WIN A FREE COPY OF THE REBEL PRINCESS

REBEL PRINCESS will be available in bookstores starting next week and is already available on Amazon for e-readers!  I think I mentioned before that this is my daughter, Janice Sperry's first book, a light hearted middle grade chapter book that anyone who ever loved a fairy tale will enjoy.  She's had short stories and articles, even a cute Christmas booklet, published before, but the publication of her first book calls for a celebration, or at least the announcement of a contest by her writer mom.

 

Raven Perilous is not quite like any other storybook princess.  She's the daughter of a gentle princess and an evil sorcerer.  She's not terribly happy that she inherited more of  her mother's genes than her father's.  Her father seems to have gifted her brother with his talents and tendencies while she only got one useless magic power. I mean, what good is the ability to cough up expensive jewelry? To most people she appears to be just another middle school girl, but she spends most of her time being as wicked as possible to avoid being stuck in a tower. (After all, most fairy tale princesses wind up in a tower sooner or later.)  So when Prince Charming shows up at her school, Raven knows she's facing her greatest challenge. 

So here's the deal. Either in the comments section or on Face book, post a word or phrase, that commonly appears in a fairy tale.  You know, words like "gingerbread house", "glass slipper", or "once upon a time."  Each word or phrase counts as an entry and up to five entries per person are allowed.  The contest is open to anyone between eight and fourteen; parents, grandparents, or other miscellaneous relatives of someone between eight and fourteen; anyone who knows someone between eight and fourteen; all those who remember being between eight and fourteen; and anyone who just enjoys a good fairy tale. 

This isn't one of those scientific contests, just an "each entry in the hat" drawing kind of contest.  The contest begins now and runs through midnight Saturday, June 14, 2014. The winner will be announced the following Monday or Tuesday and will be responsible for sending me a mailing address.

THOUGHTS ON SHARING

A few days ago I read a blog about whether or not children should be required to share.  It had some good points, but others with which I disagree.  I agree that forced sharing isn't really sharing, but unlimited use of toys or items belonging to a nursery or co-op group fails to teach social manners or contribute in a positive way to helping a child understand ownership. 

 It reminded me of when my children were small and a couple of friends and I had a discussion on teaching our children to respect other peoples' property.  There had been a rash of ugly graffiti turn up on fences and walls as well as several houses were used for parties while the owners were away.  Bicycles had been stolen from their owners' yards and a teenage neighbor sneaked in our back door and helped himself to a carton of ice cream. (I returned to the kitchen in time to see him running out the back door, leaving a trail of melting chocolate revel behind him.) We didn't want our children to ever be involved in such objectionable behavior. Teaching children concepts of this nature isn't easy, but we decided to give it a try. 

We concluded that in order to respect someone else's property, a child has to first experience ownership.  How can anyone respect someone else's ownership if they've never experienced ownership themselves?  We decided our children had to know certain things were their own. The child had to have complete control of those items that belonged to them exclusively such as toys, a favorite cup, or clothing.  That meant it was up to the child, the owner, whether or not to share.  

From there we moved on to group ownership.  Some things belong to the family and anyone in the family has a say in who can use those items, when they can use it, and for how long.  Any member of the family can make the rules. Next came toys at the church they all played with in the nursery. I knew my son had caught on to the concept when the nursery leader told me he'd informed another child the toys belonged to Jesus and He was the boss of them and Jesus said everyone could have a turn. I soon learned he wasn't the only one of our children who drew a strong distinction between sharing and taking turns.  Taking turns is what we do with items owned jointly.  Sharing means giving or allowing the use of something that is exclusively yours. 

This led  to all kinds of rules around our house.  If a friend came to play, I didn't require my kids to share, but I did have a place where they could put toys they didn't want someone else to play with.  It was their decision whether or not to risk having a beloved toy broken by a careless playmate. They learned to take responsibility for toys left out where children who didn't respect property rights might help themselves to them.  We didn't replace broken or stolen items since we thought their painful loss might reinforce our children's understanding of their rights as owners so they wouldn't do the same to someone else.  We noticed that when they replaced an item themselves with their own small allowances they took very good care of it. We had discussions on good manners and being kind to guests, but it was up to my child to decide which toys he would share and which went onto the high off-limits shelf.  Taking turns with the trucks and dishes my kids decided to share or the group items like the swings was seldom a problem, though my oldest daughter sometimes set the stove timer to help everyone remember when a turn ended. 

I don't know if our efforts produced the results we wanted, but none of our children ever seemed to have any problems with taking liberty with other people's property.  They all know what is theirs and what belongs to someone else.  They're also extremely generous, never hesitating to share with others.  Perhaps that group of young mothers I was once a part of stumbled onto a great truth when we decided even small children need to discover ownership and that sharing isn't really sharing unless the person doing the sharing is contributing something he/she truly owns.  

THE DREADED REVIEW

I'm a reviewer. It's what I do.  Lately I've read a lot of angry words directed at reviewers, so I decided to set the record straight on the subject.  I have spent twenty plus years as a journalist, have a degree in literature, have been the staff reviewer for Meridian Magazine for eleven years and also have twenty years experience as a published author.  Perhaps my most important credential is that I review for an accredited publication.Today almost anyone can call him-or-herself a reviewer.  After all, anyone can write a short blurb for Good Reads, Amazon, or one of the book store chains about a book and call it a review.  Some people do this very well, but unfortunately, for others it's an open invitation for anonymous nastiness. 

I deplore trolls who get some kind of sick jollies out of making mean remarks about books just because they can and because they can do it anonymously.  However, it's true that not all books are created equally.  Some actually are poorly written.  For the casual reviewer it's enough to say "this  book didn't appeal to me", or just don't say anything at all.  And those stars!  Only twice in all of the years I've rated books have I given a one star and in both cases it was because of filthy language and a total disregard for factual research. There was a time when I rated every book I read, but no more.  If the book is a genre I don't care for, I generally don't do stars because it seems unfair to mark down a possibly well-written book just because it's not the kind of book I like and therefore didn't enjoy.  I also don't rate books if they're  part of a group of books I've been asked to judge for a contest. A real reviewer does point out flaws in books, but does so in an attempt to suggest a way the writer can improve and to be honest with his/her audience.  If criticism isn't constructive, it's better omitted. Criticism of mistakes or weaknesses should never belittle or become a personal attack on the author.

It's much more fun to say positive things about books than negative.  I love introducing my readers to an author I enjoy.  When a book delights me, I want to let everyone know about it.  That's the real purpose of reviews.  Reviews are a means of letting readers know about a book they might otherwise miss.  It's a chance to let readers Know a little bit about the author.  Reviews give readers a chance to peek at a book just enough to know whether or not it is a genre they wish to read.  I see the critic's role as more cheerleader than flaw finder.

And one more thing.  Many books today are published independently and I'm often asked if I review these books.  Yes, I do.  But unless the author sends me a review copy I may not know the book even exists.  Anyone who wants me to consider reviewing an independently published LDS novel can contact me through the comments section here or on face book, give me an email or message address and I'll send you my address.  Either print or electronic copies are fine.  If your novel is published by an LDS publisher, just contact your marketing manager to remind him/her to send me a copy.

 

PICTURE ME WRITING

On a beautiful day like today there are so many things to distract me from writing. The deck seems particularly inviting. 

And I need to check on the plants I planted in barrels along the east fence.

There's a peek-a-boo look at the wild rose along the back fence.

 

And all those bright red petunias are taking hold at the top of the rock garden. It seems so good to be gardening again, though I've discovered there are similarities between writing and gardening.  From the first early seeds of a story, I love watching it grow.

 

Just as there are all kinds of interruptions to my gardening, there are interruptions to my writing.  sometimes a visitor shows up.

 

Sometimes I get so carried away with the grand vista, I don't pay enough attention to the details.

 

Other times something amazes me.

 

There are close-ups.

 

And sometimes something is left dangling.

 

I guess I'll write awhile, then I'll garden awhile, then I'll go pick up a grandson from school.  Why can't more days be like this!

THE REST OF THE STORY

This time last year I was recovering from my second knee replacement surgery.  Naturally I didn't get much yard work done.  The summer before my knees were so bad I could barely walk and working in my flower beds just didn't happen.  Today I finished weeding my flower beds, all of them, and though I'm stiff and achy, I think they look pretty good. Naturally I'll be finding weeds and grass I missed all summer, but it feels pretty darn good to finally have them looking more like flower beds than weed patches.
 

 

For the past three and a half months my cousin and her husband have lived with us while he was undergoing cancer treatment.  Last week they were able to return to their home in Alaska.  We miss them, but are glad he's well enough for them to pick up their life in their own home and community.  Right after they left here, a son-in-law came to stay for a few days following radiation treatment.  He's doing really well, but a person stays radioactive for awhile following this treatment and can't be around pets or children.  We loved having him here, but his wife and kids are happy to have him back home.  After nearly four months of having our guest room occupied, our house feels kind of quiet now.  I'm stronger and feeling much better and the house is quiet, do you suppose I'll get more writing done?  I don't know; I've really enjoyed working outside in the yard the past few days. 

I blogged last about conferences and conventions.  For those who haven't heard the results of LDStorymakers Whitney Awards, here is my Meridian column in which I listed all of the winners. 

Wednesday, April 30 2014

Whitney Awards Gala

By Jennie Hansen

Blaine Yorgason was the recipient of the Whitney Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday night at the award ceremony concluding the LDStorymakers convention held in Layton, Utah. Rachel Ann Nunes received the Outstanding Achievement Award.

Blaine Yorgason- Lifetime Achievement Award

Yorgason wrote his first book, Charlie's Monument, in 1980. It has since been made into a popular film. He is the author of 83 books which total over four million copies. He has been a teacher and has held a wide variety of positions in the Church. Currently he is a temple worker at the St. George Temple. He and his wife are the parents of seven children.

 

Rachel Ann Nunes - Outstanding Achievement Award

Nunes has been a popular LDS author since the mid nineties. Her 37 books have been published with several LDS publishers and she has also self-published. She was instrumental in beginning LDStorymakers, the guild for LDS authors. She and her husband are the parents of seven children and live in Utah.

Top writing awards went to Julianne Donaldson for Blackmoore (Best Novel of 2013) , Brandon Sanderson for Steelheart (Best Youth Novel of 2013), and Kasie West for Pivot Point (Best Novel by a New Author).

Adult category winners this year are Sarah Dunster for Mile 21 (Best General Fiction), H.B. Moore for Esther the Queen (Best Historical Fiction), Julianne Donaldson for Blackmoore (Best Romance), Traci Hunter Abramson for Deep Cover (Best Mystery/Suspense), and Jeffrey S. Savage for Dark Memories (Best Speculative Fiction).

Youth category winners are Julie Berry for All the Truth That's in Me (Best General Youth Fiction), Brandon Sanderson for Steelheart (Best Speculative Youth Fiction, and Jennifer A. Nielsen for The Runaway King (Best Middle Grade Fiction). 

I was a finalist in the Historical category, but not the top winner.  I'll include a picture taken by Heather Zahn Gardner (Heather Gardner Photography), showing a group of finalists posing for the loser's cheesecake consolation prize and one of me with my daughter, Lezlie, who has a Christmas booklet coming out in October.

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT CONFERENCES & CONVENTIONS

Storymakers conference is this weekend and several other writing conferences and conventions just concluded.  Writing conferences can be found almost year around, but some of the most well known ones occur in the spring.  I'm sometimes asked if these conferences are worth the money attendees spend on them and I always say it depends on what you hope to gain from them. 

Because I've taught or "presented" at a lot of these conferences as well just attending others, I've drawn a few conclusions.  First off attendees aren't always there because of what they hope to learn.  There are those who attend just because the conferences are fun and an opportunity to meet in person some of the "stars" they admire.  Some of these fan attendees spend years hitting every conference they hear of, but never write or submit anything to a publisher.  There are some attendees who already know it all and are just there to show off their superior knowledge.  Heaven forbid they should actually learn something new.  Some are looking for a shortcut to publication and think they'll find it at a convention. 

The majority of those at the conferences I've attended are there for multiple reasons.  They enjoy the camaraderie of other writers, they hope to make it through the slush piles a little faster by meeting agents and editors, but most of all they're interested in improving their work and having better manuscripts to submit.  Many are looking for that spark that keeps them excited about writing when life has dampened their enthusiasm. 

Some presenters are better writers than teachers and some presenters do a better job presenting than they accomplish in their own writing.  That's why it's a good idea to hear from more than one writing instructor.  Some concepts like using good grammar and spelling correctly are universal; they work for everyone who employs them.  Other advice doesn't work well for everyone, but learning about other writers' techniques and methods helps new writers discover what does work for them and opens their minds to previously unconsidered options. 

Writing is usually a solitary experience, but it's more than sitting before a computer and pounding out words.  There's a side most of us never considered when we fell in love with writing.  There are book signings and other PR obligations, there's learning to do home business taxes, and there's the assumption that anyone who writes well can also do public speaking well!  Conferences usually provide some help with the non-writing side of being a writer as well as the nuts and bolts of formulating a well-crafted story. 

Are conferences worth the money they cost?  There is no definitive answer.  Some are; some aren't.  I've attended a lot of conferences; sometimes as a presenter and sometimes not, some presented by individual groups such as ANWA, League of Utah Writers, ALMA, Romance Writers of America, National Federation of Press Women, LDStorymakers, and those sponsored by colleges and universities. I've always learned something of value. Only those who actually attend can judge whether or not it was worth it.  I suspect that most of those who attend this weekend's conference will consider it money well spent.

NO SUBSTITUTES PLEASE

Give me the real deal.  I'm not fond of artificial sweeteners, fake eyelashes, or phony apologies. Carob doesn't satisfy me when I want chocolate. It annoys me to pay for a product and receive a substitute in its place. This may seem like an odd analogy, but I feel the same way about those politically correct non-prayers that substitute for denominational prayers at public gatherings. 

Many years ago I attended a special service at a centuries old Catholic cathedral.  The priest, in what no doubt was an attempt not to offend the many non-Catholics attending, recited some vague bit of poetry about nature's beauties instead of offering a Catholic prayer.  I was disappointed.  I was in a Catholic church, I wanted and expected a Catholic prayer.  

I've come to very much dislike the bits of poetry, the vague references to some euphemism, random references to some force of nature, and empty moments of silence that substitute for prayer at many public gatherings.  In our zealousness to not offend anyone, we've become atheistic worshippers of a non-god, followers of a pessimistic religion of doubt. 

When visiting a synagogue, mosque, revival meeting, or Christian Sunday School, I want to hear the prayers of the people who ascribe to those faiths.  I don't want them to cater to my beliefs.  When I attend a public meeting, I want to experience the prayers that have meaning for those who attend the meeting.  I want to experience the richness of prayers given by those of other cultures and faiths. 

There are those who deem public prayers as unconstitutional.  I don't agree.  Prayers are only unconstitutional if they are mandated to be of a particular denomination.  My fifth grade teacher made each of us in her class responsible for the prayer on a rotation basis (down one row, then the next, so we each had a turn then started over.)  We could say the prayer ourselves, have clergy come, or skip the prayer for that day.  It was our call on our assigned day. As the only Mormon in the class, I found it a great opportunity to learn how others prayed and what was important to them.  When I worked for the legislature I had a similar experience when each day someone different offered the prayer and we heard from religious leaders from Reverend Francis Davis, an imam, a rabbi, LDS General Authorities, and many local protestant leaders. 

For those of faith there is something deep and meaningful in prayer.  For those who profess no belief, it is an opportunity to build group cohesiveness and discover what matters to others.  To me prayer is both of these things and I feel cheated when that opening appeal for divine guidance is skipped or a substitute is offered.  Even when a prayer feels strange and not of my choosing, I consider it an educational opportunity.  When it's an honest appeal for those of diverse beliefs to work together, there can be no substitute.

THIS AND THAT

I'll begin with a little updating.  I'm now beginning chapter three of my new work in progress.  It looks like it's going to be another romantic/suspense novel.  I'm also almost finished going through the second of my seven plastic drawers full of material that might be considered genealogy verification. Sorting through memories is kind of fun, but entering names, dates, etc., in the computer is time consuming and I can see I need more info from several of my nieces. 

Two of my daughters have books coming out this year.  Janice Sperry's book is a middle grade reader with a really cute cover and it's a fun spoof on dozens of fairy tales.  Lezlie Anderson's book is a Christmas booklet and I got a sneak peak at its cute cover a couple of days ago. I'll have more to say about it closer to its fall publication date. 

I just made my first Whitney nomination for 2014!  2013 awards are coming up next month, but it's not too soon to start making nominations for the next round of awards.  

Like almost everyone else, I'm really tired of winter, but all the rain we've gotten the past couple of days has really turned the grass green and it's so inviting to see daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, violets, and some purple flower (I don't know its name) blooming in my yard.  I love spring! My husband even bought two more half barrels so we won't have to fight over which barrels get flowers and which will host vegies this year.  

It's funny but I have a hard time believing it's really spring until April conference has come and gone and my accountant finishes preparing my taxes.  I'll admit I'm a little less than enthused about including children in this year's Women's Conference session, but I'll see how it goes.  It will seem a little strange not to do any conference signings this year.  After twenty years of Celebrating Sisterhood and Ladies' Night, I feel a little left out.  I hope all of my readers won't forget me before I have another book out.  (My old books are still available on Amazon/Kindle and LDS book stores still carry quite a few of them.)  As for taxes--there aren't a lot of happy memories associated with them as there is with conference, but I'll just be glad to know what I have to pay and get the sorry deed over with. 

Today marks eighteen months since the first of the four surgeries that sidelined much of my life for a time.  Both knees are doing fine and the left one serves as a barometer to let me know when we're going to get rain or snow.  My doctor assures me that with the removal of my pancreas I won't ever get pancreatic cancer as so many of my close loved ones have done. I'm still adjusting to using an insulin pump and skipping most of my favorite snacks.  Alas no malt balls, Cadbury eggs, or jelly beans for Easter this year.  On second thought, I might sneak in a stray jelly bean or two on days my glucose count is low.

BURIED IN PAPER

I have seven deep file drawers full of stuff.  I don't mean nice orderly files; I mean tossed in and hope I get to it someday stuff.  For more years than I care to mention, I've saved birth announcements, wedding invitations, funeral programs, letters, obituaries, etc., all written verifications of people, places, and events in my family.  These all contain information I want added to my family history records.  The problem is I've never added the information; I've just added it to one of these drawers. 

I've never treated other data this way.  I neatly file tax information, medical records, when cars are serviced, research on my books, and dozens of other categories of information.  I'm not sure why or when I adopted the pack rat method of saving family records.  I have nephews and nieces, old enough to marry and start their own families, I haven't added as children of my siblings yet!  I've done a better job of tracking my ancestors than of keeping a record of my closer family. 

Last week a family member asked me a question I couldn't answer, but I know where the answer is.  It's in a little book my sister gave me many years ago that was compiled by some distant relative of her husband and includes a genealogy record of many generations of his family.  Both my sister and her husband passed away during the past few years so I can't ask them.  So I began looking for the book.  I'm pretty sure it's in one of my seven drawers of stuff.   

Instead of just looking for the book I want to find; I decided it's time to sort through my heaps of stuff and get it entered into my records.  So far I've worked my way through the top four inches of one drawer. I think this may take a long time.  

BEGINNING

I did it!  I started another book.  It's much too early to say much about it since the first chapter is making its way onto my computer very slowly, just four pages so far. A book has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  I'm very much at the beginning.  This part, at least for me, requires a lot of thinking, a lot of research, and a lot of getting to know my characters.  That usually adds up to a lot of rewriting too.  I will say it's going to be a murder mystery with a bit of romance.

One and a half more books and I'll have all of the adult Whitney finalists read.  So far I'm impressed with the nominees.  Well there's one I'm not sure how or why it even got nominated, leave alone chosen as a finalist, but the others are either impressive or super impressive.  I'll be glad when I have these last two books finished because it will give me more time to read the new books I'm given to review and to do my own writing.

Thinking about time, it's my theory that no one actually finds time to write.  Most writers I know are busy people.  Most are parents, most have another job, and many have strong community or church (sometimes both) commitments.  In order to write, it is necessary to take time; not find time. Some writers call this the fifteen minute rule; I've always tried to make it thirty minutes, but either way it simply means I carve fifteen or thirty minutes out of my day as an absolute priority to write. I take more time whenever I can of course. That means no facebook, no phone calls, no TV, prepare in advance another diversion for the kids, and do planning and research in advance.  I just do whatever it takes to claim fifteen minutes of solid writing time.  Fifteen minutes isn't long and many writers feel they can't get much done in that amount of time, but most writers are pleasantly surprised by how much can be accomplished in a quarter to a half hour.

I also give myself a minimum of fifteen minutes daily reading time.  Again I take more as often as possible. That's another pet theory of mine.  I don't think a person can be an effective writer if they're not also a reader.

It seems to be the fashion now to ask readers to suggest titles or characters' names for a work in progress.  I'm not that far along.  So far my book has a number, not even a working title, but I may consider doing this a little farther down the road.  For now it just feels good to be back to thinking through a story.