The Liebster Award! Passing the Torch

My great friend and fellow Sherlock enthusiast (has nothing to do with this award, promise - wink!) Alyson Grauer started a blog not too long ago, and through it has inspired others, not just me, to live out their dreams. The nature of this award is to acknowledge those I admire and respect through their courageous efforts expressed in blog form.

The Liebster Award was bestowed upon me from her and I promised not to let her down. I have in return nominated Laurieann Thorpe, Becky Halls, Terra Luft, Michael Bacera, and Johnny Worthen, all of which have inspired me.

A quick review - The Liebster (not Lobster as my daughter read it) Award is passed friend to friend, blogger to blogger, to those whom have in some way influenced your character, changed the way you think or feel, and/or let your mind fill with inspirational MAGIC! And to help introduce other readers, writers, or authors to share in the fun.


From Aly's website, here are the RULES:

1. Acknowledge you belong in the blogging community, and that you ROCK!

2. Nominate influential bloggers that you have admired, read, love, and let the world know it!

3. Give these lovely people a few questions.

4. Answer said questions.

5. Watch the world ignite with excitement. Share!


First... Thank you Alyson, for thinking that my little blog is worthy of this. I can't say it is worth any special praise, but it has become important to me. I like writing and sharing what happens to me in my crazy world, but I also like the spontaneity of writing a blog, the way the words flow fluidly out of my brain through my fingers. Writing is a passion, and this little blog has helped keep my brain active, creative, and sane.


So, without any waiting, here are the questions my lovely friend has asked:


1. If you were a protagonist in a novel, what genre would it be, and who is the author? Great question. This one kept me thinking for quite a while. It's hard to pick. My life is a sequence of comic sitcom hi-jinx, laced with calm moments of clarity. It would have to be fantasy - no doubt there, but not Tolkien, that's too predictable. If I could put my finger on it, my novel would be much like the situational comedia and heart-felt lessons of Anne of Green Gables written by the fantastical Garth Nix. This mash-up works nicely. It's what I live and breathe.


2. What is your favorite classic fairy tale (Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, Perrault, etc)?

Funny that I have my copy of Grimm's fairy tales resting right next to me... hmmmmm..... let me see.... actually, I know this without looking it up.

My favorite since I was a child - Grimm's Snow White and Rose Red.

I have one sister, if I can mention it, and as we grew we were much like Snow White (tender, gentle) and Rose Red (free-spirited, adventurous), need no explanation (wink!). We lived in the country near groves of trees and mountain streams, with only each other to play with. If we would happen upon a dwarf with his beard stuck in a log, well of course, we would try to help him out with whatever we had. And, let's say, if a bear found its way to our small country cottage, cold and wet, well of course, we would let it come in and warm by the fire.

Truth. I love this tale because it's about sisters. Sisters are important, and let me say... AMAZING! It's like I was given a best friend I can hang with forever, sharing experiences together. I didn't always think this, but I do now. A sister is one of the best gifts I was ever given. (and watch Becka cry right... about... now...)

3. What color is your magic? Be specific. I don't think it would be any secret that my magic is green. But it is not any green, this green is the first green awakened by spring, fresh like wet clover, grasping energy from the sun and building strength as it grows. It lives in the tallest trees where only a few can find it, but every so often catches a swift breeze, sweeping down past hills and fields, to lay on the shoulder of one who dreams of impossible things and is ready to believe.

courtesy of Becka Thomas - pie face extraordinaire

4. Would you rather have cake or pie? PIE!!!! If you didn't know, because I'm surprised that some people DON'T know, pies need faces. Every time my mother made a pie when we were growing up she cut a cute smiley-face in the top. I grew up thinking all pies had faces until the dreaded day - some time when I was about fifteen - when I went to a friend's house and had pie WITHOUT a smiley-face. It was like eating sadness. SO, please, for the sake of those you love and who love pie, put a smiley-face on it and EAT the JOY!

5. If you were an Animagus or able to transform into an animal, what creature would you be? Very clever. Of course I already have this all planned out, being the Potter Dreamer that I am, but there is a fundamental problem - I don't really like animals. But... if we are playing by Potter rules then I think it is clearly... A UNICORN!!

Unicorns have special magic and live beyond what people believe. I think this represents me very well. I would like to think that I am that rare creature, chained to a world that doesn't want to believe that I exist. BUT I DO! And the mystical world around me suffers because of the ones who are too realistic to remember being a child and living wide-eyed. I live dreaming of things beyond reality and always have that flicker of wonder in everything I do and see. If I see a white horse on the mountain side - I've spotted a unicorn. If I hear the tinkling of wind chimes - a fairy must be near. Don't give up on that world, it exists. I'm here! Come find me!


And there you are. To the lovely friends I have selected -

Laurieann Thorpe - Open Book Open Heart

Becky Halls - Thoroughly In Earnest

Terra Luft - View From the Crystal Ball

Michael Bacera - Qualified Opinions

Johnny Worthen - Blog Mansion

And here are the questions I ask of you:

1. Who has been a constant in your life, making you the person you are today? 
2. What song would play at the quintessential part of your own movie? 
3. List three literary characters who best represent you or wished you had created? 
4. How do you inspire those around you? 
5. What is the tagline for the book of your life? 

There you have it world - one Liebster thanked and now navigating to others. 

God speed little award. Take wings!

Chicken in a Biskit and Easy Cheese: A Memoir

A strange thing happened to me last night. It was snowy (in April? - boy, don't I know it), my husband was gone on a trip, the kids were asleep, and I was snacky. I wasn't interested in a bowl of cereal (having that for dinner - probably why I was snacky) and I opened several cupboards looking for that special something just right to satisfy my nightly craving.

If you assume my comfort food is Chocolate you are wrong. There are a few foods that come to mind, but none more so than Chicken In A Biskit with Easy Cheese!

Foo Man Choo and manly Van Dyke!

If I try to remember back to the first memories of this incredible snack food, I can’t. It was always there. I remember it in our small country home as a child, in our pantry when we moved as a teenager, and something I carried on to college. It is like an unofficial member of my family, watching me, keeping me company on sad days, giving me fuel when I didn’t want anything else. I’d draw designs with the cheese, make cheese stack sandwiches of three or four or twelve crackers at once. I also remember spraying the cheese on my face and pretending to be Hulk Hogan. Who knew how magical spray cheese could be?

I REMEMBER in tenth grade I decided to throw a party, nothing completely grand or anything, just a small gathering with new friends. It was the start of my sophomore year and my first taste of high school. I met new people from different schools and I loved this new atmosphere. So, I invited a few people to my house to play games and watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I had Shasta, Twizzlers, Doritos, and of course, Chicken In a Biskit with Easy Cheese. This is instant party food in my mind, knowing nothing different, but the Biskit had to be there. This was a defining moment within my high school experience, a template for several parties to come—no drinking shenanigans, just united friendships locked in experiences surrounded by junk food.

MY BROTHER Josh has a talent for “Cheese Art”. Chicken In a Biskit crackers are shaped like little picture frames or postage stamps. Josh would often ask, “Okay, what do you want me to make?” And I would say something like, “The Mona Lisa.” Within a few small sprays of the cheese, Josh would create – and I kid you not – an amazing replica of the classic portrait for my eating pleasure. He liked the challenge. Among some of the brilliant works of art were Sunday on the Island of Le Grande Jatte, Sunflowers, American Gothic, Whistler’s Mother, Picasso’s cubist period, the Scream, and Michelangelo's Finger of God and then of course, the cutest Batman I’d ever seen - always my favorite. I know this is a talent that he has kept up over the years. He’d make me The Last Supper if I asked.

This blue box with the goofy chicken accompanied with a can of processed spray cheese were the first foods I bought after I was married, in celebration of my new life; when we bought our house I immediately found a home in the cupboard perfect for crackers and cheese; when I was pregnant I could sit and eat a whole box; I'd load up when my husband would leave town for work; and it always accompanies all of our family camping trips.

I KNOW... I'm placing a lot of importance in a lightly dusted cracker and processed cheese.

IN FEBRUARY my husband found out they were terminating his job. This was COMPLETELY unexpected. We had some low moments trying to figure out what direction our life would lead. We've been scrimping living on my measly income and haven't thought of extravagances like canned cheese - it's up to $4. So when I looked in my cupboard last night contemplating what to eat, if anything, in the small corner sat the goofy chicken and the orange lid. It was then when I thought about how something so insignificant like crackers and cheese can make me smile and remind me of thousands of memories that define who I am, who I have become, and where I am going.

IT'S NOT JUST THE CRACKER, BUT THE MEMORY IT HOLDS.

I know there are several snack foods if we think about it, that have come and gone from our lives. And seeing them or tasting something like them brings us to the time and place of the first taste; Ironport, Apple Slice, Zanys, Tato Skins, Strawberry Shortcake cereal, Punkies,.. Memories get trapped in our senses, smells, tastes, things beyond our sight.  Because my staple is still here I've simply forgotten the basic wonder that came with it.

So I ask you now, reach back and find those memories tucked away in your corner grocery. Seek to remember who you were and what made you happy. Those memories still exist – go find them!

And never be afraid to wear a mustache made of cheese!

Great blog from Junk Food Nation

"So, You're An Author... Now What!" - The Beginning of the UFG

This year so far has been one hill after another, and though I'm still climbing I can see the summit... and it's going to be spectacular!

Last year changed my life, serious. For a long time I did things on my own. With a small press publisher I really needed to get myself out there and learn the game. I dealt with both triumphs and failures. I could write a complete book on all the things I tried, "SO, YOU'RE AN AUTHOR... NOW WHAT!" I didn't know many others like me, struggling as I was, to get their book out and into readers' hands. I needed to find others who understood what it takes to be an author, the hellfire of editing, the late night revisions and the sleepless early mornings. I knew these people existed I just couldn't find them.

Then, in the randomness of Facebook, I stumbled on a group that was putting together a vendor booth for Salt Lake Comic Con. This was just what I needed. I had done the two previous cons by myself and it nearly killed me. It's so much work. But. I had the experience of doing this before, and thought I would be of value to these people. This would be a great opportunity to meet up with some other local authors, network a bit, and why not... make a friend or two. I had no idea what would come.

The experience was hard, but rewarding.We went to Mordor and back, and the experience bonded us closer than anything could. These authors were trying, as I was, to change the world. The idea of fostering a community of writers and authors resonated with me. I was the cheerleader from the start. And not only did I meet these terrific people, I discovered there were others, several others that had a more global perspective, something I never imagined.

BOOM! COSMIC COLLISION!!  

These were the first threads of the Utah Fantasy Guild, a newly formed organization that just joined the United Authors Association (UAA). What we are trying to do is not only make others improve their writing, but succeed, build confidence in their craft, build relationships within the community, and survive as an author.

I'm more than excited, I'm elated to be voted in as President. And I'm glad to venture through with my comrades-in-arms.I wonder how I got here, but I'm honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with these great people.

Come join the Dark Side... We have Cookies!!!

UFG Join Us!  

March Forth! Changing Lives One Book at a Time!

Last year I made one of the most profound and life-changing decisions    I decided to share my house with a stranger. 

Alyson Grauer, a fellow author through my publisher Xchyler Publishing posted in our Facebook wall that she had decided to come from Chicago to Salt City Steamfest at the end of July and asked if there was anyone she could stay with. I only knew Aly from her online presence and a story that she had penned in Mechanized Masterpiece's a Steampunk Anthology. She seemed lively and funny in all her comments. I liked her by all respects. But something screamed inside me, "She HAS to stay with me!"

At the UP house. The only thing Aly requested we see.

I messaged her that day and told her she could stay at my home in Salt Lake City. I don't have a huge house, but it happened that at this time my girls were sharing a room and there was a spare bed in the toy room. I did warn her she would be sharing a room with the Barbie Dream house. She seemed excited, even delighted that I would offer her such LUXURIOUS accommodations.

When Aly arrived my first response was, "She's wearing a bowler hat! I love it!" I IMMEDIATELY liked her. We hit it off instantly. Driving back to my house she kept saying "Whoa! Mountains!" I forget how amazing the mountains are here.

Over the course of just a few days we discovered we had a LOT in common, but beyond that it was more a paradoxical kindred connection that could not be rationally explained. The invisible forces that mystically guide our destiny intersected, creating an inexplicable cosmic event. By all accounts, we were meant to meet.

Aly is about to meet a fox

She is an actor - so am I.
She plays the Ukelele - So do I.
She grew up with shelties - Really? So did I!
She plays D&D? - I LOVE RPG!
She loves all things fantasy -Me too!!
. . .  and she writes?!?! I DO TOO!!!

We would talk and share and talk more and laugh and goof off like teenagers. We would stop and goo at the same things. We bought identical pens without knowing it. 

It was like a part of me, a part of who I used to be, the happy, joyous part of me . . . returned. The young, carefree spirit, nymph-like in origin, of who I always believed I was but lost between marriage, kids, job, life . . . came back in the form of a person I had never met.

Since then we have stayed in contact and grown as friends. Her novel ON THE ISLE OF SOUND AND WONDER was released in November 2014. Aly's family has hit some hard times as her father was diagnosed with cancer and she is forging forward with a fundraiser to help with the medical expenses. As a way to help support her family Aly has set up a GiveForward account and Xchyler Publishing is GENEROUSLY giving ALL proceeds from her book made on MARCH 4th to this cause. I've always loved the support my publisher has given to us authors. It's a unique and wonderful partnership. 

When I decided to be an author I always had the goal of changing lives for the better, I didn't expect mine to be changed as well. 

Thanks Aly! 

There is always a room ready for you when you need it!

Book Review - On the Isle of Sound and Wonder

On the Isle of Sound and Wonder by Alyson Grauer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I will admit Steampunk intimidates me. I’m afraid of gadgetry and mechanization that is, basically, over my head. My imagination is so fanciful I need magic in my stories. So, I was slightly intimidated when I picked up On the Isle of Sound and Wonder. But I’m a sucker for covers and LOOK AT THE COVER!! I’m in AWE!

My fears quickly vanished. Grauer marries both magic and mechanics into an intelligent, well-crafted, seamless retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. I was immediately drawn into a vivid world of mysterious voodoo magic, flying airships, and intellectual automatons, who if I can say this, reminding me a lot of adorable Baymax.

In comparing the Shakespearean work, Grauer’s love and understanding of the original text shines through with her careful crafting and storytelling. There is more intensity with both relationships, depth of characters, and heightened danger among the island that cannot be translated to the stage. As a novel, the back stories of several characters can come to light, which I really enjoyed and kept the action and story moving. She didn’t veer so far from the play that you wouldn’t recognize it, but highlighted its potential, pleasing the Shakespearean connoisseur in me.

Grauer’s clever play with names, places, and features complement the original text. Mira (modern Miranda) proved a strong interpretation of a growing young woman facing the harsh island life, and is a valiant example of a sacrificial heroine any girl could aspire to.

I had the delightful pleasure of meeting Alyson Grauer at Salt City Steamfest last July and she is just as colorful and lively as her book.  I loved... LOVED this book!

HELP ALY'S DAD WITH HIS CANCER TREATMENT. CLICK GiveForward BUTTON TO DONATE!

View all my reviews