Life’s Garden

I had a bit of time to work in my garden, yanking weeds and transplanting from the nursery beds to permanent homes.
Found poison oak, a giant SC spider and some hidden strawberries.
Also found a nice poem in nature’s midst.

No, not a haiku.
    Just words
together,
        sharing the story.

I hope you are inspired to free some creativity in your world this week.

Namaste,
Roxie

Top Twos-Day: Creative Energy!

Snag the latest inspiring news, inSCRIBE! Here’s a teaser:

Do you have a toolbox in your closet? Garage? Shed? Is it your go-to project assistant without a flashy attitude or price tag of DIY TV shows? My toolbox is a catch all of stash stored for any project in every room around the house: picture-hanging, Duct-tape wielding, Velcro-sticking potpourri.🙂

Writers are no different. Our invisible toolbox often has a collection of words, phrases, guides, books; everything that will assist us as we take on a project. But what else is tucked into that DIY kit? Criticism, rejection slips? Wishful thinking? Read more from Sunscribe’s August newsletter: inSCRIBE…

Short and sweet this week, I hope this video encourages you to step outside of your comfort zone and reach for your creative outlet!

more Top Twos-Days…

Top Twos-Day: pandering?

Last week I mentioned the war between Stephen Cobert’s publisher Hachette and the big bad bully Amazon. Before reading more, catch up here.
Let’s call the saga, As The Pages Turn. Part two this week: “Amazon has only publicly commented about the ongoing contract dispute with Hachette once, while Hachette has released several official statements (here’s one) and multiple leaks. And today we have another leak from Hachette.” How much lesson should a lesson cost if the lesson costs revenue from Amazon? Similar to a woodchuck chucking wood? Oh but no, it may not be as glum as many think, “…Amazon appears to be taking steps to fix one of the longstanding gripes shared by many in publishing.” Is playground bully reforming or just slipping into something it dropped into the shopping cart as camouflage? Full article from Digital Reader…

Next topic: literacy. While some of us have been on the reading bandwagon, it has taken the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) a bit longer to climb aboard and publically side with others about the importance reading plays in infant development. The press release states this wonderful team will put books into the hands of parents. The announcement continues, “…Hillary Rodham Clinton of a new early literacy partnership of Too Small to Fail, the AAP, Scholastic, and Reach Out and Read…” are participating in this valiant endeavor. Yes you read that right, a new partnership, and one that may lead to bigger things in 2016. We shall keep our eyes open for the political pandering sure to come next, I’m not pointing at one party’s affiliation or another, just that this will be an equal opportunity effort for opinionated commentary. But don’t let my skepticism shadow the good that will come out of this effort: more books in children’s hands. Read more from Publishers Weekly…

More Top Twos-Days…

Sunday Funny: Discriminating Dog

I was on Limestone College’s campus yesterday and had to share what one of the professors posted on her door!

And then there was this:

Ah, the good old days!

More Sunday Funnies…

Top Twos-Day: Writing Opportunities!

I’m so late in posting this that I can’t even say it’s Tuesday somewhere. However, after yet another trip to the vets in the early evening, and more meds, Hawthorne, our most expensive new adoptee, is home and we await bloodwork results.

Not Top Two, see how it pays to show up late and look fabulous? Do you hear the quartet, playing your song?

Submissions for an anthology, Out of Many, Multiplicity and Divisions in America Today, is open and “will showcase emerging writers for an emerging generation. Possible multipliers or dividers may include ideology, religion, class, race, gender, sex, sexuality, ethnicity, culture, language, generation, color, nationality, aesthetics. This list is far from exhaustive, and could be seen as merely suggestive. What matters most is the power of your story: the bigness of its heart, the freedom of its language, and the beauty of its vision.” Call issued by City University of New York, deadline is July 23, 2014. Info…

Up for a fan fiction competition? Author Hugh Howey and eBook soundtrack company Booktrack have partnered with Wattpad, Writer’s Digest and Indaba Soundtrack to offer The Hugh Howey Booktrack & Wattpad Fan Fiction Contest. “Fans can write and soundtrack an original fan fiction story based on Howey’s novel Half Way Home, to be posted on both Booktrack and Wattpad, to be in to win from a $20,000 prize pool. Another way to win The Hugh Howey Booktrack Competition is through the Audio Contest, which gives fans the chance to soundtrack a chapter of Half Way Home.” Contest ends July 31, 2014. More…

Poet? “Cherry Castle Publishing seeks poetry submissions regarding songs for a passbook torch, an anthology dedicated to Nelson Mandela. All work submitted should have some relationship to Nelson Mandela, Winnie Mandela, the Mandela family, and/or the past and present fight for racial justice in South Africa. Currently reading July through September 30, 2014. However note, “The submission period for this anthology is currently open ended. Decisions for inclusion in the anthology will be made on a rolling basis.” Details (on page, click on submissions at top right menu)…

Educator, or work in the field of education? The Teacher’s Voice: A Literary Magazine for Poets and Writers in Education is now accepting submissions: “We consider unpublished poems, flash fiction, flash creative nonfiction, flash plays, flash experimental. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but we must be notified immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere. Send up to 5 pages of poetry or prose pieces no longer than 1500 words (but think shorter! micro! prose poetry). A cover letter is very much appreciated: are you a teacher, administrator, parent, student, librarian, custodian, coach, security officer, etc?
[Writers and] Readers should note that because we produce theme issues that require enough relevant pieces to be compiled, our publishing schedule and format may vary from year to year.” Full post…

More Top Twos-Days…

Sunday Funny: Travel

This month’s inSCRIBE, Sunscribe’s newsletter, is about TRAVEL, catch it here…

For today’s post, I thought it would be fun take a look at the not-so-pleasant side of travel. Here are two videos, the first one is short and the second is worth the less than 10 minute investment: a travel agent training video with a few skits.

More Sunday Funnies…
Additional Sunscribe Newsletters…

Take a Pick, LitPick that is!!

Where my heart is…I’ve volunteered with LitPick for six years! This fantastic book review site posts student’s summaries and opinions about books. And they interviewed me, what an honor!! Thanks LITPICK!!

A candid look at a day in my life, LOL.

Read and comment on the full article…

Plus read about our partnership with them as Sunscribe launches!!! MORE…

Thanks for your support, you all rock!!