Goodbye October

Whew! I can hardly believe another month has already come and gone.  And while it's with a bit of sadness that I say, "Goodbye October!" *waves*, it's also with a healthy gulp of excitement *quickly turns with open arms* that I also say, "Hellooooo November!" *winks*

I know! It's totally wrong of me to talk about the months like they were some old recurring fling who comes in and out of my life on an annual basis, like some winter cold, or bronchitis. But don't judge me, because in my defense they ALL know the score well beforehand. (And Tawna, if you're reading this...NO SNICKERING!)

But I have to admit that October definitely gave me a run for my money, the little stinker. Let's just say it was pretty crazy around here, with the opening of the Texas State Fair (which was a BLAST by the way), Octoberfest, Fall festivals, the first cool front and for some of you first snows, the World Series (which I DON'T want to talk about, let's just say I'm still a little sore about it) and now, finally...  

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!  

BOOOOoooooOOOOOOooooo!

So with the last day of October on the cusp of flinging us ruthlessly into November, I can't help but dwell on a few very exciting events that await me in November.  Of course there's Thanksgiving, which is always a pleasant given this time of year and a thoroughly anticipated holiday in my household. There's also the birthday of my baby brother (Nov. 1st), Happy (early) Birthday Josiah!!! But what makes this year's November even more special, is that it brings something completely new and unexplored for me...NaNoWriMo!!!

That's right readers, this will be my FIRST year participating in the craziness that is NaNoWriMo.  And I have to admit that while I'm not all that sure what to expect, I'm pretty positive that this will be both an interesting and unforgettable experience for me as a writer.  Not to mention I'm a little on the petrified side at the idea of trying to write 50k words, basically an entire novel in one months time, I definitely feel a rush of adrenaline at stepping up to the plate and accepting this challenge.

After reading numerous blogs about how best to approach this, I'm still unsure of what the best method of going about this may actually be that will gain me actual success in reaching the 50k mark.  But I did at least make it a point to think about and flesh out my story plot and character in advance with hopes of making this as smooth an experience as possible.  So after all the brainstorming and tweaking I did manage to squeeze in over the last week or so, I think, if nothing else, this will be a very revealing process for me as a writer.

For those who have never heard of NaNoWriMo and would be interested in learning more or possibly participating please visit the NaNoWriMo website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/.

And to all the 2011 NaNoWriMo participants, GOOD LUCK & let the writing begin!!!

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!!!

Don't Be Afraid To Challenge Yourself

Something some of you may not know about me is that I have a strangely irrational love/fascination for sailing and old wooden sailboats.  Yes, I know.  It's weird.  But seriously, I buy calendars, I have screen savers,  I even find myself sneaking onto Google and searching for little interesting facts and drooling over photographs.

Honestly, I have know idea where this fascination came from being that 1) I've never set foot on a sailboat, wooden or otherwise and 2) I've never even seen the ocean.  *covers face in shame*


I KNOW! It's totally lame.


Alas, this is one of the sad truths of my life (for now at least).  But nonetheless, over the years I've come to have quite an unrequited love of this unique (and from what it appears) nearly lost art form of sailing and wooden sailboats.  In my mind there is simply something completely romantic and timeless and dangerously adventurous about them and everything they represent.  In my mind they represent a time when the true journey and discovery of ones worth were based on the challenges you chose to face. No matter the risk and often without fully knowing the exact outcome of your course.  It was about the work and effort that was required and put forth without the guarantee of ever finding that treasure or reaching that destination.  For there is always something to be said about the process of learning to master something, especially something as majestic as one of these sailboats out on the unpredictable high seas (do they still call it that, the 'high seas'?).

But the fact is just like any challenge or project we take on in our lives there is always the initial fear of the unknown that we must inevitably face.  Especially when many of us take on this idea that if something is truly meant to be in our lives then it should undoubtedly come easily to us. Or we take that as "proof" that it's simply not meant to be.  Well what I have to say to that is...*pinch, slap, poke* WAKE UP!!!  Unless you're Aladdin with Robin Williams doing voice over for your blue genie in a bottle, than nothing could be further from the truth.  While some people may be gifted with a certain talent and skill that surpasses others that alone does not guarantee success.

Just like with a sailboat I know that there are things that I will need to learn and be trained on in order to better understand the parts and the proper way to sail. That is, if my true intent is to master this skill in order to (hopefully) one day achieve the experience that I've long sought.  Because I'm pretty sure if I were to simply run out this moment and jump onto one of this magnificent structures I would quickly find that I have KNOW IDEA what the heck I'm doing or how it even works.  In other words, I'm ultimately setting myself up for a big disappointment and more than likely failure.  Unfortunately, simply loving and possessing some secret passion for something isn't usually enough.  For just because you love something doesn't mean there won't be challenges to face in the process.

And I hate to admit it, but sometime when I feel like something will be too much of a challenge for me I'll immediately want to back off.  Because in most cases I'm afraid of failing, but not only am I afraid of failing, but even more so of realizing that eventuality of void and listlessness that would come when a long held dream is ultimately loss.  What would I do if I felt I could no longer write? A truly scary thought for me.

But as the old adage goes, "Nothing in life worth having is ever easy...."

Just like any pursuit in life, our dreams and passions require (and deserve) the same sort of diligence and focus that we give to the other facets of our lives.  Whether its education, sports, a hobby...all these things typically require time in training, practicing discipline or some sort of conditioning.  Have you ever heard of any gold medalist in the Olympics boasting afterward of never having to train a day in their life to get where they are? NO! So what makes you think you should be any different in your writing, your art, hobby, or any other pursuit in your life?

I wrote a post not too long ago called What would you do if you weren't afraid?  And I think I want to pose this question again...if fear were completely removed from your mind what would TODAY look like in your mind?  What would your future look like?

In mine...I would finally have my day on one of these beautiful boats after the proper attitude adjustment, training, discipline and conditioning.  Oh, and OF COURSE to be a published author!

Now whether these experiences will in the end live up to my dreams or expectations, who knows...but I believe one of the really great things about having dreams and passion is that they can still be exactly what we need them to be, despite what we might initially think or expect of them.

Happy Writing, Happy Reading!

And FYI! If any of you lovely readers are interested in helping this land fairing lame-o find her sea legs...please give me a shout!

Happy Sailing!

The Balancing Act

With things going so great with my writing and the mojo fairy practically shacking up in my apartment these days, you'd think my life would finally have found a natural, harmonious rhythm.  But instead I find myself creeping around feeling incredibly guilty, because it never fails that when one area of my life begins to go great another area undoubtedly goes to the poop bowl.

Why this happens?  I'm sure there's a laundry list of reasons that could be thrown up on the drawing board...lack of discipline, laziness, over committing, laziness, poor time management, laziness...

Support is key, don't stop believing

The writing process is different for everyone, and since embracing my dream to go from simply being a writer to becoming an author, I find that I've taken on a whole new mentality when it comes to my work.  In the fact that I actually take my writing a great deal more seriously than I once did.  Not that I didn't exactly take it seriously before...okay, maybe I didn't, but that's not the case anymore. 

Lately when I sit down to write it's with the idea and belief that I actually have something to say and a story worth telling, which was something I kind of knew before but honestly didn't believe.  But all of that began to change when I finally opened my up and admitted I needed a support group.  A group of writers who, like me, were going through the trenches and could relate to me and my passion to succeed.  It's made all the difference in the world, with even more support coming from some of the most surprising and unexpected places (mostly all of you).  I feel such zeal for my work now that I even find myself wanting to share with everyone, despite my fears and not-so-latent insecurities. 

Now some of you may not realize how completely revolutionary the last part of that statement really is for me, but you have to understand that my writing is like my baby.  My only baby.  Which I'm sure is a feeling and connection most writers can relate to when it comes to their writing.  So often times, my way of trying to protect "my baby" from the big bad world of critics and rejection is to keep it very close to me, sharing it with no one.  Talking about it to no one, except, on the rare occasion when I'd work up the nerve to share something I had written with my hubby or the quirky ball of randomness that is my mother.

So I began to question again, why the thought of sharing my work bothered me so much?  Especially after being in this community and encountering so many brave writers who gladly and openly shared their work and passion everyday (warts and all).  While I still scurried to the nearest cave, wishing to do nothing more than bury away my stories and ideas.  And then it hit me.  After all the blog hopping and even after reading amazing articles with Sheryl Sandberg and writing a blog about what would you do if you weren't afraid, I realized while I wasn't so much afraid of actually writing anymore, I still had held onto the fear of disappointing those I had newly come to care about and respect, and of being rejected by my readers. 

Yeah, talk about putting pressure on yourself. Especially when logically I know that not everyone will like or enjoy my work.  That sort of thought and expectation is simply asking to be battered and bruised from the word go, and I wouldn't survive this business if I really thought that way.

But with a ROCKSTAR support group who call you out regularly on your work and offer some much needed and often times greatly repeated encouragement, I have found I don't linger so much over the blahdity blah blah stuff anymore, and instead focus on moving forward, because even the tiniest step is better than no step at all.  So I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to find and nurture a good support group.  A group of people who will push you and believe in you, when you can't seem to find the will to believe in yourself at time. 

So all-in-all I guess this post is mostly a HUGE thank you to my fellow #DreamWeavers and many many others who have on a daily basis pushed me to strive and be the best version of myself and to keep writing, and plugging away.  Because while I may or may not have given up on my dreams in those darker moments without you, I definitely wouldn't have gotten as far as I have if it weren't for you.

Now to all you BRILLIANT readers/writers/artists WHOEVER you are...remember that support is key.  And if there is nothing else that you take from this post, I think we can all take a bit of advice from the awesomeness that is JOURNEY!!!

(LOL! You know me, I just couldn't resist.)

Journey - "Don't Stop Believing"

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!!!

It's not always easy

Are there ever mornings when you roll out of bed and gaze at your reflection in the mirror wondering, "What am I doing?" "Who the heck do I think I am to be such a dreamer?" I do! 

And I'm ashamed to admit a great deal more often than I wish I did.  When these moods arise I often find myself questioning my my ability, my skill level, and this entire crazy ambition and dream of mine to be a writer the world finds worth reading, especially with the high degree of standards set by so many of my predecessors.

And even though I pride myself on being one of those the-glass-is-half-full sorts of people, as my previous blogs can so accurately attest to.  I still fight the insecurities and uncertainties on a pretty daily basis (even on a good day) on whether or not I have something worth sharing with the rest of the world...anything worth saying to all of you.

So in cases such as this, I always find blog hopping to be a helpful and enjoyable way to steer myself back on track.  Since not only are there some really great blogs out there, but there are simply so many writers and real people out there who are willing to open up and share their experiences and journeys with others.  And I always find it to be a source of comfort and encouragement to discover time after time that I am not alone in this sometimes lonely and isolated road of being a writer, and neither are you.  There are people, the same as you and me, who experience the woes and worries of life, whether its about their art, their career or some other important goal in their life. Some of the world's GREATS have openly admitted that the road to triumph wasn't always paved with gold and unimaginable success. And just as I sit hear wondering and questioning the sanity of my dreams, they too sat before their notepad or computer screen, staring at that taunting blinking cursor wondering if maybe they didn't have what it takes.

But it never fails when I allow these self-diminishing thoughts to plant themselves and they undoubtedly start to fester that I immediately turn to my sure fire pick-me up. I pull out my PUMP-ME-UP music, sit myself down with a new book, and simply allow myself to get lost in a story. Any story, since funny enough it doesn't even matter if the story is good or bad, because if its a good or even great story I feel more inspired to push myself even harder to be even better.  And if it's an awful story than I feel compelled to prove to the world that I can simply do better.  Maybe its the competitive nature I've always lived with, but it never fails to remind me why it is that I do what I do and why I love writing and storytelling so much.

Now there's never really a rhyme or reason to the rising of doubts and uncertainties I experience, or the perpetual roller coaster of highs and or lows that I find myself going through.  So I've come to the conclusion that it's just one of those things that's part of my nature, something that's part of the human condition.  After all I do have the dreamer's disease and like any other condition, there will be side effects.

So what are some things that you do to help pull you out of your funk or depression?

And being that I love sharing with all of you, I thought I'd share one of the songs that always helps to lift my spirits when I'm feeling down in the dumps.  Enjoy!

New Radicals - "You Get What You Give"

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!

Outline vs Free Writing

Okay, so here's one of those "writerly" details that always trips me up when I think about starting a new novel or screenplay.

Should I or should I not write an outline?

If you haven't picked up on it, I'm the queen of haggling over decision making. But the outline, the whole process of laying out a detailed sketch of my novel from start to finish is just one that I can't help but feel a bit of trepidation at moments. Of course no one would dispute the benefits of having a "tweaking" or exorcising the demons process for my ideas and plot points.  But there's always that wild rebel artist voice in my head crying out for freedom and reckless literary expression, begging me to let-flow-and-let-go and then just see what happens.

Yeah, I sometimes worry about that voice too.

Now from experience I have in fact tried both ways, and honestly found things I liked and disliked about both methods of writing styles.  And so this is why I need your help.  Because as I sit here debating which brilliant story idea I want to take on as my next novel or screenplay project, while desperately resisting the urge to face plant into my desk, I wanted to pose a couple of questions to all my writer and screenwriter peers out there.

Do you prefer the outline method or are you the free writing let-go-and-let-flow writer? And based on your experience what have you found to be the perks of your method of writing?

I really really would love to hear all your feedback and personal takes on this particular matter, whether you're a writer or screenwriter, any and all comments are welcome.

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!

Writing at your own pace

Now I'm sure we've all heard of or possibly (if we're really lucky) ran across that "uber writer".  You know the ones I'm talking about. The agent and publisher's ultimate fantasy writer.  Yeah. Them.  

Those freak of nature, regimented writers who delight in waking up at 4:30 AM every morning to get in their hour workout before enjoying their usual morning breakfast of dry toast, two strips of crisp turkey bacon, and coffee (their writer brain food).  Then spend an hour to an hour and a half responding to ridiculous amounts of fan mail which they typically can't get through in one sitting due to the enormous quantities.  After which they're experiencing some zen-like euphoric feeling that compels them to tackle that 5000 word count goal for the day, which they've breezed through daily for the last however many years they've been successfully writing and producing numerous best sellers for their publisher.

Oh! Not to mention they have an ASSISTANT! Ugh. If you're detecting a hint of envy somewhere in there...I plead the fifth.

Because let's face facts. I am definitely not that writer.  Most days when I do manage to convince myself I'm somewhere close to being a semi-decent writer I usually spend a few hours just staring at the screen like some useless zombie, trying to sell myself on the theory that what I have to say and/or the story that I'm trying to tell is actually a story at all, and bonus, is one worth telling.  And sometimes, yes sometimes, if I'm lucky I can convincingly convince myself that "Wow, this is pretty darn good!" to which I begin hammering away at my keyboard like some crazed junkie cranked up on the good stuff, hoping to get something worth while out of me before my buzz wears off.  Those days and moments, I typically try and relish when they decide to make an appearance, which they rarely do lately.  But most days, especially lately, I'm lucky to get a sentence out if the mood just isn't in me.

And I've spent a lot of time in this place lately. The dreary one-sentence phase. Just call me the one-sentence non-wonder. That's me.  Now on the bright side I figure if I keep a this rate, averaging 12 to 15 words a sentence, one sentence per day. I'll have a full first draft manuscript completed in about 23.5 years...the year 2035. I'll only be 51.  Hm. I guess that's not too bad considering...

But honestly, being in the slumps of the writing process I see as just another part of my writing process if you can believe it.  I know I know, how can not writing, being uninspired, and stressing out over whether I should waste my time and the time of the rest of the world trying to write a book that should more than likely make its permanent home at the bottom of my trash bend be a process? Well, because this is my writing process.  And no, I can't explain why. 

But yes, I do realize that for some this may seem pretty unconventional, while for others you may relate quite well to my method of chaos and randomness.  But as I said, it's my process.  And if I'm going to write my stories, and tell them my way, then I need to do it my way.  There's no real structure or uniform to this process. It is what you make it.

That is until I actually write something worth publishing and then may have to get my act together, but until then.  This is me.

So as I sit here staring at the blinking cursor on the opened file of my current WIP trying to determine if today is a juiced up junkie day or a zoned out zombie day, tell me about your writing process?  Are you the freakishly put together, clean writing space, on time, by the schedule sort of writer or are you the there's method to my madness type of writer?

Tell me. I'm listening.

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!

Happy Monday...

Though I hate to say it, *sigh* I will admit I'm beginning to frizz a bit around the edges.  And the possibility of some serious R&R in the near future may not be such a bad idea.  To say that it’s been a busy month would probably be a slight understatement.  Not only has this entire month seemed to have flown by, but the entire SUMMER just sort of appeared and then vanished. Not to mention this never-ending heat wave we've been suffering through.

But honestly, where did the time go?  Apparently not into a closet where I could take it out and use it at my own personal leisure.

So this past week has been quite eventful on the writer front.  I've made some serious progress in getting my manuscript wrapped up, with only the minimum of hiccups.  I started and posted my very first BIG NEWS FEATURE FRIDAYS post, which featured writers Kiersten White, Tawna Fenske, Josephine Angelini, Michael R. Hicks, Natalie Whipple, J.C. Fiske, Chelsea Fine and Raine Thomas.  And due to all the positive responses I am definitely planning to make this a very regular theme post available each week to all of you.  Again, I really appreciated all the great positive feedback on this.

And also some even more exciting news is that I was recently asked to write a post for the World Away Book Blog (hosted by Carlyle Labuschagne) and am pleased to announce that it is now up and available to read on her site. I’d love to hear from you and get your feedback. 

And now I'm off to find a cold dark cave in which to hide away in...until Winter.

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!

BIG NEWS FEATURE FRIDAYS

So I woke up this morning and I felt as if all the energy and life force of the world had been poured into me during my sleep.  Yeah, talk about pumped up! Have you ever had one of those mornings? Or days? Or even weeks?   It’s one of the most incredible feelings ever and I HAD to share and express a little of the joy that's bubbling inside me with all of you.  So that being said, I wanted to dedicate this post to sharing the fantastic news and blessings of some of my favorite peeps/writer buds!  And have decided to try and do a weekly BIG NEWS FEATURE FRIDAYS (#BNFF) post each Friday, dedicated to sharing all of YOUR good news.  So just know, I WON'T apologize for the length of these blogs because I am in a groove and am totally loving the fact that I'm part of such a great community of inspiring and brilliant people.

And so I hope you enjoy this FANTASTIC song while I’ll happily share some of the wonderful news of some pretty AWESOME people!

BIG NEWS:

If you haven’t already then you should 1) check out Tawna Fenske's blog (HILARIOUS stuff) and 2) go out and pick up her debut novel Making Waves! Now available on Amazon and Barnes & noble.  Come on...IT HAS PIRATES PEOPLE! Enough said.  But honestly, I found this book to be delightfully fun & a laugh out loud read from start to finish. Not to mention that I completely adore Tawna in all her wild and wacky glory.  Can you say 5 STARS!!! And also, its TAWNA’s birthday today so go shoot her a tweet at @tawnafenske!

HUGE News for Kiersten White! Her debut novel PARANORMALCY is gonna be made into a MOVIE! Hello! Can it really get any better than that?! Well maybe it could, there was also the awesome new release of the second book of her PARANORMALCY Trilogy, SUPERNATURALLY! Go pick them up NOW & congratulations Kiersten! You can check out more on Kiersten at her blog & see what other shenanigans she's up to.

*This is really exciting!* I’m so proud and happy to announce that my dear and wonderful friend Raine Thomas has released her ENTIRE series, yes I said ENTIRE series, The Daughter of Saraquel Trilogy.  Fantastic read, go get it!  Become entranced by the Estilorians & the daughters of Saraquel that is now available on Amazon & Barnes & Noble! Don't you just love these covers...I DO! Cover work was done by the fabulous Nimbi Design.

Book # 1 – Becoming

Book #2 – Central

Book# 3 – Foretold

A few weeks back I had also posted an AUTHOR ALERT blog on the beautiful and wonderful debuting author Chelsea Fine  (yes, in all her flowing goldilocks glory) and haven't regretted it one bit ever since.  Her debut novel Sophie & Carter is a delightful story of being young and finding love in a not-so-perfect world. If you haven't already, go pick it up! It available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

I wanted to also take this opportunity to send a HUGE congratulations to the brilliant writer, Michael R. Hicks, who is someone I have in many ways come to think of as a mentor. And who has very recently reached a huge milestone of officially reaching his goal of being a full-time author! Congratulations on such a major milestone, Mike! Mike has been creating worlds of fantasy for over a decade and his series IN HER NAME has received rave reviews across the board on Amazon.  Go check out Michael R. Hicks website as he shares his work and also his passion for helping others achieve their dreams as well http://authormichaelhicks.com/

If you’re looking for a great Greek Mythology story to become completely addicted to than I suggest you check out Josephine Angelini site and her debut novel Starcrossed.  I picked it up & literally couldn’t put it down.  It is definitely a 5 Star WIN in my book!

I want to also send an especially happy and long awaited CONGRATULATIONS to Natalie Whipple on signing her very first book deal with HarperTeen for her debut novel TRANSPARENT. Woohoo! Her journey has been one of many ups and downs but she never gave up and had now finally prevailed. You can read more about Natalie’s inspiring story on her blog http://www.betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/.

And finally this guy was someone I was lucky enough to stumble across on twitter and have not regretted following him for one second.  His name is J.C. Fiske, he is a YA fantasy novelist, a comic book geek (so cute), whose debut novel RENEGADE: RISING is now available on Amazon.  Definitely go check out his site and get to know this new young up and coming writer.

Wow! So there you have it...my first #BNFF!!! There was so much good news to spread, and I hope its contagious. If you have any exciting book news, or a site or an upcoming release date you want blasted out, just hit me up on twitter @BlaireKensley or email me at Blaire.Kensley@gmail.com.  I'd love to feature you in one of my BIG NEWS FEATURE FRIDAYS!  I hope everyone has a great day and I will catch you all on the flip side.

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!

Life 101: With the PEANUTS Gang

Growing up a favorite pass time of mine was reading Charles M. Schulz’s PEANUTS comic strip, and watching The Charlie Brown Show.  Not only was it always-great entertainment, but there was always some meaningful lesson to be learned from the poor, despondent, “loveable loser” Charlie Brown, his diverse group of friends, and his trusty sidekick and spunky pet, Snoopy (who was always my personal favorite).

But now, reading the strips and watching the episodes it's almost sort of odd how I can totally relate, as both an adult and writer, with some of the common daily trials poor Charlie Brown and his friends seem to find himself fretting about in their lives.  The constant battle with the fear of feeling good enough, well liked, appreciated, wanted, admired, and just capable of obtaining success and being the best.   But I think one of the most important lessons we really take from the PEANUTS gang is the importance of keeping and surrounding ourselves with positive supportive friends.  Because despite ALL the obstacles and failures, Charlie Brown and his gang of misfits always pushed each other to never give up, to always keep trying, and to always strive to be the best version of themselves that they could be (whatever that may be) even in the face of possible failure, which in life is a VERY big lesson to learn early on.  But something else that always sort of inspired me, and I really enjoyed about the PEANUT stories, was there wild and sometimes completely outrageous scope of imagination.  From them I learned that it's okay to be open to the limitless possibilities of our dreams...and I haven't stopped dreaming ever since. 

So for those of you who actually read or watched the PEANUTS, I’m curious to know, which PEANUTS character are you?

Personally, I think the quirky and overly active imaginative SNOOPY is more my style. And because I'm sort of obsessed with clips and Youtube, here's one of my favorite peanut gang clips! You know, I really do believe that sometimes it's just good life therapy to cut loose and get caught up in the moment. Don't you?! 

HAPPY WRITING & HAPPY READING!

I'm Back in the Saddle Again

So as some of you may or may not have noticed I was gone for a brief while, taking a mini SM reprieve.  And while on my reprieve was also lucky enough to have the chance to spend an eventful and jammed packed LONG weekend with the parentals.  So at this stage, I’m still somewhat in recovery mode from said extended weekend.  But am feeling pretty great and will be fully back into the swing of things by no later than tomorrow morning.  So don’t worry, there will be a new post coming soon (that is for those of you who were in fact curious about my brief drop off & who enjoy reading the gibberish I tend to write).

But yes, a it was great weekend, where not only was I allowed to be a spoiled child again, but was also off cooking duty, and was able to enjoy lots and lots of really good food that I didn't cook.  ALL fried of course (this is the South & it is my family), and so I’m sure I gained at least 10 pounds over the weekend.  But on top of the great food and entertainment, a good friend also celebrated a birthday, which is always kind of amazing and fun.  And to cap it all off I got to watch my baby brother play in the Texas HS All Star football game at the glitzy Cowboy Stadium and THEY WON! Which totally rocked my face off and made for a VERY suitable end to a fantastic weekend.

So, in celebration of my return and to give myself a much needed boost to go into August with the OOMPH that I so desperately need.  I dedicate this song to all my fellow writer peeps & hope this gets your blood pumping and fingers flying across the keyboard and/or that pen whisking across that paper!

Okay, so this may not be the most writing inspiring material & I may be SEVERELY aging myself here, BUT I still LOVE THIS SONG!!! :D

Bananarama - “Cruel Summer”

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!

What would you do if you weren't afraid?

In a recent article published in The New Yorker titled “A Woman’s Place” a question was posed that completely stopped me in my tracks and had me searching for answers. 

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Now for the rare few in life, this is a question that they embrace as a daily call to action.  But so often for the rest of us, when we wake each morning and make plans, set goals or take on the really important decisions such as should I attend college, what college should I attend, what career path should I take? It’s often with these sorts of premeditated questions that some of us also set limits for our lives.  Limits that tell us that there is only so far we can go and only so much success we can achieve in our lives.  And so we give ourselves permission to set “standard” expectations, which later soothes our conscience when we meet these expectations and then allows us to reasonably argue the case that “Hey, at least I’m doing something.” 

And I will readily admit that I have been guilty of hiding behind this frame of thought, often approaching a new idea with the pre-determined mindset that I would rather set my standards low, than push myself and risk having the burden of a failure on my conscience.

But if you were to completely remove the “fear factor” out of the equation, where would you be?  How far could you go if you approached each day ready to take on the world with a mindset absent of fear?  What would your future, what would your world look like with that frame of possibility?

In her commencement address to the 2011 graduating class of Barnard College, Facebook Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg offered these words for thought.  

Sheryl Sandberg - Facebook COO

“We try at Facebook to keep all of our employees thinking big all day.  We have these posters in red we put around the walls.  One says, “Fortune favors the bold.”  Another says, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”  That question echoes Barnard alum Anna Quindlen, who said that she majored in unafraid.  Don’t let your fears overwhelm your desire.  Let the barriers you face—and there will be barriers—be external, not internal.  Fortune does favor the bold, and I promise that you will never know what you’re capable of unless you try.”

So…what would YOU do if you weren’t afraid?

Happy Writing & Happy Reading! 

AUTHOR ALERT: Chelsea Fine

So I love to share. Why? Because I'm a caring sharing fool that's why!  And with that being said, I couldn’t resist doing another AUTHOR ALERT post in order to introduce you all to a new “stalker” buddy of mine.  EVERYONE, I’d like you to meet Chelsea Fine.  

YAY! Isn't she just gorgeous?! And that hair...I mean, really? So unfair. *Sigh* So not only does she have fabulous hair, she's also sweet and an awesome up-and-coming YA romance & paranormal fiction writer.

Chelsea’s debut novel “Sophie & Carter” is already out & available on Amazon. (And I just love this cover!)

Here’s a back cover caption of SOPHIE & CARTER…

“Next-door neighbors Sophie Hartman and Carter Jax grow up witnessing the shameful secrets of each of their families and, amidst the heartache, form an unspoken bond of friendship.  But events during their senior year of high school will change both of them forever.  As their lives unravel, Sophie and Carter rely on one another for strength, encouragement and hope…and begin to realize their feelings for each other might just be deeper than friendship….”

Want more? Here’s a two chapter teaser to really wet your appetite...CLICK HERE!

I found SOPHIE & CARTER to be a sweet and touching bit of literary delight that I literally couldn't put down! GO GET IT! I'm really looking forward to reading more of this chica's future work.  (YOU ROCK MY FACE OFF CHELSEA!!!) If you want to know more go check out her site http://chelseafine.blogspot.com/.

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!

A Little Bit Of My Life Philosophy

I wouldn’t call myself a hard-line sort of person. Now don’t get me wrong, I have my convictions like most people.  Things that I believe in, things and/or people in my life that I could go as far as to say I’d be willing to give up my life for.  But I’m also a person who is open to listening, hearing and getting to the truth of the matter.

I think the fact that we’re here…sleeping, eating, walking around, screaming, laughing, scratching, and yapping about who knows what, and expelling random bodily sounds and smells at will, is thoroughly amazing.  I love life and I store great value in all living things.  

But before I can get to the meat of the matter and let you into my little world; I first need to introduce you to one of my ALL TIME favorite artists.  Now I may or may not have mentioned this in the past but I am a HUGE Seal fan. Why? You may ask...because he's BRILLIANT!! That's why.  And he expresses my views so well on writing, life, love and other shenanigans on this crazy planet of ours, in this song.  Love it. SO ENJOY! 

Seal "Get It Together" 

 (Sorry, video wouldn't post in the blog, but the link works!)

Happy Writing & Happy Reading!!!

My Kurt Vonnegut Challenge

As most of you know I'm not only a YA fiction writer, I'm also a YA fiction reader.  My hubby on the other hand is a big non-fiction reader and if and when the mood strikes him to read anything of fiction, it’s usually something of the sci-fi genre.  But ever since college he's been a huge Kurt Vonnegut fan, but over the last year he's been on a serious Vonnegut kick, reading book after book written by the renowned Mr. Vonnegut. And so what's led me to write this post, is the somewhat galled astonishment my husband has expressed toward me at the fact that I've never read anything written by Vonnegut.

And being that I've always thought of myself as an open minded sort of reader, and after years of pressing from my husband, I've decided to take on my husband's Vonnegut challenge and read one of his works.  And as luck would have it, our personal library is filled with Vonnegut books (thanks to my hubby's collector sensibility).  But an idea I had to help make this challenge a little more interesting is that I've decided to allow all of you, my readers, to help me decide which book to read first. (Plus, I'm really awful at making decisions.)  So to all you Vonnegut fans and readers I'm especially interested in hearing from you.

Here are the titles I have to choose from in my hubby's Vonnegut Collection.

1. A Man Without A Country

2. Armageddon In Retrospect

3. Timequake

4. Breakfast of Champions

5. Cat's Cradle

6. Player Piano

7. Deadeye Dick

8. God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian

9. Slaughterhouse-Five

10. The Sirens of Titan

11. Welcome to the Monkey House

12. Mother Night

So tell me, what do you suggest?  Post your vote in the comment section below or you can tweet me your vote to @BlaireKensley.  I'll do a special post Saturday, July 2nd, revealing which book the voters decided I should read for my Vonnegut Challenge.  

YAY! This should be fun. Right?

Time to Rock 'n' Roll

The evil green-eyed monster has definitely been lurking in the shadows of late. But I tell you now dear readers...I shall NOT be defeated by this traitorous writer undertaker nor will I go down without a fight.

BRING IT ON YOU EVIL WRITER'S BLOCK!

That's write people! I'm here to take on the world, while the world is here to...well, probably just ignore me until its ready to acknowledge me (whenever that'll be). But I'm here and I'm feeling pretty fan-freakin-tastic and surprisingly very energized after what I can only describe as an odd but very reflective Tuesday.  I ended up being sent home early from work, and not for reasons you think, but due to the A/C unit in the entire building being completely on the fritz and apparently on strike.  Talk about HOT!  So four hours later after pulling out of my rin-tin-tin covered parking space I found myself back at home and not really in the mood to do anything productive so instead found myself watching sappy chick-flicks.

So now, after two great movies (which I thoroughly enjoyed by the way) I'm feeling pumped, rejuvenated and ready to kick the crap out of this story.  Let's do this!

Writer Warrior on the war path! And being that I'm in such an EPIC mood and love posting videos at random, I leave you with these INSPIRING WORDS. Seriously, if I had James Earls Jones proclaiming these words to me each time I sat down to write/edit/or revise, I'm (almost) positive I would be kicking writer's block butt and taking publisher houses' names daily. Boom.

Happy Reading!

THE CREED - Character Inspiration

I love having a face to put to my characters.  Just because it always seems to give more life to the story as I’m writing it.  While some writers prefer to allow their readers to experience and build characters in their own mind, I’m of mind to do something different.  And since this is my blog and its my story…I WANT TO SHARE! 

Here's a little summary of Book 1 of my series, THE CREED...

Ava Cormac was born different, extraordinary even—something she’s always sort of suspected—but what she’ll soon discover following her eighteenth birthday is that being extraordinary is not only a social nightmare (especially when you’re eighteen), but is also dangerous and at its worst very deadly.

For Ava the stories of angels and fallen were always nothing more than bedtime stories told to her and her sister, Sam, as little girls. But the world she knows soon begins to interweave with a world she once believed to only exist in bedtime stories and the pages of ancient texts.  Yet the deeper Ava falls into the seductive world inhabited by the beautifully dark fallen—meeting the mysterious and celestially alluring, Seth—the more the lines between good and evil begin to blur.  Especially when it’s revealed that not only is Ava a marked descendant of one of the most powerful lines of the secret hybrid race of fallen and humans, known as the Nephilim.  But that the powers of her ancestors runs through her veins and she alone may possess the key that can unlock the fate of all mankind and fallen in the world.   

The main character of my story, Ava is eighteen-years-old and on the verge of embarking on a dark journey into a world she’d before only believed to have existed in stories…that is until it becomes a very real part of her life.

So over time, as the story has progressed and the characters have become more alive to me I’ve come to visualize Ava, as the beautiful and talented Zoe Kravitz.

 

I recently got a glimpse of Zoe in action in the latest X-Men First Class film and not only was it excellent but so was the talented Zoe.  

And as for the alluring Seth...I think Garrett Hedlund definitely leads the list of males to take on the edgy role of my semi-dark hero. 

So these are the faces that traverse my mind on a daily basis while I work and pour my blood and sweat into getting Book 1 of my series completed.  I have to say, I think I keep very nice mental company, don't you?

Also...check out my FAQ page for answers to some of those buzzing questions of yours!