I spent a magical evening last Friday, the 10th, listening to Gail Carson Levine read from her latest book–Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand–and she also answered many questions from her excited young fans.

Here’s a few of the questions and answers in very random order:

Which is your favorite book?

Dave at Night (because it was inspired by her father who was also an orphan, like Dave)

What are some ways you use to convey characters?

Speech

Filling out a character questionnaire

Talking to the character–asking her/him questions

What are some of your favorite stories?

Pride and Prejudice

Anne of Green Gables

Peter Pan

Hat Full of Sky

Where do you get your inspiration?

From the books I read as a child, especially fairy tales

If you’d like more information on Ms. Levine, here’s a link to her website:

http://www.harperchildrens.com/authorintro/index.asp?authorid=12385

As a part of staying positive, I’m trying to do a THANKFUL list at least once a month. Of course, I take too much for granted each day. So here’s a list of today’s THANKS:

• a ladybug in the grass
• getting off a requested sub to an agent
• receiving a request for submission from said agent
• a dinner date with my husband and family
• 3 Rose-o-sharon bushes all in bloom–one white, one pink, one lilac
• a cool library on a hot day
• online writing buddies
• tug-of-war games with my dog Holly (she’s always wins)
• pre-season football starting in just a week (I love football!)
• silly kitty cat in a sack (that’s Henry)
• an email from my sister-in-law, Wil, that made me laugh
• cuddle time with purr-master Herman (my other cat)

Oh, and one big piece of GOOD NEWS to be THANKFUL for:

a contract for one of my short stories The Emily Explosion from Blooming Tree Press!!!

The story was one of five finalists chosen from the Smart Writers Contest. It will be published in an upcoming anthology.

Once again the 3 P’s have prevailed. (hint: read my prior blog entry)

Starting a new month seems to encourage a fresh beginning–or a renewed continuing…

For a writer, I think it’s always important to remember The Three P’s:

PATIENCE
PERSEVERANCE and
a POSITIVE ATTITUDE

So it was delightful when I came across a prayer written by St. Clare of Assisi that echoed these same intentions.

What you hold, may you always hold.
What you do, may you always do and never abandon.
But with swift pace, light step, and unswerving feet,
so that even your steps stir up no dust,
go forward
securely, joyfully, and swiftly,
on the path of prudent happiness,
believing nothing,
agreeing with nothing
which would dissuade you from this resolution
or which would place a stumbling block for you on the way…

Today I had the amazing opportunity to see the extremely rare GHOST ORCHID in bloom. This pale off-white flower seems to float high up among the large cypress trees in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in southwest Florida. The orchid, which clings to the tree by wrapping it’s roots around the tree’s trunk, was discovered just a couple of weeks ago. Orchid lovers from the around the world have journeyed to Florida to take a peak. Five delicate blossoms seem suspended in mid-air. But it is impossible to see the orchid without binoculars or a telephoto lens because it is at least 30 feet up and 150 feet from the boardwalk that takes visitors into the swamp.

Go to this site to see a photo of the orchid and read about its history: http://www.uhaul.com/supergraphics/orchid/natural-wonder.html

My other exciting natural find today was at the beach. As noted in my previous post, I love to hunt for sea shells. Today the interesting shells were not too plentiful, but the stranded star fish were. Over a dozen of these small, delicate sea creatures were washed ashore–clinging to the warm sand. After admiring their intricate construction and simple but beautiful shape, I gently tossed each back out to sea.

Stars fallen to earth–shining with beauty, with life.
May we all be such stars.

I am a fanatic seashell collector. I love to comb the sandy beaches looking for these amazing natural wonders. It is such a delight each time to find a new shape, size, color, or design. No matter how many times I venture to the water’s edge I am always captivated by my discoveries.

On my latest seashell hunt (with the help of my husband) I found:

a West Indian Worm Shell
a Florida Rock Shell (fossilized)
an Atlantic Surf Clam Shell
a Van Hyning’s Cockle Shell
a Pear Welk (miniature size)
a Mussel
a Florida Horse Conch (another miniature one)
an Auger (really tiny–about an inch)

Here’s a website where you can take a look at some of these shells as well as others found in the southeast United States: http://www.seashells.org/identcatagories/mollusksctotxindex.htm

If you are interested in reading more about seashells, go to your library or the bookstore to see what is available. One good source is Florida’s Fabulous Seashells and Seashore Life by Winston Williams. This book has beautiful color photos of the various shells to help made identification easier.

Happy hunting!

Here’s a sampling of some of my summer reading:

Building Mental Muscle by David Gamon, PH. D., and Allen D. Bragdon
(a book that explores all facets of the brain—how it works and how to make it work better)
The Secret Life of Water by Masaru Emoto
(more on the study of water crystals by a Japanese researcher—how our thoughts and words create an impact on the world around us)
Firstlight by Sue Monk Kidd
(a collection of Ms. Kidd’s “defining moments” and the spiritual insights she has gained from them)

A rather eclectic reading mix, but they seem to have a common aspect: positive thinking creates a positive environment in our lives. We so often forget, among the many stresses of each day, that we contain the power within ourselves to transform a moment, an event, an encounter into a positive experience.

A very simple but a very powerful message—for summer and for all seasons.

In today’s news from The Institute of Children’s Literature there is an article by Karen McCoy, “A Writer’s Homework.” http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws02/homework.shtml

This quick read points out some must-haves for any writer who is serious about writing. Plus, the article also provides a fun quiz so that each writer can see just how committed to writing he/she really is.

I’ll tell you my score on the quiz if you tell me yours first.

Today is that monumental birthday day–sure to be listed in the Guinness Book of Birthdays.
3 generations born on the same day!
My dad,
my younger brother–Glenn,
and his handsome son–Luke

And not to be forgotten is Jody (Glenn’s wife & Luke’s mom) whose birthday was yesterday.

Happy Birthday, Everyone!!!

Since I’ve got a bit of a cold and the creative bulb on my thinking cap is only emitting the most feeble light today, I’m trying to learn a new blog craft–rather than actually trying to write something. I’m attempting to import an image from Photobucket. Hopefully this will be a success. (All thanks to Tanya!)

And hopefully tomorrow my bulb will be burning brighter.