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Poem: A New Outlook

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This is a very unconventional poem. I used no rhyme scheme or any pattern, but I like the message I have created here. I hope you will like it too.

A New Outlook
by Kelly F. Barr

January brings a new year;
A chance to reflect,
A chance to look ahead,
A chance to begin anew.
Dream dreams and set goals.
Build relationships.

January brings a new beginning-
A fresh start.
Turn a new page; wipe the slate clean.
The possibilities are endless;
Opportunities abound,
All you have to do is look around.

Shake the dust of the past year from your feet.
Determine that this year, you can’t be beat.
Take a new journey,
Open your heart,
Try something you’ve never tried before
Because this could be your best year yet.

Abba’s Promise Has Arrived!

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This is the book!

“What book?” You might ask.

The book for which I sent a short devotional story for submission about two years ago and it is now published, my story is in it, and you can get your own copy from Cross River Media.

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Yes, this is my story! They chose my story for Day One! Yes, this is a teaser. If you want to read this story, you’ll have to buy the book. It’s a beautiful little volume and three of my other writer friends have stories in it too — Jill Printzenhoff, Cheryl Weber, and Renita Gerlach. Altogether, there are 33 encouraging, inspiring stories in this little book!

 

Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror

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I apologize for not posting a poem here today for those of you who like my poetry, but I haven’t been feeling very poetical lately. Therefore, since I finished reading this book on Tuesday night, I wanted to write my review.

Reflection: The Stranger in the Mirror (Records of the Ohanzee Book 1) by [Smith, Rachel R.]

Book Blurb: An Heiress, an ancient prophecy, and a masquerade…

Nerissa, the Heiress of Chiyo, prepares for the masquerade celebrating the twentieth anniversary of a thwarted assassination attempt on her family. Longing to be admired for herself and not her title, she arranges to switch costumes and enjoy the ball in blissful anonymity. But, when the fateful night finally comes, a prophetic warning of a second attack arrives too late, and the evening turns from revelry and romance to violence. After being pulled from the chaos by an enigmatic guardian, Nerissa learns that the Royal Family has been concealing a formidable secret for generations—and it is only one of many that are about to be revealed.

My Review: Nerissa is a very interesting character, who captured my attention from the beginning. There are many characters in this story who add dimension and intrigue to the story. Rachel R. Smith does an excellent job at creating characters that make you care about them, cheer for them and draw you in to the story. Although, due to the somewhat complicated plot, some of the characters that seem to be important to the story are not developed as much as I would like to see. This could happen in the next book, however.

This story was filled with intrigue, danger and a touch of romance. Sadly, the romance may have ended before it really began, but there may be another romance beginning. The plot is strong and holds the readers’ interest, though it does tend to slow down a little too much at places.

Nerissa changes a lot from the beginning of this book to the end due to circumstances caused by the violence that erupted at the masquerade ball, another sign of a good author. An author who writes a story in which the main character shows growth and change of some sort from the beginning to the end of the story has done a good job.

Now Nerissa has difficult decisions to make. Will the decisions she makes lead to success or failure? Will the romance that seemed to bud during the masquerade be able to bloom, or will rules and regulations forbid it? What will happen to Chiyo and the people Nerissa cares about?

If you are a fan of YA fantasy or YA historical, you will probably be drawn into this story too.

I can’t say that I am a fan of the style in which the story is written. It is written in a serialized style with a story line that flows continuously through the books, and there are four books in the series. I have read series books before, but they usually have a fairly strong conclusion even though the story continues in the rest of the books in the series. This, however, ends right as a decision is made and they are planning their action, so the reader is left completely hanging and MUST read the next book to find out what will happen next. It’s an effective marketing ploy, but I still don’t like it. I am only thankful that with this particular book, the next two are already written and available and Ms. Smith is working on completing the final book of the series to be released in early 2017. However, if I had read this book and would have had to wait six months to a year for the next installment, I’m not sure I would bother. I don’t like to be kept waiting to see where a story will go next. Yes, all series do that to an extent, but not in the middle part of the major plot as this story does.

However, since the series is nearly finished and I do like Nerissa and a couple of other characters and want to see how things turn out for them in the end, I will most likely finish reading this series, but if Ms. Smith plans another series like this one, I don’t think I’ll pick up the first one. I have many books I want to read, and don’t want to have to be tied to one author’s work as I wait for another installment.

Author Interview: Laura L. Zimmerman

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lauralzimmermanpic-1
Would you tell us a little bit about yourself, Laura?
Absolutely! I’m an at home-mom of 3 girls–ages 14, 12 and 5. I homeschool the two oldest and spend the rest of my time writing. (Haha. That’s a joke for all those stay-at-home moms that have “lots of time” on their hands, right?) I’ve been married to my “Mr. Darcy” for 16 years–we met in YWAM where we both served the Lord for a few years. I love to write Middle Grade and Young Adult Fantasy and Sci-fi, and am excited to be a monthly contributor to the Almost An Author website for the Fantasy/Sci-fi column! I currently reside in AZ but grew up on the east coast in MD and PA.
When did you become interested in writing?
I’ve always loved to create stories! When I was little, I liked to make Fashion Plate drawings and then make up stories to go along with the pictures. I remember using my mom’s old typewriter and the frustration of making errors and having to use white out–then the excitement of getting to change over to a Word Processor in high school! Lol. Overall, stories have always been a big part of my life. It wasn’t until I was married with the convenience of a computer and time home with my babies that I found I wanted to start taking all those ideas I’d had over the years and actually try to write a book.
Do you have a special writing place?
Well, we moved a few months ago so I lost my official writing space–which happened to be in the spare bedroom/junk room! So now I store my writing desk in my bedroom. I had some back issues from sitting for so many hours, so my husband has insisted on ‘proper’ elevation of screen/keyboard/mouse. So it feels pretty official, anyway! 😉
What books or authors have influenced your writing? In what way did they influence your writing?
I want my writing to be the best it can be, so I’m one to take plenty of notes at meetings or conferences, and to read books on improving my technical abilities. But then I notice I focus too much on technical stuff and can forget my ‘voice.’ I would say the writers that influence me most have very unique ‘voices’ that help remind me to stay true to my writing style, even if it might break a few rules here and there. Authors that come to mind are Ingrid Law–who has a fantastic Middle Grade voice!– and Tahereh Mafi–her poetic style of writing breaks from the norm but makes the deepest parts of my emotion scream ‘yes!’ I also enjoy Lauren DeStefano who has a more introspective style of writing, and Jennifer A. Nielsen with her amazing ability at weaving mystery throughout her novels that make my jaw drop!
Who are some of your favorite book characters and why are they favorites? Have they influenced the way you create your characters?
This is a tough one for me because I don’t want to sound cliche, but ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ are my favorite books for a reason! Scout has always held a special place in my heart. She was an innocent forced to grow up and face the harsh realities of the yuck in our world. The powerful emotions she experienced through each lesson she learned hit me hard–maybe because I was just a teenager when I first read it. And Elizabeth Bennet is the every girl that we all deny lies deep within. She’s that spirit that refuses to conform yet can’t get out of her own way to allow love to find her. As much as I like to think I’m balanced in my beliefs and that I never play the part of the hypocrite, I think Lizzie is a good reminder that we all make poor choices based on our individual filters, but that it’s never too late for forgiveness and reconciliation. I do think both of these characters influence the characters I create, although maybe in different ways, depending on the story!
Do you have a writing routine?
Again, before I moved I had a fantastic routine of writing first thing in the morning! But now my youngest daughter is in kindergarten and I have her at the bus stop during the time I would normally write. So, unfortunately, I don’t have a routine at the moment. I do have a goal of writing and editing each day, and shoot for about 2 hours total of a mixture of both. Some days are better than others! Lol!
Do you set writing goals for yourself? What kinds of goals and are they short or long term?
Yes!! I have daily, weekly, monthly and yearly goals! My personality thrives on meeting small goals along the way. I find when I have no ‘To Do’ list, nothing gets done. I love the sense of accomplishment that goes along with crossing off another item from my list! A daily goal might be as simple as “Tweet a line I wrote”. Long term goals usually involve the completion of a rough draft or a full edit of one of my manuscripts. For 2016 I’ve already written 2 brand new rough drafts and have a goal to complete 1 more, to give me a total of 3 brand new books I wrote this year!
Are you a member of any writing organizations or critique groups? 
Yes. In Pennsylvania I was active in the ACFW State and Local chapters, as well as Lancaster Christian Writers and Scribes Oasis. Since moving to Arizona, I’ve joined a small critique group one a week, and have begun to attend a library writer group twice a month. I’ve also connected with the ACFW Phoenix chapter here. I always have an eye out for new groups to join, since I am most encouraged just by being with other writers! 🙂
Have you attended writers’ conferences? 
Yes, I’ve attended the LCW Super Saturday a few years in a row and was excited to attend the Write His Answer Conference in Philly and Keystone Conference, last year. With my move, I’ve sadly missed the conferences I wanted to attend this year. But hope to jump back in this winter/spring with some conferences out west!
What advice would you give to a new writer?
Good question! Well, first off, I would say never give up. I’m sure you’ve heard that time and again, but really, don’t ever walk away from your talents. God gave them to you for a reason and they can be used to glorify Him, even if your work isn’t published in the traditional way. Also, surround yourself with those you admire! If you want to be a writer, make friends with writers! Not only is it encouraging, it will help hone your talent and make you better at what you do!
Thank you, Kelly, for having me! I had a great time with this interview!! ❤
Bio: 
Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mom to three daughters, and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter @lauralzimm, and at her website, www.lauralzimmerman.com . Laura is represented by Cyle Young with Hartline Literary Agency.

The Lucky One by Sherry V. Ostroff

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I don’t read a lot of nonfiction, but I do love anything historical. “The Lucky One” by Sherry V. Ostroff is the story of the history of her family, her mother’s life, to be exact. Her mother grew up in Eastern Europe and she and her family were forced to move around a lot for their own safety, though, because she was a young girl, she wasn’t fully aware of the dangers. She managed to have fun and enjoy her childhood the best she could in her circumstances.

This is Sherry V. Ostroff’s first book, and she did a wonderful job keeping her mother’s original stories and voice alive in this book. The story is divided into chapters written in Italics, which are the original stories by her mother, and Ms. Ostroff did a good job writing accompanying chapters further explaining the historical events that her mother mentioned or lived through, giving the reader a clear picture of her mother’s story.

Sherry V. Ostroff chose to call the book, “The Lucky One” and refers to her mother as being “lucky” several times throughout the story. However, she also mentions that her mother did not consider herself “lucky”.

After reading the account of Ita’s life, I would not call her “lucky” either. I would call her “blessed”. Surely the way Ita (Sherry’s mother) and her mother (Sherry’s grandmother) were able to stay one step ahead of death could only have been orchestrated by God.

This story was a quick, easy read. It held my attention, and in some ways reminded me of Corrie Ten Boom’s “The Hiding Place”, though this story is not as detailed. If you like true, historical stories and stories about real people, I recommend that you read “The Lucky One” by Sherry V. Ostroff.

Top Ten Tuesday

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Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is an Audio Freebie! The Broke and the Bookish suggest Top Ten Audio Books You Should Listen To; Ten Books I Want to Listen to on Audio; 10 Bands You Should Check Out; Ten Podcasts You Should be Listening to; Ten of my All Time Favorite Albums; Ten Songs I Love, or anything else you can come up with.

Since I don’t really listen to audio books, I have decided to do Ten of my All Time Favorite Albums, and before we start I will admit that it was absolutely impossible for me to limit it to just ten because my mom introduced me to music at the age of 2, and I have loved and listened to many different genres ever since, and that’s quite a few years but I won’t say how many. Therefore, expect more cheats on this list than any of my previous lists.   😀

  1. Singles 1969-73 (Import) (CD) ~ The Carpenters (Artist) Cover Art

The Carpenters: The Singles 1969-1973. I LOVE this album. Karen had a fantastic voice and it was heartbreaking that she died so young.

2. On Stage and Elvis' Golden Records

I loved pretty much every song this man sang, and I loved his movies too, but these are two of the albums I listened to most. Elvis was also the first singer that I cried over when he died, and I named our first black Labrador Retriever after him.

3. Thriller and Bad (Remastered)

Many people judged and criticized this man, but I always felt sorry for him. How could anyone expect him to be “normal” (whatever that really is) when he was raised by an abusive father who exploited his children, and he never had the opportunity to have any semblance of a normal childhood. He was incredibly talented both as a singer and as a dancer/performer, and I still miss him and hope his children will have a better life than he did.

4. She's So Unusual by Lauper, Cyndi (2000), Hat Full Of Stars and A Night To Remember

A lot of people think Cyndi is weird or strange, but she, too, is incredibly talented. I have loved her from the start. She’s given me great dance music and wonderfully artistic songs. I also never thought she sounded better than on the albums Hat Full of Stars and A Night to Remember.

5.  Wham Make It Big , Faith and Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

I fell in love with George Michael when I first saw the MTV video for “Wake Me Up Before You Go-G0”. Yes, he had a very controversial song on the Faith album, but I still loved him and found him extremely good looking. I was heart broken when he announced his choice to be gay, but he was another incredibly talented artist, and many artists seem to like to push the envelope and do something controversial. I don’t necessarily think that’s a good thing, but it’s not going to prevent me from loving a talented artist, just as I have been taught “Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner”. His album Listen Without Prejudice consisted of songs with strong and good messages. I even got to see him in concert when he did his “Faith” tour. That remains one of my favorite concert experiences.

6. Who's That Girl Soundtrack and Immaculate Collection

Talk about controversial! Madonna is the epitome of controversial. I loved her when she first came out even though some of her songs, even then, pushed the envelope. I totally loved “Who’s That Girl” the album and the movie, and I almost all of my favorites are on The Immaculate Collection. However, I did lose respect for Madonna and stopped listening to her when she became too “over exposed” (if you get my drift) and erotic. That is just completely unacceptable and inappropriate as far as I’m concerned, and I believe it shows a lack of self respect. However, Madonna has talent. It’s just too bad she feels she always has to try to top herself and chooses to do so in inappropriate ways.

7. Product Details

Yes, yet one more controversial artist. I have been a fan of Cher since I first saw her with Sonny Bono on Laugh-In, then I watched the Sonny and Cher show, and I always thought she had a great voice, but I totally became a fan when she made her musical comeback in 1987. I also enjoyed many of the movies she starred in over the years. However, I would never go to see her in concert because her choice of wearing too little clothes is just wrong. My two favorite Cher songs are “Bang-Bang (her single remake), and “Just Like Jesse James”.

8. Pat Benatar Crimes Of Passion and Pat Benatar - Precious Time | ~Music is the ART of making~ noise | Pi ...

I loved Pat Benatar’s heavy rock’n’roll. She sang songs about strong women, and I loved to listen to her music whenever I was angry. It gave me an outlet for my anger, in that listening to those tough songs with great beats always calmed me down.

9. heart album cover heart backstage pass heart german promo 1985 and Heart Brigade Album Cover, Heart Brigade CD Cover, Heart Brigade Cover ...

Been a fan of Heart since I was in junior high school!

10. Insert Brand Name Here: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours review

LOVE this album!

Okay, I know I’m supposed to be done and I’ve already cheated, but I have just a couple of more I want to share:

11. Michael Bolton Greatest Hits: 1985-1995 album cover

This man can sing a love song to me any time! He has a fantastic and distinctive voice! I don’t think I’ve ever heard him sing a song I didn’t enjoy. I also had the privilege of seeing him in concert once, right after he first cut his long curly locks! I didn’t know until I saw him that he had gotten his hair cut. At the time, I was very disappointed as I loved that mane. However, it didn’t take me long to get used to his short do, and he’s still handsome.

12. All the Way... A Decade of Song - Céline Dion - Disc-O-Graphy

I have followed this woman’s life ever since she was first noticed as a young girl with a beautiful voice when she sang the song for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. At first I was appalled that she married Rene, who was soo old compared to her. But as I watched them over the years, it became evident that they truly loved each other and were meant for each other. I empathized with her as they struggled to have children, and all that she went through so that they could have their three beautiful boys. I cried with her when she lost Rene to throat cancer early this year. She has an incredibly beautiful voice.

13. Air Supply Greatest Hits album cover

These guys did a wonderful job with love songs as well. I also had the opportunity of seeing them in concert once — we sat in the third row from the front!

14. Palace of Rock: tobyMac - Eye on it and This Is Not A Test 2015 Momentum 0 Portable Sounds 0

This is my current favorite male singer and these are my two favorite albums. I love to blast This is Not a Test as I’m driving. We had the privilege of taking our entire family to Toby’s Eye On It Tour concert, and we totally loved it!

15. Blanca Announces Self- Titled Solo Debut Blanca Releasing May 4

This is my new favorite female singer and this album is awesome!

16. Shelleen | Rough Tracks

This is my favorite up and coming female singer, I suggest you watch for. This is a great album! I know Shelleen personally, not well, but a bit, and she has wonderful talent. She writes her own lyrics too. If you haven’t heard this album, I suggest you listen to it soon.

Okay, I’ll stop now, because I could go on for a long time yet. There are so many talented artists in so many different genres that I love, but you get the picture.

Who are some of your favorite music artists?

Reflections and Opinions

/ kellyfbarr / 4 Comments

I have been posting five times a week for quite some time now. If you visit here regularly or are a follower, you know that Mondays I have usually posted something about writing or my specific writing journey. However, I have recently attempted to start Tea Time Talk posts every other Monday, in the hopes that some of you would connect to it and we could build a little community of Monday blogs every other week. This idea seems to have no response.

Tuesdays I participate in Top Ten Tuesdays that was started by The Broke and the Bookish. Because reading goes hand-in-hand with writing, I like to include this post, and I tend to get the most comments on these posts.

I have been taking Wednesdays to be quiet and just post a photo that I have taken each week. This seems to be something that several of you like.

Since the month of April, I have been posting poems that I write each Thursday.

Finally, ever since I have seen the Flash Fiction Friday posts by Melanie Noell Bernard, I have been posting my own Flash Fiction pieces each Friday, some longer than others. I have been told by one person that she feels like I leave the stories unfinished.

Now, I come to the point of this post. Keeping in mind that my intent is to keep this blog writing focused, I would like your feedback. I would like to know what posts you like here. I would also like to know if there are any that you do not like, and what are they? Is there something you would like to see here that I have not done?

Please leave your honest, respectful comments because, as much as I write this blog for myself, I also want others (you) to find something you like here so that you’ll want to return, if not day after day, at least week after week.

Top Ten Tuesday

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Today’s Top Ten Tuesday, as designated by The Broke and the Bookish is “Back to School Freebie”, which means we can create a Top Ten List of Books having ANYTHING to do with school, so I have decided to create a list of “Top Ten Books I think should be Required Reading”, and I believe these are most appropriate for grades 5 thru 7.

I have chosen these books because they include either a great history lesson and/or a fantastic lesson about what it means to be a person of good, strong character. Except for #10 which are just fabulous for their geography and/or science lessons, as well as for the stories and pictures.

Of course, I would recommend this entire series, but this is my absolute favorite of the series.

2. 

3. 

This book, too, is part of a wonderful series, but this seems to be the most popular and most read, but my sons and I enjoyed the entire series.

4. 

This has been one of my favorite historical fiction books since I read it in school and our teacher showed the movie on one of those old reel-to-reel projectors.

5. Treasure Island by [Stevenson, Robert Louis]

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS (ILLUSTRATED) by [Grahame, Kenneth]

10. Product Details, Product Details,

Product Details,  Product Details

I know, this is four books, but it was hard enough to narrow it down to this list. My boys would’ve wanted me to include The Adventures Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, but I didn’t enjoy that book nearly as much as they did, and there are many others I would list, but alas, we are to do our best to keep our list to Ten, and so this is the list I believe is as good as a list can get.