Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Thank You, and Here's the Winner

Thanks to all who read my Stop and Smell the Roses Bouquet blog and left a comment. I enjoyed reading them. I see there are some who also use the reward method and others who find the writing itself a reward. Betty Hanawa, your goal of a set of bracelets makes me think maybe I should upgrade! Hope you get them soon. Jennifer Johnson added that having something to read to her critique group is an incentive. Yes, that sometimes works for me, too. Yay for critique groups. I value mine greatly.

Pantsers and plotters - always an interesting topic for debate/discussion. To Tanya Hanson, who mentioned switching from panster to plotter, there are many good plotting methods out there that may help you. Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method, The W Plot, and storyboarding are a few that come to mind. 

Karen H in NC - your World's Biggest Yard Sale sounds fantastic! I love to go garage saling. Too bad it is clear across the country from this Northwesterner. But if I am ever down your way, you can bet I'll be there!

Several of you mentioned liking the cover of Finding Sara. Me, too. I was thrilled when I first saw it. Credit goes to the very talented Kim Mendoza. 

So, the drawing. Names were put into a hat and and an "impartial observer" drew Christine Clemetson! Christine, please email me your address and I'll send your book. linda@lindahopelee.com

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to participate. Good luck with your writing!

Linda 




Posted by Linda Hope Lee at 7:29 PM 0 comments

Saturday, June 27, 2009


Here's my entry in the Stop and Smell the Roses Blog Bouquet, sponsored by The Wild Rose Press, publisher of my latest contemporary romance, Finding Sara. Read on, leave a comment, and I will enter your name in a drawing for a print copy of my book.


When the Going Gets Tough

I love to write. I really do. But, sometimes, forging on is a challenge. This is more often the case when I'm writing a first draft than when I'm editing and rewriting. Editing and rewriting are fun; first drafting is hard work!

That I am more a pantser than a plotter may have something to do with the first draft blues. Sometimes I feel like Sisyphus rolling that old boulder up the hill only to watch it roll back down again.

So, what to do? Goal-setting helps, but even better is rewarding myself for reaching the goal.

 Since I'm also an artist (watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink), visiting an arts/crafts store makes a great reward. Michael's and Joann's are my favorites. I can easily spend an hour or so just looking at all the interesting stuff. Most of the time, I come away with a purchase - a set of colored pens, a pack of watercolor paper, a new color of paint - that makes me forget all the pain and suffering endured at the computer.

Another reward is a trip to a junk/thrift/secondhand store. (I confess I'm a junkaholic.) Goodwill, Salvation Army, Valu Village, Deseret Industries, I've been to them all. Part of the fun is finding that special treasure you can't live without. For example, a recent trip to Goodwill turned up a beautiful glass vase hand-painted with lilacs. Okay, so I don't have a use for it right now. It cost a mere fifty cents.

How about you? How do you reward yourself after a session at the computer? Leave a comment and I'll add your name to the drawing for a print copy of Finding Sara, on Tuesday, June 30.

Blurb on Finding Sara:

Pressured by a domineering father into marrying a man she does not love prompts Long Island, New York heiress Sara Carleton to run away and board a train heading for the West Coast. On an unscheduled stop in Red Rock, Colorado Sara finds herself alone and without funds. Rancher Jackson Phillips doesn't mind helping Sara, but having her come to stay on his ranch turns out to be much more than he bargained for.

To read an excerpt, visit my website: http://www.lindahopelee.com

Here are the other participants in the Stop and Smell the Roses Bouquet tour:


Posted by Linda Hope Lee at 11:19 PM 15 comments
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