Blogfest/ Take Two

Today is the day! Welcome everyone to Red, White, and Blue makes Purple Blogfest!

 

 

 

 

 This blogfest consists of flash fiction with a military theme, all of which will be featured in an anthology to be released in January. All proceeds to go to Camp Pioneer, an Operation Purple camp. Operation Purple is a great organization, which provides summer camp for the kids of our country's soldiers, free of charge. I will be posting more information concerning the anthology later, but for now, stop by these other blogs and thank these wonderful people for giving back to those who have served us.  

 

 

Here is my story:

 

     “Sir?” I question, watching him.

     He nods slightly, holding out his coat.

     That time I grab it, feeling the weight; royal robes aren’t something I’ve ever felt before, let alone worn. Surprisingly it fits. And mine fits him, too.

     “Where are you going to be?” I ask, but he’s already walking out the door. From behind he looks like me; just a plain shepherd, in plain shepherd’s clothes. And I look like him. I guess that’s the point.

     I leave as well, only when I get outside, I head in the opposite direction.

     The sounds from the front come at me. It’s different, somehow, knowing that all those arrows are now being drawn for me.  That thought is enough to stop my feet.

     I don’t need a reason to do this; I already have hundreds of those. That’s not why I stopped. I need for this, this giving of my life, to be personal.   

     A picture of my brother’s face fills my mind just as my feet shift to turn back to the shelter. He believed in this cause.

     That’s not enough.

     He died for this cause.

     The picture shifts and I wince, expecting him to transform into the mutilated pile of flesh dumped in front of our house last week, but it isn’t. It’s him, only now, he’s happy. He’s hopeful.

     I start walking again. 

     Men shift to the side as I pass. Most of them have that same look on their face.

The men on the wall respond as well. Twisted contortions of rage turn bright as they see the stones embroidered across my chest, as they draw their bows.

      I want to close my eyes, but I can’t. I know this is the last thing on this earth I will see.

     The first hit comes from my left, only it’s thick and dull, not piercing like I expected. It’s followed by another, then another, until I topple to the ground. There are at least five men piled on top of me.

     A final thud comes, only this one is from behind.

     One by one, the men rise and I see in their faces the same reason that was in mine. They believed the lie as much as the men on the wall. They thought I was him. And for him they would give their lives.

     As one man we turn to see the figure lying on the ground behind us, the man whose blood turned crimson the shepherd clothes I’d had on just ten minutes before.



Celebrating, Expressing, Confessing

Today I’m doing a threesome. I’m Celebrating the Small Things, Expressing, and Confessing. Don’t go away, I promise I’ll explain.  

 

First, I’m participating in Confessions blogfest by Dani over at Entertaining Interests, which means I have to tell you something, preferably something humbling/embarrassing.

Here it is:

There is actually a reason my handwriting is so horrible (and it is, even doctors complain about it). It has nothing to do with my penmanship or my lame excuse that my mind is working so fast my hand can’t keep up. It’s because I’m a bad speller. I’d rather people think I was sloppy than stupid. I’m not kidding; you should see all the red on this page right now. All I can say is thank God for spellcheck.

 

The small thing I’m celebrating for this week is that it’s over. And I survived. Next week has no meetings, no appointments, no schedules, except, of course, my blogfest, but that’s not work, that’s something I’ve been looking forward to.

 

 

 

 

 

The Express Yourself question for this week is: What is your favorite Childhood book/movie? I think I addressed this last week when I mentioned my favorite comfort books, but maybe not, because that was a long list and today I have to pick just one. This is quite hard, but I guess it would be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I loved the idea of all that candy. Maybe I could have avoided my lifelong struggle with my weight if I’d favored James and the Giant Peach instead, but alas, such is life.

Confessions anyone? Celebrating any small things? Favorite childhood book?

Have a great weekend everyone! Don’t forget to stop back on Monday for the Red, White, and Blue makes Purple blogfest!

What's Up Wednesday

1.      What I’m reading:  Right now, I’m just starting Mocking Jay. I’ve read it before, but I tend to re-read things I really like. I am looking for another few books to read while I’m waiting for Alex Cavanaugh’s CassaStar to be released. Any suggestions?

2.      What I’m writing:  This week I’m going over my editor’s final edits for Bashan Agenda, which is scheduled to be released November 1^st, so I need to get working on them. And, of course, I’m writing my 500 word short story for my blogfest on Monday. If you haven’t signed up yet, now’s your chance.

3.      What else I’ve been up to: School starts next week, so any meeting, any appointment, anything and everything, I’ve got crammed into this week so I’ll be able to give my full attention next week to where it belongs. Aka: A lot of craziness in the Schulz household right now. I never knew I could be so productive. Keep that under wraps by the way, I don’t want my family thinking I can go like this all the time.

4.      What’s inspiring me right now: Last night I sat out on my front porch and closed my eyes and listened to it rain.  It was a slow, steady, healing sound; just what I needed to hear with all my aforesaid craziness. That’s what’s inspiring me I guess. That somewhere out there, there is something steady.

 

What are you up to this Wednesday?

 

 

Don't forget to sign up for my blogfest!

 

Schooled

School. For some of us it’s a way of life, for others it’s some distant memory in our past that either conjures good memories or bad, depending on our experiences. I’ve had to visit school a lot in the recent years, partially because of my books, and partially because I’m homeschooling my children (and as it turns out, me). I see in their experiences all my misses. I never read the Federalist Papers-did you? Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever read any original sources, just piles and piles of textbooks that abridged the histories and stories. I don’t want that for myself, or for them-someone else’s interpretations. I don’t want to read or live second-hand. A lot of people ask me why we homeschool, and that answer is part of it. There’s something in the discovery of a thing, and it’s never too late to start.

Are you homeschooled?

Celebrate Friday

 

Hello Everyone, It’s time again for my weekly Celebrate the Small Things and Express Yourself.

This week has been kind of crazy. I finished my book tour on Sunday, and then the rest of this week has been spent working on my mother’s surprise sixtieth birthday party that we’re having at our house tomorrow. Or at least it used to be a surprise. My super-sweet six-year old nephew was in the car with my mom last week and this was how the conversation went:

“Mema?”

“Yes, Gabriel?”

“I’m not supposed to tell you something.”

“Okay, then don’t.”

“I’m not supposed to tell you about the party at Aunt Melanie’s house next Saturday for your birthday.”

Oops.

The hilarious thing is? He still swears he didn’t tell her. Kids are too funny. But as it turns out, my mom would’ve hated having it be a surprise, and now can sit back and look forward to the party. I guess things work out for the best in the end.

So that’s the small thing I’m celebrating this week-the surprise that wasn’t.

 

 

 

 

The Express Yourself question for the week is what is your favorite comfort book/movie? For me it tends to be anything I enjoyed when I was a child: Laura Ingalls, Anne of Green Gables, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, the Ramona books, The Indian in the Cupboard. I love re-reading these books- and I often do, whenever I need to sit back and just enjoy a good book.

What is your favorite comfort movie/book?

Passing on the Shine

This post is to say a special thank you to Crystal Collier http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/ for giving me the Shine On Award. Basically, I'm supposed to say seven things about myself and then pass the award onto seven other people. Sounds simple right? Except how do I possibly choose? I decided to narrow it down to just the guys- no offense girls, I'm just making up for the time I had to leave the guys out with the whole Sisterhood award thing. Even with that, this has been hard, so, I'm sorry if I left some of you out.

First off, Alex Cavanaugh at alexj.cavanaugh.blogspot.com  It didn't take me too long to notice Alex was always the first one to comment on all of my posts, and from what I've seen from being around the blog world is that mine isn't the only one. I have no idea how he does it. Alex, you humble and amaze me.

D.L Hammons at Cruising Altitude 2.0  DL, I love visiting your blog, from your amazing stories, to your encouragement, to your Write Club; yours is the one blog I never want to miss.

Micheal DiGeshu at In Time. If you haven't been to this man's blog yet, you should. He is so encouraging- and a great resource for writers.  

John at The Bathroom Monologes. John frequently posts short stories and snippets that are full of tension and turns, leaving me always eagerly waiting to see what he comes up with next.

Brandon and Bryan at A Beer for my Shower. I just found this one and I can't get enough- thanks jaybird for the recommendation. This blog is so funny! Seriously, seriously funny.

Mark Means at Left and Write. This man is brilliant. Brilliant I say.

Jay Noel at jaynoel.com. I've always connected to Jay. He is so authentically real.


Now seven things about me:

1. I met my husband when I was fifteen. He was twenty-one and the finest thing I've ever seen, before or since.

2. I am a psychiatric nurse and I wish I was allowed to tell the stories I see lived out everyday.

3. I went to school to be a chef (before nursing school).

4. I suffered with infertility for three years before I had my first daughter, eight with my second. My boy was a miraculous surprise.

5. I am a Christian.

6. I have never moved more than twenty miles from where I grew up.  

7. I homeschool my three children.

Well that's all- Don't forget to sign up for my blogfest going on in September!

Feeling Checks

This weekend I finished my revisions on my third book (yey!!!). Now I only have one step left-which is something I wanted to share with you.  When I finish a book, I go through it one last time, kind of like a copy editor would. Only instead of scanning for grammar issues and typos, I’m doing a feeling check. I’m reading each scene and asking myself how I feel- is it what I was going for- is there tension where I wanted it- is there sadness, joy, love, heartbreak? As soon as that feeling stops within me, I go back and see why. Was I reverting to telling not showing? Did I gloss over something? Was I true to the character? In essence, I’m looking for what it was that pulled me out of the emotion. Most of these should have been corrected during the revision process, just like most of the grammar problems, but I don’t think any of us doubt the value of a copyeditor for one last go-over.

Do you do feeling checks?