In the Zone. Love the Zone. Feed the Zone.

I've hit the writing Zone :)

My daughter interrupted my writing the other day and I was grumpy for at least half an hour. During which, I was subject to much teasing of being caught in the Zone. 

Well, so. Geez! Why is everybody so needy! 

It's my belief that you should only be allowed to tease if you also have been to the Zone.

It's a happy place, full adventures and imagination! Of course, there is also the typical and not so typical tragedy. It's definitely my happy place! 

I saw Josi Kilpacks story for the second time and it made me smile and waltz my way back to the computer and into the Zone once again. This time she gives it along with a recipe for her secret sauce! It involves one particular secret ingredient... stick-to-itiveness

Yes! I knew that ingredient would come in handy one day!

She talks about her confidence and getting shot down and picking herself up every time! It's a fantastic story that makes me happy to pick up my project write some more words. Adding a little of my long stored stick-to-itiveness. Thank goodness that stuff doesn't have an expiration date! 

Don't you love the Zone. The keep writing, keep dreaming, happy place. I love it here. It's a whole lot of fun floating in the Zone.

My dirty little secret

Hello friends, I'm here to share a secret.

 A nasty one I like to keep hidden away. 

Its confession is painful but it's for a good cause. You see, today is Jordan McCollums blogfest for her new novel I, Spy!
And bonus! She's giving away prizes! So read, comment, and find out what your freebie is!

Here goes confession time - 

I pulled into the driveway already in a cold sweat. I'd spent the afternoon a mix of exhilaration and panic filtered through a crush of bodies and freedom that sometimes felt out of place.

I scanned the totes, that on my shoulder had felt more than heavy, but now lay heaped in the back seat. They gave no hint of the forbidden contents. I looked at them wanting to be pleased with my decisions, but my deep calming breaths had been replaced with hyperventilation.

The man of the house wasn't home, or, at least his car wasn't around. I opened the garage door. The concrete floor was clearly visible. Exposed, free of shadows and black rubber tires. I released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and I rolled into the garage.

The car filled with the smell of tires, and stale air. I closed my mouth, holding my breath, to keep the sent from overcoming my senses. I hit a button on the car door and cringed. The smooth whirring brought the image of sharpening blades as the window rolled to it's closed position. I hefted the massive bags from the backseat and half carried, half dragged them inside.

Inside it was quiet and clean but I'd never felt so out of place in my own home. Well, maybe not "never", this wasn't the first time. I swallowed and looked for witnesses. By some miracle of fate my children were absent. The faint hum of the television could be heard in the basement. The neglect etched a spot next to my anxiety, but I pressed on. 

I removed my shoes at the door, a guise of obedience, but grateful for the silence it afforded me.  Around the corner of the stairwell I hurried to the bedroom and its carpeted floors. A thump resonated in the empty rooms as I smacked into the door jamb as I hurried past. I scolded my carelessness and checked for damage. Everything was still as it had been and I stepped further into my room.

Beyond the bedroom I found an empty space in the closet. I moved stacks of long dresses and gently released my hold on the totes that burdened my soul. I stared longingly at the evidence of what I'd done.

A door slammed, and I jumped, knocking my head on the low hanging closet rod. Keeping an eye on the door I re-positioned the clothes. With a quick glance around I hurried to the bed pouncing on it as casually as I could.

Footsteps sounded in the hall, "Hillary!"

"I'm in here." I pulled my phone out and clicked into my email and leaned back on a pillow as he walked through the door.

"Hey love!" I clicked the phone off and stood my body tight and panicky.  I walked over and raised my arms to hug him and paused. He shimmered with sweat and the smell of salt and heat dripped from him. He grinned behind black sunglasses. The pause only lasted for a moment but my stomach rolled as it had the first time he'd come home like this. I'd kissed him then trying to be a good wife and assuming I'd get used to it.

I didn't, but considering what I'd just done, I lowered my arms and tried again. I touched his damp chest with just my fingertips and leaned up tapping the obligatory kiss on his lips.

"I'm so glad you're home! How was you're ride?" Lies, all lies. I didn't care about his ride and I wasn't glad he was home. Not right now anyway, guilt drifted from the closet like a mist.

"It was okay. Did you do anything this morning? Did the kids vacuum their rooms?" Crap. The rooms.

"Uh, I told them too. I think Livvy did, you know how they are." I could classify this as, not definitely a lie. He walked into the closet disappearing in the mist of guilt I'd left hanging there. I held my breath listening. He was silent as he dropped backpacks and opened drawers.

The shower turned on in the adjoining bathroom. Relief dropped me, like a water fall had opened in the ceiling, I fell back onto the bed breathing normally for the first time since the sight of the neighbors green suburban lawns and carefully pruned hedges. He hadn't seen the bags.

I hurried to check on the kids bedrooms as I contemplated how long I'd have to wait before I could wear the lacy green top in the bag. It would be longer for the boots. He tends to notice shoes. It's a curse. The stack of new things for the kids would be easy. In a few days I can pull a couple things out and feed him a line about how long it's been "just hanging around", but I could do that. They were worth it and, for now, my secret is safe.

Okay, so hiding shopping isn't the most thrilling secret, and this is a bit extreme :) but I think it's safe to say we've all got a secret or two! Happy blog hopping!

And go check out Jordan's novel, "I, Spy" and her prequel novella "Mr. Nice Spy"

Which just for reading you can get "Mr. Nice Spy" FREE!!! Yay!
Here's a quote from Jordan herself-
Just for reading a blog fest post, you can get a free e-copy of the novella Mr. Nice Spy, a prequel to I, Spy! Use the coupon code SECRET on my site store here! (Coupon code good through July 26, 2013.)

A Midwest Experience

Come one, come all! Storymakers Midwest is calling!

Storymakers is a one day event of fabulous writers and amazing information gifting to the brains of all us anxious conference attendees.

We hover like bees on a summer day ready go class to class, gathering all the info we can till our brains are so heavy with information we can hardly move. Then we set it all down in our lovely notebooks and take to the sky!

The best part is not a one of the other attendees will sting you!

It's either that or the networking with authors who have been throw the same wringer we're currently running ourselves through. Or the class options that seem to fit every level of writer and energize you to set off into that great honeycomb of book theories in your head, finally able to make sense of the glory that awaits the potential of that one special idea.

I think i need to get outside.

Perhaps at Storymakers!

This was most of the group last year! I really can't say enough about how great these authors are!

Details -

Date: Saturday, September 21st, 2013

Time: 8 am – 9 pm

Location: Holiday Inn in Overland Park, KS

So excited! The conference is only $105 dollars and my return was definitely worth the value! 

It's kinda like EFY for writers and only a day long, so, you get to go home and see your favorite cheerleaders sooner than later!

I say story, you say makers!

Story!

(makers)

Story!

(makers)

Yay! Rah, rah, sis boom bah!

OK now I'm just slipping into a sad little glory days moment only I never was a cheerleader. 

It's my Uncle Rico moment.

Oh and so you know, here's a link to the classes, and one for the registration and speaker's list as well!

I Love a Challenge!

While I was at the lake having my lovely vacation my phone had a rare moment of internet connectivity and I checked my email. Hmm, isn't that a strange thing to do. 

Well, I got a message that the lovely Tristi Pinkston was hosting another of Tristi's challenges!

Woohoo!

Well, I was excited see that email. I had signed up for one before, and then completely lost the site, I couldn't remember my goals, and it was just a complete bust!
This time I was determined to accomplish something and use this challenge to really do what I've been telling myself for the last year+ that I can.

So I signed up, bookmarked the page, and have been writing like a crazy girl, checking in and freaking out every time I hit another word count that I never thought I would make it to.

You know, I learned to speak positively to myself a long time ago, but telling myself something and really believing it is different, and a little tricky.
Now I can see it happening, and by golly I am eating that elephant, one bite at a time! Or in this guys case a giant strawberry larger than half your body, either way, it's goin' down baby!

My goals were to write 1,500 words 5 days a week with a total of 7,500 a week. So, far I've kept up or at least managed to catch up for each weeks goals and last week I hit 40,000 words! 

This week I've made it past 50,000!

I'm so excited!!!

I know it's only a first draft but this is my first first draft that's actually getting completed! And I'm freaking excited! I've already got plans for my first round of edits but I'm holding off till my last few chapters are written and I can officially say, "Why yes, of course I've written a book."

The Founding Fathers Agree!

Let's go celebrate!

John Adams said so!

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America," Adams wrote on July 3, 1776. "It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

Of course we're a couple days late every year :) the second was the day they voted to declare independence. The fourth is when John Hancock signed the declaration. 

This makes me smile. I love a party and apparently the founding fathers did to!
Happy 4th of July!

Freedom to Choose the Write!

Writing is a source of happiness for me. I am very grateful that as a country we are free to choose. That as Gods children we have a freedom that is born in us.

 I am not required to do what my husband wants me to. 

What the cashier at the grocery store wants me to,

 or even what my Mother believes and has taught me to do. 

It's up to me to choose happiness. 

I've never really been un-happy. Growing up I've been blessed with everything I need. I didn't grow up in a wealthy home but I had intelligent parents and lots of siblings who love each other and care about each others happiness. Today I'm living in my own home with my own family, who have what seems like a thousand needs I can't ever seem to fill. I worry day in and day out about their happiness and it's been draining my own reserves.

This is where writing comes in. When I found writing and started regularly practicing and making it a part of my own happiness it was a wonderful thing. Till it started to cause problems with the happiness of those I love. Problem is giving it up would be like giving up a part of my heart.

I did a lot of crying when I thought that was the direction I was headed and I'm still not certain I'm out of that zone. but today my husband is learning about this other love and today I am trying to share and control the effects it has on my life and because of the great freedom I've been blessed with I am free to choose the things that make me happy.

It's been a bit of a revelation learning that I can choose writing and my family won't fall apart. That caring for my creativity does not mean that my family is moved out of that number one spot. I still have to learn how to give time to all those I love but I'm choosing to keep writing in that circle. 

We've all had days when the world falls apart and sometimes weeks and years. I'm deciding that I hate that and I choose happiness. 

So, happy 4th!

And happy freedom to choose!

Choose whatever is right for you. 

I take great joy today in choosing to write!

This has been a message from your friendly chapter of the Insecure Writer's Support Group!

Write on friends!