Monthly Archives: December 2016

It’s a Blizzard of Texas Goodies for You!

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It’s a Blizzard of Texas Goodies for You!

Several Amarillo area authors have teamed up to offer you the chance to win this basket of books and goodies. All of the stories are set in the Texas Panhandle and written by Amarillo authors Linda Broday, Marcy McKay, Vicki Shoen, and by Canyon author, Natalie Bright.
It’s the perfect basket of entertainment for you when that first blizzard hits!

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Contest Rules
Subscribe to each author’s Newsletter for a chance to win. Links are below.
To increase your chances, follow each of the authors on Twitter, Facebook Author Pages, LinkedIn or Instagram. The more likes on social media, the greater your chances of winning.
Like, share and re-tweet our posts on Facebook and Twitter to increase your chances even more. Links are below.
Thank you for your interest and participation!
List of Basket Items over $100 Retail Value!

image001

To Love a Texas Ranger by Linda Broday
Award winning and New York Times Best selling author, Linda Broday, is giving you the first in her new MEN OF LEGEND series,
Gravely injured on the trail of a notorious criminal, Texas Ranger Sam Legend boards a train bound for his family ranch to recuperate…only to find himself locked in battle to save a desperate woman on the run. Determined to rescue the beautiful Sierra, Sam recruits an unlikely ally. But can he trust the mysterious gunslinger to fight at his side?
Sam is shocked to discover his new ally is not only an outlaw, but his half-brother. Torn between loyalty to his job and love of his family, Sam goes reeling straight into Sierra’s arms. Yet just as the walls around his battered heart begin to crumble, Sierra is stolen away. Sam will risk anything to save her—his life, his badge, his very soul—knowing that some bonds are stronger than the law…and some legends were born to be told.
Follow Linda on FACEBOOK – TWITTER– LinkedIn

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Pennies from Burger Heaven by Marcy McKay
Marcy McKay, offers you her dark and heart stealing story about homeless eleven-year-old Copper Daniels. She spends her nights sleeping beneath the cemetery’s Warrior Angel statue for protection, and her days battling the mean streets of Remington, Texas, hell-bent on discovering what happened the night her Mama disappeared. While Copper and her rag-tag group of friends find danger at every corner, two horrors are certain: her Mama’s really missing and someone’s after Copper, too.
“[Pennies from Burger Heaven] gave me shivers on the first page…[Marcy McKay’s] writing is beautiful and emotional, without being sappy.”- Frontiers in Writing Contest Judge
Follow Marcy here: Website –  Facebook –  Twitter
You can email Marcy here: marcy@marcymckay.com

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Inherit the Texas Earth by Vicki Schoen
Set in 1930s Texas Panhandle, a young farmer must fight the long drought as it ravishes the land he loves–and solve a long-suppressed mystery triggered by the return of a Comanche, his former friend. Willy Gil Kellogg finds himself caught between promises he made his grandfather and tough truths about farming methods and prejudice–issues Gramps never faced.
“This is a raw, gut-wrenching novel about the effects of the Dust Bowl on Texas farmers and ranchers as well as their families.” –Amazon Reviewer.
Follow Vicki here: Website – Blogspot – Facebook – LinkedIn

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West Texas Christmas Stories Anthology includes “A Cowboy’s Christmas Blessing” by Natalie Bright
This anthology gives you 30 Christmas stories set in West Texas or by West Texas authors, both fiction and non-fiction. In Natalie’s story, a hard-working cowboy recalls the beauty of the season despite his isolation on a ranch without being surrounded by an abundance of decoration and crowds.
Find Natalie here: Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – LinkedIn – Pinterest

Additional Basket Goodies
In addition to four books listed above, you’ll win genuine home-grown Texas Pecans, Texas Ginger Snaps, cowboy ornaments, and other surprises. All totaling over a $100 value!
Contest open to U.S residents only. The winner will be chosen by a random draw of all the entries and the prize will be mailed. Remember to follow, share and like for more chances to win.

Winner will be announced December 15!

Fill In the Blank

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Fill In the Blank

By Nandy Ekle

 

Her first name is __________. Her hair is the color of __________ and her eyes look like __________. Her favorite hobby is __________. Her passion is __________, but more than anything in the world she wants __________, and she would be willing to give up __________ to get it.

His first name is __________. His hair is the color of __________ and his eyes look like __________. His favorite hobby is __________. His passion is __________, but more than anything in the world he wants __________, and he would be willing to give up __________ to get it.

One day they meet at __________ and they both know __________. They decide they should __________, each one thinking about that one thing they want so desperately. But when they begin to _________ they realize _________ all along. In the end they have __________ their goals to __________.

The End.

Congratulations. You have jus received a post card from the muse.

Favorite Games

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Favorite Games

by Adam Huddleston

 

Hello all! This week I thought I’d do something a little different. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that a lot of writers enjoy the strategy and competition in gaming. These games may vary from simple word puzzles to high-tech video games. Here are just a few of my favorites.

Chess: the game of kings. I’ve been playing since I was a youngster and love the strategy involved in attempting to overpower your opponent and capture that elusive king. At its finest (which I have never come close to), this great game becomes art.

Scene-It: Being a movie buff helps greatly in this game. It doesn’t matter if it is the original, Disney, or 80’s version, I love trying to beat my opponent to the answer. Some have accused me of having no childhood…

Crossword puzzles: An oldie but a goodie. The simple crossword puzzle combines competition (though it is against yourself) with healthy brain development. A lot of newspapers include a puzzle in each issue so there is rarely an absence of one in our house.

The Legend of Zelda: A classic video game with a long-running series of sequels and prequels. These games combine adventure, puzzle solving, and hand-eye coordination. Even after all of these years, the combination of soundtrack and gameplay keeps bringing me back for more.

This is by no means and exhaustive list. What are some of your favorite games to pass the time?

Kids and Books

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Outtakes 223

Kids and Books

By Cait Collins

I’ve really tried to keep causes out of my blogs, but I hope you will indulge me this week. I realize times have changed, but as we see academic scores dropping and kids having trouble excelling in school, I have come to believe we have an issue with reading. I see kids being held back in school because their reading skills are not where they should be. They are not dumb children; they simply can’t read well.

I grew up in an environment where reading was encouraged. My folks bought the Grolier Encyclopedia, Book of Knowledge, and ChildCraft for us. They bought the books on a payment plan because they wanted us to have easy access to information. I remember Mom or Dad gathering us in the big chair and reading to us. As I got older and could read on my own, I would spend hours reading and studying these volumes.

These days books are not always present in the home. Often the family budget does not stretch to purchasing books. And if parents are not readers, it could be difficult for a child to see the need to read. Unfortunately, the child suffers because the inability to read well slows the learning process. For this reason, I support efforts to get books into a child’s hands.

One of my favorite programs is Toys for Tots. Every Christmas, the Barnes and Noble Store in Amarillo selects books for kids of all ages. The titles are suggestions for customers who wish to purchase books for the toy drive. Or the patrons may prefer to browse the shelves for some of their childhood favorites. Book donations are also accepted by the Evelyn Richards Foundation, a local charitable group that works to provide coats and Christmas for children in our area. It may not seem like a big deal to those of us who grew up reading, but giving a child a book of his own may be the beginning of new adventures and better learning opportunities.

Why not volunteer for Story Hour at your local library or bookstore? Maybe we could mentor in the local schools. As writers, we should be at the forefront of supporting efforts to put books in the home and in schools. Maybe we can’t change the whole world, but at least we can make an inroad in our corner of it.

 

It’s a Blizzard of Texas Goodies for You!

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It’s a Blizzard of Texas Goodies for You!

Several Amarillo area authors have teamed up to offer you the chance to win this basket of books and goodies. All of the stories are set in the Texas Panhandle and written by Amarillo authors Linda Broday, Marcy McKay, Vicki Shoen, and by Canyon author, Natalie Bright.
It’s the perfect basket of entertainment for you when that first blizzard hits!

image005

Contest Rules
Subscribe to each author’s Newsletter for a chance to win. Links are below.
To increase your chances, follow each of the authors on Twitter, Facebook Author Pages, LinkedIn or Instagram. The more likes on social media, the greater your chances of winning.
Like, share and re-tweet our posts on Facebook and Twitter to increase your chances even more. Links are below.
Thank you for your interest and participation!
List of Basket Items over $100 Retail Value!

image001

To Love a Texas Ranger by Linda Broday
Award winning and New York Times Best selling author, Linda Broday, is giving you the first in her new MEN OF LEGEND series,
Gravely injured on the trail of a notorious criminal, Texas Ranger Sam Legend boards a train bound for his family ranch to recuperate…only to find himself locked in battle to save a desperate woman on the run. Determined to rescue the beautiful Sierra, Sam recruits an unlikely ally. But can he trust the mysterious gunslinger to fight at his side?
Sam is shocked to discover his new ally is not only an outlaw, but his half-brother. Torn between loyalty to his job and love of his family, Sam goes reeling straight into Sierra’s arms. Yet just as the walls around his battered heart begin to crumble, Sierra is stolen away. Sam will risk anything to save her—his life, his badge, his very soul—knowing that some bonds are stronger than the law…and some legends were born to be told.
Follow Linda on FACEBOOK – TWITTER– LinkedIn

image002

Pennies from Burger Heaven by Marcy McKay
Marcy McKay, offers you her dark and heart stealing story about homeless eleven-year-old Copper Daniels. She spends her nights sleeping beneath the cemetery’s Warrior Angel statue for protection, and her days battling the mean streets of Remington, Texas, hell-bent on discovering what happened the night her Mama disappeared. While Copper and her rag-tag group of friends find danger at every corner, two horrors are certain: her Mama’s really missing and someone’s after Copper, too.
“[Pennies from Burger Heaven] gave me shivers on the first page…[Marcy McKay’s] writing is beautiful and emotional, without being sappy.”- Frontiers in Writing Contest Judge
Follow Marcy here: Website –  Facebook –  Twitter
You can email Marcy here: marcy@marcymckay.com

image003

Inherit the Texas Earth by Vicki Schoen
Set in 1930s Texas Panhandle, a young farmer must fight the long drought as it ravishes the land he loves–and solve a long-suppressed mystery triggered by the return of a Comanche, his former friend. Willy Gil Kellogg finds himself caught between promises he made his grandfather and tough truths about farming methods and prejudice–issues Gramps never faced.
“This is a raw, gut-wrenching novel about the effects of the Dust Bowl on Texas farmers and ranchers as well as their families.” –Amazon Reviewer.
Follow Vicki here: Website – Blogspot – Facebook – LinkedIn

image004

West Texas Christmas Stories Anthology includes “A Cowboy’s Christmas Blessing” by Natalie Bright
This anthology gives you 30 Christmas stories set in West Texas or by West Texas authors, both fiction and non-fiction. In Natalie’s story, a hard-working cowboy recalls the beauty of the season despite his isolation on a ranch without being surrounded by an abundance of decoration and crowds.
Find Natalie here: Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – LinkedIn – Pinterest

Additional Basket Goodies
In addition to four books listed above, you’ll win genuine home-grown Texas Pecans, Texas Ginger Snaps, cowboy ornaments, and other surprises. All totaling over a $100 value!
Contest open to U.S residents only. The winner will be chosen by a random draw of all the entries and the prize will be mailed. Remember to follow, share and like for more chances to win.

Winner will be announced December 15!

An Embolism

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

An Embolism

By Nandy Ekle

 

In Leviticus 17:10-11, of the Old Testament of the bible, we are told:

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.

11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

This tells us that we live because we have blood in our veins. And we know that blood is made up of tiny little cells that float in plasma. If we get a cut in our skin, the blood can escape, which can lead to blood loss, and too much blood loss causes death. And death happens because life is in the blood.

So one of the defenses God built into the living blood in our bodies is the ability to clot when there is a break in the vessel. The clotting factors gather around the opening and this causes the blood cells to stick together and dry out, which builds a makeshift dam over the opening, which keeps the blood from escaping out of the body, which keeps the body alive.

And as fabulous as this natural defense is, it can go wrong. For some reason the blood can spontaneously clot for no good reason. When that happens, the clot can cause tremendous problems to the living body because it keeps oxygen from getting where it needs to be to keep the body living. These harmful clots are called embolisms. And this is my metaphor.

I’ve often referred to the writing part of my brain as a long hallway with many doors, or a laboratory/hospital full of beds with partial patients, or even a pot of stew on a campfire. But a new picture has come to my mind.

Writing is also like a circulatory system. We have the brain which pumps the words through the body. We have the arteries/veins which conduct the words from the brain to the page. And, yes, we also have the rogue clots which plug up the system and cause major problems to the manuscript. This is Writer’s Block, and I do believe it is a real thing.

So, what can cause a writing clot? Well, I believe there are as many causes as there are people who experience this. There’s laziness, depression, not enough time, too many distractions, no inspiration, illness, stress . . . The list goes on and on and on and on and…

In researching how to beat these word clots, I’ve heard many different ways to beat it, but of everything I’ve read, they all seem to agree with one exercise. And that is WRITE. You don’t have to have a specific plan, or theme, or outline, just put words on paper. You can write about your day. You can write about your decision to write. You can write about having nothing to write about. You can write a detailed description of the room where you are sitting. You can write a synopsis of a story you would like to write. You can write a book review.

Whatever words you write down, just write them. Just get them written and they will clean the clots out of your word veins, which will allow all your words to fly out of your pen.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

 

Number 5

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Number 5

by Adam Huddleston

Last week, my family and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world; kid number 5 (if anyone’s counting). I used to write a bit of poetry, and while my skills are beyond rusty (and they were always far from sharp), I felt like dusting off the old lyrical portion of my brain and recording my feelings in verse. If you’ve ever spent those other-worldly hours in a delivery room, I’m sure you can relate. God bless and I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.

I know we did.

 

Cold steel, coats of white,

Nervous smiles, and gleaming lights.

Weary eyes, hearts beat fast,

Hours from now, we’ll meet our “last”.

Computers beep, the I.V.s drip,

The nurses float, the doctor’s quip.

….as pressure climbs,

“You’re doing great,” they say. “It’s time.”

The lovely face I see each day,

Begins to frown in tightening pain.

I hold her hand and kiss her brow

And tell her that “It’s not long now.”

The doc and nurses gather ‘round,

And do their job so smooth and sound.

Ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes,

Two perfect eyes, and one button nose.

We hold our breath until she cries,

And grin so wide to know she’s fine.

We swaddle her in blankets soft,

Invite friends in to show her off.

Brothers/Sisters take their turn.

Pictures made and lessons learned.

We thank our loving God in heaven.

The Huddleston clan, now boasts seven.