Welcome to the World, Cora

My love - Born 19 August 2012

Taking a hiatus to care for my baby for a bit.  Good luck with your writing endeavors!

Free Writing Conference - Starts next week!

WriteOnCon is a free conference that officially begins Tuesday, August 14th (although they are accepting work for critiques on Monday) and runs through Wednesday, August 15th.

I have never participated in this conference in the past, but having checked out the website, it looks like a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the craft and the business and it's FREE!  (I love ALL things free.)  Even though I go back to school on Wednesday, I plan on checking it out.  There are scheduled events throughout both days and a transcript available of discussions that you might miss.  Great, right?

Here is their website for more information:
WriteOnCon

Another Great Read

As I’ve mentioned before, my reading habits have been different these past nine months (only two more weeks or so until the baby’s arrival!).  But I have managed to do some reading this summer without falling asleep. 

The novel City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare, which I’ve been meaning to read all year, kept me up into the wee hours of the night (and that hasn’t happened in, well, nine months!).  This is the fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series.  I read the first three a couple of years ago and thought that it was a trilogy.  I was surprised this past year when a fourth book came out.  

Cassandra Clare is able to do something truly amazing.  She is able to keep me interested in vampires, witches, demons, etc.  I have to admit to have had my fill of these paranormal creatures.  I tried reading Deborah Harkness's Discovery of Witches a few months ago, but rolled my eyes or gagged every few pages (possibly even more often than that).  The characters are cheeeeeeeeeessssssyyyyyy.  I finally couldn't handle it anymore and had to stop reading.  I know this puts me in the minority since this book was a big hit, but to me, Clare's work is far more exciting!  And most importantly, her characters are interesting and complicated and likable.  (Okay, I can tell this is a blog entry for another day, so back to the topic.)

Simon is adjusting to life as a vampire, which isn't easy considering he doesn't want to drink human blood and he knows that he will live forever - far beyond that of his friends and family.  Add to that the fact that he is impossible to kill due to the curse that Clary put on him and it is obvious to see why he struggles with his identity and is intrigued when one of the oldest vampires attempts to persuade him into helping her reclaim her New York clan.  

Meanwhile, Clary and Jace are having problems of their own.  Even though they are able to be together now (none of those pesky incest fears anymore), life still isn't rosy.  Jace is pulling away from her for reasons that she doesn't understand and he won't talk to her about it (which, I'll admit, gets a bit frustrating at times).  Jace is having vivid dreams in which he kills Clary and is afraid there is evil lurking inside of him since he was raised by a vicious, ambitious killer himself.  

Action-packed from beginning to end, this was another book that I sped through despite my pregnancy exhaustion and while I love the three original books best, I did enjoy this.  The ending, in particular, was intense - a cliffhanger that is sure to send me to the bookstore for the City of Lost Souls.

And if you like the Mortal Instruments series, then check out the Infernal Devices series in which some familiar characters make an appearance.  Infernal Devices is set in the Victorian Period and has similar elements to the Mortal Instruments – shadowhunters, vampires, fae, etc. – but is definitely unique and interesting.  In these books, zombie-like, robotic machines do their evil master’s bidding.  Cool, huh?

Check both series out and enjoy!

Let's Start the Countdown!

This is entirely unrelated to writing or reading, but is totally exciting (and terrifying) to me.  After our doctor's visit today - we are about 37 weeks along - we learned that the baby could come any time now!

Just last night, I looked at my husband and said, "We're going to have a baby in three weeks."

He looked back at me and said, "Wow."

And I responded with, "Holy crap.  That's soon."

But now, it appears things are progressing along even more quickly and Baby Wilson may be making her debut even earlier.  The doctor predicts we will not make it until August 24th with how far along we are already.

We're just keeping our fingers crossed that she doesn't come while he's out of town next week!

I'm feeling a mixture of emotions.  Fear:  Yikes!  I'm scared!  I'm not ready!  There is still more to do! I'm going to be a crappy parent!  Life will never be the same!  I need more time!


And excitement:  Yeah!  After all of this time, I'm finally going to meet her!  I wonder who she'll look like?  I'm going to love her.  I can't wait!


I just wanted to share or really, unload.   Wish us luck!

Join the Challenge!

Laurie Halse Anderson - bestselling, award-winning author of Speak, Catalyst, Chains, Forge, and many others - has launched her 5th Annual Write 15 Minutes a Day Challenge for the month of August.

For each of us, life sometimes gets in the way of our writing, but this challenge is a great way to get back into it without feeling overwhelmed.  15 minutes is VERY doable!  And not only that, it will often lead to more time spent writing.  I know that I have trouble stopping once I start and this challenge gives me the jumpstart that I need.

For more details and to participate in the challenge, go to Anderson's blog at Mad Woman in the Forest Blog.

On a side note, Anderson is also a supporter of the NaNoWriMo project that occurs in November.  As an educator, I was thrilled to discover that the project also offers a Young Writers Program for classrooms.  I've already forwarded this information on to my principal in my excitement to get my future 7th graders writing a novel this year.  If you, too, are interested in learning more, go to NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program.

Now, get writing!

Hourglass - A fast summer read

One of the things I love about YA fiction is that it can be powerful, gripping, and meaningful all at the same time, without taking itself too seriously.  Does anyone else feel that some adult fiction tries too hard to be "literary" and just comes across as boring or pretentious?  Not young adult fiction.  The characters' voices are real, even when the genre is science fiction.  It has heart and soul.  But don't get me wrong, it can be equally - if not more - vivid, descriptive, prosaic than many of the adult fiction novels are.  It just feels more seamless and less showy.  And no offense to adult fiction authors.  I definitely don't feel that way about all of them.  I have many favorite adult authors as well.

One of the YA books that I've read this summer was fantastical, but set in the modern time which gives it the right amount of believability.  I love to imagine the possibility that these supernatural or magical elements could actually exist in our mundane world.

This book, which I couldn't put down (Hurray!  Since getting pregnant, anything that keeps me awake past ten pages is WONDERFUL!) - was Hourglass by Myra McEntire.  I thought it would be a ghost story since the main character, Emerson Cole, seems to have visions of the past.  It turns out, she's a time traveller.  Cool concept, right?  Her dark past and emotional baggage kept me interested in her and the characters she meets in her journey to understand herself and her abilities are mysterious and interesting as well.

These other characters, who also happen to have "powers," find Emerson and ask for her help in saving the life of their beloved scholar and friend.  He was murdered in a fire months before.  Emerson agrees to help them return to the past to pull him out before it's too late.  There is a bit of a love triangle to spice up her personal life - although it is pretty obvious from the start who her top choice is.  Also, there is the obligatory villain (fire-starter) to complicate her life.  However, things are not exactly as they seem, which adds a nice twist to the plot.

I did have trouble at times wrapping my mind around the time travel technicalities - I always have gotten a bit confused with this topic, so it's probably just me.  But this novel was worth reading for simple enjoyment - nothing too taxing or deep or emotional, which is exactly what I needed at the time.

If you get the chance, read this book.  It goes by quickly and is a nice break from real life.

The BEST advice I've received on the Query Letter YET!

This advice wasn't given to me personally.  It is actually on an agent's blog that I follow, Pub Rants, by Kristin Nelson.  I came across it during my research on agents and agencies and I have to pass it along because it has helped me SO MUCH!

I have been working on my query letter obsessively for the past few days.  I am not exaggerating when I say "obsessively."

In fact, I was in such a mind fog yesterday afternoon that when my husband called me on his way home for work, I think drool might have been oozing from my mouth as I stared at the computer screen.  By then words were running together and all sentences had lost their meaning.  I hadn't even realized until he called that I had spent the ENTIRE DAY working on ONE letter.

Garrett came to my rescue, though.  (My night in shining armor!)  Instead of heading straight to the gym, he came home to drag me away from the computer (I resisted, even in my zombie-like state) and force me to go to the gym with him.  After an apple, a solid workout, and a visit to Babies R Us (4 1/2 weeks until she makes her debut!), I was finally able to carry on a coherent conversation.

This query stuff is tough.

I knew last night that my letter was still a long way from where it should be, but I didn't know how to fix it until I read Kristin's pitch workshop blog entries today.  She is a lifesaver!  (Garrett will be so grateful!)

Without further ado, here are the links to the posts specifically about YA query letters (which can also be found on her agency's website, Nelson Literary Agency):

1.  Pitching and all that jazz:  Introduction
2.  Blog Pitch Workshop (Part 1)
3.  Blog Pitch Workshop (Part 2)
4.  Blog Pitch Workshop (Part 3)

I hope her advice helps you as much as it has helped me.  Hopefully, I will have a decent letter by the end of the day!  (Fingers crossed!)

Good luck!

Time to Query

I've reached the point where I'm ready to write my query letter.  It is a daunting task and one that I've heard many established authors even dread.  How is it that we can write an entire novel, but the thought of one letter makes us quiver?

In my search for guidance on this topic, I've located some helpful resources, which I thought that I'd share.

1.  Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Chuck Sambuchino and the editors of Writer's Digest Books

2.  QueryShark - blog which critiques fiction query letters, detailing what needs to be revised in order to have a successful query; very informative!

3.  "Marcus Sakey on Successful Query Letters" - a post from the Murderati: A Writer's Life blog; advice from the published author on how to get a 75% success rate on your query letter.

4.  AgentQuery - website dedicated researching agents and agencies.  It even offers advice on how to write a query letter.

5.  "How to Write a Query Letter" - blog post by Nathan Bradford

6.  Predators & Editors - informative website on the credibility of specific agents and agencies.  Check out your researched agents here before sending your queries to them.  Make sure they are legitimate!

I hope these links help you (and me) to write effective queries!  Good luck!

Check out this FANTASTIC Giveaway

The blog YA Highway is celebrating three years of blogging success with an extremely generous giveaway of books/arcs and/or critiques.

Check out their site:
YA Highway

I am definitely registering!  How about you?

The Home Stretch (Kind of)

To Do List

One of my personal goals is to have my novel ready and out for submission before my little girl makes her debut on or around August 24th.  I know that my life is about to get a whole lot more complicated which will leave me little time for myself.  But the task has seemed daunting, especially since I had barely looked at my manuscript in six months.  So, how do I handle this monumental undertaking?

Luckily, I have a wonderful friend and fellow writer that I spent time with on Friday.  It had been way too long since I'd seen her due to both of our hectic jobs and hopefully, we'll not let so much time pass between visits in the future.

Besides being a fantastic person to hang out with, she always provides sound, rational writing advice that clears my head and sends me in the right direction.  It also gives me confidence and calms my fears.  For that, I am so grateful!  Thank you, Carly!

Her advice:  create a schedule of deadlines for myself.  I have just over 7 weeks until my due date and have broken each week down into what needs to be accomplished to attain my overall goal of submission.  I have actually made my plan based on six weeks to give me (and Baby Wilson) a little leeway.

Suddenly a task that seemed overwhelming seems achievable - but not without the help of Carly, who has also kindly offered to help with final revisions along with my attendance at two more writing group meetings through my SCBWI chapter.

Can I do this?  Absolutely!

Will I get an agent and eventually sell my novel?  Who knows!  But I will not give up this dream of mine.  I have to try.  And if not this book, then maybe my next one (which I will finally be able to start once this novel gets sent off!)

*On a side note, I have revised most of the novel and have only the ending to finish revising at this point.*

Here's my schedule:

Week 1 – ending 7/13:

Finish revisions and send to Carly

Week 2 – ending 7/21:

1^st Draft of query letter

Send to Carly for feedback

Synopsis revisions for feedback

Week 3 – ending 7/28:

Revisions based on Carly’s feedback

2^nd Draft query letter

Synopsis

Bring synopsis and query to critique group for feedback

Week 4 – ending 8/3

Novel Revisions

Query Revision

Synopsis Revision

Research agents

Compile list of agents (already started, but continue to build)

Week 5 – ending 8/10

Novel Revisions

Finish revisions and put in submission form

List of 5 to 10 agents and criteria for 1^st round of submissions

Attend critique group for final feedback

Week 6 – ending 8/17

Send out submissions

Let me know, am I missing a step?  

*Oh, and another "thank you" to Carly for lending me Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Chuck Sambuchino and the editors of Writer's Digest.  It's invaluable!*

What a year!

Do not open until August. ;)
I was only about four months along here.  I'm much bigger now!

I have to guiltily admit that I let life get in the way of my writing and reading this year.  If you notice, my last post was in December (I know, December!) shortly after I destroyed my laptop with a glass of milk and in the time it took to replace it and save my old work, I had gotten in the habit of not writing.

Partly, it was laziness.  Partly, it was for my sanity.  You see, this past year was my first year teaching at a new school and I found that I had a hard time giving my heart to both things - teaching and writing.  I seemed to end up resenting one more.

I would get advice:  Just write for an hour or so a night.  Unfortunately, once I get my brain into the zone, I tend to stay there awhile to the detriment of my personal and professional life (and sleep schedule).

So, I made a choice.  It was my students and family.  I don't regret the choice.  The first year at a new school is incredibly hard - even with previous teaching experience.  But I want to make some changes to accommodate both next year.

My goal is to both write and teach in the upcoming year, but I have to change the expectations I put on myself.

1.  Get in the habit of writing with my students every week.  This will benefit all of us.  I cannot promise every day.  In a perfect world, I would, but obviously this is not a perfect world and I am far from perfect!  Which leads me to number two....

2.  Forgive myself more.  I allow myself to be consumed by guilt.  It is a serious personality flaw.  I suspect guilt helped me avoid my computer.  The worse I felt about not writing, the less likely I was to do it and the more negative my feelings about it and myself became.  I have to stop and let myself just be and enjoy the process.

3.  Stop making goals.  Just write.  I can only do so much, especially considering how my life is going to change shortly.  Which leads me to another confession....

I must also admit that I haven't been reading much this year either (besides students' papers, that is).  Yes, I know.  What kind of English teacher am I?  The reason for this is a good one though.  I found out, shortly after my last blog post, that I'm pregnant.  My husband and I are expecting our first baby in August!  A little girl!  :)

And ever since I got pregnant, whenever I pick up a book (or sit down for any extended time period), I fall asleep.  I can't help myself.

The good news is that I am no longer an insomniac (although soon I'll be getting very little sleep again).

The bad news is obviously that I miss reading and am so frustrated with myself.  I will say that I still read EVERY day of the week.  EVERY day.  However, while I used to devour pages upon pages, I now get through ten pages - tops.  So, it's a process.

All in all, forgive me for neglecting this blog and my passions - reading and writing.  I'm just trying to do the best I can.  Aren't we all?  And I know that with the birth of my daughter, I will have new priorities, but I hope to never completely give up my passions and dreams.

None of us should.

Reading CHAINS in the classroom and the benefits of Literature Circles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/huntleylibrary/4642888266/

In an attempt to interweave literature into my students’ studies of the American Revolution, which is being taught in their social studies class, I chose the novel Chains for the class to read. 

There was some bias there.  I have met and heard Laurie Halse Anderson speak and I think she is WONDERFUL, so I made an effort to search out her work over the summer and was pleasantly surprised to find that she wrote historical fiction for middle grades. 

My students started reading the novel this past week.  After years of teaching, I am quite used to students’ resistance to reading the “class” novel.  I actually advocate for student choice and they are also reading books they’ve chosen outside of class and participate in online book reviews.  But I needed to do a class novel.

I hesitated to start the week before Christmas because students (especially middle schoolers) are notoriously checked-out that week.  But, I did it anyway.  In fact, after three days of reading, they are already 74 pages in and let me tell you, many of them are incredibly proud of this fact, particularly those reluctant readers.

I cannot say that every student loves this book, but overall, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.  Many of them keep telling me how much they like it and they can’t believe a teacher would pick so many good books to read (they read The Outsiders over the summer and still refer to it). 

They tell me that they never thought they would like a book that took place so long ago.  They yell at me for ending their reading assignment on a cliff-hanging chapter. 

I put them in literature circles and they discuss, debate, and hypothesize about their reading.  They tell me that they love getting the freedom to talk about the book with others.  They say they understand it better after they get others’ perspectives.

Is it a perfect system?  No.  There are still those who are reluctant, but those readers are able to get help from their peers.  And if they aren’t prepared for the discussion, their peers let them know that they need to be next time.  It is not me, the teacher, putting on the pressure.  They are suddenly a part of a group effort and I am seeing students read that I’ve never seen read before. 

So, what is my point?  I guess three things:

1.     Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson is a wonderful book that captivates the world’s toughest audience – pre-teens.  It is about a topic that I never really considered until the moment I picked up the book – slavery during the American Revolution and the irony surrounding the fact that Patriots cried out for freedom while simultaneously owning slaves. 

2.     Literature Circles work.  I hear students interact on an intellectual level.  I hear them critically think.  They analyze characters, plot, symbols, and passages.  They make predictions based on their reading.  They learn how to talk about literature and also, to think about it in ways they never have before. 

3.     And finally, I’m just really proud of them.

Writing Contests - Get some recognition for all of your hard work!

Propel your writing career by entering a contest | onewildword.

Check out these contests with upcoming deadlines.  It’s a great way to get your name out there.

Good luck!

Humor and Horror Intertwined in the MG novel, A TALE DARK & GRIMM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19206327@N02/6099232707/

A Review

by Brei

I recently finished reading a MG book which I bought at our school book fair called, A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.  It is a funny, gruesome, imaginative take on some of the old Grimm fairytales.

Shortly after I put the book back on my shelves, one of my 7^th graders picked it up and started reading it and came in every day to tell me what part she had just read and what disgusting, horrifying, completely engaging thing took place.  Now, I will admit that this book is not for the faint of heart, which really makes it perfect for middle schoolers. 

The author uses Hansel and Gretel as his hero and heroine throughout the tale, weaving them into a myriad of other Grimm tales.  Gidwitz does something quite unique in this novel; he talks directly to the reader – and it’s really humorous, which helps to take away some of the horror of the tales themselves. 

He tells us that the story of Hansel and Gretel that we know is only part of their actual story.  There is far more to tell and it involves beheadings, and dragons, and serial killers – really disgusting stuff!  But he melds it so expertly with humor that it enthralls us, rather than scares us.  At least, that was the case for my student and me.

Gidwitz even warns us before a particularly gory scene by telling us, the readers, to take small children out of the room as we read the next part. 

Gidwitz also manages to insert morals into the story – a fundamental element of every true folk tale, but he isn’t cloyingly obvious about it.  He, again, adds humor and even prompts the reader to think a bit.

I recommend this book to students who love fairy tales – but are old enough to hear the true versions, as opposed to the Disney version.  As I said before, if a child is easily frightened, then it might be one to wait a bit on.  But having said that, my student is still talking about the book to her friends.  The best recommendation you can get about a MG book is from a middle grader themselves, isn’t it?

Not Accepting Review Requests - Sorry!

Okay.  I have been getting many requests for book reviews and I just want to be clear and up front.  I am not accepting requests at this time.  It is not because I don't believe in you.  It is not because I don't want to help you.  It is because I am a full-time teacher with a stack of papers to grade that I could literally be buried in and my own writing career has been put on hold for this.

So, while I'd love to help and fully support your endeavors (as I can relate), I have to help myself first and I'm drowning in work right now.  It kills me that my own writing has been pushed aside, because it is truly a top priority.  And you even may have noticed that I'm lagging behind in blog entries.  It is simply because I do not have time to write, let alone read a book to review it right now.

Jacinda was doing her best to help me as the school year started, and hopefully she'll jump back on the bandwagon, but for now, she's having Internet issues at her home in Germany.

Again, I apologize and wish every writer the best!  I may be open to accepting requests this summer, but I'll know more as that time approaches.

Best of luck, writers!

Best Teen Books of 2011

Best Teen Books of 2011 | Kirkus Book Reviews | Kirkus Book Reviews.

Kirkus Book Reviews has compiled a list of their favorite teen books of 2011.  There are some titles I haven't heard of and would like to add to my reading list (which has been sorely neglected due to work, unfortunately).

But check it out!  There may be something you're interested in reading.

Anna and the French Kiss - a sweet YA romance

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
(A Review)

What girl doesn’t love romance?

Over the holiday, I fully embraced the idea of relaxation.  I made every effort to find some peace of mind and shake off the stresses of work and everyday life.  So instead of reading complex science fiction or dark dystopian or something profoundly meaningful, I picked up two romance novels; one was YA fiction and the other adult romance.

Of the two books I read, the YA novel was completely delightful, and for me, nostalgic as it weaves the story of a girl’s first love.  The other book was predictable and cutesy – at most, so I will no longer mention it.  The point being that the YA novel was recommendable, while the adult novel was not.  (Score one for YA writers!)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins deftly weaves the reader into the story about the insecurities, longings, confusion, and magic that is first love.  This book made me smile, but more than that, it brought back all of my memories and feelings of falling in love that very first time.  This isn’t an easy achievement for an author.  I often enjoy the romantic elements of many of the books I read, but this book read so true to life that it stirred up forgotten feelings.

First love is complicated, scary, at times heartbreaking, and overall, wonderful.  The main character, Anna, experiences all of this and it resonates – at least to an old-timer like me, who likes to live in the past once in a while.  I believe that if I were a teenage girl, the realistic thoughts, actions, and feelings of the characters would still resonate and leave me wanting more.

Anna is sent to live at boarding school in France by her father, a novelist of new money and fame.  She expects to be miserable – leaving behind her crush and the possible beginnings of a relationship with him.  But what she finds in Paris is a new group of interesting and loyal friends and, of course, romance.  The problem is that the boy she finds herself falling for is taken and has been in the relationship for over a year.

Relationships – especially navigating that very first one – are never easy and this book recognizes the challenges.  It isn’t wholly predictable, which I like, and at times, it is frustrating because you just want to shout at the characters to tell each other how they feel.  But does that happen in real life?  Especially when it’s the first time you’ve ever had those feelings?  No.

But it is sweet and touching and everything that first love should be and that’s why I highly recommend it to older teens.  (I say older teens as it does mention drinking and sex, so discretion advised.  And as my students are not “older teens” I feel the need to put in this warning.)

Enjoy!  I know that I did.

Check out this YA Contest - Hurry! Deadline Tomorrow!

The Young Adult Novel Discovery Contest is an opportunity to win a call from Regina Brooks of the New York-based Serendipity Literary Agency.

The Grand Prize winner will submit an entire manuscript to Brooks and receive entrance into a writing course.

The Top Five contestants will receive a call from Brooks to pitch or discuss elements of the novel, as well as feedback from editors at top publishing companies.

Entry is simple.  You are only required to submit the title of your novel and the first 250 words (no more!).

For more details and the entry form, click here.

But HURRY - I just learned of it today and the deadline is tomorrow, November 30th! (I just submitted - fingers crossed!)

Good luck!

Interesting Advice on Writing the Synopsis (before actually writing your novel)

Synopsis How To (from The Story Bodyguard Blog by Zara Altair)

I struggle with plot development and as a result, find myself floundering a bit during the writing and revision processes.  Now, much of this first novel has happened organically.  I had a basic premise in my mind and since then, the characters have taken the plot in places I never could have imagined when I began.  For some writers, this organic process is the only thing that works for them.  It's hard to imagine planning so specifically before beginning.

This blog post is technically written for screenwriters, but the advice applies to any type of story telling.  It suggests plotting the story first by writing every scene you have in mind on notecards, shuffling them up, and then placing them in the correct order on a storyboard or within the plot sequence.  From there, you expand upon the scenes and by the end, have written your synopsis before you've even written your first draft.

Essentially, that first draft should be much easier now to write.  

Will this method work for everyone?  Probably not.  

Will it work for me?  I'd like to try it and find out.

In my revision process, I'm finding that much of the second half of my book needs reworking.  I'm going to take the writer's advice and use notecards.  I already know what scenes I like and don't like.  I'm ambivalent towards some of the characters, but this method will force me to pay attention to what's important and to follow a natural sequence to help build suspense.

Wish me luck!

~Brei

The Story Bodyguard
http://storybodyguard.com/2011/11/18/synopsis-how-to/

Happy Black Friday

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday and for those of you daring enough to risk the crowds today (I am not), good luck!

I haven't written in a while because of a really bad week last week.  It started on Monday when I spilled an entire cup of coffee on my computer - the one place I had my entire novel stored.  Yes, I cried like a baby.  After desperately calling for a substitute teacher - to no avail, I hauled my miserable self to school.  I felt like everything I had worked for had been lost.  It hurt like hell.

What did I learn from this?  Backup hard drives are a necessity.

The good news is that my wonderful husband spent much of his time off last week visiting computer repair stores and ordering me a new computer.  They were able to save my hard drive - THANK GOD!  And my new computer didn't arrive until this week.  Yesterday, my husband and I were finally able to get the new computer up and running, complete with all of my old documents, pictures, and music.

So, please, excuse my absence.  I'm back - with my new hard drive on standby.

Have a good one, everyone!