Archive | November, 2009

IndiePendent Books…An Online Bookstore…

22 Nov

IndiePendentBooks.com

Announcing the opening of an online bookstore dedicated to self-published authors: 

For authors, especially new authors, the road to traditional publishing is very winding and rocky, and could lead to the treacherous world of insanity of you’re not very, very careful. There are many talented authors out there who don’t succeed in their efforts to win representation by a literary agent, or get publsihed by a traditional publishing house.  Therefore, they decide to self-publish. (I, myself, am one such author).  But what then?

After self-publishing, the author is left with marketing his new masterpiece – a daunting task. Even though there are many media available in todays world, the author has to figure out how to make their book ads stand out and get noticed.

For those of you who appreciate the talent of self-published authors, otherwise know as Indie Authors, there’s a new website dedicated to their works.  IndiePendentBooks.com is stocking its virtual shelves with books which have gotten good reviews from TheBookJournal.com.  And yes, you guessed it, Is Harvey Dunne? is a featured book on that site.

I invite you to check out the ever-increasing selections at IndiePendentBooks.com.  You’ll be helping Indie Authors find their audience, and you may just find some buried treasure! (And your treasure will even be delivered to your door gift wrapped – you can’t beat that!

An Inspiration – A Lesson in Giving…

11 Nov

I always try to find some way for my young kids (ages 8 and 11) to get involved in helping others. And this year, I have extra incentive – their Church confirmation class requires it.  (I think this is a great requirement, by the way. Kids need to learn how to give themselves to others – it should feel natural to them).  A project through work, the United Way, and the Women’s Leadership Council caught my eye, and before I knew it, the three of us were signed up.

Last night, we went to downtown Dallas to the United Way Offices, with about 75 other women, and made Thanksgiving posters to decorate the doors of the patient rooms at Children’s Medical Center, for kids who would be there for Thanksgiving.  We each made five, and painted and stamped and cut and glued our little hearts out. The kids did a great job, and experienced the happiness of bringing joy to someone else.

But the highlight of my evening, and one of the highlights of my motherhood, was reading what was written on one of the posters made by my 11-year-old girl.  She’d put a Thanksgiving picture in the middle, but around it wrote,

“You Inspire Me”

 

And that was all I needed to know.  At least for one night, I’d done my job. My kids learned the lesson of giving to others who might need some help, and the truly amazing lesson that usually the giver is also the receiver in so many ways

Try your hardest to be an inspiration for others, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be inspired in return.

Snapshots: Impressions From Births & Birthdays…

5 Nov

42-15180943Impressions From a Stillbirth:

There is no crying upon entry to the world. There is no sound at all, and it is the most horrible silence you could imagine.

There is nothing to look forward to after suffering the pain of childbirth;  the pain is a punishment, instead of the required payment for a wonderful gift.

A total, hollow absence of joy; a vacuum of grief.

A motionless swaddled bundle whose time with you is very brief. 

No eyes looking into yours to see the love that will always be there.

A paper autumn leaf taped to the hospital door to let others know that inside lingers the cold and bitter touch of winter, and not the lighthearted joy of spring.

A hospital basinet with ice under the blankets where the small mattress should have been.

Nana will always be there to hold you, whether you are living or not.

 

Impressions From a Premature Birth:

The wonderful wailing sound of life upon entry to the world.

The scale that tells the world you’re so much smaller than you should be.

The tubes and patches and wires that are a part of your new body after transfer to the NICU.

Eyes looking into mine, seeing the relief that you’re alive.

The rocking chair by each special incubated basinet; the nesting place for the new mothers who have to visit just to be near their own babies.

The tininess of the little bodies in that room; the fear of the parents there.

The beeps and hums of the machinery making sure you’ll live past your birthday.

The thankfulness that, as of this minute, you’re OK.

The lullaby I sing to you so you’ll always know the sound of my voice.

The visits so very structured by times, numbers, ages, and sterile scrub-downs.

The sheer relief and happiness when they finally decide you can go home.

Being so very sure that as long as we have life instead of death, we can deal with it.

Nana will always be there to hold you.

 

Impressions From a One-Year-Old:

The almost-toothless grin that you give us every other minute, telling us you’re happy.

Your two little bottom teeth that can so expertly gnaw through cookies.

The giggles that we’ve come to love and need so much.

The little glittery jeweled earrings that your mother insisted on getting her first girl.

The way you hold onto my finger for dear life when you try to stand.

Your sheer happiness at just observing life going on around you.

Your refusal to crawl.

Watching your tongue and lips try to form the word Nana, when so far it’s only been DaDa and MaMa.

Being so very thankful that you’re here and happy and healthy; knowing that’s the only thing that really matters.

Nana will always be there to hold you.

Happy Birthday, our little blessing! We love you!

 

 

Poison Control on Speed Dial??….

1 Nov

Glow stick necklaceLast night I went with my kids, and my daughter’s family, trick-or-treating.  Her cute two-year-old was dressed as a gorilla (he’s big for his age, what can I say?). 

As we were leaving, walking through the darkness, he said “Nana,” and pointed to his mouth.  I put my hand to his chin and felt “wet.”  I said, “What is that?” and he held up his glow-stick.

Well, I couldn’t see any immediate damage to the glow-stick, so I just wiped the spit from his chin (which I do alot – I’m very familiar with spit and snot), and grabbed his hand to pull him along.

And that’s when I saw it:

My hand was glowing yellow!

Uh-oh, I thought. 

I took another look at the little bugger, and saw that he had luminous yellow spots on various parts of him. 

“Open your mouth,” I commanded.  A part of his gum-line glowed yellow.

Uh-oh again.

My daughter deftly dialed Poison Control and described our situation to the nurse on-call at Parkland Hospital.  When the nurse asked her why she thought the toddler had swallowed some of the glow-stick innards, she answered, “Because my mom made him open his mouth and he was glowing.”

Well, you know you’ve got a live-wire on your hands when your situation makes an experienced nurse working at the preeminent trauma hospital in the city start laughing.  But she quickly recovered,  apologizing for the chuckles, and proceeded to tell my daughter that a small amount shouldn’t hurt him. 

(But what in the hell is that stuff anyway?)

So even though my daughter doesn’t actually have Poison Control on speed dial, she probably should (it wasn’t the first time she’d called – for the same kid). 

What can I say?  Halloween with kids is a trip!

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