Going Solo for the Night

Ah, solo for the night! (I forgot how this feels...) Family left for the lake around five, but I didn't want to miss my taiko practice in the morning (only 4 practices left before the recital!). I'll head up after practice.

I spent the evening doing errands (who knew it would take THREE stops over two weeks to get a new cell phone plan??) and stopped to chat with the president of the Flying Club I'm going to join in the fall. There I received what I can only describe as a karmic lift - that subconscious nudge that I was brought into this person's sphere for a reason (in this case it perhaps has to do with my novel-in-progress). But perhaps that's true of all encounters?? - we just don't usually feel it so strongly as I did tonight...

When I got home I wrapped my daughter's birthday presents and painted my toe nails (I haven't done THAT in a very long time!). Now I'm ostensibly working on my writing (I made some headway this week, most noteably from my prosthetist friend, whom I "intereviewed" AGAIN for another 45 minutes)...

But really I'm just revelling in the feeling of not being accountable to anyone but ME for one evening!

New content on Mamapalooza

Mamapalooza.com is a site for "women empowered, mom-branded business, entertainment and education." Quite a bit of mom rock/music, but in general, these moms are not your "typical" moms!

And apparently they feel that I'm also a "non-typical" mom ... portions of THIS blog will now be compiled on their site. Cool, huh? Check it out at mamapalooza.com

I hope to find more of this type of "partnership" in the future!

P.S. Just as soon as I blogged about Kiva, they launched a new program. Now, not only can you choose to help fund a micro-loan in other countries ... you can do the same right here in the US! kiva.org

Give Them a Fish...

Micro-lending is built on the concept of "give a man a fish, he eats for a day; but TEACH him to fish, and he eats for a lifetime."

The idea is to provide small loans to people in developing countries so that they can start their own business (or expand one they already have) and improve their quality of life.

Great idea - but difficult to know who needs what, and which requests are legitimate and viable.

I found a great site that coordinates with local 'partners' (in other countries) to list requests. You can choose a category or type of recipient. You can choose the amount to give (it lumps other donors together to meet the requested need). Most the loan requests I've seen are modest by US standards (under $4000). The site even provides updates and repayment! (I plan to put the repayment right back into helping another.)

What a great way to use the power of the Internet... check it out at www.kiva.org

Interview with Last Chance Character Quinn Belmont

I was looking at past blog entries tonight and realized I hadn't posted the third in the series of character interviews. So, here is what Quinn Belmont has to say about his role in Last Chance Rescue...

How do you know Jessie?
She was one of our medics in Iraq, and we had some of the same friends. But the way I come back into her life in Last Chance Rescue ... well, let's just say it's a shock to both of us.

Will you tell us a bit about Iraq?
Damn, you don't really want to hear about that, do you?!

If it would help to understand you ...
Look, if you haven't lived it, you can't understand it. We were out there getting sniped at and blown up by suicide bombers and Improvised Explosive Devices. I saw a lot of nasty stuff -- legs and hands blown off, head injuries ... hell, I was injured twice myself.

You lost friends there?
Everyone lost friends.

I heard you lost two of your closest friends.
[Long sip of beer.] My girlfriend ... and Max. Me and Max were close ...

Is that when you started drinking?
I was drinking long before that. Drinking was only the start of my problems when I ran into Jessie in Last Chance Rescue ... and I didn't like that she had all these guy friends. Guys and girls can't be 'just friends,' you know what I mean? She was way too friendly with some of them. Especially Brad.

Sounds like you were jealous.
I wouldn't put it that way. She and I, you see ... we were connected by what had happened to us in Iraq.

But you threatened Brad.
That's an exaggeration. I just didn't like him much. Although I guess it's a good thing he was around the night I overdosed ...

Will you tell us about that?
No can do. You'll have to buy the book!

Global warming video

This is not related to my writing, but is one of the better communiques I've seen on the topic of global warming. The young speaker is so low-key that I had to laugh when, near the end, an expletive is used!

To view this 4-minute video click here.

Gripping, personal account of Iraq War

I am supposed to be in WI getting ready to go rafting tomorrow, but Mother Nature had other ideas (cold and rainy here!). So I was doing a little ‘homework’ today: reading “House to House” by David Bellavia (with – a LOT, I think – of help from journalist John Bruning). It is a memoir of his time serving in Iraq, and particularly Fallujah.

Last Chance Rescue’s character Jessie Van Dyke is an Iraq veteran, and though the story is taking place AFTER her tour of duty, the experience of war has left her with emotional baggage. And ... a divorce.

Her ex-husband, Major Aaron Bricewick, is the main character in my current novel-in-progress. The military life played a role in Last Chance Rescue, and it’s a BIG theme in ‘Bricewick.’ So besides just being interested in the subject matter of the Iraq war, books like this one are fodder for my writing.

The main purpose to my own five years in the Army Reserves was the GI Bill (to pay my way through college). The big scare during my time in the military was Desert Storm (thank god I was never activated), but you don’t see such gripping, personal accounts of that conflict as you do for Iraq. I find it fascinating, and I hope I can reach military spouses and family with “Last Chance Rescue”...and eventually my next book.

Taiko drumming student recital "Passing the Beat"

I will be performing in the Mu Daiko Student Recital (with my Taiko class) on Saturday, July 25 at 7pm and Sunday, July 26 at 2pm. You will see some incredible performances (as all levels will be performing). This is a high-energy event that is best seen LIVE (although I am going to try and get video of it), so if you're interested (or you just want to see what I've been doing every Saturday morning), here are the details! And now I'm off to happy hour with my classmates...