Okay, so only part of the frustration is with my own work. I'll admit I haven't quite reached the quality level for which I'm aiming. I look at my books sitting beside me and nearly grimace at times because I want them to be ... more. You know, like Hemingway more or Marilynne Robinson more. Sometimes I'll pick one up and start reading and think, "Really? Wonder if I should rewrite the whole thing?" and other times I start reading and think, "Hey, this is actually pretty good."

Still, I keep getting on great flowing rolls of writing and then stop. It's not good enough.

But then, if I wait to put anything out until I think it is, I'll likely never put anything out, or at least very little. And I have a ton of stories in my head.

Writing is supposed to support the story, though, not the other way around. At least that's my belief for fiction. I hear other writers who won't even submit (or self-pub) until they think their work is perfect. I assume we won't read much of their work and their stories will sit and suffocate in a file somewhere. But maybe for them it's more about the writing than about the story. It's a little arrogant, I think, to put the writing first.

On the other hand, way too many are putting much too much out far before it's ready. That's even more frustrating to me than my own work not being where I want it. And I don't mean only self-pubs. I mean publishers with contracts and editors. It's frightening how much lack of quality is coming out of publishing companies.

When I read a paragraph (written for adults) that says:

Julie moved her chair to the right. She sat down. She looked at Billy. He grinned.

I'm not only embarrassed for the author, but also for the publisher. Actually, I'm embarrassed for the author, but I want to shoot off an angry email to the publisher that says something like: I paid for this piece of garbage because YOU didn't do your job! Get out of the business! I guess I won't.

The book industry is flagging. They're trying to boost it with ebooks and ... *sigh* with vampire fiction. I have a suggestion. How about getting rid of the garbage? It's no wonder readers are buying fewer new books and instead heading to the thrift shop. How do we authors fight that when publishers (including self-pubs) are not doing their jobs?

Have I put out anything before it was ready? Hm. Maybe. But by my standards, not by today's standards. I guess that's not much of a comparison.

 

I went to my local bookstore to replenish a copy of a book the owner sold for me and of course we chatted a while, as normal. She's a writer, also.

I mentioned I was working on 4 books right now and her eyes grew wide. She said she could only do one at a time, as many others have said. I kind of shrugged and said it's more natural for me, that I could just jump into whichever I felt like working on at the moment and it keeps me from being too bogged down with one, or from being stuck on one and then not writing.

She laughed and asked if there was a touch of ADD going on there.

Really? How'd you guess. My son was with me and started nodding. I'm glad he was, though, because it was a nice way to show him what a benefit it can be when you learn how to harness it. I guess that's true of everything, really. It's all what you do with it.

Of course, he didn't appreciate it so much when he was telling me a college called for him today and would call back later tonight to talk to me and while he was talking I reached over and grabbed a book I noticed. He stopped and raised his hand as though to say, "Hey, I'm talking" but what he said was, "Hey look, a chicken."

I assured him I could do both at once. And did.

Four at once is not a problem. Even six or seven internet places at a time is not a problem. The eight does seem to be. It's time to drop a different one and come back here, though, where I'm more comfortable.

Don't expect much, on the other hand. I am writing four books at once, and reading three.

So what are you working on lately? I need to start catching up!

 

Why is it that we're only legally responsible for our children until they are 18 and then they can do as they please and must take responsibility for their own actions, but school loans ask for parents' income until they are 25?

Hey, if I'm not legally responsible, then my finances have nothing to do with them. If I have to support them until they are 25, then I get to make the decisions. Right? Doesn't that make sense?



 

I understand that people are angry these days. There's plenty to be angry about. Our national debt has tripled in less than a year. Our Constitutional rights are degrading. Our legal system is more beneficial to criminals than to victims. We're afraid to even defend ourselves for fear of retribution, or let a kid's friend come over to swim in fear of a lawsuit. Jobs are nearly non-existant in so many places. Outsourcing is growing when there are so many of us who need the work right here.

Granted. That's reason to be angry.

Even liberal Hollywood is coming out with shows such as Sons of Anarchy and Leverege, and movies such as Law Abiding Citizen, where private citizens are taking a rather violent stand to say "enough! if you won't protect us, we'll do it ourselves!"

Young people are sporting anarchy symbols because they know what's happening is wrong, that our government is selling us out.

Still...

We also have much to be grateful for and we still have ways to change things without being so violent about it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a peace-nik and I would never buy one of those popular-again peace sign T-shirts. I don't believe in letting people walk on us or in doing anything you please under the guise of "free love" which is really nothing but self-serving amoral thumbing-society gibberish that leads to decline in so many ways.

No, I believe in self-defense and in self-respect. I believe in giving our troops what they need in order to get the job done right, instead of letting it drag on forever in appeasement of the anti-war crowd who really don't understand they're making things worse instead of helping as they're trying to do. I get what they're saying. I also that doesn't work.

However, I also believe in making changes the right way, without throwing oil on the fire. Our voices and our minds are our greatest assets. We need to learn how to use them constructively. Write letters to the editor, after doing your research, and do it with tact and not with aggression. Write your congressman, although I have doubts these days any of them listen. If they don't, vote them out. But vote the issues, not the bandwagon. READ. Not only one source, but many, especially opposing sources. Figure out what you believe from there. ALL writing is slanted. Keep that in mind.

I don't watch those TV shows. I've heard enough about them to know they go so far the other direction, that it's no better than the direction we're in now. I did watch Law Abiding Citizen with my family, not knowing it would go as far as it did, and I jumped all over that, telling my kids the guy took it way too far and made himself just as bad as the guys he was going after. And what did it really accomplish? Nothing.

Fight back, of course. But fight back with intelligence and grace and you actually get somewhere. If not, if you let the anger seep in and take control, then you've only destroyed yourself in the process of fighting for justice.

I can't see that as justice. What will it accomplish? Nothing.

 

While I'm quite sure some of my political opinions have indeed chased people away, not only here but other places online, and while I know as a writer trying to market novels, chasing people away with my opinions may not be the best idea...

My books are political. They're opinionated. They SAY things. A lot of people won't agree with a lot of what they say.

But you know what? *shrug*

Books are supposed to say things. What's the actual point, otherwise? I write literary fiction. That's what it's supposed to be. So yes, I'm a politically opinionated writer. No apologies.

I read an article the other day that said books that SAY things about today's culture no longer exist, that writing is only a profession and not a vocation, and no one still writes "real" literature. I strongly disagree. Much of society may want to escape with their fiction since today's world (as is true in every world in every time under the sun) is hard to deal with, and fantasy/sci fi/chick lit may sell much better because of it, but although serious literature is hard to market, it is being written.

My guess is it will sell better in future times, just as with Hemingway and Van Gogh. At least it's out there.
 

A couple of months ago, I took a chance and sent Off The Moon to the Indie Excellence awards, after careful research and noting the endorsement by Dan Poynter. I wasn't holding my breath (not often anyway) but I thought it did have a chance of at least finaling.

Didn't happen. Results came out today.

Yes, I had to distract myself so it wouldn't pull me too far down off my optimistic perch. Okay, so it did pull me down a bit, but not too horribly far. Contests are subjective. My subject matter might have been a bit too iffy for their taste. Maybe it wasn't quite "in" enough. And maybe it's not as good as I was thinking it was. Yes well, on to the next book. This is the second big contest rejection for two different books, but there are always more contests and hopefully many more books. Maybe one will hit.

I went about my business and finished the ARC to send along to a very talented poet who often awes me with her work. NOVAcatmando very graciously wrote a gorgeous poem to allow use as the epilogue for Protect The Heart. She wrote three, actually, to give me some options, and although I had planned on only one, there were two I couldn't resist.

So a HUGE thank you to Catherine! She's approved the ARC and it goes off to publish-land. If anyone who meanders into this blog hasn't yet read her work, follow the blog link to the left.

~~~
Back to real world: I've finally had the first bike ride of the year. I can tell you the best way to scout out a town-wide yard sale is on the back of a Harley where you can look as you pass and see if it seems worth the stop. I don't do yard sales much. In general, it's books or certain collectibles I keep an eye out for. Otherwise, I don't really want a bunch of stuff the original owners don't even want anymore. The book selection was pretty scanty. I found one to take home. The big find was a Pirates of the Carribean Life game, used once. Even with her cheating us on the change (hubby gave her the money and I collected the change not knowing what he gave her - NOT a good idea), it was a good collector's find. I have a feeling that when she was telling us about how the game worked and I mentioned I don't play games, but I collect Pirates stuff, that she realized holding onto to it a few years might have been a better idea. *shrug* I imagine it will be worth well over the 'cheated' price I paid for it (still less than original price), if I ever decide to sell my collection.

We also walked in on a conversation at a man's house where he was selling Civil War related items and heard him tell another guy he was an extra in Gettysburgh. That was pretty cool. Perhaps yard sales are better character fodder than bounty fodder.

 

I was presented a Creative Writer's (Liar's) Award for my site blog -- you know, one of those things were you get tagged and then annoy other bloggers by tagging them?

Well, I decided to make it a game. I've posted 7 facts on my blog. One is about me. Six are about my characters. But I made it tricky: all of them could be likely answers for me, as well. I have 2 answers already, both incorrect. I'm thinking several of you on this site would have a huge heads up on which is correct.

Want to go play?
http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com

There are prizes.

 

I watched the first part of Father of the Bride again last night. I had to laugh at his realization that his daughter was the age his wife had been when they married. He couldn’t imagine she had been so young. I’ve had that thought often, as next month, my daughter will be the age I was when I got married.

I kept thinking how hard that had to be for my mom, as it was much the same situation: I met someone from a distance and brought him home to say we were getting married. I was still 20 at the time and so sure of myself. Well, mostly. My daughter is older than that now and heading that direction *sigh* and I just can’t see how she can be old enough to be thinking of marriage.

We’re not as old at that age as we think we are. How do our moms deal with watching us walk into a whole new world while knowing we really have no idea what we’re getting into? How do we let our little girls, who we’ve protected and defended and veered into the right direction and taught to be ladies who should stand on their own and be proud of themselves walk down the aisle and tie themselves to some man who thinks he loves her more than anyone else in the world?

Of course that’s not true. No one can love a child the way a mom does. And yet, as my mom always said: we raise them, put up with all of the hassle and hard times, the spit up and throw up, the NOs and I DON’T WANT TOs, the head-locking when all we’re really trying to do is to make things better for them, finally get them to adulthood and see all the beautiful results of all those frustrating hair-tearing-out years … and they leave us for some guy.

Wait. How is that fair?

But, I did it to my mom and it’s time for payback.

So what do we owe our moms for having to go through this whole routine, especially the horrible letting go part?

Everything.

Of course we can’t give them everything, but we can try to give them what they always wanted most for us: to live in a way we make things better for ourselves, not harder; to make good choices as she kept drumming into our head; to not let ‘that boy’ or anyone else turn us away from who we are and what we want from life, and to always remember that what we do affects our moms, forever. Yes, we owe them that. And if we keep that in mind and do our best to keep making Mom proud, we will better our own lives, as well.

That’s all Mom ever really wanted.

 

I finished reading Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet last night. I stayed up too late finishing it, but you know how it goes when you're almost at the end and just can't leave those few pages.

Should I say I nearly jumped up and down when I found this book at my local bookstore? I'd never heard of author Stephanie Cowell, even though she is an award winning current author. However, I adore Claude Monet's work. He's my favorite impressionist. I have several impressionist art books and at least one or two that are strictly about Monet. So grabbing this novel of his romance with Camille was a given. I just hoped the writing would be nice enough, as my constant study and critique of novels has made me a bit too critical.

Claude & Camille is a beautiful read. Any fan of impressionism or art in general will enjoy the details of what life was like for this group of painters unknowingly forming a new school of art in the days of pre-WW2 Paris as well as throughout and after the war. It's a true book of art and about art and its story extends to all artists. Monet had his share of critics. In fact, he had so many nasty comments from critics, he destroyed some of his work in belief that he was wasting his time and would never get anywhere. I literally cringed when he cut through so many of his canvases, and again when many were destroyed during the war.

Cowell allows us to closely connect with Monet as a real live person instead of only as the artist of such magnificent water lily and other landscape paintings. We get to learn his family history, his rocky relationship with his father, his path of learning and help he received along the way, and mostly, his relationship with his true love, Camille.

At times I hurt badly for him and for how he struggled, and especially for how Camille struggled to love him through the broken promises and years of debt collectors following them. It's not easy to love and support an artist obsessed with his or her art! Nothing shows this better than Camille's story.

At other times I wanted to yell at him to support his family better while he painted! There is such a thing as being too one-tracked and Monet was definitely that. I had to ask myself, though, if he would have ended up with such a huge body of art to his name if he had worked it around a job that actually paid. It's the crossroads all artists face: give up all comfort and security in the name of art or work your art around comfort and security. There's the big question that maybe has no good answer.

It's hard for one-tracked artists to live in the real world. Even when taking jobs that pay, their heads are in their art, much of the time to the extent that any other job makes them miserable. They are as hard on themselves as they are on their loved ones, maybe harder, since they are never convinced they are quite good enough. And yet, these are the artists who generally make the biggest impression. Most of them would never in the world suggest anyone else take on the life they've chosen, or been handed.

Claude & Camille is a must read for art lovers, especially art lovers who enjoy watching relationships build and struggle. At times, the dialogue was a bit stilted and there were a few sentences I had to reread due to awkward phrasing, but in general, it was a page turner and echoed Monet's 'patchy' impressionist art itself.

I should turn off my radio in the morning once the news comes on. It starts the day off wrong.

For instance, this morning the verdict was released for an area man who molested an underage girl several times over the course of a few months. The girl recently committed suicide. The 37 year old man asked the judge for leniency because the molestation "wasn't mentioned" in her suicide letter.

Leniency? I'm sure that will help the girl's family feel better. Because it "wasn't mentioned" he thinks it didn't have anything to do with it? Maybe he should plead insanity. Or plead guilty to being a full-out lecherous pig with no concern for anyone's feelings but his own, which is the honest truth. That does not deserve leniency.

His sentence: 5 to 10 years, which will likely fall back to about 3, since that's how things are done.

Animal abusers get worse punishment than that. What is wrong with us?

The following story was of another man of around age 30 who was just freed on $10,000 bail pending trial for raping a 13 year old girl. This is local news, not national.

There was an article up recently that showed the results of a worldwide study of which countries were the friendliest and safest for women. The US was number 14. That's absolutely abhorrent. So many US citizens rant and rave against those countries that still treat women as property, and I agree completely, but what about us? What about the football star who took advantage of a very drunk young woman in a restaurant bathroom and got off with no charges against him? You can't even get a tattoo when you've had one drink in fear of lack of judgment, and yet you can take advantage of a drunk woman with no recrimination (and the minor "punishment" the NFL said they would impose is laughable, or would be if it wasn't so sad). Agreed it's not smart to get that drunk in the first place, but although stupid, it's not a crime. Taking advantage of it should be a crime.

Attacks against women in this country are a huge, huge problem. A country that doesn't care enough about the mental well-being of its women and young girls is pathetic. Not teaching our young girls that sex at young ages, even by choice, is NOT okay, is pathetic. It IS mentally harmful. They are not ready for that kind of an invasion of their bodies so soon. The legal age laws came from physical readiness. Before 17-18, sex can very well cause permanent physical harm to a girl. That doesn't even take into account mental harm, which seems not to matter to us.

We need to start demanding harsher punishment for rape and other attacks. Five-to-ten years, which is the standard punishment for rape without weapons, is ludicrous. Criminals don't mind that small risk, especially when they know they'll get out sooner than that. They have stated they're sure not to have a weapon on them because that increases the risk to ten-to-fifteen years and they don't want to risk that.

Easy answer, then, to help prevent the abhorrent number of attacks: RAISE the stakes. Make it 15 years, no early parole. That's still lenient, given that the woman has to live with it the rest of her life. If she decides she can keep living with it. Personally, I wouldn't be opposed to hanging them in the street.

I value my daughter more than that. Why don't we all?


 

It's May, it's May, that lusty month of May... the time for every frivolous whim, proper or im...

Any musicals fan recognize that one?

When I was young, I celebrated May Day by taking a little construction paper basket of candies and violets and dandelions over to our elderly neighbor.

What's happened to May Day? I heard CA had a celebration but otherwise, it seems to have disappeared. Sad.

I celebrated today by making my first trip of the year to the local garden center and pulling the winter-dried stems out of my hanging baskets to be replaced by gorgeous yellow-purple pansies. I also found a mosquito plant I put in a pot next to my porch swing. We'll see if it actually helps repel the little beasts. A couple of other findings came home with me, as well. I'm a bit proud to say I got them all planted today! They usually end up waiting on me a while, but since I did, I can go back tomorrow and grab a few more things.

I plan to get some basil, oregano, dill, and parsley to mix in with my porch planters hosting pansies and those little pink and green leaf plants I can't ever remember the name of. I imagine I'll get into some other mischief while I'm there.

As I'm not a big shopper, not into fashion or shoes or manicures or $100 hairdos, my garden fixation doesn't annoy my husband. At least it doesn't yet.

Speaking of lusty months, I felt a bit voyeuristic yesterday when two mourning doves decided to ... uh, be friendly in one of my hanging baskets. At least it looked like that might be what they were doing. Hopefully they weren't laying eggs, since I just pulled the old stuff out of there!

Did anyone else celebrate May Day?

 

I see the site has evolved again. I'm not so sure about the portfolio main page look, but I like the tab headings! I've already added stuff to my bio page and a comment to my notebook so they won't be empty. I don't always adapt well to sites changing, but that's how things work. It's my own decision to adapt or to thwart myself by refusing. Even when it involves things I don't like, adapting is helpful to the brain. So be it...

Yesterday I went to a garden seminar in town. Mainly I went because a writer/master gardener aquaintance was speaking and I believe in supporting others in their pursuits, at least in pursuits with which I agree. But also, I enjoy gardening. I'm very much an amateur and any helpful tips that might, as my husband put it, help me not kill my plants, is a good thing. I went alone, to somewhere I haven't been. I realize that doesn't sound like a big deal but it is for me. And it was fine. More than fine, it was quite enjoyable, and I came home with a bigger planting bug than I already have simply because it's spring. I've decided I'll take one of the speaker's suggestions and plant edibles with my decorative pots this year. I think maybe parsley in with my pansy pots to add height and variety, plus I love to cook with parsley. I may add strawberries to my hanging planters. The squirrels won't get to them that way and it'll add some nice overflow color.

I also plan to start/restart a very small garden plot with a mix of cucumbers, sunflowers, radish, dill, and nasturtium. When I posted my event on Facebook yesterday, an old high school aquaintance suggested a very cool website that shows how to combine plant crops for natural insect control and better performance:
http://www.ghorganics.com
Sunflowers give cucumbers strong stalks on which to grow. Radish and nasturtium deter cucumber beetles. And cucumbers are supposed to grow anywhere they're planted. Hardy plants are perfect for me. Dill is also supposed to prevent aphids (it attracts tomato worms, however, so keep it away from those) and I want to try my hand at making pickles. We'll see how it goes. I have much more interest than talent with gardening.

There are lots of great tips on that site, such as planting garlic with roses to repel aphids and Japanese beetles. Last year I planted marigolds in with my cherry tomatoes to help repel both and it did seem to work!

I've started on my gardening in action, as well as in study. So far that's been a matter of clearing out winter mess of dead things and weeds and planting a few bulbs in front of my chain link fence: hollyhocks and deep red gladiolus. Morning glories and moonflowers I put in last year are coming up behind them. I found them while raking away the pile of leaves gathered in front of the fence. I'm also enjoying my cardinals, jays, and goldfinches outside my window at the feeder.

It is, indeed, time to bloom again.

 

As the sparrows in the loving arms of shelter 
you huddle 
               trust 
Canons fire at the borders of your home 
     and yet 
               you don’t flinch 
  for you know the sound; it soothes you, 
          rocks you to sleep, to dream 
of fields far away and nearby, where your protector 
                     slaves in love, for his country, his homeland 
    and yours. 

You cannot always know the “why” of what he does 
        and yet you’re proud 
                stalwart 
Standing at an attention of your own kind 
        you know 
   from the outside world, you’re not the same 
they have police & grocery stores, convenience 
you have MPs & commissaries, shoppettes 
               it’s a different world 
       and they’ll never know. 

As he is promoted with full honor & bearing & grace 
     and ceremony 
             you watch 
  learning of honor & bearing & grace 
As he retires 
               while – in the other world 
                  a man leaving his job gets a watch and a 
              “thanks and see ya (but won’t, of course)” dinner 
               with kids at home with sitter or off away 
     You are called to join 
               stand in line beside him, quiet, respectful 
          grace in its highest form 
your protector, your personal hero 
        receives with dignity a thank you & “we’re still here for you” 
spouse & children, as well – always one 
               a proud smile warms your knowing face while he 
               accepts – with deep gratitude – his award 
  and then 
at his side 
      you receive flowers, too 

     for a military man never works alone 
               his job is not only his – it belongs to all 
         especially, it belongs to you 

you who sacrificed 
               moving homes 
               leaving friends 
               doing without your nightly hug because he’s away 
           for days – months, eternity at times 
               partnering with him, with your mom who pretends you 
                              don’t know she cries 
               becoming her strength as she gives hers to you 
              
  he can’t do his job without you 
                   without knowing your job is harder 
                   simple childhood is non-existent in your world 
     you are so much more 
more than they – those on the outside – will ever know 

            or care to know 

        you are the strong 
                       the strength 
                       the persevered 

        you are the proud 
                        the knowing, the heart 

it is you for which he fights, fears, gives: 
            sacrifice that he sees not as sacrifice 
            but as “is” 

You will always know what others will not 
               -- sympathy & empathy are not the same 
               you want no sympathy 
               (only others like you can give you empathy) 
you want only respect 
                              hard earned 
                              hard to truly find 

    it is for you, for every part of who you are 
           & what you will become 
        for which he fights 
                              it is all 

               or nothing – he knows no in between 
                 neither do you 

for you he fights, for love 
          & it is you who show him what true love 
                                             is 

The youngest of these pay for others’ sins 
               & you are the proof of how beautiful that is 

I saw someone online the other day say they aren't watching this season because it's "a cast full of losers."

First, I resent anyone calling someone else a loser unless it's like .. a rapist or murderer or a bottom feeder or the like. Although there is one celeb this year I'm very anxious to see leave, and have plenty of agreement on that, I still wouldn't use that term. Nasty, yes. Loser? Well, who knows what she's gone through in reality? Maybe she's fighting more odds than anyone can know, which doesn't give a person the right to be nasty to innocent parties, but still, calling someone a loser only makes you look ... well, nasty.

I don't care what celebs they have on the show. Some I enjoy more than others. Some I root for and am sad to see leave. But I watch for the pros.

They're great, aren't they? Last night's results show was amazing, because of the two pro dances. I wouldn't watch the results otherwise. I don't like the whole ... "we'll tell you right after this" type of drawn out suspense. I don't believe that the results are purely the results of viewer voting. I don't vote anymore because it feels a waste of time and too much playing in their rating game nonsense. I do think the one everyone wants to have kicked off is only still there because the producers know drama and controversy pull viewers.

Still, I love the dancing. I love most of the pros. Maksim is just heavenly to watch, and Derek is amazing; Louie is a joy as are Lacey and Tony.... In short, they could pull people off the street aka that Idol show that got booted off top ratings by DWTS and I'd still watch. It's about the dancing for me. I love it. I enjoy the celebs with no dance background who go on and work hard and prove that you CAN step out of your element and still succeed if you're determined enough. How long they stay on is a moot point. That they dared to do it is what matters.

I don't watch realities with a very very rare exception, because I don't at all believe any of them are not staged. It's largely a bunch of overdramatic whining set up to make the audience think it's all real. Come on. I get sick of the celebs who do that on DWTS, also. You know which I mean: the ones who go on and on about how busy their schedules are and how horrible it is to have a little injury and to keep going anyway. Welcome to real life, chickadees. So what? I applaud Evan Lysacek who broke a couple of toes and said nothing about it this week while dancing on them anyway. Not to mention he's also performing with Stars on Ice in between rehearsing and doesn't whine about that schedule, either. That's reason enough to keep rooting for him as a winner, which in my mind, he is (along with his Olympic medal).

Yes, I'm a fan of the show. No, I'm not all pulled-in to the hype or think it's all "reality" as they want us to think. I watch for the dancing. I love the elegance of ballroom as opposed to all of the bump-and-grind of modern days that has received too much attention. Real dance is incredibly hard. It's true art. It's vivid and alive. If you don't believe how hard it is, give it a try. I'm in favor of anything that promotes elegance and hard work and respect and art and pushing yourself to new limits. I find it a very good sign that DWTS topped the TV ratings. Possibly, all of those values are returning. The cast, unlike most reality casts, don't get nasty toward each other (at least not on the show). They encourage each other even while competing. They have fun while working hard. They learn how to get along and what makes the individual relationships work enough to spend so much time together in such a stressful environment. The pros are the ringleaders in doing so, in promoting a healthy working relationship, in being honest but respectful.

It's a beautiful thing to see and so rare to find on television these days. Maybe that's what helps make the show such a roaring success.

I spent part of today at a high school baseball game. The weather was perfect, sunny, warm with a cool breeze now and then just as a reminder that it's barely spring and the cold may come back to tease. The game was a scrimage: the score wouldn't count for their record, only a "let's get this season started" kind of game, which I like. Afterwards, I worked on my yard and started clearing out the old dead stuff to make way for the new, then my kids and I walked the puppies.

Perfect start to spring. Just when my optimism seems to be tucking tail and giving up, I get a day like this.

From today: Daffodils on the verge

I'm working on my newsletter today to go out tomorrow, and one thing I'm including is a code for a free download of Different Drummer. I decided recently to make the ebook free to help attract interest, and because I may be taking it apart and turning it into smaller books: rewriting, adding, deleting, editing.

Then I find this article through Writer Beware on Facebook. It's only one more that talks about the value of giving electronic books away free:

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100312/0303328535.shtml

I guess they wouldn't argue my library donation, either.

Heading in to see Bounty Hunter tonight. Hope it's as funny as it looks.