Wednesday, September 30, 2015

WHEELCHAIR WALTZ

Wheelchair Waltz

Once upon a time
I was your daughter
You knew my name

You combed your hair
Your clothes matched (way more than mine)
You drove a car

Back in a fairy tale
Your eyes lit up when you saw me
Now your smile is hesitant, unsure

Broken sentences
Trailed off thoughts
I try to fill in the blanks

You retreat into sleep
Head dropped, breathing slowly
I hate to touch your arm and wake you

Can you still walk in your dreams?
Can you escape this wheelchair?
Is that world more beautiful than this one?

Do you still dream?
Or retreat into a fuzzy nothingness?
Is it wrong to wish you could stay asleep forever?

I'm sorry it's so hard for me to face you.
Each day more difficult to remember who you used to be.

You don't deserve this slow blank death.




Let Go
Let go
Of the sentence you can't finish
Of trying to remember
My name
Where you are
What month it is

Let me help you
Clean your glasses
Comb your hair
Ease into this wheelchair
We're moving you down the hall
You won't have to take any more
Pills you can't swallow
You don't have to eat supper
If you only want juice
We understand
Your weakness is growing stronger
Your eyes are dim
Your mouth is dry

Now it's time
for you to let go
And for me to say good-bye

#WRITING WEDNESDAYS MEANS ARCS AND APPLESAUCE





WRITING
- Printed off the revised ARC (advanced reader copy). Now, I just need to check it ONE MORE TIME...
- Waiting on edits for How to Ditch Dead Guys.
- Had some fun last night reading at the local Books & Beer event at LTS (Life's Too Short) Brewing Company (if you must know, I had a ROOT beer).



CROCK POT APPLESAUCE
(modified from Betty Crocker)

-       slow cooker/crock pot
-       takes 35-45 minutes to prepare apples
-       takes 3-4 hours on HIGH for apples to turn to sauce
-       let cool, fill jam jars, and freeze

***Sugarless version (lighter colored):
1)   1.5 cups water
2)   sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg into water
3)   apples to fill crock pot (sliced, cored, cut into chunks)
4)   can add TWO cut up pears to sweeten (but works well with or without pears)

Sweet version (darker colored):
1)   1.5 cups water
2)   ½ cup brown sugar
3)   sprinkle cinnamon
4)   sprinkle nutmeg
5)   cut up apples to fill cooker



***Sugarless version is by far my personal favorite.

***DON'T FALL ASLEEP when the applesauce is almost done. Bad idea. Very bad idea. I MIGHT have done such a thing earlier in the week. Let me tell you this--black applesauce is NOT very good.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

#WRITING WEDNESDAYS means RUNNING FOR TEAM LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA


I've gotten SO MUCH DONE this week!

1) Finished proofing the Advanced Reader Copy for Dead Girl Running, along with developing a glossary of anatomy/running/yoga terms (without taking any of them too seriously), revising my author bio, and organizing every dang thing related to that book.


2) Sent out 37 (feels like 137, but it's not) "begging" letters for my Leukemia & Lymphoma fundraiser. I even suffered bodily harm, in the form of a paper cut on my lip from licking the dastardly envelopes. If I die soon, it will be just like in Seinfelt, when she overdoses on envelope glue ingestion. Ugh.

(friends and family, you've been warned--the following is coming to a mailbox near you)

Dear friends and family,

Three years ago, together we raised $2,283.48 to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society discover better treatments for blood cancer patients. I'm back asking you to honor my father's memory by donating again to this worthy cause.

My father, Jerry Anderson, died from complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia on October 10th, 2009. He was first diagnosed in 1994, but felt normal for years. Once his blood cancer progressed, he became anemic and weak, requiring blood transfusions every two weeks just to stay alive. He only felt an energy boost from this procedure for one or two days, before he again felt cold no matter how many layers of clothes he put on. Near the end, just the effort of bending down to tie his shoes winded him.

This time, I'm running the Surf the Murf 50k ultra marathon, held in Savage, MN on October 24th, 2015. In addition, I'm publishing another book, entitled Dead Girl Running, with plans to donate 25% of the profits to this worthy cause.

Your donation will help fund treatments to discover cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. Patients need these cures and they need your support.


You can donate on my webpage: http://pages.teamintraining.org/mn/yourway16/anoser

As a reward for reading to the end, here's LOVELY picture from my trail marathon on the Superior Trail in Northern MN.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW of the LOVELY N.N. LIGHT

Q) Do you own a cat? The Black Cat Blog wants proof. 
I've never personally owned a cat but my mother-in-law had one that I was close too. His name was Oatmeal and he was so cuddly. He would plop on my lap and lay there for hours. He passed away five years ago and I miss him. I don't have a picture, I'm sorry.


Maybe you want this cat?


Q) WORST life advice you ever received.
Men don't like smart women so act dumb.

Q) BEST life advice you ever received.
Smile and the whole world smiles with you.

Q) Please share a picture of your favorite shoes.
These are almost identical to my wedding shoes. I, unfortunately, lost my wedding shoes when we moved seven years ago. I think the movers stole them. *shrugs* They are beautiful and I hope the man who is wearing them feels like a princess because that's how I felt on my wedding day back in 2004.



Q) What's your favorite Disney film?
I am one of the biggest Disney fans out there and you ask me to pick just one??? *pulls out hair* I can't do it! I have to pick two.

Winnie the Pooh: the Movie- I have been a fan of Winnie the Pooh and his friends ever since I was a baby. When Disney decided to make a new movie a few years ago, I was ecstatic. I went with my husband to the movie theatre and we own it on dvd. I watch it at least a few times a year.

Fantasia- I love this movie because it is so creative and blends my favorite Disney characters and classical music. I love the crocodile/hippo ballet but my favorite is with Mickey (Magician's Apprentice). I can watch it over and over.

Q) How do you balance having a family, life, and writing? Time is such a constraint. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to find a healthy balance.
Simple answer: I treat my writing like a full-time job.

Back in 2012, my husband and I decided it was time for me to give writing a go. I'd stop working out of the home and he's be the only income. Sure, money was tight and there were stressful times (like after every rejection from an agent/publisher) but we were all in.

Three years later, I'm a published author, just released my second book in two years and run a successful social media marketing/author promotions business.
I rely on my planner and schedule blocks of time for writing, promotion, business matters, not to mention all the household duties (chores, laundry, shopping, errands, etc.). I start at 8:00 am and stop at 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.
In the evenings and on the weekends, I unplug and spend time with my husband. We snuggle together in the evening and reconnect. We talk about our workday and encourage each other. We watch television and do all the things we love to do.

So many authors don't know how to unplug, especially when working from home. They go, go, go until the middle of the night and collapse in bed. It's not healthy, in my opinion, and leads to burn-out.

Psst, it's okay to take a break from writing/marketing and spend time with your family/friends/alone doing something totally unrelated to being an author. *smiles*

ANN: This is excellent advice! I need to learn how to 1) relax and 2) relax some more.

Q) What event would you call your breakthrough as an author?
It was when I joined ASMSG, IAN and MFRW groups. They're geared for indie authors and they're all about networking, marketing and reaching readers. I've learned so much from the members and am a more savvy author.

ANN: Sounds like some good groups I should explore...

Q) What do you know now that you wish you knew much earlier on as an author?
The way to attract readers is to be yourself, not someone you think readers will like. I'm a very friendly blogger and social media butterfly but when I first became a published author, I thought I had to appear stand-offish and stuffy. Boy, was I wrong! Readers want to get to know an author, especially if the author is unfamiliar to them. A reader is more likely to spend their hard-earned money on a book if they have interacted with an author either through social media or a blog.

Q) What's the best marketing advice you can give other authors?
Whatever you do, don't bombard people with BUY MY BOOK posts and/or tweets. Talk about things you're interested in, get to know people and then drop into the conversation you have a book for sale. Be a real person, not a billboard.

Q) Name 5 books you wish you'd written (and not just for the money and fame).
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Love the characters and how brave Jane Austen was for writing in a time when women were seen, not heard.

Any book by Agatha Christie - She's my favorite author and I love how unfolds a mystery with incredibly-complex characters.

America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines by Gail Collins - This is one of those historical books I wish I had written. Filled with women like you and me who changed America by following their beliefs. Brilliant!




Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker by Syrie James - I'm a huge fan of Dracula and the whole vampire lore. I wish I had thought of doing a journal of Mina Harker. The author does a magnificent job drawing us into the mind of Mina and every time I read it, I discover something new.




Bibliotherapy: The Girl's Guide to Books for Every Phrase of Our Lives by Nancy Peske and Beverly West - I've read books my whole life and for every occasion, especially heartbreak. I wished I had the foresight to come up with this idea back when I was in high school. There's a book for every mood and problem. *wink*

Q) List 5 books you loved as a child.
Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Encyclopedia Brown Mysteries by Donald J. Sobol
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild




Q) What inspired you to write Planting Seeds of Love?
Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella started as a flash fiction story. I was free-writing back in March, desperately trying to reconnect with my muse. I was stuck on my sequel of my debut novel, Princess of the Light, and the words weren't flowing. I closed my eyes and a faint female voice started speaking to me.

In June, I was offered an opportunity of a lifetime and they needed a contemporary romance to judge my writing skills. I write primarily paranormal romance so I pulled out my flash fiction folder. I came across a country romance flash fiction and suddenly, a light bulb went off.

Two weeks later, I had 24,000 words and Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella.



Q) What genres do you enjoy writing in? (Including any non-fiction articles, etc.)
I love writing anything with a paranormal theme to it. I'm fascinated by the paranormal and it comes across in my writing.

I also love writing inspirational thoughts for my blog. Every weekday morning, I write an inspirational thought. Sometimes it's reflective of my life or the lives of my friends or family while other times it's based on something I read in the news.
My mantra is to spread the Light. It doesn't matter what you believe, we all have Light inside. One of the main attributes to the Light is kindness. The world would be a different place if every single human being showed kindness to others. There wouldn't be war, hatred or evil. What a world that would be. *smiles*

Q) If you were to be executed tomorrow, what would you choose as a meal for your last supper?

Porterhouse steak, sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms with a bottle of red wine and some kind of chocolate dessert. I've included a picture of a Valentine's Day dinner my husband prepared for me one year. Yeah, that's my last supper.



Title: Planting the Seeds of Love: A Novella
Author: N. N. Light
Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, New Adult Romance
Release Date: September 15, 2015
Tagline: Torn between two men, Sally must follow her heart and decide if love will lead her to the city or the countryside.

Such a cute cover, I had to use it twice.


Blurb:
Torn between two men, Sally must follow her heart and decide if love will lead her to the city or the countryside.

Twenty-Two year old Sally Rayton returns to the family farm she deserted four years ago to bury her grandfather. Her plan: to settle her grandfather's estate and return to her life in the city with her boyfriend, Trevor Mattson.
Her childhood friend, Jack Smith, has other ideas.

Jack convinces Sally to transform the farm into a brewery and fulfill her grandfather's dream while keeping the Rayton Farm in the family. Sally works side-by-side with Jack while Trevor is hundreds of miles away in the city. The more time she spends with Jack, the stronger her feelings are for him.

When Trevor shows up to propose to Sally right before Christmas and finds her in Jack's embrace, she must make the biggest choice of her life: true love.


Excerpt:
Sally woke up the next morning to the sound of a chainsaw, multiple chainsaws. What the hell is going on? It's five-thirty in the morning! She threw back the bedcovers and grabbed her robe off the back of the bedroom door. Pulling it tight across her body, the floral soft cotton robe did nothing to conceal the fact she was naked underneath. She ran down the stairs and stomped out the door barefoot.

"So help me, I'm going to kill whomever is making that racket," she roared to no one in particular.

She craned her neck to hear where the sound was coming from. Turning left, towards the citrus grove, she saw Jack and two other men standing under the trees. All of the frustration from the past week poured out of her and she ran as hard as she could. When she came closer, she realized what they were about to do.

"Stop! Don't cut these trees down!" She panted. She put her hands on her hips to catch her breath.

Jack's eyes roamed the length of her body and Sally could feel a slight warmth heat her cheeks. She looked down at her disheveled robe and pulled her robe tighter. Dammit, what's he staring at? She lifted her gaze and her stomach did a flip. Jack's shirt wasn't buttoned and she caught a glimpse of his tanned ripped stomach muscles. Oh my!

"Jack, what are you doing? Do you know it's five-thirty in the morning?"

He shook his head, as if that was an answer. She tore her eyes away from his abs to his face. She inhaled sharply. His hooded eyes looked ready to devour her. I must be seeing things. Maybe he's just hungry.

The two other men set down their chainsaws. "Listen Jack, we'll be over at your farm eating some breakfast. Come get us when you're ready."

Jack snapped his head around to the men. "Sure. I'll see you guys in few minutes." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I have to clear things up with Miss Rayton." Jack watched the men walk away and whipped his head back to Sally.

Sally rolled her eyes and said aloud, "Yeah, you just have to talk to the womanfolk." She spoke in a sweet Southern drawl. "Remember to speak nice and slow so she understands ya'll."


Buy Links:
Available at Amazon Worldwide exclusively: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01581XM50



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Author Bio:
N. N. Light has been creating stories ever since she was little. Her grandfather remembers when she was two years old, she would stand at the top of the stairs and tell him a story filled with emotion (and in a language foreign to him) with her hands on her hips. Let's just say she was a born storyteller.

She was born in Minnesota, lived in Southern California only to move to chilly Ontario, Canada to marry her beloved husband MR N. She is blissfully happy and loves all things chocolate, books, music, movies, art, sports and baking. Her mantra is to spread the Light.

Most of the time you can find her on Twitter or getting new ideas on how to spread the Light on Pinterest. She is a proud member of ASMSG, Independent Author Network and Marketing for Romance Writers.

In addition to being an author, she's also a book promoter/reviewer and social media marketer. She loves books, has ever since she was young. Matching up books and readers is something that gives her great pleasure.

She’d love to connect with you either via email or via these various social media sites: