BLURB: Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships – both old and new – begin to resemble 21st century version of her novels.
STORYLINE: The Jane Austen Book Club explores Austen’s adage that general incivility is at love’s essence. Sylvia’s husband dumps her for another woman, so Bernadette and Jocelyn organize a book club to distract her. They recruit Sylvia’s daughter Allegra; Prudie, a young teacher whose marriage may be on the rocks; and Grigg, a sci-fi fan who joins solely out of his attraction to Jocelyn. The six book club members read and discuss one Austen novel per month. While Jocelyn attempts to peak Grigg’s interest in Sylvia, she fails to see her own interest in him rising. Allegra falls in love with a woman she meets skydiving. Then, after unexpected heartache she is able to mend her heart through a new relationship. Prudie contemplates an affair with one of her students and may take things a little to far. Sylvia’s ex-husband keeps popping back into her life and eventually tells her he still loves her. By the end of the movie, the truth about each of our characters is revealed.
MY 2 CENTS: I’m not going to lie, this is a chick-flick. I love a good romantic comedy chick-flick every now and then, but they are not my typical go-to movie. With that said, as an author and an avid reader, I LOVED THIS FILM!
The cast is amazing… In fact, I really can’t image a better cast. With Emily Blunt, Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman, and Kathy Baker taking the lead, this movie was destined to be a success. And a story line that manages to infuse the characters’ lives with pieces of Jane Austen’s fictional world is just plain fun.
Like most chick-flicks, this film isn’t about wowing the viewers with amazing cinematography and extraordinary special effects. This film relies solely on the dialogue and the actors’ abilities to communicate their emotions to the audience. The character development within each relationship as well as individually gives the viewer so much to watch, explore, and relate to. Of course, not everyone will be able to relate to every character… but that is the beauty, there is a character for everyone.
I believe that if Austin were alive today, she would be proud of the way this film utilized her themes and wove them into the lives of the characters beautifully.
Watching the film, you get a sense that Karen Joy Fowler, author of the book ‘The Jane Austin Book Club, truly has a passion for and understands Austin’s books. Although I have not yet read ‘The Jane Austin Book Club’ I do intent to add it to my ‘To Read’ list. I think that anyone who admires Austin’s books will enjoy this film.
If you have watched this movie (or read the book) please comment below and let me know what you thought of it. If you haven’t seen the movie, but are intrigued enough to watch it, then I challenge you to watching and then come back and let me know what you thought.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES: “Let us never underestimate the power of a well-written letter.” ~ Bernadette
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AMAZON DESCRIPTION: From the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2 and Heart-Shaped Box comes a chilling novel about a worldwide pandemic of spontaneous combustion that threatens to reduce civilization to ashes and a band of improbable heroes who battle to save it, led by one powerful and enigmatic man known as the Fireman.
The fireman is coming. Stay cool.
No one knows exactly when it began or where it originated. A terrifying new plague is spreading like wildfire across the country, striking cities one by one: Boston, Detroit, Seattle. The doctors call it Draco Incendia Trychophyton. To everyone else it’s Dragonscale, a highly contagious, deadly spore that marks its hosts with beautiful black and gold marks across their bodies—before causing them to burst into flames. Millions are infected; blazes erupt everywhere. There is no antidote. No one is safe.
Harper Grayson, a compassionate, dedicated nurse as pragmatic as Mary Poppins, treated hundreds of infected patients before her hospital burned to the ground. Now she’s discovered the telltale gold-flecked marks on her skin. When the outbreak first began, she and her husband, Jakob, had made a pact: they would take matters into their own hands if they became infected. To Jakob’s dismay, Harper wants to live—at least until the fetus she is carrying comes to term. At the hospital, she witnessed infected mothers give birth to healthy babies and believes hers will be fine too. . . if she can live long enough to deliver the child.
Convinced that his do-gooding wife has made him sick, Jakob becomes unhinged, and eventually abandons her as their placid New England community collapses in terror. The chaos gives rise to ruthless Cremation Squads—armed, self-appointed posses roaming the streets and woods to exterminate those who they believe carry the spore. But Harper isn’t as alone as she fears: a mysterious and compelling stranger she briefly met at the hospital, a man in a dirty yellow fire fighter’s jacket, carrying a hooked iron bar, straddles the abyss between insanity and death. Known as The Fireman, he strolls the ruins of New Hampshire, a madman afflicted with Dragonscale who has learned to control the fire within himself, using it as a shield to protect the hunted . . . and as a weapon to avenge the wronged. In the desperate season to come, as the world burns out of control, Harper must learn the Fireman’s secrets before her life—and that of her unborn child—goes up in smoke.
WRITING (★★★): This is the second book I’ve read from author Joe Hill, the first being 20th Century Ghosts. It is really well-written, aside from the fact that it is 749 pages and could have been trimmed down significantly without loosing any of the story. His long-winded writing style came as no surprise when I realized he is Stephen King’s son. However, when I read a Stephen King novel, I am drawn in completely. That didn’t happen with this story.
There were many times where the writing gave away too much to the reader. Foreshadowing the twists and turns in a way that made them predictable and anticlimactic when they did happen.
STORY (★★★★): The story starts out strong, with a powerful moment for one of our lead characters, Harper Grayson. However, shortly after it starts to slow to a snail’s pace. I found myself putting the book down rather than being compelled to read it.
The Fireman, at its heart, is based on a really cool premise – a spontaneous combustion plague that is wiping out humanity. We not only see how the plague destroys humanity but also how society changes, turns on itself, and ultimately destroys itself.
Hill creates some really great images through his writing, the bird of fire, the glow of the camp members as they sing, the woman of fire, and so many others. The problem I had, was that they were to few and far between.
When all is said and done, I still recommend reading this book. If you are at all a fan of Joe Hill, or his father, Stephen King, you should pick up a copy and read it. The premise is awesome… just be prepared to have to push through some of the slower parts in order to get to the really good parts.
PS… there is a hidden ending to this story. If you read the credits included at the end of the book, you’ll get a little surprise from the author.
CHARACTERS (★★★): The dialogue between the characters often felt forced and redundant. It seemed that character personalities changed depending on which characters were in the scene. My biggest issue with this was with Harper Grayson. Harper is a kind, loving nurse who just wants to help people. Then, when she is talking with The Fireman, after getting to the camp, the way she talks gets hard and brass. It didn’t feel natural.
I did feel however, that Hill was able to give solid character development to the main characters throughout the story. Although I couldn’t relate to many of them, I do feel like I was able to understand what motivated their actions.
APPEARANCE (★★★): I love this cover… There is just something about a cover printed with only 2-3 colors that draws my eye. The movement in the fire, throughout the lettering, is beautiful in a destructive way. It looks great and intrigues the reader, tempting you to find out what’s inside.
FAVORITE QUOTES: “There’s something horribly unfair about dying in the middle of a good story, before you have a chance to see how it all comes out. Of course, I suppose everyone ALWAYS dies in the middle of a good story, in a sense. Your own story. Or the story of your grandchildren. Death is a raw deal for narrative junkies.”
Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
OTHER BOOKS BY AUTHOR JOE HILL
NOS4A2 – The spine-tingling, bone-chilling novel of supernatural suspense from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman and Horns—now an AMC original series starring Zachary Quinto, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Ashleigh Cummings.
“A masterwork of horror.”— Time
Full Throttle – In this masterful collection of short fiction, Joe Hill dissects timeless human struggles in thirteen relentless tales of supernatural suspense, including “In The Tall Grass,” one of two stories co-written with Stephen King, basis for the terrifying feature film from Netflix.
Heart-Shaped Box – Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals . . . a used hangman’s noose . . . a snuff film. An aging death-metal rock god, his taste for the unnatural is as widely known to his legions of fans as the notorious excesses of his youth. But nothing he possesses is as unlikely or as dreadful as his latest discovery, an item for sale on the Internet, a thing so terribly strange, Jude can’t help but reach for his wallet… GET IT HERE!
Wolverton Station – Saunders made his fortune as a hatchet man for hire and has come to England to do what he does best: chop down the little guys to clear the way for a global firm. But his train north just made an unexpected stop to let on some passengers straight out of the worst kind of fairy tale. Now he’s up to his ankles in blood and finding out just what it really means to live in a dog-eat-dog world… GET IT HERE!
Wraith – The graphic novel prequel to the bestselling novel and upcoming AMC series NOS4A2!
Discover the terrifying funhouse world of Christmasland and the ageless monster who rules it. Climb into the passenger seat as Hill and artist Charlie Wilson III explore Charlie Manx’s twisted beginnings, introduce a new and depraved cast of characters to Christmasland, and take us for a 100 MPH ride down an icy nightmare road in a car with no brakes… GET IT HERE!
Horns – A twisted, terrifying new novel of psychological and supernatural suspense, Horns is a devilishly original triumph for the Ray Bradbury Fellowship recipient whose story collection, 20th Century Ghosts, was also honored with a Bram Stoker Award—and whose emotionally powerful and macabre work has been praised by the New York Times as, “wild, mesmerizing, perversely witty…a Valentine from hell.” GET IT HERE!
Strange Weather – A collection of four chilling novels, ingeniously wrought gems of terror from the brilliantly imaginative, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman, Joe Hill.
Remember, #WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.
Read the writing prompt below,
Spend 5 minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever comes to mind,
DON’T EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!
The goal is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today I am writing in my voice. I usually write in the voice of one of my characters, but today’s prompt really spoke to me. I hope it speaks to you too.
Today’s writing prompt:
Write about three goals (realistic or maybe a little far-reaching) that you would like to achieve in your lifetime.
I have plenty of goals… I love a good ‘to do’ list and even more so, I love to set goals. I have a huge list of short-term goals and a fairly long list of long-term goals. However, today I want to talk about those goals I haven’t had the guts to write out. Three really big, far-reaching, goals that I’d love to achieve but don’t really expect to manage.
I want to make the New York Time’s Best Seller’s List! As an author, that just seems like the ultimate ‘you’ve made it’ moment. I want my books to touch someone. I want them to make a difference in someone else’s life. I want them to be read.
I want to give a Ted Talk… I’d love to talk about writing, being a struggling author, and the hurdles you have to overcome in order to make it. The hurdles you do overcome if you’re really passionate about what you’re writing.
I went to college for acting… I wanted to be an actress. I still do. I do theatre, I’ve done a number of commercials, and for a short period I lived out in Los Angeles and did the whole struggling actor thing booking a few jobs here and there. Hell, I’m even aSAG/AFTRA member. I want, at some point in my lifetime, to get a role I can be truly proud of. I want that ‘you’ve made it’ moment as an actress.
Yeah, those are my three really big goals. Now that I’ve put them out into the universe, who knows, maybe they will manifest. So, what are your goals?
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Write about three goals (realistic or maybe a little far-reaching) that you would like to achieve in your lifetime.
Today’s #MindfulnessMonday Tip:Your value… your self-worth… does not decrease because of the experiences you’ve had or the hurdles you’ve had to overcome.
Check out today’s #MindfulnessMonday video for a quick lesson on self-worth. You can check out the video by clicking HERE!
With that little piece of advice, I give you today’s Mindfulness Exercise:
Mindfulness Meditation – Self-Worth Affirmations!
Take a moment to connect with your breath. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then, repeat the following:
‘I am worthy of all that the world has to offer, just as much as anyone else. I am deserving of love, hope, peace, friendship, and all that is good in this world, simply because I am human. I release any need to prove myself to others. I release any need to seek and gain acceptance from others. Others cannot define my value or dictate my worth any more than I can theirs. I am unique and special. I am strong and gentle. I surrender myself, allowing the universe to guide me so that my unique gifts can surface and provide value in my life and my relationships. I let go and accept my worthiness as the amazing unique me that I am.’
Notice how these words feel in your body and mind. Then repeat them again, three or four times during your meditation, until the words become comfortable and you begin to feel the weight of their truth.
Mindfulness Journaling Prompt: After you’ve completed the Self-Worth Affirmations meditation, take five to ten minutes of quiet time to journal about the experience and answer one (or more) of the following questions: What makes you unique? What strengths do you see in yourself?
Mindfulness journaling can be very private. However, if you are willing to share your thoughts with me and my readers, I would love to invite you to comment below and let me know how today’s exercise made you feel.
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Check out my #MindfulnessMonday YouTube Series and don’t forget to click subscribe so you never miss an episode!
I’m certified in Holistic Stress Management and Mind/Body Fitness. I’ve been practicing Mindfulness for 10+ years and am passionate about helping others in their pursuit of a more mindful existence.
BLURB: Four college freshmen and best friends find that it may take more than a shared pair of jeans to help them stay in touch as their lives go in different directions.
STORYLINE: Carmen Lowell is working backstage of a play at Yale when the lead actress, her friend Julia, invites her to Vermont for the summer to work on a play with a professional cast. Because her mother is pregnant and she believes her friends will kill her if she doesn’t visit for the summer, she decides to stay home. However, she quickly changes her mind after she finds that her friends have all made plans to leave town for the summer. Lena heads to New York for a drawing course, Bridget heads to Turkey on an archaeological dig, and Tibby is working in a video rental store and still editing her documentary.
While in Vermont, Carmen develops a crush on the lead actor Ian, who tricks her into auditioning, and she is cast as the lead female role, much to Julia’s dismay. Later Carmen learns the truth about her friendship with Julia. The broken-hearted Lena finds that Kostas has just married, with a baby on the way, and she starts dating the male model from her drawing class. Yet, Kostas is never far from her mind. Bridget finds letters addressed to her that her father has been hiding for years and finally reaches out to her long-lost grandmother.
MY 2 CENTS: In last week’s #SundayScreening post, I talked about the first movie in the The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants duology, this week I’m talking about the second movie.
I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the first movie in this series. The idea of magical pants keeping friends together even over long distances sounded silly to me. However, it gave just enough mystical, lightheartedness to allow the film to address some pretty heavy topics. The second movie was no different.
In The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, there is love loss, heartbreak, emotional awakening, family reunions, pursuit of dreams, surprise relationships, and personal growth. Lots of personal growth.
The lead actresses in both of these films are very well-known and not at all screen shy. They wear their emotions on their faces for the world to see, feel, and experience with them.
Tibby, played by Amber Tamblyn, is the resident rebel. After suffering a huge loss in the first film, allows herself to get close to someone else… so close they fall in love. Then, after a pregnancy scare, she pushes him away.
Lena, played by Alexis Bledel, best known for her role in The Gilmore Girls, plays the sweet, innocent, rule follower. Yet, in this film she allows herself to break a few rules, follow her heart, even when it feels broken, and go after what she wants.
Carmen, played by America Ferrera, is a hard-working college student at Yale. After a disappointing meet up with her three best friends, she decides to run off to Vermont for the summer to work backstage at a professional theatre. Little does she know, love just might be waiting for her on stage. She discovers more about herself, and true friendship, during that summer away than many are able to discover throughout our college career.
Bridget, played by Blake Lively, is the free-spirited wanderer. Yet, in this film, she is more grounded than any of the others. She takes a journey that leads her to discovering a way to cope with the loss of her mother and reconnects with family she thought would forever be lost to her.
All in all, this film touched on some pretty intense topics and did it in a way that people of all ages can relate.
Have you seen this film? If so, what did you think? If you haven’t watched it, I challenge you to do it. Watch both of the films, they are available on Netflix, and then come back here and tell me what you thought.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES: “The problem is every time I try to get close to somebody it’s like there’s something out there that just says oh Tibby’s about to be happy, better get her.” ~ Tibby
Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
GOODREADS DESCRIPTION: Auggie & Me gives readers a special look at Auggie’s world through three new points of view. These stories are an extra peek at Auggie before he started at Beecher Prep and during his first year there. Readers get to see him through the eyes of Julian, the bully; Christopher, Auggie’s oldest friend; and Charlotte, Auggie’s new friend at school. Together, these three stories are a treasure for readers who don’t want to leave Auggie behind when they finish Wonder.
WRITING (★★★★★): Palacio is a wonderfully talented author. She is an artist in the way she created the world around Auggie in Wonder, and the three short stories in Auggie & me are no different.
STORY (★★★★): Auggie and me contains three different short stories; The Julian Chapter, Pluto, and Shingaling.
The Julian Chapter is all Julian – the boy who is Wonder is portrayed as the bully. In this short story we really get a glimpse of who Julian really is, what drives him to behave the way he does, and even the remorse he feels when he realizes what he has done wrong.
Pluto is about Chris – Auggie’s oldest friend. Because of their mothers’ friendship, Auggie and Chris had been friends since birth. It wasn’t until Chris’ family moved away that he started to see Auggie as different… he started to pull away… It was interesting to see, through Chris’ eyes, how a friendship with Auggie might be difficult at times. However, when friendship wins… and kindness prevails… it is a beautiful thing.
Shingaling was about Charlotte. This story, although I enjoyed it, was the least about Auggie then the other two. It centered around Charlotte and the ‘girl drama’ that was happing around her. Honestly, it is the same as the girl drama happening in every elementary and middle school around the world. Probably every High School too. I have to admit, I’m glad to have my school days behind me. I enjoyed learning about Charlotte, and Summer who was a pivotal character in this story. The lesson of Choose Kindness was very strong in this story.
CHARACTERS (★★★★): I loved learning more about Julian, Chris, and Charlotte. These three short stories not only showed us their relationships with Auggie, they also showed us how the interact with other kids, what they are like inside and outside of school, and what is going on in their minds throughout the things that happened in Wonder. The character development in Auggie and Me built upon what we learned in Wonder and succeeded at enhancing the connection the reader has with each character.
APPEARANCE (★★★★★): The cover of Auggie & Me is the perfect fit with the original Wonder cover. The simple blue background with the minimalist character illustrations is eye catchy and inspiring.
FAVORITE QUOTES: “Good friendships are worth a little extra effort.”
“Sometimes it’s good to start over.”
“One mistake does not define you, Julian. Do you understand me? You must simply act better next time.”
“If you want to be a star, you have to be willing to work harder than everyone else to achieve your goals and dreams! The way I see it, a dream is like a drawing in your head that comes to life. You have to imagine it first. Then you have to work extremely hard to make it come true.”
Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.
Remember, #WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.
Read the writing prompt below.
Spend 5 minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever comes to mind.
DON’T EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!
The goal is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today I am writing in the voice of Stella, one of the characters in the novel I am currently outlining. I’m not sure if this will be a selection in the novel, or just part of my character development journal.
Today’s writing prompt:
What area of your life do you tend to enjoy in excess instead of moderation?
I’m not really sure what that means… to enjoy in excess. I remember, when I was little, sitting on my mother’s lap and playing with her hair. It would curl around my finger like a spring. I’d pull it down then let it go and it would bounce back up perfectly into place. I remember her smell like it was yesterday. I remember the joy it brought me to sit there, snuggled in her arms, breathing her in.
Did I enjoy her touch and her attention in excess? I’m not sure. She was taken away from me so suddenly. So unexpectedly. I feel like I didn’t really enjoy her enough. I feel like I never really got to enjoy much else of life.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a good life. I’m treated well, they take care of me. They… the ones in charge… They don’t love me, not like she did, before she feared me. But they do care for me, I think.
No, I don’t think I enjoy anything in excess. I enjoy the memories I see, sometimes. Most times, they frighten me. Like the memory of Sophie and Austin. Why he would hurt her the way he did when I know he loved her… I just don’t understand it.
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What area of your life do you tend to enjoy in excess instead of moderation?
I’m excited to introduce author Tammy Ruggles to my website. If you have any questions for her, that I don’t cover in my interview, please comment below and she will respond.
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? Tammy Ruggles, but I’ve written as Miss Tammy for my children’s book, and some fan-fiction too.
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it? Do you like what you do? I used to be a social worker in the child/adult protection areas, and I loved that job, but had to retire from it due to becoming legally blind. That’s when I started writing professionally.
If it doesn’t bother you, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like? Trailers mostly, but a couple of apartments and houses too.
Do you have any hobbies, other than writing? What do you enjoy doing? Cooking.
What is your greatest dream? To be remembered fondly by my grandchildren.
What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you? I wish I could be a perfect person, but making mistakes stops me.
Not to pry too much, but do you remember your first love? Yes, he died, but I still think of him often.
What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? No certain person inspired me to write, I just started on my own at about age 12.
What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved the dream, why not? Yes, I had 3 dreams come true. One, to be a social worker. The second to be a professional writer, and the last one was to become a mother.
Who is your role model? Jesus Christ, though I never measure up.
What is your greatest fear? Losing loved ones, which is always hard.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? Back when I could read regular print, it was print books. But the larger fonts of eBooks makes it easier. And audiobooks are SO wonderful for a visually impaired person.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so, what was it? The King James Bible. And “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy.
What is your opinion of novellas? I love them, as I lean toward shorter works.
Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? No, I don’t think so.
What is your favorite film based on a book? I don’t have a favorite.
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? I don’t have a favorite.
What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why? EL James, because she started in fan-fiction too.
What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? I am on hiatus from reading, but it would be audiobook most likely. My most recent is fan-fiction by various authors.
If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why? Edgar a. Poe, Emily Dickinson, Peter Benchley, Harold Robbins. I like their writing.
Let’s shift somewhat and talk about your latest story.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? Starsky and Hutch Next Gen Series, Episodes 1-8. The sons of Starsky and Hutch carry on the legacy in their own unique way.
Is the above book part of a series? I’m not sure yet. It could stand on its own.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? I tried to find pictures that matched the characters, and I put it together myself.
Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? No, I prefer silence when I write, but if I like music when creating in other ways, like A Perfect Circle, Beck, Bob Marley, Tool, and some southern gospel. Even American Idol’s Wade Cota once in a while.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? Based on the characters being the next generation of Starsky and Hutch.
Do you have a book trailer? If so, where can we watch it?
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her? There are two leads, Davis Starsky and Kent Hutchinson.
What is your character’s greatest strengths? Davis’ would be his resilience and willingness to learn and change. Kent’s would be his empathy and willingness to help others.
And what are his/her greatest weaknesses? Davis’ would be that he’s impulsive, and Kent’s would be that he feels guilty about things he has no control over.
What are some of his/her favorite foods? Davis’ would be pizza, and Kent’s would be Triscuits with goat cheese.
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has? Davis doesn’t realize his inner strength, and Kent doesn’t realize that it’s okay to be vulnerable.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? I hope readers like them and see them as individuals instead of copies of their dads.
What first gave you the idea for your latest book? I wanted to explore the world of the next generation of Starsky and Hutch.
Let’s talk now about your writing process.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter? I’m somewhat of a plotter, but not heavily so. I start with a beginning, middle, and end, then write a scene list of things I’d like to have happen, and them fill in the blanks as I go. I am definitely open to change, though, and have made some eureka changes along the way that take the story or character in a completely different direction.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? I think writing is the easy part. It’s promoting that’s hard. I think if I had it to do over again, I would just hire one PR person instead of trying to do it all myself. It’s very time-consuming, but it has to be done.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? I am a published Indie author now, but my very first book was a paperback traditionally published.
If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? I have so many books, I think it was just easier and faster to go the indie route. I’m kind of impatient, and put out a lot of work, so Indie works better for me.
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Write for yourself. It may be cliché, but it works for me.
Where can your readers follow you? Please list links to any applicable websites and/or social media accounts:
You mentioned fan-fiction writing. Do you think it helped your journey to publication? Not really, since I kept my fan-fiction writing separate from my professional writing. I even wrote under different names. In the early days of fanfiction, it wasn’t something to put on a resume or discussed in an author interview like this. But the success of EL James and others has made it easier for writers to discuss it.
Today’s #MindfulnessMonday Tip: It’s important to recognize your strengths so that you don’t allow yourself to be defined by your weaknesses.
Check out today’s #MindfulnessMonday video to learn how to choose self-love and stop negative self talk. You can check out the video by clicking HERE!
With that little piece of advice, I give you today’s Mindfulness Exercise:
Talk About Your Strengths!
With a close friend or loved one, start a conversation by explaining that you want their true and honest opinion, then ask the question, ‘What do you think are my key strengths?’ Listen, without interrupting. Then, think about their answer, ask clarifying questions if you need to, try engaging in an open dialogue so you can see yourself the way they see you. Don’t judge their opinion, take it in – and be willing to take a complement when given.
Mindfulness Journaling Prompt:After you’ve completed the ‘Talk About Your Strength’ exercise, take five to ten minutes of quiet time and create a list of your strengths. These should be the strengths you see in yourself as well as the strengths your loved ones and friends say that they see in you – Even if you don’t believe them just yet. Then, once a day, I want you to pull out your list of strengths and read over the. This shouldn’t take long, but over time it will help you to change the way you see yourself so that how you define yourself shifts from focusing on weaknesses to focusing on strengths.
Mindfulness journaling can be very private. However, if you are willing to share your thoughts with me and my readers, I would love to invite you to comment below and let me know how today’s exercise made you feel and what strengths you found others see in you that you maybe didn’t see in yourself.
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I’m certified in Holistic Stress Management and Mind/Body Fitness. I’ve been practicing Mindfulness for 10+ years and am passionate about helping others in their pursuit of a more mindful existence.
STORYLINE: The movie is based on the young adult book, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Anne Brashares. As four best friends spend their first summer apart from one another, they share a magical pair of jeans. Despite being of various shapes and sizes, each one of them fits perfectly into the pants. To keep in touch, they pass these pants to each other as well as the adventures they are going through while apart. Written by Stephanie
MY 2 CENTS: I didn’t really expect much from this film; a little entertainment, some laughs, but not much else. I mean, come on, the premise is a magical pair of pants that bonds four girls together and keeps them close even when they go their separate ways for summer vacation.
I was pleasantly surprised.
The cast; Amber, Alexis, America, and Blake played four uniquely different characters, who in any given high school would probably not have remained friends for as long as they did. However, this movie made it work. Either through good directing or good acting, their relationship as close friends since birth was believable.
Again, the story of a magical pair of pants was a bit over the top. However, the things these girls had to deal with during their summer vacation; travel, falling in love, pain, illness, loss, the loss of virginity, family struggles, and so much more are all very real topics in the lives of many youth these days. The mystical element of magical pants allowed the film to connect all of these issues seamlessly; allowing us to travel across the world with each girl as they follow their own path AND maintain a connection to their small-town friendships in the process.
I think the secret weapon in this film was Jenna Boyd, the young actress who played Bailey. Bailey enters Tibby’s life as this young, annoying kid who keeps tagging along trying to help with Tibby’s documentary film. At first Tibby doesn’t see the importance of Bailey’s presence. It isn’t until she discovers Tibby is dying that she really starts to notice their friendship and how important it is to recognize the beauty in those around us and in life itself.
I’m not going to lie, I cried during this film. Only once, but they were the kinds of tears you don’t feel coming until their rolling down your cheek. The kind that take you by surprise because the emotion sneaks up on you.
No, I don’t think this film will ever be added to my top twenty list of best films ever, but I do think it’s worth the watch.
If you’ve seen The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, please comment below and let me know what you thought. If you enjoyed it, tell me why. If you didn’t care for it, tell me what was missing. If you haven’t seen it, but are willing to give it a shot now, tell me that too.
MY FAVORITE QUOTES: “You know what I like most about the stars? You look at them, at all of them up there…and you just know there’s gotta be something more…” ~ Bailey
“Maybe the truth is there’s a little bit of loser in all of us, ya know? Being happy isn’t having everything in your life be perfect. Maybe it’s about stringing together all the little things like wearing these pants or getting to a new level of Dragon’s Lair – making those count for more than the bad stuff. Maybe we just get through it…and that’s all we can ask for.” ~ Bailey
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Title: The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) 
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Nina Soden 