Welcome, Author Tina Pinson – Eleventh Stop in the 2011 Summer Blog-String Fest!

Today I am just delighted to welcome the amazing individual and fantastic author Tina Pinson to the Summer 2011 Blog-String Fest! Tina is an accomplished author and has a wonderful sense of humor. Her writings and her posts are always so interesting. Thank you so much for visiting and welcome, Tina!

Just Breathe.

I’ve just had one of those extraordinary weeks. You know… the kind everyone dreams of?

Okay maybe not…

My week could have been better. It started off great. After singing with hubby at church, we rested and had a wonderful day together. Then while cleaning my teeth like a good girl, a chunk of my back molar broke off. OOOh Yay.

I decided I could handle the pain since it wasn’t too strong and of we didn’t really have the money to bother with it. Then Monday, I woke up with a touch of a headache, by the end of the day it had blossomed into a full-fledged migraine. It lasted through the night into the next day taking any chance for a decent night’s sleep along with it. And if that wasn’t enough… my tooth began a dull throb.

The migraine subsided, but the tooth ache hung on and I decided to call a dentist.

Can I just stop here and say UGH… Dentists are not big in my vocabulary, even though it seems I’ve spent quite a bit of time there. And because we are new transplants to Arizona, I didn’t even get to go to my usual dentist.

So I looked on the internet, and called around for an opening, then spun the wheel and headed out to meet my new best dental friend. After getting through a series of xrays (I have a horrible gag reflex so I really love those little film cards in my mouth) and a bit of prodding with the dental pick, I was told that I needed a few thousand dollars-worth of work.

Some crowns and a couple of fillings add up to a few thousand. Amazing. I am in the wrong business.

And boy was I excited. I was looking forward to setting in that ol chair, leaning back with mouth open waiting for the stab of a needle so my mouth would go numb, and I would get to listen to the whirr and hiss of all the drill and such.

But alas, I had to wait. First, I had to meet with a specialist so he could ascertain if I needed anything else. And guess what?

He found another two thousand in the form of root canals to tack on to the bill.

We moved to Arizona because of the economy and still trying to get caught up, so you imagine that this news overjoyed me.

I wanted to cry. I thought about running down and buying a few lottery tickets or maybe go hunt for a money tree.

Instead, I decided to do something constructive to take my mind off everything. I sat down to work on my stories.

I found that every cog in my head was clicking on the beat. I was so focused. Everything came together. The flow was precise, the editing went well and my characters were following my lead.

I was pumped.

HAHAHAHAHA…. NOT

Nothing was coming together. My thoughts were all over the place. My characters were rebellious. I’d start looking at one story and move onto another one because I couldn’t focus. I was ready to pound my head with the keyboard

So I did what many of do… (Throw my computer across the room and watch it shatter on the far wall in little pieces)

Okay so… I didn’t do that.

Actually I stopped what I was doing, turned my mind off as best as I could and breathed.

Just Breathed.

In through the nose and out through the mouth. One… two… three… four… Slowly, I took long deep breaths to clear my mind. And with each breath… I prayed.

In writing, like life, we can get over run with thoughts and frustrated because nothing seems to be working in our story lines, it’s then we need to stop and simply breathe.

Breathe and let the Author of our life and imagination infuse us with peace and clarity.

Life is going to happen. Things don’t always go as planned, when it doesn’t go quite the way it should, I hope you’ll give yourself the break you need and Breathe.

Just breathe.
*****

Here’s where you can find Tina and her writings:

For In the Manor of the Ghost
Desert Breeze Publishing

HTML, LIT, PDF, PRC
Barnes and Noble
Nook
Amazon
Kindle Edition
Sony Reader Store
Sony e reader
All Romance Ebooks
Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Reader, HTML, Mobipocket
Books On Board
Adobe Digital Edition
OmniLit
Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Reader, HTML, Mobipocket
Apple ibookstore
iPad, or iPhone/iPod Touch with upgrades to have ibookstore app access.
Borders Estore
kobo

Touched By Mercy

Sony Reader Store

Amazon

All Romance Ebooks
My website — http://www.tinapinson.com/
Twitter:@Tina_Pinson
Facebook– http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103
Purchase my books at:

Desert Breeze Bookstore.
Touched By Mercy http://tiny.cc/0rgkm
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/we4ul

Amazon:
Touched By Mercy http://tiny.cc/k5tgw
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/doc8w

Barnes & Noble
Touched By Mercy—available soon
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/oh767

Christian Books Distributors
Touched By Mercy – available soon
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/4u5h9

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“The Blue Jacket Scandal” by Laurean Brooks – Eighth Stop on the 2011 Summer Blog-String Fest

Hi there. Most of you probably know me. But, just in case, I’m Laurean Brooks, writer of inspirational romance with a big dash of humor.

You may look at my picture and say, “Surely this is a woman schooled in social graces.” But to the contrary, this woman would never win an award for implementing Emily Post’s Rules of Proper Etiquette. Instead, in my circle, I’d likely receive a statue portraying a contorted woman with one foot shoved in her mouth.

My desire to make people laugh was inherited from my dad. The difference is he specialized in playing silly pranks and telling funny stories; my humor relies on seizing the right moment to implement a snappy reply. There is nothing more rewarding than hearing folks laugh. But sometimes these “supposedly” funny remarks are taken the wrong way.

“A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15: 1

Now there’s one I often apply. Sadly, it’s usually after the fact. The scenario goes like this. I say something (I think is) funny, a harsh voice replies in anger, and I apologize. Most of the time the person accepted my apology. A few didn’t. That’s when I promise to try to keep a stronger hold on my tongue.

“Proverbs 25:11 puts me to shame. It reads, “A word fitly spoken and in due season, is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Know why this verse makes me cringe? Because it was probably written to admonish someone whose mouth shifts into gear before her/his brain engages. Someone like…uh…me.

I could give example after example of embarrassing scenarios, results of my impulsive quips. But that would take all day. I’ll confess only two.

The most retold incident (by my family) occurred when my niece and son were toddlers. “Aunt Laurie” (or Mom) was in great social demand in those days, especially at the supermarket. Why? Because I loaded the little ones into the shopping cart and whizzed through the produce aisle, cutting figure-eights around the banana stalks and watermelon rack. The squeals from Jeremy and Mandy kept egged me.

So, it came as no surprise while on a trip to the local IGA, two-year-old Mandy peeled her mother’s fingers from the cart and yowled, “Want Aunt Lau-rie ta’ push!” My three-year-old, Jeremy, joined in protesting from his seat at the bottom of the cart. “Mom! We want Mom!”

Miffed at her daughter and my nephew’s rejection, my sister stepped aside and huffed, “Well! I know when I’m not wanted!”

I grinned impishly and gripped the cart while Emily followed. I pushed it a few feet when a sassy jibe came to me. I craned my neck to look behind, fluttered my lashes, and oozed in a sultry voice, “M’dear, are you feeling lonely and forlorn?”

Before the words left my mouth, a brick wall smashed against my cheek. I whirled to find a 6′ 4” college-aged guy gaping down at me. His face registered something akin to “horror” and “Woman-you-are-crazy!”

I slapped a hand to my burning face and hurried to explain. “No-no! I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to my sis–” I scanned the area, but Emily had vanished! Coward!

The young man jaunted away, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Emily stole out from the canned vegetables aisle. The hand over her mouth and tears streaming down her cheeks gave her away. My sister was laughing at me! She squealed, “That was hilarious! You had your head against that…that guys chest…gazing up into his eyes. What did you say to him?”

When I relayed my humiliating indiscretion, she shrieked, “You mean…you propositioned that guy?”

What could I say? “Uh-h…it did sound that way.”

The second embarrassing moment occurred when a couple of men waltzed through the doors of the textile plant where I worked. Both men were casually dressed. The older, a distinguished, gray-haired gentleman, paused in front of my work area and asked, “You don’t mind if we walk through, do you?”

My retort? “As long as you aren’t salesmen or politicians. All others are welcome.”

The older gentleman walked past, but the younger man stopped in front of me and whispered, pointing to the older man. “I’m not a politician. But he is. He’s the county judge.”

When he spoke the man’s name, I slapped my hand over my mouth.

The judge must have noticed my embarrassment because he traipsed back to me and placed a consoling arm around my shoulders. “Honey, is something wrong? Anything I can do to help?”

All I could do was shake my head and murmur, “No-o.”

At our family get-togethers, much to my chagrin, Emily brings up the supermarket incident, then adds, “Going shopping with Laurie was always fun. You never knew what would happen.”

There, you have it. I have “Foot In Mouth” disease. What about the rest of you? Have you ever committed public blunders? Oh come on, ‘fess up! I hope I’m not the only one.

Here are links to my books. In Journey To Forgiveness, http://www.whiterosepublishing.com/ my sassy heroine has the same problem with her tongue. Jenny gets into some interesting predicaments as a result.

E-books:
OVER THE COALS- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44638/
JONQUILS IN THE SNOW- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9341/
SEVERED HEARTS- http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73123/

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“How I Rate My Books Using Candy Bars” by Celia Yeary – Fifth Stop on the 2011 Summer Blog-String Fest

Today I am thrilled to host author Celia Yeary to the 2011 Summer Blog-String Fest! Celia is a multi-published author, candy lover and overall delightfully funny, talented friend. Welcome, Celia!

How I Rate Books Using Candy Bars

by

Celia Yeary

Sometimes I review a book written by a friend, acquaintance, or fellow author on my blog, but I never feel comfortable assigning numbers, stars, or whatever. Although anyone can review books, I’ll leave the rating system to the professionals, and possibly to those who review books independently on a regular basis. I have no quarrel with that.

I do have a system or two, though, but I only voice the ratings to myself. One system is by descriptive words, and since they may be a little over-the-top for this lovely blog, I’ll describe my Candy Bar System instead.

Before I offend anyone by using her favorite candy bar as a One, just let me remind you that we don’t all like the same books. Remember—one man’s trash is another man’s treasure; or one reader’s two-thumbs down is another reader’s two thumbs up. Okay?

Celia’s Book Rating System: (the number denotes the review if one were using numbers, a 5 being the top rating)

(5) ALMOND JOY—My favorite! Deep, dark, rich, a sweet intriguing middle, and two nuts to anticipate. You don’t get the same thing in every bite. Perfect, one to return to again and again.

(4) PAYDAY—Perfect blend of sweet and salty, a chewy center that lasts, and crunchy peanuts. Something to sink your teeth into and savor.

(3) HERSHEY’S ALMOND JOY—A little too much of a good thing, lacks imagination, but still yummy.

(2) KRACKLE—Pale, filled with air, unsatisfying, finish as fast as you can—or give away.

(1) MILKY WAY—too sweet, same throughout, lacks surprises, a little too boring.
~*~*~*~
Some very good ratings I’ve received recently:
The Stars at Night (Desert Breeze)-an ALMOND JOY!
Crystal Lake Reunion (Whiskey Creek Press)-an ALMOND JOY!
Texas True (Desert Breeze)-an ALMOND JOY!

See how much more fun this is?
How would you rate books other than stars?
Thank you for reading–
Celia Yeary-Romance…and a little bit ‘o Texas

http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com

http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

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“Memorable Types of Proposals” by Diane Craver

When I was a little girl, I remember having a big doll dressed in a pink bridesmaid’s dress. I named her Rose and pretended I was the bride. I never really thought about what type of proposal I might receive someday. It was the wedding part that interested me the most. My husband kept his proposal simple and sweet. He proposed while we were attending Mass. He asked me during the part where the sign of peace is exchanged in church after he kissed me. He didn’t go the traditional route and ask my father’s permission to marry me. He likes to tease me and says that my father paid him to marry me. But that’s one of the reasons I love my guy – his sense of humor. We will celebrate our 36th wedding anniversary in August!

There are all kinds of ways to propose. Some people might go public with their proposals. The other day I heard that a policeman asked his girlfriend on the police radio to marry him. Because she was a dispatcher, he thought it’d be nice for everyone to hear something pleasant instead of the usual crimes. Fortunately, she said yes. If you aren’t in law enforcement, some other public places for proposals are: parks, beaches, restaurants and football stadiums.

Of course, private might be the perfect way to propose. If your guy makes everything romantic and does the flowers, candlelight dinner, and it’s only between the two of you, then the traditional proposal is always special.

In THE PROPOSAL, a sweet and contemporary romance, Jacqueline Andrews hopes that her boyfriend Brad will propose on her twenty-sixth birthday, and she’ll receive an engagement ring for her birthday gift. Other special times might be on an anniversary of a first date or the perfect time for a marriage proposal might be during the holidays. Christmas and Valentine’s Day seem to be the most popular holidays for proposals.

Some couples prefer to be more creative in proposing. Hiding the ring in a dessert or in a rose are good ways to be unique. If you’re lucky enough to live near the ocean or if you’re planning a beach vacation, arrange a swim with dolphins. Play together in the water with flipper and then propose afterwards. My nephew, Kyle, did something different by tying the ring to his dog’s collar and then he called his dog to come in. When his girlfriend saw the ring, Kyle got down on bended knee and asked her to marry him. I can see two skydivers enjoying a proposal in the air. Being creative is the best idea for the couples who don’t want to use a traditional way in proposing.

If you want to learn more about Jacqueline’s romantic proposal and what happens in my ebook, THE PROPOSAL, it’s available for 99 cents at Amazon and Smashwords. Links: http://www.amazon.com/The-Proposal-ebook/dp/B005895S4G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1309113290&sr=1-1 and http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/69282
Here’s a short blurb:
Jacqueline Andrews hopes her boyfriend Brad’s surprise is an engagement ring for her twenty-sixth birthday. Her best friend, Tyler Jordan, wants Jacqueline to be happy, but not with Brad her current boyfriend.

Tyler regrets blowing off Jacqueline’s confession of love for him before he left for college. When he returns to their small town as a physician’s assistant, he falls in love with her. He needs to win her love back.

Will his hot kisses sway her? Or is she going to marry Brad?

What kind of proposal did you receive from your spouse? Tell your story! If you aren’t engaged or married, that’s fine. Tell what kind of proposal you’d like to receive. Do you expect a down on the knees type of proposal, something unique, or would you like a public proposal? If you leave a comment, you’ll be entered in my drawing for either a $5 GC to Amazon OR a signed print copy of A Christmas Gift. Drawing will be July 5th! If outside of the US, I’ll substitute an ebook copy of A Christmas Gift, if that’s the winner’s choice. By the way, A Christmas Gift is a book to be enjoyed year round!

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