Quotable Monday

For my friend, Shauna.  

Can you guess the book from the following quote??

"I am excessively diverted"

Christmas Books I read 2008

Christmas Rose by Robyn Buttars 3 stars

The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes by Deborah Pace Rowley 5

Christmas Every Day by Willeam Dean Howells 3

Christmas Oranges Retold by Linda Bethers 5

Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest by Dan Farr 4

The Bridge by Larry Barkdull 4

What Santa Can't Do by Douglas Wood 4

The Christmas Conversation Piece by Bret Nicholaus 5 (We read questions every night at dinner from the book.)

Santa's Stuck by Rhonda Gowler Greene 4

A Merry Little Christmas Winning stories from Covenant's contest 1996 2

Queen of Christmas by Mary Engelbreit 4

Dumby's Happy Holiday by Julie Andrews Edwards 3

An Angel's Promise by Donald P. Mangum & Brenton G. Yorgason 2

The Christmas Letters by Lee Smith 2

'Christmas Sweater', 'Santa's Secret', and 'Brown Bag Christmas' are still on my list to read.

Me no likey...

In November I joined a 'club' with thousands of other anxious wanna be authors.  We all tried to write 50,000 words in one month.  And I can say that I wrote over 50,000!

But I don't really like to make goals.

Well, I don't like to make goals in January.  It always made more sense to me to make goals in the fall before school starts.   The smell of the schools floor cleaner always made me heady with great ambitions like a 4.0 and dating the quarterback/star forward/hunk.

I do like to make lists.  

I write to-do lists and shopping lists and books-I've-read lists.  I've made a list of chores each child can accomplish, what my own chores are daily and what we are eating for the month. 

I've made a list of the stories I've written and stories I've started and ideas for other stories. 

Those stories and ideas are sitting in my jump drive waiting to be finished or sent to a publisher.  But they are not sitting quietly.  They keep reminding me they are waiting.  But what do I do with all of them?  I have two that needed edited, one that is in rough draft and two short stories that need tweaked.  And that is just the ones that are close to the finish line.  There are 5-8 other stories that have been started or are in outline form. It's overwhelming!

So, dare I say it?  I need a goal.  Not a list.  A goal.

I learned in November that a goal/deadline is a great motivator.  I have heard many talks and read many books about goals and have actually made a few myself.  But until November, I have not FELT the way I did when the word count came back over 50K.

I want to FEEL it this year!  I want to feel what it is like to:

Have a book accepted by a publisher

Have a Christmas story published

Have a book published

And travel to another continent to research a book

I was browsing Tristi Pinkston's blog and she has sent out a challenge.  Check it here: Gearing Up for the New Year ...

Now I need to set the smaller goals that will take me in the direction I want to go:

I will write at least two hours everyday or average 5,000 words a week.

I will submit 2 stories by March.

I'll start with these two.  I made add more as I go.  But I will get three stories out this year.

Phew!  I can check that off the 'to do' list! :)

I now believe that because I have lists instead of goals I don't stick to the monthly menu, I averaged a B+ and never dated the quarterback.  

But I did marry a hunk!

Christmas Story: Santa's Gift Card

Here is the story I wrote for the contest. The story is based on a true experience in my extended family.

 I didn't win but now my story is out in the universe!

 I really want to make this story better so please leave comments and ideas!  THANK YOU in advance!

  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas was not on my mind when I decided I needed to go back to college to get a better job. I applied for financial help and received a grant to college in another state. Jennifer and I prayed about our decision and knew it was the right one.

The move was hard. It was hard to leave family and friends. But the move was harder on us financially. We moved during the summer to get settled before I started school. I also had to start over with a new job. We watched our small savings dwindle. Jennifer and I looked over our finances when school started and I needed to buy textbooks. We decided we would need to drop our cell phone, internet and cable service. We would barely have enough money for food and diapers. We knew we were in the right place doing the right thing, it was just going to be tight.

A few weeks before Christmas my company downsized and I lost my job. I went home to tell my wife. She was putting in a pizza when the phone rang. I watched Jennifer paint Jordan's hand red and press it to a paper wreath while I listened to her end the conversation.

"Yes, I had heard the Wallace's baby was still in NICU." She painted Jordan's other hand green and pressed it to the paper. "We'll be happy to bring in a dinner." She hung up and looked at me. I nodded. Jennifer packed up our pizza, garlic bread and salad and left. We ate Jordan's favorite dinner when she got back: PB&J. Over dinner, Jennifer told of the Wallace's bare apartment.

I looked at our own little tree. We bought it when we were first married. It had one present under it. At Enrichment, Jennifer had made an etching on glass of the temple we were sealed in. I looked at Jordan. I knew he wouldn't know if he got anything for Christmas. But at two-years-old he made the best car sounds a father could hope for.

I looked around our little one room apartment. Jennifer and Jordan had colored Christmas and Nativity scenes and hung them around the living room. Paper snowflakes adorned the windows. I went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. It looked like we had a choice of PB&J or tomato soup for Christmas dinner. If the food lasted that long.

That night, I decided it was time to swallow my pride and talk to our bishop. Jennifer had loving suggested I make an appointment with him but I said no, we are fine. I called the bishop's secretary. He told me the bishop could see me tonight.

"Welcome, Brother Whitlock!" Bishop Draper shook my hand and motioned for me to sit in the chair across from him at his desk. "What can I do for you? Or sometimes I like to ask, what can the Lord do for you?"

"Well, Bishop, I came today because there is too much month at the end of my money. Our cupboards are bare and I have no job." I tried to smile.

Bishop Draper sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers under his chin and looked at me. He asked about Jordan and our medical bills. He asked me about school, my skills and previous jobs. His next question surprised me.

"Have you been paying your tithing?" he asked, quietly.

"Yes!" I replied, emphatically. It was always the first check written after I got paid.

He nodded and smiled.

"Then all will be well, Brother Whitlock. All will be well." He stood and walked around the desk to me. "Do you have enough faith?"

I hesitated while I thought about his question. I slowly nodded.

Bishop Draper extended his hand to me and I stood up to shake it.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "The Lord knows your needs. He loves you."

As I drove home, I wondered what I would tell my wife over another PB&J dinner. There was a knock on the door. One of the local youth held out a manila envelope, requesting a small donation to help a local family who lost their husband and baby to a house fire. The rest of the family were living with grandparents until they could get on their own feet again. I put all the money in the envelope I had on me: $1. Now I had no money for a toy car, but I knew I had given the widows mite.

The next day, I grabbed the mail. I had sent my resume to several organizations and was waiting for a phone call or a letter. All I found was the usual credit card applications and last minute Christmas shopping ads. I threw the mail on the table. A red envelope caught my eye. I picked it up and looked at the return address. "Santa Claus, North Pole." I looked at the postmark. "North Pole."

"Jennifer! We got a letter from Santa!" I opened the letter with Jennifer looking over my shoulder. The letter told us that Santa has helpers around the world who gave to those in need. One such helper wanted to help us. Jennifer and I looked at the gift card in her hand with big eyes. Arms around each other and tears flowing down our cheeks, we knelt in humble prayer to thank our Heavenly Father for his tender mercies.

We bundled Jordan up and went Christmas shopping. We bought Jordan a ball and a toy car. I bought Jennifer perfume and she bought me a robe. She said she was tired of seeing my holey pajamas. We also bought food for our cupboards and Christmas dinner.

When we checked out we were surprised to see the amount of money left on the card. Our Santa Helper had given us enough money to cover our purchases and more. Jennifer and I looked at each other and smiled. We took our purchases to the car and went back inside.

We went to the card aisle and found a big card with Santa on it. We went home and found the address of a family who needed a Santa Helper. We put the gift card inside the card and mailed it the next day. Now we were one of Santa's Helpers.

The feeling of this Christmas are indescribable on all levels. The joy of giving and receiving this season will not be forgotten.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.   

Norman Vincent Peale

what books are on your bedside table?

Here is my stack of books:

East of Eden by John Steinbeck (I'm returning this to the library after only reading 1/4.  I don't like it)

Arabella by Georgette Heyer

5 minute Feng Shui by Jane Garton (my DS6 carried this little book around.  Then gave it to me to read)

Forever Kate by Cheri J. Crane

Brisinger by Christopher Paolini (how is the title pronounced?)

Writing Popular Fiction by Dean R. Koontz

Beginnings, Middles & Ends by Nancy Kress

I wonder if I will finish any of the above mentioned books this weekend?  I have no major plans for the next few days.  Will my family let me cozy up in a quilt and read and nap over the next few days?  Ah, dreaming....

Christmas Story Contest

Do you want to read some new Christmas stories no one has read yet? Then hop on over to ldspublisher.blogspot.com for a Christmas story contest.

There are 24 stories you can vote on. 15 stories are from published authors and 9 are from unpublished authors.
My story is under the 'unpublished' author section! So make sure to read and vote on those stories! :)
I can't tell you which one is mine, but it will still be fun to read some new Christmas stories.

The rules for voting are on her blog but I'll also post them here:

Voting Rules:
VOTE any time from 12:01 a.m. on December 14th through 11:59 p.m. on December 20th. Time stamp on the voting comment determines whether or not your vote will count.

Anyone who visits this blog may vote.

You may make all the comments you like, but VOTING COMMENTS must clearly indicate that it is a vote. (Ex: I'm voting for this one...)

You may vote twice in each category: Published and Unpublished. You may only vote once per story. We're on the honor system here.

Easiest way to read and vote:To read the stories by Published Authors, click THIS Link, read the stories and vote for two.

To read the stories by Unpublished Authors, click on THIS Link, read the stories and vote for two.

You MAY vote for yourself.

You can vote by whatever criteria you want, just don't make it a popularity contest.

All stories have been posted anonymously. You may take credit for your story after the winners have been announced.

Authors, please let your friends know that you've entered this contest and encourage them to come vote, but don't tell them which story is yours.

We want the stories to win on merit, not the popularity of the author.

Due to the previously mentioned personal issue, I will announce the winners on Monday, December 22nd. I will post comments on the stories beginning December 22nd and continue until I've commented on every story.

Then I will take a break until the new year.Good luck everyone!LDSP