Author: Marcia Meara

#BreakTimeComingUp – #GuestPosts – #PassTheTeaPlease

/ Marcia Meara / 9 Comments

I think I’m overdue for a bit of a break, with or without tea … though WITH is always better! I do have several guest posts coming up very soon (Bill Engleson on 4/30, Christine Skarbek on 5/7, Jackie Lambert on 5/14, and Yvonne Blackwood on 5/21) so I’ll be around for those, for sure. But my brain has been on overload the last couple of weeks, and I definitely need some time for both gardening and reading. (The hotter it gets, the better that second option looks.)

I’ll be keeping an eye out for anything that might pop up needing immediate attention, but barring that, don’t worry if I’m away for a wee bit.

#GuestDayTuesday – #DarleneFoster – #AmandaInScotland – #TheStandingStones

/ Marcia Meara / 68 Comments

It’s #GuestDayTuesday, folks, and today our special guest is Darlene Foster. I know you’ll enjoy Darlene’s post, so please welcome her to TWS. Darlene … take it away!

Thanks, Marcia!

Interview with Amanda Jane Ross by Darlene Foster
~~~

I would like to welcome intrepid traveller, Amanda Jane Ross, to Marcia Meara’s radio show.

DF: Hello Amanda. Welcome to the show. I understand you have just returned from a visit to Scotland.How did you enjoy It?

AR: It was awesome! I spent a week on the Isle of Arran which has everything the whole of the country has. It’s called Scotland in miniature as it has highlands and lowlands.You are never far from a beach and there are all kinds of wildlife like cute red squirrels.

DF: What took you there?

AR: My bestie, Leah Anderson, has an aunt who lives on the island, and she invited us to spend some time with her. She lives in a really cool old house. I already knew Aunt Jenny because I met her in Malta and she took us to France too. She is a cool aunt.

DF: You sure like to travel. What is one of your favourite places?

AR: Oh, I don’t have a favourite place. I love every place I visit. I like trying new food and learning about the history and meeting the local people. My teacher tells me that I get a better education travelling than she could ever teach me. I always share my experiences with the class when I return.

DF: You always seem to get involved in a mystery wherever you go. Why is that?

AR: Well, I don’t do that on purpose. It just seems to happen. There wasn’t going to be any mystery to solve this time, but a woman from the past kept showing up. At least she seemed like she was from the past. I did touch the standing stones, hoping I would be transported back in time. That didn’t happen, but someone could have come though to our time. I mean, you never know, do you?

DF: No, you never do. Do you have any other plans to travel.

AR: My cousin, Taylor, is marrying an Irish girl and they asked me to be a junior bridesmaid. The wedding is going to be in a castle, in Ireland! I’ve never been there before so I can’t say no.

DF: Sounds like fun. Thanks for taking the time to be on the show, Amanda. Happy travels.

Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones

Blurb:

What could possibly go wrong on the magical Scottish Isle of Arran? It’s such a peaceful, charming place with castles, mountains, old graves and ancient standing stones.

Amanda Ross and Leah Anderson are visiting Aunt Jenny who owns an old house on the island. But something is not right. A mysterious woman, who seems to have stepped out of the past, keeps appearing, Leah’s father hasn’t contacted the family for some time, and Aunt Jenny’s house may have an uninvited guest.

Amanda is intrigued by this picturesque island, often called Little Scotland. She watches exciting sheepdog trials, attends a lively ceilidh, makes friends with the locals, and visits the mystical Holy Island. Join Amanda as she tries to solve the mystery of the strange woman and the disappearance of Leah’s father. Will the past catch up with the present?

Short Excerpt:

Amanda grunted lifting the heavy metal bar to open the gate. She tugged at it but it wouldn’t budge. The muddy ground caused her to lose her footing. She slipped and fell—face down in the sticky mud. As she looked up, she saw someone running through the trees. A woman in a white cap and a plaid shawl. The woman from the past.

Author Darlene Foster

Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now an award-winning author of the children’s Amanda Travels Adventure series, and divides her time between the west coast of Canada and Orihuela Costa, in Spain.
Social Media:

Website: www.darlenefoster.ca
Blog:  https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster
Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermegawoman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

 

#SixPack – #BlueAngels – #AirDotShow

/ Marcia Meara / 38 Comments

 

Air Dot Air Show 

Sanford, Florida
April 20 & 21

Spent half of the day today standing in my front yard, looking up, where we were treated to the Blue Angels and their cohorts, flying directly over our house. And they couldn’t have had a more beautiful sky as a backdrop!

Again and again, they performed maneuvers that were a treat to see. How lucky are we that we can walk outside and watch the entire show? I got goosebumps with every pass they made! Fantastic! 😀 ❤

#NotSoClassicPoetry – #SummerMagic – #Bruises

/ Marcia Meara / 33 Comments
…Not So Classic…

Time for another “Not So Classic” poem by none other than ME. Hope you enjoy this one. It’s from the first half of my book Summer Magic, wherein the  poems are about my Wake-Robin Ridge character, MacKenzie Cole (or Mac, as he’s called) as a young boy in the mountains of North Carolina. (His Dad took him there for a Father & Son vacation every summer.) Happy Reading!

Bruises

Pale blue eyes,
Fringed in black,
Look out at the world
With the wild, free spirit
All ten-year-old boys
Know how to nurture.

A shock of black hair falls over his brow
As he frowns thoughtfully,
Examining a scab on one knobby knee.
A souvenir from yesterday’s hike,
Acquired while showing off for Dad.
Again.

Long and thin, his scraped-up legs
Have become maps of small injuries,
Tracing each day of his summer . . .
A scratch here, from picking
Wild blackberries,
And a bruise there, from
Swinging on a low limb . . .
Those and so many more,
Evidence garnered while calling,
Watch, Dad, watch!
See what I can do!

Badges.
Attesting to his bravery,
Marking his adventures,
And confirming in his mind
His place among Immortals.

His dad sighs, all too aware
More bumps and scrapes
Lie ahead.
No way to guard him
Against the future bruises
Life will bring.
His boy will be marked,
Abraded by time and
The world around him,
Though some scars will be
Much less obvious than others.
And someday, scabby knees
Will be counted as nothing,
When weighed against
Those other
Invisible wounds.

You can download Summer Magic HERE:
Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love

 

#GuestPostsInformation

/ Marcia Meara / 5 Comments

I recently put out a call to folks who’d like to be guests on The Write Stuff in order to promote their books, or share writing related posts. I do have the FULL instructions as to what I’ll need to set up guests posts at the top of this page, under General Rules and Various Feature Instructions, but it appears I need to be more clear on this.  In order for me to handle an influx of guest requests in an efficient manner, I really need the following from you:

**Here Are the Things I Need From You For ALL Guest Posts**

PLEASE do not send links for these:

  1. Your Cover Image, Author Photo, & any other appropriate images submitted as SEPARATE jpgs or pngs* only.
  2. Word Document or Documents (NO PDFs, please) which contains the following:
    a) The Review, Article, Short Essay, or Promo material you wish to share
    b) Your Book Blurb
    c) Your Author Bio 

THESE ARE THE ONLY LINKS I NEED:

  • Links 1: Your Buy Links & Social Media Links 
  • Links 2: Your Contact info

I really love having guests visit my blog, and having the above would be of immense help when I am dealing with several requests at a time. Please let me know if you have any further questions, and thanks again for guesting on The Write Stuff.

#GuestDayTuesday Instructions

/ Marcia Meara / Leave a comment

 

Hi, everyone! I need to apologize for not including the basic things I’ll need if you want to be a guest poster on TWS. This information is also available at the top of the page under General Rules and Various Feature Instructions, and I should have pointed that out for you.  (You can see how long I’ve been away from any regular blogging! Urk!)

Here are the basics:

#GUESTDAYTUESDAY INSTRUCTIONS:
(Note: This is usually an every-other-Tuesday feature)

Tuesdays are now  #GUESTDAYTUESDAY on The Write Stuff. I am very happy to help you share your book releases, cover reveals, and most any promos or news you like on my blog, with the goal of helping others find your books or your blog. Posts should be writing, reading, or blogging related, but I’m open to new ideas. My only requirements are the following things:

  1. Send me the items listed below in the formats requested so that I can get your posts scheduled promptly. Email them to: marciameara16@gmail.com
  2. Include an introductory paragraph or two with your post. It can be about you, your work, or maybe the reason you wrote the book you’re promoting. It’s just a nice a way to ease into the rest of the post.
  3. Please find time to engage with those who comment on your post, even if it’s just a quick thank you. It’s only polite, after all, and readers will remember your friendliness.
  4. And let’s all remember to PAY IT FORWARD when possible. Try to stop by on Tuesdays when you can, and share the posts of others. That’s how it all works.  😊

If you are willing to do those four things, when possible, I’ll be pleased to do my part to help promote your books whenever I can.

~~~~~~~

**Here Are the Things I Need From You For ALL Guest Posts**

*Your Cover Image(s), Author Photo, & any other appropriate images submitted as SEPARATE jpgs or pngs*
AND
A Word Document (NO PDFs, please) which contains the following:

  • The Review, Article, Short Essay, or Promo material you wish to share with appropriate links.
  • Your Book Blurb
  • Your Author Bio
  • Your Buy Links
  • Your Social Media links
  • Your Contact info
That’s it. Now let’s get the word out! 🙂

#GuestDayTuesday – #GuestPosts – #ShareYourNews

/ Marcia Meara / 14 Comments

Happy Freya’s Day, Everybody! Hope you are all eagerly awaiting a wonderful weekend ahead. I’ll be planting a couple more roses and doing a wee bit of gardening each morning, before the day gets too hot.

Just wanted to put out a call for guest posters. If you have a new book to share, or an old one to remind folks about, we can do that. If you have something writing-related you’d like to discuss, (Do’s and Don’ts, or a book you’ve read recently and would like to chat about) we can do that, too. Actually, I’m open to lots of topics for guest posters, so please contact me if you have something you’d like more folks to know about. Here are just a few of the headers for the types of posts I’ve shared on TWS in the past, though we aren’t limited to just these topics.

I’m open to various topics, and would love to have you visit. Just email me or respond below, and we’ll make it happen. The Write Stuff wants YOU!!

Hoping to Hear From You Soon!

 

 

#AlertTheMediaAgain! – #I’m BAA-ACK! – #ThorsDaySmile – #Humor

/ Marcia Meara / 38 Comments

Yep! I’m back! Well, sort of. I may not be here every single day, but I’m sure you’ll be seeing as much of me as you can probably stand in any one week. I will try to get back on track with some fun posts, and I’m hereby putting out a call for guest posters, especially for #GuestDayTuesday. If any of you have news you’d like to share, or a book you’d like to promote, or something else writing/publishing related, email me, and we’ll set something up for you, even if a Tuesday won’t work.)

And since today is ThorsDay, I figure I owe you at least one or two smiles, as is my habit at this point in the week, so here goes:

And That’s It for Today, Folks!
Have a GREAT One!

 

 

 

 

#AlertTheMedia – #TakingABreak

/ Marcia Meara / 20 Comments

Hi, Everyone!

Recently, I’ve been advised that I’m supposed to take some breaks now and then, even from things I enjoy, like my blog. This is something I’ve never been good about doing, but it seems I need to pace myself better, if I don’t want to fall face down on the keyboard one day, unable to do another thing. Since the person who advised me on this has a medical degree and I don’t, I suspect I should listen to him. 

With that in mind, I’m going to step back from the computer for a few days, assuming I can stand the shock of doing so. I WILL be back though, I promise. (Probably just in time for next week’s ThorsDaySmile post, as I don’t think I can manage longer than that without going berserk.)

Hopefully, I’ll actually get out of the house once or twice and maybe even have some fun tales or photos to share when I return. We’ll see. In the meantime, DO behave yourselves and maybe even head out to have some fun here and there, too. They say it’s good for us! 

See you in a week. (IF I can stand it that long!)

#GuestDayTuesday – #GwenPlano – #SoulWhisperer’sDecision

/ Marcia Meara / 65 Comments

Today, we’re welcoming my good friend Gwen Plano as our Guest. I know you’re going to enjoy this, as Gwen will be sharing a bit about her newest book, Soul Whisperer’s Decision, so let’s get right to it. Happy Reading, Everyone,  and …

Welcome to The Write Stuff, Gwen!

Thanks so much for having me here today, Marcia. 

BACKSTORY:

I have a special interest in the Near-Death Experience phenomenon. Since the 1980s, I’ve read original research of accounts, and I’ve also read numerous books by survivors. Though I’ve not experienced an NDE, I’ve had several inexplicable experiences of a loving presence at times of great duress.

For ten years, 2002 – 2012, I was an administrator at a college near Camp Pendleton in California. I worked directly with the Marine veterans and, to a lesser degree, veterans from the other branches of the military. I quickly discovered that almost all the Marines suffered PTSD and/or physical injuries from their service in Iraq or Afghanistan. I became their advocate and tried to provide a ‘safe’ place for the veterans to meet, hang out, and process. To this day, my experience with the veterans remains the highlight of my thirty years in Higher Education.  

When I wrote The Soul Whisperer’s Decision, I sought to illuminate the struggles of those who have experienced extreme violence. And, as well, I tried to show the healing power of love. None of us can erase our past or another’s, but by our choices, we can carve a hopeful future for ourselves and others.

BLURB:

Sarah Jameson, a nurse at County Central Hospital, survives an accident that kills her two young children. While comatose, she travels into the heavenly realm where she visits with her precious little ones. She is given a choice – return to her husband, Jack, or remain with her children in their celestial home.

Jack was not in the fated automobile. Though he heard the crash and ran to help, there was nothing he could do. He suffers the loss of his children, fears the potential demise of his wife, and wonders about his own sanity. His struggle with PTSD from his military years has returned and at times, he cannot distinguish between the present and the past.

An accident tragically changed the lives of this young family, but out of sorrow emerges unexpected blessings.

 

QUOTE FROM THE BOOK:

Time blurs when dreams fade. The present, without its past, drifts obscurely before us. We see it but only vaguely. Like a stranger in a foreign land, we wander alone. What was, no longer is. But what remains feels like a hologram—unreal and elusive.

PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon:   https://bit.ly/488Ziay
Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/48aWmdu

 BLOG: www.gwenplano.com ( https://bit.ly/48AKRvE )

Author Gwen Plano

Gwen grew up on a farm in the great Southern California desert bordering Arizona and Mexico. She claims to have climbed more sand dunes than Lawrence of Arabia. This desert habitat helped shape her core beliefs in hard work and gracious acceptance of others.

Gwen is retired from a lengthy career in higher education, which spanned both the East and West coasts and included five years in Japan. She now calls the high desert of Chino Valley, AZ her home. And most any day, you’ll find her hiking or writing, if she and her husband are not on the road exploring.