All posts by NewEngland_Muse

I'm a traditionally and self published author. I write in the genre of children and YA at the moment but working my way up to adults. I'm a sports loving, photo taking gal who loves to sing/dance to my own enjoyment. I love to laugh even at myself. I am also owned by 8 birds and 2 hamsters, and yes they know it. :)
Life, memories, Rocking Chair, Smiles, Yard sale

Rocking Chair

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My entire life has been surrounded by rocking chairs. Growing up we had two in the kitchen, two in the living room, two on the porch and quite a few in the shed that was connected to the house. Rocking was a way of life for our family and for the many generations before us.

When I went away to college in the South and came into contact with people they would look at me odd when I would say, “Man I miss my rocking chair.” I am not sure if it is a cultural aspect or not but it seems as the years go by, this thought is confirmed.

I have been through so many rocking chairs that my husband now refuses to buy me any more. He said I am hard on them which is so true. I rock fast and quickly to a beat in my head or thoughts that make me pulsate the chair at a rate that it was not meant to surpass. It is surprising that flight has not been taken over the last few years. Get me on a rocking chair on the porch is such a great feeling, especially if it is raining or there is a slight breeze. It propels you to a different state of mind and helps you forget any crap that might be occurring. It is like a good book that helps you to be free.

It has been a few years since I have had a rocking chair. Every time I would see one it would be a reminder to my childhood and memories that would always make me smile. It would also tell me of my promise to get myself another chair down the road when I had the time.

Going to breakfast yesterday my husband and I saw a couple of signs for yard sales and decided to stop at one of them. There in the front yard was a rocking chair. Without realizing it I had stopped walking and ended up blocking the pathway. Looking at it I asked the owner how much he was asking which was $20.00. Not having that on me I hoped that by the time the trip to the ATM and back had been done that the chair would still be there. My husband looked at me and forked over the money.

The instantaneous glee in my heart made it beat just a little faster. A rocking chair I had a rocking chair in my possession. Needless to say I have no room for one but room will be made somehow someway for my latest love. As I write this post it sits by me urging me to stop what I am doing and to go for a ride with it. That is a wonderful idea.

To people who have never felt the joy of rocking in a chair, give it a try. You have so little to lose and so much to gain.

Time to rock.

Book, children's book, Electronic submission, Manuscript, NaNoEdMo, Publishers, Publishing, Publishing House

Anticipation

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“Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin’ me late
Is keepin’ me waitin’ ”

Does anyone remember this song?

In February of this year I attended a free writers conference. From that contacts were made from small press publishers. I submitted my first novel to one in late March and within a couple of weeks the rest of the MS was requested. It was told to me that the time frame of hearing anything would be 4-6 weeks. Cool! Now I had to sit down and wait and not obsess over this every single hour of every single day. Piece of cake NOT well at first anyway.

In that time I completed the second volume to the book, edited 80 percent of my NaNoWriMo book of 2011 and now just a couple of chapters shy of another novel being finished. The days have gone faster since the concentration has been back on my writings and not waiting for the call whether the news be positive or negative. I don’t think of it daily like I use to thankfully for that made for some long days.

Though to be perfectly honest my mind has spread out into dream land if I get the call and receive the news most writers wait for. It is hard not to fantasize of getting one’s first book in print the traditional way. I do have two short stories that were published in an ebook anthology and that still gives me a little woohoo especially when I look at the book on line.

But to get one’s book in print and hold it in our hands well let’s just say I really really would love to know how that feels. It use to be when I started writing it was with thoughts of money. But over the last two years it has mellowed to just loving to write and homing in on my craft. Interacting with fellow writers whether that be on line or in real life gives me a burst of energy that is so hard to explain. For they get what I am trying to do and understand why I am doing it. They get me.

I just love to write. Hopefully some day down the road people will not only pick up one of my books but enjoy it to where it gives them a smile. If I can accomplish that then I am successful.

Books, Habit, Pacing, Reading

Boring Books

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For the longest time one of my most annoying habits was to finish a book once I started it. No matter how bad it was written it would be read from beginning to end. It was a tick that drove me nuts. I was not obligated to finish it if it did not suit me so what propelled me to finish every single book I started remained a mystery.

This is how it has been for as long as I can remember. My love for books started the minute I learned how to read. Even to date our house is filled to the brim with books on all topics imaginable. We could probably open up a mini library or a book mobile at best if we wanted to. The thought of throwing a book away well it is just not done. I will swap it with someone else, give it to a used book store or to the library before that will ever happens.

My love of books is why I am a part of two book clubs. One that is run out of a local library by one of the librarians and one run by me for my women’s group. I can read books without bringing them home to keep was one of my first thoughts. This gave me a whole new world of books that I would never have thought to pick up to read.

Then it happened. The librarian picked a book that was just oh my gosh horrible. Every time I picked it up my body would cringe for it knew this was going to be a struggle. Deciding to not finish it was hard for me and the guilt of not reading it from beginning to end filled my insides from top to bottom. Getting to the meeting it turned out a few ladies had not read the book either for the same reason. But they did not have the same tick I did about finishing books.

It happened again only this time with the book club I ran. The book had all the praises and high reviews and the synopsis made it sound just awesome. It was not. I struggled again for the second time in a week as another book did not get read completely. This patterned soon enough repeated itself over the next few months.

For that I am grateful. Finally the annoyances and guilt that came with reading a boring book was getting nipped in the bud. While I hated to not finish each and every book I picked up I did not beat myself up for it like in the past

Freedom is a sweet word and it comes with so many different meaning. Thank you boring books of the world, thank you for being out there and helping me get rid of this frustrating habit.