Month: January 2015

What’s Been Happening with my Writing?

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I have submitted two items over the past several months, one to a Kids/Family Devotional magazine, which I never heard anything from and was supposed to have heard something by the middle of this month.  The other to a publisher who is planning a book of inspirational stories, which I am hoping to hear from sometime within the next three weeks.

It’s hard not to get your hopes up and to not think about your submissions, and just keep plugging away.  It’s hardest when you don’t even received acknowledgement that they received your submission, which I am happy to say only happened with the one submission.  The other submission was kind enough to shoot me a quick email to let me know that they had received my submission.  My hope is that they will then email me to let me know either way, if they decide to publish my story or not because a rejection would be better than never knowing anything, at least that’s what I think.

However, I recently sent a query letter to a magazine for an article I want to write for them.  I was expecting to have to write it quickly if they wanted it because it was based on a theme their website said would be in their March or April issue.  I was pleasantly surprised a slightly disappointed when I received a nice email a couple of days later saying that they would like me to submit my article, but that it wouldn’t be considered for publication until 2016!  It seems they have made some changes in their magazine and have decide to publish only 6 times a year, which has quickly filled their article spots for 2015.  I was told that someone from the editorial staff will get back to me in 2-3 months about my submitting the article.  That’s the most positive response I’ve had so far!  So, I remain hopeful.

In the meantime, I continue to write here on my blog, an outline for a story I am planning and a story I am simply writing in my normal “pantsing” style.  I also continue to look for more places and opportunities to submit short pieces.

How about you?  What are you working on in your writing process?  Leave a comment, I’d love to hear about it.

Breaker’s Reef by Terri Blackstock

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I have been a Terri Blackstock fan for some time.  Her books always keep me turning pages and Breaker’s Reef was no exception.  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program, and I must admit that when I received the book and saw that it is book four of the “Cape Refuge Series”, I thought I might be lost because I hadn’t read the first three books in the series.  However, that was not the case.  I’m sure that many of the characters are part of the first three books as Cape Refuge is a town, but Ms. Blackstock wrote this book in such a way that I could read it and not feel like I was reading a book from a series where I had missed a lot of important information.  She gave enough information on the characters that I understood them and the connections between them, and the plot line seemed independent.

Breaker’s Reef is the story of Sadie, a young lady who has lived a difficult life, whose mother has recently straightened out her own life though she has a secret that is soon revealed — she had another daughter before Sadie, one she gave up for adoption. When a murder takes place, Sadie’s mom thinks she may have information as to who may have done it.  Then, another young girl turns up dead and another missing.  Danger seems to lurk around every corner as Sadie decides to try to find the missing girl.  In between all of the murders and abductions, the Police Chief is trying to propose to the woman he has loved for a long time, but the case seems to grow more tangled and time consuming every day.

Breaker’s Reef is suspenseful and gripping with a touch of humor and romance.  It definitely kept me turning pages.  The young ladies in this book were impressive characters in the way they showed compassion and wanted to help other young girls in trouble.  They encouraged others to take a step to change their lives.  The story and its characters were inspiring.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with an inspirational message.  If you love a story that grabs your attention and holds it until the very end, Breaker’s Reef is a book you’ll want to read.  I can’t wait to read the first three that came before Breaker’s Reef in the “Cape Refuge Series”.

My Photography

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Writing is an art and art requires creativity.  We, creative people, usually enjoy more than one form of art.  I love writing and photography and have for many years.  However, I hope to make writing my main form of artistic expression and to keep my photography as a very pleasing hobby.

I have taken photos for weddings, children’s photos, and family photos for people, and I still do upon request.  I do charge a fee for my work in most situations, though sometimes, I gift my work.  Today, I wanted to share some of my photos here.  I hope you will enjoy them.

861 slightly edited 968  1100 1124 1159 slightly edited1168 slightly edited9781147 slightly edited   1239 slightly edited 1290 slightly edited 1303 slightly edited 1344 slightly edited All of the photos up until this point were shot during our vacation when we visited Assateague Island,Virginia in October of 2014.  I love nature and taking photos of wildlife. Also, the photos up until this point were shot with a 35 mm digital SLR camera.

The following three photos were shot with a traditional 35 mm SLR film camera.

April 21, 2009 Granite Run 045 April 21, 2009 Granite Run 062 Birds, Landscapes, Dove Dairy Goat Farm 008  The photo of the two Canadian geese was fun to shoot.  My two older boys and I noticed a few Canadian geese on a lawn in a business complex one day when we were on our way somewhere.  Anyway, it looked like something was going on, so we stopped and I had my camera.  It was spring and we watched for a while.  It turned out these two males were fighting for the attention of a female and I captured a great shot of their heated competition.

The story of the mourning dove with the beautiful blue sky in the background makes me sad.  She had a nest in a very tall evergreen tree next to our front door, and that tree swayed horribly in high winds and storms.  I often found egg shells or dead, featherless baby birds on our front stoop after such incidents.  Then the tree started to die in the middle, so we had it removed and replaced with a smaller tree that doesn’t actually make for good nesting, but I was sad when she returned the next spring looking for her nest and we had gotten rid of it.  I still miss her whenever I look at this photo.

Easter 2009 and 4-13-09 097  Fall Colors 10-23-09 042  Sometimes, I just shoot something because I like the beauty or artistic look of it.

Soccer 9-21-10 085 Emily, Chelsea and GraceAnn 9-25-10 121 Michaiah Skolnick 195  Soccer 9-21-10 206  Summeer 2010 072I have taken many photos of people posed, but my favorite photos to take of people are when they are in action or completely unaware that I am taking the photo.  There’s just something revealing about the person or people when you can capture such shots.

Photos for SaleSoccer and Hersheypark 9-25-10 082

I live in Lancaster County, so I can’t resist capturing some of our rich farmland with our Amish farmers in action.  The final photo is one of the rare photos that I took at night, that I actually like, — a lighted roller coaster at an amusement park.

The Little Ghost by Edna St. Vincent Millay

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The Little Ghost

I knew her for a little ghost

That in my garden walked;

The wall is high — higher than most

And the green gate was locked.

And yet I did not think of that

Till after she was gone —

I knew her by the broad white hat,

All ruffled, she had on.

By the dear ruffles round her feet,

By her small hands that hung

In their lace mitts, austere and sweet,

Her gown’s white folds among.

I watched to see if she would stay,

What she would do — and oh!

She looked as if she liked the way

I let my garden grow!

She bent above my favourite mint

With conscious garden grace,

She smiled and smiled — there was no hint

Of sadness in her face.

She held her gown on either side

To let her slippers show,

And up the walk she went with pride,

The way great ladies go.

And where the wall is built in new

And is of ivy bare

She paused — then opened and passed through

A gate that once was there.

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson

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A Thing of Beauty

This is my first official book review for BookLook Bloggers.  I received a free copy of this book to review for the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program.  I am not required to write a positive review, and the opinions I will express here are my own.

A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson is about a young lady named Fiona Hume, known by most people as “Fia”.  She was a child star in the acting world.  She left the acting world and is trying to figure out what she wants to do now.  She has a lot of baggage from things that happened during her life as a child star, and as the daughter of two acting stars, that cause her a lot of emotional pain and mental anguish.  Her life seems empty, and yet, she has made some important friendships.

This is a work of fiction, and it is the first book that I have ever read by Lisa Samson.  This book is definitely different than the books I normally read.  At first, it didn’t seem to have much of a plot, but I liked Fia, found her to be unique and quirky, and I wanted to see her achieve some happiness or find meaning in her life, so it kept me reading.  The story definitely takes you into Fia’s thoughts and her environment.  It is filled with good descriptions.

I found the story plot lacking action, but the character was strong and was the focal point of the entire story, so instead of having a plot based on a lot of action and external conflict, the plot was based on the character’s internal conflict, which definitely drew me to wanting to see a change within her.  I wanted to see her make good decisions regarding the people in her life, as well as the clutter in her house, and, I think, by the end of the story, the author did a good job of giving me what I wanted.  However, I was a bit disappointed when the story ended — not because the story had a bad ending, but because I still wanted more.  I wanted to see what would happen to Fia NOW.  I would definitely read a sequel if Lisa Samson decided to write one.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who struggles with inner turmoil caused by hurts and betrayals of others in your past.  I would also recommend this novel to anyone who loves a story with a well-developed character who takes you on an adventure of self-discovery to find importance in her life.  Finally, I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys reading stories about original, quirky, entertaining characters.

A Disappointing Giveaway and What’s New for the New Year

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I must say that I am stunned!  My giveaway posts earned me some new followers, and to all of you who are now following me, I extend a hearty welcome!  I hope you will find many posts here that you will find enjoyable, inspirational and/or helpful.  However, the requirements for a winner for the giveaway was that people were supposed to leave comments on my giveaway post letting me know how long they have been a follower on this blog and what they would like to see more or less of, and, to my chagrin, the giveaway post received not one single comment.  Therefore, I am disappointed to announce:  the winner is . . . No One!

Maybe it was the books I chose to give away.  Maybe they were too old.  Maybe no one who reads this blog is a fan of Mary Higgins Clark.  Maybe you don’t read Christmas mysteries.  I don’t know what happened, but I never thought that “giving something away” — for free would fail.  But alas, it has.  I will, however, try not to take it personally and will attempt to have another giveaway at a much later date.

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Now for the happier, more positive item — What’s New for the New Year?  Well, I know I did this a couple of weeks before the new year, but my blog has a new look.  I think it’s cleaner, crisper and sharper.  I hope you all like it too!  Also, the photo in my blog header, behind by blog title box, is one I took while we were on vacation on Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in October 2014.  I thought it went well with the new look.

Also, if you scroll down the page and look at the things listed on my right sidebar, you will notice a button for BookLook Bloggers.  I have decided that since I love to read so much, and reading and writing go hand-in-hand, AND since I enjoy writing book reviews anyway, that I would join BookLook Bloggers.  I should be receiving my first book soon, so I hope you will look forward to upcoming book reviews here at Kelly F Barr.

I was excited to receive a year-end report from WordPress on my blog.  I don’t believe I received such a report at the end of 2013, so this must be new as well, and I found it very helpful to see what my readers (you) like to read.  I hope to use this information to keep you all reading here.

I was also shocked and thrilled to look at my follower count today.  The last time I was here, my follower count was just under 90, and I was hoping to hit 100 by 2015, and here it is, January 1, 2015, and my follower count now says 198!  I am not sure if that’s due to the fact that I updated some settings and have the blog automatically connected to my other social media sites now, instead of me simply posting links to all of my posts on Facebook and Twitter, or if the follower counter could somehow be wrong.  But, I hope that it’s accurate and that the count continues to climb.  I don’t worry too much about numbers, but I don’t look at my followers as numbers — I look at them as my readers; readers I hope will come to love what I write and spread the word that what I write is worth reading, because, as a writer, my desire is that others would find value in what I write.

In 2015, I will also continue to keep you up-to-date on my writing journey.  In the past month, I have submitted two nonfiction short pieces for consideration; one to a children’s/family devotional magazine and one for possible publication in an upcoming book of inspirational short nonfiction stories.  I will keep you posted on any response I receive for these submissions.  Just having submitted a couple of things makes me feel like a real writer and it motivates me to keep writing.  I have a few more short nonfiction pieces I want to write and submit to other locations soon, and I will certainly keep writing my fiction.

I saw a friend on Monday who asked me if I’m still writing.  I told her that yes, I am, and that, as a matter of fact, I had recently begun submitting things, hoping to gain some recognition and maybe earn a little money for my writing as well.  I was so blessed by the next words that came out of her mouth, “Well, I don’t know why someone wouldn’t pick you up.  You’re good.”  Such words of encouragement are a light to my writer’s soul.