#10ThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – Author #SallyJaneSmith

/ Marcia Meara / 76 Comments

It’s time for another #TenThings post, folks, and today our special guest is author Sally Jane Smith. I know  you’ll enjoy learning more about Sally and some of her adventures, so without further ado, let’s get going! Sally, you’re on! 😀

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout #SallyJaneSmith

Thanks Marcia – after reading so many great #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout posts, I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to participate 😊  Here goes…

TEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

  1. I’ve lived for a year or more in five countries on five continents: South Africa, Chile, the Republic of Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia.
  1. I’ve also been lucky enough to visit thirty-three countries, many of them multiple times. People have been telling me for decades that I should write about my travels, but it wasn’t until my first visit to Greece that I found the book inside me. When non-Greeks ask what was so special about Greece, I explain that it was the country that made me fall in love with my own life again. When Greeks ask, I say, “It was Greece that gave me my kefi”
  1. I’ve been bitten by a lion. (And I know I’m not the only author featured on this blog who can say that – what are the chances?) It was just a young cub, but, to be fair, so was I. We were at a small tourist park when the rangers invited me over for a photo opportunity. The lion cub was in a playful mood, I think, but its play-fighting was a bit on the rough side, and it took four grown men to pull the cub off me.
  1. After a traumatic solo travel accident in 2006, a series of events led me to move to Australia to help manage a wildlife sanctuary for two years. Insights from working in animal conservation make me wonder, now, about that long-ago lion cub and how that 1970s park was run. These days, I am sceptical of animal experiences marketed to tourists. If I’m not 100% sure they are reputable care initiatives that cause no direct or indirect harm to the animals in their charge, I don’t participate.Not my usual author photo: here I am with “Dexter the demented cockatoo” who is living his best life at Walkabout Park after a lovely woman rescued him from an unhappy existence in a small cage. This photo was taken around 2010, when I was still his best buddy. Now,  although he is happy to see me when I visit, he lives in a large aviary where he has learned how to be a bird again. Which, although it’s a little sad, we consider success!
    PS: I’m also sporting a dashing scar that runs more than halfway around my neck – a memento of the Sri Lankan bus accident.

 

  1. After dogs, my favourite animals are Australian flying foxes. These large bats aren’t at all scary (although I respect that some people have phobias – I have a couple of my own). Instead, they are like puppies with wings! When I was hanging up their fruit buckets, the mischievous bats at Walkabout Park would surreptitiously pinch my scrunchie from my hair or make away with my glasses. All for the fun of dangling them just out of my reach, making me jump – and maybe getting a tickle at the end of the game.
  1. I am clumsy and uncoordinated, forever walking into doorframes or tripping over nothing at all. When people ask why I don’t drive, I say, “Have you seen me walk?”
  1. It might not be a surprise, then, that I was the only girl at my high school who was let off participating in the compulsory sports program without a doctor’s certificate. Yes, I was that bad at sport. Instead, I became the scorer for the school cricket team. The other girls might have pitied my gawkiness but, hey, I got to go on national tour with the hottest boys in the school. Last laugh was mine 😉
  1. I love to dance, and don’t feel the slightest bit clumsy when I’m moving to music. The problem is, I also like to be in bed with a book by 7.00 pm. I’m usually up around 4:00 am, getting in a few hours of writing before heading out to the paying job. On weekends, I might sleep in till 5.30. If only there were all-day dance parties! As it is, I hardly ever get a chance to let my hair down on a dance floor.
  1. I have three university degrees, and I’m not directly using any of them (although my long-ago studies continue to enrich my experience of the world). After multiple intercontinental moves, I found that a knowledge of anthropology wasn’t hugely transferable to the jobs on offer. Instead, I discovered a surprisingly enjoyable talent for administration. I confess, I do have a fondness for a cleverly constructed spreadsheet. After six years working in a rewarding but stressful PA role, I moved to a lower-paid, part-time job in an art gallery so I could have more mental energy to write. Being surrounded by creativity in my workplace is a bonus.
  1. Unpacking for Greece was crafted as a Bill-Bryson-style travelogue, but most reviewers focus on the inner journeys of the story, both in recovering my wanderlust after the Sri Lankan bus accident, and in making peace with memories of my mother. I found an unexpected travel companion in her 1978 travel journal, and since that first trip I have returned to Greece again and again with her scuffed red diary in my pocket. At first, I tried to follow her footsteps. Now I take it with me to places she never got a chance to visit while she was alive.

My mum’s diary in Naxos in April 2023, my most recent trip to Greece.


Blurb

 Join Sally as she embarks on a solo journey across the magnificent Greek mainland and islands.

When Sally sets out for Europe with her mother’s 1978 travel diary in her pocket, she is searching for the wanderlust she lost in a devastating overseas road accident.

As she ventures into the heart of the Mediterranean – wandering volatile landscapes, exploring historical sites, pairing books with places and savouring the tastes of Greece – she finds it is possible for a clumsy, out-of-shape woman on a budget to experience a life-changing journey.

In a story told with warmth, humour and a fascination with Greece’s natural and cultural heritage, Sally connects with her past, overcomes her fears and falls in love with life again, one olive at a time.

Author Sally Jane Smith

 Sally Jane Smith has lived on five continents and visited thirty-three countries, but she gives credit to Greece for turning her into a writer.  She has worked in museums, universities, a language institute, a residence for people with disabilities, an art gallery, a primary school and a wildlife park. She also co-hosts two book clubs and assists the organisers of a biennial book-themed convention. She is currently based in Australia.

Sally completed a Varuna residency in 2018 and has published travel articles in Gulf News and TripFiction, and craft pieces in Women’s Ink! and Brevity Blog. Sally’s story of her great-great-grandmother’s extraordinary life appears in the anthology Itchy Feet: Tales of Travel and Adventure. Her exploration of travel and grief is included in the Newcastle Short Story Award Anthology 2022.

Excerpts from the Packing for Greece series have been awarded First Place Non-Fiction in the Port Writers Open Literary Competition and shortlisted in the National Writing Competition organised by the Society of Women Writers NSW. 

In a story told with warmth, humour and a fascination with Greece’s natural and cultural heritage, Sally connects with her past, overcomes her fears and falls in love with life again, one olive at a time.

The best way to get a taste of Sally’s writing, view gorgeous travel pics and play destination-based games is to sign up to her newsletter HERE

You can find all Sally’s social media links collected HERE

Visit Sally’s webpage HERE

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout #PeteSpringer

/ Marcia Meara / 174 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone! Today’s special guest is author and retired teacher, Pete Springer. I’m very happy to have Pete join us, and I know that you are going to enjoy his post, so without further ado, let’s get started. Pete? You’re on!

Thanks for the pleasure of visiting The Write Stuff, Marcia. While I loved my career as an elementary teacher, my wife and I have embraced retirement and the opportunity to try new things. As you probably know by now, I’m following your path by writing later in life. While teaching, I knew I wanted to write middle-grade novels for children after I retired. I’ve spent the last few years learning how to write fiction by taking classes, reading books, joining a critique group, starting a blog, and writing most days. I love the creative challenge of building a fictional story from scratch. It’s what gets me excited to get up in the morning.

Before diving into that, I wanted to pay back a profession that had been so good to me. I wrote a book (They Call Me Mom) about my 31-year teaching career to pay it forward to the next generation of teachers. I call it a combination memoir/advice book. After serving as a master teacher to four student teachers during my career, I wanted to share my experiences and some of the moving and funny moments.

Now, I’m following through with my original goal and writing novels for the age I know best—middle grades. I’ve got two manuscripts going, one about to go to my editor any day. From the start, I wanted to write entertaining contemporary novels for kids in grades 5-8 about problems that today’s children face. Don’t let anyone tell you we had it much more challenging than kids do in 2023 because that’s not true.

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me 

ONE:
I’ve visited each of the 50 states, though I don’t remember some because I was too little to recall much. Right before Covid started, my wife and I made it to the last one. (Alaska)

TWO:
People tell me I’ve got a good voice for the radio, and I’m one of those rare people who doesn’t mind public speaking. I used to read our local newspaper over the airwaves once a week for the blind and those with limited vision. I spent my career as an elementary school teacher, but my backup plan was to become a sports broadcaster if I didn’t like teaching.

THREE:
While happily retired, I miss reading aloud to children as I love literature and am a big ham. It was my chance to be an actor, imagining how the author wanted the characters to sound. I now read to seniors at assisted living twice a week as part of my community service work.

FOUR:
Several of my previous students have become teachers. I taught the last five years of my career with one of my former 4th-grade students.

FIVE:
I love almost all sports. Though not a star athlete, I won some local racquetball tournaments (spelled racketball in the UK). Now, I enjoy going to sporting events. I’ve attended the Super Bowl and the Final Four College Basketball Championships. Our son is a college football coach.

SIX:
I try to stay in touch with my former elementary students as much as possible to see what direction their lives took them. One of my past students became a nanny to Jennifer Lopez (J. Lo—the singer and actress) and later to one of the Kardashian sisters. I recently connected with a student from my first year of teaching. (He’s now 49—yes, I feel old.) He is now a Hollywood film producer, director, and writer. He has a film coming out later this year starring Lindsay Wagner (from The Bionic Woman).

SEVEN:
I met my wife in the teaching program in college. We started and finished our 31-year education careers in the same years. I taught elementary school (grades 2-6), and she was a preschool teacher and then director at the same site.

EIGHT:
Last year I fulfilled a Bucket List item by flying across the country and spending time with each of my three older brothers. The four Springer brothers ended up in the four continental time zones, so I got my miles in. I went to New Jersey, Minnesota, and Colorado, before returning to my home in California.

NINE:
On the same trip, I met two blogging friends in person. I spent part of the day in the classroom of the brilliant teacher, Jennie Fitzkee, and read a story to her preschoolers in Massachusetts. I then traveled to Pennsylvania and met Villanova University professor Jim Borden. I spent a glorious day with him in Philadelphia and visited many historical parts of the city. Jim filmed me running up the famed Rocky steps. Meeting them was one of the highlights of my trip.

TEN:
We live within a couple of miles of the Pacific Ocean and our famed redwoods, the tallest trees in the world. Coast redwoods reach 370 feet tall, while giant sequoias are seldom more than 300 feet tall. Temperatures are mild year-round, ranging from 30-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

BLURB

Who Will You Inspire Today? Teachers face this challenge and responsibility each day, but in the process, the author discovers that his students can also have a profound influence on him. Pete Springer takes you on his memorable thirty-one-year journey in education as an elementary school teacher and offers the many valuable life and teaching lessons he learned along the way. Get ready to laugh out loud at some of the humorous and memorable experiences that all teachers face, feel inspired by the inherent goodness of children, and appreciate the importance of developing a sense of teamwork among the staff. Learn valuable tips for working with children, parents, fellow staff members, and administrators. This book is ideal for young teachers, but also a reminder to all educators of the importance and responsibility of being a role model.

Author Pete Springer
(Photo was taken by my former sixth-grade student, Breanne Egbert.) 

My name is Pete Springer. I taught elementary school for thirty-one years (grades 2-6) at Pine Hill School in Eureka, CA. Even though I retired over three years ago, my passion will always be supporting education, kids, and teachers.

When I came out of the teaching program many years ago, I realized how unprepared I was for what was in store for me in the classroom. My college education mainly focused on learning theory rather than the practical day-to-day challenges that all teachers face. Thankfully, I had some great mentors to lean on to help support me in the early part of my career.

I have made it my mission to pay it forward to the next generation of teachers. I was a master teacher to four student teachers, and I have several former students who are now teachers, including one who teaches at my former elementary school. That is pretty cool!

While teaching, I decided to write books for children one day. That ship is now in the harbor. I took some writing workshops, found a writing critique group, joined SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), and recently finished writing my first middle-grade novel. I’ve always connected with kids, and this is my new way of teaching.

You can Buy They Call Me Mom HERE
You Can Reach Pete on Social Media HERE:

Blog 

Facebook

Twitter 

Fantastic YouTube Video

 

#GuestDayTuesday – #TenThings – And Other Guest Openings

/ Marcia Meara / 45 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone! Just wanted to remind you all that I am ready to schedule 2023 guest posts on The Write Stuff. If you would like to take part in any of my regular features, now’s the time to have me hold a date for you.

#GuestDayTuesdays:  For this one, I’m looking forward to sharing your news, whatever it might be. New book, cover reveal, old book with a review worth bragging about, or even something about you, as a writer … where your ideas come from, how you go about the process, things you’ve learned over time (including what NOT to do). I’m very flexible with the #GuestDayTuesday posts and will be happy to feature you and/or your work in various ways.

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe: This is a fun way to let others learn more about you as a person, as a writer, as a blogger, or from any other angle. If you’ve haven’t already been a guest for this one, take a look at some of the previous posts, and I think you might be interested in taking part. If you HAVE taken part in the past, that’s all right, too. We could do a “TenMOREThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe” post. Or “FiveMore.”

Again, I’m very flexible with any of these posts and can even squeeze in some random guest posts on other days, if it’s more helpful for what you want to do. 

For Info on what I’d need from you, you’ll find all my Blog Rules and Instructions HERE:  https://marciamearawrites.com/welcome/

And most of all, remember that I’ll work with you in any way I can. The object is to 1)promote you or your work and 2) to have fun. (Or both!)  I’ll be waiting to hear from you and get your special post scheduled, so drop me an email at marciameara16@gmail.com

Thanks!

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAbout – #JacquiMurray

/ Marcia Meara / 88 Comments

Happy Wodin’s Day, Everyone! It’s time to share another fun #TenThings post with you guys, and today’s very special guest is author Jacqui Murray. I know you are going to enjoy learning more about Jacqui, so without further ado, let’s get started. Jacqui, take it away!

Thanks, Marcia!

I don’t often talk about myself, but I thought this would be a good way to celebrate the launch of my latest prehistoric fiction, Natural Selection, Book 3 of the trilogy Dawn of Humanity. I haven’t lived around the world or completed any amazing feats, but my life has been full and interesting. Here are some of the unusual tidbits you may not be aware of:

  1. I spoke Russian well enough to travel comfortably throughout the Soviet Union for a summer. Before returning to the US, I bought a lot of Russian language books to get an understanding of their version of history.
  2. I owned a Fred Astaire Dance Studio and danced professionally. I loved it, but the lifestyle didn’t fit me well so I eventually moved on.
  3. I installed cell phone antennas on skyscrapers, church steeples, and water tanks. What a view from those heights!
  4. I loved programming in DOS (Disk Operating System–the precursor to Windows). I did a lot of crazy tricks that annoyed my husband. For example, once, I programmed his computer to play Christmas music before it booted up. I still miss it.
  5. I read California’s entire Uniform Building Code (defining the State’s construction regulations) as part of my job to design/build employer-based child care centers. I also read America’s 1200+ page Affordable Care Act (before it exploded in size) because news channels contradicted each other. I also studied America’s Common Core Standards for K-12 education to guide my teaching. Do you see a trend?
  6. I worked in the recycling industry for years. I collected used cardboard and paper, exported it around the world to places like Japan who don’t have enough trees. What an interesting job.
  7. Because of my background in recycling, I know corrugated is the right name for ‘cardboard’. Because of my background in building, I know people often say ‘cement’ when they mean ‘concrete’.
  8. Both my children are in the military. Their choice–I never was. They both love it. One’s a Naval officer, the other in the Army Signal Corps. Guess which is the boy.
  9. I play(ed) Blue Grass on my mandolin after college, jammed with a group. That was about as much fun as a girl can have. I still have the mandolin, but arthritis prevents me from playing.
  10. I think my dog is sentient. He’s Homo canineafter all!

Truth, I have always had trouble settling down to one endeavor, which explains in part my current obsession with both teaching and writing. How about you?

BLURB:

Survival requires change but can Lucy do that? 

In this final book of the trilogy, Lucy and her tribe leave their good home to rescue captured tribemembers who are in grave danger. Lucy’s Group includes an eclectic mix of species–a Canis, a Homotherium kit, and different iterations of early man. Each brings unique skills to the task. More will join and some will die but that is the nature of prehistoric life, when survival depends on a mix of man’s developing intellect and untiring will to live. Based on true events from 1.8 million years ago.

Natural Selection is Available in digital (print soon) at:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon Canada
 Amazon Australia
Amazon India

Author Jacqui Murray

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Man vs. Nature saga, prehistoric fiction, and Rowe-Delamagente thrillers. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance tech ed journalist.

Dawn of Humanity (Books 1 & 2)

The Crossroads Trilogy

You can reach Jacqui on Social Media here:

Amazon Author Page    
Blog
Instagram   
Pinterest 
Twitter 
Website 

Contact Jacqui via Social Media or Email: askatechteacher@gmail.com

 

 

 

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About #JackieLambert

/ Marcia Meara / 86 Comments

Today, I’d like to introduce author Jackie Lambert, whose #TenThings List just might knock your socks off! I know you’ll enjoy it, so we’ll get started right away! Jackie, you’re on!

Thanks, Marcia!

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by JackieLambert

  1. I used to work as a beer taster for Truman’s Brewery on Brick Lane in East London, where Jack the Ripper used to patrol the mean streets. The brewery was founded in 1666, just after the great fire, and was once London’s largest brewery. In fact, Truman’s became one of the largest brewers in the world. These days, the Black Eagle Brewery building is an arts centre.
  1. I have cuddled a tiger and been bitten by a lion.
  1. I did the first ever commercial white water rafting descent of red rock canyon in Colorado, near where Butch and Sundance jumped in the famous film, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid.
  1. I once sat on a swing with ‘The Blackburn Bullet’ – Carl Fogarty, World Superbike Champ. He lived across the road from me when we were both about nine years old!
  1. I can fly a light aircraft.
  1. Mark and I got married outside a lighthouse, so our marriage started on the rocks!
  1. I did the two highest bungee jumps in the world (at the time); Victoria Falls Bridge in Zambia (111 m / 364.5 ft) off the, and Le Pont de Ponsonnas (103 m / 337 ft) near Grenoble in France. I am afraid of heights, and loathed both experiences! I did the first jump to show I could master my fear. It was so awful, I wasn’t sure I could do it again, so I had to show myself I could. Now, I don’t feel I have anything further to prove!
  1. I love travel and adventure and have visited six continents and forty-three countries. By the end of 2022, I hope to have added six more; Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Luxembourg. That said, Mark and I are not great at sticking to plans. We once set off for Spain and Portugal, but decided to turn left, and went to Romania!
  1. I have always loved writing. My aunt once said, “Jacqueline can write pages and pages about absolutely nothing!” I took it as a compliment, of course. I wrote my first short memoir/travelogue aged 14. It followed a horseback ride across England’s Lake District with author Bob Orrell. He entered it into a national competition, open to all age groups, and it came second!
  1. During a windsurfing lesson just before London 2012, I almost dropped my sail on Olympic silver medallist Nick Dempsey’s head. Had he not ducked, I would have brained Team GB’s best hope of a medal in the RSX windsurfing!

Jackie With Nick Dempsey and Peter Hart

I have just published my fifth book; the fourth memoir in my Adventure Caravanning With Dogs series, which follows the story of how hubs and I gave up work, rented out the house, and became perpetual caravan (trailer) nomads with four dogs in tow.

Buy It Never Rains but It Paws HERE

BLURB:
Five years after giving up work to travel full time, Dog-ma Jacqueline (Jackie) and Dogfather Mark race against time to leave the UK before Britain exits the EU. If Brexit happens, their four Cavapoos (Cavalier/Poodle cross) Kai, Rosie, Ruby, and Lani will lose their puppy passports, and the Lambert Family will be unable to travel together. But Brexit isn’t their only obstacle: a few months into their adventure, the pandemic suddenly shatters their plans, and leaves them trapped in the epicentre of Europe’s No. 1 coronavirus hotspot.

The fourth road trip Europe adventure in author Jacqueline Lambert’s “inspirational and hilarious” series of true travel memoirs invites you to join the couple as they discover even more amazing and little-known places, this time in France and Italy. However, this isn’t just a priceless escape travel story filled with humorous mishaps and mountain adventure. The coronavirus pandemic separates the family from their loved ones at home, and leaves Jackie stranded alone during a blizzard in a remote Italian village, with Mark thousands of miles away, back in the UK.

Between terrible weather, political mayhem, and a global pandemic, Jackie and Mark try to take lessons from each hardship. Yet, even with a positive attitude, a sense of adventure, and a caravan full of loved ones, you can’t stop all the obstacles life rolls your way. These “amusing and informative” travel stories are certainly proof that It Never Rains… But It Paws!

Jackie’s Fur Babies

Author Jackie Lambert 

Fans of Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert’s doggie/travel blog, www.WorldWideWalkies.com said, “You should write a book!” So, she did. In fact, she’s written five…

If you’ve ever considered giving up work to head off into the sunset with surfboards on the roof–or you just like dogs, travel and humour, her Adventure Caravanning With Dogs books are for you.

The first, Fur Babies in France, was described by one reviewer as, “Laugh out funny and a great travel guide”. It tells how she and husband Mark gave up work, accidentally bought their first ever caravan, then decided to rent out the house, sell most of their possessions, and tour Europe full-time with four dogs in tow.

Dog on the Rhine; “An inspirational travelogue” follows this intrepid couple as they get more adventurous, and head into Germany, The Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. But just to prove that Living the Dream is not all sunshine and rainbows, they return home to a huge Fidose of reality…

Dogs ‘n’ Dracula; “Armchair travel delight” gives the full low down on how Jackie and Mark set off for Spain and Portugal, but decided to turn left…

Pups on Piste is a “Fun and interesting book” about the trials and tribulations of their first ski season in Italy, during which a ski instructor tells them, “Don’t miss the turn, or you’ll go over a cliff.”

In her latest memoir, It Never Rains But It Paws, released on 6th May 2022, Jackie and Mark race against time to leave the UK before Britain leaves the EU. Brexit could mean their four precious pups would be unable to travel. Then, a few months into their trip, the pandemic leaves them trapped in the epicentre of Europe’s No. 1 coronavirus hotspot…

She is currently working on her sixth book, To Hel In A Hound Cart – A Road Trip Through Poland In A Pandemic, which will be published later in 2022.

In her first year as a published author, Jacqueline was delighted to receive multiple five-star reviews, a letter from Prince Charles, an invitation to Bucharest to collect an award for Dogs ‘n’ Dracula, and Amazon No. 1 Bestseller status in the German Travel category for Dog on the Rhine. Some of her travel tales BC (Before Canines) have been featured in travel anthologies, alongside other bestselling and award-winning authors.

You can check out all of Jackie’s books on her Amazon Author Page HERE.

Or grab them one at a time here:

Year 1 – Fur Babies in France
Dog on the Rhine
Dogs n Dracula
It Never Rains but It Paws

And you can reach Jackie on social media here:

Blog: WorldWideWalkies.com
Email: jackielambert07@gmail.com
Facebook
Goodreads
BookBub

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About #JohnW.Howell

/ Marcia Meara / 135 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone! Today I’d like you to help me welcome a great friend and supporter of writers everywhere, #StoryEmpire member John W. Howell. I think you’ll really enjoy John’s post today, so let’s get things rolling!

Thank you, Marcia, for having me on your #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe feature. When we initially talked about doing this, I explained to Marcia that the first item on the list would be the fact that I have evolved into a close imitation of Howard Hughes. You may recall in his later years; he became a recluse. Marcia being the kind and generous person she is, thought that would be an excellent beginning to the list. So, with that encouragement, here are the #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe. You will note the Howard Hughes one is not there because you already know that one.

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by John W. Howell

1) Detroit, Michigan, is where I grew up in an area that was a melting pot of cultures. This upbringing gave me the experience to conclude that we are all made up of the same hopes, dreams, and expectations.

2) My father died when I was ten years old. He was an exceptional human being, and his example of making the most out of your talent has inspired me throughout my life.

3) I was raised by my mother and sister. My mother had to go to work, but my sister was six years older than me, so she filled in when my mom needed to be elsewhere. I feel blessed that I carried away from our home an appreciation for the female perspective.

4) My mom paid for the first year of college, and then the rest was up to me. I appreciated the help and embraced the idea that I would work and learn. I held several part-time and summer jobs and managed to get through.

5) My first working position out of college was for Procter and Gamble. My responsibilities were to represent the company brands in an assigned territory. In addition, I had the pleasure of introducing products still on the shelves today.

6) I changed companies after three years when it became clear a promotion was not in the works. After twenty years, I took over as the company head. It looks like I made the right choice.

7) I retired once at 51 years old and went into consulting. After five years, I went to work at one of my clients and spent fifteen years working on some exciting new products.

8) I retired a second time when I was 70 1/2. I enjoyed what I was doing, but it became time to go. 

9) My first book was published when I was 71 by a traditional publisher. After waiting for over 18 months for the second to be published, it became clear that I needed to go out independently. I self-published the following five books.

10) I’m looking forward to my 81st birthday. I still blog six days a week and am getting ready to publish my seventh book. Once that is done, I will be publishing a Top Ten Things Not to Do handbook, which will take some of my best posts and put them in a collection.

BLURB:

James Wainwright picks up a hitchhiker and discovers two things 1. The woman he picks up is his childhood sweetheart, only Seventeen years older. 2. He is no longer of this world.

James began a road trip alone in his 1956 Oldsmobile. He stops for a hitchhiker only to discover she is his childhood sweetheart, Sam, who disappeared seventeen years before. James learns from Sam falling asleep miles back caused him to perish in a one-car accident. He also comes to understand that Sam was taken and murdered all those years ago, and now she has come back to help him find his eternal home.

The pair visit various times and places and are witness to a number of historical events. The rules dictate that they do no harm to the time continuum. Trying to be careful, they inadvertently come to the attention of Lucifer who would love to have their souls as his subjects. They also find a threat to human survival and desperately need to put in place the fix necessary to save mankind.

The question becomes, will James find his eternal home in grace or lose the battle with Satan for his immortal soul and the future of human life with it? If you like time-travel, adventure, mystery, justice, and the supernatural, this story is for you.

You can download the Kindle version of Eternal Road  The Final Stop HERE
You can purchase the print version of Eternal Road The Final Stop HERE

Author John W. Howell

Award winning author John W. Howell began his writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive business career. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories.  His first book, My GRL, introduces the exciting adventures of the book’s central character, John J. Cannon. The second Cannon novel, His Revenge, continues the adventure, while the final book in the trilogy, Our Justice, was launched in September 2016. Circumstances of Childhood in October  2017.  The Contract in, 2018. Eternal Road – The final stop in 2020.  The sequel to Eternal Road should be available in September of 2022. All books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. John also writes a daily blog, Fiction Favorites, HERE.

John lives in Lakeway, Texas with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.

You can reach John on Social Media here:

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#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About #MiriamHurdle

/ Marcia Meara / 135 Comments

It’s time for #TenThings again folks, and I know you’re going to enjoy today’s post! Please help me welcome author Miriam Hurdle to The Write Stuff! Miriam, take it away, my friend!

Thanks you for hosting me on Ten Things, Marcia! 

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Miriam Hurdle

  1. My favorite number is 7 because I’m #7 in birth order. My mom gave birth to 13 children. My #2 sister survived but the other five older siblings didn’t. When I was born, my parents named me “Love Siblings” hoping to bring more siblings. They were thrilled that I survived. My six younger siblings survived, except one who died of meningitis at three years old. My mom got married when she was fifteen and my dad was sixteen. They never talked about the kids who didn’t make it.
  1. When I was in first grade, I walked 0.8 miles to school by myself. Back in those days, it was safe for kids to walk on the streets. The routine I took to school was not busy with cars. To these days, I still remember the stores and a theater I passed by on my way to school. The following year, my sister started first grade, and we walked to school together.
  1. As a teenager, I went to a church that had restricted practices. Going to movies was a “no, no.” I didn’t go to the theater for 10 years. When The Sound of Music played in Hong Kong, my best friend saw it 10 times and had the script memorized. I didn’t get to see it in a theater, but I bought the DVD afterward and watched it many times.
  1. I went to a pirate’s cave on Cheung Chau Island in Hong Kong. According to legend, a pirate named Cheung Po Tsai used this natural cave as a hiding place from being captured and to keep his treasures. The cave is about 33 feet (10 m) deep and 289 feet (88 m) long from the entrance to the exit. It was a church youth group outing. The group leaders helped us to go in from the long-drop entrance. The narrowness of the cave allowed us to move in a single line. We had to lean at a slanted angle to walk in some part of the cave. We didn’t find any treasures.
  1. I went to a college on an island in Hong Kong. Swimming was a regular afternoon activity. My friends and I went swimming one day. I kicked into a sea urchin. The spines broke and pierced into my right heel. My friends helped me walk back to the campus. One fellow schoolmate used a tweezer to remove them.
  1. Before the seat belts and number of passengers were mandatory, I went on vacation with some friends from Portland to San Francisco in two cars. There were nine of us. On our way back to Portland, one car broke down. We jammed in one car. Probably the front seats were not bucketed seats. Three people sitting in the front with four adults holding two kids in the back seats. I was amazed that we made it back.
  1. When I finished my graduate study in Counseling at Seattle Pacific University, I moved to Los Angeles. I drove 1,137 miles from Seattle to L.A. with my entire possession in my car. Most of them were books. I put the houseplants by the rear window, leaving a small space to watch for the rear traffic. When I got to San Francisco, the glare of the setting sun blinded my eyes. So, I pulled into SF to spend a night. I drove the rest of the way the next day. The freeway system in downtown Los Angeles was intimidating to navigate, especially when I arrived in the evening. Fortunately, I visited Los Angeles previously which helped me find the right exit. That was the only long-distance driving all by myself.
  1. I took my year-and-a-half daughter with me to run an errand. There was something I needed from a convenience store. I left her in the car seat, locked the car, and ran to the store. Upon my return, I realized the key was inside the car. Fortunately, I had my purse with me. Using the payphone, I called the auto club. While waiting for the truck to rescue me, I waved at Mercy and smiled at her through the window. She waved back at me; didn’t know why I was outside. It could have been worse if I didn’t have my purse with the auto club phone number and the change to make the call.
  1. When the Phantom of the Opera toured around the world and went to Hong Kong, I was there, but the tickets were sold out. When the show came to Los Angeles to perform in the Pantages theater, I took my nine-year-old daughter to see it. I spent more money on the souvenirs than what I paid for the tickets. I still have the brochure and my daughter still has the mug with a mask that turns white when pouring hot liquid into the mug.
  1. One winter, my husband and I went to Victoria, British Columbia, in Canada, ​without making hotel reservations. We flew to Seattle, rented a car, and wanted to take the car ferry from Bremerton to Port Angeles on Washington Peninsula. From there, we would take the ferry to Victoria, BC. But we “missed the boat.” So, we drove to Edmonds to catch the next ferry that took us to Port Townsend, then drove to Port Angeles. It was late by the time we took the ferry to Victoria, BC. Without prior reservations, we went up and down the streets looking for a hotel room. Somehow, all the hotels, large and small, were fully booked. By 1:00 am, we quit looking and spent a night curled up in the car in freezing cold. By the first light, we went to get a cup of hot coffee. We found out that weekend was a local holiday. That was the last time we went anywhere without a hotel reservation.

Author Miriam Hurdle

Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She published four children’s books at twenty-six years old. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon.

Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.

Miriam’s Books and Buy Links

Buy Tina Lost in a Crowd HERE


Buy Songs of Heartstrings: Poems of Gratitude and Beatitude HERE

You can reach Miriam on social media here:

Website/Blog 
Amazon Author’s Page
Goodreads 
Twitter 
Facebook

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About #TeriPolen

/ Marcia Meara / 107 Comments

Today,  one of my favorite bloggers and writers is our special guest, and I know you’ll all make her feel at home here on The Write Stuff. (I will, too, in spite of the #1 item on her list! 😋) So please join me in saying welcome to Teri Polen! Teri, the floor is yours!

 

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Teri Polen

Thanks so much for hosting me on Ten Things, Marcia! 

  1. I hate snakes (I know Marcia has a different opinion, but I still consider her a friend). I’ll take rats, mice, spiders, insects, etc. any day and have been known to usher some of them out of the house/garage. When my sister and I were children and playing with our dog, we hid from him in a tall lilac bush.  I glanced down and saw the glistening of snakeskin in the sun, shoved her to the side, and took off.  I did a similar thing to a friend when we had the crazy idea to build a tree house.  It’s every man for himself if you’re with me and a snake shows up.  I will not rescue you.
  2. My earliest memory is being in a walker as a baby and getting stuck underneath a television. It was the kind with long legs (from the 60s), and I somehow managed to wedge myself underneath it and couldn’t move my head.  My parents confirmed the story, but swore I was too young to remember that experience until I described it in detail.  To this day I’m claustrophobic. 
  3. I’ve bungee jumped (it was awesome), ziplined (my activity choice for Mother’s Day a few years ago), and tried to scuba dive, but the aforementioned claustrophobia nixed that plan. Skydiving is on the bucket list.
  4. You don’t want to vacation with us. Hubby and I took a cruise that was extended by a few days when Hurricane Andrew hit in the early 90s.  The ship sat off the coast of Cuba to wait it out.  We’ve spent a week in Hawaii when temps never rose above 50 degrees.  Same during a SC beach vacation in the middle of June.  We had a lovely time in Napa one year and thought the curse was over – then had an emergency plane landing during our trip home when the landing gear sensor malfunctioned.  There was no guarantee it would descend.  Seeing a line of firetrucks and ambulances lined up along the runway when you land is pretty unnerving.
  5. Several years ago (when video stores were still a thing) I accurately predicted the winners in every major Oscar category and won a free year of movie rentals. Sadly, I’ve played the lottery and bet on horses and failed epically.
  6. I’ve been to more KISS concerts than I can remember and saw Gene Simmons at a record store a few hours before a concert.
  7. I played flute and piccolo for high school marching band. These days I’m not a half bad drummer at the easy/medium level on Rock Band.
  8. I was questioned by the FBI during college. Something about the boyfriend of one of my roommates, the disappearance of some guy, and an abandoned car at the Pittsburgh airport.  To this day, I still don’t know the whole story.
  9. I’m not a superstitious person. After learning black cats are the last to be adopted at shelters, I’ve always chosen them, and they’re the most loving and appreciative furry friends.  My youngest son was a planned C-section, and I was allowed to select the date.  He was born on Friday the 13th  and is quite proud of it.
  10. Friends who have known me for years are shocked when they learn I was a cheerleader and majorette in school. I’m not a perky type of person.  Snarky is a more apt description.

BLURB:

If a megalomaniac threatened your family, would you give up your freedom for them? Would you give up your soul?

Asher Solomon is faced with that choice. And makes the ultimate sacrifice.

Exactly as Director Silas Reeves expected him to.

Unable to live as the Colony’s premier assassin, Ash retreats to a corner of his mind, ceding control of his body to the alter-ego he was engineered to be—Subject A36. As he’s unleashed to battle the Insurgents, the only family he ever knew, the tide of war shifts in Silas’s favor.

Combined with his expansion into new territories, the director is poised to take over the world.

But the Insurgents don’t give up easily. Not on their cause, and not on their people. With the help of a few double agents deep in the Colony, they stand a fighting chance at ending Silas’s reign.

In order to shut down the program, they face almost insurmountable odds. And their most dangerous foe—their former champion turned killing machine, A36.

Pre-order  The Insurgent HERE

Teri Polen reads and watches horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.  The Walking Dead, Harry Potter, and anything Marvel-related are likely to cause fangirl delirium.  She lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband, sons, and black cat.  Her first novel, Sarah, was a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.  Subject A36 was voted one of the 50 Best Indie Books of 2020 at ReadFree.ly.  Visit her online at www.teripolen.com

You can reach Teri on Social Media HERE:

Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Teri-Polen/e/B01MYOUA6V
Website:  https://teripolen.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TeriPolenAuthor/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TPolen6
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16114393.Teri_Polen
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/tpolen6/

 

 

 

Quick #Update and a Smile – #TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – #Humor

/ Marcia Meara / 23 Comments

 #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe: For those of you who haven’t yet chosen a date for your #TenThings post, here’s a list of the remaining open Wednesdays. (You’ll notice they run clear to the end of the year, so you can grab one far enough out that you’ll have plenty of time to put your post together.)

OPEN DATES:
July 6
August 3, 17, & 31
September 14
October 12 & 26
November 29 & 23
December 7 & 21

And for those of you who enjoy my  bi-weekly #MondayMeme posts, I’m sorry I didn’t get one put together for today,  but here’s something to help make up for it a bit, I hope. It sure made me laugh, anyway! 

Have a great week, everyone!

 

#Updates – #TenThingsLists – #RiverOfLakesHeritageCorridor – #NationaScenicByway – #FloridaWildlife – #FloridaBirds

/ Marcia Meara / 27 Comments

Hi, Everyone! Just wanted to let it be known that I’ll be gone for several hours tomorrow. For the first time in THREE MONTHS, I’ll be giving a wildlife talk at Enterprise Museum, and I can’t wait! Boy, have I missed chatting with everyone, and sharing some laughs, while talking about our fabulous wildlife down here. Wish me luck. I’ll probably be pretty whipped by the time I get home, but it will be SO worth it to be getting back to the things I love to do! Yay!

Also wanted to thank everyone who has responded to my announcement about taking part in the #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe feature here on TWS. I’ve already filled up several dates, but here are the Wednesdays still left open, if you want to join in the fun:

March 30
June 22
July 6 & 20
August 3, 17, & 31
September 14
October 12 & 26
November 29 & 23
December 7 & 21

The rest have been taken or removed due to conflicts with my own schedule, but that still leaves us with 14 Wednesdays from now until year’s end. Would love to have someone scheduled for every one of them, so give it some consideration and let me know if you’d like me to hold one of these days for you. (First-come, first-served basis). I’ll check my emails as soon as I get home tomorrow and get right back to anyone who has contacted me.

Thanks to those who jumped right on this, and to each of you who’s thinking about joining in. It’s gonna be fun!

And now … I’ve got a talk to be ready for, so back to thinking about the celebration of the River of Lakes Heritage Corridor and  National Scenic Byway. *goes off mumbling  “Alligators and foxes and manatees, oh my!”*