Rewards ARE Worth the Effort!

We all want our turn ... now ... and when someone or something slows us from achieving our personal goals, it is very frustrating. So what do you do when an agent rejects your query? Quit? Or press forward? What do you do when an agent or editor rejects your manuscript but provides feedback? Quit? Call them nuts? Or do you take into consideration their advice and improve your skills?

It's hard pushing forward, staying focused, not quitting ... but the rewards just might be worth the effort ... and you may be closer to your goal than you realize.

I came pretty close to quitting the query process for my writing when I decided to give it one more solid effort. How I got my agent - the long story :)

But my true inspiration is my daughter. Years ago I wrote a post: Put me in coach! I'm ready to play!

And tonight her dream came true.

The new varsity coach decided to run a "6/2" ... where two setters rotate and set from the back row only. My daughter is one of the setters on the varsity team! Her previous two coaches told her she would never play as setter. (Was there basis for the comments or just politics?) Now after lots of hard work and proving herself over and over again, she has achieved her goal! But she didn't just have a no-quit attitude, she worked hard doing everything she could to continue to improve her skills. She wanted to be ready when the opportunity arrived.

 

 

The smile on her face says it all.
She was ready, and she played great!
Love that girl. She inspires me.

What inspires you to keep pressing forward toward your goals?

Because I Can

I'm posting pictures of my daughter's volleyball team ... because I can! :) She worked hard to make the varsity team, and they took fun pictures on Saturday! She's in jersey #1, by the way.

 

 

Great pictures! I look forward to watching their first games on Tuesday.

 

Grammar Rules Revisited: Do You Misuse Your BUT?

I always benefit from a refresher lesson when it comes to grammar. So here's one for you, and if you'd like to see more click on the grammar tag at the bottom of this post or on the sidebar. This post was originally published here back in April 2013.

 

... ... ... ... ... ...



 

Admit it: You thought BUT was merely a conjunction. Right? No big deal, but wait! There's more to learn here, but first let me interrupt myself ...

This month is the A to Z Challenge, and each day (skipping Sundays) I will be posting a grammar tip for the letter of the day. So if you'd like to polish your grammar (or debate mine) come back often and share in the fun.

Since yesterday was the letter A, I chose to feature Arlee Bird, founder of the challenge, but if you'd like a grammar tip for the letter A - CHECK THIS OUT: APOSTROPHE S!

... but for today ...

The too-frequent use of but can lead to problems.

"Particulary awkward is one but closely following another, thus making a contrast to a contrast, or a reservation to a reservation. This is easily corrected by rearrangement."

AWKWARD: "Our country had vast resources but seemed almost wholly unprepared for war. But within a year it had created an army of four million."

BETTER: "Our country seemed almost wholly unprepared for war, but it had vast resources. Within a year it had created an army of four million."

(Taken from THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk and White, page 42)

What do you think? Is the second example easier to understand? Easier to read?

A Writer's Quote for Inspiration

"Make your characters suffer. That can be tough to do, but consider this: Being nice does not engender great drama. Trials and tests are the stuff of character building, of conflict. Ask yourself, who is the one ally your protagonist cannot afford to lose? Kill that character. What is your protagonist's greatest physical asset? Take it away. What is the one article of faith that for your protagonist is sacred? Undermine it. How much time does your protagonist have to solve his main problem? Shorten it. Push your characters to the edge, and you will pull your readers close" -- Donald Maass (WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, p. 78). [emphasis added]

Dads & Daughters

If you have a daughter ... this is a must watch video. Okay, even if you don't have a daughter, you can still watch it. I "made" my husband watch it, and he burst into tears. He said, "Thanks a lot, like it's not already gonna be hard enough ..." He's a good daddy.

So ... what did you think of it? ;)

FLAT BELLY DIET - buyer beware!

I love food.
 
So when I discovered the FLAT BELLY DIET back in June 2011, I was thrilled, because it offered yummy foods (including chocolate and sweets) and it worked! (Read about the 4 Day Jump Start)

But as with most "diets" - I fell off the wagon. Number one reason was the cost. It was so expensive to buy the recommended foods and ingredients. I kept saying I wanted to give it another try, but then I discovered some troubling truths about the foods recommended by this diet.
 
Silly me, two years ago I had bought right into what they were selling.
 
From page viii of the introduction:
"Said David L. Katz, MD, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center, who helped oversee the research, 'If the plan were sustained, these women would be at reduced risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, you name it. Basically, the diet kicked butt--or, perhaps more appropriately in the this case, belly!'"
 
And maybe that's true, but if you eat certain recommended foods in this diet plan, you may find yourself with other health issues to worry about, like: inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, immune system damage, incontinence, liver disease, and more (source links below).
 
 
Kashi Products
One of the food brands I fell in love with because of the FLAT BELLY DIET was Kashi. Imagine my disappointment and surprise when I learned that they are owned by Kellogg's (who has lobbied against GMO labeling requirements), and they use GMOs in their products. So sad!

"There is an established misconception among consumers that natural or even organic labeling means more nutritious and less toxic ingredients. This is not always the case and breakfast cereals are no exception. The Kashi brand is owned by Kellogg Company, one of the largest breakfast cereal makers in the world. The ownership base of Kashi is still not widely recognized or common knowledge, especially since the Kashi website continues to paint a picture of being a small company. Investigations into Kashi cereals show deceiving claims after their breakfast products were found to be riddled with genetically modified (GM) and pesticide loaded ingredients." (source)

Now, to Kashi's defense. They state on their website: "The Kellogg Company acquires Kashi [in 2000] allowing us greater distribution of our natural foods and giving us greater reach on our mission to nourish people and planet" (source)

But to paint your company as simple and natural and then use GM ingredients ... that's not okay! (And yes, I understand that there are a gazillion companies out there doing it - but that still doesn't make it okay!)

The Kashi website says that you can love the nutrition in their waffles, but the ingredients list on the very same page lists yellow corn meal, soy lecithin, and canola oil. Think these are no big deal? Each are genetically modified items.


Canola Oil
"90% of the canola oil in the United States is GMO." (source)


Soy Lecithin
Commonly found in chocolate (even the healthier dark versions). It is also found in bread, herbal teas, and cosmetics (just to name a few items.) What is it?

Soy Lecithin = SLUDGE

"Soybean lecithin comes from sludge left after crude soy oil goes through a "degumming" process. It is a waste product containing solvents and pesticides and has a consistency ranging from a gummy fluid to a plastic solid. Before being bleached to a more appealing light yellow, the color of lecithin ranges from a dirty tan to reddish brown. The hexane extraction process commonly used in soybean oil manufacture today yields less lecithin than the older ethanol-benzol process, but produces a more marketable lecithin with better color, reduced odor and less bitter flavor.

"Historian William Shurtleff reports that the expansion of the soybean crushing and soy oil refining industries in Europe after 1908 led to a problem disposing the increasing amounts of fermenting, foul-smelling sludge. German companies then decided to vacuum dry the sludge, patent the process and sell it as "soybean lecithin." Scientists hired to find some use for the substance cooked up more than a thousand new uses by 1939." (source)

Why would we put that into our bodies? Oh ... yeah ... because we like smooth, creamy chocolate.
 
Well here are some brands (and there are more out there) that offer organic, non-GMO, chocolate with no soy lecithin (but you still have to read the labels, because some brands offer multiple types with various ingredients):

Alter Eco

Equal Exchange

Trader Joe’s

Dick Taylor

Loving Earth

Bonvita

Theo Chocolate

 

From the above list, I've only tried Trader Joe's so far. Please, let me know if you've tried the others and what you think of them.

Corn (and its byproducts)
"88% of U.S. corn [is] now being genetically engineered" (source)

You ask, "So what?"

Genetically modified and engineered foods are making us sick! (source) and (source) Animals die when they eat the food. Farm workers have gotten sick when they tend the crops. There are reasons why European countries are banning the GM crops coming out of the U.S. (source) but ... the United States is a powerful country. How long do you think these other countries can avoid trading with the U.S.?


Agave Nectar
When I first read about Agave Nectar (often touted as 100% pure organic agave nectar), I was excited. My husband and I thought we'd found a natural alternative to refined sugar.

Not.

Agave Nectar is a refined sweetener compared by many sources to be on the same level as High Fructose Corn Syrup. You'd be better off swirling some organic honey from your local farmer on top of that waffle than using Agave Nectar.

Agave is "a manmade sweetener which has been through a complicated chemical refining process of enzymatic digestion, which converts the starch and fiber into the unbound, manmade chemical fructose. While high fructose agave syrup won’t spike your blood glucose levels, the fructose in it may cause mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity." (source)

"The bottom line is that refined agave sweeteners are not inherently healthier than sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, or any other sweetener. Nutritionally and functionally, agave syrup is similar to high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose (Karo) syrup." (source)

So is the FLAT BELLY DIET evil?
No.
No.
No.

Will I ever utilize it again as a resource? Probably.

Why? Because even after all of this research, I choose to believe that the people behind the FLAT BELLY DIET were well-intentioned. I think they just missed the mark on certain things.

On page 35 it reads, "Try to avoid artificial anything (colors, flavors, preservatives); instead pick whole foods as often as possible and look for foods with ingredients you can easily recognize and pronounce."

And ... maybe all of you are much smarter than I am, and you already knew these things ... but just in case you didn't know, I felt the need to share what I've learned. I am still learning.

Bottom line is we are all responsible for seeking out our own knowledge and then utilizing that knowledge. We need to choose what is best for ourselves and our families.

But we also need to support non-GMO companies, and we need to push our representatives for proper GMO labeling. Because right now, you can read all the labels you want to, but if you don't KNOW for yourself that over 80% of all corn products are genetically modified and if you don't know what soy lecithin is ... it won't do you any good to read the labels.

What do you think?
Should genetically modified foods be labeled as such?




For more information check out the following links:
http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-worse-than-we-thought
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-truth-about-agave
http://www.realfarmacy.com/exposing-kashi-cereal-for-the-poison-that-it-is/#comments
https://www.kashi.com/
http://www.inspirationgreen.com/vote-yes-on-37.html
http://www.nongmoproject.org/2012/04/16/10-ways-to-spring-clean-gmos-out-of-your-home/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11361.cfm
http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers/65-health-risks/1noteshttp://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/countrieswithbans.cfm
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/soy-lecithin-from-sludge-to-profit

Terrific Blog Finds

A bit of blog hopping turned up some GREAT posts. Check them out:

Tips for authors to increase their presence on Goodreads:
huffingtonpost.com/how-to-become-a-goodreads

What kind of writer are you?
karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/2013/08/writing-for-internet-and-other-insecure.html

Inflammatory or based in truth?
epublishabook.com/2013/08/07/penguin-random-house-self-publishing-branch-rep-people-complaining-about-our-scammy-services-are-engaged-in-racketeering

Should you promote yourself on Facebook or Twitter or both?
annettapowellonline.com/facebook-marketing-and-twitter-marketing/


When you find a great blog post, do you read it and forget about it later, or do you make note of it somewhere? In your favorites list? Share on Facebook? Recommend on Twitter?

WOW! An Amazing Sentence

Saw this on Facebook the other day ... read it all ... and then I'll bet you go back and read it again!

 

Book Review: Escape From Eden

Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Well, I read five books last week, and I was hesitant to read this one (because I wasn't sure what direction it would take and if it would go too far) ... but guess what? It ended up being my favorite book of the lot!

The writing sucked me in from the beginning. I predicted that it would be a bit creepy with the whole cult thing going on and when it got to the creepiest scene (I'm not giving it away here), I had to take a deep breath and read carefully. I was so worried Nader would take it too far - - - you know - - - step over that line in your mind where your gut wrenches and your heart aches because bad things just shouldn't happen to kids.

Yes. That's right. I'm an adult reading YA. And I hate it when adults (even fictional ones) hurt kids (regardless of their ages). So I was relieved that Nader didn't go too far. Now, don't get me wrong, she pushed me right up to the edge, but thankfully she didn't shove me off the cliff. *sigh* Well maybe she fake-shoved me and then yanked me back to safety. :)

And the plot took turns I was not expecting. LOVE that in a book.

There was a lot of violence in the book. So if that bothers you - this book is not for you. There was sexuality also, but it was well done and didn't go too far. I honestly can't remember if there was cussing - so there must not have been enough to bother me.

A great book. A great adventure. A little creepy.



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IWSG: Make Good Art

Feeling insecure? About anything?

Here's some GREAT advice (long video, but so worth it!):

Book Review: THE GIRL IN THE WALL

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Oh. I was torn between giving this book four stars or five stars.


Here are my reasons for five stars:
1. The plot was TOTALLY engaging from page one.
2. I couldn't put it down; I read it in one sitting.

Here are my reasons for four stars:
1. I had trouble telling the difference between the two main characters' voices. Sometimes I had to flip back to the chapter heading to see which girl was talking to me.
2. When the gardener was introduced, for some reason I pictured his as a 50-year-old man. That could have been my own filter, but I guess I've never seen a teenage gardener living and working on an estate ... but I guess I've never actually lived on an estate ... or even visited one. ha. So that issue confused me for several pages.
3. I didn't like the title or the cover. Both made me assume the book was about a girl held captive ... which in a sense I suppose she was ... and she was in a wall. ... so maybe never mind ...

But I think the fact that I could not put this book down earns it five stars.

There is a lot of violence (gun violence, primarily). So if that's not for you, don't pick up this book. The language was pretty clean, and there wasn't any sex (that I remember).

I look forward to reading more books by this author!



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