Happy First Birthday WANA 1011

Posted on October 3, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor
WANA – We Are Not Alone
WANA Blogging Class of October 2011 celebrates year one!
 
In October and November 2011 I took Kristen Lamb’s Blogging for Author Brand class.
Kristen is the best selling author of  We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media 
and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer .  
She’s not only knowledgeable about social media, search engine optimization, effective topics to blog about, and managing our time so we can focus on writing our books, but she’s funny as heck.    
 I learned to hang loose, be my zany self, and have fun with blogging. 
Graphic designed by Rachel Funk Heller
My blog gets more traffic since I took this class, but that’s not all. I also made new and long-lasting friendships. Our class has stayed in touch and morphed into a team that shares knowledge on writing, marketing, technical problems, and any other concerns we have. 
When one of us is going through a rough patch, we turn into a pep squad and offer our support.     
WANA Tribe is a new social media site for creatives of all types. It’s similar to FaceBook. 
Join WANA Tribe, 
new social media site for 
writers, artists, any creatives.
Kristen’s online blogging class is now offered on the WANA International site, 
along with a host of other classes you might be interested in. 
Kristen Lamb recently started WANA Commons on Flickr 
a photo reservoir for WANAs to share images for free use by other WANAs 
without worrying about copyright infringement. 
To join, just sign up and agree to the terms.

To join in the conversation on Twitter, use the hashtag #MyWANA
WANA Party at Jenny Hansen’s house the day after the RWA Conference in Anaheim, California.
 Karen McFarland, Jenny Hansen, Ingrid Schaffenburg, Lynn Kelley,
Kate Wood, Tameri Etherton, Kristin Lamb, Debri Kristi

 WANA Mama Kristin Lamb – July 2012
Despite a gash in her head and a mild concussion,
Kristin managed to speak at the Romance Writers of America conference,
then socialize with WANA peeps at Jenny Hansen’s.
Steve and Jenny Hansen – Awesome Host & Hostess
Baby girl had been sick all week. They were sleep deprived, but still threw
an amazing party with a spread of delicious gluten free food. 

WANA peeps took turns in the bounce house!

Follow Kristen Lamb’s Blog here.

Cheers to all my blogging buddies. If you’d like to join WANA, we’ll welcome you with open arms!

“Coming together is a beginning. 
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.”
~ Henry Ford
Do you prefer to go at it alone, or do you like working with a team of supportive peeps? 
Are you part of any online communities?
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

What a Scream – Halloween

Posted on October 1, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor



It’s October 1st, and I’m looking for Halloween-related stories, so if you have one you’d like to share, please leave a comment or email me at the address below. 

This is a re-post from last year, the very first in my parenting series, about a scare my kids gave me years ago. 


It was a few days before Halloween. All four kids still lived at home, and I dragged my husband, George, with me to a play at the Montclair Plaza, leaving 16-year-old Tulip in charge of her two younger sisters, Lily and Sunflower, ages 12 and 8. Our oldest, 17-year-old Puck, wasn’t cut out for babysitting back then. I’ll leave it at that.

The play was titled “Every Man in the Mall,” and it started after hours when the stores had closed up. The audience followed the characters all through the mall for the different scenes. 

The theme was death and how every person must face it sooner or later. The grim reaper character creeped me out. So did the spooky, eerie atmosphere. 

Here’s a good image of a grim reaper. The video is funny.

About halfway through the play as we headed to the next scene on the lower level, a security guard walked up and read my name tag. Then he asked if there was a ‘George’ in the crowd. “Yes, right here.” I pointed at my husband. 

The guard spoke into his walkie-talkie, “Okay, I found them.” He pulled us aside and told us to call home, that there was some kind of emergency. 

My heart sunk. I was at a play about death and now something terrible must have happened to one of my kids. I dialed our home number, but my chest tightened up and I couldn’t talk. I handed the phone to George. 

A moment seemed like an eternity as my imagination conjured up horrible scenarios. I prayed silently. Finally, George told me, “They’re all right. It’s not an emergency.” I was able to catch my breath as I listened to George tell Tulip she almost gave her mother a heart attack by calling us. 

As it turned out, Tulip had started feeling sick and was running a fever. Puck and his friend, Durgie, had dressed up as the killer from “Scream” and were banging on the windows and scaring Lily and Sunflower. Then the boys climbed up on the roof, stomped back and forth and pounded on the skylights. 

Lily and Sunflower screamed hysterically. The dogs barked and howled. Tulip tried again and again to settle everyone down, to no avail. She was afraid the neighbors might call the cops, so she resorted to calling us at the play. My cell phone must have been turned off, so she got a hold of mall security and stressed to them that it wasn’t an emergency but very important that she reach us. 

Apparently, they didn’t listen to that part, and maybe the background noise sounded like bloody murder with the screaming and barking, but they treated it like it was a dire situation that demanded our immediate attention.

It was hard to follow the rest of the play after that, but that was okay because we were thankful the kids were all right. We grounded Puck for life. That was letting him off easy. 

So, do you have a scary or humorous parenting memory? If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too! 

Warning: I might feature your story in a future post! (Names can be changed to protect the guilty.)

If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo at yahoo dot com.

A version of this story first appeared in the Highland Community News in October 1998.


Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 12 Comments

Trippy Hippie Party – Photo Essay

Posted on September 27, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor
It’s a trip hippie party! Owrrrr! Can you dig it?


My hubby, George, turned 60 in July. Our daughter ‘Lily’ and her husband threw him a big old honkin’ party with a hippie theme. The ‘cool’ people wore funky threads, man.

Lynn Kelley

Old farts – Young at heart!

Lynn Kelley
 Generations of hip relatives came from near and far.
Lynn Kelley

Outtasight!

Lynn Kelley
Baby, baby!
AmyCammy

I heard it through the grapevine.

Mike

“And the sign said ‘Long haired freaky people need not apply.'” ~ From the song Signs – Written by Les Emmerson Performed by Five Man Electrical Band

Rock on!
Screen shot 2012-09-25 at 12.48.33 PM
Paparazzi Paul Kyle
The photographer who took all the good pics.
He said I could add special effects if I wanted!


A week before the party, Lily couldn’t stop talking about her costume, so Dane, Mr. Practical Joker, set out to copy her outfit. I had to play spy and find out what she was wearing.

AmyGeorgeDane
 Dane and his wife checked at two Forever 21 stores, but couldn’t find the matching top. The day of the party, they stopped at Forever 21 in Bakersfield and found it. 
Yes, he got a lot of strange looks at the party!
The happenin’ place.
ThomasJena                                           
SteveLogan
 

 

 

   The geru has arrived.
JimLinda
 Time to meditate.

 
Hangin’ Out


Screen shot 2012-09-26 at 6.56.34 PM



The fad – John Lennon shades.

 

 
Screen shot 2012-09-25 at 11.46.54 AM 
 
Psychedelic!
“The New York State Freeway’s closed, man. Far out!”
~ Arlo Guthrie
 DSC_3898
Feelin’ groovy. 
 
Love, Peace & Rock’n’roll

DSC_3937






 

 

 

 

Fer sure, man. 

Screen shot 2012-09-25 at 11.35.55 AM
Right on!
 



“Da-na-na-na-nuh-nuh. They say it’s yer birthday!” 
Turning 60 – Piece of cake!

 

 

Screen shot 2012-09-25 at 12.31.10 PM

Keep on trucking’!

“Carry on. Love is coming. Love is coming to us all.”
        ~ Crosby, Stills & Nash
Screen shot 2012-09-25 at 12.02.02 PM

George has always looked like David Crosby of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

 
Far out!
BeerPong
“Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep. 
It starts when you’re always afraid. Step out of line, 
the man come and take you away.” ~ Buffalo Springfield
 
BarbaraPurse

Check it out! Barbara still has her original leather purse
from way back when!

Love those candy cigarettes!

NightTime 
“Old hippies don’t die, they just lie low until the laughter stops 
and their time comes round again.” ~ Joseph Gallivan
 

“Down through all of eternity the crying of humanity, tis’ then when the hurdy gurdy man comes singing songs of love.” 

~ Donovan
 JimWendyJim

 

Cara

Flower child

 PeaceSign
Peace out!

Do you like costume parties? Do you remember the hippie era? What was your favorite song?
Posted in family, Friends, Nostalgia, Photo Essay | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Survivors – Parenting Plights & Delights

Posted on September 24, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor

One look at the gorgeous tiki hut below makes me think of a tropical paradise. Peaceful, relaxing, a place to hang loose. Can you believe this is someone’s back yard in a suburb of Los Angeles?

What a perfect setup for Alexis to house sit for her parents last June. She and little Zack, not quite two, could walk over to visit her 90-year-old grandmother, who lived next door. And what a fun yard for a toddler to run around in.

One late afternoon, Alexis took Zack outside with her to feed the fish in the pond. When she tried to go back in the house, she discovered the door was locked. There’s a gate, but it was padlocked. The key? In the house, of course, and the gate was too high to scale.

It was 4:30. She called over the fence to her grandma, but there was no response. What the heck, Alexis decided she could make do for a few hours until Joe, her husband, got off work at 7:30.

She continued to call to Grandma next door, but Grandma didn’t answer. Inside the house, the landline and cell phone rang off and on. Soon dinnertime rolled around, and Zack needed to eat.

The tiki hut’s shelves weren’t stocked with food, just drinks. She let Zack sip a Coke and hoped it would hold him over until Daddy arrived to rescue them.

Soon Zack filled his diaper, and what a doozie! No wipes and no extra diapers, so she hosed him off and had no choice but to let him run around stark naked. He ran all over the yard, rolled in mud and dirt, laughing and having a blast. He reminded his mother of the wild boys in Lord of the Flies.

All the while the phones kept ringing and Grandma still didn’t answer Alexis’s calls. Joe must have worked overtime because 7:30 came and went. Then darkness fell, so Alexis found matches in the tiki hut and lit the tiki torches so they could see. She helped herself to a Mai Tai and let Zack sip more Coke.

Just when Alexis thought they’d never escape the backyard prison, Grandma arrived at 9:30 to save them. It turned out Joe had been calling and for hours. He finally called Grandma and asked her to go next door and check on Alexis and Zack.

That night they basked in the comforts of civilization, so happy they had survived their back yard adventure.

“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.”
~ Carrie P. Snow
Have you ever been locked out? What happened?

Do you have a parenting or grandparenting memory
or another story you’d like to share? 
If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too. 

Warning: I might feature your story in a future post. 
(Names can be changed to protect the guilty!)

I’d like to thank all those who have shared their stories. 
These posts wouldn’t be the same without your input.

If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, 
here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo at yahoo dot com.


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Little Mimics – Parenting Plights & Delights

Posted on September 17, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor

Some kids get in trouble if they utter the dreaded ‘S’ word. Parents, you know what I’m talking about, and big, bad me, I’m going to say it right here in this post, so if your kids are looking over your shoulder, you might want to shoo them away. Here goes, the shocking, scandalous ‘S’ word – ‘Shut up!’ (Hey, that’s actually two words.)

Rene Reiner is one of many parents who designated the ‘S’ word as off limits. In the wee hours one morning while doing paper work, she was startled by the loud voice of her 18-year-old son, J.R., telling her nine-year-old son, “Shut up, Charlton!”

It took Rene a moment before she realized that J.R. was in another state and that Charlton had been asleep for hours. Then once more she heard it, “Shut up, Charlton!” This time she pegged the speaker as their pet parrot.

When J.R. returned home, she asked him why he’d been telling his brother to shut up.

“I didn’t,” he said.

“Then why does the parrot say ‘shut up, Charlton’ in your voice?”

J.R. turned red, then fessed up, “I’ve only done it a couple times.”

Photo byJessie Harrell via WANA Commons

I’ve heard other stories of parrots repeating things they weren’t taught to say, like one family that spent hours trying to teach their new parrot cute phrases, but it wouldn’t say anything. Then one day the parrot started talking, but instead of the cutsie phrases they were teaching it, it said, “Get out of my room!” Then later, “I didn’t do it.”

Photo by Dana Ross Martin via WANA Commons
This is not the cockatoo mentioned below.

The parrots repeated some not-so-nice things, but that’s nothing compared to a white cockatoo I heard about. Yes, this is a true story. Imagine buying such a beautiful bird and wondering why anyone would want to sell their gorgeous pet. Now picture the new owners’ shocked expressions when the cockatoo yelled, “Shut the ‘F’ing door!” Oh, my, my, my.  What a predictament!

Do you have certain words or phrases that your kids are forbidden to say? 
Have you ever owned a talking bird that said things you didn’t like?
Do you have a parenting or grandparenting memory
or another story you’d like to share? 
If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too. 

Warning: I might feature your story in a future post. 
(Names can be changed to protect the guilty!)

I’d like to thank all those who have shared their stories. 
These posts wouldn’t be the same without your input.

If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, 
here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo at yahoo dot com.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Summer is Slippin’ Slidin’ Away – Parenting Plights & Delights

Posted on September 10, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor
“Summer should get a speeding ticket.” ~ Author Unknown
Spring and summer are my favorite seasons. My kids are grown, and I don’t have to deal with hectic school mornings anymore, but every year at this time I pause to mourn Fall casting its shadow on summertime.

Some of my favorite childhood memories:
Surprise showers with tingly raindrops.
Marking the street up with sidewalk chalk well past 9:00 and still daylight.
When night fell, lightning bugs flitted around us, glowing with magic.

As a mother, summer fun with my kids and my sister Pam and her children bring more happy times to mind. These photos are from about 24 years ago, but it seems like just yesterday:

“Take time to play. It is the secret to staying young.” ~ Unknown



Get ready. Get set…
GO!
Pam remembers this day of fun spent with our kids.
Sometimes adults need to take time and play like a kid again.“When life rains on your parade, bring out the slip’n’slide!” ~ Author Unknown

“A child reminds us that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine.” ~ Author Unknown

Photos will fade and summers fizzle, 
but memories are forever.

“No school. Sleepovers. Tanning. Beaches. 
Water fights. Tank tops. Flip flops. 
Lemonade. Sunglasses. Taking Pictures. Late nights. 
Ice-cream. Warm air. Camps. Short shorts. 
Sleeping in. Summer Breeze. 
Tan lines. Sand castles. Long hair. 
Mud fights. Bonfires. Slushies. Pool parties. 
Sun kissed hair. Palm trees. Barbecues. 
Blue skies…Make it count!” 
~ Author Unknown
Check out this great YouTube video. It’s only 21 seconds long.
Wowsers! Does this look like fun or what?
Would you brave a ride on this?
Do you have any favorite summer memories? What’s your favorite season and why?
Parents, do you like to do things like this with your kids?
 
Do you have a parenting or grandparenting memory
or another story you’d like to share? 
If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too. 
 
Warning: I might feature your story in a future post. 
(Names can be changed to protect the guilty!)
 
I’d like to thank all those who have shared their stories. 
These posts wouldn’t be the same without your input.
 
If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, 
here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo at yahoo dot com.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

60 Years After Eloping – Parenting Plights & Delights

Posted on September 3, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor
Lynn Kelley, family

Sixty years ago in July, my parents got married. She was 16. He was 19.

She lived in Morningside and he lived in Shadyside.

Both areas are part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Mom’s wicked step-mother slapped her, so she eloped with my father.

They’d been dating since she was 14 and he was 17.

Lynn Kelley, family I think Dad and Mom made a handsome couple.

Still together after 60 years!

 A lot happened during in those six decades.

Dad was drafted during the Korean War. Fortunately, he was stationed in Germany.

Mom had my brother while Dad was in the Army.

She sent him a telegram to announce the arrival of their son.

Two years later, they had a daughter. Me! Then another daughter,

another son, and finally, another daughter.

When I was eight, our family moved across the country,

from Pennsylvania to Southern California.

Lynn Kelley, family

 The family moved around a lot at first.

I attended third grade at three different schools.

A couple years later,  Dad and Mom bought a house and lived there for decades.

Here we are in 1974.

Lynn Kelley, family

All five of us kids married and had children of our own, so Mom and Dad now have 16 grandchildren and six great-grandkids, so far!

Mom planned a really nice family celebration. She sent out invitations.

Lynn Kelley, family

My oldest brother lives out of state. He RSVP’d that he couldn’t come, but he surprised Dad and Mom a couple nights before the party.

Lynn Kelley, family

Just for grins and giggles, they reenacted the moment when they answered the door and discovered their firstborn on their doorstep.

 So the night before the celebration, they had a last-minute get-together with all five of us kids, plus four of our spouses and the grandkids who had just arrived from out of town.

Lynn Kelley

Someone remembered to get a photo of all five kids.

It’s a a rare occasion when we’re all together.

 Lynn Kelley, family

How convenient that the tables and chairs were delivered that day. Mom ordered them for a casual gathering back at the house after brunch at a country club.

Lynn Kelley, family

 Decades ago Dad and his daughters did a silly totem pole picture, so we tried to do another one, kind of like then and now shots. I wish I had that old photo.

Someone got a shot in front of us, but I don’t know who took it.

 Lynn Kelley, family Here are some of the grandkids who drove a long way for the party.

 Mom was pretty exhausted that night. She fell out of bed and landed hard on her right knee. The skin split open from above the knee to below her knee.

It was a huge skin flap that would have exposed the entire knee, but the vertical scar from a knee replacement stopped the skin from tearing past the middle of her knee.

 That was about 11:00 p.m. Dad drove her to the E.R.

They ‘glued’ the skin back on because they couldn’t stitch it.

Hours later she left the hospital in a knee brace and using a walker.

Mom and Dad got less than two hours of sleep, but they made it to the brunch.

Lynn Kelley, family We were in a private room and had a such a nice time.

Lynn Kelley, family

Mom managed to get around with her walker.

She only needed it for a couple days.

 Lynn Kelley, family
 Lynn Kelley, family
George, me, Twinkle Eyes, and Punkin. Love that hat!

The other four great-grandchildren weren’t able to come.

 What in the world am I doing in this photo?

Lynn Kelley, family I have no idea why I’m making such a goofball face.

Lynn Kelley, family
Lynn Kelley, family
Lynn Kelley, family

Dad with seven of his nine granddaughters.Lynn Kelley, family

 Time for a photo of the whole group.
Every family has at least one joker.

Lynn Kelley, family Four of the grandkids and their spouses couldn’t come.

Lynn Kelley, family

Dad’s 79 and Mom’s 76.
They’re still a handsome couple.

We celebrated by doing our happy dances.
Mom had to be careful, but she got a few moves in.

Dad’s very agile. You’ve got to see him in action!
I had to replace the music we were dancing to due to copyright issues,
so I used music from iMovie. It looks like we’re really dancing to this song, though!

Lynn Kelley

Happy 60th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

How does your family celebrate special occasions?

Posted in Dancing, family, Lynn Kelley, Parenting Plights and Delights, YouTube Video | Tagged , , , , , | 29 Comments

This Isn’t Photoshopped!

Posted on August 31, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one.
~ Albert Einstein
What’s going on with the spoon dangling from that bracelet? 
No, it’s not a charm gone wild. No, it’s not a magic trick. No, it’s not Photoshopped. 

This is my aunt’s bracelet. A group of us went out to breakfast. She lifted her arm and felt something heavy on her wrist. She couldn’t believe a spoon was sticking to her bracelet. She removed it, but the next time she lifted her arm, it happened again! How could that be?

Simple: Her bracelet comes apart in two separate equal-sized pieces. Each piece has magnets built into them to hold the bracelet together around her wrist. The magnet attracted the silverware on the table.

I wonder what she’d pick up wearing that bracelet in a jewelry shop? Imagine her walking out with a pricey metallic piece and not realizing it. She could end up in prison!

Magnetism is one of the Six Fundamental Forces of the universe, 
with the other five being Gravity, Duct Tape, Whining, Remote Control, 
and the Force That Pulls Dogs Toward the Groins of Strangers.
~ Dave Barry

Can you think of any other strange scenarios that could happen with a bracelet like that? C’mon now, stretch your imagination and have some fun!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 21 Comments

Mean Cats Ban C. Lee McKenzie’s Children’s Book

Posted on August 29, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor
SPECIAL INSIDER INTERVIEW WITH C. LEE MCKENZIE
Author still under siege by FFF. Second Howl-In Threatened.
Interviewer L. Nerd: Today C. Lee McKenzie has gone to the public with a plea for support in the ongoing (Federation of Feline Familiars) FFF v. C. Lee McKenzie case, now in negotiation. She is trying to avoid a lengthy and costly trial, but the FFF continue to hold firm in their demands. They refuse to back down on their insistence for a rewrite of Alligators Overhead in which they replace the current witch familiars, the Ornofree alligators.
The Book at the Center of the Controversary
 
Interviewer L. Nerd: So, Ms. McKenzie, can you summarize what has happened so far?
C. Lee: The FFF has held one Howl-In to protest what they refer to as a threat to future generations. They say my book opens the door to other species who might want the job as witch familiars. The alligators are firm in opposing the cats. They’re prepared to go to court. I’m very concerned that this dispute might even result in hostilities. After all, these alligators know how to declare war. I’d appreciate your readers’ support: letters to the editor of their local newspapers, letters to the FFF whatever. The FFF is already organizing another of those dreadful Howl-Ins!
Interviewer L. Nerd: When did you first suspect you might be in for trouble?
C. Lee: I was blindsided by the FFF’s attack just before my book came out. I thought they’d find my story was an interesting twist on the traditional “cat needs witch,” “witch needs cat” theme. They have centuries of being familiars on the international scene. Hadleyville is one very small point on the map.
Interviewer L. Nerd: They’re demanding a rewrite or what?
C. Lee: Banning my book! And believe me they have a huge political machine behind them.

Interviewer L. Nerd: This dispute has been going for a few weeks. Has there been no move toward a settlement?

 

C. Lee: Almost none. The FFF had a major conference that demanded we recess until their chief negotiators returned. Al Wisecat and the one they call Champion of the Under Cat are taking the lead on these negotiations, and evidently they both had major presentations at this conference–one paper was Breakthrough on Hair Ball Elixirs, another on The Catnip Conspiracy Theory.Interviewer L. Nerd: They sound like significant players in the FFF. I read you made an offer to donate a case of dolphin safe tuna to the conference and that it was being considered as a step toward easing the tensions.


C. Lee: I donated several cases, and the Malamutes, who responded to my request for help, donated some ball toys and finally two scratching posts. Unfortunately, the alligators ate them.
 
Interviewer L. Nerd: So what are your plans when negotiations resume?
 
C. Lee: I’ll return to the table with these offers: I’ll dedicate my next book to the FFF and donate 10% of any proceeds the first year the book is out. I’ll sign an agreement to never write another book in which cats lose their traditional roles to another species. I’ll replace the cat toys and the scratching post eaten by the alligators. I have received some information that leads me to believe there’s a small break in the FFF ranks. This might mean things will go in my favor. I’m not sure.
 
Interviewer L. Nerd: Can you reveal what this break is about?
C. Lee: This is a picture that came into my possession showing that tuna might be the pivotal negotiating point. Obviously, some members are interested in taking this part of my offer. 


Then there was a dispute following the last round of talks. Some wanted to take my offer.

 

Interviewer L. Nerd: So there you have it. The latest news on FFF v. C. Lee McKenzie. She’s stated she will report the results of this dispute on her blog within the next few days.

Awesome book trailer!

“Alligators, witches and a spooky mansion aren’t your average neighbors . . . not unless you live at the edge of the Ornofree swamp in the backwater town of Hadleyville. Pete Riley may only be eleven, but he’s already up to his eyeballs in big trouble, and this time the town’s bad boy, Pete, didn’t cause it. This time the trouble arrived when a legendary hundred-year-old mansion materialized next door with someone inside, someone who came to seek him out. Then the Ornofree alligators declare war to try to save their swamp from being bulldozed for a shopping mall, and Pete discovers he’s living among a coven of “sadly-out-of practice” witches. When one of their ancient “magick” spells goes wrong and all the witches vanish, including his guardian aunt, Pete’s left to face the perils of the Ornofree Swamp War alone. He soon discovers that he just might have inherited the family talent for witchcraft, and, although he doesn’t know one thing about the practice of spell casting, he’s the only one left in Hadleyville to do it. It’s up to him work some dangerous “magick,” restore his aunt and bring back all the other witches. He might stand a chance of succeeding if his one friend, Weasel, sticks with him, but even the two of them may not succeed.”

 

BUY LINKS:

 

 

AMAZON KINDLE 
 
AMAZON PAPERBACK
 

 

 

B&N
SMASHWORDS
C. Lee McKenzie

 

GOODREADS

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2809083.C_Lee_McKenzie


I’m in the middle of reading Alligators Overhead right now. I can’t wait to see how Pete Riley gets out of the mess he’s in! C. Lee McKenzie’s books never disappoint. This is a fun, entertaining middle grade read. Parents who read aloud to their kids will enjoy this book, too.

 

 

 

Do you have any advice for C. Lee McKenzie on how to fight back against the mean cats? Do you think this issue can be resolved?

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Yikes! Will I Get My Book Launched?

Posted on August 9, 2012 by lynnkelleyauthor
Hello Friends! Some of you know I’m planning to launch my chapter book, CURSE OF THE DOUBLE DIGITS (for ages 7 to 10), on October 10th. That happens to be the birthday of my main character, Becky. She’s turning double digits on the tenth day of the tenth month and expects it to be magical, but of course that’s not the case…

Being the tech idiot that I am, I’m having a hard time getting the paperback version ready to publish through CreateSpace. Can’t afford to pay someone. 🙁 Besides, I need to learn all this stuff.

See, I started this book ten years ago. (It spent years in a drawer off and on.) Back then it didn’t cause problems to indent a new paragraph by hitting the tab. But now it wreaks havoc in Word, and parts of the manuscript that were indented that way have to be deleted and fixed. Took an entire day to figure this out, thanks to the help of some wonderful writer peeps. There are other glitches, too, but who wants to hear about those? Not me!

Even if I wasn’t having problems with the margins and paragraphing, getting the text justified without large gaps between words requires revising sentences so they fit better. It’s way more time consuming than I expected. Those are just a few issues, not to mention dealing with widows and orphans. Scream!

I expected to run into problems adding the illustrations, but as it turns out, it’s working fine! Woo hoo! It’s so nice when things go smoothly, isn’t it?

Still need to get the cover done. The cover illustration is ready. Now I’m waiting for the cover designer to work her magic. She’s backlogged for six weeks, but she threw together a temporary cover so I can add it to the CreateSpace template and order the first book proof and check it over.

Not bad for a temporary cover thrown together in a few minutes! 
I sent her the cover illustration (by Alanna Heck) and she took it from there.
I’m excited to see what she’ll do for the final cover. I like how she added “10”
behind the title. Just need to add the illustrator’s name and delete “The” in the title.

I’m not one of those people who waits till the last minute to get things done, but moving and babysitting full time set me back. Ah, life and those darn monkey wrenches! Sheesh! Plans never turn out the way we plan, do they?

Once the paperback version is set to go, I need to get the eBook version ready. That means revising all the sentences to match the changes I made in the paperback version. Very time consuming. And very tricky to accomplish during the week when I’m babysitting. While Punkin naps, I need to work fast.

So I won’t be blogging much until I get a handle on things. Right now I’m overwhelmed and trying to keep the meltdowns to a minimum. This writing process is a wild ride, that’s for sure.

I’ll be back as soon as possible. I have lots of cool posts planned. And I will catch up with all of you then. I hope your summer is sizzling with fun and sun and good times.

Hope to see you soon!

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