Who do I love? Could be you ...

Oh time change, how do I hate thee?  You make me feel like this ...

Hello all!  A couple of things on my mind ...

First, I can't express in words the heartache I feel for the folks in Japan.  Oddly enough, the catastrophe has had an impact on my small part of the writing world.  One of my longtime blog friends and writing group cohorts lives in Japan not far from the most heavily impacted areas.  After I awoke to the news, my thoughts immediately went to her.  I began to scour her blog and send out e-mails to our writing group partners, hoping beyond anything that someone had heard from her and that she was OK.  She had no internet, but was able to Tweet from her phone that she was fine.  I've rarely been so relieved, and it made me truly grateful for the technology.  

Do any of you have similar stories?  I'll leave the topic with this:  Help anyway that you can.

Second, and on the significantly less important side, it's Spring Break in my neck of the woods (and it actually feels like Spring!), so I've been busy getting some odd jobs done around the house.  It's kind of my ritual for this time of year as I've got the break from school, and the weather is still cool enough to get a lot of my plantings and garden maintenance done without risking heat stroke or 3rd degree sunburn.  While I've got tons I want to talk about with you all, the postings this week might be sporadic.  Next week should be back to business as usual.  

As such, I thought this would be a good opportunity to continue my special recognition of the people who've inspired me to continue with the madness that is blogging.  (YOU!)  It's also my way of saying thank you for any any and all blog awards I might have been given and failed to properly recognize.

Here are two more followers who deserve a little spotlight:  (HINT - Links to the blogs are the large titles below.)

QUEEN OF PROCRASTINATION by Donea Lee Weaver

The Bio: Donea is a self-proclaimed Utah "lifer" and lover of food, writing and many other things.  She's also one of the friendlier "faces" you'll see in the blog world.  Here's the bio from her blog:

"Welcome friends ~ so happy to have you here. You're welcome any time! :) I'm a UT-lifer, an oldest daughter, a BtVS fan 4 ever, a lover of baked goods, a huge proponent on GNOs, an eternal day-dreamer, a reader, a blogger, an aspiring writer, and so many other things. What you might find here are my musings on everything I love about life and a bit about my journey to publication. (Oh, and you get the pic of my dog because, well...he's cuter than I am. :)) Thanks for stopping by! ~Donea Lee Weaver"

Why You Should Follow: As Donea hints at in her bio, she's an eclectic person.  Her blog postings follow a similarly varied style.  (A style I adore, btw.  As if you couldn't tell from my own random blogging ...)  You'll find recipes, music and tons of writing related goodness.  She keeps a regular blog schedule, and I always find her stuff interesting because it's rarely exactly like anything she has posted before.  Did I mention she's funny as hell too?  In other words, you're not going to be bored with Donea any time soon.

The Sample: Here's an excerpt from one of her blog posts -

"First, may I ask a question?  Is there a brutal murder of chapter one in your foreseeable future?  Do you want to hit it with a hammer?  Stake it through the heart, maybe?  Gunshot to that first word?  String up the ending and just let it hang?

I was thinking ice pick, but heck.  I'm no Sharon Stone.  It's more likely I'll need to call a priest, because I'm not dealing with plain ol' maniacal chapters here.  My first chapter is THE DEVIL!!"

Margo Kelly by Margo Kelly :0)

The Bio: Margo is another of my oldest and dearest blog friends.  I think her blog was one of the first I ever followed, and she was one of my first followers.  (funny how that works)  It's kind of like we've come from the same e-Hood.  Here's the bio from her blog:

"In January 2009, I decided what I wanted to be when I grow up: a published author. Yup. That's right. I've written the book. Revised it until my brain exploded all over the pages, and then I revised it again. I am currently in the query process seeking an agent. In an attempt to not let my head explode again while waiting for query responses, I have started writing a second book. I have also submitted short stories for publication. 99% perspiration ... right? At least the effort to secure an agent should burn off some of the calories from the Symphony Bar I just ate. Come along with me for the journey. It could be entertaining. It could be helpful. Or, it could just be fattening."


Why You Should Follow:  Margo has a love for writing that is simply infectious.  Spend two seconds on her blog and you're going to see that she studies the craft and takes it seriously.  (But not TOO seriously.)  You're going to find tips on agenting (like fishing, but for agents), writing, blogging, reading and bunches of other things that all tie back into writing.  She is an extremely active blogger, and I find that her plain spoken insight is often exactly what my hyperactive writing mind needs to get me to focus on the writing and not all of the other 'junk' ... looking at you, Twitter.  


The Sample: Here's an excerpt from her blog -


"How do you provide a great critique of someone else's writing?

Here are some points to keep in mind, first:
1. Be polite: comment on things you do like about the writing
2. Be honest: give your true opinions
3. Be aware: give accurate advice
4. Be helpful: make suggestions for improvement

Next, before you can be a great critique partner, you need to read a book on the craft of writing (in my humble opinion!). Once you've read a book, you will know what to look for when critiquing. "

Be sure to check back next time, I might be in love with your blog too!

~EJW~