Quick Updates - WAKE and The Last Living WWI Soldier

WAKE -
Lisa McMann's book WAKE hit the shelves on March 5th. I went right out and bought my copy and bragged to the clerk at Border's Book Store that I was friends with the author. I don't know if he was impressed but it was certainly fun for me to say it.

I read WAKE in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. This is a rarity for me. I'm an avid reader but the context of my life makes it nearly impossible to sit for long stretches of time and read. The needs of a large family take first priority. But for WAKE everything stopped. It's a real page turner totally deserving of awards. Lisa has already received her first. WAKE was nominated for the Borders Original Voices Award for the month of May 08. I'm proud of my friend. If you are interested in dreams, mystery, romance, and the paranormal then go get her amazing book.

FRANK BUCKLES, WWI VETERAN -

I am happy to say that President Bush met yesterday with Frank Buckles, the last surviving WWI US soldier. He was brought to the White House to honor his service to our country and to commemorate a series of event highlighting World War I.

Mr. Buckles memory is sharp and at 107 he is in relatively good health. During an interview with a television crew from the Veterans Affairs Administration, Buckles reeled off his military serial number and noted that he's still got his dog tags to remind him. He served before there were Social Security numbers.

I'm still hoping to hear the State Department announce that upon Mr. Buckles death he will be given a State funeral and be buried with the highest honors.

Wake by Lisa McMann

I want to introduce you to a great new author. Lisa McMann is a personal friend and on her way to author/stardom if there is such a thing.

She is a devoted mother and has worked so hard to perfect her craft. The result is WAKE, a young adult novel about a young woman who falls in and out of other people dreams.

I can't wait to read it. If you have a teen in your house, age 14 and up, get them a copy of WAKE. It just hit the stores. If they love it tell them not to worry, a sequel is on the way, titled FADE.

Lisa is an inspiration and deserves all the recognition coming her way. Writers, we should support each other in our efforts to reach the reading public. No one else understands how hard this career/life choice can be. Celebrate those who have made it and visualize when your turn will come...because with hard work and determination it will come.

Visit Lisa's website to learn more about the awesome writer and her work. I tried to post her book trailer from YouTube but it's not working. I'll keep trying.

Friendship Awards - The Most Cherished of All

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains friendship as a distinctively personal relationship that is grounded in a concern on the part of each friend for the welfare of the other, for the other's sake, and that involves some degree of intimacy.

My first friend, Jeanne, lived in the green house next door. We played dolls and cars. We planted dead tree branches in her yard and watered them everyday, dreaming they would grow into giant oak trees good for climbing. We alternately babied and ignored her little sister Stacey. We spied on her big brother Chris and his group of strangely intriguing friends. She stood up with me at my wedding and learned to dance the Cotton-eyed Joe at my reception. To this day I know I can call her and it will be as if we just spoke yesterday. We will pick up the conversation where we left off the last time we spoke and end it with "love you, girl!"

Blogging opened a new avenue of friendship for me. Since I started LifePrints I've developed "virtual" friendships with a handful of writers on the web. Some I only know through their avatars and comments on discussion boards or blogs. Others I email regularly and feel as if I know them as well or better than my "real life" neighbors. I've met one of my new friends, even went on a trip to New York with her. What a hoot that was! She was a great traveling companion.

The Internet has certainly changed the way friendships are made and has opened a world of possibilities. As always, I believe that people come into my life for a reason, and me into theirs, as well. Recently, two of my best blogging buddies awarded me with badges of friendship. I cherish them just as I do my "real" friends, like Jeanne.

Francis at Caught In The Stream , one of my best blogging buddies, gave me The Colors of Friendship Award. He's my newest uber-intellectual, mind stimulating, idea challenging buddy. If I ever visit his city I'm expecting to at least go out for coffee with this interesting man. I've told him before that he thinks circles around me but he humbly denies it. His writing is concise and beautiful in the same breath. He's a poet as well as a man of big ideas. I'd be hard pressed to find better or more worthwhile reading anywhere on the web. Now if I could only convince him to run for public office, that would be great!
I've decided to give The Colors of Friendship badge to Wendy at La Delirante. Wendy was one of the first bloggers I made contact with and I've enjoyed reading her blog ever since. She intrigues me because her life is so different from mine. She's from El Salvador but lives on the little island of Malta. I have to admit when I first found her I had to look at a world map to figure out that Malta is off the coast of Italy. With each new post she opens a window to a way of life that I'd never have known about without her. Thanks Wen. Keep writing and I'll keep reading.

Heather at The Wishful Writer gave me this beary friendship badge. I know if we met in person we'd have a blast together. She shares so much about her personal life on her blog that I feel like I've known her, her girlfriend April, her Granny, and heaven forbid Blemish, for years. I know more about her neighbors than I know about my own. She always answers comments, making her readers feel included in the joke. I talk to my husband about her as if I'd just talked to Heather on the phone. "You're never going to believe what Heather said today!" At least now he's stopped giving me a look of total confusion when I mention her name. So thank you Heather. You're the best.

I'm passing on this cute badge to my friend Lisa McMann. She is an accomplished Young Adult author. Her first book entitled WAKE will be on the shelves in March of next year. Get it and say you heard about her when because she is going to be big. I can feel it. She has more in the works so don't despair, you won't have to wait too long to read the next installment of Janie and Cable's adventure.

Thank you again Heather and Francis. If we ever meet in "real" life just look for the blond with the big smile and open arms looking for a hug!

Blog Day 2007 - Five Blogs That Captivate My Mind and Touch My Heart

Today is blog Day 2007! Each blog owner that participates lists their 5 favorite blogs, ones that they visit often, as much as every day. This gives me the opportunity to point out Bloggers who deserve some recognition.

Blogging can be a lonely task. As a writer, it feels good to get my thoughts out but also, as a writer, I long to be read. There are trackers and counters that let me know if anyone is listening but often, especially in the beginning, I felt like I was working within a vacuum with no one to bounce ideas off but myself.

Since becoming more involved in the blogging community, I don't feel that way anymore. Most days I get a few comments. I love that! And the feedback from the members of Blog Catalog has been so exciting. I'm glad that what I post about resonates with people. Maybe it will move someone to action or maybe it will just make them think. Either way, reader participation has made my experience with blogging much more meaningful. I thank each of you, especially Peter at Scruffyhippo's Blog, for adding me to his list for Blog Day.

Blog day 2007, gives me a chance to direct you to a few blogs that have captivated me, more for the unique voice of their owners than the slick look of the page. They are beautiful to me because of the people who run them. They put their psyches and hearts on the line with each post. I can only say thanks for opening my eyes and allowing me a glimpse into the windows of your souls.

Here is my list. Please visit these blogs. If you enjoy them, let the owners know that they are not writing inside a vacuum and their thoughts and ideas are heard.

The Wishful Writer - I can't say enough about Heather. I plug her blog every chance I get. The only way to describe my fascination with her writing is to say that she gently pulls me into her living room, sits me down in a comfortable chair, and laughs and cries with me like an old friend. She's my own personal Hollis Gillespie and that is a BIG compliment.

Eavesdrop Writer - She works in law enforcement. She writes. She listens in on other people's conversations. How cool is that! This is another blog that I send love to whenever I can. In transcript-like form, Vienne shares the overheard details. What I love most is she is an observer and let's me draw my own conclusions about the people she's encountered. No judgment, just great fodder for my building the characters in my next short story or novel.

Caught In The Stream - Pointedly political but also extremely intimate. I love this blog because Francis is clearly a highly intelligent man. When I spend time with his blog, I imagine Francis saying, "Why sure, Lisa, you can pick my brain for a little while. What do you want to know?"

He also has a unique habit of searching out obscure songs whose lyrics fit the theme of his post. Which I think is brilliant!

OMYWORD! Did I Say That? - Lisa Wines is what I want to be. Enough said, except I should probably explain. She lives life on her own terms. she opinionated, funny, deeply thoughtful, strong and fearless. Every post makes me laugh but what holds me is not the laughter, it's the fact that for the rest of the day I think about what she said and wonder why I never thought of it that way before.

Lisa McMann - My friend, Lisa, is the author of two young adult novels, Wake and Fade. Wake is set to hit the shelves next spring. Her website updates her progress. She is an inspiration to me. Just as Lisa Wines is what I want to be in personal life, Lisa McMann is my beacon in the dark fuzzy world of publishing. She's ahead of me in the process and gracious enough to look back and shine a flashlight in my direction. Come hither, dear writer, this is the way...lol (that's me laughing in chat lingo, in case you didn't know).

Those are my five but I could go on and on. I've discovered so many wonderful blogs while surfing through Blog Catalog and other resources. I'd love to give them all some love. There is time, I'll have to be patient.