Oldy but goody ...

Update: It's up to a buck 99 now, but that's still a good deal, methinks.

Back to the original post :) :

The owner of Trufflehounds in downtown Ventura said that fans of my book, Truffles by the Sea, took a pic of themselves outside of their chocolate shop one day. How cool is that? If you didn't know, the shop depicted in the book - the one Gaby regularly visits for "sustenance" - is based on our very own local chocoholic emporium :)

If you haven't read T by the Sea and have a Kindle, it's on sale for 99cents. Not sure how long that will last, so wanted to let you know.

Have a beachy weekend, friends - wherever you are :)

Surfer's Knoll

Dreaming of last weekend ...

Have a beachy week, my friends ~ wherever you are ...

Are you watching???

Swimming - check. Beach volleyball - check. SOCCER -- check, check!

All those fit people make me want to go out and run farther than my puny two mile beach run. Can you relate?

My girls won two tickets to the American Idol concert tonight, so I made the 2+ hour drive with them in rush hour traffic - with College Girl at the wheel - in order for them to arrive by 7.  And my laptop and I've been at Starbucks ever since ... good thing I'm a gold card member =).

I've never been the Coffee House Office type of gal, but it's worked well for me tonight: free wi-fi, electrical outlet, chai tea ... a restroom, lol.  Who needs to pay rent? I've gotten tons done for only $2.95!

Here's to impromptu concerts and late nights with plenty of caffeine ... 

Morning Glory

When I stepped outside this morning for my run, Charlie the Dog wasn't happy ... because it was raining. Raining ... at the beach ... in July. Suddenly, we're from the east coast! We're not used to this in Cali, and my dog is a big baby when it comes to water. Doesn't like it. Weird, right?

But it didn't faze me. I love running in the rain. As a bonus, the sun was shining ... and there were TWO rainbows over the sea. Two sweet neighbors, both older gentlemen, stopped me on my run today. "See the rainbows?" they asked. Lovely.

The only bummer is I didn't have a camera with me. The good news is that my friend, Patricia ~  in the next town over ~ woke up early and saw the rainbows too. Her backyard faces the west, so she stepped out onto her desk and snapped a few photos ~ and voila ~ she sent them my way.

In Genesis, God said, "... When the rainbow appears in the cloud, I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between God and everything living, every last living creature on Earth." 

No wonder rainbows in the sky make us so happy (well, except for Charlie the dog =). Have a beachy week, my friends ... wherever you are.

I'll probably be in a lot of trouble for posting this photo, but then again, my kids don't read my blog so maybe they'll never find out. As you can see by the date stamp, this was 1996, when they were 2 and 5, and I was, well, just a teenager. Ha. Notice my quest to start their beach obsession young. Contrary to how it looks, I fed my son. Even at nearly 21 now he eats like a horse but doesn't have the poundage that I would if I packed it on like that. How fair is that? I actually had another post in mind, but ran across this photo and decided to use it to usher in the first weekend of July. May it inspire you to hit the beach, touristy binocs and all ... =)

Just returned from a hastily planned trip to Pennsylvania. My beloved father in law passed away, so we packed up and left California in order to honor his home going. He lived in the same small town nestled in the Allegheny Mountains where he and my mother in law - also in heaven now - raised five boys. FIVE boys. Can't imagine what that was like!

One thing's for sure ... once again, when we arrived, we knew we weren't in beachy Cali anymore. Here's a photo of our niece, our son, and one of our daughters as they chewed on sassafras leaves during a hike. They also picked wild blueberries and spotted bunnies darting out of brush. No palm trees in sight ...

The loss of my in laws is profound, the hole in our hearts unmistakable. And our kids have spent many vacations (most of them, actually) in a town of about 4,000 people where truly everybody knows your name. My son has red hair like his dad's (Dan's is white now), so people recognize Matt as a Carobini whenever we're in town. We're going to miss so much about Ridgway, PA ... but thankful, yes, so grateful for the memories.

Repost ... from November 2010

I've reposted this in honor of The Anderson Family who will soon be moving to the Santa Cruz area, a place that holds so many happy memories for us. Here's to you, dear friends!

On Saturday afternoon, Dan and I strolled along the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, bought two tickets, and rode THIS. This is the Giant Dipper, built in 1924, and the site of many childhood memories for me. During the summers, my family spent two weeks in a cabin in nearby Scotts Valley, and a highlight was always our visit to the boardwalk. That and our multiple screaming plunges down that big ol' roller coaster. It's red, white and made out of wood...a roller coaster purist's dream :)

Soon after our ride, our college kid called my cell.

"So, you and dad rode the Giant Dipper?"
"Yeah."
"By yourselves?"
LOL

After the boardwalk, we headed over to Steamer's Lane to check out the lighthouse/surfing museum, and watch surfers from a nearby cliff. The water looked crazy deep but the waves ran long and smooth, and one surfer in particular was quick enough to catch several (seemingly) unending rides. Best free entertainment of the day, I tell you!

Summer Reads on Sale

Wanted to let you know that ALL of my beach novels are discounted this week on Kindle. This is a special, limited time promotion by B&H Publishers. Also, Chocolate Beach, the Recipe Version, is FREE on KINDLE for five days only: June 18 - June 22. If you're interested in picking up any or all, please don't delay because these discounts expire soon.

You can find the Otter Bay Novels on Amazon by my name or by their titles: Sweet Waters, A Shore Thing, and Fade to Blue. Or click on the covers on my sidebar. (Also available at a discount is Truffles by the Sea.)

And if you'd be so kind, would you pass this news along to your KINDLE-loving friends? If you have any questions, just leave me a comment. Thanks much, and have a beachy day, my friends ... wherever you are ...

Sometimes it's the little things ..

... like temporary free parking to check the surf. I mean, seriously, do you want to have to pay a buck only to find out that the surf is flat?

Lol ... see? This is why I write about seaside towns in all their quirky glory. I've lived in California all my life so I've got fodder for YEARS, people!

If the sun's out where you are, I hope you'll find some time (even for a break) to ditch the office and let it shine on your face a bit. Have a beachy day, wherever you are ...

I send out news when I have some to share ... not just any old time. So I hope you'll sign up for my occasional newsletter either on my sidebar to the right (you'll have to scroll down a bit). Or you can click the HOME button up top and sign up on that page. The next issue will go out in about 9 days because I've got some sweet deals to announce! Plus I'll tell you about one of our favorite places to stay on the central California coast and what's up in my writing world.

I hope you'll sign up. I pinky promise not to bombard you with mail =).

My oldest daughter just finished her last high school paper. For-e-vah. Next week she graduates, and I'm excited, but also can't quite believe it. She's my fun, redheaded crazy girl and I'm going to miss seeing that sweet face every day when she moves away to college. So weird that while she grew up, I stayed exactly the same. Haha...

Congratulations to the class of 2012! May you set the bar high ... but not so high that you forget to laugh a lot. It's good medicine, they say.

This is Chauncey. My friend, Susan, has a rather dark sense of humor and has made it a tradition to give weird ornaments at Christmastime. She's part of a group of friends of mine in Orange County, CA - the OC girls, I call them - and since we missed our annual Christmas party last year, we met a couple of weeks ago at a posh restaurant in Newport Beach (Enchiladas = 22 bucks!).

So anyway, I chose the first gift: a PRETTY glass stocking to hang on the tree. It was red and sparkly and I loved it ... but then my (so-called) friend, Sharyl, STOLE it. So I had to choose again, and you guessed it, I got this little guy here. I've named him Chauncey in an effort to not be quite so scared of him.

This is the second time I've been stuck, er, graced by one of Susan's gifts. In fact, the last one was so HIDEOUS that he made it into a scene in Fade to Blue. In that scene, the hero and heroine meet at a church bazaar at the table of an "artist" who had created the most unlovely Christmas ornaments ever (except for Chauncey, of course). They were hand-painted golf balls that should have stayed on turf. In an act of chivalry, the hero of Fade2Blue bought a box full of the sad ornaments - and forever sealed himself within the heroine's heart.

Other than finding his way into a book, that gloomy little ornament didn't stay in the Carobini household long. In a prophetic twist, he landed back in the Christmas ornament pile, all spruced up and gleaming in a fancy wrapping paper when an unsuspecting Susan plucked him from the gift table. It was only right.

As for Chauncey, I promise not to become too attached ... after all, our annual Christmas get-together is only six months away ... (insert evil laughter here).

Saw a post on Facebook yesterday that said, "No coffee, no workee." Lol ... so my life. But really, I think it should say, "No GOOD coffee, no workee." I mean, life's too short to drink bad coffee, am I right? (You know I am.)

Here's to the little things - like heart-shaped cappuccinos - that make our mornings special. Happy Wednesday, my friends =)

Christmas ... by the Sea

Congrats, Tim! You've won the book on Spiritual Gifts :) It'll be on its way to you this week!

It's nearly 8 pm here on the central coast. Time for me to dig back into this Christmas book I'm writing. Which brings me to a thought for you to ponder. The book I'm writing is set at Christmastime ... at the beach. No surprise there, am I right? Well, recently one of my publishers took a survey and the opinion is that Christmas books must include toasty fires (okay, check. I can do that at the beach) and pine scent (Fabreze, anyone?)

Seriously, there's this belief out there that Christmas and the beach don't go together. Tell that to the millions of snowbirds who flock to the coast in the winter! I just don't get it. As authors, we're told to avoid the same ol', same ol'. Readers want a new experience, we're told. But then sample readers tell us the opposite. Give us tradition, they say. Recycle the story I read last year, they seem to say.

But I think my readers are more enlightened than that, and so I press on. I'm writing a fun story with plenty of thoughtful candy canes to chew on. At the beach. At Christmastime. And I'm writing it with YOU in mind - the cool, laid-back beach readers I've come to know and love.

No worries - I've got your backs, my friends ;-)

Boo ...

I received a box of these in the mail today because, well, I ghostwrote the study in the back of the book. My name's nowhere to be found in the text, but it doesn't matter. A writer is a writer is a writer. When I'm not writing novels, I'm writing articles, and grocery lists. And study guides. It's one of my gifts and I intend to use it, name on book or not. Do you know your gift(s)? Do you want to? Okay, then, I'm going to give away a copy. Just enter a comment with a way to reach you and I'll pick a winner Saturday afternoon. Easy peasy!

Hello, Monday

It's Sunday night and I'm missing the weekend already. On Saturday the girls and I met up with our pals Angel and Emilee for some cupcakes and beach time. While the younger girls wandered the sand, Angel and I browsed through shops and gabbed as if we didn't have a care.

Only we both do. Lots of cares. Uppermost being concern for my precious father-in-law who's been very ill for weeks.

Eventually, A & I made it down to the beach ourselves. While the girls oohed over a sea lion bobbing in the surf, I hoisted myself onto this ladder-less lifeguard tower, and for just a few minutes, allowed all my worries to blow out to sea. When I hopped off that tower, I felt lighter, refreshed. Such amazing grace, that is.

May you go into this week with your burdens lifted, my friends ~ and have a beachy day, wherever you are ...

So I've opined about Teen Girl's College search, and I've stressed over the cost, but in the end, the decision has been made. Can I get a hurrah? She's decided on Drexel in Philadelphia. I know, I know ... far away from our sleepy little beach town. Somehow I gave birth to a city girl. Not sure how that happened! Trust me - I suggested Hawaii but she just wouldn't go for it. Where did I go wrong?? LOL Ah, well. Have a beachy rest of the weekend, friends - wherever you are =)

Day by day ...

Started working on one project this weekend, then switched gears because another story kept getting in the way. It's something I've thought about writing for years, but could never see it clearly. I can't say that all the pieces have come together yet, but what I can tell you is that the words began to pour out, as if on their own. When I re-read what I'd written, it was as if I saw a reflection of what it will be.

And so I write with faith that the story will become clearer and clearer as I move forward. Ever have an experience like that?

Here, ducky, ducky ...

Saw these little guys on my neighbor's driveway the other day. See, this is why I love living near the sea. My friend, Deb, prefers life in the mountains, near the deer, her horses, and - gulp - snakes. Me? Not so much. I swoon over the pelicans soaring through the sky on my morning run, and at Oscar the Seal, who pops up through the water to greet me (some of my neighbors think his name is "Sally." Whatever.) Oh, and the herons! When they glide overhead, I marvel at their grace.

Hey, it's the little things, you know? Life is busy. Too busy. And don't get me started about the stress - Ay caramba! But it's times like these, stumbling upon ducks on a sunny weekend morning, that quack me up ...

Have a beachy week, my friends - wherever you are =)

Neat-o

Give me some sand and a pair of worn-in flip-flops, and that's usually all it takes to make me a happy girl. So my attachment to this Kate Spade iPhone cover has taken me by surprise. It's calling to me like a lemonade Popsicle in July.

But I told my husband no way. Not going to pay that much for a phone cover. Uh-uh, not going to do it. Instead, we popped into Big Lots and bought one for 5 bucks. So it has an ugly red backing on it? We have college tuition to pay, so a fancy phone cover is o-u-t out.

Then again. Look at it. Can't you just hear the soundtrack of Beach Party playing while you lounge by the pool? Ahh ... maybe it's the call of summer I'm really hearing. Long afternoons beneath a wide umbrella, a cool drink, perhaps a dip in the pool ...

Sigh. Think I'll go put in my copy of Confessions of a Shopaholic. Care to join me? =)

Long live chicky books

Years ago, Chocolate Beach, zaniness and all, was released into the world. I wrote this story about a laid-back beach gal with marriage troubles by the seat of my pants, truly not knowing what would happen next. Even though my craft improved over the years as I tried to - you know - write more serious fiction, CB continues to find new fans. Especially in summertime. Yes, I still get fan mail about Bri Stone and her pal, Gaby, and you know what? I love these characters too! I mean, who can resist a laid-back chick who finds solace from life's dramas by eating chocolate at the beach with her best friend? Right?

Last year, I added bonus content: recipes (Chocolate chili, anyone?) and a new scene, and released Chocolate Beach as an e-book. It's made the rounds, so starting today, Chocolate Beach is available exclusively on Kindle - and it's free in their Kindle Owners Lending Library. If you've never had the chance to read it, and you have a Kindle, you can borrow it. For FREE. (Caveat: you have to be a member of Amazon Prime ...) Here's the link to CB, the e-book.

Happy Monday, my friends! I'm working on a new e-book to be released later this year (woo!), and a couple of other sweet projects. More on that later. In the meantime, have a beachy week ... wherever you are =)

Amen!

G&B

So you might recall (or maybe you don't) my mini-obsession with Giuliana & Bill. I wrote about "discovering" them here. My daughters are convinced I have a girl-crush on Giuliana. Whatever. Isn't she just so cute though??

Anyway. I watched the premier of their new season last night and cried. Giuliana was diagnosed with breast cancer last year after a routine mammogram to prepare her for IVF. The call from her doctor was the last one she'd expected. Instead of a baby, she got cancer.

She's been incredibly transparent about the ordeal. She had a double lumpectomy, and eventually, a double mastectomy. I love how she's out there telling women to get checked. You might recall that just a few years ago our government issued a controversial recommendation against routine screenings for women over 40 - and don't even think about it if you're under that age.

Giuliana Rancic was 36 when she had hers. So there you go ....

Decisions, decisions

Even years later, we're still fans of the Gilmore Girls here in the Carobini household. Just the other day my daughter texted me that she was having a "Paris" moment. It happened toward the end of GG's run, when Rory and her pal were getting ready to graduate from Yale, that Paris began getting acceptance letters for grad school. And she couldn't decide. Her initial excitement dimmed with each tear of an envelope as she realized she'd have to make a choice. What if she made a mistake? What if she picked the wrong school when so many had admitted her?

Oh, the angst of making choices.

Kind of where my daughter is at the moment. She's received college acceptance letters to fashion design programs all over the country ... and is having a hard time deciding. I vote for the cheapest one, but that's just me :-)

I recently edited an Amish novel that will be in stores early next year. In it, there's discussion of how an Amish bishop is chosen for each district. In one scenario, a slip of paper is inserted into a songbook, and the man who happens to open that book and find it gets the job.

Hmm. Maybe we could do something like that?

The photo above is one I found on my phone. Apparently one of my daughters took it last week as we drove across the Bay Bridge from Oakland to San Francisco - the locale of one of the college choices, this one an art-focused university. She'd be much closer to home, but it has its drawbacks too. So a pro/con list has been started.

I'll let you know how it goes ... What do you do when you have so many choices?

I'm blushing ...

I need more pink in my life, so when I learned that there were real PINK dolphins in the world, I had to find a photo and post it here. What a dream. I've loved dolphins most of my life, and now I learn that they come in shades of girl. God is SO good :).

Most are found in the Amazon, but this little guy over here (or gal?) is a bottlenose dolphin that was found in a lake in Louisiana. Well, I do declare ... a southerner!

Editing tonight, but I couldn't resist poppin' in to say hello and to offer up a bit of bubblegum cheer. Happy Thursday, my friends!

Skype, anyone?

Anyone watch The Bachelor this season? Me neither. But I did watch the proposal, and all I can say is, "Get a haircut, Ben!" Oy! I tell my son this all the time and just because he's in college and an adult, he thinks he doesn't have to listen to me. Well. All I want to say is that if he ever chooses to go on The Bachelor, he'll be thanking me for correcting his grooming habits now ... before all of America witnesses his inability to dial up the barber.

Aha, actually, my son, Matt (love you, kid!), listens to me about other things, so I can't complain. And he cooks when he's home from school, so I guess I can deal with the hair. Choose your battles and all of that :-) Besides, next year I'll be too busy. A second kiddo will be heading off to college, which means I'll have TWO kids to nag long distance.

Am I right?

AI is back

The regular Carobini viewing audience of American Idol has dwindled from five to two: young teen girl and Dad. Older teen girl moseyed in and out. I watched a bit of it tonight, but not much. I think I'll get into it when they whittle down the field to the top 12, but I can't stand the first nights of top 24. Two people (right?) will have to go - and what a bummer for them.

I watched the 17 year old boy with the Jason Castro hair wow the girls, and the guy with the punk mullet. Can't recall much else, but I've got a backache and a long day tomorrow, so maybe y'all can fill me in?

Any favorites yet? Any predictions? I'm listening!

Oh, and before I go ... not missing Simon. Are you? ;-)

Back in business, show business, that is ...

Billy did not disappoint. This is the first Oscar show I've watched in its entirety in ... years. I usually start the show, but walk out when it becomes too political, too self-important, too ... cynical. Yeah, usually within the first ten minutes.

Isn't Jessica Chastain beautiful in her Alexander McQueen gown? We loved her in The Help. If you've been reading this blog awhile, you know that my oldest daughter is a budding fashion designer. She'll be off to college next year to sketch and sew late into the night, so until then, we watch red carpet-type shows whenever possible. Jessica's dress was one of her favorites, and I have to agree. But there's another reason I appreciate Jessica ... and I'll get to that in a bit.

As for the show, Billy set the perfect tone: entertainment. Loved how the crowd didn't take themselves as seriously as they have in past years, like maybe it wasn't all about them. Fewer parade waves!!!

Emma Stone was da bomb as a presenter, da bomb! Is it just me or do those presenter skits usually fizzle like a warm Perrier? Emma nailed it though because she stayed in character the whole time. Hilarious. And not to leave out her stoney-faced sidekick ... Ben Stiller was the perfect straight man to Emma's giddy first-time presenter.

Other shout outs: Cirque de Soleil, Melissa she'll-always-be-sookie-to-me McCarthy making a play for Billy, and Christopher Plummer gets the most romantic acceptance speech nod for saying that his wife, Elaine, should get the Noble Peace Prize for "coming to my rescue every day of my life." Sigh...

I was so sad that Viola Davis did not win the Best Actress award for The Help, but happy that Octavia Spencer nabbed it for her portrayal of Minnie. What really brought tears to my eyes, though, was Jessica Chastain's reaction to Octavia's win. Jessica was up for the same award, but when Octavia's name was called, Jessica's expression was of pure joy. No mistaking it. And it was refreshing ...

Up next, I must see The Artist. My dad told me it was great and he should know ~ he wrote the book on silent movies (Really; I'm not kidding; he wrote, Navarro's Silent Film Guide.) So asap, I'm going to the movies.

Popcorn, anyone?

There's no business, like show business, like ...

The young 'uns don't know who he is (SAD!), but he's the reason (the only reason) I'm planning to watch the Oscars tomorrow. You in?

See you tomorrow ... when the mocking begins (of everything and everyone except Billy, that is =)

Sittin' on the dock of the bay ...

I missed my old website background, so my web designer, Kelli, restored it! She left some of the other color changes, but something about those rustic pilings in the background just feeds my nautical soul.

Did you even notice it was gone?

Another change to the site is that I closed the beach shop. Sigh. Sad, but true. But that's okay. T'was fun while it lasted ~ and I have some stock to unload on eBay ~ but this year's all about intentional living. With a job in broadcasting, a busy novel editing business, volunteer work with the Christian Authors Network, AND some writing of my own to do, the shop had become a drain. So, it's gone. Fini!

Have you ever done that? Just packed it all in and called it a day? Now that I've done it, it feels good. Now I'll have some time for ... the beach! :-)

Have a beachy three-day weekend, my friends ~ wherever you are!

Such a character ...

So the other day my husband and I are talking about my day job and he says, "They do know, don't they?"

I just laughed.

See, my husband has this notion that I somehow get my characters from people I know. Pish-posh. Everyone knows I like to make up stories, scenarios ... people.

Then again, I have regaled him a time or two lately with stories from the office, funny bits of dialogue, and offbeat observances. And the other day I met a famous person at work (I'd tell you who, but then I'd have to kill you ...), and his agent asked me if I was writing a story about the peeps in my company.

Without so much as a second breath, I told her, "It's ALL fodder."

At my boss' widening eyes, I quickly added, "But only heroes here."

Haha ... good save (right?)

Ah, well. The truth is, I do tend to write what I know, which is why hubby is a bit, uh, sensitive =).

Speaking of fodder, the photo in this post is a real snapshot of a conversation (if you can call it that) between my son and me via iPhone. Now I ask you ... with characters like this in my life, why would I need to look any further than my own four walls?

Very pinteresting ...

Those who know me know that I don't like not being in the know. Ya know? So when my daughter goaded encouraged me to sign up for Pinterest, I bit. Only thing is ... I don't really get it. Not yet. All I know is it's some kind of online pinboard, and if that's the case, I'll probably be pinning up beachy things once I'm given my golden entrance ticket.

If you're part of Pinterest, feel free to fill me/us in! And have a beachy evening, wherever you are ...

On friends and good times ...

Missing friends today. I've been so busy with work and home life, that I've not had a whole lotta extra time for friends. Drat!

One friend and I did get together briefly a couple of weeks ago. I was on my way home from work and she was driving the volleyball carpool into my hometown. We caught up over sliders and nachos and I learned that she too just took a second job. (We both have college-aged kids, oy vey!)

Another friend moved to grey-poupon Montecito and I miss her terribly! She's the one who introduced me to the restaurant in the photo ... must. call. her. this. weekend!

And there are a couple of longtime pals, close ones, who happen to be in the book biz too. These gals and I used to lunch it regularly (separately, as they don't know each other). Must do again soon! But when???

Ah, well. I found the photo on my phone and it spurred this blog post. Funny how one little photo can warm the heart with thoughts of friends and good times. Gonna try, hard, to let them all know that I care. It's the thought that counts. Right?

Here's to our beachy friends ~ wherever they may be ...

Seeing more clearly

I'm thinking about views tonight. The view from my home office is of palm trees and sky. From my other office, I can see the mountains. This photo shows the idyllic view from one of my favorite hotels.

Sometimes I'm so burdened by worries within that I forget to turn outward ... and view the stuff happening around me ~ the good and the challenging.

Like I mentioned in the post about my word for the year (intentional), that's not living. Living is consciously looking for the sparkle in the rough, it's being aware of God's presence in the midst of trials, it's finding joy in every day. Every. Day.

I'm trying. And you know what? Living intentionally is working. Life's not perfect, and it won't be until we're sitting in the sand on Heaven's beach. But in the here and now, I like what I'm beginning to see.

How about you? From where you're standing, how's it looking out there?

I think I've found my calling ...

What a way to make a living ...

If you've read my recent newsletter, you know that I decided to take a job outside of my little hovel of an office. Yes, I've gone corporate. The company I work for owns oodles of radio stations and keeps me hopping.

But that's not what I'm writing about today.

What I'm writing about is the need for writers to get out of the "hovel of an office" and experience, well, life. That doesn't mean you have to get a 9-5 job, but here's the thing: it's tough to keep up the social skills when you spend most of your days talking to/arguing with/cooing over ... fictional humans.

Not only that, the publishing business is cruel. After spending months and months talking to said characters, usually in a bathrobe or maybe sweats, you're encouraged ... no, wait ... you're EXPECTED to put on nice clothes and actually talk to people. You have to do more than talk to them ~ you have to convince them to buy your book!

For some writers, that might be a breeze, but for many I know, including yours truly, it's a form of torture. Novelists are by nature curious people, but many are also shy. They like to be unassuming. They like their quiet walks to stir up the creativity when their characters won't think and act as they want them to, and they like their privacy.

And like me, they become woefully out of practice socially after spending many months alone with their characters.

I've been working outside my home office for nearly two months now (I still edit quite a bit too ... but that's a blog for another time), and one thing I can tell you: I'm learning to socialize again, to have extended conversations with real human beings, and to play nice with others in a big, corporate sandbox.

Something tells me, there's a story here somewhere ...

Meet my friend, Gina Conroy

The Five Stages of Writing Grief
by Gina Conroy

Receiving a writing rejection can feel as if a part of your dream has died. After one such rejection last summer, I realized I was going through the stages of writing grief.

When I was first told by my mentor that I should scrap my 50,000 word WIP and start over, I was in SHOCK and DENIAL. I was being asked to delete six months of my writing life! I was paralyzed for an entire weekend. I couldn't think, let alone apply any of the great teaching my mentor gave me to my current WIP which was technically dead to me at the moment.

After the excitement and the adrenaline of the weekend wore off I went through a mixture of ANGER and BARGAINING and DEPRESSION. I don't remember the anger stage being strong, but depression was incapacitating at times! I couldn't write or even read. What was the point! My story was dead, and I wasn't about to try and read someone else's story while I was grieving.

Then came the bargaining. Maybe, just maybe I could salvage the WIP. So I tried writing my historical romance in first person. I only got 113 words written before depression set in again, and I realized it was useless. If I turned my WIP into women's fiction as my mentor suggested, it would be a totally different story with a different feel and plot. Which was okay, but something I didn't have the energy to do. After all, I was still grieving.

So I started revisiting an old idea, close to my heart that I'd been afraid to write. First, I reread the 7 pages, the only pages I'd written. My heart was stirred. I felt new life coming back into my soul. So I read it again, and edited just a few lines and added a few more. Could I do this?

Then I sent it out to some trustworthy friends for confirmation that I should be working on this story. And they concurred. I should run with this one. Now, over a year later, I'm almost finished with the first draft, and I’m glad I allowed new life to flow into this story.

Where are you in your writing? Are you grieving?
Sometimes if we identify the loss, it makes it easier to move on!
Gina Conroy is president and founder of Writer...Interrupted where she mentors busy writers. Knowing how difficult it is to raise a family as well as a career, she chronicles her triumphs and trials on Defying Gravity, hoping to encourage those on a similar path. She is represented by Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary, and her first novella, Buried Deception, in the Cherry Blossom Capers Collection, releases from Barbour Publishing in January 2012. Gina loves to connect with readers on Facebook and Twitter
In Buried Deception in the Cherry Blossom Capers Collection Mount Vernon archaeology intern and widow Samantha Steele wants to provide for her children without assistance from anyone. Security guard and ex-cop Nick Porter is haunted by his past and keeps his heart guarded. But when they discover an artifact at Mount Vernon is a fake, Nick and Samantha need to work together, set aside their stubbornness, and rely on each other or the results could be deadly. Will Samantha relinquish her control to a man she hardly knows? Can Nick learn to trust again? And will they both allow God to excavate their hearts so they can find new love?

Word to the wise ...

Lately, friends have been talking about the "word" God has given them for the year. Not sure if this is a fad, trendy, or something wise Christians have been requesting for years. Nevertheless, I decided to ask God for a word of my own, and he let me know that he'd already given me one.

Intentional.

The word that had been rolling around in my head even before I asked the question, was intentional. Actually, there was a phrase, too: intentional living.

I haven't exactly begun to define it, but I've already found myself doing and thinking things intentionally. Not just going through the motions, or "getting through it" but living the life God gave me consciously. Ha ... seriously, sometimes when I have to think too hard I find myself glazing over and watching the minutes tick by so I can call it a night. But that's not living!

Don't get me wrong, though. I don't think that intentional living means adding more to my schedule. That's overbooked as it is, thank-you-very-much. I think it's more of a "stop and smell the roses" kind of thing. (Or in my case, "stop and smell the sea air.") Or when life gets tough, and it does at times, I've already begun to "stop and praise the Lord" through it.

So here's to 2012 and living intentionally--and finding out more about what that means. What about you? Any thoughts on what you're going to do differently in this new year?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope you all have a beautiful new year's weekend! If you're not on my occasional newsletter list, then you missed my latest one. Here's a copy for a brief update on Carobini doings :)

And here's to a joyful and productive 2012, my beachy friends ~ wherever you are!

Happy Day after Christmas

Hubby secretly snapped this photo of College Boy Matt and me as we walked the bluffs in Carpinteria. Beautiful day after Christmas here, so we had to get out and explore. Was impromptu, really ... and I'm so glad Dan suggested we stop.

Have a beachy week, my friends ... wherever you are!

Parade of Lights

Last night we wandered down to the park to watch Ventura's Parade of Lights. It was like going back in time for us because before we moved to the beach area, we would drive to this same park and watch the parade from there. After moving to the beach, though, we made some close friends who invited us to watch from their dock every year. Sadly, they moved earlier this year.

Wasn't sure if we'd bother with the parade, but I'm so glad we did. Rather than drive over to the crowded harbor where the event originates, four of us moseyed on over to the park and watched from a bluff. SO fun. The night was cool, and we experienced moments of rain, but no wind! Yes! Loved how one of the boats had a Happy Birthday Jesus sign on it, and how others lit stars high atop their masts.

After the parade, fireworks were shot into the sky over the water. Ahhh...does it get any better? All this was free community fun, so yes, I guess that makes it even bettah :)

As they say in the movie, The Holiday, Happy Christmas, friends!

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

The whole brood is home for the holy-days! College boy arrived today, and the girls will finish classes tomorrow. Dan and I continue to work. Isn't that the way? Ha.

No matter. I've got a list of chores a mile long and I'm not afraid to assign them. Lol

Seriously, though, there are some things that I love to do at this time of year that have slipped through the cracks, so to speak. We're busy, for cryin' out loud, but it's time to slow down. To sit by the fire and enjoy the white lights of our tree, to walk the neighborhood after dark and watch the houses light up, to wander into the local garden store that transforms every year into a Christmas wonderland. We also have plans to visit some dear friends. These are the things I want to do this weekend.

What's on your list?

View of the Hudson

Teen Daughter's college apps are in, so now we wait. I say "we" because college-planning-and-decision-making has become a family affair. We sent College Boy off to LA a couple of years ago, and here we go again. Only this time, instead of a two-hour drive away, our eldest daughter wants to live in or near NY. Sigh. All but two of the schools she's considering are far, far away.

I don't know how I'll stand it.

But I do know this: she's not getting rid of us that easily. We've got skype and frequent flier miles--and we're not afraid to use 'em.

It's that most wonderful time of year ...

You’re standing on a rocky overlook, sea spray landing on your cheeks, sunlight kissing your nose—and the hint of danger in the air. That’s the feeling of standing “this” close to a 5,000 pound elephant seal basking in the sun along California’s central coast. Thankfully, viewing areas, wooden fences, and friendly docents make it easy to stay safe. Ah, but what a view!

I’m a sucker for these animals in the wild. If you get a chance to visit California’s central coast during birthing season—December through March—do! (If you have to wait until spring, however, no worries. May is peak time to see female seals and their “pups” birthed earlier in the year.)

With its dazzling seascapes, rolling hills, and gorgeous wildlife, I’ve been fascinated with this picturesque stretch of California for years—so much so that I set several novels here. In fact, the coastal area from Cambria to San Simeon is the setting (with a bit of poetic license from me) for the Otter Bay Novels.

Oh, and this is fun—when you reach San Simeon from the south, look up the long and winding hill to your right and you'll see the historic Hearst Castle overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The castle has a prominent place in my recent release, Fade to Blue. From there, drive another five miles or so north, and you’ll come upon the Piedras Blancas Rookery. There you’ll find thousands of barking elephant seals swimming, fighting with each other, or simply lying around on soft sand—not unlike your typical, beach-loving family!

I hope the Otter Bay Novels inspire you to take your own trip along California's coast someday. If you do, tell me about your adventure, won’t you? I’d love to hear from you!

Low Tide

Beautiful weekend on the coast! Summer is often foggy here, so late fall/early winter is the best. The tide was so low on Thursday that I could walk out (almost) to the end of the jetty. Sooo fun--at least I thought so. Doggy didn't seem to care for it, ha.

Ah, well, I'm back to work. Have a beachy week, my friends ~ wherever you are.

Happy Black Friday! (Does that look as weird as it sounds?) Hmm. Anyhoo, wanted to let you know that ALL of my beach reads are discounted in my beach shop and include FREE shipping in the USA. I'd be happy to sign any or all for gift giving. Just let me know.

You can reach Julie's Beach Shop on the button bar above, or go directly to the beach read category here.

Happy shopping (and wrapping) :)

Mind Over Madi

UPDATED: 11/23/11 Congrats to Lauri! You're the winner of Mind Over Madi. Woo-hoo! Thanks, everyone, for playing!

Fellow ACFW member, Lynda Lee Schab, and I met online several years ago after she read one of my books and dropped me a note. (Thankfully, it wasn't a scathing review or anything, ha ha.) I'm SO excited to announce that Lynda has a book of her own now, Mind Over Madi, published by OakTara.

Here's the blurb:
All men cheat. At least, that's what Madi's mother has always told her. Madi McCall admits her husband lacks a little in the romance department, but all in all, he's been a good husband, a good father. Now, though, she suspects Rich is having an affair with Fawn Witchburn, the mother of one of his fourth-grade students. To say Fawn shows off her "assets" more than should be legally allowed in public is an understatement, and Madi's insecurities kick into high gear. When, in a heated moment, she asks Rich to leave and he complies, Madi is forced to deal with her issues. Issues of love and trust she's tried so hard to avoid. Issues that trail all the way back to her childhood and make her act like a total moron.

Julie here. I've got an extra copy and would love for one of my readers to have it for the holidays. Just comment on this post with your email address AND tell me what time your family has Thanksgiving dinner. (I won't be showing up or anything ... just checking to see who's paying attention :) I'll let you know the winner's name on Wednesday at noon, PST.

Now, go forth and comment! (p.s. Just learned that IE sometimes prevents people from commenting. Until I figure out why, try Mozilla. Works great :)

You like?

Kelli Standish of Pulsepoint Designs lightened up my website and blog for me. Amazing what a new shade of lipstick, er, background colors can do for the psyche. Know what I mean? I wanted the same design, but a little less, oh I don't know, boom. I wanted some softness with my sizzle, some seaglass inspiration for my beachy website.

So anyhoo, she's lighter and brighter and that fits me--and my mood--just fine. Now if only I could find that perfect shade of lipstick ...

I have disappeared ...

If you're looking for my website, it's a bit under the weather today. Hang on ... my trusty web designer is on it!

Updated: I'm back. Thanks for noticing I was gone in the first place ... :)

p.s. Busy schedule lately. If you're on FB, feel free to connect with me there. If not, I'll try to post something fabulous here soon. Pinky promise.

college daze

This is the building that houses the admissions office at Drexel University in Philly. Doesn't it make you want to go to school? Outside the locale is urban and hectic, but inside evokes reverence. The hallowed halls of learning and all that ...

Teen girl is deep into application time, which for a fashion design student means more than transcripts, essays, and test scores--as if that weren't enough. It means creating dazzling portfolios for each school. Have I mentioned that my drawing talent goes no farther than the stick figure? Yeah. I'm not much help to her.

I honestly don't remember things being this complicated when I applied to college. But then again, I applied to one, got accepted, and went there. Bada bing bada boom.

Anyone else going through the college app process with their child? How's that going for you? :-)

Live in the 805

My son, Matt, attends BIOLA University and works as a school ambassador. He gives tours, makes phone calls to prospective students, and he blogs for the university. His blogging gig even landed the school in the Huffington Post and you can read about that here.

Anyway, Matt usually blogs about dorm life, but this weekend he came home and waxed poetically about that instead. (He even posted a gorgeous photo of the Ventura coast that makes me want to walk to the beach this instant!) Thought you'd enjoy a snippet of life in Ventura from a college kid's perspective. Notice the first two draws on the list are food, hmm ...:

Matt's Blog