Monday, September 3, 2012

GUTGAA Meet & Greet










September is GUTGAA (Gearing Up To Get An Agent) month and the first thing I'm supposed to do is provide a short bio then answer the meet and greet questions to help others get to know me.  

Sooooo...here I go...



BIO:

I have spent many years hanging out with my cat, Tommy, and perfecting the worlds in my imagination.  I write children's picture books, as well as middle grade and young adult novels. When I'm not training for my Master Fifth Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo or helping run our school, I'm working on my latest project.  My story, "The Road Less Traveled" was picked up by Chicken Soup For The Soul: Angels Among Us and is due out in January, 2013.


GUTGAA Meet and Greet:

Where do you write?
    
     I have two places I like to write.  Either in my study or in my recliner in my living room.  Tommy prefers my recliner because he can snuggle next to me and play with the keyboard.


Quick.  Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left.  What is the first thing you see?

      My filing cabinet.  I'm a pretty organized person when it comes to my study and my filing cabinet is to the left of my roll top desk so I can keep track of research info, wips, submissions, and hopefully published pieces of work.


Favorite time to write?

      With my crazy work schedule, I have to split my writing time into two different times.  During the weekdays I wake up around 6 am each morning and write until I have to leave for work around 9 am.  I will get back home usually around 9 pm and will write again until around midnight.  On the weekend I run errands on Saturday but usually get a chance to write Saturday night and all day Sunday.


Drink of choice while writing?

     It depends on my mood and the weather outside.  I will rotate through water, Coke Zero, hot tea, or hot chocolate.


When writing, do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?

     Most of the time complete silence but again it depends on my mood. Sometimes I will have the music cranked up and sometimes I'll have the tv on as background noise.


What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?

     I'm a visual writer so pictures and the outdoors give me a lot of ideas for stories.  The story I wrote this weekend came from a picture I ran across on the internet which made me think of life during World War II.


What is your most valuable writing tip?

     Don't stop believing in yourself.  You won't be able to please everybody with your writing and there will be times when some people will think your writing stinks.  That doesn't mean your writing actually DOES stink...it just means it's not for that particular person or audience.  As long as YOU believe and work hard at this career every day, it will reward you in ways you never imagined!




94 comments:

  1. I gave a similar tip! It's so important to believe in yourself.

    Unlike you though, I am very disorganized.

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    1. Hi Rebecca! You haven't visited my blog in a while...welcome back! I always think if I don't take the time to believe in myself, how can I expect anyone else too? ;~) And I'm not always as organized as I would like to be, but I try...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Ahahaha...and you mean that literally, don't ya, Janet? ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  3. Cats make great writing buddies. Nice to meet you! Congrats on getting in Chicken Soup!

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    1. Hi Katie and welcome to my blog! I'm impressed with your scientific background and after reading a couple of your posts, I decided to become a new follower! Good luck with GUTGAA and thanks for the kind words about my story being picked up by the Chicken Soup people...I was certainly shocked to get the news! ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time time!

      Delete
  4. Greetings! I also had an essay in a Chicken Soup book once (2010). They are nice people. Best wishes.

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    1. Hi Marcy and welcome to my blog! Congrats on your new book coming out this year! Good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  5. Very good advice! and I admire how much writing you are able to do with such a busy schedule

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    1. Hi Heather and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words...I'm not nearly as diligent with my writing as I should be but a gal's gotta sleep sometime, right? ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  6. Great Q and A, Donna-- and excellent tip. I'm so excited for you with your Chicken Soup acceptance! All the best for GUTGAA.

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    1. Hi Beth! Thank you for your kind words...while I knew my true angel encounter story was right up their alley, I NEVER really expected them to read it, much less accept it! Now if it just makes it into the book itself...won't know until December but they are telling me chances are good that it WILL be put in...I have my fingers crossed...lol...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  7. Hi, Donna! Congrats on the Chicken Soup piece. I love those books. I look forward to learning more about you and your writing during the blogfest. For whatever reason, it doesn't acknowledge my blog address. I'm Write On on the list. Dawn

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    1. Hi Dawn and welcome to my blog! I'm so glad you identified yourself because "unknown" would have been removed...had a run in with a hacker and a stalker a few months back so now I don't take any chances...;~) Thank you for your kind words and good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  8. Love the black belt thing! Good on you, looking forward to reading more!

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    1. Hi Yolanda and welcome to my blog! Writing is my first passion...TaeKwonDo is my second...and I wouldn't give up either for the world! Good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  9. Love your blog! I am enjoying GUTGAA already and meeting other writers! So much fun. I am always impressed with people who can write with music on. I am a little too easily distractable!

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    1. Hi Elena and welcome to my blog! I'm glad you are enjoying the posts. For me I can write with or without music...after 12 years of training in TaeKwonDo I hope I have learned focus if nothing else...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  10. Hi! Nice to meet you! I am so jealous of your writing time :) I wish I could kick my tail into gear and write at 6 am!

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    1. Hi Wendy Jo and welcome to my blog! When I say I have all that writing time, I really mean time to write my blog, go through about 2-300 emails per day, visit blogs and online groups I'm a part of...and THEN have a little bit of time to write on my stories...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  11. Nice to meet you, Donna. I love your commitment. It's inspiring.

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    1. Hi Cristina and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words. My son is on his own now so it's just the cat and me...I have the freedom to concentrate on my passions without having to compromise my life in any way...

      Thanks fot stopping by and come back any time!

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  12. Great answers and fun to learn more about you and your process. I've seen several of these GUTGAA meet and greets and it's really fun to read them!

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    1. Hi Susanna! I'm glad you are enjoying the meet and greet blog posts...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  13. Hi! We already met, I think... But anyways, lovely to greet you again..
    And I so wish I had the discipline to wake up at 6 a.m. to write.. Fortunately, I have a very flexible schedule at the moment, so I haven't had the need for that yet. It's admirable that you do, though.
    Read you around :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hi Johana and I will say welcome to my blog...again possibly...lol...

      If I don't get up at 6, I won't have time to get everything done so it's not really an option to lie around...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  14. Hello! I'm seeing a lot of us GATGAA's who are morning people. I love the morning, sometimes I think its the best time of day!

    Rebecca Ethington (.com)

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    1. Hi Becky and welcome to my blog! I'm definitely more a morning person! I am your first follower of your writer blog...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  15. Congrats on your story for Chicken Soup for the Soul! How exciting. I love that you're also inspired by pictures. WWII is one of my favorite time periods to read about...I suck it up like crazy. My favorite WWII historical fiction is The Book Thief. Nice to meet you! You certainly are busy, so it's great that you still have such a firm schedule for writing time.
    -Jenna

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    1. Hi Jenna and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words. WWII stories interests me but it's the Civil War that captures my interest the most. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around the concept of slavery so I read a lot about that time period to hopefully one day understand the mindset of that period.

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  16. Coke Zero! Awesome.

    And yay for Chicken Soup! That's so cool

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    1. Hi Kelley and welcome to my blog! I'm kinda addicted to Coke Zero but trying to cut down. Thanks for your kind words regarding the Chicken Soup book and congrats on your own book coming out next year!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  17. Hi, thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm so jealous of your organizational skills. Congrats on getting your story into Chicken Soup, I always enjoy reading those books.

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    1. Hi Jess and welcome to my blog! Thanks for your kind words. When I was about 12 years old, I ran away from home for the afternoon and hung out at a stable outside of town. Funny thing is, my mother never found out or I would STILL be feeling the burn of that belt! ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  18. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I just found out about all of this and am still trying to figure it all out.

    Christy

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    1. Hi Christy and welcome to my blog! There are some good information on the GUTGAA website and blog.

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  19. Hi Donna! Thanks for stopping by!!! Congrats on CHICKEN SOUP!!

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    1. Hi Halu*Halo and welcome to my blog! Thanks for the kind words and good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  20. Came over to say, Hiya and Greetings fellow Staff of the Cat ;) Good luck with GUTGAA!

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    1. Greetings and welcome to my blog! I like that..."staff of the cat"...I'm sure Tommy feels EXACTLY like that as he is currently lying across my lap and the keyboard. I've become very creative in HOW I type my stories...lol...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  21. Yes, believe in your writing! Also, I admire your dedication, how you get up early & stay up late...I wish I didn't need to sleep so much. :) Best of luck with the contest, Donna!

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    1. Hi Beth and welcome to my blog! It's not so hard to wake up early...especially when I have an almost 20 pound cat that won't let me sleep in and will pounce on the bed if I take too long getting out of it...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  22. Hi, pleased to meet you and congrats on your publishing success so far. Good luck in GUTGAA!
    Kat :) (http://beyondthehourglassbridge.blogspot.com.au)

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    1. Hi Ketherine and welcome to my blog! This is my first year participating in GUTGAA but already I'm having tons of fun visiting so many lovely blogs...good luck to you as well!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  23. Great writing tip :) I catch myself wanting EVERYONE to LOVE everything I write, but that's just not possible - and leads to disappointment. Thanks for the reminder!

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    1. Hi AK! I used to feel the same way and allowed EVERY comment or critique to drive me crazy! Now I consider every bit of advice which comes my way and respectfully choose the things that I feel will help me grow as a writer and strengthen my skills. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, just as I am entitled to NOT take every piece of advice given to me...;~)...fyi...I'm a new follower of your blog!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  24. I'm so impressed with your martial arts skills! I did jujitsu back in college. Thanks for reaching out!

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    1. Hi Jamie and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words...it's been a fun, long twelve years and medical issues (non related to TKD) is slowing down my martial arts journey. I would like to achieve my "master" rank before I retire but it just might be possible and I have come to the conclusion that I will be content with my Fourth Degree Black Belt if this is as far as my body will let me go...;~)

      I'm impressed with the fact you did jujitsu...my body would NEVER allow me to do that (we teach our juniors JJ)...so I'm always impressed with the ladies out there that can!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  25. I have a question. What are you reading now? :) Great post!

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    1. Hi Erik!

      What am I reading now? I'm actually doing something I don't generally do...reading two books at the same time. I like focusing on one book at a time so I don't mix story lines. I started reading a book called "Emily" which is a true story diary of a hard working woman named Emily French who lived in the Denver area during the 1890s.

      Then the vice-president of Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) wrote me a letter asking me to review one of their soon to be released books called "A Fistful Of Collars: A Chet & Bernie Mystery" by New York Times bestselling author Spencer Quinn so how could I say no? ;~)

      I'm almost finished with both...really enjoying both stories...and will soon have to send my review to Atria Books but otherwise I read as many picture books as I can get my hands on...lol...

      What are YOU reading these days, Erik?

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  26. Hi Donna! Love your bio -- you are so organized! TKD, I always wanted to study martial arts (this is like the people who say, I always wanted to write a book...)but I did. And maybe I still will. Great post and great to meet you.

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    1. Hi Amy and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words. I'm not always that organized but I try and my martial arts training helps me to stay focused...;~)...good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  27. coke zero!
    and my tip is very similar!
    great getting to know you =)

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    1. Hi Tara and welcome to my blog! Isn't Coke Zero the bomb?! Lol...hey, good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  28. Stopping by to say hi. Love your blog. Good advice on writing.

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    1. Hi Diane and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words and thanks for being my latest "follower"!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  29. Oh, cats. Always wanting to help out by walking/pawing at the keyboard. Mine once fit in the space on my desk behind the laptop which is super narrow with a low shelf above it, he had to cram himself back there like a kitty in a bread box. Weirdo!

    I love WWII era fiction -- especially from a woman's perspective or about family dealing with repurcussions of wartime life. Old issues of LIFE magazine have been inspiring, and you can find them online on google books (I was amazed by this! Ah, the internet!).

    Here's my GUTGAA Meet & Greet post: A Girl and her Diary

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    1. Hi Stephanie and welcome to my blog! I have come to the realization that no matter what I wear or where I sit in my house, there WILL be cat hair clinging to my tush when I get up so I don't even concern myself with it anymore. My motto...love ME...love my CAT HAIR...;~)

      The story I wrote this weekend is about a family dealing with life on a farm during the war and what happens ONE WINTER NIGHT...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  30. Hi, Donna! Greeting from one recliner writer to another :) See you around GUTGAA!

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    1. Hi Shiela and welcome to my blog! I like that..."greeting from one recliner writer to another"...too cute! I'm also a new follower of yours...good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  31. Great to meet you and good luck during GUTGAA! Are you pitching a picture book, MG or YA for this contest?

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    1. Hi Jeannette and welcome to my blog! How cool...we both have used the same background theme for our websites...I love the look of it! I have a picture book and middle grade book query ready to go...how about you?

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  32. Nice to meet you!
    Pictures, places and history inspires me too!

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    1. Hi Anabel and welcome to my blog! The cool thing about those three items inspiring people is that there is SO MUCH out there to pull from...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  33. Congrats on your chicken soup story, and I definitely admire the time you carve out for your writing. I am a bit of the hare, unfortunately, so it's lots of feasts and famines on this end. ;)

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    1. Hi LisaAnn and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words. I love all the lovely pictures on your blog! Good luck with GUTGAA!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  34. I love picture prompts! Yes, congratulations on your Chicken Soup piece. I also want to thank you for being a kind of hub here, and for your encouragement to other writers to believe in themselves. It can be difficult, but writers should not give up on themselves. It takes a lot of effort, but it's not really something you should give up on, and not on anyone else's say so definitely. In my own personal experience, you just never know what is going to lead to what, but the reverse side is that, if you do nothing, you get, well, nothing.

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    1. Hi Seana and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words. As a new writer, one can get overwhelmed with everything there is to learn about the publishing and writing industry. That would make it easy for someone to doubt themselves but just imagine the possibilities if every writer out there TRULY believed in their own ability to create magic! Good luck with GUTGAA...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  35. Hi Donna,
    Thanks for stopping by on my blog. I haven't finished my meet and greet questions when you came by, but now it's ready. Love your writing tip. Amen to that! The song that goes through my head right now is by Journey, DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'

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    1. Hi Romelle and welcome to my blog! I've read your answers...so nice to get to know you a little better! Thank you for your kind words and I LOVE Journey! I used to date one of the guitarists in their studio band...ahhhh the 80's...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  36. Hi Donna,

    Nice to meet you, too! My favourite part about your bio was your tip... it's so true. As long as you believe you don't stink, then you don't... :)

    Cheers,

    John
    http://www.johnkrissilas.com/

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    1. Hi John and welcome to my blog! It's so easy for beginner writers to have their fragile "writer's ego" bruised by an unkind word which is why I thought that would be a great reminder for myself as well as anyone else who comes for a visit...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
    2. No prob. By the way: you don't stink :)

      Delete
  37. Hi There! Fifth Degree BB in Tae Kwon Do? I am impressed! I am a First Degree but do not train any longer. Loved it though and loved teaching it.

    Best of luck with GUTGAA. Really like your advice!

    Sue

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    1. Hi Sue and welcome to my blog! Well, I'm not a Fifth Degree yet, but working on it...still have another three years minimum to wait and had a couple of medical issues get in my way...but I'm still working toward that goal and who knows? Maybe one day before I retire, I will get there! Thank you for your kind words and good luck with GUTGAA as well...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  38. Hi Donna, Thanks for visiting my blog! I am a very visual writer too - for me it's probably because I was a painter before I took up the pen. Tommy sounds like a cool cat. We used to have cats (Crumpet and Shortbread) and my whippet Sophie is a cat in a dog suit. Good luck with GUTGAA!

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    1. Hi Rhiann and welcome to my blog! I like the name of your blog. I've had my cat Tommy for about 12 years now and can't imagine what I would do if he wasn't around..I certainly love the big fur bag...;~)...good luck as well with GUTGAA

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  39. I love old war stories. Let me know when yours is available. :)
    - Liana

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    1. Hi Liana and welcome to my blog! My story is a children's tale about life on the farm while dad's at war. Unfortunately there is more work to be done before it is ready for the world to see it...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  40. Dear Donna! You are so sweet to visit my blog! I just love meeting and greeting through GUTGAA *Yay*! It is so fantastic to meet new Authors! I love your writing tip, and fully agree that Believing in Yourself is key to many of life's challenges. In fact, my book Stepping from the Edge is all about that.

    Dr Margaret Aranda
    www.dramargaretaranda.blogspot.com
    www.girlpowerinamm.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Margaret and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words. I read your amazing story and I am impressed by your strength and courage!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  41. Hello from GUTGAA....I saw your comment for the critique/beta reader post and wanted to say that you and I have similar interests in writing. Hope to read more from you!

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    1. Hi Cynthia and welcome to my blog. I see that we do write in a lot of the same genres. Thank you for becoming a new follower...I have returned the favor...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  42. Donna, thanks for stopping by my blog for GUTGAA. Nice to meet you, too!

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    1. Hi Jordan and welcome to my blog! I hope you get a chance to look around...you might find something to brighten your day...;~)

      thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  43. I definitely recommend Connie Willis's books Blackout and All Clear for some WWII inspiration! I must say, I'm impressed by what you dedicate to finding writing time. Thanks for stopping by!

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse, visiting my fellow GUTGAA participants!

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    1. Hi Shannon and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words and thank you for the book recommendations! I'm a new follower. I took a 20 year hiatus from writing so I guess I'm trying to play catch up...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  44. HI Donna!

    I finally got to start blog-hopping. :) It's nice to meet you and thank you for stopping by my blog. I love that you write on your recliner! I'm also a visual writer. And your advice is spot-on!

    Good luck with GUTGAA!

    Alexandra

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    1. Hi A. P. and welcome to my blog! Now that my son has moved out of the house and the insurance FINALLY rebuilt my house after a 50 ft Maple tree in my front yard fell on it June 2011, my cat Tommy and I enjoy sitting in my favorite recliner and writing new stories...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  45. Thanks for stopping by my blog! Good luck with GUTGAA!

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    1. Hi Eileen and welcome to my blog! I'm so glad you had a chance to visit. I wish you the best of luck with GUTGAA as well...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  46. Hi Donna! You stopped by my blog and became a follower so long ago and I finally found you! Yay! It's so nice to meet you:)
    I loved reading your answers to the Meet and Greet. I feel like I know you a little better!
    I'm sending you lots of best wishes and god luck this month during GUTGAA.
    Now, I'm off to look at one of your queries:)

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    1. Greetings! I'm glad you finally found me and welcome to my blog! Thank you for your kind words...the same to you!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete