BEST BLOG INTERVIEWS OF 2010

Merry Christmas!!

It's A Wonderful Life

1 Day Till Christmas!

I'm being a little bit naughty over the next few weeks. I'm busy working on a really cool travel writing project while cramming my Christmas shopping, cookie baking, goofing around with friends and spending time with my beautiful family into the interim time. So in lieu of my usual blog posts, I figured I'd share short scenes from some of my favorite Christmas movies over the 12 days leading up to Christmas. ENJOY!

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

2 Days Till Christmas!

Scrooged -The Truth is Painful (Warning: Clip contains profanity)

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

3 Days Till Christmas!

It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

(And one extra one...just for you, Melissa! ;o)

A Christmas Story

4 Days Till Christmas!

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

TOP 5 BEST AND WORST SONGS OF 2010

In honour of the 6 month anniversary of this blog (a project I consider an integral part of my achievements in 2010) and a new year, here are MY Top 5 best (least annoying), worst (most annoying), or most memorable (or, um, "most weird") songs of 2010! P.S. This thorough review is also dedicated to my loyal fans and haters who may laugh with - or at me - for my (hopefully) entertaining comments and useful insights. Enjoy :) I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a new year filled with prosperity, love, and good health. Thanks, everyone!

TOP 5 BEST

1. "Airplanes" (PART 2 ONLY) - BOB featuring Hayley Williams and Eminem
This may be BOB's song, but Eminem's highly anticipated resurrection and guest appearance just somehow default Part 1 to pale in comparison. As inspirational as it is passionate, this piece's rappers both reminiscence back to their pasts of poverty and loss of hope where they may still reside if they didn't follow their dreams, but again, Eminem wins us with his most promising verse of all: "Pretend he even had a friend to say was his friend...He wasn't socially awkward and estranged as a kid. He had a father, and his mother wasn't crazy as SH#!..." Eminem proves he still speaks with raw honesty in songs like "Love the Way You Lie" - where he collaborates with Rihanna on depicting the typical love/hate relationship inside a relationship involving domestic violence - and in this next song, which makes my list...

2. "Forever"- Drake, Lil' Wayne, Eminem, and Kanye West
4 rap powerhouses join forces singing - and rapping - on how they "just want this SH#! forever." It's arguable as to what this song is REALLY about, as many factors come into play regarding the true fruits of global domination. But when once-newcomer and now-overnight success, Toronto/Canada-bred Drake coins the phrase "Last name EVER, first name GREATEST," you know this song foreshadows one of the best hip hop music teams of all time: not just with Drake but with Lil' Wayne (Drake's sidekick who's famous for his sexually explicit lyrics in songs like "Lollipop" and a favourite of many mainstream urban duets like alongside Nicki Minaj and TPain, just to name a few), Kanye West (who's notorious for his scandalous verbal assaults and feuds against Taylor Swift and George Bush), and Eminem (who they had to beg to help them with this song and finally gave it a chance).

3. "Life After You" - Daughtry
I chose this as my #3 for no specific or special reason, other than that just because I love Daughtry and have a *tiny* crush on their heart-moving rhythms and romantic lyrics. Sacrifice their pride in convincing that "there's no life after you" (or you) - or any life worth living, an empty life worth remembering - without that special someone. Of course, I imagine "you" means "me" whenever I listen to this song, which brings back good and bad memories - or "what-if" hypothetical ones - where I see myself being seen by my many failed love pursuits, infatuations, or "friends" I've been through this year. But, enough about me; moving on :)

4. "Just A Dream" - Nelly
After (was it 5, 10 years?) of musical silence in the industry, Nelly also makes his comeback with his now overplayed hit single "Just A Dream" (which is less annoying than most overplayed songs, I have to admit). Nelly usually strives for more dance-y, upbeat tunes yet still succeeds in complimenting his raspy voice and casual ad libs with this softer song and theme about losing someone and letting go; repeating the thought process and hallucinations responsible for human insanity and mental deterioration required in missing him or her: "I was THINKING about her, THINKING about me, THINKING about us, what we're gunna be. Open my eyes, and it's only just a dream..."

5. "Live Like We're Dying" - Kris Allen
Now, I'm not sure if this Kris guy has any other songs (perhaps he's just a one-hit wonder), but his non-superficial lyrics and sing-along pop-rock beat here shouldn't fall under that same cliche category of cheesy, horrible songs. This song has a message, a meaning - the same one as Carpe Diem "Seize The Day," but only better and more specific: "We only got ? seconds in a day, to turn it all around and throw it all away.."

TOP 5 WORST

1. "Smile" - Justin Bieber
As much as 13-year-old girls shriek, hyperventilate, and break restraining order laws to touch or breathe on him, let's say it altogether now: "Justin Bieber is sooo oversold." He now has a line of barbie dolls, lunchboxes, and condoms (yes, I said condoms - I must be missing something else?!) to promote his Beatles-mocking fame even more. In his 2010 smash hit "Smile," Justin sings "you smile, I smile" (how original). In his debut single "One Time," he was merely a prepubescent 15-year-old boy from Stratford, Ontario who wooed over girls with lyrics like "your world is my world, and my fight is your fight, and my breath is your breath." This is the same guy who suggests in his second hit "One Last Lonely Girl" that a girl would "pack up her bags and leave," because, you know, no one under the age of 5 (sorry, 18) doesn't need a letter of permission or parent to leave the country. It's called "running away," Justin. But, oooh, now, he's flaunting a deeper voice and interest in porn, which can lead to a sexier, more mature persona. See you in the next 2 years, fellow Biebers.

2. "Fireflies" - Owl City
This song (and attaching music video) was created for 2-year-olds who need lullabies to soothe them to sleep. I decided :)

3. "Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars
I think this guy was on crack when he wrote this song, which explains his arrest for coke possession. Actually, I was thinking to his crack in this song. Come on, who has "hair that falls perfectly without her trying" and "eyes that make the stars look like they're not shining?" Crack! When you're on it! I especially confirmed my belief in his lack of geniality in his songs, when "Grenade" came out - until I heard the lyrics. Of course, then I thought it was a publicity stunt. Thanks, Jersey Shore.

4. "Telephone" by Lady GaGa featuring Beyonce
A pair, because they're both arguably the most iconic, richest artists in the world right now? Sure. A pair, because they match in vocal skill and visual style in dressing themselves and killing people for no apparent reason? Not so much.

5. "California Girls" - Katy Perry
Nice functional bra, Katy? Is this Candyland or Planet Mars? Oh Snoop Dogg, how much I love you - but why are you here?

5 Days Till Christmas!

Polar Express (First Gift Of Christmas)

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

6 Days Till Christmas!

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (Merry Christmas You Filthy Animal)

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

7 Days Till Christmas!

Frosty The Snowman

8 Days Till Christmas!

Christmas Vacation - Squirrel! (Warning: Clip contains profanity)

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

9 Days Till Christmas!

Charlie Brown Christmas (The True Meaning of Christmas)

10 Days Till Christmas!

Miracle On 34th Street (I Believe)

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

11 Days Till Christmas!

Movie Videos & Movie Scenes at MOVIECLIPS.com

ELF - (You Sit on a Throne of Lies!)

Quote of the Week

"You must want to enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement

while you are learning. Like any other artist, you are learning your craft—

then you can add all the genius you like."

~ Phyllis Whitney ~

Image by: HandsLive

Author Interview: Heidi Willis

As many of you know I posted a review of the book, Some Kind of Normal on my blog last week--I just loved it! The book was written by debut author Heidi Willis who kindly consented to an interview. So now, curious readers and aspiring authors want to know…

1. Was Some Kind Of Normal the first novel you ever wrote?

No. Right before I wrote Some Kind of Normal I wrote my first real novel, a book I titled Ocean Deep. It took over two years to finish it. I queried and got three immediate requests for partials, and then three immediate rejections. I realized it still needed a lot of work and I might have worked on trying to revise it but then I'd gotten the idea for Some Kind of Normal, and that just took over.

2. How long did it take to finish Some Kind of Normal?

It ended up being about seven months, but I worked much harder and longer on it than I had the previous book I'd written. Instead of writing when I had time, I made a decision to view myself as a writer instead of a mom who sometimes wrote. That made a huge difference in helping me make priorities and sacrifices. Also, that year all three of my kids were finally in school. :)

3. To outline or not to outline?

I'm firmly of the belief that every writer should do what works for them. I was a pantser on my first book and discovered that it absolutely doesn't work for me. I combine two different outlining approaches. I divide the story into three acts, and also divide it by percentages. At each point, I know something has to be happening to move the story forward, so I have those basic events in place. After that, I just let my characters take over. Even though I have some idea about where I'm going, I still face tons of surprises as I write! For a better description of my "outlining" process, you can check out my blog: http://heidiwillis.blogspot.com/2009/05/methodology.html

4. I understand you're part of a writing group. How did you find them?

My writing group is fantabulous! I think Heidi Bailey is the first person I met online, and that was through Nathan Bransford's blog back in early 2008 or late 2007. Then Jen Blom found the two of us through blogs and that started the core of our group. Erin Halm and Brit Lary were in another online writing group I'd joined in 2008. They were by far the two most dedicated and talented writers in that group, so when Heidi and Jen and I decided to start our own group, I asked Erin and Brit to come with. Jen had two other fantastic writer friends, Kerri and Marsh, she brought along, and there we were! We span three continents, but we write each other every day and have become close friends as well as colleagues.

5. Your characters and their relationships are so authentic. Where did the voice of Babs come from?

I have no idea where Babs came from. She just showed up the day I sat to write. She is unlike me in almost every way, and unlike anyone I know. I have to admit that for a while, I was a bit afraid of her. She'd say things and I'd delete them, thinking "You can't write that! Do you know how many people you'd offend with that?" And then I'd realize it wasn't me writing and talking, it was her, and I needed to just let her tell the story.

6. Did you use an agent?

I did not end up with an agent. I queried over a hundred of them. I had a fair amount of agents request partials and then fulls, and almost all of them gave me personalized rejections, most explaining they loved the writing but just didn't know who to submit to, or they just weren't taking on new literary fiction authors. It was tough.

7. How many rejections did you get before your story was accepted by NorLights Press?

Over a hundred. Ouch. The querying and waiting were like a festering sore. I finally decided it wasn't going to happen for me. I stopped sending out queries and when I received the rejection on the last request I had out, I figured the boat had sailed on this book. Less than a week later I got an email from a friend I'd met on Twitter whose publisher had seen my blurb on his blog and was intrigued. They wanted to see the book. The rest is history.

8. Did you have a platform established before you were published?

I've been blogging for about three years and developed a pretty good network of people through that, although I like to think of those people as friends rather than just contacts. I Tweet, I Facebook. I'm a diabetic myself and am involved in groups that fight for cures, and so that was a natural in with this book. I also belong to a couple online book groups, writers groups, and Christian groups.

9. What are you working on now?

I've just finished my latest novel tentatively titled PRODIGAL. It's the story of a runaway girl who comes home at the begging of her younger brother and ends up eyewitness to the murder of her parents, which leaves her as the sole caretaker of her brother in the town she'd tried so hard to escape. It takes place in the same town as Some Kind of Normal with some of the same peripheral characters, but it has a completely different feel to it. It's really the story of forgiveness and hope and defining what family means.

10. What advice do you have for aspiring novelists?

First of all, surround yourself with other writers who will encourage you and be positive, and yet be honest about your work... people you trust and like. Find them in your book club, or library, or online. The road to publication is bumpy and often discouraging. You need other people who are going through it with you and can help KEEP you from jumping off the ledge.

Read books in the genre you write, and read books about writing. And write. A lot. The only way to truly get better is to keep writing.

And take to heart that just because you've been rejected doesn't mean you don't write well or you don't have a good story. Rejection just means that book wasn't for that agent. Or the timing just isn't right. It's not personal. Keep sending out your work, and keep writing, because if not this one, maybe the next one.

Visit Heidi's Blog: www.heidiwillis.blogspot.com
Purchase Some Kind of Normal: HERE

Quote of the Week

Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.

~ Seneca ~

Image by: Sakeeb

NELLY'S CHRISTMAS WISH

Millenial legendary rapper Nelly - whose hit single "Just a Dream" is topping the charts - introduces us to his mission to fulfill dreams of families in need this holiday season. Along with DoSomething.org, Nelly is featured in a new video telling teens around the country to participate in their "Tackle Hunger" campaign and gather 1 million pounds of food in December. The initiative collaborates with Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic relief charity, and motivates teens to assemble food from their homes, communities and schools to make sure no person is starving this holiday.

Nelly's video challenge and more information can be found at DoSomething.org/tacklehunger

Book Review: Some Kind of Normal

Title: Some Kind of Normal
Debut Author: Heidi Willis
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Literary/Edgy Christian
Publisher: NorLights Press 2009

Opening Lines

"I ain't one to bash being healthy, but it sure takes the fun out of living. My motivation to be the perfect mom starts about six a.m. when I swing my legs over the bed and ends fifteen minutes later when I stumble into the kitchen to make coffee and figure out what I can cook that won't kill no one."

The Story

Babs Babcock, her husband Travis, and their two children live an ordinary life in a small Texas town. Until page three, that is.

In that split second we all know can happen, their normal family lifestyle disintegrates when 12-year-old daughter Ashley is suddenly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. She swiftly develops some unique complications causing a short hospital stay to stretch into months as doctors work to find a cure, and she fights to hold on.

Armed with only a tenth-grade education, Babs is relentless in her search to find the cure for her daughter that doctor's say isn't there. While her home church members offer up prayers and an endless abundance of food, we witness Babs wrestle with her family, faith and science as she explores the answer to the question everyone can relate to: How far would you go to save the life of someone you love?"

My Thoughts

From the opening line of this story, I was hooked. Although I tend to be more of romantic suspense kind of gal, I loved, LOVED this book!

Author Heidi Willis has created an entire cast of characters that are refreshing and genuine. The story is told through the eyes of main character, Babs. And I was instantly drawn in by her distinctive voice. Babs is a frank and sincere woman with a quick, sarcastic wit. Although she has her insecurities to deal with just like the rest of us, when it comes to her kids, she rises up to become as strong as she needs to be—just as all mama lionesses do. (Don't mess with our kids!)

I appreciate how "human" Babs is in acknowledging the tenuousness of her faith, which up until the point of her daughter's illness, had gone unchallenged. The Christianity element of the story is not filled with "holier than thou" preachiness, which is a personal pet peeve of mine. Instead it's filled with realistic people as they deal with the issues in their lives.

As a mom, I could relate to Babs's willingness to consider ALL options in the fight to save her daughter's life—even going up against everything she's been taught to believe, and despite the negative ripple effect this causes among her family, friends and church members. Willis has also authentically captured life parenting teens and the challenges that occur within the family dynamics are extremely believable.

I enjoy learning new things when I read fiction and Willis has masterfully woven information about diabetes and its treatment into the story in such a way that it is never boring or "text-bookish."

The tale was gripping with some surprising twists and held my attention to the very last line. (I actually found myself annoyed that I had to stop reading it to handle mundane tasks like feeding my family or taking care of household chores!) It's honest, poignant, funny and sweet. It's a story about love, about family, and about choices. I highly recommend this book—it would make a great Christmas gift for somebody on your list.

You can purchase a copy here.

About The Author

Heidi Willis, a graduate of Penn State with degrees in Education and Communications, taught junior high English in Texas. As a type 1 diabetic, she has plenty of experience managing the disease and considers herself an expert at carb counting. Heidi is an avid photographer and loves to travel. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and three children.

I will be interviewing the author, Heidi Willis, on the blog next week. I can't wait to pick her brain and discover all her secrets for success! Tune in next week.

*I purchased my own copy of this book and receive no compensation for my review besides the gratification that I'm helping a really great author promote a really great book.

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BEST BLOG INTERVIEWS OF 2010

Merry Christmas!!

1 Day Till Christmas!

2 Days Till Christmas!

3 Days Till Christmas!

4 Days Till Christmas!

TOP 5 BEST AND WORST SONGS OF 2010

5 Days Till Christmas!

6 Days Till Christmas!

7 Days Till Christmas!

8 Days Till Christmas!

9 Days Till Christmas!

10 Days Till Christmas!

11 Days Till Christmas!

Quote of the Week

Author Interview: Heidi Willis

Quote of the Week

NELLY'S CHRISTMAS WISH

Book Review: Some Kind of Normal

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