...LM Alcott, Stephen King, and Me?

So, a while back, the writer Joe Hill was talking on Twitter about things that are foundational in your life. By that, he meant things that set your tastes. They might not be your favorites, but they set the tone of what you really like. He was talking about music, but this thinking could be applied to books, movies--anything, really, that takes a certain taste to enjoy.

Music was easy for me--my parents' love of Otis Redding made me love soul music, and worshipping anything my teenaged aunts liked gave me the Eagles and James Taylor (Particularly 'Fire and Rain'). To this day, though I love music in general and will give a listen to anything, my heart belongs to soul, blues, and the singer/songwriter genre. They were hardwired into my soul, so to speak.

Books, though... they were harder. I've read so many and started so young that I had to think hard about those. I finally decided that my foundational author was Louisa May Alcott. I loved (and still love) her stories. I was talking about all this to my mom, and she observed that she thought I'd choose Stephen King. During my many years at home she never had to read any of his books, because she heard each and every plot detail from me. I had to admit that she had a point--those late 70s early 80s books of his were lifesblood to me. I had to give that some thought.

What I discovered, though, is that Louisa and my beloved Mr. King co-exist in my heart because their writing styles aren't that different.

Stay with me here.

Both are straight-forward writers. They use plain language--nothing flowery about either one. They both have a knack for seeing people just as they are: not angels, not devils. Human. Their characters have faults aplenty, no matter how 'good' they might be, and not all of the people we root for make it to the end, or even conquer their own faults (I STILL get weepy over Dan in Jo's Boys). Maybe most importantly, they are both such moral writers, without moralizing. Their characters might have faults aplenty, as I've noted before, but damn if they don't keep on trying to do the right thing (People who've only seen Kubrick's The Shining and haven't read the book miss so much about Jack. The hotel might have conquered him at the end, but he kept fighting, and it was he who saved his family. *sniff*). They both tussle with God--Alcott eventually comes down on the side of God, but her churchgoing seems lukewarm. King's more ambivalent in tone but his stories clearly indicate a belief in God, if not in organized religion.

I look at this list and realize that writing like that is exactly what my soul craves. I can appreciate a clever book, a snarky tome, a sharp-witted, analytical treatise...but what I really want is someone who sits down and says, "Let me tell you a story..." and does it with heart and passion. And I also realize that is the kind of writing I'm passionate about producing: stories about real people, where many things in life ultimately turn out okay (because things do tend to do that), but not necessarily all things are perfect. Because life is like that, too.

What are your foundational books/writers/songs?

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF!

Friday May 31st, some of the writers of Omnific are having a Twitter Party! That's right, from 7-9pm EST (you can work out the time difference for your area, right?) many of Omnific's resident artistes will be on Twitter-hand to talk our books, other books you like, and just about anything else. There will be prizes, a scavenger hunt, and so much more! Our hashtag will be #OMNILICIOUS. I'm looking forward to 'meeting' some of you there!

Follow the links to the Authors blogs and collect the numbered letters for the secret word. As soon as you’ve worked out the word, enter the word and your twitter handle into the form. Entries are open from the day before the party and close at the end of the party when winners will be announced. 

My letter is:

 

Lisa Sanchez

Hannah Downing

Jennifer Lane

Jennifer DeLucy

Nicki Elson

Kate Evangelista

Justine Dell

Cherie Colyer

Carol Oates

Debra Anastasia

Patricia Leever

Amber Belldene

Sarah Glover

Autumn Markus

Use the form below to let us know when you've identified the Scavenger Hunt word, and you can win one of four e-book packs--GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY HUNTING!

...MOMS?
 Here we are, just three days from the Momstravaganza! Can you believe it? When I was growing up, I never gave it much thought, to be honest. I loved my mom, she loved me--it was a 24/7, 365 days a year thing (well, maybe not so much between my thirteenth and fifteenth years. We don't talk about those days.). It was a damned good thing my dad always remembered and came through with the goods.

As I got older and became a mom myself, I realized how damned hard being a mother can be, and I appreciate my mom so much more today than I ever did as a kid. She wasn't much more than eighteen, a kid herself, when she had the most stubborn, pig-headed, irascible child in the world (moi). According to family legend, I gave up naps by one year, walked (ran) when I was nine months old, talked at about the same time, and was reading by two years. The questions falling out of my mouth never ceased. THE WOMAN GOT NO REST. The fact that I lived to be writing this is a testament to her sainthood.

So, without further ado, here is a list of the five best lessons I learned from my mom:

5) LISTENING IS A GIFT
I was a shy kid at school, believe it or not. I didn't talk much, but I read all the time. I wrote stories, and thought thoughts, and found myself delightfully entertaining. Of course, when I got home I had all this STUFF that had been going around in my head to talk about, and good old mom was there to listen. I'm sure she had no idea what I was talking about half the time, and found most of the rest boring as hell, but she never let me know that. I got her bright smile and questions in all the right places, and when I finally ran down I got a hug. I knew I was loved. That was priceless. I try to pay it forward everywhere in my life, from my kids to the old lady in the grocery store that wants to reminisce about people I've never heard of. Everyone deserves to feel as important as I did at the end of each school day.

4) EVERYONE HAS A STORY
This goes along with the last one, I guess, but it's separate in my mind. If Mom always listened to me, she wasn't shy about letting me know when it was my brothers' turn to talk, and she didn't put up with 'topping'. You know, that thing when you listen to two minutes of what someone else has to say, and then jump in with our own story of how much (bigger, badder, better, worse) your (thing) was. Uh-uh. That didn't fly at all. A reminder that we're all pieces of the puzzle, separate but equally important, was a great lesson for me, both in life and as a writer. 

3) DON'T BE SO DAMNED SERIOUS
Picture the scene: a family walks along a beautiful Japanese trail, taking a last look at ruins of a wall that was in existence for centuries before the US was conceived. Picture the teenage son, sauntering coolly along, pretending that he doesn't belong to this motley crew. Picture the mother, irritated that he's ignoring her and missing out on this gorgeous sight. Now picture her crawling along behind him, chattering brightly at his back until he starts to laugh. Then she stands up, brushes off her hands & knees, and continues cheerfully on. Yup. My mom. I'll never forget how much we laughed, both because my brother (Ole StoneFace) finally broke out of his shell and because mom looked so funny! It taught me that: 1) you don't have to beat people over the head to make your point; 2) embarrassment isn't fatal.

2) WEIRD IS (POSSIBLY) GOOD 
In the last week, I've had an involved discussion of Legos with a five year old, commiserated with a woman of indeterminate (but white-haired) years over the state of her car, had a street person tell me exactly where the Obama Administration has gone wrong, and talked old vs. new Spiderman with a stringy guy. All of these people were complete strangers. This is not unusual. If there is a drunk, a little kid, a lonely old person, or a crazy with a story anywhere in the vicinity, they will find me and tell me their story. I get this from my mom. She's always been the one that can and will talk to anyone about anything. It takes FOREVER to get through a store with her...but it's always a happy journey! It's apparently genetic: my older son was recently moaning that if there is a weirdo in any of his classes, they talk to him. His summation: "Grandma is the Yoda of weirdo attracting, you're Obi-wan, and I'm your damned Padawan learner!" (Yes, the geekdom is hereditary, too)

1) BE KIND
If I pass nothing on to my kids, this is the best I have to offer, and I got it from my mom. She used to tell us (often), "Be polite. You don't have to like everyone in the world, and they don't have to like you, but you can always be polite." After hearing this a jillion times and seeing it in action all of my life, I find it nearly impossible to be rude without extreme provocation. I learned to ignore a lot of the little irritations of life, let pass the petty mistakes people make, and to live and let live. Mom taught me that being polite and being kind makes life easier and more pleasant for everyone. And isn't that something worth passing on?

THANKS, MOM. I LOVE YOU. 
 

Ode by Elizabeth Alexander

...WORLD POETRY DAY?

I know, I know... for many of us the word 'poetry' conjures up the pain of junior high: memorizing long passages from that guy Shakespeare, or maybe an incomprehensible passage from one of the Brownings. What the heck did all those words MEAN, and how did they apply to the life of one whose sole goal was to get through the day without being noticed (or at least having the right kind of notice)? How could I possibly care about Henry the Whatever-number-he-was when there was a new Madonna video debuting on MTV that night and everyone would have to have the moves down by the next dance (give me a break--I was a child of my times)? If they wanted me to care, they should have written it in real English!

BUT THEN... but then, a teacher introduced me to Dylan Thomas' Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. And another assigned E.A. Poe's Alone--GASP! That was me on that page!  e.e.cummings' quote, "To be nobody but yourself..." led me to his poems, and I ate them up (still do).  S.E. Hinton introduced me to Robert Frost's Nothing Gold Can Stay, and that led me to find Fire and Ice, and that led me to W.B. Yeats, and understanding his allusions led me right back to---you guessed it--Willy Shakespeare. Only this time, he was starting to make sense. These writers were talking about life--my life as well as the lives of others far away. I found out through poetry that, when I looked at our hearts (places where poetry often leads us) those lives weren't so different after all. A new world was opened to me, and I was hooked.

UNESCO declared today World Poetry Day, and the Director General had some interesting words about the topic in her declaration:

"Poetry is a journey--not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations, and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms--it emboldens all of us also to change the world." -Irina Bokova

The theme this year is Poems of Peace, and there are several good examples on the UNESCO site. 

I like poetry. It feels like soul food, in the literal sense of the words. If you've shied away from this type of literature, having decided it was incomprehensible years ago, I urge you to try it again. There are as many types of poetry as there are people, and there's sure to one out there that speaks to your heart. Whether it's written as a formal 'poem' or as song lyrics, poetry is part of everyone's lives.

Here are a couple of my favorites. Remember, I'm a simple, plain-spoken person, so don't expect grandeur (lol).

This poem was in the back of my mind often when writing Cocktails & Dreams. Neruda is a lovely poet.

Sonnet XVII

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

This one caught my eye when I was a kid, but it means so much more now that I AM getting grey-ha!:

When You Are Old

By William Butler Yeats

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars. 

A more recent one that makes me smile:

Ode by Elizabeth Alexander

I love all the mom bodies at this beach,
the tummies, the one-piece bathing suits,
the bosoms that slope, the wide nice bottoms,
thigh flesh shirred as gentle wind shirrs a pond.

So many sensible haircuts and ponytails!
These bodies show they have grown babies, then
nourished them, woken to their cries, fretted
at their fevers. Biceps have lifted and toted

the babies now printed on their mothers.
"If you lined up a hundred vaginas,
I could tell you which ones have borne children,"
the midwife says. In the secret place or

In sunlight at the beach, our bodies say
This is who we are, no, This is what
we have done and continue to do.
We labor in love. We do it. We mother.  

There are so many poems that speak to me, some touching, some though provoking, a great many funny. If you give no other poetry compilation a try, please look at She Walks in Beauty: A Woman's Journey through Poems, edited by Caroline Kennedy. So many goodies there!

Finally, one of my favorites and one I laugh about every day (ruefully):

Grown-up

Was it for this I uttered prayers,
And sobbed and cursed and kicked the stairs,
That now, domestic as a plate,
I should retire at half-past eight?

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

Poetry is a journey – not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms-- it emboldens all of us also to change the world. 

Irina Bokova, Director General
Message on Poetry Day 2013

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-poetry-day-2013/#sthash.ArsZGstA.dpuf

Poetry is a journey – not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms-- it emboldens all of us also to change the world. 

Irina Bokova, Director General
Message on Poetry Day 2013

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-poetry-day-2013/#sthash.ArsZGstA.dpuf

Poetry is a journey – not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms-- it emboldens all of us also to change the world. 

Irina Bokova, Director General
Message on Poetry Day 2013

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-poetry-day-2013/#sthash.ArsZGstA.dpuf

Poetry is a journey – not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms-- it emboldens all of us also to change the world. 

Irina Bokova, Director General
Message on Poetry Day 2013

- See more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-poetry-day-2013/#sthash.ArsZGstA.dpuf

... KINDNESS?

Isn't that a good word?  It's often interchanged with 'nice', but it's not really the same thing, is it?  "Kind" seems to me to be more about doing for others than propping up the self. It's about putting yourself in another's shoes and doing/saying what is right for them. It also means overlooking the sillier things we each say and do, some of us on a daily basis *points to self*.

I've been thinking about this a lot since an interchange I had with someone on Twitter. The original Tweeter had some strong things to say about the culture of meanness that has grown out of and around non-professional blogger reviews. I'm sure anyone who follows books or authors online has seen one or more catty, non-helpful reviews, where the writer is more interested in scoring points off of a particular genre/author/type of publication than on reviewing the book in question. Or maybe it's simply a bad review; not everyone is going to love every book (HEADS UP: I almost never give five star reviews. EVER. And I trust them even less than I give them. A reviewer who LOVES everything is great for authors, but not very helpful for readers.) Then there is the inevitable back and forth between bloggers, readers, and authors, each accusing the other of being 'mean'. The Tweeter was concerned with people getting 'butthurt' over a bad review and crying foul.

I replied that an author might as well learn to take a bad review in stride or get out of the business. I also tossed off a comment that snark is childish on either side, and was surprised when the Tweeter disagreed. She thought snark (catty comments, etc) was okay at any stage of the game.

I don't.

In the heat of the moment someone might say something slightly off-kilter. They might make a spelling or grammar mistake. They might speak/write in hyperbole that would make a gossip column writer blush. That doesn't make it okay to beat them over the head with their perceived or actual mistake. Even worse are those that use the bully pulpit of an online forum to bash an author (or reader, or reviewer, or editor) personally over a created work. Disagreement with someone or dislike of their work makes them neither an idiot or a 'sheep'; neither does it make the critic a wunderkind of refined taste. It just means you disagree. And being able to disagree without attack is a great signal that someone is an actual adult.

My mom once told me that being a gentleman or lady doesn't have anything to do with money; it has to do with making sure that those around you are comfortable. That doesn't mean that you can't ever disagree or take someone to task. It just means that you keep disagreements private and consider if what you're saying in any forum is helpful or enlightening, or if it's just noise over nothing.

Kindness costs nothing and means everything to a respectful society.

Speaking of kindness, a new twitter friend (Mike Lambson-Thanks!) tagged me with a Liebster Award and a challenge: 11 facts about me, 11 answered questions, and 11 questions for other bloggers. Here goes:

11 facts about me:

1) I read EVERYTHING. I'm not stuck on genre--a good book is a good book.

2) Applesauce makes me physically ill and has since I was a baby.

3) I learned to read when I was two, so I have no memory of learning.

4) No secret--I'm a dork. 7 year old son says I should have been on King of the Nerds because I would definitely win. DEFINITELY.

5) I once fell off of a trampoline in junior high and lost an entire day. The school didn't even call my parents. My husband says that might explain a lot of things...

6) I can't write without music.

7) Popcorn is my favorite food.

8) I have a soft spot for happily ever afters in books and movies (because I do really think that most things turn out for the best), but it has to be realistic or I turn into Annie Wilkes.

9) I have no sense of direction. I get lost all of the time, mostly because I'm usually lost in a story in my head & don't pay attention to where I'm going.

10) I cry all of the time over movies, books, and music, but almost never over real life. THERE I'm hard headed and practical.

11) I'm ridiculously loyal. Unless I'm given reason to regret it. And then watch out (lol).

Answers to 11 questions:

1. Who’s the most important person in your life and why?
 My husband. We've been together for more that a quarter century, and at this point he knows me better than anyone.
2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Ireland.
3. Are you a little crazy?
No question :)
4. What’s the worst thing you’ve done?
Let my mouth run ahead of my brain and really hurt someone who didn't deserve it.
5. What’s the be
st?
Four smart, kind, thoughtful kids.
6. Classical, rock, pop, country, or rap?
Um... all but rap? I'm most partial to singer/songwriter and old soul.
7. What are your thoughts on ghost writing?
Not crazy about it, unless it's not a secret.
8. How do you eat a lollipop?
I don't. 
9. Do you like little children?
Yes.
10. Where would you hide treasure?
In my heart. Nowhere else is safe.
11. What is the absolute most important object in your life?
Object? Hm... first though is my iPod, but floss is right up there-HAHA! I have little boxes stashed in every room of the house & probably floss three times a day.

8 bloggers (and anyone else who cares to answer): How would y'all answer those questions?
Patricia Leever
Sandra Wright
Nicki Elson
Justine Dell
Hannah Fielding
Dee J. Kirkby
Kate Evangelista 
V. K. Ramsey
 
  

...BIG OMNIFIC NEWS?!

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY, OMNIFIC!

So much good news! The Little Publishing House that Could is celebrating it's third birthday with a TREMENDOUS GIVEAWAY! 

In honor of this auspicious occasion  AND Valentine's Day, Omnific is giving away THREE KINDLES for THREE GREAT YEARS! 

Kindle #1 will feature all of Omnific's 2010 titles!        

Kindle #2 will feature all of Omnific's 2011 titles! 

Kindle #3 will feature all of Omnific's 2012/2013 titles!

YOU KNOW YOU WANNA WIN A KINDLE!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter to win via Rafflecopter on the Omnific Publishing Blog or our author blogs February 14 -16, 2013: http://omnificpublishing.blogspot.com/

Good luck, and THANK YOU for your support of Omnific Publishing! Here's to many more years of smart, sexy, rule-breaking romance!

In addition, our Omnific DEBUT COLLECTION will be on sale February 14-16 for only 99 cents each!

For the Cocktails & Dreams Devotees:

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!

CAN WE TALK ABOUT...VALENTINE'S DAY?
C'mon. You know you love it. It doesn't matter how much the commercialization bothers you, the hearts, and flowers, and candies, and lovey-dovey, gushy-gushy get to all of us. Who hasn't wished in their deepest, darkest heart that, even just once, they would be someone's "be-all, end-all, have to have you right now"?, NO ONE, that's who!

As a reader, I read everything from sci fi, to horror, to classics, to thrillers, to serious literature, but as a writer... not so much. For whatever reason, my brain chooses to take all of that hardcore reading, synthesize it, and produce people-stories, most of them dealing with relationships between friends, family, and men and women. I guess I think those are the most important things in life. Not high drama. Not intrigue. Not face eating zombies, even (though you know how much I love those). It's how we relate to each other, with all of our faults and foibles, that determines how joyful our lives ultimately turn out.

With that in mind, here are a few movies I absolutely love. Movies that deal with real love, real life, and real happiness. A couple are well known, others not so much:

1) The Philadelphia Story: Yeah, they're rich, but they're also very human. James Stewart, Cary Grant, and Katherine Hepburn learn a lot about themselves and each other, and move from fantasy love to reality so beautifully.


2) The Last Kiss: Evey relationship rings true in this movie, from the stressed parents of a young child, to the older couple facing marital boredom, to the friends that don't want to grow up. The main character's ambivalence about becoming a father and settling down is so well done, and the ending is perfectly realistically hopeful. One of my favorite movies period.


3) Return To Me: Bob's beloved wife dies in a tragic car crash. In the same hospital, Grace is dying from heart disease. One rescued heart and a few months later, Bob and Grace meet. This is a sweet, funny, lovely story.


4) Conversations With Other Women: Two people meet and flirt at a wedding. As the movie goes on, it becomes clear that they know each other better than we thought at the beginning. This one had a more melancholy ending than I usually like in a romantic movie, but damn the relationship feels real!


5) Moulin Rouge! Ewan McGregor. Enough said


6) Becoming Jane A fictionalization of the life of Jane Austen. Sort of tragic, very romantic, James McAvoy. Again, enough said-lol.


Whatever romantic movies you love, enjoy!

For the Love Is In The Air blog hop, I'm rafflecoptering a digital copy of my own book, Cocktails & Dreams! Take a chance on love with Nick and Jena--you won't regret it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PSST!! LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING NEXT WEEK! WIN A KINDLE FROM OMNIFIC, FULL OF GREAT TITLES!