Wild

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I must go camping.  Outdoors.  I don’t want to do it but I suspect, deep down, that I cannot.  I wonder if I should give it a shot.  As I began reading Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild,” I compared her experience level at the beginning of her journey to my own. I thought if she could hike the Pacific Coast Trail from the Mojave Desert to the Bridge of the Gods on the Oregon-Washington border, I could possibly survive a few days out there.  Probably.

The memoir is exquisitely written, covering the author's physical and spiritual journey on the Pacific Coast Trail.  We're about the same age--she is one year older.  Cheryl left her home, her family and her marriage behind in the first week of June, 1995 to head down to Mojave, California and hike back up to the Pacific Northwest.

I was headed there myself that week, albeit in a car.  I did not leave my marriage behind--though just two months earlier I'd vowed to let it leave without me.  By the time June arrived, I'd decided to go with my husband and we each drove a car over 2,500 miles from New Orleans to Tacoma, taking turns chauffeuring the dog.  

In 1995, I remember thinking that I should have already finished a novel--the same thought the author has during her hike.  

I could publish a novel.  I want to do it but I suspect, deep down, that I cannot.  I wonder if I have truly given it a fair shot.   I finished reading “Wild.” I compared Cheryl Strayed's writing style to my own and am both inspired and humbled.  There is still a chance I could make it as a hiker.

Who will be your book this season?

Buying a book is a worthwhile investment.

Buying a book written by a friend of your friend is cool.

Buying a book written by your friend is awesome!

Slowly filling a shelf with books written by people you know (or knew) is priceless!

Burning with excitement!

It's here!  I am so excited for Jen!    I have been lucky enough to see Jen's drafts evolve into this captivating novel and now you can read it, too!  The Burning of Isobel Key is here!

The Burning of Isobel Key

New Adult/Contemporary

When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess.  She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself.  It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.

At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide.  When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen.  And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.

She sets out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but she isn’t prepared for the knowledge that waits for her.  Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.

THE BURNING OF ISOBEL KEY, available from Barnes & Noble and Amazon Fall 2012.

Paperback: $14.95

E-Book (Kindle or Nook): $2.99

Book Extras

Official Book Website | Book Trailer | Reading Guide

Grab Your Copy

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads

Barnes & Noble | Createspace 

 

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also an active reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. When she isn’t crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.

Published & Upcoming Works

• The Burning of Isobel Key: Contemporary new adult with a spattering of historical mystery.  Coming October 2012
• Priestess of Moab: Historical fiction.  Coming Spring 2013

Favorite Genres

• YA: anything!
• Historical fiction
• Paranormal

Connect with Jen

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | 

| Goodreads | Amazon Author Page 

This Ole House

I want to tell you a story involving a sunken Civil War ship.  There is another story I'd like to share with you about two sisters--who've never met--which is also set during the Civil War.

Writer's Block is not my problem.  Lack of time is occasionally a problem.  Three kids and a dog have a way of needing something when I could be writing, along with all of the volunteer gigs, meetings and chauffeuring that go along with said family.  Still, those are obstacles that can be overcome.

The real problem with getting those stories to you is The One that is in my way.  I started a story years ago with no clear idea where it would go.  I've picked at it over the years until last year, decided that I would absolutely whittle that sprawling mess into a story.  It has evolved so much over the last year but still needs so much.  I need to set it aside and work on a story I can finish--and maybe even sell.  Right?

I have been comparing my stories to homes.  If you have a finite amount of both time and money, the best bet might be to purchase a new or newer home that is complete and has no obvious issues.  There may be another house that you really love but it is much older.  Parts of that roof need replacing, it might not have air-conditioning--there are likely problems with the foundation itself.  But it has character.  It has history.  It speaks to you.  (Yes, I've done this to my husband every time we have moved.  We always end up with a new(ish) home that won't suck up all of our time and money but it doesn't stop me from pulling him over to a 150-year-old house, "just to look.")

Maybe that is why I can't let this crazy book go, or at least not yet.  It isn't just a little fixer-upper.  It is a messy, crumbling mansion with termites and a leaky roof.  The floors are slanted.  But I can work on it whenever I have the time and don't need to apply for a permit, get paint in my hair or even find goggles and gloves.  When it is all fixed up, there will be more to it: who knows what is hidden in the attic?

Listen up

'Cause we know sometimes words have two meanings.

Sometimes, you need to make sure you are hearing the right words.

After enough of my daughter's music this afternoon, I gratefully flipped back and forth through a few XM channels, confident that I'd find music that my 4-year-old son could sing (repeat) without any concerns.  While I rarely land on the 80's station, not much else was on my standard stations and I thought Bananarama was safe.  I drove home, oblivious to the familiar lyrics while I ran through the rest of my evening schedule in my head.  My son was happy--he liked the song and bopped along.  I thought all was well until he kept singing after I'd turned the car off.  As it turns out, other words rhyme with "Venus."

As I was composing this blog post, my older son came over to tell me about a conversation at school today.  If you read this blog often, you know my kids attend Catholic school and today was a day when Father visited the classroom.  My son wanted to let me know that Father instructed them to avoid "sidekicks" and mediums (as they practice black magic).

Momentary grace

We all have that sense--satisfaction--when we have done a good thing.  I always hope I can accumulate grace--that I might bank points, if you will--to counter all of the missteps that I make.  Most of the time, I just pray that I can break even.

Yesterday morning, I took the dog for a run.  Upon returning, I grabbed her water dish to rinse it out.  As I looked down to turn the faucet on, I saw a wasp clinging to my running shirt.  I screamed (I tend to conform to those girl stereotypes only when it comes to bugs) and shook my shirt to knock him to the ground.  By the time I had my foot poised to squash him however, I realized that he had just been hitching a ride and hadn't taken the opportunity to panic and sting me.  So I backed up, grabbed a cup and scooped him up.  I opened the sliding glass door and shook him out onto the deck where he promptly flew away.

I felt satisfied.  Proud.  Benevolent.  I washed my hands before grabbing the flyswatter to go kill the giant fly that had been pestering my daughter in the basement.  My brain didn't catch up with the irony until after the fly had fallen to the ground.

Last night, I pondered whether one "save" might cancel out the other "thwack" as I fished a fruit fly out of my wine.  At least that guy went numb first.

Connections

I like how simple it can be to connect with someone you have never met.   There are so many ways to find others with similar interests with just a few keystrokes, these days!

But I love it when you meet someone--actually meet them--and hit it off!  It's tougher, it's scary but a small little miracle when it happens.

I write alone and am usually terrified to show my writing to many people.  (After all these years of hearing about it, people will find out my writing is crap.)  So I make myself go to writer's conferences occasionally to "face my fear."

The effort is completely rewarding, even when the fears prove true occasionally--like when your writing is magnified on a wall using an overhead projector and the response is so delayed you can actually hear the crickets chirping outside the large conference center.  It is still a learning experience.  (Even though it may seem like a wise move to revise, chop and completely change your pages at midnight the night before you present them to a large room of people, resist the temptation.)  Others in that room have been in your shoes.  They are in your shoes--their transparency is up next!  Their writing is better but they will come sit with you at lunch, share another story with you during the coffee break and join you for a longer discussion over a glass of wine that night.  By the time you go home, you have a new friend (and their website/email/twitter address, as well)!

Two years ago, I met Jen at the SCWW conference.  We've kept in touch, traded pages and now I am so excited for her as she begins her newest journey!  You can view the cover for her new novel here and pick up the book soon!

I met Barbara last year at SCWW and cheered her on from Indiana as her contribution was published in an anthology!  I am ashamed to admit that I did not purchase the book right away but am thrilled to not only have it now but to have won it!  "Child of My Child" is a touching collection of stories and poems by grandparents and Barbara's piece helped inspire the title!  Please do not delay as I did.  Go out (or go click) and pick up a copy of this lovely book!

Cover reveal: "The Burning of Isobel Key," by Jen McConnel

 How was your summer?   I didn't mean to take such a vacation from blogging but am happy to be back!  The kids are back in school, we are falling into routines and I have time to get back to writing, editing and blogging!  Of course, just when I think we are settled into our schedules, I realize that it is Tuesday.  Tuesdays are always our crazy days but today we added one more activity to the calendar and I became an Aunt again!

The good news keeps coming!  The cover for Jen McConnel's novel, "The Burning of Isobel Key" was released today!  Finish all of your "beach reads" now so you'll be ready to dive into this one!

When Lou travels to Scotland, she’s a mess.  She’s twenty-six, unemployed, and unsure of herself.  It doesn’t help that she’s traveling with Tammy, her best friend, who is everything Lou is not.

At first, the trip pushes Lou towards the brink of depression, but then she meets Brian, a handsome local tour guide.  When Brian tells the tourists about the countless witches burned in Scotland, Lou starts to listen.  And when she discovers information about Isobel Key, one of the victims of the seventeenth century, Lou finds renewed purpose.

She sets out to learn the truth of the condemned witch, but she isn’t prepared for the knowledge that waits for her.  Lou must face her demons if she has any hope of righting the wrongs of the past.

More about the author:

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child.  Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia,and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).

She is also an active reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.

The Burning of Isobel Key is her first novel.  She also writes YA fantasy.

http://isobelkey.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6451403.Jen_McConnel
@ProDeaWriter
jennifermcconnel.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/jenmcconnelauthor

Her best, yet

It took me far too long to finally read a grown-up kind of pretty.  Do not make the same mistake.  If you have not yet picked up this book, go do it.  Now.
(You can read the rest of this post later.)

I've raved about Joshilyn Jackson's writing before, saying the only thing I liked better than her latest book was her blog.  I like this book better.  (I will still visit her blog on a near-daily basis, mind you, but you must go get this book).

It sucked me away from my kids on our plane ride home last weekend.  It kept me from my own writing this week and I had to finish it last night.  HAD to, you see because 1. I had to know and 2. I promised to spend this time WRITING and I could NOT until I finished this book.

Go get it.  You're welcome.

Run for your life!

I am standing in my kitchen, telling myself it is time to exercise.  It is time for all of us to exercise.  (Not you--everyone in my kitchen.)  I need to go for a run with the dog and the 4-year-old needs to run outside.

We should have gone earlier but my son requested pancakes and I made them.  Far too many of them.  I am hungry and if I do not go run soon, I will eat them.  But instead, I am standing at my computer, reading this true, real, fascinating article.  Before I can finish the article, I see the grin on my 4-year-old's face.  The grin with an index finger in the middle of it.  The grinning child with the finger in his mouth is standing in the kitchen, trying to block my view of the tub of margarine with a 4-year-old-finger-sized canal running through it.

He's sneaky but he's honest.  "I ate butter.  I like to eat butter."

Sigh.  It's time for a run.

You may ask yourself, well, how did I get here?

I love American history.  I am intrigued by World history.  I am amused by my personal history.

I was the geek who truly enjoyed learning about our country's history in school.  My kids believe it is dull so I try to explain a different way of looking at history.  For example, I wonder what Paul Revere's horse looked like.  (That one is guaranteed to make my son roll his eyes!)  I remind them that "those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it."  (Have you ever looked at the causes of the Boston Massacre?  My son just studied it and I mentioned that he could find some eerily similar news stories today.)

My daughter is home sick and is worried about missing the review for her Social Studies test.  THIS I can help her with!!  (Unlike her 8th grade math homework last night that kicked my butt!)

World War II and U.S. Civil War stories enthrall me.  (And yet the WIP I can't quit is based at the onset of World War I--which gives me an excuse to learn new, true stories!)

As for "those who do not know their history:" I am old enough to look back now and see the patterns I have followed for the past few decades and recognize my default settings.  ("Finding yourself" isn't so great when you aren't impressed with who you find!)

Musical history!   From classical composers to classic rock--what's not to love?  The History of Jazz and musical history courses were some of my favorites in college.  My first work-study job in college was working for a music professor compiling tapes (yes, cassettes) for her courses and proofreading a book that she had written!  (Excellent early experience for a budding writer but I willingly asked to be assigned to a different job sophmore year--part of that whole personal history pattern where I don't recognize stupid mistakes until much, much later!)

Music is great for time travel.  One song can transport you back to an exact time and place.  You remember where you were, who you were with when that song was playing.   When the trip down memory lane becomes music trivia or "history" however, it is my turn to roll my eyes.  I know exactly where I was and how old I was when I used to listen to "The Joshua Tree" with my friends.  I did NOT need the perky DJ to tell me yesterday that the album is now 25 years old.  Nor did I appreciate it this morning when another DJ announced that "I Melt With You by Modern English is 30 years old this year!"  I much prefer my alternate version of history, in which these songs came out yesterday.

You can't judge a book by its cover...

...but you can get more readers if you pick the right title.

You can certainly increase your blog traffic by picking the right title!  I am very thankful for my few loyal readers but maybe I should include the words "Navy," "Secret" and "Weapon" in all of my titles!
(I am not complaining--I have neglected this blog terribly.  I get page views every day, so I am happy with that, for now, even if they are often in the single digits.  Having said that, I had over 250 a few days ago!  I can't say it was the spectacular writing--there were only two sentences!)

For more fun: I was searching for an image of a book cover to include with this post and found these amazing book sculptures!    

While I am one who hesitates to dog-ear my pages, this artist has certainly brought new life to outdated/older encyclopedias and dictionaries!  Check them out!

The Navy's secret weapon

I know I am not the only one who thinks of Mr. Limpet when there is a story about bomb-detecting dolphins.  Of course the dolphins were well trained!

Ready....set....Write!

For my writerly friends who haven't seen this--check this out!  Writing contest--this weekend only--over at Janet Reid's site!

Fun Friday

I rarely post movie reviews here.  (OK, it's been a while since I've even posted a book review but I am feel confident in saying that this is the first time I've posted a movie review.)

You don't even need my review:  it is hard to go wrong with a film produced by Steven Spielberg.  If you have kids, especially bored kids at home over Christmas break--check this one out.

If you have a teenaged daughter who will not get out of bed if the clock has not yet flipped to "p.m" and two boys who are UP and READY to do SOMETHING in the morning, even if it is a cold, rainy day (especially if it is a cold, rainy day) you might consider going to the movies and you might consider "Tin Tin."

I'd never heard of Tin Tin until I was in my twenties.  I am not a big comic book aficionado but an old friend was shocked that I'd never even heard of the comic and presented me with a copy of "Tin Tin and the Red Sea Sharks."  I read it.  It was good, as far as comics go but again, I'm not a huge comic book fan.  

The movie trailer excited my boys and reminded me of good friends and a good comic book I had...somewhere.  So this morning, the boys and I headed off for a Spielberg/Herge adventure.  We had the (11:30 showing) theater to ourselves and it was great!  The boys loved the movie and it reminded me of an animated Indiana Jones movie.  Not a bad way to spend a rainy Friday morning.  Not bad at all.

As a bonus, I found that lone comic book and my son was reading it in bed before falling asleep a few minutes ago!

Food for thought

I just logged on to begin a post about inspiration at this time of year and found this one--still sitting in my drafts from the week after Thanksgiving.  It appears that I have been working on the same idea for a month now.  (I'll post the new one tomorrow).  Happy Monday!

I pray; I attend church; I find the Bible fascinating though I'll admit I don't open it on a regular basis.  I have taken enough women's bible study classes to know that I would not care to attempt what this woman did.  Sure--I could try but it would be like trying to sit through algebra class again.  You know, it would be HARD.

During a recent homily, a priest suggested we treat Advent more like Lent.  (He admitted he did not expect anyone to find this Homily popular.)  Rather than enjoying the Christmas season now, he suggested we use it as a time of preparation, contemplation and repentance.  Then, on Christmas Day we would be ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus and continue to celebrate for the following eight days.  (His suggestion to the children that they request presents for eight days in a row DID seem a bit more popular!)

Finishing my book is important--to me.  The universe has bigger issues to worry about.  You have bigger concerns.  The book is important to me but not as important as family.  More interesting but not as important as getting dinner on the table tonight.

I knew completing a NaNo novel this year would be nearly impossible but absolutely impossible if I did not try.  I quickly decided to use NaNo as a way to get many more needed words into the WIP I am revising and watch the little blue bar move to the right, at the same time.  Even with that cheating mentality, I did not get enough words into the WIP let alone start a new project.

This time of year is busy enough.  Every year I say I need to let something go but end up doing everything halfway.  So I took the laptop with me on a trip to Florida for Thanksgiving with my kids.  (I had a fantasy about leaving my kids with their cousins and finding a Starbucks in my hometown.)  Instead, I let my son play games on the computer (the one computer he is never allowed to touch) and watched my youngest play in the dirt.  Aside from my son's time on the laptop, it was a mostly unplugged, unscheduled weekend with family.  It wasn't perfect but it was perfectly good.  Twenty years from now, my son won't remember if I finished my book this year or not but he might remember playing football with his cousins in the yard.  He will remember the pie.  Sweet Mercy, there were so many different delicious pies!

I have worked on the WIP.  It still isn't done.  It is not ready but it is better.  I am learning to slow down and listen more (and if a main character in the book learns that lesson along the way as well, that's just gravy).

Be careful what you ask for!

I asked for help.

I have three good kids but the older two have perfected the art of selective hearing.  They hear what they want, when they want.  The youngest simply thinks that every word that anyone says is always directed at him.  (He's the youngest, he is cute, why would you be talking to anyone but him?)  None of this is new, of course, but I don't have the best memory and forget to take all factors into account before I start my rants.

I've been complaining about the lack of help rather than simply requiring my kids to help.   I've been telling middle son he must fold laundry before he can play video games.   They know what needs to be done but won't do it unless asked.  Or, in my daughter's case, she needs it in writing!  (If I give her a list, with boxes she can then check off, she will do the chores.  Not on the list?  Not going to get done.)

After lunch, I told my youngest to go upstairs and I would be right there to read him a story before his nap. "No," he said.  "I am going to do laundry."

Funny.  Cute.  Sweet.  "Go upstairs and I'll be right there," was all I said. 

Unfortunately, I have taught my children that "I'll be right there" means they have at least three minutes, probably more.

So by the time I got up there, he was in his room.  He didn't want to take a nap but he was where I asked him to be.  We read a story, I kissed him goodnight and as I reached the door, he yelled, "Wait!  Can you bring my hamper back into my room?"

"Your hamper?  It's over..."

Hmmm.  Not there.   "Where is your hamper, buddy?"  Oh.  It hits me as I ask.  "Is it in the laundry room?"

"Yes!  I was doing laundry."

Indeed he was.  Blue liquid was pooled on my laundry room floor, spilled after he put some in the machine with his dirty socks, pjs and the dirty towels.  He can't read yet so he just turned the knob until it got to a spot he liked and turned it on.  Turns out he picked the stain fighting cycle, which takes over two hours. 

I received help.  And in another hour or so, I am going to have some super-clean towels! 

Indebted

A college roommate used to remind me to "make a wish" every time the clock read "11:11." I had never heard of such a thing before but now I do it often (and think of her each time)!  Today, on 11/11/11 my wish is that each and every service member returns home safely--and soon.

When I was young and stupid, I declared that I would never marry a military guy.  I grew up in a warm town near three naval bases and I knew there were only two things in life that I would never do:
1. Become a military wife.
2. Live in any location where it got cold enough to snow.

So I left home to go to college, met a guy with an ROTC scholarship and while the Army paid for him to go to medical school, I married him.  He graduated and I became the wife of an active duty service member who, later, was assigned to Alaska.

I had my first child at an Army medical center and thought that "nervous" or "apprehensive" would be good terms to describe how I felt about having so many residents--most no older than me--coming and going, in and out of my room.  I didn't realize that only a few short years later, each one of them would have a chance to assist laboring women in Iraq and Afghanistan.  That sounds a tad more nerve-wracking.

Two of my children were born at that medical center.  They saw men and women in uniform every day for the first few years of their lives.  My daughter would yell, "Daddy!" and point at some man in uniform every time I took her to the PX or commissary.  These were approachable heroes--my kids were impressed but not afraid.

Those soldiers put on a brave face before each deployment and a happy one upon each return.  Of course they are afraid but they do not show it--the definition of courage.  With the possible exception of one soldier.  He was young, obviously new to Post, far from home, trying to find his way around the PX when a toddler in pigtails grabbed his leg and yelled, "Daddy!"  I'm pretty sure I saw a flash of fear, that day.

All a-twitter

I was hesitant to join Twitter.  I waste spend too much time on facebook and was afraid that I would get sucked into twitter, as well.  I was right.


I thought it was cool that I could follow anyone, including other writers.  I can follow writers I have met, writers I have not met, even writers that I have apologized to while getting a book signed while explaining I'm not really a stalker.  But now?  Writers are following me!  (Even writers who have said that I am so not a stalker and that she kind of enjoys having fans!)

NaNo or No?

It's that time of year again!  Gearing up for Halloween, my youngest's birthday, Thanksgiving and...NaNoWriMo!

For my non-writerly friends: NaNo is National Novel Writing Month, in which in a frenzy of frenetic writing, you attempt to compose 50,000 words in 30 days.  (See?  I'm already warming up, using wordy phrases rather than simple explanations like, "you write fast.")

One of the highlights of the SCWW conference was finding an agent who likes the idea of my book.  I pitched him the basic story, he asked several follow up questions and said he would be interested in reading  the first 30 pages -- after the book is closer to 90,000 words and "good."  Which means I still have at least 10,000 to 15,000 "good" words to write.

I did not meet my 50K goal for NaNo last year but did begin a new novel that I love.  Unfortunately, that one is still languishing in my hard drive at 30,000 words.

Can I write a novel in 30 days?  No.
Can I write 50,000 words in 30 days?  Yes.

Should I sign up for NaNo?  Probably not.  I just have a hard time resisting, even if it is just for that blue status bar and the pure joy I feel watching it creep to the right.