Doreen McGettigan

Welcome July!

It’s another month and time for another posting of the #InsecureWritersSupportGroup. Whether you are looking for support, advice or a few hundred friends this is the place and we are your people!

You are welcome to join us!

Nicki Elson, Juneta Key, Tamara Narayan, and Patricia Lynne! Be sure to stop by, say hi and thank them.

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The title of this post is warm-up for the upcoming A-Z blog challenge. I hope you will consider joining the more than 1000 bloggers who have already signed up. The challenge starts in April.

Check it out here:

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I was tagged again, this time by Troy Lewis  http://wwwanothersecondchanceorg.blogspot.com to participate in

The Next Big Thing..

I first answer 10 questions about my WIP and then tag 5 writers to do the same who have 7 days to post their answers…

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The first Wednesday of each month is our monthly meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group. If you are a writer feeling insecure or a writer feeling secure and can spread some positive energy please join us!

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Signed Books make great gifts! If interested please call 484-482-3425:)

Also in honor of Bristol boyz Stomp’s birthday, I am giving signed copies away..stop over and comment on the contest link!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bristol-boyzStomp/113804488656243

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This month my book BRISTOL bOYZ STOMP is one year old and what a year it has been. I still have to pinch myself sometimes. Writing a book and having it published was a dream I started to have when I was 10-years-old. This book was not the book I dreamed of writing.

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                               http://katherinescorner.com

                                 http://www.halfpastkissintime.com

Since Hurricane Sandy took away our favorite beach on Monday I thought I would post some of my favorite memories of Strathmere, New Jersey to hold me over til it can be restored…

Our Sunset Wedding…

Daughter Joan and Granddaughter Adriana…

Granddaughter Julia…

Grandbabies Morgan, Julia and Jimmy…

A Summer Storm…

Granddaughter Peyton Elizabeth escaped off the blanket summer of 2011

Peyton Elizabeth summer of 2012, she is definitely a beach baby:) So is her sister Avery Paige…

My son Jim and Grandson Christian…

My website header…

My book signing at the Beach/ Schiavo Library where I met blog/facebook friend author/artist Barbara Hammond

Granddaughter Adriana didn’t want to leave the beach…

Beach baby Peyton Elizabeth /2011

I am thankful for all the past memories and the ones to come. My thoughts and prayers are with those that lost much more than sand…

Doreen

Bristol boyz Stomp-Book Trailer:

 http://youtu.be/_6ApR_tV63Y

Bristol boyz Stomp Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/bristol-boyz-Stomp/113804488656243?ref=hl

I would like to introduce you to author Kathleen Rodgers. She is a facebook friend that I want to meet ‘In real life’ one day. I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I have…

Where did you grow up?

Clovis, New Mexico, home of Cannon Air Force Base and the Santa Fe Railroad. Growing up in a family of six kids, I spent countless hours in a rocking chair, daydreaming about what it would be like to be someone else. Little did I know then that I was simply creating stories in my head. Then one day I learned that I could write them down.

Through my writing, I’ve been able to explore many subjects. My goal is always to get to the truth through the people and places I write about, real or imagined. Along the way, I’ve encountered many roadblocks and detours, but I’ve pressed ahead and kept my eyes on the goals I mapped out years ago.

Tell us about your family,[ husband, kids]

I am the mother of two grown sons, Thomas (an award-winning artist) and J.P. (a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army). I live in Colleyville, TX, with my husband, Tom, a retired fighter pilot who currently flies for a major airline, and my Chocolate Lab, Bubba. My husband and sons have always supported me in my work. When the boys were younger, they were the inspiration behind and oftentimes the subjects of many of the stories I sold to Family Circle Magazine and Air Force, Army & Navy Times.

 What was your first published piece?

Not counting my time as a staff reporter for the Clovis News Journal, I sold a humorous story about bass fishing to Bass n’ Gals Magazine. I got paid $25 and never cashed the check. Silly me!

Being a military family, I am guessing you moved a bit. Excluding your home state what was your favorite state?

Alaska and here’s why:

(I was twenty-seven when I wrote this poem, a newborn cradled in my lap and a yellow legal pad absorbing the scribbles of my restless pen. Back then, the days seemed endless and my thoughts came faster than I could catch them. The temperature outside hovered around thirty below zero. Somewhere off in the distance, beyond the Alaska Range, my husband flew his single-seat fighter high above the snow clouds.)

The Snow Comes Early

in the high country of Alaska.

The midnight sun

has long since vanished.

The days are now short-lived;

dawn, noon and dusk less than a handful of hours.

The birch are stripped naked;

their chocolate chip trunks

sticking out of the snow.

The hills of Tanana Valley

are like mounds of flour dumped on the floor

from an opened sack.

And we are the inhabitants

in this whitewashed land,

where sixty degrees below zero

can kill even the strongest of men.

But we are risk takers!

Riding the open road of the military…

a journey we often complain of,

but a dream voyage for others

fenced in by fate.

So let us be thankful

when winter sets in,

that we are here, at the top of the world-

Closer to our Maker,

when the snow comes early

in the high country of Alaska.

© Kathleen M. Rodgers   — Alaska 1985

Tell us about your book/books.

In my debut novel The Final Salute, I wrote about U.S. Air Force fighter pilots and their families at the time of the first Gulf War. Two key themes I explored: How fighter pilots often die in peacetime training missions and how the brass and bad commanders cover up sex scandals in the military.

Without the help of an expensive publicist, I used modern technology and old-school methods to gain national attention for my book. Write-ups have appeared in The Associated Press, USA Today, Military Times, Family Magazine, Mobile Press-Register, Midwest Book Review, Fort Worth-Texas Magazine, the Star-Telegram, and many other publications. The Final Salute hit  #1 on Amazon’s Top Rated War Fiction in 2012 and #2 on Amazon’s Bestseller list in Military Aviation in 2010. In 2009, Army Wife Network selected The Final Salute for their July book club, and that same year I won a Silver Medal from Military Writers Society of America.

What are you writing now?

A mid-life coming of age novel about a woman named Johnnie Kitchen.

In Johnnie Come Lately, closet writer Johnnie Kitchen has a crisis that turns explosive, exposing a secret that tears her family apart. Still haunted by her mama’s disappearance and her father’s death in Vietnam, Johnnie turns to her journal, penning irreverent letters to the missing and dead. It’s 2007, the country is involved in two bloody wars, and her youngest son enlists in the military against her will. Rebuffed in her efforts to repair the damage she’s inflicted on her now-estranged husband, Johnnie finds herself trapped in a terrifying emotional spiral that threatens to trigger a relapse of her bulimia, which almost killed her. On top of that, a mysterious woman who looks like her mama has been seen around their small town of Portion, Texas.

Do you live with a pet?

Yes, a Chocolate Lab named Bubba. He is my loyal companion and helps me with my writing. I think of him as my third son. He’s 90 pounds of chocolate love. J

What was the last ‘out of the house job you held?’

I was a nanny for five years to my three young cousins (boys). This unexpected job came at a time when I had walked away from writing and my oldest son was graduating from high school. Those five years were a gift. Being around young children helps put life into perspective.

What is your least favorite holiday? Why?

Any holiday that is abused by commercialism, especially Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. These holidays are sacred and should be marked by a time of respect.

Red or White wine? Coffee or tea?

Chardonnay – Nightly glass with dinner.

Coffee in a.m. and hot tea on fall and winter afternoons.

Tell us the story on that amazing drawing on your facebook page…

Motherly Secrets is a lithograph by my artist son, Thomas Rodgers. I’m honored that he captured the essence of me as a young writer. It hangs in a prominent place in my home, and it’s one of the first things you see when you walk in my front door. It announces to all that “A WRITER LIVES HERE.”  Thomas will graduate from University of North Texas this Dec. with a BFA in Printmaking.

Please visit my website at: http://www.kathleenmrodgers.com/Kathys_website/Welcome.html

FB: http://www.facebook.com/KathleenMRodgersAuthor

On June 21, 2012, I was thrilled to be on stage with two publishing luminaries: New York Times Best-selling author, Parris Afton Bonds, and Rita Clay Estrada, namesake of the coveted “Rita Award” from Romance Writers of America. I take the podium about 22 minutes into the program and then we open it up for questions and answers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMlh4Fg33wY

The Final Salute is available on Amazon:  

http://amzn.to/OtFBNI

Thank you Kathleen and thank you to your family for their service to our country…

If you have had one of those weeks were so much has happened, you have no idea what to blog about, perhaps Friday Fragments are for you.  It is a place to list all of the bits and pieces of your week and make some new friends too! To learn more click here:  http://www.halfpastkissintime.com

The summer sure did mess with my writing schedule. I am so off track and am struggling to get back on that track. I am now posting interviews on Mondays. I have some good ones coming up I hope you will stop back…

I Felt God’s Pain took a weird turn over the summer but it is all coming together nicely. I am going to start posting exerts soon!

Speaking of interviews- I did one here: http://www.makingbabygrand.com  I wrote a guest post here: http://jessbookblog.blogspot.com  How would you like to win a copy of my book+some other goodies? Just leave a comment on both of those posts and then leave one here letting me know. Have I told you lately how much your support means to me? XXXOOO

Are you getting a flu shot? All the talk of aluminum and Alzheimer’s does have me scared. It is getting harder to decide what opinion to believe. I am close to the no vote. I don’t want the flu but I don’t want Alzheimer’s more.

My grandson Kyle is in the hospital again. He had a spinal fusion on August 3rd. Since then he has lost 17 lbs. They found two hernias. We are hoping there won’t be another surgery.

I bought 2 Christmas gifts. I do not like the displays in the stores in September.

I am thinking about participating in Katherine’s favorite Things blog hop. I’ll post it on my book page.. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bristol-boyzStomp/113804488656243

My granddaughter Allyson will be 17 this weekend..oh my!!

Have a great weekend!!

Doreen~

Please welcome author Karen Kilby. I will be choosing a lucky commenter to win a copy of Karen’s book Becoming a Woman of Purpose…

Author Bio:

Karen R. Kilby is a personality trainer with CLASServices, Inc., providing Wired That Way workshops and seminars. She has been affiliated with Stonecroft Ministries in a variety of leadership roles and is currently serving as a speaker and speaker-trainer.  Karen has had over thirty personal experience stories published in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and other Christian publications.  She is the author of Becoming a Woman of Purpose, a Thirty-one Day Devotional. The book addresses relevant issues people struggle with, offering hope for a new outlook on life and shedding light on the need to look beyond the ordinary, encouraging readers to look for God’s involvement in the every day circumstances of their existence. Reader reviews on her web site (www.karenkilby.tateauthor.com) suggest that her book Becoming a Woman of Purpose has touched the hearts of many in a variety of ways. It has brought smiles, laughter and even some tears to the readers but most importantly it has revealed God cares about us in our every day circumstances.  Karen was recognized as FamilyTime’s 2010 Woman of Achievement for the Arts and resides in Kingwood, Texas with her husband, David.

Interview:

1.Where did you grow up? Tell us a bit about your childhood.

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan with my older sister and mother and an extended family of a grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousin who lovingly made up for the loss of my father before I was born. I also spent many wonderful summers in Pennsylvania with my father’s brother and his family. My uncle had an amusement park beside the Swatara Creek outside of Middletown and along with all the free tickets to ride the Tilt-a-whirl, I loved running the hamburger stand, earning enough money to open my first bank account when I returned home for school. I wrote a story, The Souvenir, about a trip to Atlantic City with my aunt and uncle that was published in Chicken Soup for the Beach Lover’s Soul.

2.What exactly is a personality trainer?

A Personality Trainer enables people to understand themselves and the differences in other personalities who are not wired the same way. It is our goal to help someone understand how to maximize their God-given strengths and minimize their weaknesses and to develop healthier relationships by accepting someone else’s way of thinking to not be wrong, just different. I took my training with CLASServices, Inc, founded by Florence and Marita Littauer, well-known authors on the personalities for over forty years. They have been very supportive of my writing and have included several stories in their books, Making the Blue Plate Special and Wired That Way.

3.What is next for you? Are you writing now?

After reading and re-reading my devotional book, Becoming a Woman of Purpose several times, many people have asked if I am writing a second book. I’ve been collecting more ‘God Moment’ events for my next book as well as submitting stories to other faith-based publications and on-line magazines. 

4.How do you prepare for a public speaking event?

A lot of prayer goes into preparing for a speaking event. One of the things I’ve learned about my personality is that I don’t like to be on-stage. I’m more of a support person but realize God has given me an opportunity to be His spokesman so I reinforce myself with several of His promises. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philipians 4:13) and “from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower me with inner strength through his spirit” (Ephesians 3:16) are just a few. I also know I need to be well acquainted with the material I’m presenting. After writing it out, I do an outline with the main points to be given. I learned early on there’s too great a temptation to read from the script rather than interacting with the audience from a briefer set of notes. I read through the complete script several times during the week before the presentation so I’m comfortable with how I want to express myself. Then I leave it in God’s hands.

5.Complete this sentence, Lately I am the happiest…

when someone shares how a personality workshop has given them greater insight in understanding themselves and the ability to be more accepting of the one they are having difficulty living or working with. And, it gives me great joy to receive the positive feedback from my readers and to hear how they are wanting to pass my book on to someone else. I have a new reader friend who has purchased a dozen books and continues to spread the word.

6.What genre do you prefer to read? What was the last book you read?

One of my favorite comes from reading Nancy Drew mysteries as a kid. I just finished reading, The Simple Truth by David Baldacci. I also enjoy reading stories that tug at my heartstrings and Nicholas Sparks and Charles Martin are great authors for doing just that. If you haven’t read anything by Charles Martin, start with When Crickets Cry. You will too!

7.Messy or organized desk?

My personality is one that likes things neat and in order. When things start to pile up on my desk, I have to find some way to organize it while keeping it in front of me for taking action.

 8.What do you do for you, to have fun or to relax?

I like to stretch out on the lounge chair on the covered porch and listen to the songbirds and enjoy a good book. I also love to travel to new places and return to those that offer peace and relaxation. My dear friend Carol, who inspired me to write, and I make a point of getting together every year with two other friends for a girlfriend’s get-a-away. A highlight of this year was a trip to Costa Rica that my husband and I took when I was invited to do a retreat centered around my book and the Wired That Way workshop. I don’t speak Spanish and it was a great experience having a translator and learning that ‘love is an international language.’ How awesome it was to hear the Tica women say, ‘we have been empowered!’

Review:

“Your book speaks to me in a way that a dear friend would–straightforward, honest, from the heart, bare-bones, no holds barred, lay-it-on-the-line truthfulness. I hated to see it end. It is so refreshing to read something of someone’s life with all the good and bad combined and mixed together that says, ‘this is my life.”   Sara R.

       Thank you so much Karen,

Doreen