just maybe if I work hard and am very fortunate, June of 2009 will see me juggling feeding our baby between visiting bookstores again.

I just registered for the League of Utah Writers Conference. I think that writers conferences are invaluable for those who want to become published, or continue to grow their writing career. I've met writers at them who have become great friends and mentors, and gained invaluable contacts that later led to endorsements.

When I started submitting my first novel, I did an internet search for writers groups. I found the LUW and attended my first chapter meeting in January 2002. J. Scott Savage was the speaker that night. Annette Lyon was the Chapter President. Little did I know, but I would join their critique group that summer and eventually replace Annette as Chapter President. You can say that I jumped in with both feet.

So if you want to become a published writer, find a writers league near you and sign up for conferences in your area. Check out the speaker line-up and sign up for interviews to meet with agents or publishers. Most agents find their clients through referrals or at writers conferences.

When I did my virtual book tour in May, I was thinking solely about book promotion. I didn't realize I'd also be making friends, but that's exactly what happened. Mirella Patzer hosted me on her blog, and today I'm delighted to return the favor to her.

Mirella, how long have you been writing?

I always harboured a secret desire to write, but never believed I had the talent. Then one day in the fall of 2002, I had lunch with 3 authors - a published author of children's books, a published author of contemporary fiction, and an aspiring author of a World War II novel. The next morning, I ran to buy a laptop and began writing with intensity, but in isolation. Slowly, I found an on-line critique group fo historical fiction and that's when I really began to learn the art of writing. Feedback is critical. Slowly, I've been immersing myself in other on-line groups and networking sites and getting to know more and more fabulous authors.

What have you published and what is in the works?

I've been truly blessed because everything I've written has been published. I've published 3 short stories and 2 novels. My short story, Down Three Steps, was featured in the anthology, Mamma Mia: Good Italian Girls Talk Back which became a big seller in Canada.

My first novel, Heinrich the Fowler is the first of a 3 or 4 book series, a family saga about Otto the Great's family and their rise to power during the 10th century. I'm currently re-writing this particular book, adding more research and emphasizing the lives of the women. I have entitled it A Crimson Mantle and it is complete in its first draft. I have also completed the 2nd book in the series entitled Lance of Destiny. This is in its first draft also. Lastly, I'm 1/3 of the way through writing Orphan of the Olive Tree. This story was written in short story format during the 14th century. I'm expanding the plot, changing the setting and enhancing the characters.

In addition to being an author, you also review books. What are your favorite genres to read?

I love historical novels, with the medieval period being my favourite, however, I never limit myself to just this particular genre. I enjoy a good ghost story, no matter the period. I love books about the Mafia and / or books with Italy as a setting in all genres or periods. I also love court room dramas like those of John Grisham. And, I also love stories about Saints.

As you're writing your historical novels, what tips and tricks do you use to keep yourself immersed in that era?

The 10th century is a difficult era because much during that era has been lost and record keeping back then wasn't as good. So I try to collect books relative to that era. I read them and mark them, adding notes to my manuscript as a read along. I also focus on reading as many medieval novels as I can to keep myself thinking and learning, even when I'm just reading for pleasure. I will also record History Channel episodes if they are applicable for future reference and watch anything medieval in the movies or on tv.

You wrote me a lovely book review last month. How did you get to be so cool?

Aw shucks, I'm blushing. Meeting fellow authors like you help to shape and develop me as an author. I am really sincere when I say your novel was truly a terrific read. Since reading Season of Sacrifice, I've read several more novels, yet your story is still in my mind. The incredible journey through the Hole in the Rock, the way you touched upon polygamy, and your love for your faith continue to resound in my mind. With every word you wrote, your love for your family's history came strongly through.

Now it's my turn to blush! What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

The most important thing is to write. Then, you must network with other authors - a good critique group is imperative. Strong, honest feedback is a writer's best friend. As much as it hurts to hear it, embrace it and bury that ego. Dust yourself off and continue to hone your skill. Working with other authors, both published and unpublished, has been the most beneficial aspect and has provided me with the highest degree of learning.

Thank you so much for being here, Mirella, and for sharing your friendship with me!

It's been a real pleasure working with you, Tristi. Although our genres are vastly different, I have come to admire you and your work. I value our cyber friendships very much.

After hanging out with Shannon Hale and her fab entourage, I went to BYU to teach at an annual writer's workshop. And really, I don't know when I've had so much fun. Writers are great to hang out with because they totally get me. Not only that, I can go on and on about the sins of misusing point of view or faulty motivation and people actually care about what I'm saying. They write it down. (As opposed to my husband and kids who try to block me out.)

Carol and Cherie, who were in charge of the conference were hilarious. I will never forget them dancing around Stephen Fraser in sunglasses to the song Secret Agent Man. And I'm sure Stephen won't forget it either. Rick Walton and Will Terry ought to be comedians. I want copies of their presentations to cheer me up every time I get to down about this business. I won't detail the entire staff--but they were all wonderful.

Also, it's great to bounce ideas off of other writers. When I was critiquing my class's manuscripts I think I tried to add romance subplots to all of them. So you're writing sci-fi story about the end of the world? It could use a little romance. A coming of age, character driven novel, about a girl coming to terms with her mother's abandonment? Add a neighbor boy. And some raccoons. Because raccoons are really cute and kids love them.

I think I gave the class all my best ideas.

We had lots of fun, and I hadn't anticipated how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to my class. I miss them already, and I want to know how all of their stories turn out.

So Amy, Julie, Susan, Melinda, Laura, Lisa, Elizabeth, Mike, Darlene, Kaye, Kristi, Jared, and Erin, (am I forgetting anyone?) when you get published, I want to know!

Oh, and one more thing--I told my class that I had used Orlando Bloom's name in a shameless attempt to get more hits on my blog. They didn't approve of my methods. They suggested that instead of simply writing Orlando Bloom, Orlando Bloom, Orlando Bloom over and over again that I should write: Shirtless Orlando Bloom, Shirtless Orlando Bloom, Shirtless Orlando Bloom. (You can tell my class consisted of mainly women.)

So here it is ladies: Shirtless Orlando Bloom