PROCRASTINATION - WHAT'S THAT? by Rita Karnopp

Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. What a great line for all those people who say, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” And as we know, most times tomorrow never comes.

     Why is it there are so many things we need to do or get done and we just don’t have the time to do it all?  Or are we just procrastinating? 

 

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   We are busy – yes! But we also delay . . . put-off . . . dawdle . . . and just plain feel lazy sometimes. It seems easier to get busy and so something else because the project we are facing just seems too mammoth to tackle.

     Let’s be honest – whatever the project –we all could use some helpful tips on how to stop making excuses – and get those tasks done today!

1.      Stop for a moment and ask - Why are you putting this project off?  You know there has to be a reason. Is it boring? Is it too big a job and just the thought of starting is enough to make you run in the other direction? Maybe the project will surface emotions you don’t wish to face?  People procrastinate for various reasons. Do you know your reasons?  Understanding why – just might create the solution and stop you from procrastinating.

2.      Some people never tackle a project because it’s truly not that big of a deal. Maybe you really don’t need to tackle a project – because it’s not import to finish. Then you might ask yourself, instead of stressing over the incomplete project – should it be done in the first place. Get rid of it and cross it off your to-do list.

3.      Did you ever think of asking for help?  You love helping others when they need help – right? Don’t you think others might like to help you, too?  If a project on your list is just too big to handle alone ask a family member or a good friend to help. It’ll be a lot of fun to share the time with someone – and you’re making good memories. A comment here and there and you’ll be laughing up a storm together - plus the project will be done before you know it.

4.      I call it baby steps. When a large project needs just your attention – starting can be daunting . . . or let’s face it downright frightening. Consider this, begin using baby steps. Don’t think you have to tackle every part of your project all at once.  Heck I’d be running in the other direction, too. Give yourself thirty minutes at the end of Monday through Friday. (Reward yourself with the weekend off.)

     Give yourself a good direction what you will want to finish in that thirty minutes. Getting started is the hardest decision of any to-do project. There will be days when you’ll feel like doing even more than the thirty minutes because it’s going so well. It’s getting started and committing the time to do it that counts.

5.      Now comes the hard part for so many of us. Focus that commitment to the end. Visualize what it will look like when you’re done. How will you feel? Think of a reward to give yourself when the project is completed – that will motivate you! Just know that when you are done – you’ll be so proud of yourself.

6.      We’re done talking about it. You have a plan. You’ve made the commitment. Remember, getting started will take will take the most effort.

a.       Ask why you are putting the project off – and decide if your project needs doing.

b.      Schedule your starting time.

c.       Make a commitment.

d.      Start with baby steps.

e.       Visualize the completed project

f.       Ask for help if you need it.

g.      Focus until the end.

h.      Reward yourself for a job well done!

There’s nothing to it. After you tackle the first item on your ‘to-do list’ . . . head straight to the list and enjoy a rewarding check-mark in the ‘completed’ box.  Now you’re ready to start all over and tackle the next item on the list.  Procrastination?  What’s that??

Remainder Me at Hay-on-Wye by Karla Stover

Remainder Me at Hay-on-Way

     I miss book catalogues. I used to look forward to those from Barnes & Noble, Bas Bleu, and A Common Reader—especially A Common Reader. A Common Reader was in the book mail order business for twenty years—from 1986 to 2006 and introduced me to Alexander McCall Smith, among others. I saved the last one I received and, even now, find books I’d like to read. Bas Bleu published (and paid me for) a couple books reviews—books I recommended, but now I’m off that list, too. Which leaves the Edward R. Hamilton bargain books catalogue; I get my dad’s when he’s done with them.

     I go through Edward H. cover to cover and mark books to read. However, I also see patterns. For example, a lot of women write Amish fiction. I read some, but the Amish lifestyle is so restricted the stories are a bit repetitive. I also see that a number of people have hopped on the Sherlock Holmes bandwagon. Wouldn’t most authors want to create their own characters?

     After I graduated from college and all the reading I had to do for classes, I could no longer read cozies. My current two Edward H’s are full of them: Aunt Dimity, Agatha Raisen, and Laura Childs books and a few. Which offers up the question: is it better to be published but have many of your books end up with Edward H or not to have published at all? I vote for being published but I prefer to be remaindered at Hay-on-Wye.

     In 1979, the United States Supreme Court, in an unrelated case, passed a law on the adverse effects of the keeping inventories for several years. The result was that books in the United States have been remaindered much earlier and in greater quantities than prior to the decision.

     Hay-on-Wye, or “Hay” to those who love it, is in Powys, Wales, close to the English border. Often described as "the town of books", the little market town, with a population of 1,900 has 23 bookstores, sometimes more. In 1961 Richard Booth opened Hay’s first secondhand bookshop in the town’s old fire station. Four years later he bought the local movie house and turned it into a bookshop, too.  They gave birth to the official town of books. (Kindles are banned).

    So, if my books have to be remaindered someday, well, let it be in Hay-on-Wye. Since I have some Welsh blood in me, they’ll be right at home.

    

Magical Creatures by Cheryl Wright

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All kids love magical and mystical creatures. Even as adults we love them.

I recently discovered (via a cardmaking magazine) a wonderful stamp set called "Critters Ever After" by Lawn Fawn.

Unfortunately it's a couple of years since its release, so it was a little difficult to find in Australia. (Believe me when I say it's difficult to find a lot of craft supplies in Australia, let alone something released two years ago!)

But find it I did, along with the matching die set to cut it out much easier.

I have been playing around with the set, and because I know these will make much loved cards for soldier's children, I've been colouring. It can be quite time consuming to colour these sorts of images, so I've been doing them in snatches of time.

Above is a sheet of images I'm working on at the moment. If I'm feeling stressed, or simply need a short break, I can colour another creature or two.

They don't look much in the above photo, but the finished results can be spectacular. The card below was made for my youngest grandaughter. Her birthday is in June, but I wanted to play around with my new set!

It's hard to see here, but this card is an easel card, also sometimes known as a step-card. Because it has layers, it gives the cards a more 3D look and feel. Unfortunately I can't do these to send to our soldiers because we are asked to send cards with little to no bulk. (Because of them being sent through the mail.)

I hope you've enjoyed this card. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time!

Links:

My website:  www.cheryl-wright.com 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cherylwrightauthor 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/writercheryl
BWL website: http://bookswelove.net/authors/wright-cheryl/

Not granny panties!

 

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17 yr old daughter and I recently spent a little mother/daughter time shopping in the big city. We cranked the tunes on the 2 hr drive to our nearest big city, sang and took pictures as we drove. It was great to connect with her. We hit a number of stores, you know the usual, Wallmart, groceries, a few mom and pop stores to drop off some copies of my latest paperback, lunch, the equine supply shop and then my daughter spied the LeSenza store. I’m only 40 but touring a ‘bra’ store with my daughter was… well… not the experience I’d like to repeat in the near future. Don’t get me wrong, there were lots of pretty bras, water filled ones, gel ones, padded ones, lift ones and strapless wonders, but what sent a chill down my spine were the underwear. I’m talking about the panties. Yes, lacy little confections in pretty colors are nice and all but… there were tables and tables of tiny triangles held together with a string. Bright neon colors, straps that were little more than strings and tiny bits of lace that were designed to cover, well, nothing really.

Ok, I am not a prude, far from it, my kids can wear whatever they want as long as they don’t look like the neighbourhood hooker, heck my one son even sported an orange Mohawk when he was in grade 4, but really? Underwear are supposed to cover, well, you know, that region mom’s don’t want boys to be ogling on their teenage daughters… am I right here? And the prices? I usually pay $8 for a 6 pack of what my daughter calls ‘granny panties’. Yes, smart serviceable cotton briefs that cover what God intended they cover. 

 Anyway, after paying $60 for 9 pairs of panties… um lace postage stamps, I got thinking about how different under garments are from the regency and Georgian periods I write most of my romances in. Underwear back then was basically short pants and a thin chemise with a bit of a boost for those lovely ‘puppies’ used to lure a prospective husband, and let’s not forget those wonderful torture devices the corsets. It seems as the centuries accumulated the clothing thinned. That’s progress I guess. Have underwear become more comfortable? Well, the lack of corsets sure help, but honestly, I did try a G-string once and that little piece of string between my butt cheeks drove me crazy! I thought it was horribly uncomfortable and I will never get over that practically naked feeling. I’ll stick to my comfortable cotton ‘granny panties’ thank you! What do you think about the underwear of today compared to the regency period? 

SPRING IS HERE AND FRESH TASTES ABOUND

Betty Jo Schuler

Have you planted your Spring garden yet?  Lots of good eating from the season…and some of it is ready to pick and eat 

I’ve always loved reading and can lose myself in a good book.  I got my first bee sting when I was a preteen sitting in a porch rocker and a pesky ‘fly’ kept bothering me and I kept swatting at it.  Yeow!  I still read a lot but open my eyes to buzzing sounds.

Another passion of mine is collecting recipes and preparing new dishes.  There were a lot of steps between the book and the bee and the book I wrote that launched my new career. 

My husband and I self-published it (an adventure in itself), had it printed and sent out flyers.  Creative Dieting, reviewed by a major tabloid, sparked a lot of interest and assignments for other publications. It was a science to write an appealing seven day diet with the exact calories and fat but I loved doing it. Then after a few years, Healthy Foods took center stage and the word “diets” almost disappeared, taking the fun and challenge out of writing them.

However, I still love recipes and I’d like to share them with you.

One of my favorites. 

CARAMELIZED BROILED ASPARAGUS   This great recipe caramelizes the sugar of the asparagus and really brings out its sweetness. Ez-Peeze to prepare.

1 pound asparagus (thicker spears)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and pepper

Preheat broiler.

On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the oil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper to coat. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer and broil 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the baking sheet occasionally until the spears are tender and slightly charred.

OVERNIGHT SALAD (So handy for picnics and potlucks)

½ lb. bacon

1 head cauliflower

1 head lettuce

1 C. Mayo

¼ cup sugar

2 or 3 green onions

Salt, pepper, grated Parmesan

Clean vegetables. Break cauliflower into small pieces. (I mostly remove the hard stem part.)  Cut up lettuce and green onions. Toss (no dressing yet).

Microwave the bacon. Break into bits.

Mix sugar and mayo (or Miracle Whip). Spread across the top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, grated Parmesan, and bacon. Cover and refrigerate for the next day. Toss when ready to serve.

CUCUMBERS IN SOUR CREAM (refreshing side dish)

2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

½ C. dairy sour cream

1 T. sugar

1 T. vinegar

½ tsp. salt

            Combine cucumbers and onion.  Stir together sour cream, sugar, salt, and vinegar.  Toss with vegetables.  Cover and chill, stirring occasionally.  Makes 3 cups.  (I like to use red wine vinegar and fat-free or “light” sour cream.)  Enjoy!

MINTED NEW PEAS

½ C. chopped green onions with tops

3 Tbsp. butter

2 cups shelled peas or 10 oz. pkg. frozen

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp salt and ¼ C dried rosemary, crushed

Cook onion in butter till tender. Add peas and rest of ingredients plus 1 Tbsp. water. Cover and cook till peas are just tender (10 to 12 mins)., adding a little more water if needed. Garnish with mint leaves and lemon twist.

So here’s one more dish that you might want to make for company…

LETTUCE WRAPS OR CUPS   So versatile and less calories than burritos, they’ve become quite popular. This is a recipe my sister-in-law used to serve with Fritos for dipping. But you can serve it over lettuce and it’s more like a main dish.  I like shredded lettuce.  There are so many types of lettuce and then there’s spinach and other kinds of greens.  If you need help distinguishing between them, ask the produce manager.

PARTY CHICKEN SALAD

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.

½ C minced celery

¼ C. minced onion

2 big dill pickles, minced (or sweet if you prefer)

½ C. sour cream (regular or fat-free)

½ C. mayo or mayo-type salad dressing

Salt, pepper, dash sugar

Dash of dill pickle juice  

            Cook chicken and cool.  Process or grind chicken, celery, onion, and pickle.  Mix sour cream, mayo, salt, pepper, and sugar together, then stir into the chicken mixture. Chill for several hours so flavors blend.  (I use fat-free sour cream and fat-free Miracle Whip in this recipe and it tastes delicious. (I just can’t ditch the diet director role. LOL)  

Male Wanted by Betty Jo Schuler

Link: http://amzn.com/B005G5VCRY

Taylor Gayle advertises in The Town Crier for a male to date, but Max Stuart misprints her ad to indicate she’s looking for a “sadomasochistic male to mate” and includes her address. To atone for his mistakes, Max becomes her live-in protector. Now, who’s going to protect this high school librarian from the unbelievably sexy newspaper editor? And who’s going to save Max from this feisty Plain Jane’s charms?

            IS your mouth watering YET?   Thanks for reading and “eating” with me. Betty Jo 

Schuler 

.

New Releases at Books We Love, and don't forget to enter our contest to win a Kindle Fire while you're visiting. www.bookswelove.com

We've had some terrific new releases this past month.  From the story of a plantation owner's son who sets out on a terrifying and perilous journey, determined to find the Ohio River and freedom for his best friend and his friend's parents, despite the fact that all three of them are slaves that belong to the young lad's father.

Then we have another of Juliet Waldron's amazing historicals.  This one, the first of a two book set, is based on the early years of Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the United States Treasury

Cheers, Chocolate, and Other Disasters will be sure to delight young adults, and with the way the smart and timely way this book deals with issues like bullying and BFFs, it's sure to be appreciated by young readers and parents alike.


For historical fans, Diane Scott Lewis' historical mystery, suspense is an absolute treat.  Readers love Diane's books, and this one is really special.  I'm a mystery reader myself, and I can tell you that this is one book you're going to really have to work to figure out the puzzle before the author finally reveals all.

And Fantasy is definitely on the table. Jane Lane-Walters treats us to two more of her flights to other worlds.  Temple of Fyre and Dragons of Fyre, take us to the mysterious and very scary Island of Fyre.  You won't want to miss these two treats for Fantasy fans.

Frank Talaber, a new to Books We Love author has thrilled us all by bringing his novel based on a legend direct from Haida Gwaii culture.  Set in what was formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, this Native mystery will have you turning the pages as fast as you can.  Raven's Lament is based on a legend as old as the culture.

The second book from ever more popular romantic suspense author Kelly Janicello is sure to delight romance and mystery fans alike.  If you've read, Remember Me? then you're already well acquainted with this authors sharp and witty style, and if you haven't read it yet, then this is a perfect opportunity for you to click the cover of Roses are Red, and get them both.  All BWL new single releases are released as Amazon exclusives and priced at only $2.99.

Last, but definitely not least,  the long awaited Lee Killough, second edition update to The Doppleganger Gambit has finally been released at Amazon.  A very realistic police procedural science fiction... talk about rare, and from a  Hugo nominee, it's a real treat.  As one reviewer said: 

“Police Procedural SF is rare — that makes Ms. Killough’s fun romp all the more appreciated. The characters, plot, indeed the whole future society are very well developed in this novel.” SF Review 34  

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I Dare You. I Double-Dog Dare You! by Tia Dani

Time's Enduring Love, our historical time-travel is a 

Books We Love 2014 best seller.

http://amzn.com/B00EVXABV0

The fact we've been writing together for a very long time still amazes us how well we work together. The reason? There's a strong bond of trust between us and, as we've always said, "Our friendship is imperative", beyond any other emotion or personal quirks.

What's one of those quirks, you ask?

Well, we're a bit competitive.

Pushing our limits has become a challenge. For example, we are "dogged" determined to dig deeper and deeper into our current story in progress. Which makes it kind of difficult since, at the moment, we're working on two stories at once. One is a paranormal and the other a futuristic. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum. Have we mentioned before we're eclectic? Yep, it keeps things interesting for us.

Anyway, back to our competition. We call it our Double-dog Dare. Here's what happens.

An initial story gets written.

So far, we're good with what's on the pages, but it really needs to zing.

Tia, ever thirsty for drama and spine-tingling action, takes off and inserts all kinds of spooky, weird, unusual, and not your run-in-the-mill happenings. "Hmmm," she chortles and rubs her hands. "What disaster can be added to intensify the story?"

Dani, however, forever the romantic, plunges into the protagonists' love quandary. How she can push the boundaries and build their relationships. She loves to dream about how passionate our hero and heroine can have it and build the sexual tension. She smiles and asks…"What incredibly sweet or spicy thing can I do to them before disaster strikes?" With that, she blissfully types away.

Dani calls this the fun stuff. Tia calls it the gooey, hooey stuff. Uh-oh, our personalities are showing.

Working together and daring each other to push harder is how we create realistic characters, strong emotion, and a story line that keeps our readers entertained all the way until the end.

Take for example our paranormal story we're working on right now. The story involves quite a bit of Apache Indian culture and Arizona history. The story didn't start out that way. It originally started with the hero and heroine meeting on a guest ranch in northern Arizona. 

Okay, simple, but not exactly a hand wringer.

Then we into competition mode. And one chapter developed into another.

The hero and heroine soon find themselves drawn into a battle of metaphysical beliefs. Two Apache lovers have been trapped in time by a shape-shifter's curse. The lovers? Well, Dani won that round…lots and lots of emotional and physical love scenes.

Once Tia gives in to Dani, she insists there has to be a twist. Ensnared within her own spell, a jealous Apache woman vows that no one will ever free her captives.

Sounding stronger…BUT…the bar has to be raised higher. Tia pushes for the past-life regressions to be dangerous and scary. Dani agrees, but insists the heroine and hero must find themselves strongly bound together through time and other lives.

Kinda of a draw wouldn't you say? Round one to Tia. Round two to Dani. Round three. A mutual agreement: The love between the hero and heroine must be strong enough break the curse cast by the evil one.

To find out how it happens...you'll have to read the book.

One more thing though.

Before this book is ready to send to our publisher, we have one more step to achieve. Make sure our historic storyline stayed believable all the way through. So, off we went the world acclaimed Heard Museum in Phoenix for research. It ended up being a wonderful adventure. Not only did we discover some Apache objects to enhance our story, we also learned that many of the incidents we wrote were darn near spot on. (Spine tingling and lifting neck hairs hit us both.)

Some of the Native American jewlery on display at the Heard Museum.

 Apache wedding dress.

Navajo blanket robes. The Apache traded for goods and would very likely have blankets like these.

Apache footwear on display.

It was a perfect day to enjoy lunch on the patio and make some notes. We have learned the hard way...write it down while fresh in our minds.

We also enjoyed a glass of Twisted Cedar Native American Wine. http://heard.org/

Final round to the competition? To our powerful channeled spirits who helped us become one with the book.

As far as the futuristic…that's an article for another time…After we manage to say farewell to our Apache spirit guides and attempt to contact our space-aged, highly-advanced guardians for more help. Won't that be fun?


To find out more about the writing team Tia Dani and our books visit us at:
http://bookswelove.com/authors/dani-tia/  
http://tiadanismusings.blogspot.com/

Twitter:   https://twitter.com/TiaDani 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiadani.author

Bio: 
Tia Dani is the multi-published writing team made up of good friends Christine Eaton Jones and Beverly Petrone. Together they create endearing and realistic characters, humorous dialogue, and unusual settings. And…best of all…they’re having the time of their lives.

Storytelling has been a passion for Christine (Tia) since childhood when she regularly enthralled the neighborhood children with make-believe fairy tales and wild adventures.

Always the lover of a good romance, Beverly's (Dani) goal is for you to step into the shoes of her heroine, fall head-over-heels in love with her hero, and most of all believe in the magic of love.

Tia Dani happily calls Arizona home where they play in the sunshine and dance in the twilight of the beautiful Sonoran desert.