Glistering: B's Blog: November 2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thankful

I've been working on several posts that I just don't seem to be able to finish, so they are going to wait. Today I will just be thankful. In no particular order:

I'm thankful for good health. I could take better care of myself, as I used to, but I can't complain. The minor things I can live with or try to improve through diet and exercise. And sleep. As much sleep as possible.

I'm thankful for family. I'm very close to my children and they are very close to and supportive of each other. I am immeasurably thankful for that. And I am very thankful for my friends too!

I'm thankful for a wonderful book blog tour this fall. I'm especially thankful for the wonderful people I met and hope to stay in touch with, and all the people who have shown interest in Bronze and The Glister Journals. Thank you!

I'm thankful for my job. My five-day-a-week daytime job that pays the bills and allows us to eat. I hope to be able to write full-time one day, but I will keep writing anyways. It has become a huge and necessary part of my life.

I'm thankful for fond memories. I focus on these. I have a lot of bad ones too--the kind that can keep you awake at night--but I choose to not think about those. I'll let them be buried in my subconscious and only pull them out and look at them if they can be useful.

I'm thankful that I live in a country that still allows freedom of faith. I sometimes wonder how much longer those freedoms will exist, but they're there at the moment. I think. I'll believe in my God anyway, come what may.

I'm thankful for my ridiculously silly and cute cat, Buu. He's such a sweet companion...except when he thinks I've forgotten his dinner or that I'm ignoring him. He complains loudly in the first case and "tags" me with claws out in the second!

I'm thankful that I'm just as excited about my book series, The Glister Journals, as I was when I started it. Even if it's taking me FOREVER to finish the second book. It WILL get finished! And I'm also thankful for all the other story ideas I can tackle when the series is done. I can't wait!

I'm thankful for music. Pure and simple.

What are YOU thankful for?

And, according to my tradition, here is some Switchfoot for you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Posts coming soon:

A Cataclysmic Music Review

Bronze Soundtrack Update (December)

Retro Thursday

Chabot Space and Science Center

Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze

More Glister Journals info and excerpts at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com

The Glister Journals: Bronze can be purchased through any bookseller, or purchase now at Amazon.com

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Retro Thursday: 2/83

I usually concentrate on new music, but I thought it would be fun to look back to a specific time and see what was going on. So once a month I'm going to do a short retrospective: movies, books, odds and ends, just about anything I can find. And of course, music. I'm choosing the first one but would love to get requests.

February 1983 was an important time for me but I wasn't very aware of what was going on in the world, so I thought it would be a good place to start....

In February 1983:

Toto - Africa #1 US February 1-5. I loved this song, but can't for the life of me think of another song by them. Can you?

Ronald Reagan was president of the United States

Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of the United Kingdom

Pierre Trudeau was prime minister of Canada

Malcom Fraser was prime minister of Australia

Elizabeth II was queen . . . of course

Men At Work - Down Under #1 US February 5-12. LOL. Definitely one of my favorite songs. Let's not get into an argument of Vegemite vs. Marmite though.

Gas per gallon cost an average of:

.88 in California

.95 in Texas

.93 in Illinois

.96 in Florida

.99 in New York

£1.76 England

Kajagoogoo - Too Shy #1 UK February 13

Musical Youth - Pass the Dutchie #1 Canada, January 22-February 5. (I'd never heard of this one...interesting.)

NEW YORK TIMES Sunday Book review (February 20) (Look how much Sci-Fi there is!)

“Mistral’s Daughter,” by Judith Krantz.

“Master of the Game,” by Sidney Sheldon.

“Space,” by James A. Michener.

“2010: Odyssey Two,” by Arthur C. Clarke.

“The Valley of Horses,” by Jean M. Auel.

“Foundation’s Edge,” by Isaac Asimov.

“Floating Dragon,” by Peter Straub.

“Life, the Universe and Everything,” by Douglas Adams.

“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Storybook,” by William Kotzwinkle.

“Ellis Island,” by Fred Mustard Stewart.

Laura Branigan - Gloria #1 Australia, February 7-March 21

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean #1 US (seven weeks) & UK.

February 26 – Michael Jackson's Thriller album hits #1 on the US charts, the first of thirty-seven (non-consecutive) weeks it would spend there on its way to becoming the biggest-selling album of all time.

I couldn't find any movies worth referencing except The Pirates of Penzance which my whole family absolutely loves. Yes, we're very weird. It is a fairly faithful production of the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera (Premier in 1879). It stars Kevin Kline as the Pirate King and he's just amazing. Linda Ronstadt is Mabel. Such a fun but completely goofy movie. "With Catlike Tread" is my favorite part of the movie.

Do you remember February 1983? What is one of your favorite months and years? Leave me a message somewhere. Let me retro it!

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This is like the extra at the end of the credits: I just found this and it's awesome. :)

The Glister Journals: Bronze can be purchased through any bookseller, or purchase now at Amazon.com

Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze

The Bronze Soundtrack and Contest

More Glister info and excerpts at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com

Friday, November 1, 2013

November Glister Journals Giveaway and Soundtrack Clue

Congratulations to the winner of the Bronze Blog Tour giveaway and to Maureen, the winner of my Spooktacular giveaway.

There's a new giveaway! My way of saying thank you to those of you interested in The Glister Journals series and who are following here, there, and everywhere. This month I'm including another $25 Amazon gift card to help with your holiday shopping! And a paperback copy of Bronze, of course!

Do you know about the Bronze Soundtrack? It's a puzzle to solve with songs to uncover, and if the book were a movie, it would be the best soundtrack ever! (Well, I think so anyway.) The first clues can be found on the Bronze Soundtrack page of the series' website. Clues will be added every month until the contest officially opens--just to help you get a head start. The contest will close a month before the second Glister Journals book comes out. Thirty-one days before the release will be a video countdown of the chapters' songs. Sound like fun? I hope so!

I began planning and writing the series in November of 2008, so Bronze is actually set in the 2008/2009 school year. Clue #5: All Bronze soundtrack songs were released 2009 or before.

Of course there are prizes! The grand prize is starting off at $50 and will be increased--25% of book sales from now until the end of the contest will be added plus The Glister Journals #1 and #2, hardbound, signed, and personalized, and more. Other prizes will include signed copies of both Glister Journals books and fun Bronze swag. There might be ponies. Watch for updates!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze

More Glister Journals info and excerpts at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com

The Glister Journals: Bronze can be purchased through any bookseller, or purchase now at Amazon.com