Pay it Forward Giveaway Winner!

IT IS FINISHED.

This statement applies to many things in my life right now.

Sadly, one of them is not the WIP. However, I'm really proud of the progress I made in the month of May. I've reached 391 pages and 113,000 words, which is farther than I ever expected to go with this scary little story. Since I worked Freedom Weekend Aloft this weekend, I get a couple days off this week (today and tomorrow) and I truly hope to be able to finish it then.

Other things which ARE finished are:

- The month of May
- Spring in the South (Helloooooo, Summer!)
- Freedom Weekend Aloft (thank God!)

Hmmm... what else is finished... OH YEAH!! The Pay it Forward Giveaway! I'm announcing the winner today! In fact... I'm announcing the winner right now!

Before I tell you who won (yeah, making ya wait... I know you hate me), I'd really like to say THANK YOU to everyone who responded to this contest. When all the entries were tallied up, I had over 400 entries from bloggers who tweeted, facebooked, blogged, and used various other means to spread the word about paying it forward. Some bloggers even went on to start their own contests on their own blogs, either using my format or making up one of their own entirely from scratch.

I'm overwhelmed by the response. And so excited to share this wonderful idea with you guys. The blogging community has really buoyed my spirits over the last month. I know I haven't posted every day, but I have been reading and commenting as much as I can, and listening to everything you guys have to say. Thank you so much.

And now... without further ado (there has been far too much ado already, thanks)... the winner of the Pay it Forward Giveaway is...

Karen G of Coming Down the Mountain!

Congratulations, Karen!! Let me know if you prefer me to purchase one of your books (I see that you have two for sale on your website) or if you'd prefer the gift card. Also, be sure to let Curt and Shane from Mooks in the Movies know how you'd like your name to be used in their next script!

Also, I surpassed 125 followers, so I added a MYSTERY PRIZE to the pot! The winner of the mystery prize is...

Hart Johnson, the Watery Tart!

Congrats, Hart! The mystery prize is...

Your very own copy of Issue #3 of Fissure Magazine - the literary magazine that published my short story "Avenue of Dust" - autographed from yours truly to you, personally. AND a mix CD, of my own devious devices. Email me your mailing address and I'll get them out to you! Surprised? I hope so! :D

I hope you guys had as much fun with the Pay it Forward Giveaway as I did. I plan on doing another contest in the next few months, and as soon as I have the details figured out, I'll let you know. In the meantime, please don't stop doing little kindnesses for your fellow humans, just because the giveaway is over (for now). Each of us can make the world a little better for someone else. One of these days, the avalanche is gonna kick in.

Have a fantastic Tuesday and let's do everything we can with June! Who's with me?!

Reset Button

Hello, friends!

I've been absent from the internet for the past few days because I've been out of town. I went to the coast to celebrate a friend's upcoming marriage and we had a fantastic time. It was something I didn't know how much I needed until I was back home and thinking about how much better I felt after unplugging from everything for four days.

I've been living in my own little thundercloud for the past six weeks or so, and I didn't even realize how much the storm had consumed me until I was suddenly away from it with no way to get to a phone or the internet. Instead of the panic I was expecting, all I felt was a blessed form of relief. On the way home (a four hour drive by myself), I did a lot of thinking about my current situation - with the book, the Clark Kent job, everything. Being away from the whole scene helped me see how much I've been stressing out about everything, from word count to work duties, and how much of a toll it's taken on me. At least half of stress is perception based - you may not be able to change your stressors, but you can choose how you react to them - and I'm so grateful that I was given a chance to see that I need to change my perceptions about my daily life.

Instead of beating myself over the head with the goal of finishing the book by the end of May, I'm being a lot more kind to myself and rejoicing in how much work's been done. I know I'll finish, and probably within the time frame I've given myself - but I no longer feel as if I've failed or am in danger of failing an important task I've given to myself. The Clark Kent job does not feel like a prison sentence; it seems like a gift again. I'm refreshed and ready to finish this novel and get on to the next step in my life.

And when I got home, I saw so many lovely people have passed on my Pay it Forward giveaway on their blogs, twitter and Facebook! How incredible! You guys are an inspiration! It was amazing to see how things had progressed in the four days I was gone. Not only did more than ten people blog about the giveaway, but I also now have 121 followers! Only four more 'til the MYSTERY PRIZE is included in the booty list! (Booty list... now that was just fun to type, heh).

Are you stressing about something right now? Is it weighing down on you, or racing through your mind, keeping you from being calm? I know you might not be able to physically get away like I did this weekend, but try to mentally take a step back from that stress and see if you can take a different approach to the problem. Breathe - in through the nose for a four-count, hold it for a seven-count, let it out slowly through your mouth for an eight-count. Feel better? Need to vent? The comments section is always open.

PRESSURE... and Gratitude!

Happy Monday, everybody!

Oh, I hear you... Ugghhh... What's so happy about Monday, B.??? Believe me, I'm having a hard time convincing myself there's occasion to be enthusiastic. But there is. First off, it's Yvonne's and Ellie's birthdays today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ladies! Head over there and wish them a happy birthday today if you can.

Secondly, I will be announcing my FIRST EVER blog contest very soon! I am very close to hitting 100 followers and I want to do something to celebrate. (I'm also within rock-throwing distance of finishing the first draft of my WIP novel, so that'll be part of the party too!) Make sure to check back here this week for an important contest announcement. I'm very pleased about my idea for a prize and I think y'all will be too.

Also, I don't know about your neck of the woods, but South Carolina is having one of its gorgeous pre-summer weeks... perfect temperature, bright blue skies, green everywhere, a soothing breeze... you can't ask for much better weather than this. It'll be hotter than the law should allow in a few weeks, so I'm doing my best to appreciate what I have right now.

I guess that's my motto at the moment... appreciate what I have now, because you don't know how long it will last. I took a couple of days off from blogging last week to get my head straight after losing a close friend, and after spending some time doing a lot of serious thinking, what I keep coming back to is a feeling of gratitude. Gratitude for the people I know, the friends I have, my ability to lose myself in my writing. Yesterday, Mother's Day, was an exercise in gratitude for my family. There are so many things to be grateful for and I am trying to recognize each of these things and rejoice in them. One of those things is YOU, my friend. I love my blogging community and am so glad I'm a part of it. You guys keep me going! Thanks for all that you do.

My music-related feature for Music Monday this week is this video from Billy Joel. It's an old song but a great one. (I can't believe this song is almost thirty years old!) I was thinking about it last night because of all the ridiculous CRAP I gotta get done this week. "Real-life" stuff at the Clark Kent job, mostly, but there are other things that have to get done too. But I'm refusing to buckle under the PRESSURE... I'm trying to use it to my advantage.

Enjoy.



That's it for Monday. Hope you have a fantastic week, friend!