VICTORY IN SIGHT

Some people may think I'm a dumb blond, but I know I'm not. I achieved a goal  that proves I will be successful in writing my mystery series. I was able to upload a web filtered file to Kindle. Was the file perfect when it arrived? No. But it arrived. My husband stared as I shouted, as if from the roof top, "I will succeed!" And, "Yes, I did it!" Affirmation that nothing is impossible once you set your mind to it. And I've set my mind to not only write cozy mysteries that people enjoy reading, but to publish and market them on my own. Thank you, Winston Churchill for these great words to never never never give up. I encourage you to do the same, my friends.

PERFECTION?

My mother once told me that I will never have everything perfect, and how right she was! When someone out there gives me a negative comment about my writing, I have to stop and remind myself of this quote. And it is okay because no one is perfect. We are only human beings trying to live the best lives we can with the gifts and abilities God has given us. The other thought I had was different strokes for different folks. I don't care for certain things like sword fights and muddy streets in movies like my husband does. There; I feel better now. I'm not perfect. I'm just happy! Enjoy your day today, however imperfect it may be!

LOVELY TO DO LIST

I found this list hanging on the wall in my daughter's college apartment during my visit. The list offers some good ideas to make one's life a bit more pleasant and enjoyable, things I'm always interested in. Enjoy the read and see if there are some ideas you might find helpful to think about. I certainly did. I wish I had tipped the waiter more yesterday. (I especially liked the one about calling your mother, too!) Have a lovely day, friends, and God bless you!

TAKING THE DAY OFF

I'm taking the day off to be with my lovely daughter Holly. Give your children a hug today! Lovely!

QUEEN OF THE WEEK CELEBRITY AUTHOR FRAN VEAL

"Queen of the Week"
CELEBRITY AUTHOR
FRAN VEAL



















:

NANCY JILL: Welcome! Let me pour you a cup of Lady Grey tea and we'll get started. You said you like two teaspoons of sugar, I believe. I made snickerdoodles for today and we have a plum cake for dessert. Please help yourself.

Where do you live? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

FRAN: I live in Murfreesboro, TN, but grew up in Hendersonville, TN.  A little bit of trivia, I graduated from the same high school as Taylor Swift…in different decades of course!  Come to think of it, in different millennia.  My husband grew up a town over from Murfreesboro, so after we were married, we naturally gravitated to this area.  Our daughter, Sarah, now 14, was born in Murfreesboro.

NANCY JILL: Are you a traditionally published or Indie author?

FRAN: I am proud to be an Indie author.  When I first began writing, I investigated both traditional publishing and Indie.  I waffled back and forth between trying to find an agent and going the traditional route or skipping that altogether in favor of Indie publishing.  I discovered Joe Konrath's blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, which pushed me over the edge into Indie.  I agree with his idea that an artist should reap the bulk of the benefits from their work.  And I don't think anyone would argue with the fact that with the advent of the Kindle, Nook, and other e-readers, combined with the closing of Borders and other large book chains, the face of publishing is changing.  Of course, if the right opportunity presented itself, I'd consider traditional publishing, but at the moment, I'm happily independent.

NANCY JILL: What are your hobbies? 

FRAN: I enjoy hiking the woods in the park near my home.  It's very serene as well as great exercise.  My family also enjoys video games.  My daughter and I play together for hours.  We also travel quite a bit.

NANCY JILL: Tell us about your current book. What was your inspiration?

FRAN: Well, I don't want to give too much away, but I've always been fascinated by dreams.  You know when you wake up from a dream that was so vivid that for several moments being back in your real world seems disorienting?  Or the dreams that linger at the edges of your mind that leave you wondering whether it was really just a dream?  That kind of dream.

NANCY JILL: How did you become a writer? When did you start?

FRAN: I fell in love with the idea of writing when I was in the third grade and read Little Women.  I loved that Jo wrote, agonized with her struggle to become a writer, and wanted to be like her.  I actually wrote a little cartoon which I shared with my friends in fifth grade.  Let's just say I was a much better writer than I was an artist.  I continued writing stories, sans the pictures in middle and high school.  The idea of writing a novel has danced around my mind for years, but I was so busy earning a living, I just shoved it aside again.  A couple of years ago, I mentioned the idea to my friend, Trena, who proceeded to hound the fire out of me until I actually sat down and started to write.

NANCY JILL: How long did it take you to finish your first book?

FRAN: I started the book in April of 2010.  I'd only written about 16K words or so when my father became very sick, a recurrence of colon cancer.  He went into the hospital early in June and died June 19.  I spent July in a fog, numb from the pain.  In August, I picked up the book again, determined to finish it in his memory.  I had the rough draft complete by the end of the month.

NANCY JILL: Where do you like to write? 

FRAN: My very favorite place to write is at the food court of the mall.  I plug my headphones in and tune everything else out.  I like writing at home, too, sitting with my laptop on the couch while my hubby and daughter watch television, but sometimes there are just too many distractions!

NANCY JILL: Favorite author(s)?

FRAN: Not to sound cliché, but I love Jane Austin.  Her books really give such a good description of what it was like to be a woman living in the 18th century English countryside.  Modern authors I enjoy are Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs, Ted Dekker, some Dean Koontz, and the occasional Nora Roberts or Debbie MacComber.  I also enjoy YA authors like Ally Carter, Meg Cabot, and, Suzanne Collins.

NANCY JILL: How many books have you written, so far? Do you plan to write more?

FRAN: FINDING MY ESCAPE is my first book, and I'm currently working on the sequel MY WAY OUT.  I have ideas for several other stories that I'd like to sink my teeth into. 

HERE ARE LINKS TO FRAN'S BOOK

https://www.createspace.com/3764347

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006EOA90M 

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/81126 

FRAN'S WEBSITE

thejourneyofthewriter.blogspot.com

NANCY JILL: Thank you for stopping by today. I really enjoyed meeting you and wish you the best of luck with your books, Fran.

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

WHAT'S YOUR FOCUS?

After getting my teeth cleaned by a dear fan, I was floating on cloud nine. Nothing like someone loving your work! The weather was drizzling rain (one of my favorites) and I proceeded to my favorite store, Walmart, where I found the last two turtlenecks available in my size for half-price. Nice! I wondered if anyone else was as happy as I was, and with no way of knowing of course I just decided to enjoy my happiness and wallow in it. It's a lovely thing to have your housework finished, your dinner simmering in the crock pot and no pending disasters in your family anywhere. My focus is on what can be accomplished, not on what has happened. Big difference when you wake up in the morning and face the day. No matter what happens, the situation can be turned into something good. I think that's a lovely way to live.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

I love working on my writing all day. Housework is secondary now, a few  punctuation marks in the day. My focus is on my novel. Vacuuming and mopping simply become activities for breaks as I write. No going to the gym, no walks with the wind whipping my hair all over the place, no, just simple windows of sitting comfortably with my computer on my lap, pounding away, getting up once in a while to do a few chores, much like some people would take coffee breaks. I no longer dread housework. I don't even think about it, and yet the work gets done. Lovely, don't you think?

CINDY NAVARRO

It's amazing to me that someone I only know online would take the time to help me peruse a manuscript. She asks nothing in return. An author is indebted to people like this and without input from such wonderful readers, my writing would be myopic and terse. Cindy Navarro not only wasn't feeling well when she worked on my book, her area of the country suffered from tornadoes this past week as well. In the past, she has helped me as a Beta Reader and wrote a review for one of my books. Friends like her are rare and I had to say a special thank you for the way she sacrificed to help me. May God richly bless you in all you do, Cindy, and may we in turn be willing to serve those who ask us for help. 
Visit Cindy's blog at: cindynavarro.blogspot.com

WHO NEEDS DESSERT?

There are times when one can go long periods of denial in order to achieve a certain weight. And then, along comes a time when one feels a setback and it is then that dessert becomes extremely important. A delectable dessert, often accompanied by a delicious cup of coffee, brings a form of satisfaction that dispels the thought of setbacks, tiredness or frustration. I'm glad someone invented dessert. In fact, I keep chocolate chips on hand, just in case I need a sweet ending to a meal. Once eaten, I feel like my old happy self, once again. Who needs dessert? I do. Do you?