Good morning, friends.
In today's clip, we learn that Cpl. Matney was not the only Seymour resident lost in the Korean War. We also see the pride with which a small community shows to a soldier coming home. Rest well, Cpl Matney. You are finally home.
Good morning, everyone! Welcome to a new week.
The past weekend was busy but full of love and chatter. Bob and I won't have the opportunity to travel to Texas to see his Mom and her husband but I already know that my next trip to Texas will include heading for the southern part of the state - a part I've not visited before.
Bob is home for another week but he understands I have to get back to work. I'm only focusing on the things I have to do immediately. One of the things I'll focus on is what I must get scheduled for the first few days of August before Bob heads back out on the 3rd. After that I can go back to crazy hours.
This week:
* Blog posts through August 4th
* Contract with Burroughs (yes, I've still not done that task ::; sigh :::)
That one is really important as I'd like to have hard copies to sell at the Ozark Creative Writer's Conference coming up October 7-9th. I'll be presenting two sessions on blogging/ marketing which brings me to point #3
* Begin outline for handout and a saleable workbook for the conference
Speaking of the conference, there's still time to register as well as enter the myriad of contest categories for your chance to win awards and CASH!
That should keep me out of trouble this week. What items are motivating you this week? Share below. Accountability is a great motivator!
All my best ~Angela
Good morning, friends.
If you've watched the previous two videos , you may have a better understanding of the process involved in identifying a loved one's remains and the red tape that must be navigated along the way.
In An Ozarks Homecoming, Marc Sterling joins the Army in hopes of eliminating some of the red tape by being on the 'inside'. That point is truly FICTION. Red tape is red tape... any way you cut the ribbon.
In Part 3, we learn that Cpl. Matney's mom recieves notification of him being MIA as well as the length of time between that notification and the next time she hears from the Army. My heart goes out to Willa every time I think of that country woman moving through her life day to day because that's what they did back then while always hoping for a word of promise about her son's whereabouts. Sometimes getting her hopes up...
This is where the journey for Tom and Sandy really begins.
Good afternoon, friends.
I get a later start to my day when Bob is home. Once we wake up in the morning, we sit and enjoy coffee and each other's company until after we've eaten a light breakfast - somewhere around 10:30 - before starting our individual days.
This morning, my individual project was all about moving 105 roma tomato plants to a new watering station before the temps became too HOT to want to be outside. So here I am.
Multiple New
York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town
in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky
characters in her books is … mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling,
award-winning heartwarming and full of humor novels wherever books are sold and
visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her
city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.
Good morning, everyone!
Are you ready to peek inside of another writing space? Elizabeth Bromke gave great advice yesterday. Let's see what she has to share today.
BIO:
Elizabeth Bromke writes small-town
women's fiction and sweet romance. In her stories, she weaves
multi-generational family dynamics with the triumphs and trials of modern
relationships.
Elizabeth and her husband and son live in the mountains of Arizona. There, they spend time together reading, taking walks with their sweet pup, Winnie, and working on puzzles.
Thanks for taking us on a tour today, Elizabeth!
Describe your writing nest? It changes with the season! In the winter, I write in the cozy crook of my bed, next the window. When the weather is good, I like to write on my back deck. There, the sun sets and casts an orange glow through the pine trees. It’s breathtaking, truly.
Has finding your space been an
evolving journey? How so? Yes, definitely. It still is, too. I like to roam
around my house. Walking, even short little jaunts, keeps my ideas flowing.
While routine is critical, for me, movement and change is critical, too. That’s
why I mix it up regularly.
Anything you would change? One
day, I’d love to have a sunroom! Seems like the ideal mix of elements.
What advice would you give to someone looking to build their own nest? I like a bit of a dynamic set-up, where I can get up and move about. When I first started writing, I saw that so many writers committed to their desks or offices. I tried that, too, but without fail I never could stay in one place long. I finally gave myself permission to write wherever I wanted. The words flow better there.
Great spaces, Elizabeth. Very inspiring!
You'll find The House on Apple Hill Lane available on AMAZON & B & N
Good morning, everyone!
Our tip for today comes from Elizabeth Bromke. We get to see her Writer's Nest tomorrow. In the mean time, here's her tip:
Give yourself permission to write where you want. The words will flow better.
All my best
~Angela
Good morning, friends.
We continue learning about the Korean War Conflict in Part 2 of my research series, presented by Tom Gormley.
In today's video we get a better picture of where Cpl. Matney and his group were located. This is what I would consider the 'hot spot' of the war. North Korea is making strong headway and the US is sending in as much hardware assistance as quickly as they can.
Good morning, friends!
Today, I'm shining the spotlight on USA Today Bestselling author, Elizabeth Bromke.
Elizabeth Bromke writes small-town
women's fiction and sweet romance. In her stories, she weaves
multi-generational family dynamics with the triumphs and trials of modern
relationships.
Elizabeth and her husband and son live in the mountains of Arizona. There, they spend time together reading, taking walks with their sweet pup, Winnie, and working on puzzles.
According to her press release...
If you enjoy women's fiction with
a touch of romance and an undercurrent of mystery, you will fall in love with
Harbor Hills, the newest saga by USA TODAY bestselling author Elizabeth Bromke.
Romance, secrets and mystery, family ties and female friendships abound in this
heartwarming saga about four women who find friendship right next door.
Four small-town neighbors, one fixer-upper, and a decades-old
secret that could change everything...
Quinn Whittle made a big mistake.
She bought an old house in a new town... sight unseen. But it's
not only the house that has a history. So does Quinn, and her new neighbors are
starting to clue in...
Annette Best's realty business is struggling. Then a new
face comes to town, and she sees an opportunity to save her company (and
along with it, her marriage)... as long as the homebuyer doesn't poke around
under the floorboards.
Judith Banks is freshly single but too fed up to date.
Or so she thinks. Then her new neighbor hires a local handyman, and she's
taken... but only if he doesn't ask about Judith's past.
Beverly Castle had it all. Now she's lost everything,
and all that's keeping her going is her job with the Harbor Herald... until an
unlikely friendship hatches on her very own street.
Good morning, everyone!
I apologize for missing this post last week. I've been working in the garden two hours in the morning. Labor-intensive work that wears me out. I've been crashing for several hours after the activity. Last Wednesday I got wise and decided I needed to just take a day and work on blog posts - including this one. But I knew then what my goals needed to be for this week.
Bob will be home on Wednesday and I've not accomplished a lot in the house that I had planned on. On the plus side, the new garden is shaping up nicely.
For this week I need to focus on at least two items from my KanBan board.
1 - Request rights back for Somewhere Down the Line
2 - Secure authors for September/ October and December
3 - Be consistent with Social Media,
For that last one, I'll be making notes as I go so that I can include things in the Social Media Planner I'm trying to create in time to offer at the Ozark Creative Writers conference where I'll be speaking in October.
Good morning, friends.
Today's tip comes from William Faulkner
William Faulkner was a Nobel
Prize–winning novelist who wrote challenging prose and created the fictional
Yoknapatawpha County. He is best known for such novels as 'The Sound and the
Fury' and 'As I Lay Dying.' (from biography.com)
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.”
To write well, we must step out of our comfort zone. While the old adage of 'write what you know' is true - once you learn something, you 'know it'. Write what calls to you - even if you know nothing about the subject.
All my best
~Angela
Good morning, friends
In keeping with the 'An Ozarks....' theme in my titles, the Soldier's Homecoming has become finalized as An Ozarks Homecoming... since I have two military men coming home in the story.
I first told you about how the germ of this story came about in THIS POST, introducing Cpl. Donald Matney.
I can't fathom the despair learning your son or daughter isn't coming home. Compound that heartache with not knowing where they even are! MIA - Missing In Action leaves a lot of questions unanswered for families.
Did you know that the Korean War was the first war where they returned remains to the US? Yet, they still refer to Korea as 'the forgotten war'.
Donald Matney's family never gave up. His niece, Sandy, grew up seeing her uncle's picture on the wall and asking 'who is that?' As she grew older and identifying remains in the Punch Bowl in Honolulu became a thing, she and her husband (Tom Gormley) began the long process of finding Donny and bringing him home. Tom has been invaluable in my research, both through his video presentation at the Broomfield Veteran's Museum in Broomfield Colorado and providing actual documents through email.
Beginning today, and for the subsequent four weeks, I'm going to share the video presentation from Tom. If you have someone you've been trying to find, perhaps the Gormley's story will give you direction. Along the way you'll get an inside look as to what those men and women in Korea endured on what was only to be a 'Police Action'.
Good evening, friends.
This has been a slug week for me. I'm still trying to get the garden in. Yes, I know it's late but my plants are doing amazing in their pots. I'm trying desperately to get them into the new beds Bob built a couple of weeks ago.
I never could take working in the heat so after about two hours out there doing hard labor of hauling mulch and stuff, my body says enough and I sleep most of the day away. If you'd like to see what I'm working with, you can check out my GARDEN YOUTUBE series.
Today, I'm shining the spotlight on author Shanna Hatfield. I first featured Shanna as part of a Mail Order Bride series back in 2015. You can see that post HERE.
Here's a bit about Shanna (from her website);
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America
While I was waiting for some books to come through from NetGalley, I picked up one off my kindle from last Christmas.
I'm giving The Christmas Bargain:
.5Good morning, everyone!
I'm in the garden early this morning then in the kitchen canning this afternoon.
Welcome to a new month!
The Month of July is going to be Christmas In July. Christmas reads you might want on your list, tips from authors who've written Christmas stories, etc.
I'm still putting the list together so in the mean time, I thought I'd kick the month off with THIS article from MASTERCLASS on 8 Tips for Improving Your Writing.
