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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Time for Reflextion

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day. Seems time is moving so much faster than we would like. Already, I'm thinking about next Christmas...Lol. Well, now it's time to pull out those new year blow horns and top hats, and get ready to bring in the 2014 with a bang. Flu season however is upon us, so please keep warm, drink plenty of hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or the hot toddy of your choice. Whichever drink makes you feel best, then--seat back, relax, and reflect. 2013 will soon be over. It's always good to look back at what we've accomplished, not accomplished, and hope to accomplish for the new year. So whether you've completed whatever it was that you'd set 2013 to do or not...it's okay. God has given us another year to make it up. ;)  Remember, a goal is nothing but a plan, a plan is nothing but a mindset. And we all know that if we want something bad enough...we make it happen...get it done... It's the human way...

THE YEAR IS MOVING OUT...2014 IS MOVING IN...REFLECT, BE THANKFUL, STAY HUMBLE, AND MAKE SOMETHING MEMORABLE HAPPEN FOR YOU IN THE NEW YEAR...


AND ALWAYS...KEEP READING  ;)

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Holiday Season

It's that time of year again to cook that perfect Thanksgiving dinner, shop for that perfect Christmas gift, listen to your favorite holiday song, and cuddle up with a great holiday movie. It's that time of year that so many love. The most wonderful time of all. But for some, this time of year is hard, a struggle to make ends meet and an effort to turn a frown into a smile. For some it's a time that brings weariness instead of cheer. But know that you are not alone. Life has ups and downs, twists, and loops, and truly more tracks than any  high-speed train or 100 mile an hour rollercoaster could withstand. But in the end its all still the same: IT STOPS, AND WE GET OFF. We get off and we move forward without them. Sometimes we have to look at this time of year in a more deeper light. Magic does happen...sometimes the light fades, but the light is still lit. So take out that old bag of half-working Christmas lights, and those ancient reindeers, and dear old sleeping Saint Nick and light up a child's eyes when they walk past your home, and your heart will light up too.
 Remember, it is us grownups that lose sight of the season...never the children. Happy Holiday and just know that whatever it is your going through that keeps that beautiful smile turned down...its just like this season: it will end. There's more to life than things that cost. There's always the ones that don't that means so much more at the end.

P.S.  HAPPY HOLIDAY AND HAPPY READING! 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Where's the Customer Service?

For the last week I have been dealing with some lousy phone customer service. I won't get into who they were; at least not yet. I'm not out to bash anyone, but whatever happened to the days of professional practice? That do include being polite, right?  Well, I've been through it these last few days, and to top it off...what is to be delivered to me , has still not arrived, although through my tracking the item, waiting on for a week, running from the back of the house to the front, in anticipation of the item....the tracking message now tells me my still not delivered item has been delivered.  WHAT!!!!  And the untrained customer service, tells me hold on!  For forty-five minutes...and I held on like an idiot!  ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!!!   This is so ridiculous it's funny...

so, am I being over the top, or am I justified in my frustration?

Monday, September 30, 2013

Building A Platform ?

Just read a post by Rachelle Gardner...great post by the way. However, she talks about the complaints of writers and the frustrations of publishers. The article has great points from both sides: Writers thoughts regarding publishers ( abandoning writers, bring nothing to the table), publishers needs  (marketing by authors...twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, etc...).  But she's right about our society...it has changed drastically and it's not the publishers fault. A publisher is truly great to have...they are there to make sure that our work is edited properly, to make sure production goes well and as planed, and they are really good at getting our books sold. As she says...we only have the Internet to blame.  Publishing a book back in the day was hard and still is, however, it has become more accessible to us authors, no matter if we traditionally publish, or self-publish or even eBook. I understand totally what Rachelle Gardner is trying to get us authors to understand, and from following her blogs, and reading in between the lines regarding them, I get it.  We authors have a passion and that is to write and get our work out to our readers. We want to stand out, let our story be heard whether fiction or non fiction. But we must understand that publishers have their passion too, and that is to take us authors on, get us published with the right publishing company that works for us and not against us. I know it's hard work trying to get your work out there to the right publisher. But I honest think it's worth it. Don't you?

 Our time will come, and when it does...we will know...

Building Platforms are hard work...but lets be honest...our work is worth every typed word.

Happy writing, authors, and happy reading, readers.

Monday, July 22, 2013

What Is A Literary Agent Really Looking For?

I've been around the block, over the hill, through the cave and under every bridge to find ways to impress an agent, better yet, make them hunger or interested in my writing, or should I say, writing style. I wait patiently for Rachelle Gardner's blogs, which I must say are right on, and very informative. I am no different than any hard-working, dedicated author who wants their story to be heard, and I sacrifice the most important part of me: time. I research, ask questions,  and have even stumbled across many answers from all sorts of different readers, aithors and other interesting people. But my question ' What Is A Literary Agent Really Looking For' is still that one question that lingers in the back of my mind. Rachelle touches on this subject a lot. She has great answers and I must say, thank you, Rachelle. But maybe those answers aren't good enough for me, or maybe she's just being sweet; let me down easy, sort of speak. I ponder on some of the answers I read and I won't believe that agents sit behind their desks, waiting for that horrible story from the thousands of emails they receive daily, just to toss them in the garbage and laugh about it with other agents. Or, maybe they do. Well, I must be honest. Not every author has a great story tell, or one that even puts their name on the fifty most wanted list of Google, but at least they're writing. And writing can only get better if it's persistent, and done with acceptance for criticism and mistakes and errors are made. I guess to answer my own question; an agent is just looking for consistency, great writing, confidence that an author knows their audience, some impressive social media following, and mostly-- that you've done your homework and are ready to pitch your story: your novel, perfectly.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Satisfying the Hunger of Passion

Some may ask--what in the world does that mean. Well, I'm here to tell you my theory, and in as less words as possible...back up what I say. First, however, I'm sure we can all agree that passion is something down deep inside of us, something we feel without even thinking, our design from God, right? We wake up each morning and move about our daily task...eating, mothering, fathering, cleaning, writing, conversing, driving, and so much more. But are we happy? Don't get me wrong...being a mother for me is the best and most rewarding choice and or decision I have ever made. It uplifts me, and wakes me up each morning . To know that I've accomplished the mother role well, is a reward in its self and I accept it graciously with a smile, each and every time I see my children. I am a wife, and for the last twelve years, I can say a darn good one. I've surpassed the seven-year-itch, the thoughts of 'what am I truly doing here?', the climb of am I even doing this right?, and I'm sure that my husband would agree, that it was a hard climb for him as well, but we made it to the top and plan on running down it together. I have at a steady pace, moved up the later for the type of job I found to offer me the most satisfaction, especially being that I love people. But--yes, there is a but, and I say it with no guilt. It reflexes not on my children, husband, or job outside of home. Our hunger for something more is always unsettling down deep inside of us. We wake up and move along the day and somewhere in that day, we begin to feel down, or sad. We push on for the sake of time and then the lights go off again another day. We wake-up and do it all over again, right? Sadness hits, depression feels us with anxiety and we may sleep it off, or call for a visit to our doctors. If we are satisfied with our homes, families, and jobs, then there is only one other problem  unless, your job is your passion, and if that is the case, then this blog is not for you. But for us who have not been introduced to our passion, or are just not sure what our passion is, or how to awaken it--there is hope for us yet. I am not an expert by far on depression or sadness; but I do know that talking about that dim light down inside you that's never satisfied, and you already have taken steps to a walk with God. Then what else can it be? Think about what you love to do more than anything. The one thing you can do without receiving money. The one thing you can do all day-long without looking at the time. That's the first step to satisfying the hunger of passion...your passion.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Food for the Soul


I was reading a post by Rachelle Gardner today and this quote By Umair Haque caught my attention...funny thing is, it caught my attention more than the post it self. But not only is the quote beautifully written, but it is very true. I hope it can help in times of need. It certainly helps me...happy reading guys...


This quote from Umair Haque (slightly edited) :
What’s it worth? … here’s the inconvenient truth: it’s going to take more than the tired old refrains of hard work, dedication, commitment, and perseverance. It’s going to take very real heartbreak, sorrow, grief, and disappointment. Only you can decide how much is too much…. A life well lived always demands one asks of one’s self: is it worth it? Is the heartache worth the breakthrough; is the desolation worth the accomplishment; is the anguish balanced by the jubilation; perhaps, even, are the moments of bitter despair, sometimes, finally, the very instants we treasure most? There’s no easy answer, no simplistic rule of thumb. The scales of life always hang before us — and always ask us to weigh the burden of our choices carefully.*

Friday, January 25, 2013

Who Deserves a Piece of the American Dream?

Well, hello and good morning loyal readers! I was sitting here at my desk thinking about the great American Dream that we all, at some point in time, think about. I don't rightfully know why it is that some seem to think that only a few are entitled to it. It's a great big world out there people and there is plenty of the dream to go around. After all, don't we all dream individually? Now, with that being said: how do we get it-- a piece of the American dream that is? I know for a fact, it takes drive first, but before we can even get that point, we must first, process the idea of the dream, carefully;which  should be done after we are first honest with our-self. Are we even the one for that particular dream?

A dream to me, is not just a space of thought that is in our heads or dreamed about in our precious moments of rem sleep, or a daydream that we think about during a time of the day when we have nothing better to do. It is the reason we wake-up each morning...the purpose God gave us. But it will stay a dream if we can't be true to self that we are capable of it. Example: I am four-feet tall, no coordination or concept of basketball, yet I love the sport--play it on the court daily with friends, and then decide to pursue it professionally.Get my point? However, please don't be discouraged. There are plenty of dreams out there, you just have to find yours, and be honest with yourself about it, no matter what others tell you,good or bad.

So who deserves a Piece of the American Dream? We all do...sometimes we just need a bit of a push or some short term, realistic goals to get us there. So stay true to yourself, pursue what you want, and push hard at it, and most of all...keep at it, no matter what, or who gets in front of you...



And don't forget to keep reading...reading is knowledge...whether learning, or just for entertainment.

Monday, January 7, 2013

What's your writing style?

I read a blog today, posted by Rachelle Gardner...and for some reason it struck a nerve ( in a good way). The blog was titled...The facts vs. The Story You Tell Yourself. Well after reading her blog it didn't take long for me to find myself (the facts vs. my story I have been telling myself). She gave three scenarios which I won't write out, but I will say that I was regretfully in the first one ;(  Being a writer is hard work, and takes years to perfect; for many of us, its a hard road to success. However, if writings is your passion and you find yourself longing to write instead of cooking, cleaning, or your job (outside of writing), then it tells a great deal about you as a writer, and it can be very rewarding.
Maybe not in the pocket book, but within you, and that means writing more and learning more, which will eventually without your knowledge--put more into your pocket book. :)...you can only get better.  Anyway, in this blog, I did find me, and the truth is, although I/ we write and love it...I/we-- it may take years to find out who we are as a writer. But as long as we continue to follow our passion-- who we are as a writer will prevail.  So keep writing and never stop following your pen, or for some of you-- your computer or laptop keys... Happy writing and enjoy reading...remember, reading is knowledge, whether, it's for entertainment or not.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Hello everyone! There's been so much going on and even more to get done, that I missed my time spent catching up with all of you. Well, I would like to first of all wish all of you a Happy New Year, and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I hope this year is a prosperous and blessed one for all of you...do you, and whatever your resolution for 2013 is, make it happen...only you can!!!!

And hey, please feel free to visit my website www.mariedaire.com, and check out the sneak peek on the first chapter of Cravings: Two Bloodlines...and if you like it, which I'm counting on, you may purchase it right from the site.