Look! It's A Shiny Thing!

Happy Monday All,

The contest portion of this post is now closed. However, you can read the rest of the post just for the fun of it and to find out what it was about. Thank you!

If the date looks weird on this post it's because I'm posting this on Sunday night; but I couldn't go to bed without making sure this post was up--especially since I've been gearing up and hinting at this giveaway for so long! But rest assured, this post is for Monday.

It's finally here! The author/jewelry giveaway that I hinted at last week.

I know this really awesome person named Kathy. Kathy is an incredible jewelry artist and she has recently started up a company, Beadmore Designs (I have a link available at the end of this post) I have several pieces of jewelry made by Kathy and all her work is absolutely exquisite. She makes it all by hand and her attention to detail, creativity and imagination makes her work absolutely lovely.

This week, along with several author friends, I'm hosting a big giveaway of Kathy's jewelry and you, my readers have the opportunity to win it!

Each day this week will feature a different piece of jewelry as well as a different author. Each piece of jewelry will either represent an author's book, book cover, or characters. Oh yeah, and did I mention I'm one of those authors (although, I'm the only unpublished author of this week's giveaway) sponsoring a piece that's being given away? In fact, the set I'm sponsoring is what's kicking off this Great Jewelry Giveaway!

Today you all get a sneak peek into the mind of one of my heroes. This particular hero tends to go a little over the top when he gives anything to the heroine. He's incredibly wealthy, so he can afford it. Today's piece is nicknamed SURREAL and it represents my writing (although, I'm not published, yet...keep those prayers and fingers crossed for me, please).  Here's a picture of the necklace (it has matching earrings, by the way):

The necklace is called a "front-toggle necklace" meaning, you wear it with the clasp in front (oh and it's gorgeous in person, by the way). It's tough for me to part with this set, but since I don't have pierced ears the earrings would do absolutely nothing for me, so I must giveaway.

Mother's Day is Sunday, everyone--so even if you're not a woman, read below to find out how to enter, because I'm sure there's a lady in your life somewhere--and ladies, you don't have to be a Mom to enter to win this, you just have to follow the directions below:

You have two ways to enter the drawing for the SURREAL Set.

1.  You can either post in the comment section of this blog--but you MUST somehow mention the word "Surreal" (use your imagination--in a creative way (a sentence, a funny story, a day dream anything like that). and you MUST include your email address. Without these two things I cannot enter you into the drawing for the SURREAL Set.

2. Or you can email me. But in your email you MUST use the word "Surreal"in a creative way (a sentence, a funny story, a day dream anything like that).



I will leave the drawing open until 9:30 p.m. Central Time. At 9:30 p.m. I will come and officially close the drawing. After I close it, I will email the winner, then tomorrow, along with revealing which author sponsored tomorrow's piece and that author's work, I will also announce who won the SURREAL Set.

REMEMBER: You MUST include your email address AND the word "surreal" to be entered.

Please be sure to visit Kathy's Beadmore Designs website. She's in the process of updating the website, but has several photos up (with prices). Her work is very, very reasonably priced.

Anyway, this is the first day of the Great Jewelry Giveaway, be sure to return each day to find out what piece is being given away and what author (and what story) it represents.

Oh yeah, and enter to win today's set! The SURREAL Set is abolutely gorgeous!

Have A Magical Monday!

Myths About Writers

Afternoon Folks,

I thought we'd do a post to dispel some of the myths people seem to have about writers. I'll put the ones that first come to mind then y'all can chime in.

Myth: Writing is a great way to make a lot of money.

I'm not sure exactly how this one matriculated. Probably in the wake of some of the big best sellers (i.e. Stephen King, Anne Rice, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, and the like) but most of the time writers put in more money for their writing than they do get out of it.

Generally a writer doesn't make a ton of money unless somehow his/her book is a blockbuster hit and blasts through what the author owes in the advance (which is paid back to publishers through royalties).

Most writers I've met and talked to are not millionaires. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm saying it's not one of those things that's automatic.

Myth: Writing Is Easy Anybody Can Do It.

Okay, granted this isn't entirely a myth, but it's not entirely true, either. Sure, anybody with any amount of knowledge of or ability to string sentences together in a coherent form can write a story. In fact, most anyone could write if they put their minds to it. Doesn't mean it's good. Doesn't mean it will sell (heck, it doesn't even mean us aspiring authors will sell or even that established authors will continue to sell--the publishing world isn't an exact Science).

By the way...writing is sometimes easy and sometimes it's not. There are good days and bad days just like with anything else. Sometimes there's tremendous writer's block (met someone who suffered writer's block for a year) and there's days of tremendous inspiration where everything just flows. It's not always easy and it's not always hard.

Myth: I'm Not Good Enough.

This is one authors everywhere have to fight within themselves. If you don't think you're good enough how do expect anyone else will think you are? You have to have some belief in yourself. You have to believe in your characters and in your imagination.

There's people with wonderful talent out there, who freeze up at the mere mention of trying to get their work published because they don't think they're "good enough". Exactly what is the measure of an author being "good enough"?

Everybody has different tastes, you can't measure your own success by someone else's success and/or failure. (This is one I've had to remind myself of, by the way).

Myth: All Writers Lead Incredibly Exciting (Romantic, Action-Filled, Etc...,) Lives.

This might contain some truth depending on who you are (like maybe a CIA agent who writes action stories or a person who writes romance who leads an incredibly romantic life), however, it doesn't mean this is true of all writers.

I've met writers who lead very ordinary lives. They pick up their kids from school, they have jobs, or work at home. They worry about the roof being fixed, the rent being paid, the crazy hole in the backyard (okay I haven't heard of anyone having a weird hole in the backyard without an explanation, but hey, like most things, it could happen).

The point being...authors are human. They can't help it, they are. In fact, I talk about this in another post.

The point is, authors are just like you or me. They have concerns, fears, dreams, wishes, and good days and bad days.

YOUR TURN:

What are some of the myths/legends you've heard of writers and why are they/aren't they true?

Have A Mysterious Monday!

For All My Fellow Unpublished (or Pre-Published)

If you haven't already, make your way over to Nathan Bransford's blog on this lovely Thursday afternoon, be sure to go there and read today's post. If you're unpublished/pre-published or just plain in need of encouragement, it's well worth the reading.

Have a Tremendous Thursday Afternoon!