Friday Before the Season

I never do any Christmas decorating before the first weekend in December. So that means I'll start tomorrow or maybe Sunday. The tree won't go up until a few days before Christmas when my daughter is home to help. Shopping ... not really started. And most will be done online.

Tomorrow I'll be enjoying myself at my local writers' group holiday party. Mostly a lot of eating, laughing and just enjoying each other's company. The rest of the weekend and the start of next week will be filled with edits from my new publisher, Musa, who will be releasing my previously publishing titles from the series, The Futhark Chronicles. Book one is coming out in February.

Some wisdom from the Old Farmer's Almanac:

It is unlucky to say "wolf" in December.

"Don't talk about yourself. It will done when you leave." Wilson Mizner

Hopefully, you've downloaded your free copy of The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond already. If not, what are you waiting for? Thanks to all the wonderful bloggers who gave the book a shout-out.

The Tolkien quote today is one I'm keeping at the forefront of my thoughts as I consider all the things I need to accomplish in the next few weeks including working on my newest book.

"It's the job that's never started that takes the longest to finish." J.R.R. Tolkien

Don't forget Sunday is Pearl Harbor Day. Though it was well before my time, my father and all my uncles enlisted shortly after that day. Our family was fortunate that they all came home but so many of that generation did not.

Hope you have a great weekend. Did you get THE guide to writing this week? Have you said 'wolf' this month yet? Have a job that you're putting off? Did you decorate for Christmas yet or start shopping?

Freezing Friday

Wow, did winter slam up or what this week? I'm enjoying my fireplace and being home alone while all the menfolk are on a golfing holiday in Myrtle Beach. It's lovely. Besides getting ahead on my blog posts, I'm completing the rough outline for my next novel.

The other thing that has taken a few hours of my day is doing some food shopping for Thanksgiving. I make a list, go shop and then make another list for all the things I forgot to put on the first list. Not fun times though I love the day, I don't care for the shopping leading up to it. It's a great family day though. And that brings us to my Tolkien quote for the day from The Hobbit and Thorin Oakenshield.
‘If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.’

And some wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac:

Goods that are much on show lose their color.  Brazilian proverb

"Allow children to be happy in their own way, for what better way will they ever find." Dr. Samuel Johnson

Use cream of tartar as a cleanser to brighten stainless steel.

Hope everyone is warm this weekend or if you live north of me, I hope you managed to shovel your way out of your house. What are you working on this week? Have your shopping ready for Thanksgiving (if you live in the USA)? Ever use cream of tartar to clean?

Friday Business

Cold weather is moving in. I have a busy, busy week with a lot of writing things on the schedule but also with outside work to do. We live in the country with about an acre and a half of ground. Along with my one son, I spent a lot of hours spread over two days digging out stumps from trees the weather had knocked down. Then we hauled some branches to the township recycle center and burned some other. Tired muscles but a real feeling of accomplishment.

In the writing field, I spent some time getting to know a few fellow Musa authors by way of a wonderful promotion coordinator. You'll meet a few of those authors over the next two months. I'm very excited about the value of the content of their guest posts.

I also had a very entertaining Skype conversation with my daughter studying in Morocco. Living and working in that country has made her really appreciate America and her family's work ethic. She's finding that the mindset she grew up with isn't the norm for a lot of the world. The college-aged people she teaches as part of her studies, believe that Americans are all just naturally rich. They don't understand the connection between long hours of work and what we have. For her, there really is no place like home. Her roots are middle class American. The Tolkien quote this week is for her.

“Deep roots are not reached by the frost.” 

And wisdom from The Old Farmer's Almanac:

"The chief enemy of creativity is 'good' sense." Pablo Picasso

Squirrels gathering nuts in a flurry,

Will cause snow to gather in a hurry.   Not too soon we hope.

Babies born a day after the full moon enjoy prosperity and longevity. How was the moon when you were born?

And tomorrow is National Cappuccino Day. Sounds good.

Thanks this week to my friend, Ava Quinn, who taught me how to do something on my blog I didn't know how to do. She's one of those amazing people who has young children, works a day job, takes on volunteer responsibilities and still writes and keeps up her blog.

Have you had outside work to prepare for the coming season? Feeling the burdens and pride of that good old American work ethic or wondering where it's gone? Seeing the squirrels busy outside your abode? Know Ava? Having a cappuccino tomorrow?

This Too Shall Pass

In central Pennsylvania, we've seen the sun for about two hours this week. It didn't rain EVERY minute. Sometimes it was only a constant mist or dark gloom.. And the wind! The sun is supposed to make an appearance today. I might actually be happy to mow the grass as that will mean it has finally dried up a bit. Sorry, I'm complaining about the weather. You know you'll have to put up with my whining about the cold all winter. Anything but sunshine isn't my thing.

This quote seemed appropriate for the day though I usually pick something from JRR Tolkien that has to do with writing.
Darkness must pass,
A new day will come,
And when the sun shines,
It will shine out the clearer.

And from the Old Farmer's Almanac:
The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. Audrey Hepburn
He who goes to bed hungry, dreams of pancakes. Maltese proverb

Weekend plans are to catch up on some outside yard work and do some actual writing. I've had to many other things going on lately that limited my time on my WIP. And if time permits I'm writing an article for my local writers' group newsletter.

Musa Publishing is celebrating their 3 year anniversary tonight from 7 PM to 9 PM EST. Take a chance to win lots of eBooks and a Kindle Paper White. All you have to do is visit their Facebook page. Musa is the publisher who had contracted my epic fantasy series, The Futhark Chronicles. So far I've been very, very impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of Musa. I'm excited about working with them. Drop by their celebration tonight and meet some of their authors.

Did that massive storm system hit your abode this week? Ever dream of pancakes? What are you working on this weekend or are you just enjoying some sunshine?

The Week Flies By

Even with taking Labor Day Monday off from blogging, the week remained busy with IWSG on Wednesday. I'm still visiting the participants who celebrated the three year anniversary of the blogging group. I hope you're thinking about being part of the upcoming book.

As usual on Friday, I'll share some wisdom from my Old Farmer's Almanac Planner.
"A truth that's told with bad intent,
Beats all the lies you can invent."
William Blake, English poet (1757-1827)

Sunday is grandparents' day so keep this Swedish proverb in mind:
The young should be taught; the old should be honored.

And a quote from JRR Tolkien to inspire everyone to keep working for their goals.
"A single dream is worth more than a thousand realities."

So I'll be out of town for a few days visiting my son in Colorado but I'll be checking in on blogs and working on my WIP when I can. It will be great to get away for a little bit with no responsibilities except having fun and spending some time with family.

Have a good weekend. Hug a grandparent on Sunday or if you are one, get a hug. What did you think of the Old Farmer's wisdom today? Are you working for your dream? Did you vacation this year or have one in the plans?

The Week That Was

I know many people in the USA are enjoying the unofficial last weekend of the summer. Labor Day means cookouts, a trip to the beach and the beginning of football season as well as the start of school. As a retired school teacher, I enjoy this weekend much more than I have in the past when it meant the end of summer break. The weather has been wonderful and a great preview of the lovely autumn weather ahead.

The Old Farmer's Almanac advises this: For good fortune, place salt and pepper shakers on the kitchen shelf before carrying furniture inside a new home.
Also: Don't ride the high horse; the fall, when it comes, is hard.

As a writer of romance, I found this article from BookBub interesting. Romance readers are tired of people treating their favorite genre as the 'poor relative' in the literary world. I found this article through the newsletter editor of CPRW, my local chapter of RWA. I'll introduce you to Heidi later. She just signed a very exciting contract.

And I realized that last week I forgot to include any quotes from my favorite writers. We'll go back to Tolkien today.
It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.

Some reminders. Like many other bloggers, I won't be posting on Monday. Please remember that next Wednesday is the first of the new month. So get your IWSG post ready as we step into fall. Do you have special plans for this weekend? Ever witness anyone make a painful fall from that high horse? Is your spirit stronger than your body? Ready for some fall weather?

Friday Wind Down

Even though I'm retired from teaching, Fridays still mean something to me. It means my husband will be home from work earlier and be around the house for the next two days. I love the guy but I don't get near as much writing done during those times. It means I'll cook more meals because at least a few of the sons will be around to eat whatever is available.

Friday is also the time to share some Old Farmer's Almanac wisdom for the week. I have two for you this week. "It is bad luck to use the word 'ice' in the name of a ship." "Life must be lived forward but can only be understood backward."

Speaking of farmers, maybe I've mentioned that I grew up on a dairy farm. Besides the massive work to do with the cows and crops, we always kept a large garden. I don't keep much of a garden but everything I plant grows like ... like weeds. What I'm trying to say is, does anyone want some cucumbers and tomatoes. I've given my neighbors baskets and still have my refrigerator full. You can take the girl off the farm but...

Enough country education. To inspire the writer in you for the weekend or the reader if you want to delve into the best epic fantasy ever, here are two JRR Tolkien quotes.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” 
The Fellowship of the Ring


“It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.” 

Do you grow any of your own veggies? Do you eat in or go out on the weekends? Do you have a green thumb? Any of the quotes suit your needs for inspiration this week? Will you be writing this weekend?

One to Rule Them All

This October will mark the 60th anniversary of the publication of The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. Not many would argue with the idea that Tolkien invented the epic fantasy genre. Not only did he inspire millions to read the genre, but a lot of writers got into to the game because of him. Tolkien wrote the kind of stories he liked to read, an important lesson for all of us.

He did things with languages, like inventing them, that is beyond my dreams and capabilities. His day job was teaching languages. In his books he used a number of Old English Words such as Ent and Orc. Did you know he made up the plurals of elf and dwarf that we use today? The runes that were used for the elves and dwarves were an alphabet he created. That all wows me.

Perhaps the thing I have most in common with Tolkien is that he really was a pantser and not a plotter. Meaning he had to revise like crazy. Sounds familiar to me. I'll keep working trying to catch up to him in those other areas. Maybe someday we'll have a Gourley Society but in the meantime, you can check out The Tolkien Society.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
The Fellowship of the Ring

I'll be using my time this week to write the first rough draft. Tomorrow if you have time, Pat Hatt at It's Rhyme Time is using a word I challenged him with a while ago.  Visit him to see what he does with it.

Do you know Pat? Are you a Tolkien lover? Did any of the facts about him I shared surprise you? Do you think anyone will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of your writing in the future?

Magic: Do You Believe?

I write fantasy so I have to incorporate some magic in there.  Many readers of fantasy want magic to be the center of the story and to some degree it has to play a role large enough to distinguish my created world from this one.  But how much magic?  How powerful should the magic be?

I first fell in love with the fantasy genre in junior high school when one of my teachers lent me her copy of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.  I didn't think about it then, but now that I write my own books, create my own worlds and define the laws of magic, I wonder about that story.  How did the Rings of Power work? Why couldn't the elves and wizards combine their magical powers and take on the Dark Lord? How did the One Ring rule them all?

I can still enjoy the books without knowing these things but I do wonder.  I've read other fantasy novels where the magic of one side seems so powerful it seems they should be able to win with a wave of their hand.  But that would make for a short book.  There must be some limitations to the magic or at least to the person or persons using it.  The author gets to determine those limits. 

Is the magic limited by the strength of the wielder?  Or is the use of magic limited by the damage to the entire existence of life if it's overused?  Is the magic limited by some force on the opposing side? Is the magic limited by the knowledge of the magician?  What is the source of the magic? Can it be used up?  Can its use injure the user?  Are there moral reasons for limiting its use?

I would think writers of science fiction have to ask similar questions about technology in their novels.  There have to be limitations or it's no fun. 

Have you read a novel where the magic or technology was so overwhelming in its power it ruined the novel?  What limitations have you used or seen used in an effective way?

V: Vanguard

Not long ago my daughter and I were watching a movie and someone was being honored by riding in the vanguard.  She didn't know what a vanguard was and we had a long discussion about it.  Later I thought about some of the trail blazers who were the vanguard for today's popular fiction in books and movies.

No doubt JRR Tolkien led the way for many of today's fantasy authors.  JK Rowling did the same for the upsurge in YA fantasy.  I believe she inspired an entire generation of eager readers.  Nora Roberts set a standard for prolific and versatile writers of romance and suspense, earning success and fame beyond most who came before her.

The original Star Wars began a new era in movie series. The Superman movies of the late 70's revived the super hero genre and we're still enjoying that today.  I would call both those franchises the vanguard of their genres.

What book or movies would you say led the way in their field either today or yesterday?