author karen walker...following the whispers

Family matters

2012-01-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I want to thank everyone who commented on my Monday Musings post about blogging. Your comments were thoughtful and loving and helped me realize how much I truly enjoy being part of this community, so I am not giving it up any time soon. I just have to find balance, as with everything else in life.

Wishing you all a very wonderful weekend. I have two singing gigs, one today and one tomorrow, and then I must get ready for a trip back East next week - family matters. I won't have access to internet and will need my energy and attention focused elsewhere, so please keep me in your thoughts and prayers and I will connect when I return on February 6. Till then...
Blessings,
karen

Telling the truth Tuesday - Introducing Celery Tree

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing Celery Tree

Karen Jones Gowen is brilliant. Not only a great writer, she's a creative entrepreneur as well. Here's why:

It began when she realized how much writers like to gather, meet (even virtually), read and review each others books, assisting in promotion and even buying their books.

She thought, What we need is a central location where we can gather, network, post reviews, and also sell our books. Somewhere that doesn't take a huge cut of the profits, that puts more money into the hands of those who actually create the books we love to read.

She was fortunate to find some talented people who got excited about the concept and donated their time and talents to designing, programming and making it a reality.

The realization of that dream is Celerytree.com.

The more writers who join the more they benefit, because Celerytree.com is designed to be a united front, a community. The more people posting and linking to it, the faster it will happen.

If you want to help, please post this button on your blog and link it to Celerytree.com. Below the button is a summary/list for copying and including in a blog post if you would like. Anything you can do to get the word out about this innovative online bookstore!

WHO SHOULD JOIN CELERYTREE.COM?

1. Those with published books to sell (print and/or ebooks).

2. Those who believe in the pay-it-forward philosophy of authors supporting authors.

3. Those who don't mind paying a small membership fee for the privilege of being part of a supportive, ad-free community. (Free memberships available for a limited time.)

4. Those who want a place to interact with others, post reviews, network, and to sell their books all in one location.

5. Those who believe in writers receiving fair pay for their work.

If this sounds like you, then go to Celerytree.com and click JOIN. More information can be found on the Celery Tree blog, Twitter account, and Facebook page.

Karen Gowen will be available at karen@celerytree.com to answer your questions about Celerytree.comduring the Big Blog Tour. Feel free to email Karen about any questions you may have at this time on joining, registering, buying books, submitting books or any other issues.

I am happy to be one of the original authors to agree to participate and am very excited about this new project. Please help in any way you can.
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings

2012-01-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have no reason to blog anymore. My memoir is almost out of print. Still a few copies available on Amazon. You can still purchase as an ebook on Smashwords. But I'm doing nothing to promote it anymore. And I'm not sure I'll ever finish, let alone publish, the novel I'm working on. So why blog? Most writers blog to build a platform to sell their books. That's why I did it originally. But it soon became something else. It became a place for me to share my ongoing journey towards healing. And it became a place where others share their thoughts and feelings about my journey as well as their own. I love those connections. So I guess the answer is the reasons why I blog have changed. I guess now the question is, how important is it?

How about you?
Blessings,
Karen

Managing weight loss

2012-01-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

That's me, front, left - 50 lbs ago in 2006

Many of you may not know that I struggled with being overweight for most of my adult life. I yo yo'd up and down from my high of 194 pounds in the 1980s, to my current low of 130. I am only 5' 3 1/2", so 194 was obese for me. I did every diet imaginable: Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, the grapefruit diet, Atkins. I lost weight on all (except Atkins), but always put it back. Since the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, I decided to do it differently this last time. Instead of dieting, I hired a nutritionist to teach me how to eat. For me. With my particular food issues (i.e. I cannot do dairy of any kind, or soy). Each step of the way, she worked with me on how many complex carbs, proteins, veggies and fruit servings to have each day and taught me appropriate portion sizes. I went from 183 to my current weight and have remained there for 3 years now.

Me on Mykanos this past year

The reason I am writing about this today is that it is not easy. I have to manage my food. And sometimes that means telling friends I can't come for dinner because I've eaten out several times already that week. You see, I gain a couple of pounds every meal I eat that isn't in my control. Then it takes several weeks to take it off. If I don't manage it, it will be 2 pounds, then another 2 pounds, then another, and I'll be right back where I started.

At this point, I think my really close friends understand and actually admire me for what I've done. But it isn't easy saying no to dinner invitations, or going out to eat with friends and ordering a cup of tea. However, the way I feel about myself, which is better than I've ever felt in my life, makes it all worth while.

I guess it all boils down to a motto I came to understand a long long time ago: being willing to do whatever it takes. If something is really important to my growth and well being, that is the place I must come from in order to make it happen. Being willing to do whatever it takes.

Are you?
Blessings,
Karen

Telling the truth Tuesday - changing my mind

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-07:00

I've posted recently about the joy dancing brings me. I'd given it up for a long while because I have no cartilage left in my knee and I want to postpone knee replacement surgery as long as possible. But here's the thing. When I dance on a regular basis, my knee hurts constantly, even when I'm not dancing. It hurts every day and wakes me up at night, too. When I don't dance, and just walk everyday for exercise, no pain. I don't function as well when I'm in pain all the time.

So I'm back reconsidering my decision to keep dancing because truly, I don't want to be in pain every day and night. And my knee isn't bad enough, so the surgeon says, to replace it right now.

It's an interesting dilemma when something that brings one great joy also brings with it great pain. What's a gal to do?

Do you share such a dilemma? What do you do?
Blessings,
karen

Monday Musings - a Sugartime success story

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by here on Friday and left such beautiful comments. I'm glad so many of us are working on little things to make a difference in peoples' lives.

As part of my Monday musings, I need to direct you to the Arlee bird's website, where I am talking about Karen Gowen's astounding new concept, Celery tree, a new website where authors support other authors. Please take a moment to head over there (after reading this post, of course, LOL). http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/

I want to tell you about my experience on Friday singing. One of the ways I try to make a difference is with my group, Sugartime. We don't charge a fee when we perform at retirement communities, senior centers, nursing homes, or even at private functions. We accept donations and tell people if there's a budget, that's fine. If there isn't, that's fine, too. We'll sing anyway. On Friday we were invited to sing at a grand re-opening of a Senior Center here in town. We said yes, not knowing that it was going to be a pretty major event. Two days before we were to sing, we found out the Mayor would be there and could we please change the time we were to sing and shorten our program. We said yes. When we arrived on Friday morning, one hour before show time to set up our equipment, we found out we had to sing earlier than we were told because the Mayor changed the time again. Okay. We sang our shortened program to a really nice crowd and then stayed while the Mayor re-dedicated the center. Then the organizer realized there was a 45 minute lag in entertainment, so we were asked to sing some more. We did.

Afterwards, the head of the Department of Senior Affairs came up to me and said, "Thank you so much. You were wonderful. You set the spirit of the entire event for us."

You cannot imagine how wonderful it is to hear that you did what you set out to do. Bring joy!
I will be getting together with her to talk about how Sugartime can perform at more of these kinds of events. We had an absolute blast!

Saying yes, even if it means extra hard work and a bit of chaos and having to "go with the flow" can be hard, but oh so rewarding.

Do you say yes, even if it means some sacrifice on your part?
Blessings,
Karen

Little things

2012-01-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

Years ago I realized I would probably never do or create anything magnificent. I was not a Gandhi or a Martin Luther King or a Joan of Arc. I wasn't really "great" at anything. But does that mean I'm insignificant? No. because it's the little things we do and say that make a large impact on those around us. When I realized I wouldn't ever be famous or "great," I made a decision to be the most loving Karen I could possibly be. That became a long, difficult journey to uncover the reasons I hated myself and and then finding ways to overcome that hatred and learn to love me. As I am able to do that, I am able to love others more as well.

So each day, I am working on the little things. Like not flashing "irritable" when something happens to annoy me. Or responding with kindness to rudeness (this one's hard, I must admit). Or smiling at a stranger even if I'm hurting inside.

Can you share some little things you do that make a difference?

Blessings,
Karen

P.S. I won't be able to respond to comments or visit you today as I am singing at a Senior Center today and then taking a friend out for her birthday. I'll check in some time over the weekend.

Telling the truth Tuesday - Joy is joyous

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

I went dancing Saturday night. For those who are new here, I do folk dancing, which means we dance the cultural dances of countries from around the world: Hungarian, Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Israeili, Irish, etc. I have been folk dancing on and off since I'm 16 (and I'm turning 63 this year). Oy! I have no cartilage in my left knee and dancing makes it hurt. Walking does not. But I made a decision a month or so ago to start dancing again, even if it accelerates the journey towards knee replacement. I am so glad I did. Dancing for me is pure joy!

I want more joy-filled activities in my life. I'm lucky, I've got two that bring me the kind of heart-expanding, tingly all over and you can't keep from smiling feeling I'm talking about - dancing and singing.

What fills your heart with joy?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - filled with energy

2012-01-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

It is the most bizarre thing. I don't know if there is a correlation or not (I think there is), but as soon as I rid myself of something toxic in my life, I've been filled with more energy than I know what to do with. I mean, it used to be, I'd force myself to exercise, then I'd have to rest a while before forcing myself to do the next thing on my list. Now, I exercise, practice singing, practice piano, write, blog, and still have more energy left over. I feel alive. A young 17-year-old friend shared with me last night that she receives phone calls from a classmate and after the conversation, she feels "dead." It made me wonder how many people and things are in our daily lives that make us feel that way. I will be paying much closer attention to my energy levels around people and activities to help me understand this phenomenon.How about you?Blessings,Karen

I wrote I wrote I wrote - yippee!

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

I have no post today other than to say that Wednesday was the first day I gave myself 10 minutes to work on my novel and I wrote I wrote I wrote. It was only a page, but it was the first time in two months I added something new to the manuscript. I am beyond happy. Now I just have to do the same 10 minutes each day. Woo! Hoo!
What are you whooping about today?

Blessings,
Karen

Insecure Writers's Support Group - writing woes

2012-01-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

What's a writer to do when she's not writing? Gee, that could be the title to a country western song, 'cept I don't listen to country western much. Although I did sing a country western song at our folk dance talent show. Go figure.

My insecurities really flare up when I'm not writing. I've been doing journal writing, and I am reassured that there is nothing major going on emotionally or spiritually that is preventing me from writing. I am going to set my intention to sit down every day and get quiet for 10 minutes minimum and see what happens.

Wish me luck.

This post is part of The Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/. We post the first Wednesday of every month.

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - Changes

2012-01-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Everything changes. Oh how I wish it didn't. But it does. I used to really hate change until I understood that nothing ever stays the same, so I learned to accept. My motto for the last few months has been adapt and let go, but I am not always able to do so. I had a very powerful lesson a few days ago. I was having difficulty communicating with someone. I felt I was being mis-heard, mis-interpreted, that words, thoughts and feelings were being put in my mouth that I didn't say, think, or feel. We tried several times to work through the issues, but to no avail. I made a decision to let go of this person, but before I told them that, I was a zombie. Lying on the couch, unable to read, watch TV, or focus on anything. I remained that way for hours, unwilling to hurt someone else in order to take care of me.

Early afternoon, I got up, turned on the computer and wrote two paragraphs, saying goodbye in as loving a way as possible, communicating my truth. I read it aloud to a trusted friend to make sure the tone wasn't hostile in any way, then pushed send.

Immediately, I was flooded with life energy. It taught me that energy is a barometer one can use to determine what needs to be done or in this case, undone. If I don't pay attention, I'm in deep doo doo.

What is your energy telling you?

Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - it's a brand new year

2012-01-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
Thanks for all who stopped by during my holiday break to leave good wishes. I really did manage to stay away from blogging during the holidays and so I didn't get to visit any of you. Hope your holidays were everything you hoped they'd be.

This year I was responsible for putting on our annual folk dance New Year's Eve party, which is a lot of work, so I am pretty exhausted. Lots happened over the holidays--some good, some not so good, but all in all I am doing well.

I have set my intention on several things for the new year. One, I am trying not to be so irritable when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Two, I am going to spend much more time in quiet thought and meditation and hope that brings new writing my way. Three, I am going to remember to count my blessings.

I am grateful for the connections I have made through blogging. I began in May, 2009 and it has been quite a journey. What are you grateful for today?

Blessings,
Karen

Happy Holidays

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. I'll be spending time with family and friends, and hope you are, too. See you again in 2012. Happy New Year!
Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday: Getting Ready for the A-Z Challenge

2011-12-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

The intrepid Arlee Bird has created a special blog totally devoted to the A-Z Challenge, a very successful blog hop. Today, you can find my reflections on last year's challenge. Please check it out here:
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

My truth today is that I'm not sure I'm up for that kind of challenge right now. My writing is sporadic at best and I don't want to put undo pressure on myself. On the other hand, I gained so many wonderful followers and made so many wonderful connections that I'm leery of skipping it. Thank goodness I don't have to decide until April. Right?

How about you?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - Happy Chanukah

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd throw Happy Chanukah wishes out there for all my Jewish friends. I love the lights of both Chanukah and Christmas because they both symbolize bringing in the light to the darkness of winter.

Blessings,
Karen

New Year's Exercise

2011-12-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Every year I do a special exercise for the new year. I got it from someone named Lakein back in the 1980's. You take a pad and pen and set a timer for 3 minutes and free write (without thinking) your lifetime goals. Stop. Set the timer for another 3 minutes and free write your three-year goals. Stop. Set the timer for another 3 minute and free write your goals if you knew you only had six months to live.
Gets my priority straight and clear every time.
How about you?
Blessings,
Karen

Telling the truth Tuesday - I'm cranky and I don't know why

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

Do your moods shift in a nanosecond? Can you be happy and joyous one minute and snapping at your best friend the next? I've worked on myself for so many years now and I still haven't figured out why I can turn irritable so quickly. It's embarrassing. I know food plays a part - I'm hypoglycemic and if I don't eat every few hours, I get cranky. So I plan for that.

This past weekend, hubby and I were out running errands and we did something we don't do very often. Go out to eat together. A new Vietnamese restaurant opened several months ago with rave reviews and since Vietnamese is one of my faves, I wanted to check it out. But I don't eat out very often because every time I do, I gain 1-2 pounds and it takes a few weeks to get it back off. I have to be careful, because if I don't get it back off, the next time I will gain another 1-2 pounds and the next time, etc. etc. By monitoring this and doing what I need to do, I maintain my weight loss.

After the most delicious lunch, we went to the Apple Store, where I'm pretty sure hubby got my XMAS present. While he was doing that, I went to a little specialty shop where they have the cutest tops, unique ones you don't find anywhere else. The normal prices are $60-88, and I almost never buy anything. But on this day they were $15-24. I got four new awesome tops.

My mood, after being exhilarated for about a 1/2 hour at my wonderful bargains and my happy tummy, plummeted and remained there the rest of the weekend. The only thing I can figure is that I can't handle being happy for very long. Isn't that crazy? I think it is.

But when I think back to my childhood, my mother couldn't stand for me to be happy. She was jealous of my accomplishments. Don't think too harshly of her. She had a tough time and she did the best she could. Although, truthfully, her best wasn't up to snuff. I came to peace with all of this a long time ago, but it makes me sad that even now, I have trouble maintaining joy.

The good news is that with awareness comes the ability to shift my thinking and I'm working on that. For most of my life, I remained down in the dumps for very long periods of time, without knowing why.

So here's to feeling all the joy there is to feel in this holiday season.
With Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - dancing again!

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Just had to share this photo, taken by a folk dancing friend, Simona. It's the ending to a favorite Israeli dance called Shir and it symbolizes pure joy!

What brings you pure, unadulterated joy?

Blessings,

Karen

Staying Healthy

2011-12-09T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is a busy week for my singing trio, Sugartime, and my new singing duo, Serendipity. Oh, I probably forgot to mention I'm singing with another woman. She wanted to join Sugartime, but that didn't work out, so I'm singing with her, just the two of us. This week, Sugartime has two big special events where we are the entertainment. We're actually getting paid for these. Serendipity has one gig, today. But everyone around me is sick. Two friends have sinus infections. Another is in the hospital. A third got stomach flu. I'm kissing nobody, including my husband, taking homeopathic remedies, and basically staying home unless I have to go out for some reason. Just have to get through Saturday night.

What do you do to stay healthy in winter with all those germs running around looking for homes?

Blessings,
Karen

Insecure Writers' Support Group - December

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

My insecurity has reached new heights. I posted on Friday about feeling all dried up. Nothing. Nada. Sometimes I tell myself I'm mulching. That makes me feel better for a few minutes. Then those voices, you know the ones I mean, start shouting, we told you so. You're no writer. Who did you think you were anyway. So you wrote and published one book. Ha. Means nothing. Bet you can't do another. You're too old to be doing this anyway. Doesn't matter that Whistler's mother painted at 90. Stop kidding yourself.

Then I get quiet and ask myself, who would I be if I don't write anymore. I could simply say I'm retired. It's legitimate. I'm going to be 63 in April. But am I done? Don't I have more to say? More to learn? More to figure out? More to communicate? I thought so. So why isn't it flowing? All I know is that I have to trust this process and hope that this dry place is temporary. And tell those nasty voices to go away. And perhaps quit trying to pin labels on me that make me crazy - if I'm a wife than I have to do "wifely" chores. If I'm a writer, I "have to" write. If I'm a mother, I have to "mother." Why can't I just be.....me?

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - telling the truth

2011-12-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about being all dried up. No new words in a long time for my novel. The next morning I woke up early with a thought about a new character. Then, yesterday, voila - two new paragraphs. It made me re-learn something I tend to forget. If I dig deep down inside of me and tell myself the truth about what is going on, the energy always shifts. Maybe not right away. But at some point, it does. This was the first time I didn't come down hard on myself for not writing, but simply rode the "all dried up" wave.

So, there's something else I'm feeling that I need to tell the truth about. It is very difficult to maintain my sense of well being and inner peace and joy when others around me are suffering. It's similar to being taught not to win at games because others will feel bad. Now, with games, I know it's ridiculous. But how do you keep smiling when you're face to face with someone's pain?

Thoughts?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - String Bridge

2011-12-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

I finished String Bridge Friday night and just had to write about it. I have come to know a lot of writers through the online community. I have read many of their books. Some I had to make myself finish just because I said I would. Then I had to find some nice things to say about a book I would not have purchased in the first place or ever finished. Others were good and I was honored to say so.

Jessica Bell's debut novel, String Bridge, took my breath away from the very first sentence and held me in awe until the very last. Jessica is the real deal. As a writer, I can talk about the characterizations and how rounded they were; the conflict and tension that was taut throughout; the metaphors that oozed off every page. But it is as a reader that makes the most difference, I think. And as a reader, Jessica's book did what I want every book I read to do, and few do these days. It had characters that I really cared about - characters I came to feel as real, characters who made me mad and whom I was really happy for when something went well for them. It had a story that spoke to me - one I could relate to. And it held my interest throughout.

I hope with all my heart that Jessica's life leads her to a place where she can devote all her time and energy to writing because it is clearly what she was put on this earth to do.
Great writing is inspiring. And that's what String Bridge is and does.

Blessings,
Karen

All Dried Up

2011-12-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

It's been weeks since I've written any new words on my novel. I feel all dried up. I don't know what's going on except that I'm not upset about it - not really. It's frustrating, though. I've never had writer's block and I don't think that's what this is. I'm supposed to be trusting myself and this process, but that gets hard when day after day, nothing is coming. It kind of feels like depression, only I don't have that cloak of heavy doom that depression feels like wrapped around my being. I'm just going to ride this one out a while longer and see what happens.

Ever feel all dried up?
Karen

Telling the truth Tuesday - Adapting

2011-11-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

When you get to be 62 years old, you hopefully learn a few things as you move through this journey called life. One of the thing I'm learning is to adapt. In fact, as I learn to incorporate meditation into my daily routine, my mantra is Adapt/let go. In the past, I had difficulty adapting. If things didn't go they way I wanted or expected, it threw me so off kilter, I couldn't get back. Then I learned to get back, but it was kicking and screaming all the way. Now, as soon as something doesn't go quite right, I shift my thinking, which shifts my feelings, which shifts my reacting to adapting. Isn't that cool?

But that's not all. Once you adapt, there is one more step. Letting go. You can't hold onto the way you wanted or expected things to be. You have to let go. And in letting go, that is where the inner peace comes.

So, my dear friends, this is one more lesson in my journey towards inner peace. Adapt....let go....adapt....let go....adapt....let go.

How about you?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

hiking at Tent Rocks

Well, company is gone, Thanksgiving is over, it's time to get back to normal, whatever that is. All I know is that I am in some kind of transformational state. My reactions and responses are different--whereas before I might fly off the handle, now, I am aware of an intense emotional feeling but am not letting it loose. Here's what it feels like. All my life, I felt as if I were hiking a steep trail up a cliff with no guard rail, filled with jagged rocks and other hazards. Needed to be hyper-vigilant to feel safe. Now, it feels as if I am on a flat trail, no rocks or other hazards, no cliff.

park behind our home - early morning

Here are a few photos from my Thanksgiving break.

How about you? Are you walking a hazardous trail or one where you feel safe?

me and Clara at Tent Rocks

Hubs, me, Dennis and Clara - Tent Rocks

Tent Rocks State Park

Battleship Rock - Jemez Mountains

With many blessings and much gratitude,
Karen

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

2011-11-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE. ENJOY THIS TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND BE GRATEFUL FOR WHATEVER BLESSINGS YOU HAVE IN YOUR LIFE.

Karen

Good Friends

2011-11-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Some very dear friends are visiting from Portland, Oregon, where I lived before moving to Albuquerque in 1994. I am going to enjoy some quality time with them and my hubby during the Thanksgiving holiday, so I wish everyone a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving as a I take the next week off from blogging.

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - a review of House of Diamonds by Karen Jones Gowen

2011-11-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

House of Diamonds, by Karen Jones Gowen...a review

Usually, a novel has one protagonist the reader can focus on. You follow their journey step by step, wondering what they will do, what will happen to them. You can’t wait to turn the page to find out.

In Karen Gowen’s novel, House of Diamonds, it felt like there were four: Marcie, the mother of seven who secretly yearns to be a writer; Cindy, her sister, whose baby has a brain tumor; Baby Jordan, who has the brain tumor, and the Mormon Faith, which did, indeed, seem like a character in and of itself.

On the surface, it’s a story about a family and its every day travails. As an only child, I was fascinated by the details of what a day in the life of a family with seven children is like. It’s also a story about love and loss and death and grief and above all, Faith.

Gowen masterfully draws us into this family dynamic, showing us the internal and external struggles of both Marcie and Cindy, both as siblings and as individual women and as moms. It is heartwarming and poignant.

To learn more about about Karen Jones Gowen and to purchase her novel, please visit: http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/

Preorder print book House of Diamonds from the publisher's website and get Uncut Diamonds for free!

Links: House of Diamonds for the Kindle House of Diamonds for the Nook

Summary:

In this sequel to Gowen’s debut novel, Uncut Diamonds, she follows sisters Cindy and Marcie as they reach a crossroads in their lives. House of Diamonds tells the story of two women, one facing opportunity the other tragedy. Can their bond endure?

Marcie pursues her dream of becoming a published writer while Cindy faces a terrible tragedy. In this gripping story of faith, loss and the transcending nature of sacrifice, Gowen gives voice to a beloved baby who has none. She shows the incredible power that comes to families when they pull together to overcome challenges. It is at these times that a house of pain can become a house of diamonds.

Website: karenjonesgowen.com
Blog: Coming Down the Mountain: A Writer's Blog

The lovely Karen Jones Gowen

Here is some background information on Karen:

Born and raised in central Illinois, the daughter of a Methodist minister from Indiana and a school teacher from Nebraska, Karen has down-to-earth Midwestern roots.

She attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, then transferred to the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. After converting to Mormonism at the age of 20, she transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, where she met her future husband. She obtained her degree at BYU in English and American Literature.

Karen and Bruce have lived in Utah, Illinois, California and Washington, currently residing near Salt Lake City. They are the parents of ten children. Not surprisingly, family relationships are a recurring theme in Karen's writing.

Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - entering the new tech age

2011-11-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it. On Friday, as part of helping Jessica Bell day, I posted on my blog about purchasing Jess's debut novel, String Bridge. When I went to do my part on Amazon and purchase the book, there, right in front of my eyes, were the adds for the different types of Kindles. Well, I'd wanted to purchase Talli Rolland's book, which was only available on Kindle right now and I've been on the fence about e-readers for a long time, and if I signed up for the Amazon credit card, I got $40 off my purchase. Soooo, I bought a Kindle Touch and Jessica's book. And ordered Talli's book. So, I'm now part of the e-reader revolution.

I'm not ready to give up my paper books yet. I'll let you know how I feel reading books on a screen after I get it and read a few.

Also, on Friday, I got some insights into why the words aren't coming for my novel and it makes sense. There might be a change occurring with how I've structured it so far. So, another lesson in learning to trust this process I'm in.

What are you musing about today?
Blessings,
Karen

Celery Tree is up and running

2011-11-12T12:07:00.001-07:00

Karen Jones Gowen,http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/ author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds, and just out, House of Diamonds, has launched a new service for both authors and readers. It is called Celery Tree, and it is a website where authors can sell their remaining books. It is a wonderful idea and I hope all of you will go check it out. Here is the link:http://celerytree.com/

Blessings,
Karen

Help Jessica Bell day

2011-11-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today is THE day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hitthe bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by the author herself, for free!

All you have to do ispurchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, andthen email the receipt to:

jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com

She willthen email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

Here's how you can purchase String Bridge:

eBook:Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/String-Bridge-ebook/dp/B005Y48DF6
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/String-Bridge-ebook/dp/B005Y48DF6

Paperback:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/String-Bridge-Jessica-Bell/dp/0984631747

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/String-Bridge-Jessica-Bell/dp/0984631747/

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

If you arenot familiar with String Bridge,check out the book trailer:

Rave Reviews for String Bridge:

“Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE strummed the fret of myveins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page,yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones ofheavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just aswith any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with Bell’s narrative.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie and Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal

“Poet andmusician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and thedifficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout,seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure thatallows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her worldbegins to unravel … String Bridge isa powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just ahint of magic.” ~ Magdalena Ball, author of RepulsionThrust and Sleep Before Evening

“Jessica Bell is a brilliant writerof great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficultscenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holdsbarred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to developcharacter, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel.I look forward to reading hernext novel, and next and next.” ~ Karen JonesGowen, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds

Connect with Jessica:

String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell
Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/
Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell
Publisher: http://www.luckypress.com

Here's the blurb on the jacket flap...

Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a ‘proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage—and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits ....

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get this book, so bye for now, I'm off to Amazon....
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday: a welcome change

2011-11-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

Before I left on our trip to Greece and Turkey, I did some forgiveness work. There were several people from my past that I still hadn't forgiven in the deepest parts of my heart and soul. I had known for a long time I needed to do this work, but just wasn't ready. Then, suddenly I was. What I did and how I did it will remain private, but I certainly wasn't prepared for the soul-shattering experience of truly letting go of the feelings of anger and resentment I was still harboring. It felt as if my very cells and molecules were shifting. When they finished re-shuffling, I felt whole.

While walking through an ancient healing tunnel in Pergamon, Turkey, a whisper came, loud and clear: "You are healed." When I had some time to reflect and journal about this, I understood that it was a healing from the early childhood traumas and losing custody of my child. All the years I've spent on this spiritual and emotional healing journey brought me to this place of wholeness. Now, my Spirit can continue to expand from this new place, without the emotional baggage I've been carting around for 60 or so years.

I'll keep you posted on how it feels to move through my world from a place of wholeness rather than brokenness.

What's your truth today?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings: Being a writer

2011-11-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

If you would ask 100 writers what being a writer means to them, you would get 100 different responses. True, there are some things that are the same for all of us. We each have ideas. We each put those ideas down on paper in our own way. We each agonize over those words. Okay, some of us agonize. Some probably don't, but I don't want to even know those people. We each hope in some secret part of our soul that our words will be read by others, hopefully in a published version.

To me, being a writer means I think about things in a different way than most of the people I know. I move through the world in a different way. My perspective is usually different than most. I used to feel other-worldly, like an alien from another planet. Now, I am embracing my uniqueness. Even if I am not writing any new words on my current projects, I know that I am a writer because, without writing, my world doesn't make sense.

How about you?
Blessings,
Karen

The Wonders of Turkey - final post of journey

2011-11-04T04:00:00.000-06:00

These are shots from the ancient city of Troy. Back then, it was a port city. Now it lies about 4 kilometers from the sea. I cannot tell you how it felt to stand on the ground where perhaps the scenes of the Trojan War played out.

a portion of the original wall in city of Troy

the theater in Troy

Here is my hubby in front of a replica of the Trojan Horse. I just remember being in school and learning about Paris running off with Helen of Troy and how that began a 10-year war and thinking how romantic that was. Now I know better. There may be different reasons for wars beginning, but they are still happening. Have we learned nothing?

a tunnel from an ancient hospital

Here I am walking through a tunnel at the ruins of an ancient hospital in Pergamon. It was a major healing center at the time. One would arrive and be evaluated. If the healers thought they could help, you were accepted. If not, you were turned away. As you walked through the tunnel, the healers called down treatment instructions from up above. Then you went to a sleeping chamber to heal.

the home of the Virgin Mary after the Crucifixion

The calcium magic of Pamukale

Pamukale was, indeed magical. There are hot springs atop the hills and an ancient Roman bath. We got to dip our feet in the hot springs, along with hundreds of other tourists.

Cappodocia

Cappodocia was one of the highlights of the trip for me. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I love rock and rock formations and it feeds my soul to clamber around on rocks - not rock climbing, just being with and on the rocks. Cappodocia is an other-worldly landscape and we were lucky enough to both walk around it and ride a hot air balloon over it.

a whirling dervish

Here is a monk doing a whirling dervish dance. Unbeknownst to me, it is part of a religious ritual. They perform part of the ritual so outsiders can get a feel for what they do. It was very special to get to see this. They are part of a sect founded by Rumi, and from what I understand, it is a very loving philosophy.

The Blue Mosque

Here are hubs and me doing some Turkish folk dancing at a folklore experience. Do I need to tell you how fun that was?

At right is a shot of the Blue Mosque, one of the most stunning architectural achievements I have ever seen. When I entered, I teared up from the sheer beauty of the building, not to mention the spiritual peace I felt, not withstanding the hundreds of other visitors. Beauty does that to me.

Interior of Blue Mosque

Windsor Castle

We ended our trip by flying into London for one night. We arrived around 1 pm and as soon as we got to our hotel, which took some doing, we found our way to Windsor Castle by bus. It was well worth the effort. You are not allowed to take photos inside, but let me tell you, the Queen has one of the most extensive art collections in the world, and there are several amazing pieces of art here, along with the opulent furnishings and chandeliers and rugs. One of my favorite things was Queen Victoria's life-sized doll house.

hubs and me

A big fat sigh that the trip is over. When you have dreamt of something for practically your whole life and then it is over, there is somewhat of a letdown of energy. I guess it's time to dream up another adventure.

What are you dreaming???Blessings,Karen

Insecurity versus conceited

2011-11-02T04:00:00.000-06:00

When I was a little girl, my mother told me I shouldn't try to win at games because my opponents would feel bad. Now, as an adult, I can analyze that statement and see how odd it is for a parent to encourage their child to lose. The message I got was that it was better that I feel bad than to make someone else feel bad.

To be successful at anything, you must have the drive and ambition to succeed. Now admittedly, playing games is different than living life, working at a career, etc. In life, someone else doesn't have to lose in order for you to win. But the intention is the same. To emerge victorious.

My insecurities kept me from having the confidence in myself to "go for it." I felt "less than" in every way imaginable: looks, brains, athletic ability, creativity. The other extreme, though, is conceit. You know, the ones who strut about, knowing they are stunning, never questioning themselves, believing they are always right and perfect.

To me, somewhere in the middle is where I'd like to be. And I'm getting close. I know I can write. I know my words can touch other people. I also know I'm not the best writer in the world, and that's all right with me. I intend to be the best writer I can be. That's all we can ask for.

As for my insecurities. Some are still there. Others have left or shifted into some other energy. The ones that remain, I am learning to manage. Self-acceptance is key to inner peace and with self-acceptance comes acknowledgement that we have flaws as well as gifts. We're human, after all.

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the truth Tuesday - impact of travel

2011-11-01T04:00:00.000-06:00

I'm going to take a break from posting pics from our trip and talk a bit about what this trip meant to me. I feel so blessed that my hubby and I are healthy enough and financially stable enough to make a trip like this. It wasn't always that way. In fact, this is the first trip I was not either vastly overweight or injured in some way. That meant I could walk as much as I needed to and was able to see everything I wanted to see--and more. I am so grateful.

When I was at the Oracle of Delphi, I received a message that I don't need to travel to far away places to find wisdom. Everything I need is right inside me. It validated what I'd already come to on my spiritual journey. You reach a certain point on the journey where you begin to trust your feelings, your instincts, your sense of right and wrong, your impressions of others, etc. It's not always easy.

Tomorrow I am facing the possibility of having to hurt someone because I have to make some decisions that are for my own good that will impact this person. It is very difficult when one's own needs conflict with the desires of someone we care about. But I have learned that to ignore what is good for me in order to please someone else, doesn't really work for either party.

Travel opens me up by allowing me to connect with the past as well as with other people and other cultures. It shows me that we are really all connected. There are more similarities than there are differences. If only we could find those commonalities rather than focusing on what sets us apart. I am equally at home in a synagogue, church, mosque, or out in nature practicing an Earth-based religion.

How does travel impact you?

Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - the Wonders of Turkey

2011-10-31T04:00:00.000-06:00

Flying into Istanbul was surreal. I'd studied Constantinople in school, and of course, I'd seen photos of the Blue Mosque, with its six minarets dotting the landscape. But nothing prepared me for the actual experience of being there.

local bazaar

Our hotel was a good distance from the area of the city where you can see the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, but we had a lovely view of the Bosphorus Sea. As we explored the neighborhood, we found ourselves in a local bazaar - simply streets lined with vendors. Here, no one spoke English and there were no touristy items for sale. It was the real deal. I was starving, so we went into a shop and I simply pointed at the stuffed grape leaves. I needed a napkin, though and the server didn't get what I meant when I mimed. Then hubs saw a napkin by the cash register, so he went and got it - they got so excited, told me the Turkish word for it and demanded to know the English word. I had to repeat it several times. It was a delightful experience.

View of Palace from Bosphorus

That night, we were invited to the home of a man who had been a foreign exchange student in my husband's hometown in Texas. His wife made several traditional Turkish dishes and it was a lovely way to begin our Turkish adventure.

Day one of our sightseeing began with a visit to Dolmabahce Palace, the opulent home of the 31st Sultan, Abdulmecid I. It was built between the years 1843 and 1856. It is the largest palace in Turkey and was home to six sultans from 1856 to 1924, the year after Turkey became a republic.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey enacted some of his most important deeds here. One is not allowed to take photographs inside the Palace, so here are some pictures, courtesy of Wikapedia.

Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern, an ancient underground water supply was next.

Entrance to Grand Bazaar

Then it was time to visit the world's first shopping mall - the Grand Bazaar. One must have very sharp bargaining skills in order to make good purchases. I got a little bit better as I went along. Biggest secret. At one point, I decided not to make the purchase and started to leave. The vendor came down so low, I ended up buying. And it wasn't even a ploy on my part.

More tomorrow...

P.S. I'd like to thank Donna Shields http://donna-realworldwriting.blogspot.com/ for passing along the One Lovely Blog award to me. I am very grateful and you should all check out Donna's lovely blog. But I have decided not to participate in blog awards anymore. They are a lovely way to find out about new blogs and to honor each other, but they are so so time-consuming and I'm struggling with managing my time online. So thank you, Donna. I really do appreciate you thinking of me.
Blessings,
Karen

Olympia and the Delphi Oracle

2011-10-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

Temple of Hera

The original Olympic stadium

Did you know the Olympics began in 776 BC? I didn't. I also didn't know that the ceremony began with a Priestess doing a ritual at the Temple of Hera. The flame was lit. It represented peace. That was the message the Olympics was trying to convey. At the end of the games, the Priestess did another ritual to close the proceedings.

The altar where the flame rested

Apollo's Temple at Delphia

Site where prophecy was delivered to one who asked

One of the things I most wanted to see on this trip was the site of the Oracle at Delphi. In ancient times, kings, as well as civilians, would travel to the Oracle to receive answers to questions in their lives. I'd always assumed a Priestess was the one who foresaw the prophecies, but we learned it was the God, Apollo, who prophecies. He would then transmit the information to a Priestess, who told the Priest, who communicated it to the one who asked the question. Ancient telephone.

We concluded our land tour of Greece with a visit to Meteora. Monks built monasteries atop magnificent rock formations. The icons and frescoes were spectacular, but unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photographs inside the monasteries. Here are a few shots of the monasteries, though.

Last, but not least, on our last night in Athens, I was lucky enough to meet author and fellow blogger, Jessica Bell http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/. Jess is stunningly beautiful and, as I found out during the one hour we had together, she's as lovely inside as she is on the outside.

Jess and me at the rooftop bar of our hotel

That's all for now. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Stay tuned for Monday Musings - and some thoughts on the wonders of Turkey.

Blessings,

Karen

Telling the truth Tuesday - I love history

2011-10-25T04:00:00.000-06:00

Before I continue with my adventures in Greece, I'd like to ask you to visit Michelle Fayard's blog today http://michellefayard.blogspot.com/. She was kind enough to interview me about my memoir and some of you might find it interesting and/or helpful, if you are contemplating writing a memoir.

Do you remember certain things you studied in school - things that stand out in your mind? I do. And there are places I've always wanted to see out of history. On this trip, I fulfilled many of those wishes as our land tour of Greece included several, including the Theater of Epidaurus. Here's some background, courtesy of Wikapedia.

Me as audience member

The theater was designed byPolykleitos the Younger in the 4th century BC. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21 rows. As is usual for Greek theatres (and as opposed to Roman ones), the view on a lush landscape behind the skênê is an integral part of the theatre itself and is not to be obscured. It seats up to 15,000 people.

The theatre is marveled for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of unamplified spoken word from the proscenium or skênê to all 15,000 spectators, regardless of their seating. The rows of limestone seats filter out low-frequency sounds, such as the murmur of the crowd, and amplify/reflect high-frequency sounds from the stage.

Agamememnon's tomb

Lion's Gate

Next, we visited Mycenae, once a mighty kingdom of Ancient Greece. As you walk through the Lion's Gate, you can imagine the drama and feel where myth and history combine. The kingdom was ruled by Agamemnon, whose tomb we got to see. Here's a bit of his story:

When his brother Menelaos beautiful wife Helen was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris, the history of Greece was to come into one of its most famous phases: The Trojan War. But there were many events preceding the above. The founder of the Mycenaean kingdom was the hero Perseus. When the last descendant of him, king Eurystheus - the one who had ordered the labours from Heracles - died, the people voted for Atreus to be their new king. When Atreus brother Thyestes seduced his wife, he took his revenge by killing Thyestes two sons, and then serving them to their father. Filled with rage and disgust, Thyestes cursed Atreus and his children, and only unhappiness was to haunt them thereafter.
Atreus two sons were Agamemnon and Menelaus. Agamemnon, who was the oldest, inherited the kingdom of Mycenae, and Menelaus became king of Sparta. They married the two sisters Clytemnestra and Helen respectively, and were at first very happy. This was not to last, though. When the Trojan prince Paris was called to decide who of the three goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite was the most beautiful, they each tried to bribe him. Aphrodite had promised him the most beautiful woman in Greece, and when Paris chose her, Helen was his prize. With the help of the goddess, Helen went to Troy with Paris, leaving the outrages Menelaus to declare war on the Trojans. He asked his brother for help, and together they raised an army of Greek kings and heroes.

You'll hear more about Troy when I post about the Turkey part of our journey. My truth today? I left a little piece of my heart in Greece.

On Friday....Olympia and the Oracle of Delphi

Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - more on Greece

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-06:00

Me on Patmos

Mykanos

The Greek Islands are far more beautiful than pictures can show and far more beautiful than I had imagined. The mainland is very green and mountainous. We began our journey with a four day cruise, as I mentioned Friday. After Mykanos and Patmos, we visited Crete, Rhodes, and Santorini.

coming up to Santorini

The photo on the right was taken from a small ferry, which was the only way one can get to Santorini from the cruise ship. We didn't know there were two ports on the island, one that goes to Ia, which has all the white buildings with blue domes, and the other side of the island, which is beautiful as well, but not what you usually see on the postcards. This was our first few of Santorini from the ferry.

Some say Santorini is the remains of the lost city of Atlantis. I tend to believe it. It is mystical and magical. The photo here shows the caldera formed from the volcanic eruption that is believed to have caused the demise of Atlantis.

Quite the sunset, don't you think?

One of the things Santorini is known for are its beautiful sunsets. What do you think?

Athena's Temple in Lindos on Rhodes

We had an entire day to visit the island of Rhodes, unlike the other island stops, where we only had a few hours. We did an excursion off the ship, which included a bus ride to the city of Lindos. Here you can see the remains of Athena's temple. I have always been fascinated by the Greek Pantheon, which engendered a deep interest in Gods and Goddesses of many other cultures as well. This trip enabled me to see
where much of that began.

Palace of Knossos

The island of Crete is located in the center of the eastern Mediterranean at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean sea. Crete's biggest modern town is Heraklion.The inhabitants of ancient Crete were the Minoans and we had the opportunity to visit a ruin called the Knossos Palace. In order to get there, we had to debark the cruise ship, find the local bus, make sure it went to Knossos, and make sure we knew where to catch it coming back so we could get back to the ship on time. It was an adventure, to say the least.

Frescoes in Knossos Palace

According to Wikapedia,the Minoans had developed significant naval power and for many centuries lived in contact with all the major civilizations of the time without being threatened by external forces. Their commercial contact with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia undeniably influenced their own culture, and the Minoan civilization in turn appeared as the forerunner of the Greek civilization. The Minoans are credited as the first European civilization. Archaeological evidence reveals habitation since the 7th millennium BC. After the 5th millennium BC we find the first evidence of hand-made ceramic pottery which marks the beginning of the civilization Evans, the famed archaeologist who excavated Knossos, named "Minoan" after the legendary king Minos.

In Greek mythology, the Minotaur was a creature who was part man and part bull who lived at the center of a labyrinth. King Minos of Crete had received advice from the oracle at Delphi (which we also visited and you will see more of in later posts) and thus ordered Daedalus and his son, Icarus, to built the maze-like structure. The Minotaur was eventually killed by Theseus, an Athenian hero. Minos had required that seven Athenian young men and seven virgins be sent every ninth year to be devoured by the Minotaur. Here is a bit from Wikapedia about that.

When the third sacrifice approached, Theseus volunteered to slay the monster. He promised to his father, Aegeus, that he would put up a white sail on his journey back home if he was successful and would have the crew put up black sails if he was killed. In Crete, both Minos' daughters, Ariadne and Phaedra fell madly in love with Theseus. Ariadne, the elder, helped him navigate the labyrinth. In most accounts she gave him a ball of thread, allowing him to retrace his path. Theseus killed the Minotaur with the sword of Aegeus and led the other Athenians back out of the labyrinth. On the way home, Theseus abandoned Ariadne on the island of Naxos, and continued with Phaedra, his future wife. He neglected, however, to put up the white sail. King Aegeus, from his lookout on Cape Sounion, saw the black-sailed ship approach and, presuming his son dead, threw himself into the sea that is since named after him, thus committing suicide.^[13] This act secured the throne for Theseus.

When the cruise finished, we headed back to Athens. One of the most fascinating sites there was this ancient Roman Agora. Here you can see what's left of Hadrian's library.

More tomorrow...

Blessings,
Karen

Greece

2011-10-21T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

Library at Ephesus

It's so nice to be home. Traveling is a magical, wonderful experience, but it's always so good to be back in one's own bed. We began our 3-week adventure in Athens with a two-hour delay in landing because of an air traffic controller slow down. I was determined not to let anything interfere with my enjoyment of the country, and I succeeded. Well, except for a few little hissy fits here and there.

Day one of our cruise

We had one day in Athens before boarding the Louis Majesty cruise ship for a 4-nite sailing around the Greek Islands. One of the highlights of the cruise was a stop at Ephesus, considered to be the best preserved Roman ruin. We were lucky to revisit Ephesus again during our Turkey tour. At right are the remains of the library. Our guide told us that there was a tunnel from the library to the house of pleasure - hence the term, I'm going to the library."

At our next stop, Patmos, hubby and I had the best pizza ever (and I come from New York!!) with a lovely glass of white wine, sitting on a beach looking out at the Aegean Sea. So romantic.

More Monday....

Blessings,
Karen

I'm home.....

2011-10-19T13:12:00.001-06:00

Back from Greece and Turkey, but totally jet-lagged. I hope to virtually see you all tomorrow and have a new post up by Friday.
Blessings,
Karen

On Blogcation

2011-09-23T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone,
Thanks for stopping by. I am not blogging for the next three weeks and will return somewhere around 10/19. Please come back then to visit. I'd love to chat. In the meantime, I will leave you with these thoughts.

Life is short, so live each day to its fullest
Find your passions and pursue them - it brings inexplicable joy
It's never too late to live your dreams - I learned guitar at 50, graduated college at 54, and am performing in my 60s. Just go for it....
Be kind to one another
Get enough sleep - it really really really makes a difference
Take a deep breathe. Take another one. And another. Ah, yeah.......

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - I'm nervous!!

2011-09-20T04:00:00.000-06:00

So, we leave on Saturday for a three-week trip and I'm nervous. One of the disadvantages of getting older is you get a bit more set in your routines and it is discombobulating when the routine is interrupted. I manage my food very carefully at home in order to maintain my 53 pound weight loss and manage my acid reflux. Traveling makes it much harder to do that - I can't be in control because it's based on what's available, language barriers as to how things are prepared, etc.

What am I doing about this? I am going to try my best to Let Go and Let God, trust I will be taken care of, and simply do the best I can each and every day to enjoy my food and my experiences. And pray with all my heart that I don't gain too much weight.

Do you get nervous when you travel?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings - Sugartime whirlwind

2011-09-19T04:00:00.000-06:00

Whew! 5 gigs in 4 days, including the State Fair. I'm exhausted, but ecstatic. There is nothing like seeing older folks who sort of begin to "disappear" a little with age, ignite and come alive for a moment while listening to music. This week hubby and I are preparing for our trip to Greece and Turkey. When I did a bucket list last New Year's, these two places appeared - so I feel I am meant to go there. I am not going to connect to the internet while traveling this time. Huge challenge for me. But I truly want to be present in each place I visit in each and every moment. The internet connects me to home and I am leaving home.
Any thoughts on this...what are you musing about today?

Blessings,
Karen

Catching my breath

2011-09-16T08:45:00.000-06:00

I'm in a Sugartime whirl, as I mentioned on Tuesday. Just dropping a quick note to say hi to everyone. Hope to be back for Monday musings. Miss you all.
Blessings,
Karen

Sugartime at the NM State Fair

2011-09-15T07:47:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,
Hubby took just snippets of our songs at the State Fair - for anyone interested, here we are:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2007860355673

Have a great day.
Blessings,
karen

Talli Roland launch: Who would I want to be?

2011-09-14T04:00:00.002-06:00

I've wanted to be anyone but myself most of my life, so this is a tough question. When I was growing up, it was Elizabeth Taylor. When I was a teenager, it was Stevie Nicks. Actually, I'd kill to have her voice. Since I'm singing now, let's go with singers: either Stevie Nicks, Barbra Streisand, or if I really want to be outrageous, Cher.

This is in support of Tali's new book, Watching Willow Watts, launching today. Go check her out: http://talliroland.blogspot.com/ She's an awesome woman and a fabulous writer.

For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image in a frame.

Instantly, Willow's town is overrun with fans flocking to see the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers -- whose shops and businesses are cashing in -- Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.

But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village's newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?

Buy a copy of Willow on on Amazon.com for $2.99. Paperback coming in November!

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday: Overwhelm

2011-09-13T04:00:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow my group, Sugartime, sings at the State Fair. On a big stage, probably not for that many people, though, since it's mid-week and Senior Day. But it's a big deal for us. Then we sing at a retirement community on Thursday, another one on Friday, and two on Saturday. You can imagine how many rehearsals we are doing. A lot of energy has gone into making Sugartime what it is and doing what we do. I'm exhausted. That's my truth. I love it and I'm tired. I will have from 9/17 to 9/24 to recover -- no rehearsals, no gigs. Just time to re-group and get ready for our three-week vacation to Greece and Turkey.

What do you do when you get overwhelmed? Power through. Stop and take a break? Ignore it?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings: I Can't Keep Up

2011-09-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

I think in order to be really successful at blogging, and by that I mean having tons of followers, having lots of people comment on your blog posts, you have to be willing to give it time every day. Lots of time. The more that follow you, the more you should be following in return. But it is not possible, once you follow people, to continue to go to each and every one of the blogs you follow. You begin to find ones that resonate with you, and those folks, you visit whenever you can.

I now understand why some folks whom I followed early on and who followed and commented on my blog, have stopped. They have 800+ followers. Unless you spend every minute of every waking day responding to each comment left on your blog, and then visiting other people's blogs, it is impossible to keep up.

I once did an energy pie chart and discovered that most of my energy was going to things that weren't the most important things to me. I love blogging because blogging is writing and it gives me the opportunity to share what I'm thinking and feeling. I am going to continue to do it. But I have to put down the whips when it comes to my expectations about followers, following, and what it all means.

So, if I don't visit your blog as often as you'd like, please forgive me. It's not about you. It's about me.
And if I don't respond to a comment you leave on my blog, please forgive me. It's not about you. It's about me.
And if I don't follow you, even if you've followed me, please forgive me - BUT ALSO LET ME KNOW. It was an oversight and I'll be happy to follow you.

In the meantime, happy blogging, everyone.
Blessings,
Karen

The Writer's Chat Room

2011-09-10T07:15:00.000-06:00

I've been invited to do something very very cool. This Sunday evening, 7 pm EST, 5 pm Mountain time, I will be the guest at The Writer's Chatroom - an online question and answer discussion featuring different authors each week. This week is tis moi. Here is the link:

http://www.writerschatroom.com/Enter.htm

I just had my first lesson in participating in a chat room. It looks like fun. Please join Lisa Haselton and me and others from around the world, I understand, to talk about writing, publishing, etc.

Blessings,
Karen

Insecure Writer's Support Group - Post #1

2011-09-07T04:00:00.001-06:00

I can't believe I didn't think of starting this support group, since insecurity is my middle name. My mantra, until I knew better, was "Who do I think I am to....fill in the blank - most recently it's writing and singing.
It's odd, because I'd written for 30+ years as a public relations professional, but writing personal essays and memoir is quite different from writing editorials and press releases and brochures, and feature articles.
It's, well....it's personal.

I was constantly afraid I wouldn't succeed. And I did feel like I'd failed for quite a long time when I couldn't find an agent and chose to self-publish.Now I know better. Now I know that the publishing industry is a tough one and very few make it to the top as successful, and by successful, I mean making money at, writing. If you're lucky enough to find an agent, then you have to be lucky enough for that agent to sell your manuscript to a publisher. And then you have to do the same things we all have to do, and that is market your book.

I feel more secure now. Perhaps it's an age thing. I've let go of writing as a career and whatever happens now, it's okay. I love writing. That is the pure and simple bottom line. I will probably be grabbing for my paper and pen on my deathbed, trying to jot down one last thought.

Alex, you are wonderful for all you do for the writing community. Thank you.

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - Planning for a trip

2011-09-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

Traveling is getting harder and harder the older I get. I am becoming set in my ways. I like to eat my own food when I want to eat it. I like my daily routine. When I'm tired, I can rest or pick up a good book. Yet there is still a gypsy in me that wants to see and hear and do so much. This past New Year's, when I did my yearly exercise of writing out my lifetime goals, then my three year goals, and then what I'd want to do if I knew I only had six months to live, going to Greece and Turkey appeared on that list. It surprised me. But I chose to listen and hubs and I are taking a three-week holiday to those wonderful countries.

As I make all the necessary arrangements, house sitter, newspaper, mail, making sure we have all our medications, making sure our family has our itinerary, yada yada, I realize that I am so very privileged to be able to do this. I'm trying not to feel guilty, because I know other people are struggling so financially. Like so many other things in life, planning for a trip is both exciting and scary. Don't those two emotions almost always go hand in hand. It's learning to balance them both that is challenging.

When we go, I am not going to commit to finding computers wherever we go, so I will be on a lengthy blogcation. That is scary, because I've worked hard to build a following here. But life must go on and I must live my life as best I can as it works for me. And when I go to Greece and Turkey, I really want to BE in Greece and Turkey, and not in bloggydom.

How about you?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings: Thoughts on the 1960's - Part III

2011-09-05T04:00:00.002-06:00

Thoughts on the 1960’s - Part III

One of the things I love most about writing personal essays is that one has no idea where one is going with the essay when you start. Both the writer and the reader take a journey together, exploring ideas. This began with me seeing snippets of a documentary, Gloria--In Her Own Words, about Gloria Steinem and her life’s work helping women. The clips triggered memories of becoming a young woman during the 1960s - I went from 11 in 1960 to 19 in 1969, at which point I got married, but that’s a whole other story. Oh wait a minute, I wrote that one already.

My whole adult life has been about trying to heal from wounds such as early childhood sexual abuse, growing up in a dysfunctional family, making poor relationship choices, losing custody of my only child. I’ve dissected all of these events, therapied myself to pieces, and it’s worked to some extent. I’ve become someone who has fairly decent self-esteem. I like who I am. But there are things about me I still don’t understand. Like why it is I can’t handle violence, whether it’s in the movies, on TV, or in books. Forget about real life - that goes without saying. Or why I have distanced myself emotionally from the things that are going on in the world. Or why I feel so strongly about certain issues that I could get violent over them, but of course, I wouldn’t because I can’t handle violence.

Having grown up literally watching the Vietnam War, race riots, and demonstrations on television, kind of made me shut down somewhat. Seems I was shaped by turbulence - internal, familial, and external. I was already shut down because of the personal things which happened (mentioned above). But the sixties were a tough decade to live through.The messages I received were: You are a woman and have the right to be equal. You can do and be anything you want. Translation: you can be superwoman - work, take care of a child and a husband and a household. You should want peace but you should seek it nonviolently. Gandhi is probably the person I most admire for this reason. Sex, drugs and rock’n roll. I escaped the drug culture, thank goodness, but rock’n roll is in my DNA and the words and music impacted me greatly.

What is my take away from exploring this. I’m still not sure. The only thing I am sure of is that everything we see, hear, feel, and experience affects us. We can choose to be conscious of how it does, or, like I did when I was younger, we can shut down, go on auto-pilot and keep putting one foot in front of the other living life half alive.

Good changes came from the turmoil of the 1960s: Civil Rights, Womens’ Rights, environmental awareness, the Peace Corps, etc. We face many challenges in our country right now. I wish there was some way the powers that be could look at what worked in the past and what didn’t, and find new ways of solving problems that don’t include violence. And in my own little world, I continue to seek ways to find inner peace and contentment in the midst of upheaval and challenges.

What about you?

Blessings,

Karen

2011-09-02T04:00:00.008-06:00

I need to thank L.G. Smith, http://bardsandprophets.blogspot.com/ for passing on the 7 x 7 Link Award to me. It's a new one for me and as L.G. said, it is a great way of reflecting on some older posts by highlighting them in the following categories. I have to be truthful and say I didn't have the time or the energy to go back and search through all my previous posts to come up with these answers. It would have taken way too much time.

Most Beautiful: I think the one that includes the essay I wrote called "My Father's Keeper," which illustrates how powerful healing can be. It is the first essay under the tab "Essays and Articles" found above.

Most Helpful: My guess would be the A-Z challenge posts, which focused on slogans and sayings that have helped me heal. There is a new tab above that includes all of these blog entries.

Most Popular: the one that is getting favorable comments now is my thoughts on the 1960s.

Most Controversial: I haven't written a post that caused controversy---yet!

Most Surprisingly Successful: that would have the be the ones during the A-Z challenge.

Most Underrated: I've given up trying to figure out what is going to resonate with readers and what doesn't. I am almost always wrong. And sometimes what I consider to be a throw away post idea stimulates the most interesting conversations, so go figure.

Most Prideworthy: I rarely feel proud, so I can't answer this one.

Now, to pass the Link Award on to 7 deserving friends.

Liz Fichera: http://lizficherablog.blogspot.com/
Siv Maria: http://sivmaria.blogspot.com/
Yvonne Lewis: http://welcometomyworldofpoetry.blogspot.com/
Alex Cavanaugh: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

I'm going to break the rules now, because this is very time-consuming and only pass this along to 4 of you. Enjoy, everyone.
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday: Thoughts on the 1960s: Part II

2011-08-30T04:00:00.005-06:00

Shifting from the 1950s to the 1960s, we go from images of holocaust survivors to Father Knows Best and pearls in the kitchen to Vietnam and our boys dying right in front of our eyes.

In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock released Psycho--I had nightmares for weeks. The first televised debates occurred and lasers were invented.

1961 brings us the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Berlin Wall, the founding of the Peace Corps and the Soviets launching the first man in space. President Kennedy advises families to build bomb shelters. I can remember exercises in the school classroom how to duck under the desks in case of an attack. The IBM Selectric typewriter is introduced.The Vietnam War official begins. Roger Maris, of the New York Yankees, hits his 61st home run, beating 34-year old record held by Babe Ruth.

In 1962, Adolf Eichmann was hanged in Israel. The first James Bond film, Dr. No, came out. The Cuban Missile crisis threatened the world with nuclear war.

1963 brought us the assassination of John F. Kennedy. I was 14 and will never forget that day. I was dissecting a frog in Biology. We were sent home and the images of he and Jackie riding in the car and her blood-spattered suit and then baby John saluting as his father's casket passed by. Also, in this year, Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring and Betty Friedan publishes The Feminine Mystique. Congress enacts equal pay for equal work legislation for women. Patsy Cline dies in a plane crash. Zip codes are introduced in the U.S and I Want to Hold Your Hand and I Saw Her Standing There are released in the U.S. Martin Luther King makes his "I Have a Dream" speech.

1964 brings us the Ford Mustang (perhaps one of the coolest cars ever). Seat belts are introduced as standard equipment. Plans to build the World Trade Center are announced. Malcolm X forms a black nationalist party. The Beatles hold the top 5 positions on Billboard Top 40. This is the first year cigarette boxes had a warning printed on it that smoking can be hazardous to your health (and people still smoke). Nelson Mandela is sentenced to life in prison.

1965 -Medicare bill passes. 32,000 people make a 54-mile freedom march from Selma to Montgomery. Malcolm X is assassinated. The Beatles do the first stadium concert in the history of rock at Shea Stadium in Queens, New York, where I grew up. My best friend's brother stood outside the stadium to hear them. President Johnson orders bombing raids on North Vietnam and Americans begin protesting the war.

1966 - the year I graduated High School, The Beatles play their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Star Trek debuts with its first episode, "The Man Trap." The Black Panther Party is established. Mao Zedong launches the cultural revolution and there are mass draft protests in the U.S

1967 - Rolling Stone Magazine is founded. The first heart transplant is performed. Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses military service. LSD is declared illegal by the US government. It is also the year of the first Super Bowl and the six day war in the Middle East.

1968 -

Bobby Kennedy is assassinated in California. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Riots erupt in major American cities for days. Hair opens on Broadway. The White Album is released by the Beatles. The My Lai massacre occurs as well as the Tet offensive.

1969

Neal Armstrong walks on the moon. Woodstock is held at Max Yasgur's 600 acre farm in Bethel, NY. Easy Rider premiers. Charles Manson cult murders Sharon Tate and others. Sesame Street premiers, along with The Brady Bunch. You can see why some folks might feel a bit schizophrenic about this decade.

My teenage years were shaped by assassinations, race riots, Vietnam, anti-nuclear marches, and of course, the hippy movement, which preached peace and love.

Music was my salvation through all of this. It was hard to remain depressed listening to the Beatles sing All You Need is Love. And John Lennon's Imagine gave us hope. Perhaps the drug culture evolved because of the angst everyone felt about what was happening around us. Things we couldn't control. What strikes me is how similar it is now. Terrorism strikes when and where we least expect it and it is something we cannot control. And folks still use alcohol and drugs to mask their pain.

My truth on this Tuesday: I had a major crush on Roger Maris. I was 12 years old and my Dad was a huge baseball fan, so I got to see Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, called the Bronx Bombers back in those days, play all the time. My grandma lived diagonally across the street from Yankee Stadium and we went often.

Soon to come...., Part III: How all of this impacted my psyche.

Blessings,

Karen

Monday Musings: Thoughts on the 1960's - Part I

2011-08-29T04:00:00.000-06:00

Thoughts on the 1960s’

In order to have a clear perspective about the sixties, I think I have to start in the 1950’s. I was born in 1949 so I was just a little girl during this decade. This was only four years after the allies landed in Normandy, the few survivors of the concentration camps in Europe were liberated and the war ended. I grew up seeing images of emaciated people with haunted eyes staring from behind barbed wire fences. It wouldn’t be until years later that I would get to visit an actual concentration camp, but that’s a whole other story.

Dwight D. Eisenhower became President in 1952, blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe was the sex goddess of the century, along with her equally goddess-like co-star, Jane Russell. Both women were full-bodied, buxom, luscious women with curves. It wasn’t until Twiggy appeared on the scene in 196___ that women started believing they needed to be a size 2 or smaller, or something wrong with them. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

In the 1950s, it was rare for a woman to work outside the home. World War II brought us Rosie the Riveter, women who took mens’ places in factories while men were off fighting Nazis. But as soon as the war ended, women went back to homemaker status. Our cultural values were shaped by a newcomer in the communications industry--television. Prior to TV, radio was the most common source of family entertainment. That little black box changed so much. The most popular shows in my household were: Bonanza, The Ed Sullivan Show, Ozzie and Harriet, Leave it to Beaver, the Donna Reed Show, and Father Knows Best.

During those formative years of 1 through 10, I watched stories about a mother who stayed home, wore an apron and pearls in the kitchen, had a warm, delicious meal waiting for her husband when he came home from work, served milk and cookies to her children and their friends when they got home from school, never disagreed with what the father said, and seemed to always be agreeable. A 1970s movie, The Stepford Wives, pretty much got it right. Women might as well have been robots. Sex was something to be endured, not enjoyed. Heaven forbid a woman should have her own thoughts or try to change things. It wasn’t only children who got the message to be seen and not heard.

So, the 1950s ideal for a woman: grow up, get married to a good provider, have a house with a white picket fence, then have children, see that they are educated and that they marry and have children so you can have grandchildren.

Part II coming soon: Along comes the 1960s and nothing is ever the same again.

Gloria Steinem

2011-08-26T04:00:00.001-06:00

Last weekend I happened to catch a few minutes of a documentary, Gloria, in her own words. I wish I'd seen the entire film because Gloria Steinem is one of my heroines. I am not, nor have I ever been a political person, but having come of age in the 1960s, one couldn't help being caught up in what was happening.
In the film, I caught snippets of marches on Washington, women burning bras, angry men, newscasters poking fun and misinterpreting statements, and it made me realize that the 60's had a huge impact on my psyche. It's easy to think of the 60s in terms of music--think folk songs like Blowin' in the Wind, and then the British invasion, and music was never the same again, and forget about the assassinations: JFK, Bobby, Martin Luther King, Medger Evers, the KKK. Civil Rights, women's rights, the Vietnam war, all happening in one decade. I was 11 in 1960.

I've written a lot about my dysfunctional childhood, the impact my parents' fighting had on me, the sexual abuse at seven. But I've never explored the impact growing up in the 60s had. It's got me thinking. Uh oh.
So expect a few posts on this topic over the next few weeks--maybe. We'll see if they develop, but it's definitely something that's on my mind.

What's on your mind today?
Karen

Insecure Writer's Support Group

2011-08-25T04:00:00.001-06:00

The intrepid Alex Cavanaugh has come up with a brilliant idea - forming an Insecure Writer's Support Group. Once a month, we all get to write about our insecurities around writing, publishing, marketing ourselves, whatever. But we will also find support around these insecurities by also sharing what has worked for us as we move through our writing world. So, thank you, Alex, for your creativity and your willingness to help so many others on this difficult journey called writing.

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the truth Tuesday: At long last - Sugartime

2011-08-23T04:00:00.008-06:00

Many of you asked to see and hear Sugartime. It is so hard to post this because nothing seems good enough - but I've learned there's no such thing as perfect. So here we are, at a house concert back in May, singing for friends and family, which is much harder than for strangers, let me tell you. Please enjoy "the sweet sounds of Sugartime."

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXpLxxQ_Xfg

With many blessings,
karen

Monday Musings: singing at the Veteran's Hospital

2011-08-22T04:00:00.000-06:00

My dad was a veteran of World War II. He went to North Africa and was wounded in his shoulder from the same shrapnel that killed three of his buddies. On top of a very wounded childhood, war fundamentally changed my father. He never talked much about it, but when he did, we knew that his time in the service meant a great deal to him.

I didn't understand that until I was much older. I am someone who doesn't believe in violent solutions to problems, but that doesn't mean I don't have a great deal of respect for our military folks and their families. I am grateful to them beyond words for what they do to serve our country and protect us and best they can.

During the last three years of my dad's life, he lived here in Albuquerque so we could care for him. All his health care needs were provided by the Veteran's Administration hospital and the care was superb. His doctors were warm, friendly and knowledgeable, he didn't have to pay for anything, and he loved going there and seeing all the other veterans.

When I began singing and performing around town, I knew I wanted to give something back to the community who had cared so well for my Dad and whom he loved so much. Now, every few months, Sugartime hauls its equipment to the VA and sets up shop in the lobby. Hundreds of folks pass thru there, on their way to doctor visits or to pick up a prescription or to visit someone or for therapy. Waiting for a prescription can take an hour or more. So we have quite an audience. It has become my favorite place to sing, because the folks there are so appreciative. On Friday, an older Vet came up to me and said, "Thank you, your angel voices are so soothing to our old vet hearts." I burst out crying.

What are you musing about today?
Karen

The things we don't know

2011-08-19T04:00:00.001-06:00

I want to thank everyone who took the time to not only read my memoir, but to write something and post it on Goodreads or Barnes and Noble or Amazon. I am trying to purchase the book of anyone I have met here in bloggydom, but I'm not sure I have posted reviews on each one. I am going to backtrack and make sure I do that now, because it is one surefire way we can support each other. Thank you from the bottom of my heart - I'm not going to list names because I don't want to leave anyone out, but you all know who you are.
Blessings,
Karen

Blog on Fire award

2011-08-17T04:00:00.007-06:00

The delightful Siv Maria, http://sivmaria.blogspot.com/ passed along the Blog on Fire award.

Thank you, Siv. She says I give her hope. I love that. Here are the questions I am to answer:

Are you a rutabaga? I don't even know what a rutabaga looks like, let alone act like one. I am more of an artichoke heart kinda gal.

Who is your current crush? The actor who plays Steve McGarrett on Hawaii Five-O - I think his name is Alex O'Laughlin.

a picture that makes you happy.

Hubs and I dancing on our Caribbean cruise

When was the last time you ate a vine-ripened tomato? Months ago. I can't eat tomatoes (sigh!) - acid reflux.

Name one habit that causes other people to plot your demise? Probably the fact that I have to eat at certain times and frequently don't eat with others because I do my own food.

What is the weirdest, most-disgusting job you've ever had to do? Hmm, can't think of a disgusting job, but the one I hate the most is filing.

Where da muffin top at? I'm an idiot - don't understand the question.

What author introduced you to your genre? Gosh, I don't remember the first memoir I ever read, but I remember how I felt reading someone else's life story and how I learned from it.

Describe yourself using obscure Latin words. Can I use pig Latin? Dang, I don't even remember how to do that....

I hereby pass this along to:

http://annbest-jen.blogspot.com/

http://girlwizard.blogspot.com/

http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com/

Telling the truth Tuesday -"Hey, it's good to be back home again..."

2011-08-16T04:00:00.003-06:00

Travel is wonderful. Seeing family - fabulous. Driving 9 1/2 hours to get home--not so great. But so nice to be back. I overbooked myself, though. I have way too much going on with doctor appointments, Sugartime rehearsals and gig dates, saying goodbye to a good friend who is moving to Viet Nam for a year, yada yada yada. When I do get some free, unallotted time, I'm too tired to think, let alone write. I am learning to be okay with what is, however.

I've spent most of my life fighting the tide, rather than flowing with it. Today I am rolling in with the wave and flowing out with it as well. Wherever it takes me. I just have to stay afloat.

How about you?
Blessings,
karen

Monday Musings: Family reunions

2011-08-15T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone. Hope you are all okay - missed checking in with you this last week, but I was in Estes Park, Colorado at a family reunion. My husband is one of five siblings. Each one came, with their now grown children, and their children's children. We were 27 in all. Each family stayed in their own condominium unit. The units border a small stream, surrounded by mountains. It was quiet and quite lovely. Everyone had breakfast together, then went off for whatever adventures, then came together for dinner.

I am an only child and only have a few first cousins, so being part of a big family has been a new experience for me. There is raucous laughter, lots of teasing, so many people talking at once it is quite difficult to get a word in edgewise. By the time you might have a chance to respond to something someone said, the topic has shifted to something else.

It was really wonderful seeing everyone - it's been about a year since we'd seen most of the family.

Blogcation

2011-08-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hubs and I are off to Estes National Park in Colorado for a family reunion. I am going to remain unplugged during that time in exchange for some good family time and perhaps some quality writing time as well.

Wish you all well and will be back here on Monday, Tuesday, August 19. Till then,

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday: Giveaway winner and: Hurt...Anger...Repression...Depression

2011-08-02T04:00:00.003-06:00

And the winners are....ta da:

Yvonne
Liz Fichera
Darlene
Melissa Sarno

I will be contacting each of you to get your snail mail addresses, so stay tuned. Thanks to everyone who participated in my first giveaway. It was fun.

And now here, Telling the Truth Tuesday: Hurt...Anger...Repression...Depression

I had another insight recently, one I'd like to share, because maybe some of you out there do the same thing I do. I was a "good" little girl. Did what I was told. Didn't question things too much. Because when I did, I got in trouble. I learned to keep my feelings to myself. Soon I didn't even know what I was feeling.

It took years to undo that negative training and become aware of my feelings as well as learn how to handle them appropriately. But the one feeling that still gives me problems is anger. It seems I don't allow myself to feel it. It manifests as hurt. Someone hurts me badly and all I feel is the hurt and betrayal. I never get to anger about it. But somehow the anger is there, burning inside me, but I am unconsciously suppressing it. The next thing I know, I'm depressed. Luckily, I now know when I start feeling depressed, to look back and see where or how I've been hurt. But now I need to learn how to deal with the suppressed anger.

I was joking around with an 86-year old friend the other day. We both were saying that we'd be on our deathbeds and reaching for a notepad to write down one more life lesson before we go. Then I realized, for me, it's probably not a joke.

How about you?
Karen

Monday Musings: Tectonic shift occurring

2011-08-01T04:00:00.007-06:00

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO WIN A SIGNED COPY OF MY MEMOIR, FOLLOWING THE WHISPERS. TO ENTER, SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT HERE WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. I WILL THROW THE NAMES IN A HAT AND PICK 4 LUCKY WINNERS.
NOW, FOR TODAY'S MUSINGS:

No, we're not having an earthquake. But I'm having an internal one. Ever since I could walk and talk, I've been taking care of others. I felt it was my job to make my parents happy, for starters. Then, every relationship, every friendship, I made their well-being my responsibility.

A recent revelation showed me that there was an unconscious motivation for this: I wanted to be loved and that was my way of ensuring that would happen. Only it didn't and doesn't. I also realized that I don't like it when people step in and offer me unsolicited advice, so isn't it rather arrogant of me to assume others want mine?

This has been a mega part of my persona, and letting go of it makes me feel unsteady. Where I would normally phone or email someone I haven't heard back from to make sure they are okay, I'm not. If someone tells me their problems, I'm not coming up with solutions--unless they ask.

That is the key for me -- wait to be asked. Or ask if they want to hear my thoughts before bursting forth with my wisdom.

It is a delicate balance to recognize when I want to step in and assume responsibility for something that isn't mine and not do that -- and to remain a loving, caring person who likes to help others. I'll keep sharing as I figure it out.

What are you musing about today?
Blessings,
Karen

Giveaway

2011-07-29T04:00:00.000-06:00

If you'd like to win a signed copy of my memoir, Following the Whispers, please leave a comment and please give me your email address, too.

Today, we are auditioning an "understudy" for Sugartime. Who could believe we've gotten to a place where we can't cancel a gig because someone is sick or can't make it. We need to show up. I never could have imagined when I broke my ankle in January/2006 and started taking singing lessons that I'd end up here. But it sure is a blast.

Did I tell you we're singing at the State Fair?

Blessings,
karen

My first giveaway

2011-07-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

Over the course of the last several months, starting with the A-Z challenge, my blog has grown to more than 400 followers. I meant to do a giveaway to celebrate, but life has a way of....well, you know.
So, without further ado, I am going to giveaway 4 signed copies of Following the Whispers. I wasn't sure how to go about this, but I think I'll do it an old-fashioned way. I will make a list of all those who comment between now and 8/1. Then I'll cut up the names and draw four.

So, if you'd like a copy of my memoir, simply leave a comment with your email address. And to all of you who have chosen to follow me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been a joy to share my thoughts and my journey with you and in turn, to get to know you as well.

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - Thoughts on book blog tour

2011-07-26T04:00:00.001-06:00

I first began blogging in May of 2009, three months after my book was published. I realize now that it makes a great deal of sense to build a presence on the web prior to publishing a book because then you already have a following. But my blog presence has built slowly, just as the sales of my book have happened one person at a time. It's that kind of book - not for everyone. And I think it's that kind of blog as well.

Here is what I learned from my book blog tour, in no particular order:

The blogging community is one of the most supportive communities I have encountered. With a very few exceptions, people are supportive, want to help one another, give advice when needed, and generally just have a good time together.
Alex Cavanaugh's ninja army really does rock. The dude has 850+ followers and gets an average of something like 90 comments per post. I find that quite intimidating, don't you?
As with everything else in life, one probably should let go of any expectations about results when doing a book blog tour.
Choosing blogs to guest on is key to a good tour. I think a combination of blogs in your genre, plus some in a different genre makes sense. I've purchased books by author friends in genres I don't normally read and have enjoyed them tremendously.
Be prepared to spend many hours per day during your tour. Checking in frequently on the blog where your guest post appears is super important.
It was extremely helpful to get all my guest posts written prior to the beginning of the tour so that I could concentrate on responses. That took a good deal of time, as well.
Communicating with hosts prior to the tour to ensure they have everything they need makes it easier on your hosts. Hopefully I didn't cross over into nagging.

Is a blog tour worth the effort? Unquestionably. It was the one thing I felt unfinished in terms of whatever marketing I was going to do for Following the Whispers. It just took me this long to understand everything I needed to understand and to make the connections in bloggydom necessary to make it work.

I'd like to give a special shout out to Dani Greer. She taught the book blog class I signed up for (it was free, I might add). It is where I met so many of the writers/bloggers I am connected to today, like Helen Ginger, Diane Wolfe, Elizabeth Spann Craig...I know I'm forgetting some. It was there I learned the basic tools of blogging and how to set up a tour. Thank you, Dani.

Anyone out there who has done a tour, please add your thoughts. Till then,

Blessings,

Karen

Monday Musings: Gratitude

2011-07-25T04:00:00.013-06:00

I am filled with gratitude today.

To those who hosted me on their blogs:

Sylvia Ney/Writing in Wonderland
Diane Wolfe/Spunk on a Stick
Ann Best/Author
Joane Demaio/Whole Latte Life
Pk Herzo/Writer
Karen Gowen Jones/Author
Jessica Bell/Author
Elizabeth Spann Craig/Mystery Writing is Murder
Mason Canyon/Thoughts in Progress
Arlee Bird/Tossing it Out
Helen Ginger/Straightfromhel
Alex Cavanaugh/Author

You guys are all amazing and I thank you so much for helping me launch Following the Whispers as an e-book.

To everyone who made the effort to follow me as I whizzed around bloggydom--a heartfelt thanks.

To honor my writing buddies, I have added a new feature to my blog: My Fabulous Author Friends and Their Books. If you have a book out and I missed you, please email me and I'll be happy to add it to my page. I copied this idea from Alex because I think it's something we all can do to help each other.

Today, I am musing about gratitude and how an attitude of gratitude evaporates any negativity
What are you musing about today?
Blessings,
Karen

Virtual Book Tour - a question

2011-07-23T04:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was the last stop on my virtual book tour. The tour was awesome and I'll be posting more about that on Monday, but something odd happened that I'd like to ask all of you about. I guess I assumed if I was guest-posting on 11 different blogs that somewhere along the way, I might gain some new followers. And I did gain followers on the last day, but lost a few in the middle somewhere. Has that happened to anyone else who has done a book blog tour? Did I do something I shouldn't have? Did I not do something I should have. I try to connect with each person who chooses to follow my blog - sometimes they don't have a blog. If they do, I follow them and leave a comment. I respond to comments left on my blog and on blogs where I'm guesting. Thoughts, please?

Blessings,
Karen

P.S. On another note, I want to thank fellow blogger Michelle Fayard http://michellefayard.blogspot.com/ for honoring me with the versatile blogger award. However, since I've done this before several times, I am going to pass on passing it along for now while I recover from my whirlwind book tour.

Book Blog Tour/Last Stop: 10 Ways To Maintain Sanity While Writing

2011-07-22T04:00:00.003-06:00

Alex Cavanaugh has what he calls a Ninja Army of 800+ followers. On his blog, http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/, you will find anything from movie reviews to techie stuff to support for other writers. He is wonderful and a great gift to bloggydom. He graciously said yes to hosting me for the last stop on my blog book tour. He had one caveat. I had to be funny. Well, that is not my strong suit, but I'm doing my best. Please stop over there, where I'm talking about "10 Ways to Maintain Sanity While Writing."

I would like to thank all my hosts: Sylvia Ney, Diane Wolfe, Ann Best, Joanne DiMaio, Pk Herzo, Karen Gowen Jones, Jessica Bell, Elizabeth Craig, Mason Canyon, Arlee Bird, Helen Ginger, and Alex Cavanaugh for graciously helping me launch the e-book version of my memoir, "Following the Whispers."

Blessings,
Karen

Book Blog Tour/Stop 10: Writing Memoir versus Writing Fiction - Is There a Difference?

2011-07-21T04:00:00.003-06:00

Helen Ginger, http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/ is a freelance novel editor, with an informational and interactive blog for writers and a weekly e-newsletter that has been going out to subscribers around the globe for ten years. I first met Helen when I joined Dani Greer's blog book tour class, back in 2009. Helen's blog is interesting and informative and very funny, especially her disclaimers when she writes book reviews.

Today, I'm guest posting over there on "Writing Memoir versus Writing Fiction - Is there a Difference? Please come by and say hello.

Blessings,
Karen

Book Blog Tour/Stop 9: Do's and Don'ts of Memoir Writing

2011-07-20T04:00:00.001-06:00

Arlee Bird is the magnificent creator of the infamous A-Z Challenge. He has graciously agreed to host me on stop 8 of my whirlwind blog book tour. You can find him (and me, today) at http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/ where I'll be talking about "The Do's and Don'ts of Memoir Writing. Please come say hi.

Blessings,
Karen

Book Blog Tour/Stop 8: Finding Success as a Writer

2011-07-19T04:00:00.003-06:00

Mason Canyon, over at Thoughts in Progress, http://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/ hosts an incredible blog for writers. She post reviews, does author interviews, and bends over backwards with giveaways and other incentives to help authors. Please come by and visit today, where I'll be talking about "Finding Success as a Writer."

Blessings,
Karen

Book Blog Tour/Stop 7: Finding Balance While Juggling Life

2011-07-18T04:00:00.001-06:00

Today I am at awesome blogger and writer Elizabeth Spann Craig's blog, http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/ talking about "Finding Balance While Juggling Life." Elizabeth is one of the best things to have happened to me when I first published my memoir and started blogging. Not only is she a great cozy mystery writer, but she is a great friend to other writers as well. Please stop by and say hello to Elizabeth and me.

Blessings
Karen

Book Blog Tour/Stop 6: The Liberating Effects of Writing Memoir

2011-07-16T04:00:00.002-06:00

If you'd like to know how cathartic writing memoir was for me, check this out at: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/. If you don't already know Jessica Bell, you'll be happy you wandered over there. Jessica is a gifted writer and her blog always stimulates me.

Blessings,
Karen

Book Blog Tour/Stop 5: Making Good Choices: A Writer's Journey

2011-07-15T04:00:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone,
Today you will find me at Karen Jones Gowen: http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/, talking about making good choices. Please stop by and say hello. Karen's blog is awesome--I always learn something from visiting her.

Blessings,
Karen

Blog Tour/Stop 4: My Journey To Publication

2011-07-14T04:00:00.009-06:00

Stop four on my book blog tour finds me at author Pk Herzo's blog: http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com/. Pk loves fiction, but she willingly agreed to allow me to guest post over there, despite the fact that I wrote a memoir. Hope you'll stop by to read my journey to publication.

Blessings,
Karen

Blog Tour/Stop 3: What I Love About Self-Publishing

2011-07-13T04:00:00.001-06:00

Today I'm over at Whole Latte Life, http://joannedemaio.blogspot.com/ where my lovely host, Joanne blogs about creating the life you want. If you haven't met Joanne, please stop by and say hello. I'm talking about "What I Love About Self-Publishing."

Blessings,
Karen

Blog Tour/Stop Two: Writing and White Hair

2011-07-12T04:00:00.005-06:00

Please join me over at Ann Best's blog, http://annbest-jen.blogspot.com/ the second stop on my blog book tour. Ann just published a memoir at 71 years old and it is getting rave reviews, which are well-deserved. I'm 62 and writing after a long career as a PR person. I'm talking about "Writing and White Hair," in case you want to know how it feels to finally do what you've always wanted to do.

Blessings,
Karen

Blog Tour/First Stop: Managing Expectations

2011-07-11T04:00:00.003-06:00

Today I'm at Spunk on a Stick, http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/ the first stop on my book blog tour. I'm talking about Managing Expectations. Please stop by and say hello to my host, Diane Wolfe. If you haven't already "met" her, you're in for a treat. Diane has a wealth of information and resources for writers and is a wonderful writer herself.

Blessings,
Karen

Blog Tour Preview: Writing in Wonderland

2011-07-10T04:00:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone. Today you can find me being interviewed by the lovely Sylvia Ney at http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/. Please stop by and visit. It is the pre-cursor to my book blog tour, which officially begins tomorrow at Diane Wolfe's fabulous blog: http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/

Blessings,
Karen

Book Blog Tour Begins Sunday - July 10

2011-07-08T04:00:00.000-06:00

My book blog tour begins Sunday, July 10 with an interview by Sylvia Ney, over at Writing in Wonderland http://writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/. I hope you take a few minutes to visit Sylvia's blog and that you will find the questions and answers interesting and informative. Till then,

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - Celebrations

2011-07-05T04:00:00.002-06:00

So much happens over the course of a lifetime. Hallmark and society dictate much of the way we celebrate things in our lives: Presidents Day, religious holidays, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving. Then we have birthdays, wedding anniversaries, anniversaries of special events. But how often do you celebrate the little things - like making an important decision, overcoming a huge fear, doing something you never thought you'd do?

Honoring those kinds of things is, to me, way more important than celebrating a holiday. I'm not knocking celebrating holidays. That's fine and fun. But taking a moment to stop and recognize our personal accomplishments is saying to ourselves, yes, yes, yes, we wanted something and we did something about it. The outcome is not the important factor here.

I'm learning to honor the small steps I take to make me a more content person in my life. So today, I'm celebrating that although it took me 2 1/2 years to do it, I am finally going to have a book blog tour (see tab page above for details).

What can you celebrate today?
Blessings,
Karen

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T04:00:00.000-06:00

To everyone out there, Happy Freedom Day, whether you live here in the U.S. where it is the day we celebrate our independence from Great Britain, or elsewhere, here's to freedom in all its glory.

Blessings,
Karen

Meeting blogger friends in person

2011-07-01T04:00:00.002-06:00

Monday night I had the amazing experience of meeting a fellow blogger in person. It is the first time since I began blogging in 2009. Jody Hedlund blogged about whether online friendships were genuine here: http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/ and I'm here to say that, yes, for sure, they are.

Despite our age difference, the lovely Suze: http://girlwizard.blogspot.com/ and I found kindred spirits in one another. We've had very different life experiences and, of course, are in different stages in our life, but we share a love of writing and from that base, we were off and running. Or rather talking--non stop for two hours.

We met at Barnes and Noble Cafe. At one point, Suze said she wanted to see if they had a copy of my memoir so she could buy it and have me sign it for her right there. Well, of course, they didn't, but Page One, a large, independent Bookstore in Albuquerque does stock it. So we drove over there. What a kick!

The motto of this story? Connections that happen online can absolutely be the genuine, real deal friendship. It's just that all the communication takes place with words on a page instead of eye contact, inflection of tone, etc.

Thanks, Suze, for a lovely evening.
Blessings,
Karen

P.S.
I am sorry for not visiting your blogs today - I had a procedure yesterday and I'm still out of it.
Have a wonderful weekend, folks.
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - African Cats

2011-06-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

It's been 100 degrees or close to it over the past few days here in Albuquerque. No wonder I'm feeling those lazy, hazy days of summer. And they are still hazy from all the wildfires. None near our home, but much of our beloved, enchanted lands are ablaze.

Saturday hubby had to work, so I took myself to the $1.50 theater and saw African Cats. It had come out on Earth Day this year, but I missed it. It follows two mother cats, one a Cheetah, and one a lioness, who live in Kenya on opposite sides of a river.

I'm in one of those serendipitous places in my life where books, movies, conversations, etc. can help me process whatever it is I am working on. Currently, that is a book on buddhism called "Awakening the Buddha Within." I am learning about the concept of impermanence and how everything in our life is like bubbles on a stream.

Seeing African Cats helped me get that in a visceral and visual way. Life there has so many hazards, seen and unseen. A pride of four male lions trying to overcome the one male lion who guards the lionesses and their cubs. The crocs lurking in the river. Hyenas, birds of prey. You get the idea.

Life is impermanent. So what are we going to do with the moments that we have? Me, I'm going to give my energy and attention to that which feeds my soul: my family and friends, Sugartime, and writing.
How about you?
Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings: Ebooks, Boomer Magazine and Sugartime

2011-06-27T04:00:00.005-06:00

I am so jazzed. I hired the awesome Diane Wolfe http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/ to help me format "Following the Whispers," my memoir, so that I could publish it on Smashwords. It was great fun working with Diane and hearing the voice that goes with that beautiful face and spirit. Several days later and voila, the book is available now at http://www.smashwords.com for only $2.99. Soon it will be distributed to other e-book outlets. Now all I have to do is let everyone know.

I will be having a book blog tour to launch "Following the Whispers" as an e-book, beginning on 7/11/11. I hope you'll join me as I visit some of my favorite bloggers. Here is the schedule and topics:

7/11/11 - Spunk on a Stick: Managing Expectations
7/12/11 - Ann Best: Writing and White Hair
7/13/11 - Whole Latte Life: What I Love About Self-Publishing
7/14/11 - Pk Herzo: An interview with moi
7/15/11 - KarenG: to be determined
7/18/11 - Mystery Writing is Murder: Finding Balance While Juggling Life
7/19/11 - Thoughts in Progress: Finding Success as a Writer
7/20/11 - Tossing it Out: Do's and Don'ts When Writing Memoir
7/21/11 - StraightfromHel: Writing Memoir versus Writing Fiction - Is There a Difference?
7/22/11 - Alex J. Cavanaugh: 10 Ways To Maintain Sanity While Writing

In other news, Sugartime is having its 15 minutes of fame. Here is a link to an article which appeared in yesterday's Albuquerque Journal, special section Boomer Magazine. Hope you enjoy it. Sugartime story is on page 5 and continued on page 8. http://epaper.abqjournal.com/Olive/ODE/AJSPECIALS/Default.aspx?href=SP/2011/06/26

What are you musing about today?
Blessings,
Karen

Piano lessons are life lessons

2011-06-24T04:00:00.002-06:00

When I was 8 I wanted to learn the piano, but my parents said they couldn't afford one, so they bought me an accordion. I took lessons for one year, but hated it. Now, at 62, I am finally learning to play the piano. It's hard. It's probably a bit easier when you are younger and your brain is more supple and absorbent, but, still, it's not easy.

There is so much going on in the music staff: how many beats to the measure, whether to play soft or loud, whether to crescendo or de-crescendo, whether to play the pedal or not. I'm finding that I don't see all the things that are there, telling me what to do. I can only focus on one or two elements at a time.

Isn't that a lot like life? We don't see everything there is to see, to follow, to listen to, to pay attention to. And life is also hard. In some ways, it gets easier as we get older, because we have more wisdom and experience dealing with the ups and downs. But in other ways it's harder because of the limitations that begin occurring.

My piano lessons are also teaching me patience, which is not one of my strongest virtues (that is the understatement of the century). I can't just look at a piece of music, sight-read it and play. I am having trouble recognizing the notes of the left hand. So I pluck away, one note at a time. Then, each day, I play that piece over and over. At some point, the notes are familiar and the music begins to sound like music.
I'm only up to songs like Alouette and Kumbayah, but hey, I'm playing songs on the piano. And loving the lessons--both for piano and for life.

How about you? What are you learning?
Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday - Departures

2011-06-21T04:00:00.002-06:00

We had a houseguest over the weekend - my husband's oldest friend - they've known each other since first grade. It's funny, because they couldn't be more different, yet they've stayed close all these years. Well, hubs probably has never seen a foreign film in his life, but J brought one with him called Departures. It is a Japanese film from 2008 and it is exquisite. It is about a young cello player who loses his job when his orchestra folds. He and his wife go back to his hometown to live in the home his mother left him. He applies for a job advertised as helping with departures, thinking it's a travel agency, but it turns out to be assisting with preparing bodies to be placed in coffins.

I won't give anything else away, but it was fascinating to learn about Japanese culture and its attitudes about the body and death. It made me realize that our culture, although we might do similar things, does not treat dying and death with the kind of dignity and respect I would like. Hospice workers are an exception to this. The ones I've worked with are exceptional and do treat the patient with kindness and respect. But with retirement communities and assisted living facilities and nursing homes, our loved ones live with strangers, for the most part. We were lucky we could bring hubby's mom home to our house during her last month, and it was a sacred time for all of us.

The film has me thinking that each and every moment of each and every day is sacred. And how we speak to and treat one another should be sacred, too. Not just when someone is dying or has died. I don't want to take life or any one in it for granted. Not for one second. Departures taught me that.

Blessings,
Karen

Monday Musings: Support Systems

2011-06-20T04:00:00.001-06:00

Just have to tell you guys I got to see Sarah McLachlan Friday nite and if you've never had a chance to hear her in person, run, do not walk. She has such a rich tone to her voice and her range is off the charts. She manages to make it an intimate experience despite singing to thousands. It was awesome. I realized how much I miss going to live music events and will make an effort to do that more. It feeds my soul.

My back had been twinging for a couple of weeks, but then, last week it twanged big time. I couldn't straighten it when I stood up. The spine is all about supporting the body and it got me thinking about support systems and how necessary they are to a healthy life. I think when we're younger, we take our healthy bodies for granted. I know I did. I abused mine with too much food for so many years. And I didn't exercise nearly enough.

Now that I'm 62 and keenly aware of the aging process, I have a deeper respect for the body and wish I could have a do-over. I'd take much better care of it. I have a physical therapist who does a kind of cranial sacral technique and it helped, but it's taking longer than it used to for my back to normalize again. In the meantime, I took the time to get quiet and do some journalling.

One of the strongest support systems in my life these days is this online writing community. All one has to do is mention an issue or a problem or a situation and dozens of responses pop up offering empathy, wisdom, advice, or just an acknowledgement, letting me know I was heard. Do you have any idea how valuable that is?

What are you musing about today?
Blessings,
Karen

I Got Plenty of Nothin'

2011-06-17T04:00:00.000-06:00

I could throw something together for a post today, but I'm not going to. It would be a waste of your time and mine. My summer lethargy continues and I think it stems from putting everything else before writing. And why do I do that? Because the writing I am doing now is the hardest thing I've ever done. So, my dear friends, I am taking today off. Be well and have a great weekend. Hope to see you back here for Monday Musings.

Blessings,
Karen

Telling the Truth Tuesday: Detachment

2011-06-14T04:00:00.001-06:00

I have a tendency to empathize so much with other people's stuff that I take it on. That is not empathy - that is co-dependency. I do this with everyone - not just family and close friends. Maybe I need to take the training that future therapists take to teach them how to remain objective while listening to others describe extremely painful situations. It's called detachment and I have yet to learn how to do it, but I'm working on it.

I think it has something to do with personal boundaries. One of the effects of having been sexually abused as a young child is that boundaries are blurred. There is confusion about your body and your mind and your spirit and what is your responsibility and what isn't. You blame yourself for what happened long after you know it wasn't your fault. You feel responsible for fixing it, but you can't because you are six years old.

As an adult, if you haven't worked through these issues, these same kinds of boundaries can surface. I have worked on them - a lot. Yet sometimes something bubbles to the surface where I take responsibility for something that isn't mine. It starts with empathy - you are in pain over something in your life. I want to help you feel better. I start by listening. Then, before I know it, if I don't remain conscious inside my own skin, I am offering advice, telling you how to deal with it, and trying to take over your process.

Detachment. They used to say in the Al-Anon program, Detach With Love. Listening is where I must start. And stop. Don't offer anything. Unless I'm asked. Just my ears and a part of my heart.

How about you? Are you able to detach when those you love are in pain?
BLessings,
Karen

Monday Musings: Lazy, hazy days of summer

2011-06-13T04:00:00.004-06:00

You guys asked for it - here I am in all my red-headed glory, getting ready to do a Sugartime gig. Why does being a red-head show up so many more freckles??

I don't know if it's the smoke and ash and haze from the Wallow Fire in Arizona that has cast it's spell over Albuquerque, or just the fact that it's hot, but I am feeling so darn lazy. I can remember being a kid in Queens, NYC, and playing hopscotch and catch and tag in 90+ degree heat, with humidity.

Now, mustering energy to get into my car to run errands is difficult. There are air quality warnings not to be outside unless you have to. I can only imagine what it is like in Arizona, in close proximity to the fire. We are 200 miles away and it is bad. They say it's like smoking heavily over a short period of time. Our poor lungs.

But summer always meant a time for slowing down after a hard year of school work. So perhaps it is nature's way of telling us to take it easy. Since I am feeling more inner peace and contentment, I am putting down the whips I perpetually wield on myself that I'm not doing enough. Whatever I accomplish in a day is just fine. It is a new space for me--not to give myself a hard time. Thanks to all of you who told me not to over-think the new-found contentment and just enjoy the ride. I am.

What are you musing about today?

By the way, if you don't know, check out these photos of a volcanic eruption in Chile. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1394503/Chile-volcano-causes-ash-cloud-lightning-tears-sky-apart.html

Blessings,
karen

Elizabeth Spann Craig - Guest Post

2011-06-10T04:00:00.001-06:00

I want to thank Elizabeth S. Craig http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/ for choosing Following the Whispers as one of the blogs on her blog tour. For those of you who don't know her, Elizabeth writes cozy mysteries and her blog is a fabulous resource for seasoned and beginning writers. Elizabeth graciously chose a topic suited to my blog - how to handle the emotional roller-coaster that is the querying process. Here are her thoughts on that.

Staying Encouraged During Querying—by Elizabeth S. Craig

Being a writer isn’t easy.

Publishing is a business that demands a thick skin—but writers are frequently artistic, thoughtful, and sensitive. It takes a lot of courage to submit our work for publication and put ourselves in the position of having our work constructively criticized, or even rejected.

No matter how prepared we think we are for rejections, they still sting when we receive them.

I’ve got a whole drawer of rejections that I received during my lengthy querying process. I remember the sinking feeling I got every time I opened the mailbox and saw my own self-addressed, stamped envelope lying in there.

Fortunately, I was able to convert some of that disappointment into a strengthened resolve, but it wasn’t easy. Here are some of my thoughts on ways to stay encouraged during the querying process:

Stay busy, creatively, while you receive rejections and wait for agent or editor responses. I always think that moving on to the next book is the best plan, but it doesn’t have to be a book. It can be poetry, flash fiction, art, music, dance—as long as it’s creative. Staying creative made me feel like the process wasn’t beating me down…that I was still an artist, still a creative person.

Take encouragement from other writers—either the online community or local writers. Other writers can genuinely understand what you’re experiencing and offer support and encouragement. Friends and family might sympathize…or they might fuss that you’ve put yourself in the position of getting hurt to begin with. They’re looking out for you, but they may not completely understand why you’d want to continue writing and submitting (and sometimes they might discourage you from continuing the process.)

Be proactive. Have a Plan B. Allow yourself to think the worst…because writers are dreamers, and when the dream seems endangered, sometimes we want to retreat. It’s better to enter a querying round (and that’s what I’d think of it as…round 1. Not the only round) by saying, “I’m giving this my best shot. If these agents don’t want it, I’ll try Agent X, Agent Y, and Agent Z. I’ll also submit directly to Publisher A, who said they were open to unsolicited manuscripts. And while I wait, I’ll work on Project 2.”

Remember that, no matter how personal it feels, you’re not the one being rejected. Your manuscript is. And when agents or editors say “Although this manuscript isn’t for me, not everyone may feel that way…” they do mean it. Maybe that agent no longer wants to represent that particular subgenre and wants to branch out into other areas. Maybe they feel the market isn’t looking for books like yours right now (trends change.) There could well be another agent who is looking for the type of book you wrote and has a connection with a publisher who is acquiring those kinds of books.

Try to keep some distance from your writing. The book isn’t you—it’s something you’ve created. It’s only natural to want people to enjoy our writing, but it’s good to remember that the writing is our creation, not an extension of ourselves.

How do you stay encouraged during the querying process?

Bio: Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series for Penguin/Berkley (as Riley Adams), the Southern Quilting mysteries (2012) for Penguin/NAL, and the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink. She blogs daily at Mystery Writing is Murder, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers for 2010 and 2011.

Writer's Knowledge Base--the Search Engine for Writers

Twitter: @elizabethscraig

And don't forget to check out Elizabeth's new release: Finger Lickin' Dead.

Murder hits close again to Lulu's barbeque restaurant after a food critic is found dead. When her granddaughters discover the body, and friends are suspected of the crime, Lulu once again investigates to clear the names of the people she loves. http://tinyurl.com/2votpjh (Amazon) and http://tinyurl.com/42beqol (Barnes and Noble.)

A review of Karen Jones Gowen's memoir, Farm Girl

2011-06-09T04:00:00.007-06:00

I just finished reading Karen Jones Gowen's memoir, Farm Girl. I love history. I especially love getting a glimpse of a specific time in history that makes me feel as if I'm right there. That is what I felt reading Karen's account of her mother's life on a 1920s Nebraska farm.

Karen's book is a slight departure from traditional memoir in that it is not a memoir of Karen's life, but that of her mother, Lucille Marker Jones. As Karen explains in her introduction, there were good reasons for this, as she wanted her mother's "voice" to come through, not her own. She succeeded brilliantly.

What struck me most was the authenticity which came through as a result of the family photos sprinkled liberally throughout the book, as well as in the exquisite, lyrical detail in the narrative.

Karen couldn't have bestowed a finer blessing on her mother than honoring her in this way by shining a light on this particular time and this particular place and on this particular young "farm girl." And for me, New York City born and bred, it was eye-opening and profound.

Please check out Karen's blog: http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/, if you haven't already done so, where you can purchase Farm Girl, as well as Karen's other book, Uncut Diamonds.

author karen walker...following the whispers

Family matters

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

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Basilica CisternThe Basilica Cistern, an ancient underground water supply was next.

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Gloria Steinem

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Giveaway

My first giveaway

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Virtual Book Tour - a question

Book Blog Tour/Last Stop: 10 Ways To Maintain Sanity While Writing

Book Blog Tour/Stop 10: Writing Memoir versus Writing Fiction - Is There a Difference?

Book Blog Tour/Stop 9: Do's and Don'ts of Memoir Writing

Book Blog Tour/Stop 8: Finding Success as a Writer

Book Blog Tour/Stop 7: Finding Balance While Juggling Life

Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern, an ancient underground water supply was next.