Where we have no water

I might have mentioned that we live out in the country. That means no municipal water access. Instead, we get our water from a well.

Ours has run out of water.

The first thing that happens when you realize you have no water is you need to pee. It’s almost instant. No water, must go to the bathroom. But, of course, you can’t flush. And you can’t wash your hands!

The next thing we did was to call a plumber and wait, hoping that by luck, whatever had dried our well, would fill it up.

No such luck.

When a well doesn’t work, people tend to panic and we were no exception. We called every person we would find that had something remotely to do with water or wells or homes or dogs or humanity…And everyone had advice that was both confusing and, at times, contradictory.

Our plumber (who didn’t look a day over 18) told us to drill a new one. Our neighbours (who have lived in the area for over 20 years) told us to sit and wait. The city officer we got on the phone told us (after many calls and messages) to not bother him because he had nothing to do with wells.

So, while we sit here in our own filth, do you want to check out an awesome blog? While I avoid the heavy topics in my little blog, this one deals with them head on. And while most people beat around the bush, this blog gives it to you straight. Check out Just Gene’O and let me know what you think!

Those awesome posts

There are some amazing posts out there. I’ve collected just a few here that stood out in my mind. If I’ve missed one, give me a shout and let me know! I love to find new awesome posts.

This one comes from adpushup.com. They actually sent me their link! It’s a great article on 50 resources for bloggers. They have them by categories with links for convenience. Just awesome! A huge thanks to them for sending me that link!

A huge congrats to Winter Bayne for her first fantasy story in The Dragon Tempest. Winter Bayne is one of those incredibly talented writers on the rise. This is what she said of her newest work: “It is a story of discovery and realization both for the characters and readers. And I pat myself on the back for getting what I would consider a speculative (maybe paranormal) fiction romance into an Epic/ Dark Fantasy Anthology.” Check it out here.

If you’re a fan of Elizabeth Hoyt, don’t miss out this review of her latest book, Dearest Rogue by Penny Dreadful. If you haven’t heard of her, here’s a great chance to get to know one of the best writers of historical romance. Hands down.

For the writers out there, here‘s a great opportunity to share your WIP. Chris, the Story Reading Ape has this great blog with awesome opportunities, links and supports for writers. Check out this one from Britney Sahin, she offers her blog to promote your book!

This resource also came to me through email. It’s an amazing post with 51 Must-Visit Sites for Writers from Now Novel. Not only are there great resources, they’re classified by categories. An absolute great link to have handy. What a great post and a HUGE thanks to Now Novel for that link!

If you write historical fiction, might I suggest this site? The Historical Novel Society keeps a great selection of resources, reviews, features and news.

I really liked the post by Porter Anderson in Writer Unboxed titled In our CyberVillage: so much anger. Maybe because there’s a false sense of security in our anonymity online, there is a lot of anger out there. Whatever the reason, the result is hurtful and Mr. Anderson has a great, peaceful way of dealing with online bullies. I liked his suggestion and his insight.

Being married to a British man, this post on Nicholas C. Rossis hit close to home. Canadians are known for apologizing needlessly, but there’s nothing like a Brit to understate something. Check out this hilarious Translation of some usual British comments and what they actually mean.

Becoming Minimalist is one of those things I’m slowly trying to accomplish and the blog by that name is a huge help. This weekend, they had a post with carefully chosen articles to inspire simplicity and a selection of awesome blogs. Check it out!

Write to Done has a great post for those who procrastinate. It not only shares a great article on how to overcome procrastination but it has a diagnostic tool to figure out what type you are and then includes helpful hints for each type. I won’t mention which I am… *cough* perfectionist *cough*. 😀

There are absolutely great posts out there and simply not enough time for me to share all of them. Still, I had to mention this one. Just Gene’O is a blog I never miss and this post with its incredible metaphors is one of the many reasons why.

Finally, something to make you smile,

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Posts I loved this week

It may be March but it’s still freezing and snowing around here. Thank goodness the blog posts rock. They cheer me up and keep me going through our endless winter. A huge thank you to everyone for their fantastic contributions!

A post that definitely caught my attention was The Most Anticipated (and Likely Best) Books of 2015 from Gawker Review of Books. Incredibly, the authors are all women!

I loved this post on Decluttering. It has 10 Creative ways to do it and I loved the ideas. A huge thank you to Becoming Minimalist!

Looking for a good laugh? Check out this post by Norm 2.0 where he lists the 7 reasons he hates listicles. I laughed out loud. Sooo good!

I’m always on the look out for tips on blogging. Here are 5 to make blogging easier! A huge thanks to ProBlogger for that great post!

Hilarious, check out this post by Pecked to Death By Chickens, 31 Reasons You Made Your Preschooler Cry. So true and just so good. A huge thank you to Pecked to Death by Chickens for that wonderful post!

On that subject, here’s a post with 10 Tips for writing Posts Faster from She Owns It. If you’re still eager for more, here’s a great post with 39 Blogging Tools from Buffer Social.

The #1000Speak on Compassion might be over but Just Gene’O is organizing a way to keep the idea growing organically. Check out this post at Just Gene’O and add your link!

Not only true but definitely very funny, this post on How to Survive a Relationship with a Writer made me laugh out loud. A huge thanks to The Writing Chimp for that gem and to Mishka Jenkins for referring me to it!

For the dog-lovers out there, this post is for you from one dog-lover with an intuitive mind in The Silent Eye.

Another funny one, You Know You’re a Writer When made me laugh out loud. Those great pictures didn’t hurt either. A huge thanks to Happy Messy Life for that hilarious post!

Are you trying to market your book and you find it painful? Check out this post from Writers In the Storm with 4 Pain-Free Tips to Market your Book.

A great new blog I just discovered, Ronovan Writes has a great initiative for Wednesdays (BeWow – Be Wonderful on wednesdays) along with great posts with blogging tips. A huge thanks to Natacha Guyot for finding and sharing this great blog and while you’re reading, check out her blog news here!

A fantastic step-by-step description of the writing process from Winter Bayne, this post made me want to take down notes. It’s part 3 bu with two other parts also filled with great tips. A huge thanks to Winter Bayne for those great tips!

#1000Speak is not done, there’s a blog (here) and you can find them on Facebook (here). This month, the focus is bullying. Find out more from this great post by the Qwiet Muse.

Just because she’s right, and puppies do make everything better, check out this post by Rose B. Fisher. Awwww…puppies!

Finally, a couple of bookworms reading away,

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Posts I loved this week

This week the posts are filled with helpful tips and how-to’s. An absolute feast for the reader, this selection made me grin through a very cold, February week. A huge thanks to everyone for these amazing posts!

Looking to do a little blog promo? Suzi81 Speaks has an opportunity for you. Check it out here.

If your manuscript is finally done, check this list on how to self-publish with 12 handy steps. Don’t do what I did which was to do it wrong over and over until I stumbled on the correct way by sheer luck! A big thanks to The Sprint Shack for that very helpful post!

What would a Saturday be without me getting my WeekendCoffeeShare fix? I love these posts and this one in particular had everything from a good update to Mardi Grass, to Compassion. A big thanks to Part Time Monster for that gem!

Filled with his great sense of humour, Bill Ferris has this great post on how to Nurture Your Fan Base and it’s filled with great ideas. A huge thank you to Writer Unboxed for that wonderful post!

Another hilarious version of the Weekend Coffee Share, this one is by Write On Sisters and I laughed out loud because I’m from Canada too and I get those comments on the weather!

If you have a couple of minutes and are into this, check out this survey on reading and methods of reading. When you vote it’ll show you the results but here they are all tallied up. Pretty interesting stuff! A big thanks to Chris McMullen for setting that up.

Not only does April mean the start of Spring, it’s also the A to Z Challenge. This blog challenge comes with a Theme this year and it’s growing into an epic movement. Check out the sign up site and you can add your blog or find an awesome site to follow! Where did I hear about this? From the one and only Just Gene’O. Check out this post with all kinds of awesome announcements.

If you’re into Twitter, here’s a great post with links and tips just for you from Writer Christoph Fischer. If you’re into Facebook, here’s a great post with tips for for you from Ellen Meister at Writers in the Storm.

Thinking about joining WordPress.org and hosting your own domain and website? Check out this post from Jemima Pett, someone who did. They cover all the do’s and don’ts. A huge thanks to Chris The Story Reading Ape for finding this awesome post!

On that topic, if you’re not ready for your own domain and website, check out this step-by-step post on how to set up a blog of your own from On Blast Blog. It’s simple, easy and has not only links but buttons. What an awesome post from a fantastic blog filled with resources! And if you do set up your own blog, let me know so I can snoop around and give you a shout out! 🙂

Help me congratulate Winter Bayne on her debut release! Secret Identities is out and looks absolutely amazing! Typical of Winter, she humbly posts about her success while sharing the secrets that got her a publishing contract. A huge congrats to her on this great accomplishment!

The Annual Reader Poll for 2014 releases is in at All About Romance. Find out what book made it to the top of the Best Romance according to readers just like you, or the best Historical or Paranormal. It’s a great chance to find a new book!

Tiny Buddha had this great post, 10 Choices that Lead to a Happy, Fulfilling Life and I loved it. Maybe it was the coffee but I’d bet it was the wisdom in those 10 suggestions. If you’re looking for something to make you feel better, I couldn’t recommend a better post.

Jen Owenby has this great post with Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers. They both surprised me and made me laugh. A big thank you to her for this great post!

Finally, a little something to make you smile.

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Posts I loved this week

An incredible week on posts, I was actually tempted to break this post into two parts because there were so many amazing posts out there. A huge thank you to everyone who’s written this inspirational, moving posts. They got me through a very snowy and tough week!

Suzie81 Speaks has a beautiful idea. She promotes a new blog on Mondays under the post Blog of the Day. Check out this wonderful idea here and meet a new blogger!

Hilarious and yet insightful, this post by The Story Reading Ape made me laugh. I absolutely loved it!

With her usual hilarious humour, Winter Bayne wrote this fantastic post on the Fifty Shades books. I loved it because it was not only insightful and incredibly honest but also so well written. Winter is an amazing, very talented author (check out the book covers she creates) don’t miss this awesome post!

A fantastic post on how to overcome the 7 worst writing barriers. Both true and insightful, those barriers are there in my head every day. A great post to get writing from Write To Done.

If you’re starting out your blog and wonder just how to get traffic, check out this post on how to create a loyal audience from Quick Sprout.

For those who love links and referrals, Nathan Bransford has his own post with them here.

The Top Ten Tuesday is quickly becoming a favourite feature of mine. Check out this week’s version on Part Time Monster and see why. Cute, adorable and funny, I just love that post!

A Writer’s Life For Me had a wonderful, insightful look at heroines and our attitude towards violence. I loved each and every word.

Molly Greene had a great post on blogging. She explains what authors should blog about with 6 things readers are looking for and things to avoid. As always, she’s a pro and the post is outstanding.

On the idea of the dangerous internet, check out this insightful post by Nathan Bransford on what happened to an author who reacted badly to an unkind review. Titled ‘Virtual Witch Hunts’, it scared me silly.

Just Gene’O, an amazing blog, had this fantastic series of posts on Internet Trolls. It started with Trollery, defining what it is and why it’s so hard to deal with it, moved on to Indicators, eight sure signs you’re dealing with a troll, How he handles it, with explanations as to why these ideas work, and finishes with a great series of questions to see How Vulnerable you are. We all hope to never meet at troll, but this is a great way to be prepared. A huge thanks to Gene’O for that incredible series!

Friday was a very special day online. Bloggers everywhere wrote about compassion. Instead of highlighting the ones I adored (and there were many) I thought I’d link you to one of the hosts and let you find the posts that move you. They’re all different but all on compassion, something we can all use more of.

An awesome idea

I was snooping around on the blog Just Gene’O (there are so many cool things there!) when I discovered the Blog Blitz 2.0.

What is it? It comes from this great blog DL Hammons and I’ll let DL do the explaining.

“The BLITZ ….(is) a tool for focusing blogosphere energy for fun…and as it turns out…when its desperately needed.”

Isn’t it a great idea? Not only do we spread some blog love around, we also get to meet new awesome blogs!

Check out the rules:

“The rules will remain the same.  From time to time I will select a blog via a random selection or recommendation (must be another Blitz Team member) and a date.  I will email the team members that information and on that date we all will go out of our way to visit that blog and leave an encouraging comment on their most recent post.

My only restriction about who joins the Blog Blitz Team is that your blog cannot be primarily for commercial gain.”

Wanna do it? Here’s the link. And you get to display this nifty badge on your blog! Cool, huh?

P.S. A huge thank you to Just Gene’O for passing on the idea!

Posts I loved this week

This week was absolutely incredible in posts. I try to keep these posts manageable because there’s a limit to ridiculousness but these couldn’t be kept out, ridiculous length or not. Like teens say, they’re absolutely ‘Tha bomb’.

The 100 best websites for Writers is an awesome post that I immediately added to this list. A huge thank you to The Write Life for that great resource.

In April, there’s a great Blogging challenge to blog topics from A to Z. It’s awesome and not just because of the letters but because truly great posts appear. Check out the schedule for Sourcerer and a little intro on the challenge. This is going to be soooo good! I can’t wait.

I love If We were having Coffee posts. Just eat them up. I think they might have started off in Part Time Monster. They’re intimate and personal and I feel like I get a little update of the person and how they’re doing. Check out this one by Winter Bayne. Isn’t it lovely?

This week, Positive Writer posted the Top 50 Writing Blogs for 2015. A fantastic post you can check out here.

Okay, this one is a little self-serving but Just Gene’O came out with this wonderful new feature to share some blog love around. It’s just like him because he’s truly a very kind person. But don’t go too far. Check out this other post on the same blog with some very cool ideas and news coming up in this awesome blog!

If you’re looking for a little promo for your book, check out this post by Ch’kara Silverwolf. Isn’t that an awesome gesture of kindness? A huge thanks to her for that wonderful gift to all authors.

I found this post through Steve Vernon. He often reblogs awesome posts and this one is one of them. 6 Reasons why you should be reading books by Alana Munro. I had no idea reading was so beneficial!

If you’re trying to contact a literary agent but don’t want to go the traditional ‘query letter’ route, try this post on 4 different ways to do so from Writers In the Storm.

The 1000 Voices Speaking for Compassion is doing awesome. Check out the brand new blog at WordPress supporting this great project.

Natacha Guyot‘s debut post on Sourcerer was a thing of beauty with a wonderful message. Check it out here.

I’ve spoken about The Story Reading Ape before but this blog is amazing. Not only is it full of every resource an author could want (everything from places to get reviews, to covers, to editing help), it also has reviews of other books so you can find your next great read.

Okay, don’t miss this post. I absolutely loved it. It’s got humour that made me laugh, a beautiful story, pictures and fantastic writing all in one post. A big, huge thank you to Just Ponderin’ for this one…and…have you ever thought of writing a book?

For all those fans of Melissa Barker-Simpson (like me!) out there, here’s a very special bit of good news! She’s taking part in the A to Z challenge this April. Her writing is fresh, funny and so captivating. Those posts are going to be awesome!

Looking for a good book for February? Check out this post from the BookChick with all the upcoming releases in that month and covers to tempt your taste buds!

So true, Wise Ink has these 5 Myths about Self-Publishing.

On a completely different note, I loved this post by The Tiny Buddha, 10 Things to Stop Doing If You Want to Be Happy. So wise and true!

Melissa Barker-Simpson is looking for contributors to the Writing Room 101. Check out the post and see if you’re interested.

A beautifully written post on Feminism, Gene’O explains the whys and reasons in such a kind, fluid way that it reminded me of Emma Watson’s speech at the United Nations on the same topic. A huge thank you to Part Time Monster for that wonderful post.

The Story Reading Ape reblogged this great post with five videos of Real Editors giving Writing Advice. A great resource in an amazing blog.

Finally, a friendly quote from a famous doctor. 🙂

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Loads and Loads of News!

All kinds of excellent news in all sorts of interesting blogs! What a great post!

Just Gene'O

Registration is open. If the page displays “Coming Soon” when you visit it, use this linky link.

Registration for the Blogging A to Z April Challenge goes live sometime today.Here’s the registration page in case you want to sit and refresh it until the list appears. I plan to register this a.m., add the art to the at Sourcerer after work tonight, and do the announcement on Thursday.

The 1,000 Voices Speaking for Compassion Facebook group passed 1,000 members sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning. There’s also a WordPress blog for it now, and I have confirmed that there will be a linkup for it on Feb. 20. Not bad at all for two weeks’ worth of bloggers chattering about this on the social media.

My friend Gretchen of Drifting Through My Open Mind published an awesome guest post at Hasty Words last week. She’s also joined

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Posts I loved this week

Truly genius, this week’s posts are classy and informative. Is it me or do they keep getting better?

A fantastic idea that started at Considerings passed on via Gene’O, I loved everything from the idea to the posts on it. I really hope we get those 1000 blogs and start something. Compassion is a beautiful goal. A huge thank you to Gene’O for including me.

Getting an editor is a personal choice. David J. Delaney talks about his in this fantastic post.

This one is a great post for creating a balanced character, not 100% evil or 100% good rather a realistic mix. Check out all the tips and how-to’s at Writers Helping Writers.

I don’t spend that much time on Twitter but this post on annoying Tweets made me laugh. If you’re looking for a chuckle or spend time with that famous Blue Bird, check it out on Writer Unboxed.

A huge, HUGE congrats to Luther M. Siler who’s now in print!  Skylights is available right here and it’s in print for your reading pleasure. And yet another congrats for the completion of The Benevolence Archives: The Sanctum of the Sphere! Awesome week!

If you’re a writer, Write To Done has their top 10 Blogs for Writers 2015 out. They have strict guidelines for their selection, links and brief descriptions with pros for each, so I was in heaven.

This one was just a lovely, lovely post to read. I read it early in the morning before heading to work and it sent me off with a goofy grin on my face. There’s something really special about Part Time Monster‘s writing. I’ve noticed it before and this post has it right in spades. The writing is honest, fresh, refreshing and has a thread of vulnerability that grabs me every time.

It’s funny. I cringe when I see someone get hurt in a movie but, if they hurt an animal, I have to walk out and, if it’s a dog, I walk out crying. Stories like this need to be passed and shared. No animal should suffer at our hands. A big, huge thanks to Izzy for that supportive post. Keep up the great work!

I’ve ranted about Scrivener before. Check out 3 features that make it ideal for a First Draft  from the Spring Shack and see even more reasons for loving that program.

Finally, cute and lovely, this post both cheered me up and made me smile. I loved everything from the pictures to the concept because it’s so true. Thank you for that gem, Margarita Morris!

 

A fantastic idea

I don’t know if you’ve heard me ramble about Sourcerer or Just Gene’O. They’re these two blogs I absolutely adore. I find their posts inspirational and the content amazing. But, if I was to sit and think about it, the most powerful part of those blogs is Gene’O and how incredibly kind and compassionate he is. He just blows my mind.

So, turns out, he’s come up with a great idea, on Compassion. After the rally in Paris and the way the world unified against terrorism, I think compassion is more important than ever.

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So I’m definitely up for this idea. On Friday, February 20th, all I have to do is blog around the idea of compassion. Not too tough. He’s hoping we get 1000 people to do it. What a beautiful idea.

Personally, I have found the internet to be an incredible source of amazing, compassionate people. They inspire me to give back. Gene’O is one of them. I’d love it, if there was more compassion in our world. What a beautiful thought.

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Wanna join us?