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Hollywood Loves Second Chances

4/10/2012

Hollywood likes the movies where people are given a second chance. In Peggy Sue Got Married, Kathleen Turner is able to get a second chance at love with Nicholas Cage when she goes back in time to when they first fell in love. The series, Back to the Future, is all about changing the past and “righting the wrongs” of those days. Given the choice, there are many things that I would change about my own past, such as the choice to not spend every moment with my loved ones before they died. It is funny how there are “do-overs” in so many games or “first drafts” in writing, yet in life there really isn’t such things. You can only live life forward, from the choices that
you have made.

Since we know that there isn’t a mulligan coming for my life, I understand that I am a much different person than I was at 15,16,17… I was caught up in myself (as a typical teenager) and was chafing at the boundaries of my parents and small town America. I have some wonderful memories of those times, such as pool parties, dances, school and friends. But I also have regrets. It is those regrets that make me wish for a“second draft”, to see if it would change the outcome. After all, if I only knew then what I know now… or if I was half the person then that I am now… but if wishes were fishes, we would all be fishermen.

So what things would you change if you could? I had the opportunity to face a fear that had been with me for a
long time. In facing that fear, I wanted to free myself from that terror. After waking yet again from a nightmare centered on a person from my past, I vowed to not let this past event dictate my life today. In reaching out to this
person, I have come to understand that I (me, myself and I) have been the one to hold on to this pain, rather than let it go. It obviously wasn’t painful to this person and their perceptions of things were very different than mine. But isn’t that always the way it is? Ask two different people to recount an event, and the event will be unique to each person. Their interpretation will be flavored with their morals, life experiences, and beliefs. Each person’s version is “real” or “true” for them.

My life is much different today than it was when I was 16, yet this person still frightened me. I would wake up in terror, 25 years after the events, yet I couldn't allow myself to continue to be frightened by the past and my
memories. Why did I contact that person? I needed to see that my fears were bigger than they needed to be. I needed to see that they were just a person, not this horrible monster. And maybe I needed to give myself permission to accept my part in the big picture, take responsibility for my choices. I am who I am because of my
choices and whether they were good or bad, I will not let them dictate my life.

If Hollywood was going to put this story on the screen, it would come with a happy ending. The conflicted heroine would stop herself from making those same mistakes and thereby prevent the anguish it caused. But life isn’t
that simple… or is it? Can we simply edit our “screen play” by forgiving ourselves for not being all knowing? Can we allow ourselves the opportunities to learn from our mistakes and accept that who we are today is because of all the choices, good or bad, we have made in our lives?

Simple…hmmm… Hollywood, cue the ending credits!

Listen to me read my book tonight.

4/10/2012

Tonight I am reading an excerpt from Second Time's the Charm on the Edin Road
studio. You can check out my author page on their site at: http://www.edinroad.com/authors/melissakeir.html.

You can listen along tonight as I read my story: http://www.edinroad.com/index.html. Enjoy!

Hoppy Easter Blog Hop Winner

4/9/2012

Thank you to everyone who entered. Based on the random number selected, the winner is Debbie (twoofakind). I sent an email to her this morning and am excited to hear back from her. :) I guess I'm as silly about the win as everyone else is.

Thank you again to everyone who left a comment. I hope you had a wonderful Easter or Passover.

Melissa Keir

Shelby Fullington....Art- What moves you? {CONTEST}

4/7/2012

Shelby Fullington is an up and coming artist. Her medias include photography, painting, and drawing. Her work ranges from Anime-type illustrations to amazing nature photography. She is definately someone to watch!

Thank you Shelby for visiting today. Tell us a little about yourself... Well, my name is Shelby Fullington. I love to draw, paint, take photographs, and write. I will be graduating college in about a month. I’ll have a Bachelors in Psychology.

What do you think is important about art? Art does so much the human race. It helps people grieve. It spreads joy and understanding. Art speaks to the soul.

What encouragement or advice would you give other people who want to become artists? Just start. Classes help perfect techniques but you first have to pick up the pencil, paintbrush, chalk, camera, or whatever medium you wish to use. There isn’t much money to be made, so do it for yourself. You can self promote online through various sites like deviantart, facebook, tumblr, twitter, blogs, flickr, what have you. Colleges will hold art galleries from time to time, so ask around.

Do you have a favorite medium (photos, paint, pencils) and why? Photography
is a big part of what I’m doing right now. I want people to see the world as
beautiful, see what they normally don’t see around them. Right now I am using
a Wacom Bamboo drawing tablet instead of a pencil. It took some time to get used to, but I love it. I don’t have to ink a sketch, then scan it, then fix it up. I
can just draw straight into the computer.

What inspires you? My major inspiration is nature. I love going outside and looking for animals and Spring flowers. The past Winter was so dreary, that I didn’t get out to photograph much so now I’m photographing like crazy! I also get inspiration from other artists. I love seeing new ideas from great artists. It makes me want to try harder.

Which of your illustrations or photos is your favorite and why? Out of what I’ve done so far, I’m particularly proud of “In Bloom” and “Me.".

In Bloom- http://fav.me/d4u14qz
I think this picture captures exactly the feeling of Spring.
Me - http://fav.me/d4tx1yu

I am particularly proud of this one because it is one
of the first drawings I did on my tablet and it looks pretty good! I am actually working on another photo right now ! I like it a lot, so everyone should watch for
it!

What hints can you give others about creating a perfect photo? It is all about composition. Watch where the lighting is and where you are standing. Look at your depth of field, which is controled by your apature. This will help you put the focus on one object or on the whole scene. I think photos that are a little off center are visually interesting. When photographing people, I like to let people do what they would normally do. I think it makes the photos look natural and lets their character come through.

When did you know that you wanted to be an artist? Oh geeze. That was
so long ago. I must have been in elementary school. I saw Sailor Moon on tv. I
wanted to draw her and draw like that. I took classes in high school and in
college. More recently I got into photography.

What are the tools that you use to create your work (camera, tablet, programs, etc.)? For photography, I use a Nikon D3000. I have a Nikkor 18-55mm lens and a Sigma 100-300mm lens. For drawing, I use a Wacom Bamboo Capture Tablet. For editing, I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 8. I was using Elements 10 for some time, but my trial ran out.

How can people check out your work or get in touch with you?
Deviantart:
http://littleshelby93.deviantart.com/
Tumblr: http://shelbyfullington.tumblr.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/S_Fullington
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001400127741

Thank you for visiting today! I hope everyone will check out
her artwork on Deviantart. She is an amazing artist and even did my banner on my Facebook page!

Hoppy Easter Blog Hop! April 6-8th.

Leave a comment below to enter. One random comment will be selected as the winner of the $10 Amazon gift card and beautiful necklace on April 9th.Also don't forget to check out the rest of the blogs in the Hoppy Easter Blog Hop.
http://thebloghopspot.com/event-page/

Easter is Familly Time {Contest}

4/6/2012

What is your family Easter like? Mine has changed a lot over the years. Leave a comment below for a chance to win a beautiful green stone necklace and $10 Amazon Gift Card. One random name will be drawn to win on April 9th. Don't forget to check out all the other blogs at www.thebloghopspot.com.

When my children were young, we used to love coloring eggs. We did it the old fashioned way with white vinegar and the pills of color. White crayons always made names stand out or designs. I hated the different non-traditional ways. They didn't promise the beautiful colors that came from simply dunking the eggs. My sisters and I (as well as later, my own children) used to try double dunking or dunking only partway to get certain colors, blends and designs.
    The big day, the eggs were hidden and the baskets were full of chocolate and jelly beans. I remember a few of those eggs never being found until weeks later.When my children were younger, we switched away from the candy (my kids didn't really like candy) to small toys. I was always prompting my children to help them find the eggs. Of course with that many eggs we would enjoy deviled eggs with our Holiday Ham dinner and many lunches of egg salad sandwiches.
    We would dress up in our finest and head off to church that morning. Then spend the rest of the afternoon searching for eggs again, enjoying our extended family. Those hours were filled with delicious food, warm embraces and loving laughter.
    Today our Easter Holiday is much different. With my children being grown we don't color eggs and hide them anymore.  And as a part of a divorced family... sometimes the kids have plans with their Dad's family.  But it is still important for us to get together as a family. My mom passed away almost fifteen years ago and my dad decided not to host the big family dinner anymore. He got ride of the dinning room furniture.  My husband and I (and any of the children who want to) drive down to Amherst, Ohio to an Easter bruch at a local restaurant. We still have the delicious food, warm embraces, and loving laughter. So in that way our holiday hasn't changed much. Only the location has changed.
    If you happen to be traveling this weekend, be safe and enjoy your time, traditions and family. And if you are having Easter brunch at Deluca's, stop by and say hi!

JL Oiler Visits and Shares her Smokin' Release!

4/2/2012

Thank you for stopping by today and sharing a little about yourself and your latest release! The cover is amazing! I love that you have strong female characters in your stories.

Tell us about yourself: I live in the mountains of West Virginia with my husband andkids. I hold a BA from Fairmont State University and a MA from Ball State. When not writing or editing, I love to spend time outdoors.

What television sitcom is most like your family? Why? The Monsters, they are all bizarre, quirky, and lovable in a weird way.

What’s your favorite thing to do to relax?
Swing on the patio swing watching the sunset or write.

Do you prefer…
Public speaking or public singing? Speaking…I can't sing at all.

Writing in a notebook or typing on the computer? Both, my mood determines the
media.

Coke or Pepsi? coke

Living without your cell phone or living without your computer? Don’t touch my computer! I'm the same way! My computer will go with me everywhere!

Now about you as an author…
Did you always want to be an author? I’ve been writing since my teens but lacked the confidence to believe I could ever be an “author” at least until my late twenties when I re-found myself and my dreams.

What authors had an impact on you growing up and as an adult? Poe, Shakespeare, and Shelly. Shakespeare is an amazing author. I love the variety of different types of writing that he did.

What is your favorite aspect or writing? Your least favorite? Watching the characters come to life and develop their own unique personalities, my least, EDITS.

What aspect of writing would you most like to improve on? Punctuation (I can see my editors shaking their head in agreement at this very moment.)

Do you have any “must haves” with you while you’re writing? Bottle of water, comfy clothes, and some snacks.

Do you have a common theme or item that appears in each of your books?
Strong Female Characters

What have you learned the most from being in the writing business? Patience. It is hard to wait to see if your manuscript is accepted. I also struggle with the wait for my book to come out.

Tell us about your latest release: (blurb, excerpt, cover)
One Night Rodeo

Blurb: Katherine Wright is on a mission. After her family’s name is smeared in the rodeo world by false accusations of drugging, Katherine struggled to keep the family ranch, the Flying W, afloat. Now with a bull who promises to be the next champion, she's heading back to the world of cowboys and bucking bulls. But nothing could prepare her for the untrusting looks from the pair of hot, twin riders she encounters. Offered an exchange of one ride for another, Katherine finds she's risking more than her family name. She’s risking her heart.

After Koby McGuire is stomped and gouged by a bull, he and his twin brother, Keith claw their way back into the top of the rodeo circuit. Catching wind that the Flying W ranch is attempting a comeback, Koby sees a chance at a bit of payback to the family he blames for his injuries. The last thing he expects was Katherine Wright.

Keith has always shared everything with his brother from the rodeo to women. So when Koby ask him extract a bit of payback, Keith half-heartedly agrees. Unfortunately, the other half of his heart belongs to the object of his twins’ vengeance.

With their worlds permanently connected by the twin boys Katherine's carrying, the three must find a way to overcome the attitudes and anger that keeps them at odds. However, a rival bull breeder would rather see Katherine fall beneath the hooves of the bull he knows is prime breeding stock than fall for the charms of the twin riders. Will all hope for the three lovers be crushed in the arena or is this one rodeo they're destined to win?

How did you choose your characters names and location for your story? I was watching a repeat of a bull riding event and the location happened to be Texas from their my character began talking and their names just came out.

Do you have a favorite scene? Why? My favorite scene would have to be the reunion scene at the truck because I love the attitude and sassiness of Katherine.

Let our readers know how they can get a hold of you… Readers can find me on Facebook, and at my web site www.joiler.weebly.com

Is there anything else that you want to share… feel free!! I’m putting my final touches on my latest Paranormal Ménage so be on the lookout for something new!

Thank you JL for visiting and sharing your latest release with us! One Night Rodeo is available at B&N, Amazon, and other retailers!

Hoppy Easter- April 6-8th

4/1/2012

Check back to this blog on April 6th thru 8th for a chance to win a beautiful green stone necaklace and $10 Amazon Gift card. Hundreds of Blogs are www.thelboghotpspot.com Details will follow!

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