Hurt Writer

An attractive platinum haired woman stopped by the roadside and said, "Excuse me. Who does your hair?" Stunned, I looked down at my two dogs, well aware I had on my dog-walking clothes. Thinking I had heard wrong, I said,"Excuse me?"

Since that time nine months ago, the woman and I became friends. In fact, she often calls me just to check how I'm doing. At one point, she called once or twice a day; it reminded me of a guy dating a girl. Jokingly, I even asked her if she was dating me.

My friend and I do the normal girl-things: run errands together; sit and talk over coffee, tea or lunch; take turns driving the other to the airport; and, of course - shop. I'm truly grateful for her friendship and knowing she's there if needed. The thing is, she hurt my feelings.

Thanks

You don't need a Hallmark Thanksgiving to give thanks. 

All you need is two little words:

Bahamas International Film Festival

With The Bahamas International Film Festival less than one month away, the local expression, "It just keeps getting better," comes to mind.

A Good Beach Read

Until recently, I've concentrated on reading one book at a time. Not sure why, but I now have anywhere from five or more books in various stages of reading. 

Yesterday, while packing for the beach, I had to decide: which book should I bring?

NaNoWriMo and Abulia

I’m suffering from two lovely days here in The Bahamas. Suffering, since most of the time I complain about not being home in New York, enjoying family and four different seasons. Not today. No, today I'm quite happy to be where I am. The weather is just as I like it - windy and cool.

Part Two: A Celebrity of the Most Unusual Kind

Clumps of fish netting lie drying on this wooden dock in Cherokee Sound, Abaco. Minus the culling of seagulls flying above and fish splashing below, this is a quiet spot in the Bahamas. Quiet until my celebrity of the most unusual kind bubbles up to the surface.

Part One: A Celebrity of the Most Unusual Kind

Guess who I met on the picturesque island of Abaco?  Oh, shucks. I'll give you a hint. She's a celebrity of the most unusual kind!

"The Writer's Prayer" by Fay Knowles

While I continue to author two blogs; write an occasional short story to store with others in my overflowing filing cabinet; and, most recently undertake an online writing course - (forever the student), Fay Knowles is actively getting published, and I am in awe!

Sit Back or Take The Plunge

Before getting out of bed, I thought about what I wanted to accomplish during the day; not much, considering it being the weekend and sleep met me intermittently throughout the long night. Not wishing to totally waste the day, I choose two goals: write a blog post and exercise. Apart from my goals and routine daily responsibilities, if I accomplished anything else, I'd consider it icing.

In Between Answering Phones

My volunteer job at The Bahamas Humane Society (BHS) continues, as does the widespread epidemic of canine distemper. Even with all the publicity encouraging dog owners to have their pets vaccinated against the disease, distemper lingers on with a deadly vengeance. A few weeks ago, I heard that well over 1,200 dogs died as a result of the disease. I'm certain that the death rate is much higher at this time.

The Humane Society is doing its best. Vaccinations for distemper have been discounted at BHS; weekly free clinics are held in various locations; and phone calls are made to either remind or inform owners to have their dogs vaccinated, even if the dogs live indoors with limited outside time.

Still a Writer

Summertime usually finds me in The Hamptons surrounded by sun, fun and cherished family members.

Playing Games

I like to play games. Do you?

On February 1st, I wrote a post entitled, "Walls." If you read it, you already know I play Mahjongg, a competitive board game. To add to that, I also play Chess.

Outbreak in The Bahamas

It's three weeks ago that I drive to the Bahamas Humane Society to leave old newspapers for lining of dog and puppy cages. I also have with me, gently used clothing for the BHS thrift shop. Instead of exiting quickly, I wait on the short line at the reception desk to buy maintenance products for my two dogs. Ahead of me is a mother and two small children, all holding Shih Tzuu puppies.

Looking around, I notice again, the form sitting flat on the desk. I give little thought to my next action: I take the form, sit down and fill it out. One question on the application is: Will I volunteer to clean cages? I'm quick to tick off: No. With a list of several tasks I'm willing to do, I hand in my completed application. Within minutes, I become a volunteer at the Bahamas Humane Society. At a time when I could benefit from extra funds, I instead, volunteer. Not sure what possesses me to do so, but a little voice tells me: it's a way of giving back for all the blessings in life.

Sharing the Limelight with Panky

I hadn't thought about it, until today: Did my brother Panky enjoy having a Fourth of July birthday? Did he mind sharing his special day with the rest of America, and perhaps other parts of the world? Fireworks. Picnics. Beach parties. Did any of that interfere with how he wanted to celebrate? I don't remember. It was so long ago. I'd ask him, but he's no longer here. His life ended at 23. I had just turned 13.

In grammar school, I knew kids who had birthdays on Christmas; they did-not-like-it one bit. They complained how birthday and Christmas gifts were combined, almost like a two-for-one. I doubt my brother had any problems with the amount of gifts he received; after all, other than drinks and food for barbecuing, I'm not aware of any Fourth of July gift-givers.

The Mystery of MabelMary and Nancy Drew

The youngest of four, I owned the lead role in hand-me-downs. 

Oftentimes, I didn't have a choice; my mother made me wear those dreaded secondhand outfits. Used books, however, were a totally different story - no pun intended. 

As a tanned, freckled-face kid, I spent my summers in The Hamptons, with Noyac Bay and Long Beach as my outdoor toy-chests. When it poured, thundered, or a not-so-merry weatherman hinted at a nor'easter - all water-related activities were nixed - at least temporarily. That's when my back-up plan involving my sister's Nancy Drew Mysteries kicked in.

Evelyn Infante* Self-Published Author

What better way to become acquainted with an author than through a friend!

Tui, a longtime friend and former banking colleague introduced me to author Evelyn Infante, who goes by the pen name of Evels. From the get-go, my interest soared as I realized Evels is akin to the Energizer Bunny - she doesn't stop going. Chock-full of determination, Evels has two published books and one in the works. She's one tenacious and ultra spicy self-published author.

In her research, Evels found “a huge market for women of a certain age who like to read about similar women enjoying the best sex of their lives.” With this in mind, Evels first book, The Essence, inspired by The Bridges of Madison County, but with a “Move over 50 Shades of Grey” twist, is a romantic tale about reunion – along with the added complications of life, love, and sex.   

Inspired by the Art of Writing

I took the quiz: What Country in the World Best Fits Your Personality. My result: FRANCE. 

Here's how it read:

You are a romantic who enjoys strolling through cobblestone streets and markets. You are inspired by art and architecture, and thrive being surrounded by other artists and intellectuals. You enjoy the bustle of a city, but also love spending time in the warm countryside, sitting at a cafe, and having a glass of wine or coffee. Your soul is nourished by being in nature, and by having deep meaningful conversation about love, art, and the meaning of life.

What country fits your personality? Click here and take the quiz. 

If you get the same result, I'll meet you in France where we can have a deep meaningful conversation about writing. See ya there!

Rule #2: Always Be Prepared

It being a long weekend here in The Bahamas - something to do with Labour Day and Whit Monday - I decided to pack up my swim gear, iPod and fictional book of 700+ pages and drive east towards Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island (P.I.). There, I'd find the turquoise sea - warm and clear. Since Atlantis and the exclusive Ocean Club Estates topped off opposite ends of the beach, I could also enjoy a swim and a stroll that spanned approximately 1 3/4 miles.

Let's Write a Short Story!

May 31, 2014

Dear Joe Bunting,

I not only downloaded, but also printed out a copy of your informative ebook, Let's Write a Short Story! My personal copy, which is now full of yellow highlighted sentences and paragraphs, is evidence of how useful Let's Write a Short Story! is.

Proud Mama of Self-Published Authors

As a self-published author, I understand the ups and downs of this multi-tasking, do-it-all-yourself process. Therefore, I appreciate any writer who chooses to go it alone and self-publish. And, although I would like to feature all self-published authors on Jeralyn Writes, for many reasons, I am selective in my picks. When one of my authors makes the headlines, and in a big way, I'm like the proud mama shouting, "That's my kid!'

On Motherhood

© Can Stock Photo Inc. cienpies

Thinking of my mom, I revisited last year's post entitled, "Remembering Mom." Of course, the writer in me revised it. Guess it's never too late to edit, edit, edit!

Flower Parade

Minutes before I took the above photo, a long and wide trail of yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers covered the top of this community pool. Of course, by the time I got my camera, the flower parade was over!

Cat Sitting With a View

Look beyond this screened-in second floor porch. See the Royal Palm treelined road? Just a mere stroll down, past the colorful condos, lies the famous eye-catching waters of The Bahamas. Notice the hint of brilliant turquoise coloring? To the left and right of that gorgeous sea spans miles and miles of soft white sand waiting for wet footsteps. 

Mark Wayne Adams ******* Award Wining Author, Illustrator and Publisher

When Tiffany Flowers, coordinator of the forthcoming South Carolina Literacy Celebration contacted me about featuring an author here, on Jeralyn Writes, I said, 'YES!' 

I waited in suspense and wondered: what author, what genre - WHO? When I found out WHO, I said, 'WOW!' 

I'm delighted to present the following interview with the nationally recognized illustrator for the Best Fairy Books Series ; Nicholas, That's Ridiculous! and numerous other children's picture books:

Camp Update

In a random placement, excluding myself, all the writers in my first cabin at Camp NaNoWrimo were 19 years old and under. I debunked before I even considered unpacking. Nothing against the tykes, but I couldn't handle the steep age difference without an overbearing essence of antiquity moving in with me. 

For my second cabin-fitting attempt, I thought I'd outsmart any future random selection; I opted for a cabin full of older folks. Oops. The writers were indeed older, but most didn't know how to navigate a computer. I quickly opted out of that one as well.

Flying My NaNoWriMo Rebel Flag

I’m itching with poison ivy to share my Camp NaNoWriMo cabin status. Hold on - I never told you where I left off with November 2013 NaNoWriMo. Yikes! Let me wrap that all up now.

Camp Foolery

I wrote part of this on April 1st. 

I just realized  - I fooled myself:

I didn't hit POST!
or, did I????

Bob Waldner* Self-Published Author

When your email inbox gets post-office full, do you find yourself doing the “Eenie, meenie, miney, mo thing?” (And, I’m not talking Justin Bieber and friends.) At times like that, are you selective and delete without reading? What if you miss something big?

The following interview is a result of one of those lucky times when intrigued, I opened the mail and discovered something big: Self-Published Author, Bob Waldner and his first novel, Peripheral Involvement. After reading a bit about Waldner and his book, I had to find out more. So, being the curious writer that I am – I asked.

Bob Waldner was born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, before heading off to Duke University to study mechanical engineering. After spending two years working as an engineer in Maryland, he changed course and enrolled in the University of Michigan Law School. For the past fourteen years, he has represented banks and hedge funds as a transactional attorney in private practice in New York. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Erinn, and his two daughters, Maureen and Madeleine. Peripheral Involvement is his first novel.

Ambidextrous

I arrived back to Nassau, or "The Rock," as locals refer to it and realized that I'm an ambidextrous driver.

What do I mean by 'ambidextrous driver?' It's simple. I can drive on the right side of the road when required; I can drive on the left, as in The Bahamas, with no problems whatsoever. Mind you, no matter what side of the road I drive, the steering wheel is on the right side - um, that's the left side of the car as I drive, but - still right, as in right, or correct for me.

Perhaps if I could write with both my left and right hands, maybe then I'd be facing a two-way street.

Confused? Try driving or writing on the wrong side.

Writer's Block of a Physical Kind

I wager that few writers escape the unwanted charms of “Writer's Block." You know, sitting in front of that blank piece of paper or computer screen without any idea of what the heck to write. If you haven't suffered from this at least once, I want to know your secret! But what about writer's block unrelated to our thought processing center where ideas develop, sentences form and pages turn into stories? What about ..... a physical writer's block? 

Holocaust and Life

During the 1970s, I attended, “exercise classes.” This was before my aerobic adventures in step classes and long-winded, dry mouthed jogging days. Back then, women exercised in black leotards that covered neck to foot, including arms. Racer back tank tops, sports bras and thongs had yet to score on the trendy list of futuristic neon colored workout apparel. Of all the classes I participated in, I recall only one. Off all the women I met during workouts, I recall only one.

The Blogger Commandments and Angels

Somewhere in blogger cyberworld there's a bit about the "Do's" and "Don'ts" on blogging, or what I refer to as - The Blogger Commandments. Guilty I am of not practicing all the commandments, but I do try. One sacred blogger commandment is: Thou shalt not start another blog. It makes sense, doesn't it? Launching another blog takes time and effort away from the "heart" blog. I get this. Yet, what did I do back in January? I started another blog! 

Walls

I'm back in the players groove. I rejoined a very jovial and multi-national group of ladies for their weekly Mahjongg game.

An Excuse Not to Write

During a two-week visit with an in-law, there were many times when we both coexisted in his thoroughly organized home office. Equipped with two computers, two chairs, two desks, a printer, multiple file cabinets and plenty of files and papers, we comfortably sat side by side, yet with ample room in between. While immersed in our own particular documents and online work, we respected each other's need for quiet and concentration. It was during one of the quiet times that I noticed a file on my desk that contained his handwriting. His penmanship was quite similar to mine; it was almost illegible.

CaringBridge Author

Towards the later part of 2013, my husband was diagnosed with Myelodysplasia or MDS. We were told that MDS is a disorder in which the bone marrow fails to make the correct amount of good, healthy blood cells. The disease therefore can affect the red cells, white cells, and platelets.

Polar Bears in The Bahamas

In the Netherlands, it's known as "The Nieuwjaarsduik." Folks in the United Kingdom refer to it as "The Loony Dook." In the United States it's often called "Plungapalooza." What the heck am I'm talking about? The annual New Year's Day Polar Bear Swim, of course.