Memorial Day

When we lived in China, Memorial Day came and went without us thinking much about it.

But last year, since we're blessed to live so close to the Dashingly Handsome Sidekick's family, we started a new-to-us tradition of visiting the cemetery on Memorial Day.

Here's our big family today. (I'm the photographer, so don't go hunting in the picture for me.) The DHS is the dashingly handsome man in the middle of the picture with the orange shirt. I know there are a lot of children in the picture. Five of them are mine. Can you tell which ones? :)

 

We spent some time together at the DHS's paternal grandmother and grandfather's graves, and then walked across the cemetery to visit his maternal grandmother's grave.

 

We cried together, especially because just one year ago we visited the cemetery with Grandma Helen, the DHS's paternal grandmother. She passed away last October.  Also, my mother-in-law's sister passed away last week. My in-laws, fresh home from a trip to Israel, are driving out tonight so they can attend her funeral tomorrow. We'll miss you, Aunt Irene!

Here are the kids last year with Helen. This has become quite a special picture, because we didn't know when this picture was taken that it would be our last Memorial Day with Grandma.

Memorial Day always reminds me to treasure the days I have with my loved ones.

I'm also reminded to be thankful to our veterans and those in service, who risk their lives for our freedom. Two of our Prosser friends are veterans. It's fun to have someone to look in the eye when I say, "Thank you!"

Letters to the Future Blogfest!

Dear Me-in-Five-Years,

I'm nervous writing to you because you're probably so much more accomplished than I am, so much more mature. Gosh, you're going to be forty next year. Dude, you're getting old! You're probably reading this letter, rolling your eyes, and thinking, "Boy, that old version of me was an idiot! Forty isn't old at all!"

Right now, I have five children. (Please don't tell me that in five years I will have more than five. If that's what God has planned for me, I'm glad I don't know about it.) My baby is four months old, which means in five years she'll be FIVE. Heading to Kindergarten.

Which means, in five years, I'll have LARGE CHUNKS OF QUIET TIME IN MY HOUSE.

What do you do with all this time, Future Me? How do you spend it? Hopefully you're writing, putting out the best books you've ever written, because, you know, you can actually sit down for longer than ten minutes and put what you're thinking down on paper. Enjoy that!

Hopefully you are not wasting this time watching soap operas and eating bon-bons or frittering it away on Facebook. If you are, I'm glad I don't know it now, because I would be tempted to kick your futuristic butt.

And while you're making the most of your quiet time, rest assured that I'm enjoying this stage -- having all these little people at home all day, kissing baby feet and cheeks, changing diapers. I'm relishing it because I know how quickly it will be over.

Don't look back and wonder if you spent too much time writing; don't regret it. I'm enjoying my children (our children?) and I love every moment with them, and most of the time I carve out for writing is when they're asleep. I know you have a propensity for looking back and feeling guilty about things. Don't. I love this stage of life-- living my dream of being a mommy-writer. I'm happy, you're happy. Be content. And keep working hard, now that life isn't so demanding (though I know you're still a car-pool mom and will be one for many years to come).

I don't have an agent. I don't have a book deal.

I've never signed an autograph. I've never written a dedication page.

I wonder if you have.

I wonder what your dreams are. Are they the same as mine, or have you fulfilled some of them, moved on to new ones?

I have so many questions for you, but when it comes down to it, I'm glad I don't know the answers. It'll be fun to find them out for myself.

All the best,

The Me of Now

THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS: Winner!

First of all, congratulations to author Bill Loehfelm on the release of THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS!
It's so nice of him to celebrate with all of us: giving a book away, no less.

The winner is (selected using Random.org):

BRITTANY GALE!

Brittany, I think I have your email address from your comment, so I'll email you today. If you want to beat me to the punch, you can email me at a2sonnichsen (at) gmail (dot) com. I'll need your address so Bill can mail you the book.

Congratulations, Brittany! And thanks to everyone who entered.

Stick around ... I'll be posting a letter to my future self for Kristin Creative's Blogfest later today.

On Restlessness

I've been so restless the last few days, it's not even funny.

You see, I'm querying.

And querying = roller coaster. Ups, downs. Highs, lows.

Most of all, I think it's the adrenaline rush. Let me explain:

1. You send out a query. ("I hope he/she likes it! I hope he/she likes it!" = adrenaline rush)
2. Wait. (Check inbox 20 times per day = boring)
3. A request for partial or full. (Happy dancing + Squealing + Running around the room in circles, startling all young children in the immediate vicinity = adrenaline rush)
4. Send off requested partial or full. ("What if he/she hates it? What if he/she hates it?" + Occasional nightmares of agents sending hate mail and brandishing weapons to ensure you never write again = adrenaline rush)
5. Wait. (Jump every time the phone rings + Check inbox 200 times per day = boring)

See those waiting times there? That's when restlessness sets in. 

This is why working on a new project is GOOD.

This is also when it's important to use your self control-- force yourself to make good choices. For instance, "No, I do not need that extra brownie," and "Yes, it's okay to go on a walk and be away from the computer the house for an hour.")

Poor Dashingly Handsome Sidekick. This is a typical conversation when he comes home from work:

DHS: How was your day?
Me: Eeeh.
DHS: What happened?
Me: Nothing. Nothing happened. That's the problem: nothing happened. (Unspoken: I checked my inbox 200 times instead of doing all that laundry that's piled up like Mt. Everest in our bedroom! I'm sorry! I'm a miserable failure! Just put me out of my misery!)

The good news is, tomorrow will be AWESOME!

I'll announce the winner of THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS giveaway, and I'm participating in Kristin Creative's blogfest -- writing a letter to my future self. Phew, something to do to stop the insanity.

See you then!

Writer Twins

Yesterday I got to meet one of my bloggy, writerly friends in person for the first time!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures, but Becky Avella and I had a fantastic time together. I think we could have talked for six more hours straight without stopping. In Becky's own words -- we were like twins separated at birth.

We laughed about how when we were kids we'd make elaborate character lists and maps of fictional places. We'd have all this done, start the book, get through chapter one, with a brief foray into chapter two-- then quit. On to the next book! But those chapter ones and all those characters we invented were so much fun.

I even pulled out my early writing samples for us to giggle over (thanks, Mom, for keeping all that stuff!). We even owned identical yellow Mead notebooks apparently.

Here are a few of my early "novels" -- the ones I actually did finish. These are complete at between 10 to 20 lined notebook pages each, and most of them are fully illustrated. 

This "novel" has the date 1989 on the cover, which means I was 12 when I wrote it. The others in this collection are earlier books. I'm guessing I was 10 when I wrote them.

 GREENA was the book I started and restarted at least a hundred times. I guess this is the finished product. I don't know if you can read the pencil-written chapter one, but it's quite sinister. Miss Blood as the evil director of an orphanage. What an original concept! *cough, cough*

I think it's cool, though, that as children we had hobbies we still enjoy as adults.

I know when I watch my son play Legos for hours on end, I can't help picturing him as an engineer someday.  Probably jobs we enjoy the most as adults are jobs we played at  in some form or another as children.

Did you have a hobby as a child that has lasted into adulthood?


Don't forget: Tomorrow's the last day to enter my contest to win a signed copy of Bill Loehfelm's book THE DEVILS SHE KNOWS. Just click HERE for the easy-peasy contest instructions.

Feeling Springy

I freely admit I'm not a good photographer. I also admit our garden is a work in progress.

No thanks to me. If it weren't for my Dashingly Handsome Sidekick, I'm afraid we wouldn't have any flowers and our grass would be very, very long in some places, bald in others, and filled with weeds.

Despite my lack of green thumb, I did venture out into the garden today with my little girls. I lay in the grass and let the sun shine on me. I admired the flowers. Not all the plants are flowering, but some are. The colors are so gorgeous, the sky so blue.

I love spring!

How is your spring going? 

If you haven't already, click here to read my World's Quickest Interview with Bill Loehfelm and enter to win a copy of his newest book, THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS. 

WQI & Book Giveaway: THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS

I'm so excited to introduce author Bill Loehfelm for today's World's Quickest Interview (WQI)! His novel, THE DEVIL SHE KNOWS, is coming out in exactly one week.

And the exciting news is: he's giving away a signed copy of his book to one lucky winner on this blog! Giveaway details to come....

And now, without further ado, here's Bill:

What's your book about?

A worn-out NYC cocktail waitress sees something that puts her on the wrong side of some very bad people.

How long have you been writing?

Since the third grade. That's when I first noticed I could tell a good story on paper.

Who or what inspired your book?

I've had the protagonist, Maureen Coughlin, around for a while. I finally found the right story for her.

How long did it take you to write this book?

Between a year and eighteen months. That's the usual pace for me. Writing is the only thing I do quickly.

What do you enjoy doing besides writing?

I play the drums in a local band. I also run, practice yoga, and watch a lot of baseball.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I'm a pantser. I usually don't know much beyond the next scene.

What's your favorite novel of all time?

Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY. Perfection. And a truly American story.

Do you have pets? If so, tell us about them.

Two dogs. A goofy, lovable ridgeback/lab/pit mix (she's a rescue) and a really smart Aussie/Border Collie mix. She's a princess.

Do you play croquet?

I do not, but my friends and I do play some Bocce, usually on the neutral ground (the streetcar tracks). 

Any advice for aspiring writers?

Get back to work. You can catch a break, but there are no shortcuts.


Thank you, Bill! Great advice and your book sounds awesome. I'm excited to read it.

Now, for the Easiest Contest Ever rules:

1) You must have a mailing address in the U.S. or Canada to enter. (Even if you live overseas, if you have a friend or relative in the U.S. or Canada who could receive the book for you-- enter the contest!)
2) Leave a comment. (1 entry)
3) Leave another comment if you blog about the contest. (Another entry)
4) Leave other comments if you tweet or facebook about the contest. (Potentially two more entries)

The contest runs until 11:59p.m. (PST) on May 24. I'll announce the lucky winner on May 25.

So, go ahead -- comment away! Congratulate Bill on his book and tell him how great he is. And treat yourselves to a wonderful day.

Adventures in the Lily Fields

We were in Portland at the end of last week for Olivia's her regular Shriners check up. After the appointment, my aunt wanted to take me up to the Camas Lily fields because I'd never seen them blooming.

I packed the baby in the front carrier and my five-year-old Anna wanted to come along. We were hiking happily, enjoying the sunny day. The lilies were gorgeous, but before we were even to the top of the hill, I was hot. Really hot.

My hands started to prickle. Then my scalp. I thought I might be dehydrated, but I kept walking.

As we came down the opposite side of the lily field hill, I started to get really uncomfortable. I couldn't breathe so well, either. I tried coughing to get the junk out of my lungs, but it wasn't working.

Anna asked my aunt at that point how much farther we had to go and I heard her say thirty minutes. There was no way I could walk for another thirty minutes.

We were still a twenty minute hike from the nearest road, but it was closer than her home, so my aunt called the dashingly handsome (and have I mentioned heroic?) sidekick to come meet us at the parking lot. By the time we finally made it to the parking lot my arms were covered in welts. We had to stop several times so I could catch my breath.

My uncle is a paramedic. He was in a far-away town working for Life Flight (a helicopter rescue service where he works part time), but my aunt called the fire station anyway and asked his co-workers if they could help me. Aaron drove me down there and I sat in the back of the stationary ambulance so my uncle's friends could give me an IV for Benedryl and a nebulizer treatment to help with the asthma.

I hadn't had an asthma attack in months, which is why I didn't have my emergency inhaler with me. *sigh* Lesson learned. I'm thankful to have friends in high places (read: the medical profession).

I was pretty loopy on the long drive back home, thanks to the Benedryl. My poor DHHS had to basically care for our five children single-handedly because I kept falling asleep....

So, that was my weekend adventure. What was yours?

Make sure to check back here on Tuesday because I will be giving away a book and interviewing another debut novelist in a World's Quickest Interview. You won't want to miss it!

Sacrifices

Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback on my short story first paragraph. I stayed up late last night polishing it up and finally submitted it. Your feedback was invaluable. I knew there was something wrong with that first line, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

As I said, I stayed up late last night. After I submitted my short story, I stayed up later reworking my query letter to reflect a recent edit on my manuscript. The lure of a completely silent house was too tempting and I could not go to bed.

This morning I was tired.

I walked into the kids' bathroom and picked something up off the floor. As I stood upright I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. This is what I saw:

courtesy of legolas1.webs.com

Ahh, there's nothing like seeing Wormtongue when you look in the mirror in the morning. My hair was still wet from my shower, and because I'd been bending over, some of it was hanging in my face. And unfortunately it's styled very similarly to Wormtongue's. Plus, we both have blue eyes and I hadn't put on makeup yet.... Ugh.

In all of this, I just want to point out the sacrifices we make as writers. BIG SACRIFICES. As in, looking like Wormtongue because we stayed up too late writing.

What sacrifices do you make to do what you love?

Happy, Happy, Happy!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! 

And Happy Birthday to my sweet Anna. She's five years old today ... my little Mother's Day present. 

Funny random fact:

Five years ago today the Dashingly Handsome Sidekick and I boarded a Beijing PUBLIC BUS to take us to the International hospital for Anna's birth. No joke! 

The DHS asked me if we should ride a public bus today as a family in honor of the occasion. I don't know if a public bus in our small town would have quite the same feel as riding one in Beijing ... I mean, he's welcome to ride around on one if he wants to, but I have some serious partying to do. It's Mother's Day and Anna's birthday, for goodness sake! Bring on the cake!! (And the Tangled Polly Pockets!)

But Happy Birthday, sweet Anna. We're so glad you're in the world!

First Paragraph Critique

Would you help me out, lovely community of bloggers, friends, and writers?

I've been working on a literary short story, "The Tiffin Box," on and off for over a year. I'm getting ready to submit it to magazines, but I thought I'd play my own little game of "Are You Hooked?" before I take the plunge.

I'll post my first paragraph below and I'd love your feedback. Tell me if you like it or if you don't, if you'd keep reading or if you wouldn't, or any edits you would make. I'll take any and all critique very gratefully!

From the top of a boulder, Sylvie stared into a sea that appeared in the deceptive sunlight to be filled with jewels. A solitary, strange thought ran a pattern through her mind—if I jumped, if I jumped, if I jumped … what a beautiful way to die. 

  

Thank you for taking the time. I'm indebted to you!

What I'm Reading....

This is what I'm reading this week:

I'm enjoying them both so far.

How about you? What's in your reading pile? Or have you read either of these? What did you think?