September Travel and Writing News

by Kristen James

September is travel month. Well, so far. I visited Canada for the first time and saw some of the countryside and a few cities. We drove up to Coquitlam and saw a beautiful park there, full of everything from sand volleyball to a track. It had a water park, playground, skate park, soccer fields and concessions. Now it also has permanent ping pong tables from my husband’s company, Bravado Outdoors! I have to say I’m a bit jealous of their park – we need more parks like this here in the US. You could seriously spend half a day there with your kids, and it was free.

Canada wasn’t that much different from Oregon and Washington, but I noticed a fun accent that seemed to pop up on the end of sentences.

The entire drive from mid Oregon up into Canada was beautiful and it didn’t get really hot until our last day coming home. After Canada, we returned to Washington and went to the San Juan islands. This was another first for me, and well worth it. My favorite part was actually the hour ferry ride out to the island and back.  I love watching the water, feeling the wind when we went outside and watching for whales. I didn’t see any on the ferry ride, but I was lucky enough to spot one off the Oregon coast about two weeks ago. It was hot in Washington and on the island, but it felt pretty cool and windy on the ferry deck. There were sailboats everywhere – we watched them from the ferry and while we ate dinner in a place overlooking the boats and bay.

 

September Writing Updates

Check out my previous blog for the Big Giveaway. There’s several blogs hosting a giveaway – check visit them to enter for a combination of print and ebooks from my titles.

I have a guest blog on Bee’s Knees Reviews titled “What the Publishing Revolution Means to Readers.”

A Cowboy For Christmas is featured in the Book Junkie Library for September along with two other books. The site lists over 150 authors and 300 books. I’m hoping A Cowboy For Christmas makes the top 1,000 in Kindle this month. We’re getting close!

A Flash of Inspiration is free in Kindle. It’s a collection of 100-word stories, including two from me.

Wow, that’s a lot of updating for the first week of the month! I’m enjoying the end of summer (and the return of hot weather here) but I’m also looking forward to writing more during the winter hours.

Back To School Thoughts

by Kristen James

I’m starting to wonder if I jinxed summer! I blogged about the season and then, when my kids went back to school, it suddenly got cool here. We’ve had three days of cooler, cloudy weather. Now I’m hoping my garden will mature before the weather really turns to autumn.

School started with a bang. We’re into the full swing of things and even two days into football practice – tackle football even, so I’m a bit nervous. Sometimes I wish they had a “stay little” button so I could catch up and be ready for all this!

My year seems to structure itself around the school year – I set goals starting in fall. Last school year I wrote and published several books, and this summer I focused on freelance writing and spending time with the kids. We had a lot of fun, and of course the summer went by all too quickly. In August, I got to watch one of my novels, A Cowboy For Christmas, spike up the rankings in Kindle and continue to climb. It’s been a fun and amazing to experience. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in September. A Cowboy For Christmas will be featured on The Book Junkie Library and I’m also joining a book giveaway with Bees Knees’s Reviews where we’ll give away a few print and Kindle copies of my books.

Enjoy your summer/fall weather!

Update – The Giveaway is up (see next blog post) and my guest blog on Bee’s Knees Reviews, “What The Publishing Revolution Means to Readers”  is up at http://beeskneesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-publishing-revolution-means-to.html.

 

What’s your favorite part of summer?

by Kristen James

A brilliant orange sunset filled the stormy sky last night as I drove into town, and the air was saturated with the smell of blackberries, sweet grass and rain. The mix of beauty and smells turned my thoughts to all the things I love about summer, especially in August when the garden is producing and blackberries are ripe, but we sometimes get thunderstorms, like last night, that hint at autumn. It’s summer with excitement about back to school and apple pies, hot apple cider and fun fall time activities.

But back to summer… I love swimming in the river in August because the water is at its warmest here. (Which isn’t actually very warm compared to some other states.) I enjoy this time of year when we can throw on shorts and tank tops and not worry about keeping warm or stay dry. Summer is more simple.

I don’t think summer is my writing season, though. There is so much to do outside, and it’s light until 9 in the beginning of summer. It’s time to go out, have friends over, float the river and play outside. We also swim almost every day that it’s over 80 degrees. I have been hard at work with freelance writing through the summer, but I haven’t worked on a novel since spring. However, I wrote Book Promoting 101 and A Miraculous Fate during the last school year and published those two along with More Than Memories. That’s one reason why I look forward to those long winter nights. I’m able to focus and write after putting the kids to bed.

Of course summer also means the kids are home, and I’ve actually been working on a children’s picture book with my middle child. He wanted something to do over the summer and loves art. I printed out a couple of stories I’d written and let him pick one to illustrate. Both my sons are talented at drawing and artwork. I’ve focused my creativity on writing, but I’ve also drawn and painted in the past. He’s finished four pages so far that look very nice! I can’t wait to share with people, but we’re waiting until the book is almost done. We hoped to finish it over the summer, but once again, we had so many fun, outdoor activities! But sometime soon he’ll have his very own published book to take for show-and-tell and send to family.

What is summer to you? Camping and traveling, or parties in the city? Like many people, I cherish family gatherings, special memories with the kids and the special magic of the season.

Life’s About The Journey

by Kristen James

I heard a great joke recently. An 85 year old man goes to the doctor, concerned about how long he’ll live. The doctor asked him, “Well, do you drink?”

“No, not a sip.”

“Do you play golf or swim out in the sun?”

“No, of course not.”

The list went on with all the normal questions, to which the man replied he stayed on the straight and narrow path.

“Well then,” the doctor finally said, “Then why do you care how long you’ll live?”

Funny jokes like that remind me about the important things like time spent with loved ones, and making fun memories. There’s a few things I think everyone should try at least once, like:

Riding a motorbike. Some people want to drive, others are content riding on back. I love being the passenger so I can watch all the scenery.

Visiting a foreign country and immersing yourself in the culture, the “differentness” and soaking up a different pace of life. (Probably some language and lots of new experiences!)

Getting out on the water in a canoe, kayak or raft. You really feel a part of nature as you glide over the water. There’s something for riding a speed boat, ferry or even bigger boat too. Any kind of boat is a good experience!

Riding a bicycle through the jungle, in the dark, after a few beers. Well, maybe that one isn’t for everyone, but it sure makes you laugh when you reach your hotel and realize the tiger didn’t get you.

I’m sure we could write a book about things to try, so feel free to comment!

Thank You Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry

by Kristen James

I’m sure we all reach points where we think we could be on the wrong path, or we can’t make things happen no matter how badly we want them. Maybe the dream isn’t worth it, or it’s too hard, or it just won’t happen in time. Here and there I wonder what life could be if I wasn’t a writer, if I had a desire to do anything else. Then I remember my dream. Sometimes it only takes a connection with someone else to feel revived and ready to run forward. Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry have both given me that connection with a song.

These two entertainers don’t have a lot in common, and neither writes motivating songs per se. Yet each singer has one song unlike their others.

“It’s The Climb” by Miley Cyrus

Cyrus starts with, “I can almost see it, that dream I’m dreaming…” Do you ever feel the realization of your dream is right around the corner? I feel the song mirrors my writing journey, especially when she sings, “There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move.” If you’ve chased a big dream for most of your life, like me, you know this feeling well. It’s nice knowing others are climbing their own mountains, and it’s also nice hearing “It ain’t about how fast I get there, ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb.” It’s the journey. We’ve all heard that a hundred times, and each time it’s more true. “It’s The Climb” reminds me to enjoy life as I live it, not waiting for happiness when I reach the end of the road. What’s the point in that? I write because I love it and enjoy it, but I still need that lesson.

“Firework” by Katy Perry

“Firework” is a faster song with an energetic message. Perry begins with, “Do you ever feel like a plastic bag drifting through the wind?” Later she says, “Do you know there’s still a chance for you? Cause there’s a spark in you. You just gotta ignite…the light…and let it shine.” She encourages us to “own the night like the 4th of July.” I love the imagery here. (I’m not sure what my college professors would think of a paper on the imagery and literary devices in these songs, but heck, both songs are beautiful.)

Two great lines from this song say, “You’re original, cannot be replaced. If you only knew what the future holds…” One of the best encouragements to a writer is realizing each of us has our own, completely unique, world view.

When I listen to “It’s The Climb,” I remember to…well, enjoy the climb. When I hear “Firework,” I feel excited (ignited!) to light up the night. Imagine if these two singers didn’t record these songs. I reflect on that and my own life and think, even if my novels aren’t changing the world, they might affect a life.