Interesting Thought to Start or End your Week

However you choose to look at it - beginning or end of week.
And I'm much too tired right now to decide for myself, let alone for you, so it's all up to you baby!

I'm too tired to even come up with any witty original words, and I received these in an email newsletter recently and they seemed much too good not to share.
I've only excerpted part of it so it you want the rest you're either going to have to speak up or go search her out for yourself. ;)
And if you can do so in one of her SpiritSilks, you are very lucky and blessed indeed. ;)

http://www.asecondsight.com/spiritsilks.htm

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now."
-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Most of us don’t think we have a choice. We do.
We choose how we approach an issue.
We choose how we step into our faith and how we give it voice.
We choose what we do with the darkness that sometimes surrounds us, and even fills us until we can barely see the light.
We get to choose, just as this loving mother did.

Truly, how cool is that? How awesome that we have the option of choice?

What are your visions?
What are your fears about your visions?
What are your dreams?
Your hopes?
Your desires?
What conversations are you having both in your head and with your family and friends about why you can’t have your dreams and desires come into being?

You can choose differently again. And when you forget and start listening to those inner voices? You can choose yet again. And again. And again.

So ... what are you thinking into being?

Rev. Anne Presuel
The Empowerment Queen … Empowering you to create your ideal life!

Good huh???? Told ya.

And Be Independent!

When you are looking at some of these wonderful authors and books I've mentioned - shop independently, at your local independent book store.

There are several here in Richmond, Virginia. So do check them out.

Like James River Writers is lucky to have cool book store owner Kelly Justice bring her lovelies from Fountain Bookstore to every JRW Writing Show, so we don't even have to go to her store, she comes to us!

And while I'm sure Kelly would say shop independently where ever you are, I'm sure she'd be glad to talk to you about sending you what you are looking for. Like one of the authors and books I've been mentioning perhaps!

Just a suggestion! ;)

And a Good one! ;)

Learn All Kinds of Things at Writers Wednesday

For those of you that haven’t made it out to JRWs Writers Wednesday, you’ve been missing a Lot of things!

Interesting atmosphere, snacks, interesting people, so naturally interesting talk and chat going on.

Like I first heard of the hot young graphic novelist Dash Shaw from someone that happened to come to a Writers Wednesday. Thank you Mary! I relayed the info’ on to the Conference organizers and now we’re having talented Dash at the James River Writers Conference in October.

Altho’ Maggie Stiefvater wasn’t at a Writers Wed. she was at a Writing Show the end of last year and was Soo Terrific, and is growing even More Terrific, that I’m So glad we’ve got her booked already for the Conference in October!

And as I mentioned in last entry, Maggie has a book launch right after the Conference at Fountain Books here in Richmond, for her new book, “Ballad” which will take more adventures from her great first book “Lament” that came out last year.

This is not to be confused with the Newest book she has coming out in couple weeks, “Shiver” that is getting all the buzz now!!! And if this is all new to you just read a few entries of my blog and then go over to Maggie’s blog – I’ve got more than enough links sprinkled throughout, for heaven’s sake. Altho’ why I’m sending people over to look at her great blog….when mine is…well, mine. :::shakes head::: I just don’t know. I j-d-k.

Anyway, you meet wonderfully great and interesting people at JRW functions and events! Even just casual get togethers like Writers Wednesday.

Like one such person there Wednesday was the local NANO ‘cheerer-on’ coordinator, Jean Anderson. Who is also trying to round up host families for exchange students – so if you know of anyone that might be interested, contact Jean! Okay?

Please consider hosting a student from another country, to learn about a new culture, learn about a new language, and best of all, make a new friend. And pass on this information to your friends and family!

Have a great day!

Jean Anderson

CIEE Local Coordinator

804-245-4023

luckyjean@gmail.com

www.ciee.org

And come to the next Writers Wednesday or JRW event and function and meet all the wonderful people we get to meet and talk to.

Including all the wonderful writers around Richmond, including ones with books out now that you can meet at a book signing event near you – so check their websites too.

Like JRW Board Member Gigi Amateau has a new book out.

And her book, “Chancey of the Maury River” I’ve mentioned here as a not to be missed book! So that means, like, Don't miss it!

We met Erica Orloff at a Writing Show – with her new book that shouldn’t be missed “The Magickeepers”

And JRW Board Member, antique appraiser, lovely lady, with Many books published! – Emyl Jenkins. With her newest book of fiction, “The Big Steal” –

And who’s going to be at Barboursville Vineyards, in Barboursville, this coming Saturday, July 11, 1:00 pm

And will also be at the Library of Virginia here in Richmond, Tuesday, July 14, 6:00 pm

So come meet and chat with great interesting writers, published, and those of us still struggling to get published, and at all points in between.

Hope to see you around!

Artistic Minds at Work!

No, I didn't say autistic, artistic, artistic! And I'm not really referring to mine anyway - Of Course it's Maggie's again!!! Is there Someone Else you know that is that freaking talented!!!??? And Multi Talented!!!! I mean Really! It's....it's.... uh, challenging - or intimidating - to a writer that's still looking around for the bushel baskets let alone for the talent that might be hiding under them!!

Anyway, 'Mugnificant' Maggie, shows how she did that amazing trailer for her new book coming out. The work she put in on it!!! .... well, you find yourself being Really Impressed. And a little scared. ;-D Just kidding Maggie!!! But What an undertaking! And no, don't any of you be expecting any of that from me any time soon. or ever.
But here's the link to see the great trailer she did, if you haven’t seen it yet, and the background of how she did it. Including the Really great music she wrote, arranged and played for it!!! I Know! Sheesh!!!! ;) ;)
http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/114434.html

And in Other news, not exactly related to anything Maggie – although I did see the cool chick Kelly Justice owner of Fountain Books tonight….and we did chat about Maggie’s book launch that’s going to be at Fountain Books just a couple days after the James River Writers Conference in October [where don’t forget Maggie’s going to be also!!]

There was a Lot of new people there tonight at Writers Wednesday! Denise is doing Such a good job with keeping Writers Wednesday ‘open’ for the summer! She’s also doing such a good job of remembering everybody’s names!! ;)

Some of the people I was talking to was saying how great it was to be able to mingle and talk to a bunch of writers.

How ‘regular’ people just don’t understand it when we talk about how much characters can sass and give lip about changes we want to make, and resist it all the way. Until we give up and give in to them and what They want. ;) Or how sometimes how just chatting with a character in your story can be very enlightening.

Yes, most writers have learned to not speak of such things to other ‘non’ writer people. Most are scared enough of our mutterings to ourselves trying to get our dialog right. And I won’t even go into the reactions of trying out weapon trajectories and things of that sort!

So it is with thankful heart all the writers in the Richmond area have turned to James River Writers and its great assortment of writers, both published and struggling to get published. And for being able to come to a place where you don’t have to worry about people scurrying away from you in alarm. Well, mostly anyway. ;)

So the next 2^nd Wednesday of Every month come join us! And check out JRW for other events we turn up for also. ;) http://jamesriverwriters.org/

And if you were one of the new writers at Writers Wednesday tonight and have stumbled across this – Ya’ll come back now, ya hear !!!!

All Things to make you Shiver

Okay now that you've oohed and aahed at all the pretty fireworks, and your ears have recovered from the booms, here's something to tickle your sight and sound.

Creative pictures and lovely music all via the obviously got-most all-our-talents Maggie Stiefvater ;) -- who not only cut out and filmed all this, and also wrote, arranged and played all the music to it, she also wrote the great book that this is heralding!!! Yeah, no great intimidation factor here to a singularly talented writer just sitting here trying to write, is there? But Maggie is also incredibly generous with sharing her knowledge and insight to other writers so it's really hard to not be totally happy for her. Especially when she genuinely seems to want them to succeed just as much as her.
Okay I admit you might want to play this a couple of times. or more, we did - okay so I played it a few times and had to play it couple of times for my husband. Uhm, I was wailing a bit too much through the first run through for him to hear it properly. My wails of 'do you see what I have to compete with!? How can I compete with this?!!' sort of made it difficult. Evidently. He calmly looked at me and said 'it is a challenge.' Or words to that effect. I think. Wailing was still echoing around in my head, but that's probably close to what he said. So obviously I need to task him to help me and he's going to want to help me. :::semi-evil grin:::: Isn't he. I mean if Maggie can be so helpful to people with all her talent-ness then that means a husband should be willing to help his uh, maybe not quite as multi-talented as Maggie, wife with her writing-ness. Right?

Anyway. Maggie's great. Do come hear her at the James River Writers Conference in October. Where you'll be able to pick up her book Shiver. Which this trailer is about. Maggie is also a great writer, so her book will make you laugh, shed a tear or two, and maybe even make you Shiver. And that's not a bad thing in Virginia heat is it?!!!
In the meantime while you're waiting, make do with her wonderful trailer that her oh so talented hands created here -


Well Shoot - just copy and paste isn't working with it !!! Shows here but not when it's posted--- Rats!!!

Okay so here's the link to Maggie's page where you can see it - until I can figure out how to do this thing! grrrr

http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/113135.html

Making Friends and Finding Writing Partners

James River Writers has great people that are a part of it. Good writers, good people. And ones that are so willing to share information.

Maggie Stiefvater did a post awhile ago about how she found her great critique partners and suggestions of how others could also.

Denise, http://gaiasong.livejournal.com/2101.html?view=2101#t2101 , that has so wonderfully picked up James River Writers casual gettogether Writers Wednesday, has also posted a wonderful entry on how to find friends and writing partners. That's the link to go check out what she has to say on it. She has some terrific suggestions.

And I have one also - come meet and talk to Denise at one of the casual writers mingling at Writers Wednesday each month. Of course all the other writers there that month I'm sure would appreciate you talking to them also. ;)

There are always 'find a writing group sign up sheets' around somewhere at each Writing Show each month also. And always at the James River Writers Conference in October.

Oh, and you know, uhm, writers are a bunch of people that spend Lots of time alone in their heads. Well, not Exactly alone, since there's usually a whole bunch of characters roaming around, doing lord knows what all! But all this alone in head time can make writers, well, a teensy bit, uhm, socially challenged.
But we're all pretty nice people so just be sure to ask politely about the 'find writing group sign up sheet' .... Just tell them Denise sent them. ;) Right Denise?

Here's the link to start with for all things James River Writers - http://www.jamesriverwriters.org/