Tag Archives: Karen McFarland

ROW80: Alive and Kicking


 
Op-la-de, op-la-da, life goes on…
 

It’s Sunday, so it must be time for my weekly check-in.
 

By the way, Fabio Bueno says it’s okay if I break out into a song. 🙂
 
But don’t worry—I’m done singing—for now.
 
 
 

So are we ready? Okay, here we go…
 

The dreaded check-in
 

Let’s take a look at how I did last week, shall we?…
 
 

Goals for Round 1:
 
 

1- Work on my current WIP.
 
This really could be combined with goal number two. But I am in the process of moving forward with both WIPs and also plotting a new story for my third novel.
 

Yep, still plotting and developing character arcs.
I could lie here, but I won’t. I haven’t been working at this as hard as I could be. I’m going to have to set a new goal for this one.
 
 

2- Check in with Donna Newton at WWBC once a week.
 
Check. I did converse with Donna via email this week. As you know, Donna is now reading my number one WIP. Last week I had said that Donna was a slow reader. Apparently Donna wasn’t reading at all. Well she was reading, but just not my manuscript. Our girl Donna, you know, the hot shot scriptwriter who has connections in Hollywood. Yes, that Donna Newton. She was handed a script to read over and it kinda bumped my project off to the side for a bit. But I’ve been told that she is reading it now. Right Donna? *winks* 🙂
 
 

3- Participate in my online class to help authors balance writing and business with Bob Mayer.
 
As I reported to you last week, this goal is all done. Does this mean that I get to have Ice Cream now that I’m finished? Just kidding. But seriously, I’m beginning to miss Bob a little. I, after all, have been taking one of his Write It Forward online classes since last September. It feels kinda strange not having to complete a work assignment during the week. Hmm. Maybe I’m not done with Write It Forward after all. Maybe I should see if there’s something else that Bob can do to help myself and others hone our craft. I’ll have to get back to you on that…
 
 

4- Blog at least once a week.
 
Yep, posted on Wednesday. And this week I decided to write about an entirely different subject altogether. I decided to write about a vegetable. I know, crazy huh? But who knew that a vegetable could be so sexy! Sexy as a Rockstar! If you haven’t already, go check it out. Its health benefits could make you feel a whole lot better!
 

I can’t thank you enough for all the support and wonderful comments. Some of you left some great suggestions on how you enjoy that sexy vegetable Kale. Thank you guys! You’re awesome! 🙂
 
 

5- Visit and support 5 bloggers per day.
 
I am happy to say that I try to read more than 5 bloggers per day. And like I said last week, since I have now visited everyone from WANA1011, I thought it would be a good goal to try to go visit everyone from WANA112, although I’m not quite sure how to get a list of those bloggers. Again, if anyone has a list or knows of a list, please let me know. Thank you!
 

FYI, unfortunately WordPress.com has developed a glitch over the last week and will not allow some of us to leave comments with those of you who host your blogs on WordPress. This has been very frustrating. Just know that others are reading your posts, but were unable to leave a comment. We’ve tried. Oh, how we have tried. And will continue to try. But as Kristen Lamb suggested on Facebook yesterday, let’s be patient or email WP. Please let them know how you feel about this problem so that they will fix it. Meanwhile, we will keep on reading! 🙂
 
 

6- Tweet at least once per day.
 
Yep, I was able to meet this goal and I’ve been busy all week tweeting to support others. And I would like to take this time to thank these awesome people for all their support and Twitter love!
 

@Angela_Peart @DianeCapri @_FabioBueno_ @DebraKristi @GeneLempp @DebraEve @ElaineSmothers @MarcyKenned @jenmariepowell @jhansenwrites @AugstMcLaughlin @MikeSchulenberg @SusieLindau @barrycrother @DonnaNewtonUK @WritetoPrint @ColeenPatrick @MyndiShafer @LynetteBurrows @patodearosen @NatalieHartford @PatriciaFitz @kbowenwriter @JuliaIndigo @EMitchelwriter KMHuber @duolit @Angela_Peart @wayneborean @EmilyDSteele @EmmaBurcart @ShawndraRussell @KateWood_Author @KristenNador @Jenn_L_Oliver @darairene @galeminchew @patricia_sands @SaraWFoster
 

I can’t believe what great support I have on Twitter! I hope you all are following these amazing people!
 
Thank you guys for your Tweets and Re-Tweets! I’m sending you all a big Hug!!!!
 
 

7- Exercise during the week.
 
I am happy to say that this week started on a better note. I got a couple of walks in and because our son and daughter-in-law were visiting, I also walked their dog. I just need to keep this going into next week.
 
 

So now I’m looking forward to a fresh new start to this week.
 
 

Oh, before you go be sure to check out these awesome blog posts from the past week that caught my eye…
 
 
The first post I want to refer you to is from Jess Witkins. I have always loved architecture and since I used to live near Taliesin west, this post perked my interest. It’s a review about a book called “Loving Frank”, Frank Lloyd Wright that is, by Nancy Horan. What a fabulous review Jess!
 

Diane Capri is doing a series of interviews with her friends. Ah, but these are no ordinary friends. These friends are NYTBS authors of Mystery/Thriller novels. Check out this weeks interview is with David Morrell. You know, the guy that wrote “Rambo.” Yeah, that guy.
 

Then I enjoyed this next post from Ginger Calem called, “Locks of Love: My Daughter’s Donation.” Well, what can I say? I’m impressed and you will be too. Go read about this remarkable young lady and what she sacrificed for cancer victims. Your daughter is truly precious Ginger!
 

And last but not least I want to include Donna Newton’s post on “So You Want to be an Author?”—Part Three. I know that I included Donna on last weeks ROW80 post, but this is an awesome series that she’s put together. On her post she likens social media to building a house. Donna breaks it all down into a step by step process like building blocks, walking us through several social media platforms that will give us a sound foundation.
 
 

Okay I did it. I got through another week and I’m not alone. There are others that are right beside me to help me along the way. So that I don’t irritate my wonderful supportive subscribers, feel free to delete my ROW80 posts if they start to irritate you. They probably won’t be all that interesting, unless…
 

Unless I can temp you all to join us over at the party at ROW80! Feel free to jump in anytime. See you there! 🙂
 
 

So what do you think? How did I do? I know I can still count on your support, right? Or you have my permission to come and give me a swift kick in the butt! 🙂
 
 
If you enjoyed this, I encourage you to run right now to the top of the page and hit the follow button to receive future posts!
 
 

Thanks guys! I knew I could count on you!
Karen.
 
 
 

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Sexy as a Rockstar!

Okay, today I’m either going blow this post out of the water or blow your mind! Whichever the case may be, I hope you can dig it!
 

During the last few weeks I have visited some amazing bloggers and for one reason or another I have noticed there is a theme. It seems that some of our blogger friends have health issues. Health concerns that have caused them to be very sick with headaches, food allergies, inflammation, acid reflux, and toxins—yeah you got it—nasty stuff.
 

So I thought, hmm…this isn’t always a pleasant subject, but I’d like to share something amazing with you all that I think will make you to sing. Sing? Well I don’t know about actual singing, but it will definitely help you feel better. Why? Because of the incredible results from this one simple ingredient. Now don’t be repulsed when I tell you what it is. It might not be on your list of favorites, but when I share with you some of its awesome benefits, you may just want to change your mind.
 
 

What am I talking about?
 
 

I’m talking about Kale.
 
 

Kale?
 
 

Yes Kale.
 
 
            
 
Okay, here’s the skinny on our new friend Kale.
 

Kale is the sexiest of all vegetables. Yeah I said sexy. Why? Because it provides a rich earthy succulent flavor and packs more nutritional value with fewer calories than almost any other food on earth. And the cool thing is, it can be found in markets throughout the year with its season reaching a peak from the middle of winter through the beginning of spring when it has a sweeter taste, especially the Tuscan variety and it’s more widely available.
 

Like its cousins the broccoli, cauliflower, and collards, kale is a descendent of the wild cabbage, a plant that is thought to have originated in Asia Minor and brought to Europe around 600 B.C. by a faction of crazy Celtics. Curly kale played an important role in early Europe, having been an important crop during ancient Rome and a popular vegetable eaten by peasants throughout the Middle Ages. It was English settlers who brought kale to North America in the 17th century.
 
 

So let’s take a look at the benefits of this sexy vegetable, shall we?
 
 

First of all, this bad boy Kale has some of the best cholesterol–lowering benefits of any vegetable around. It has recently been proven to lower the risk of certain types of malignancy such as cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. It is now recognized as promoting comprehensive support for our body’s detoxification system, even helping to regulate detox at a genetic level, whoa…while playing a major dietary role as respects to both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
 
 

Okay, now that I’ve convinced you, how do I eat it you say?
 
 

Well if you want to heat it up, I mean cook it; you will want to prepare it properly. To do this you want to ensure quick and even cooking by cutting the leaves into ½” slices and ¼” stems then let them sit for approximately 5 minutes to enhance its health promoting properties, then steam it for another 5. Voila, you’re done.
 

But one of the best ways to enjoy Kale is fresh in a salad. And the most desirable trick is to give it a massage. Yes, I mean you need to get in there and give that sexy green vegetable a deep tissue massage. You can feel it relax as the leaves darken and shrink to almost half its volume. The flavor changes as well. In fact the color and texture will change and soften with its pre-massaged bitterness replaced by a sweet green melodious flavor.
 
 
  
 

Your taste buds won’t lie people. They will sing because it really is the king of the salad. And because you’ve massaged its leaves, *shivers*, it will have an amazing texture and just the right amount of sweet and bitter flavor so you don’t need much salad dressing. It’s suggested that all you need is a little extra virgin olive oil along with a pinch of salt and vinegar or lemon juice and you have a perfectly composed salad.
 

Now if you really want to turn things up a notch, you can juice it! That’s right. Kale gets even sexier when it’s mixed in a juice with some beets and cucumber in a carrot base. Or perhaps you might prefer an apple base instead for an even sweeter experience. Whatever the case, you can always bank on its delicious flavor along with its awesome fresh nutritional benefits. And don’t let not having a juicer stop you. Most health markets now have juice bars which makes drinking down that bad boy that much easier and affordable.
 
 

Okay, so where am I going with all of this?
 
 

It is a known fact that if we don’t feel good, we won’t be able to produce an exceptional product. We want our minds and bodies to be in sync and be at our optimum. We can do all the exercise in the world, but if we don’t feed ourselves with the proper nutrients we could be wasting our precious time and voice energy.
 

So think about it the next time you shop at your local supermarket. Don’t just walk on by, but grab yourself some of that Kale. Because that bad boy is as Sexy as a Rockstar!
 
 

So what do you think? Have you been in a slump? Feeling a little funky and sluggish lately? Fighting a flu or cold? Or heaven forbid you have a more serious illness? Could you be using some of that sexy Kale?
 
 

As a sidenote: Kale is rich in vitamin K, so if you’re one that’s prone to blood clots, please eat in moderation and eat lots of garlic because it’s a natural blood thinner. 🙂
 
 

If you enjoyed this, I encourage you to run right now to the top of the page and hit the follow button to receive future posts!
 
 

Thank you for your many thoughts and fine comments everyone!
Karen
 
 
 

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ROW80: Alive and Kicking!


Today is 3/11…Wait… Isn’t that the name of a Reggae Rock band?
 
“Whoa, amber is the color of your energy.”
 
Oh I’m just being silly!
 
How was your week everyone? I was sick last week, so I didn’t check-in. Did ya miss me? Well I missed all of you! This week flew by fast. Unfortunately we are still dealing with Hubby’s back so that makes things a bit stressful around here, but life goes on.
 

And no I will not break into another song!
 

So are we ready? Okay, here we go…
 

The dreaded check-in
 

Let’s take a look at how I did last week, shall we?…
 
 

Goals for Round 1:
 
 

1- Work on my current WIP.
 
This really could be combined with goal number two. But I am in the process of moving forward with both WIPs and also plotting a new story for my third novel.
 
Yep, still plotting and developing character arcs.
 
 

2- Check in with Donna Newton at WWBC once a week.
 
Check. I did converse with Donna via email this week. As you know, Donna is now reading my number one WIP. She says she is a slow reader. LOL! So she is not finished yet. Hurry up Donna! I’m waiting here! Just sayin’. 🙂
 
 

3- Participate in my online class to help authors balance writing and business with Bob Mayer.
 
All done. 🙂
 
 

4- Blog at least once a week.
 
Yep, posted on Wednesday. I wrote a blog about how a horse can give us inspiration for our writing. Say what? I know it doesn’t any make sense, but go check is out. I guarantee you’ll walk away feeling good about yourself! I have to say that this once a week thing is working for me. I also think that it makes it easier for those who follow my blog to visit and comment. And I can’t thank you enough for all the support and wonderful comments that you leave on my site. You guys are awesome!
 
 

5- Visit and support 5 bloggers per day.
 
I am happy to say that I have read actually more than 5 bloggers per day. I have been reading them until my eyeballs fall out! And since I have now visited everyone from WANA1011, I thought it would be a good goal to try to go visit everyone from WANA112. Although I’m trying to figure out how to get a list of those bloggers. If anyone has a list or knows of a list, please let me know. Thanks!
 
 

6- Tweet at least once per day.
 
Yep, I was able to meet this goal and I’ve been busy all week tweeting to support others. And I would like to take this time to thank these awesome people for all their support and Twitter love!
 

@Angela_Peart @DianeCapri @_FabioBueno_@Judythe2 @DebraKristi @PrudenceMacleod @GeneLempp @DebraEve @jenjensen2 @ElaineSmothers @MarcyKennedy @MDragonwillow @SSchroeder @jenmariepowell @jhansenwrites @MelindaVan @crothhobsen @AugstMcLaughlin @BMcDowellOH @Suesan0814 @RickBylina @GingerCalem @DeborahJHughes @alanasaltz @MikeSchulenberg @RchelFunkHeller @JBLane @StacyGreen26 @MSMillerAU @AprilPlummer @SusieLindau @Ali__Dent @MerryFarmer20 @DebraEve
 

Thank you for your Tweets and Re-Tweets! I’m sending you all a big Hug!!!!
 
 

7- Exercise during the week.
 
Nope, I fell down on this one. I was sick at the beginning of the week and then, well, I just didn’t exercise. I have talked to Ginger Calem about this over at #writersbutt (I know, clever name eh?). Ginger said that she would partner up with me and kick my butt into gear. LOL! 🙂
 
 

So now I’m looking forward to a fresh new start to this week.
 
 

Oh, before you go be sure to check out these awesome blog posts from the past week that caught my eye:
 
 
Even though we all know that breaking up is hard to do, August McLaughlin put a new twist on this particular subject with her post, “Beautiful Breakups: What the Revision Process Can Teach Us.”
 

Rachel Funk Heller takes us all on a ride with her amazing post, “From Reader to Writer: The Driving Metaphor.” Rachel found that learning how to write is a lot like learning how to drive. Let’s just say that she’s giving us the spark that will start our engines so we can really go somewhere when writing our stories.
 

Then across the pond Jennifer Jensen take us for another ride. This time she’s “Driving on Irish Country Roads” with her family and it comes complete with a vlog of those perilous country roads. All I have to say is watch out for sheep and cows Jennifer! It’s all in great fun!
 

Now if you happen to have a techie question then Jenny Hansen’s your girl. She is a wiz on all things technical and last Tuesday she wrote a post on Linked-In called “Social Media Madness.” My sentiments exactly Jenny! It is madness, but thank you for talking some of us off the ledge!
 

And last but not least I want to include Donna Newton’s post “So You Want to be an Author?”—Part Two. In her post Donna helps break down the confusion by educating us on all the different genres that exist so we know where our writing fits in and what the rules are. Rules? I hate rules. But okay Donna, only because you say so. 🙂
 
 

Okay I did it. I got through another week and I’m not alone. There are others that are right beside me to help me along the way. So that I don’t irritate my wonderful supportive subscribers, feel free to delete my ROW80 posts if they start to irritate you. They probably won’t be all that interesting, unless…
 

Unless I can temp you all to join us over at the party at ROW80! Feel free to jump in anytime. See you there! 🙂
 
 

So what do you think? How did I do? I know I can still count on your support, right? Or you have my permission to come and give me a swift kick in the butt! Uh-oh, it looks like Ginger Calem has already beaten you to it! LOL! 🙂
 
 
If you enjoyed this, I encourage you to run right now to the top of the page and hit the follow button to receive future posts!
  

Thanks guys! I knew I could count on you!
Karen.
 
 
 

Click to "Follow Me" and receive new posts by email

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Stuck In The Mud!

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
This is what’s commonly known as a paradox, an “Irresistible Force” paradox.
 
No worries, I’m not going there.
 
But as an overview, a paradox is something that can seem self-contradictory or
absurd, but in reality, it expresses a possible truth.

Such was the case last week when a woman named Nicole Graham was riding her horse on the beach at Avalon along the beautiful Australian coastline just south of Melbourne.
 

It had been a sunny hot day and Nicole and her daughter were riding their horses on the beach like they had so many times before during the summer and had decided to ride amongst the water to cool down their horses…
 

Then suddenly, both horses sunk.
 

It seems their horses had stepped into a pit of quicksand-like mud and went straight down and under. There was thick sandy mud everywhere and whenever they moved, it sucked them down even further and wouldn’t let them go.
 

After much prodding, Nicole was able to maneuver her daughter’s horse out of the muck and mire ensuring their safety first before returning to her own horse, Astro. While her daughter ran for help, she prayed that rescuers would arrive in time before the tide had a chance to engulf her 17 year old horse.
 

Nicole said, “I’ve been riding here for 20 years and never had a drama. I’ve never seen any signs and didn’t realize it was so boggy.”
 

She was so relieved when she saw the dust coming from the rescue trucks. It had been nearly a half hour since her daughter had left and she had started to get overwhelmed. Fire crews and a team of veterinarians went to work. They used hoses and a winch, but none of their tactics were successful because it was like working in quicksand.
 

Then a local farmer brought over his tractor and after sedating the horse, rescue workers were able to use a sling to pull him out very slowly from the mud. This gave Nicole much relief after enduring a three and a half hour ordeal and Astro was able to escape with only minor bruising.
 

What possible truth can we derive from this remarkable paradoxical metaphor?
 
What should we do when we’re stuck in the mud by our own sense of reality?
 

When we feel bogged down as if we’re stuck in the mud, we need to harness the ingenuities and sensibilities of our friends when it comes to making improvements in how we view ourselves or perhaps in our writing for that matter.
 

Maybe we need help working through a new plot or writing within the confines of a certain genre. Maybe we feel overwhelmed and find this is preventing us from making further progress. Whatever the case may be, all we need to do is ask for help.
 

You see, we all need a little rescuing from time to time. Whether it’s a mentor or a beta-reader, or someone who will listen or give us some critique; remember—We Are Not Alone. Please don’t allow yourself to get Stuck in the Mud of despair. Just know that the writing community and your WANA friends are always there to support you because they really do care.
 

So what do you think? What do you do when you’ve been stuck? Have you had feelings of being overwhelmed lately? And would you be willing to give a carrot to lend a helping hand or would you be running for some help? Or both? 🙂
 
 

If you enjoyed this, I encourage you to run right now to the top of the page and hit the follow button to receive future posts!
 
 

Thank you for your many thoughts and fine comments everyone!
Karen
 
 
 

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When Life Gives You Lemons…

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This is a phrase that has pulled at our psyche each time Murphy’s Law is in full swing intending to motivate us as victims. And it is because of this flaw in our nature that it has become one of the best known sayings around the world, with all its variations.
 

But have you ever wondered who invented the phrase?
 

Though it is Joan Collins of “Dynasty” fame that claims the use of the expression, more than likely it was the motivational writer and speaker Dale Carnegie who really said it first since he did live earlier than Ms. Collins.
 

Unfortunately it was never documented when Mr. Carnegie first uttered these words, but the original quote is said to be, “When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade” and it has transformed more recently into a more modern adaptation that is now known by the millions. It is because this phrase fits so seamlessly with the rest of Dale Carnegie’s teachings and philosophies that makes him the most likely candidate as its author.
 

So when we make lemonade out of lemons, it reminds us that almost anything in this world is possible. That if we take an optimistic approach when looking at things, we can expect a more positive result.
 

Take a look at the lemon itself. Though it starts out as sour fruit, its main use can be turned into a positive flavoring agent in foods such as fish, salads and sauces. Actually in Italy you will find that its primary growth is for the consumption of a cold refreshing zesty liqueur called Limoncello. As you drive along the Amalfi coastline there are literally groves upon groves of lemon trees hugging the vast seaside hills that surround the many cliffside villages overlooking the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea.
 

And if we were to travel to an area in the southeastern part of France along the exquisite French Riviera known for its infamous beauty, there is a quaint little town called Menton that makes lemon floats.
 

Lemon floats you say? Is that like a root beer float? Uh, no.
 

It seems the area that encompasses the city of Menton grows so many lemons that they celebrate every year with a “Lemon Festival” featuring floats and displays decorated with lemons and other citrus fruits. It’s similar to the floats made for the Rose Parade only with lemons.
 

Take a look at these lemon-laced exhibits showcased at this year’s festival event.
 





 
So when life hands you a lemon…
 

That is, if something were to happen to you that you don’t like…use the next time to make something out of it that you do like. Such as…
 

Make Lemonade!
 
 

• L – Laughter – it’s the best medicine.
 

• E – Embrace others and surround yourself with those who want you to thrive.
 

• M – Move forward with fixed focus making a tangible difference everyday.
 

• O – Open your mind and your heart.
 

• N – Notice all the things in your life to be grateful for.
 

• A – Adjust your attitude and expectations.
 

• D – Decide to challenge your circumstances and do things for others.
 

• E – Evaluate your actions instead of blaming others avoiding “victim” mode.
 
 

Yes, make lemonade out of the lemons in your life!
 
 

So what do you think? How do you view the many lemons in your life? When life throws you a lemon, what inspires you to make lemonade? And what do you find floats your lemon float?
 
 
If you enjoyed this, I encourage you to run right now to the top of the page and hit the follow button to receive future posts!
 
 
Thank you for your many thoughts and fine comments everyone!
Karen

 
 
 

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