IWSG: May & the Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime Release

April went far better than I expected with the A-Z Challenge and my theme, Under the Sea Myths and Legends. For the next several months, I plan on visiting all the blogs I didn't get to in April so I'm looking forward to that. There were hundreds of blogs that signed up so be sure and take a look when you get a chance.

Before I dive into the IWSG for May, I wanted to mention our fearless Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh who created this monthly hop and also give thanks to the people who are co-hosting this month,, E.M.A. Timar, J. Q. Rose, C.Lee McKenzie, and Raimey Gallant. Thanks for all your help!

To learn more about the IWSG program and how it can help your insecurities, visit the website here.

IWSG May

Monthly question:  "Does this season inspire you to write more than others, or not?"

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For sure it's a good time as any to write. What I like most about this month is I get some spring cleaning done with my files. Sometimes I find that I need to go back and reorganize things to streamline my writing and reinspire the creative process.  I'll review old chapters and decide if I need to rewrite, add back in or delete completely--that type of thing. Maybe it's the spring cleaning-type of thing in preparing for summer? I don't know. 

Fun Find for Writers

I thought I'd share this little tidbit from Custom-writing.org. Take a look at this link: The Weird Side of Famous Writers when you get a chance.  Here's a snapshot of a couple of the fun and weird facts about some the most famous writers we love. 

Book Release: Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime Release

 Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime is out now. Woot!  Take a look at the book description: 

Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting...

Get your copy here: Amazon / B&N / / Kobo / Goodreads

That's it for May!

Mina B.

ISWG & A-Z Challenge: D is for Sea Dragons

Today I'm posting for IWSG & also the A-Z Challenge. Now that Spring Break and Easter are in the past, I'm back into work-mode which for me is fantastic.

Before I begin with my IWSG insecurity, I'd like to recognize it's founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's helpers or co-hosts Olga Godim,Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan! Thanks, guys!

To learn more about the IWSG program and how it can help your insecurities, visit the website here.

IWSG April

April 4 question - When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

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Guilt is an effective tool to push me. I talk to myself incessantly and give myself a guilt trip. I guess I should do something a bit more positive, but alas no. Whatever works, right? Another thing I do which may sound crazy, but I often have my characters talk to me. It's pretty annoying sometimes and usually stops when I'm done writing the story. Does anyone else have this problem?

A-Z Challenge: D is for Sea Dragons

The AtoZ Challenge continues with the letter D! My theme is Under the Sea Myths & Legends and I'm featuring another sea creature. These marvelous beasts are known to fly, breathe fire and massacre fictional worlds. This time, however, they hang out in the sea. My sea monster myth is....

Sea Dragon

Also known as the Sea Serpent or from Norse Mythology, Jörmungandr, this creature is in short...awesome.  Now many people may think about the Loch Ness Monster, but we're way past that. The legend of Jörmungandr is beyond cool. This sea dragon is said to be one of Loki's three children and is pure evil. He's massive with snake-like skin mixed with dragon scales, wings, fins and barbed tale. I didn't see anything that mentioned fire-breathing but with the submerged mostly in water bit, fire might not be feasible.

Are sea dragons a myth or real? Well, there have been centureis of stories about dragons in general, some of which mention sea dragons, like Norse Mythology. Probably the closest evidence in real life of a sea dragon is a Ichthyosaur  or Plesiosauria, which lived over 200 million years ago. Were they as exciting as the sea dragon depicted below? Definiely not as cool, but still monsterous.

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Do you think sea dragons are real? The bodies of water on earth are so enormous, it's like their a whole other planet. And frankly, quite possible.

Mina B.

IWSG: March & Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Well, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's scratching their head, wondering how we're already into the third month of this year. *sigh* Anyway, since we are seven days into March, I have a couple of topics to cover.

First up, before I discuss my insecurities for this month's IWSG, I want to remind everyone that we wouldn't be here without our creator, Alex J. Cavanaugh. And special thanks to this month's co-hosts, Mary Aalgaard, Bish Denham, Jennifer Hawes, Diane Burton, and Gwen Gardner!

To learn more about the IWSG program and how it can help your insecurities, visit the website here.

IWSG March

Monthly question:  "How do you celebrate when you achieve a writing goal/ finish a story?"

When I finish a writing goal or a novel, I honestly feel a huge sense of relief. Accomplishing that in itself gives me a huge sense of pride. Then, of course, two seconds later, I remember the entire editing process and the goal-setting process starts all over again. Perhaps that's what I'm doing wrong? Am I not celebrating enough? I'm sure after I visit a few blogs today, I'll have some great ideas for celebrating my writing goals.

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Heartbroken

As many of you already know by now, the South Florida community was rocked in sheer devastation from the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Words cannot express how heartbreaking this has been.

On the day it happened, Valentine's Day of all days, my husband called me and asked if I had heard. I hadn't so I immediately called my neighbor who works at Douglas to see if he was okay. He was fine and we are thankful. Miraculously, he had left the area when the shooting started. It just so happened the building where the shooting took place is where he works. He was lucky, but as you know others weren't. The school happens to around the corner from where my son pracices soccer. Half of his team has family members who are students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and those kids attend West Glades middle school which is right next door. What many of you don't know are the small details about that day. The fact that one student saved one kid and went back to save another and died. Another fourteen-year-old was shot multiple times that they ended up using the child's clothing in order to identify the victim. I don't want to mention their names because it's too real and it hurts. The thought of a parent having to relive their kid's death for a lifetime on the internet is sickening to me. The survivors, the ones who were shot and thankfully lived, will be dealing with a lifetime of recovery and loss, no doubt. Our community too, I suspect, will have that sense of loss for the rest of our days.

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To give you a glimpse of the aftereffects, our community (and others) are dealing with copy-cat attempts and threats--which is insane, to say the least. Some would say the Broward Sherriff's office has upped security measures--others would say it's a joke. I have my opinion, but it doesn't make the deaths of those seventeen students and teachers go away.  After this happened, I realized (once again) that no one is safe anymore. As a personal precautionary measure, I reviewed the safety measures with my kids before they went to school the following day. I asked them where they are supposed to hide if a shooter is live on their campus. I asked them when was the last time they had a Code Red drill, wanting to know if the school was prepared. Then I realized, all the preparation in the world, can't prepare a young one for a person(s) intending to kill. Today, I dropped my son off at school and they have new security measures, which is good I guess. One measure they implemented, was the onsite campus security officer must carry an assault rifle, which was so unfathomable it's mindboggling.

This week, we witnessed our state take some initiatives to change things. First the Senate and now we're waiting on the House.  I don't know what the answer is to all these shootings: fewer guns, better response from goverment agencies, more mental health support, fewer video games, better parenting? Who knows? All I know is those poor families who lost their loved ones are undoubtedly still in shock--as we all are. But life goes on, right? Yes, it does but the empty feeling we have will be with us forever. 

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School - How to help.

When this happened, I donated to the victim's fund right away and then again a week later. Something tells me I will be donating to these families for some time because I just can't imagine their state of minds. Or worse if their horror became mine. If you can help, please do. Here's the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Go Fund Me page. Any little bit helps.

That's all I have. I'm off to see other IWSGers. What are your insecurities this month?
How do you celebrate when you finish your novel?  

Mina B.

IWSG: Sweet February

Hello IWSG Friends! How's everyone enjoying this year so far? The cold weather and flu season has made its way to South Florida which hasn't been fun. Most of my family's illnesses have started from being run down, exhausted. I'm sure most of you know the feeling. Seriously though, the flu this year is scary so I hope you all are taking care of yourself.

Anyway, lots of exciting things happened last month. I know #IWSG had fantastic success and ended up trending on Twitter--which is AWESOME!  Mark your calendars for the Next #IWSGPit is Thursday, July 19, 2018! More details here.

Today's IWSG topic is perfect for this month. But before I begin, I want to give a shout out to IWSG team. Like many of you, I have a soft spot in my heart for the #IWSG founder Alex J. Cavanaugh. Thank you,, Alex so much for creating this monthly hop and doing everything you do. You rock! The lovely co-hosts for the February - IWSG are Stephen Tremp, Pat Garcia, Angela Wooldridge, Victoria Marie Lees, and Madeline Mora-Summonte! Thanks, you guys!

To learn more about this program and how it can help your insecurities, visit the website here.

IWSG February 2018

Monthly question:  "What do you love about the genre you write in most often?"


I'm a sucker for an fantasy, supernatural etc.. and I like unlikely pairings in romance and friendship. For me, I find the daily grind gets monotonous and the writing takes me away from that. I think we're all suckers for "What if?" Am I right? That's what drives me. Think about how many advances there have been in the last 100 years. In the past, think about how many authors wrote about futuristic things, like space-travel, test-tube babies, etc.. and now we're living it and practically thriving in it. I'm not saying that one day we'll be able to grow body parts that can double as companions like Thing, but...what if? And that type of imagination drives my creativity. I gravitate towards that while writing because it inspires me.  It's not easy writing about what you love. I think you're can be more critical about it. At least that's what I find. Do you agree?

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Since it's February I'm wondering if any fellow authors have anything special planned? Are your writing a romance or do you plan to take you're sweetie out on the town? Just curious. I'm participating in a Romance is in the Air Book Blog Hop which starts Feb 13th. Signups are here if you're interested in participating.

That's it! Now I'm off to see other IWSGers. What are your insecurities this month? What do you love about your genre? 

Mina B.

IWSG: Happy New Year - The Year of the Dog

Happy New Year IWSG Friends! May all your writing dreams come true this year! Based on the Chinese Zodiac, 2018 is the year of the Dog. I'm not sure if you follow any of that, but if you do, then you'll want to know that this year, "its characteristic word is ACTION!" And as writers we need a ton of that, right? Right!

Anyway, like most folks, the end of the year was a trifle exhausting and frankly, I was happy to see 2017 go. Now onto a new year. Things have slowed only a bit due mainly to my kids being on break, but that will change in the next week.  Not to worry though, I'm ready.

And now on to IWSG! Before I begin, special thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating IWSG monthly hop. This month's co-hosts are Tyrean Martinson, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Megan Morgan, Jennifer Lane, and Rachna Chhabria!  Thanks, you guys!

To learn more about this program and how it can help your insecurities, visit the website here.

IWSG January 2018

Monthly question:  "What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?"

The only thing I've done somewhat consistently is writing. I have one novel I made some progress with during NaNo and last month. Truthfully,  I've been working on it for some time and then there are other novels I've nearly completed. My goals for this quarter are to have at least two of the pending novels and the one I'm working on now completed by end of March. After that, it's editing, editing and, more editing -- which is something I'm terribly insecure about. But I'm not worried about it. I'll manage. Anyway, that's it. I'm trying to get back on track with a better blogging schedule so keep your fingers crossed on that one.

Do I have any resolutions? No. Not really. It's really more lifestyle changes to help me better manage my projects, work and of course my family's needs.  For example, I've mentioned several writing objectives above and I've thought long and hard about how to achieve them. I have a few strategies I've put in place that mostly center around me saying no. And that's not easy to do as a parent. Still, I've been making some headway so between this and my schedule, I think I'm heading in the right direction. Wish me luck.

And before I forget...Happy New Year!

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Remember #IWSGPit 

The next #IWSGPit will be Thursday, January 18, 2018!

8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time

What are your insecurities this month? How's your writing going?

Mina B.

IWSG: Artificial Intelligence & Writing

2017 is coming to an end. Yikes! How on earth did time move so quickly? Oh well.  Anyhoo...it's time for another monthly post for Insecure Writer's Support Group. Special thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating this monthly hop. This month's co-hosts are Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue, and Heather Gardner!

To learn more about this program and how it can help your insecurities, visit the website here.

ISWG December

Monthly question:  "As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?"

I don' have any success or failures to comment on... I would say I've gotten back on track over the last few months with certain projects and that in itself is a success for me, but that's pretty much it. NaNoMo wasn't as big as a success as I'd hoped for, but then again the holidays can do that to any writer. Am I right about that? Did anyone else have great success with NaNo?

Artificial Intelligence & Writing

By now most of us know how AI (Artificial Intelligence) has infiltrated nearly every aspect of our lives. If you're having doubts then take a look at your cars, your home entertainment systems, phones, computers etc.... The list goes on.  I hadn't thought about what that meant until I started reading how in the future, AI will replace coders and even the oldest profession is being programmed right now. Ugh. These recent news articles really freaked me out. Call me crazy, but I believe humans understand human behavior best and that's despite all the real, ugly stories and controversies including #MeToo, free speech, LGBT rights, and all the other hot topics right now. 

That said, it forces me to look at us as writers. Would you believe that AI could take over that aspect of humanity too? Haven't thought about it? Well, other people are. In fact, recently History.com published an article, "This Supercomputer Was Programmed to Think Like the Zodiac Killer. No Wonder Its Poetry is So Creepy." From the article, "After being fed all the known writings of the infamous Zodiac killer, a supercomputer named CARMEL has developed the ability to think like the elusive serial murderer. It often writes poetry like one, too." Listen to CARMEL's work below:

Can you say creepy? Skynet is upon us!

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Using AI for Writers

Artificial Intelligence is supposed to make things easier, although I cringe when I hear my ten-year-old ask Alexa the time, or how to spell a word.  I tell her to grab a dictionary and she looks at me like I'm crazy. God help me. *facepalm* Which this got me thinking about using Alexa for writing. Alexa has skills you can download for writing prompts which I thought was interesting.  And it also has other uses. Here's a brief list of skills in case anyone was interested in using it to help with writing:

* Organization Skills
* Time management Skills
* Researching skills such as History Channel
* Dictionary Skills

Since I'm sure Alexa will be adding more skills in the future, expect there to be more. Siri from iPhone is another AI that many of us use with talk-to-text, hands-free calling etc... Cortana, the AI inside Windows, offers decent dictation which some writers use. I'm not sure how much this would help in my writing process, but it's certainly interesting how quickly things are changing...even for writers.  There's an interesting article about how AI is already affecting the writing industry, "What a world of AI robot writers will look like." Read this if you want to learn more about AI & writing.

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That's it for this month.  What are your insecurities this month? What do you think about AI? Do you use it when you're writing?


Have a fantastic rest of the week!

Mina B.

IWSG: Nano...It's that time again!

 Today's Insecure Writer's Support Group monthly topic is about what else...National Novel Writing Month.  Before I get started I wanted to give a huge shout out to Alex J. Cavanaugh who created the monthly blog hop and support group for writers.  If you're interested in learning more about this program and how it can help your insecurities, visit the website here.  This month's brilliant co-hosts are Tonja Drecker, Diane Burton, MJ Fifield, and Rebecca Douglass!  Thanks, guys for all that you do!


Before I begin I want to remind everyone that today is the last day you can enter the IWSG Anthology Contest!

ISWG November: "Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?"

NaNo is a tough one for me. My biggest challenge with monthly writing blitz is I have an incredibly hard time managing everything I've got going on.  In the past, I'd start out strong and then get sidetracked. And that's putting things lightly.  This month I'm hoping that things will be different.  I'm not traveling or camping or dealing with flood issues so I think I've got that going for me.  Other than that, being able to carve out some quality time to write is my challenge.  Wish me luck.  Has anyone else signed up for this month's writing challenge? I'd love to know who's signed up for this month's writing frenzy.

If you're looking for a bit of inspiration for NaNo, here's a list of best-sellers who started during NaNoWriMo.

Great Writer Tool for NaNoWriMo

Do you ever get stuck in a rut with your writing and you think, why the heck did I write that? Ugh, we've all been there, especially during NaNoWriMo.  Let's face it, sometimes it's more important to push through the writing process and fix things later.  That said, fellow writer/blogger, Jack Milgram, reached out to me about this cool infographic that I thought would be helpful when you're banging away at your keyboard during NaNo.  For a better view of this list, visit here and if you don't mind share!

28 Boring Words Alternatives - Improve Your Writing

Last Week on Twitter - Library Uproar!

Last week, some twitter-fool, Andre Walker, sparked a massive backlash when he tweeted  "Nobody goes to libraries anymore. Close the public ones and put the books in schools."  *Smacks hand in face.* There are no words. Anyway, you'll have to forgive me for re-posting this because it has more than a few "F" bombs from the Angry Librarian. If you can look past that, it's very funny.  And...terribly scary how narrow-minded some folks are. Yikes!

Don't pick a fight with a passionate librarian

That's it for this month.  What are your insecurities this month? Are you participating in NaNo? Do you like the infographic?  If so, please share! Lastly, I'm participating in the Gratitude Giveaway Hop which started Nov 15th! Sign up for this blog hop here.

Have a fantastic rest of the week!

Mina B.

IWSG - It's October!

It's time for IWSG as we head into the last few months of 2017.  I can't believe it's already October.  Wow!

Before I begin, if you don't know, Alex J. Cavanaugh is the architect of this amazing writer group--which is seriously one of the best writer-support groups out there.  If you get a chance, please visit him as well as this month's co-hosts Olga Godim, Chemist Ken,Jennifer Hawes, and Tamara Narayan!


October's ISWG question is:  Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?

I guess it depends on the novel you're writing.  I have a few times sometimes when a character has a snarky reply or mutters something under their breath.  For sure, I've done that.  Hasn't everyone given a piece or chunk of themselves when writing?

Hurricane update:  Last month I mentioned briefly that we had to deal with Hurricane Irma which wasn't fun at all.  We lost a few trees, a fence line and were without power and internet cell phone coverage for about a week.  Not good, but hardly bad at all when you consider the devastation of Houston and Puerto Rico.  It could have been much worse so I'm thankful it wasn't.

October & Halloween, baby! 

This month is all about Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!  Has anyone started decorating?  I'm still dealing with hurricane debris so I haven't got to decorating the inside of the house yet, but I did buy a pumpkin and made pumpkin bread.  Last year I posted Pumpkin Carvings Inspired by Books so if you're looking for inspiration to carve this year's pumpkin that's a great place to start.

Anyway...who's excited?  Any plans? Anything cool you're writing?  Participating in any blog hops? I'm participating in the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop.  Sign up at Bookhounds if you're interested in participating. 

The annual IWSG Anthology Contest!

Reminder!  The anthology contest is coming up.  The deadline is November 1st! The genre is Mystery/Crime/Thriller and the theme is "Tick Tock."  Check out this post for more details. 

#Pray for Las Vegas

Finally, words cannot express the deepest sympathies that I have for those innocent victims and their families who were affected by the horrific Las Vegas attack.  May God give them strength to deal with their loss and may God please help us unite together and support one another.

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What about you? How have you been?  What type (if any) of personal information have you let slip into your writing?

Mina B.

IWSG: Quiet on the Nano Front

It's time for another month of IWSG.  How's everybody doing after Halloween?  I don't know about you, but this past weekend left me feeling exhausted and I'm so glad November's here to get back into the swing of things.

As you know, IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh and wouldn't be half as wonderful without his monthly support team, Joylene Novell Butler, Jen Chandler, Mary Aalgaard, Lisa Buie Collard, Tamara Narayan, Tyrean Martinson, and Christine Rains!  Special thanks to everyone who's helping this month.

November's ISWG question is What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?  For me that's an easy one, I love the creative process.  I honestly adore making stories up and wouldn't have it any other way.  My only insecurities this month have to do with keeping up with the Nano schedule, managing my house renovations and dealing my kids and their daily emergencies.  Ugh.  I'll manage though.  :)

NaNoWriMo Begins!

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This month marks NanoWriMo, baby!  Let me know who's participating this year.  So far so good for me.  I'm off to a good start and for the most part I'm fairly organized.  I think staying organized is the key so that it's easier to find time to write.  I've logged into my Nano account and belong to a local group but in truth, I've never been to one of the meetings.  The kick-offs/write-ins/meetings are usually a minimum of half hour away so that doesn't work for me. I'm happy to do the virtual write-ins though.  I'm looking forward to this month despite all the chaos with my house.  I think the writing will be a pleasant distraction.



Gosh I can't believe it's already November.  Yikes!  Later this month look for a special Book Buzz post and I'm participating in the Gratitude Giveaway hosted by Bookhounds which starts Nov, 15th!

I hope everyone has a fantastic rest of the week.

Mina Burrows

IWSG: Tasting Life

Howdy partners!  It's Wednesday and time for another month of IWSG.  Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG wouldn't be so awesome without support from these folks this month: Tamara Narayan, Tonja Drecker, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Lauren @ Pensuasion, Stephen Tremp, and Julie Flanders!

I hope everyone's summer was fantastic!  Mine started off great with kids in camp and then a vacation, but then we cam home to a flood in our house.  Ugh.  Long story short, apparently this is a common occurrence--to go on vacation and come back to a flood.  Who knew?  Anyway, I'm dealing with insurance claims and renovations and trying desperately not to lose my mind.  That said, I'd like to share a picture of my vacation and let you fine people guess where I went.

Take a guess?

IWSG:  Tasting Life

This summer I've tasted life and then some. My writing is going okay but like many things, could be better, home issues aside.  The good news is I'm dealing with everything as best a possible. I found this quote that resonated with me and helped combat all the insecurities I'm feeling about writing.  

 

 

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How many things have you written about that allow you to feel you've lived another life or several? Perhaps none, but I'll bet there have been many. Reading is one thing, but as you know writing is an entirely different thrill. Ever fought dragons, wielded a light saber, or cast a wicked curse? Ever get lost in a romance story, solve a murder mystery or possibly become embroiled in an epic family dispute? If so, then you've lived. There are times when this writing gig frustrates us whether its the writing, endless editing, querying or performing the other litany of "to-dos." I guess when it comes down to it, it's nice to have a sense that we've known our characters and our story's so intimately it's not only like we've lived multiple lives....we've created them. So when you're down like I've been recently, try to think of all the lives you've created, saved and lived. How's that for tasting life?   

 

Anyway, I'd love to hear about your summer. How's it going?

Mina Burrows

IWSG: Ever Feel Like This?

Hey there blog fiends! I know I missed IWSG on Wednesday, but I still decided to do mine this weekend.  I know it's been awhile, but I wanted to get a quick IWSG post in before Summer kicks in and school breaks.  IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's host are Murees Dupe, Alexia Chamberlynn, Chemist Ken, and Heather Gardner!

How are things with you guys?  Like most, my world has been crazy and I'm praying Summer will give me the break I desperately need.  What about you? I feel like I blinked and 2016 is half way over.  Am I right?

IWSG:  Ever Feel Like This?

Anyway, I saw this picture and this summed up how I've been feeling for the last few months with managing life and expectations.

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Who's with me in understanding Sasha's insane moment of resting with The Walking Dead?  For me this picture describes how numbing life can be with endless and mounting responsibilities.  It's not like I view it as bad, it's just life and its there and you deal with it.  It's like the dead featured here are my day-to-day demands and I'm managing to slay them all!  HAH!  And... it's also how I feel about my stories.  My writings are like these zombies here and they haunt me and torture me in ways that are indescribable,  And yet, they are my everything.  As challenging as the writing process can be, it is my foundation.  Ever feel that way?  Eh...maybe not.  Well, these thoughts may be a bit too much for an IWSG but it's how I've been lately.

What about you?  Tell me what's been going on.  I missed everyone.  Did you miss me too?  

Mina Burrows

IWSG: Writing & Reading

Today, I'm posting for The Insecure Writer's Support Group for February.  IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's host are Allison Gammons, Tamara Narayan, Eva E. Solar, Rachel Pattison, and Ann V. Friend!

Progress is slow right now.  I'm hoping things will move a bit faster, but it challenged with managing all aspects of my life.  Sometimes even keeping up with my blog is a challenge. Sigh.  I won't bemoan those everyday challenges, because they are what they are, and I'm working through that.  Anyway, I saw a quote recently from Stephen King that mentioned the importance of reading in order to be a good writer.  Sometimes that's difficult for writers since we usually have so much on our plates.  I do read often at night when I can't sleep, I'll read a chapter or two.  One of the last books I read was At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen and I really enjoyed it.  I'm not sure if I completely agree with Stephen King's comment entirely, but he does have a point.  How would be know what we like or don't like unless we read.  Right?  Anyway, I thought to ask my friends, do you agree with that statement or do you think it's a bit too harsh?  And if you don't mind, please share a book you read recently.

Hope a fantastic Wednesday!

Mina Burrows

Happy New Year, IWSG & X-Files!

Happy New Year! 

Happy New Year, friends!  I wanted to start this year off with a cheers and well wishes to all my friends for a happy a healthy new year.  If you're a writer, I pray that your works are your very best and that the publishing gods make all your wishes com true,  If you're a reader then I pray that the best books find their way to you.

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IWSG:  New Year and Writer Beginnings

IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's host are L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace!  Since we're at the start of a new year, I thought I'd ask my friends to reflect on why they started writing.  For many of us, we've been at this craft for years, for others they may have started just yesterday.  One thing's for sure, there's usually a reason why we got started.  Was writing always in your blood or did you just one day pick up a pen and the stories began to flow?  Did you have a favorite teacher who inspired you or did you write as a way of therapy to rationalize all the insanity of your life?  It's an interesting question as we ponder a new year and the expectations you have for 2016.  Never forget why you started.  It's those initial beginnings that may give you the inspiration to keep going, especially when you hit some hurdles.  I saw this quote from J.K. Rowling that really hit home with me.  What about you?  Do you ever find inspiration in your writer beginnings?

Ever feel this way?

X Files is coming January 24th!

If you haven't seen the trailer it's here below.  I'm so excited about this series reboot!  X-Files was one of my favorites way back when.  From what I've seen so far, it's looks like these two gems, Mulder and Scully will pick up where they left off.  I hope this reboot delivers.  If you missed a few seasons or haven't had a chance to watch this classic sci-fi series, then check out Netflix before the season starts.  Netflix is streaming all nine seasons of X-Files so you may want to watch an episode or two. Other then writing and reading a great book, I can't imagine another way to kick-off a fantastic new year.

What about you?  What are your insecurities this month?  Are you excited for X-Files too?

Happy writing.  Have a great week!


Mina Burrows

Get Ready for Halloween!

Are getting ready for Halloween?  Well, kitty is getting ready.  Seriously though, there's a ton of stuff happening next month so I thought I'd share some cool spooky things to see if you're interested in participating.

Wicked Kitty Source

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

6th Annual Spooktacular Giveaway Hop starts on October 15th and runs until the 31st.  There's always a good amount of participants and with that some great prizes are up for the taking.  You can either join the linky list to host your own giveaway or you can mark your calendars to visit that blogs and enter to win.  How's that sound?

More details about the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop here.

The IWSG Short Story Contest 2015

ISWG has an short story competition with the top ten stories getting published in an anthology. How exciting is that? The story word count is 5000-6000 and the theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe. The details are listed on the IWSG website. The entry deadline is November 1st so with Halloween around the corner, this should be a fun one to enter, right?

Share a Scare Blog Hop 2015

Looking to create your own fun this Halloween?  This hop encourages all bloggers, writers and artists to feature a scare on their blog -- the creepier the better.  Bloggers can review a favorite scary book, writers can create their own frightening tale and artists can post a wicked picture they created.  Details about this cool hop are here.

That's it for now!  Sounds like fun, huh?  If you have any other cool ideas for Halloween, comment and share the fun.

Have a great weekend.

Mina Burrows

IWSG: Keep Calm & GRRR ARGGHH!

It's September and time for the Insecure Writers Support Group post.  A special thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating this monthly opportunity to purge all our ill thoughts on writing. I also want to give a shout out to all the co-hosts: Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, andHeather Gardner!

IWSG:  Keep Calm & GRRR ARGGHH!

I just want to say thank you to all my friends who had such kind words to say about Fred.  As I mentioned, Fred's passing left a real emptiness with our family, but we are doing much better now.  And Fred's ashes are safely back with us so things are indeed better.  On a side note, I find myself snuggling more with the other pooch, Spike, because the poor thing was seriously depressed after his buddy died.  I never knew that dogs would be so effected by another dog's passing, but apparently that can happen.  It's a pack thing and I feel silly for not realizing that sooner.  For the dogs remaining, you have to watch them closely for signs and give them additional attention.  I learned that after reading a few of Cesar Millan blog posts.  All is well here as are hearts are slowly on on the mend.

That said, my kids have gone back to school and we've been fine-tuning our schedule of activities and so forth. I mention this because my schedule is paramount when trying to fit in my writing.  I've also done some major purge-cleaning and plan on doing more of that in the coming months to help keep me more organized.  So far so good.

With that, my goal this month is to keep calm and write a ton.  Since most of my friends are Joss Whedon fans, I wanted to share with you all this throwback that just made me chuckle and gave me some inspiration.

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What are your insecurities this month?

Happy writing.  Have a great week!

Mina Burrows

Friday Summer Blend: IWSG, NetFlix, & Fred

It's July everyone!  Can't believe how much 2015 has disappeared.  TGIF, though.  Since I've missed too many Fridays this year, I decided to do a quick Friday post featuring a few topics such as, IWSG, NetFlix, & last but not least....Fred.

Insecure Writers Support Group

Although I missed Insecure Writers Support Group this month, I wanted to post a brief comment on my insecurity status. It's been a few months since I posted with IWSG and there are no excuses other than work and taking care of my family. That said, my biggest insecurity surrounds my inability to manage my time better. This month, I've managed to get back on track though. I'm back into writing and of course editing. I found this clever image online on precisely how I feel about editing. Other than that, I'm still plugging along.

What about you? What type of insecurities do you have plaguing you this month?  

So true!

What's Hot on Netflix - Sense8

From IMDB, the Netflix original series Sense8 is about "a group of people around the world are suddenly linked mentally, and must find a way to survive being hunted by those who see them as a threat to the world's order."

After binge-watching this series, I have to say this brief description above doesn't do the show justice. In the Sense 8 world, there are a group of individuals who are connected mentally and have the ability to communicate with each other despite being located in various countries all over the world. It's amazing how these eight individuals can get into trouble and what's cool is these eight can physically support each other when dire circumstances arise. Have a problem with a drug dealer or gangster? No problem. When you're a part of the Sense 8, just call upon the group's ninja master to step into your body and kick some ass. Yeah, it has some intense action like that, and it's endless in this series. If you get a chance, don't hesitate to watch it!

On a side note, this series has graphic nudity and content and is definitely a Rated R series.  Not for the kiddos, folks.

Fridays with Fred - Birthday Boy

Last weekend Fred turned 16.  I thought it was 17, but then double-checked and realized, he's only 16.  And for those that don't know, he's an Independence baby too since his birthday is on July 4th.  Last weekend, Fred, my loyal friend, celebrated another year of greatness.  He's getting up there and at times moves slow.  Other times, he's limber and still likes to jump and frolic with his two-year old friend, Spike.  Some days he can hang, others not so much.  Anyway, it's been too long since I posted about Fred.  For those interested, he's still kicking!  Happy Birthday, Fred!

Stay tuned on Monday when I post about a review on another book I read from fellow author friend, Marcy Hatch and her latest novel, West of Paradise.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  See you next week!

Mina Burrows