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Happy Monday! My Monday Mind is going at full blast today, so I'm going to try to reign it in a little. There's so much going on. First - THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! Okay, here's what's on my Monday Mind:
Did you have a good weekend? I had relatives visiting from out of town. They are not only awesome people, but they are awesome houseguests ... aka, they bring food like this Nutella birthday cake ... I KNOW! It wasn't just an awesome Saturday night desert, it was also a fabulous Sunday night dinner, a speculator Monday morning breakfast, and may possibly be the glorious main course for my lunch. 
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Here's the funny thing about starting a new blog: for the first time in ever, I went back into my old blog … way back … and re-read some of my earliest blog posts. Some of them were cringe-worthy, some of them made me laugh, some were still relevant, but mostly they made me nostalgic. I'm sappy that way and not ready to have all of my old words sink away into the blackhole blogosphere or wherever old archived blogposts disappear to when their mean old author decides they want to move to a shiny new blog (Oh wait, that's me...) Never fear old blog posts, I'm here to rescue you! At least some of you … and only on Fridays … when I remember. Sounds fun, right? Yes! This week, the post that caught my eye is ARE YOU A LIST MAKER? Not only did I write it exactly 8 years ago (total coincidence), but I STILL have a 7th grader (not the same child), I'm STILL planning a Bar Mitzvah (not the same child), and I'm STILL a major list maker. ... Here it is, from October 12, 2010:  Are You A List Maker? From Wikpedia: A checklist is a type of informational job aid used to reduce failure by compensating for potential limits of human memory and attention. I am a list maker. Some people prefer sticky notes, some leave messages for themselves on their voice mail, some email themselves, and some people can keep it all in their heads (I hate you by the way.) Not me, I need a list – and not just any list, I need separate lists - there can be no commingling. So how exactly did I turn into my mother? Well, it turns out that mom’s lives are complicated!
Welcome to Donna Galanti today to show off her AWESOME new covers for her Lightning Road series! My 12 year old LOVES theses books. SO. MUCH. I'm so excited to help reveal her amazing new covers. Plus enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card at the end of this post and get the first e-book in Donna’s series, Joshua and the Lightning Road, on sale now through October 15th for just $0.99cents.
Donna shares what stories affected her childhood and writing plus read an excerpt from Joshua and the Arrow Realm! What fiction most influenced your childhood, and what effect did those stories have on Joshua and the Arrow Realm? by Donna Galanti My love for writing and reading went hand in hand right from the beginning. I began writing plays and acting them out with the neighborhood kids when I was seven years old. At the time I lived in England, where I attended a Harry Potter-like castle school. 
Progressing from plays to stories, my first short story was about a flying ship, wizards, and Dodo birds. At that same time I vividly recall the first book I fell in love with: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I read the entire Narnia Chronicles curled up in a nook in my gray and pink woolen school uniform (bowler hat and tie included!). I then gobbled up all of Roald Dahl’s books and especially loved Mr. Fantastic Fox and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. After England, we moved to rural New Hampshire where my parents owned and operated a campground and along came Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Little House Books. We had barns and hogs and chickens, and how I loved gathering the rotten apples in the orchards to feed the hogs. Hello Monday! The day of the week when my mind rambles. Really that's every day, but I like how Monday Mind sounds, so we're going with it for now. This week, I'm sharing my newsletter, which went out yesterday. Did you know you can subscribe to my newsletter? The link is just as the bottom of the post. And if you like the blog, you can also subscribe to posts by putting your email in the FeedBurner box. So easy! Oh hey, did you have a chance to check out my sister-in-law's pumpkin soup recipe I posted? Since I made a double recipe, I'll be eating it all week, and I'm not complaining! It freezes well too. I also updated the blog with some peeks of my latest works. I hope you'll take a look around on the home page . Focus, mind, focus … we're talking about the newsletter! Yes! For those of you who missed it here it is:  Hello Friends! Happy autumn! If you’re like me, you’re ready for pumpkin-everything, cozy flannels, and the beautiful colors on the trees. Even my 12-year-old has autumn fever, insisting shorts weather is over despite the return of 80-degree weather. His exact words were, “now that I’ve switched to pants, I’m invested.” Have I mentioned how much I love this child? And while we usually think of spring as a time of rebirth and new beginnings, I especially love autumn because it’s when I first became a mom. (Happy birthday to my oldest!!) Now, twenty-one years later, I’m excited to announce another new beginning, or rather a new venture. If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that writing is hard! I’ve been blessed with so many people guiding me, helping me develop my craft, and teaching me how best to strengthen my own abilities through thoughtful and constructive critiques and workshops. This past year, I had the good fortune to work with critique partner, Sarah Clayville, on multiple projects, and now we’d like to officially announce our new venture, PA STORY STARTERS, a developmental critique service offering help with all phases of stories from idea generation through submission, and I’d love for you to check it out. Maybe you're thinking: but I'm not a writer! That's what I thought too back in 1997, when a nugget of a story idea first popped into my head. It lurked there for years until finally in 2010, after meeting several encouraging writers, I decided I'd try to put my thoughts to paper. Whether you've got a story idea or are at the querying stage, Sarah and I are here to help develop your materials through analytical and supportive eyes. Please visit our website at pastorystarters.weebly.com for a complete list of services and follow us on Twitter: @PAStoryStarters for your chance to win a free critique! Let us help you get your story started! xo, Karen 
And because it's fall and I'm a pumpkin-a-holic, I thought I'd start off this blog with one of my favorite soups. THAT'S RIGHT PEOPLE, I'M SHARING A RECIPE! I know, it's a blog first, but don't get too scared, this was given to me years ago by my sister-in-law, Shauna, who is an amazing cook. Plus, it's so simple and easy that even I can't mess it up, which makes it even better! In fact, I just whipped up a double batch this afternoon.  Shauna's Pumpkin Soup 1 large can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!) 1 can chicken broth 1 can water 1 can condensed milk (I like to use 2%) 1 tablespoon brown sugar Cinnamon Curry Cumin Ground pepper Sour cream Add chicken brother, water, and pumpkin. Stir while heating over medium flame. Add brown sugar and spices to taste. Stir in milk and turn off heat. Serve with a spoonful of sour cream. Told you it was easy! Enjoy and thanks for stopping by ... and if you'd like a peek at some of the stories I've been working on, be sure to check out my home page. xo, Karen |
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