Critique My Blog

It's a Blogfest!
Teralyn at A Writer's Journey is conducting a bloghop on February 1st, Critique My Blog BlogFest. Here is your chance to improve your site.

Crit Spirit Called in the comments starting Feb 1st.

To Get Critiqued:

1. Include your name in the linky list below.

2. On February 1, post your request for critiques. The critiques can come from anyone, even people not involved in the blogfest.

3. If you want, specify what kind of critique you’re looking for.

4. Specify where you want to receive the critiques: in the comments where everyone can see them, or in your email where it’s more private.

5. You can delete comments after you’ve read them, or keep them up.

To Critique Others:

1. Click on a blog from the linky list and read what the writer wants you to critique.

2. You can make comments on:

a. Appearance: Does it appeal to you? Is it too busy, or too plain?

b. Layout: Is it difficult to navigate? Is it cluttered, or sparse?

c. Frequency: Does the blogger post too often? Not often enough?

d. Content: Are the posts interesting? Unique? Are they focused, or all over the place?

e. Quality: Are the individual posts too long, too short, too sloppy, or too generic?

3. Be sure to check if the blogger wants you to post the critique in the comments or send an email.

This starts tomorrow so spiff up that blog, gird your loins, er, um...well you get the idea.

 

BlogHop

Blog Masters, Angela Goff, Angie Richmond, and Daniel Swensen, and Lillie McFerrin are celebrating their blog followers and writing cohorts with a great BlogHop.

Here's the deal:

Write a piece of flash fiction, poem, or song (300 words or less) using the photo above as your inspiration. Post it on your blog any time between now and when the linky closes. Every eligible entry will qualify for a chance to win one of the prizes listed below. The linky will be open from January 23 through January 30.

Angie, Angela, Daniel and Lillie will read, debate, and decide on five winners for the following:

• 1^st: Fifty page critique by Lillie McFerrin
• 2^nd: Twenty-Five page critique by Angie Richmond
• 3^rd: Fifteen page critique by Angela Goff
• 4^th: Ten page critique by Daniel Swensen
• 5^th: A copy of Steven King’s On Writing

Go Here to see the other contestants.
(I gave up on the linky thing)


My entry:

Guardian Angel

From the very Beginning, The Guardian Angel had adored her Charge. She had stood by her Lady through all life’s joys and hurts. Protecting her from danger.

For the Angel was with her.

Always.

But now life had become a slow painful dance. The unseen Guardian Angel stood by the white bed with the family.

Watching.

Waiting.

She held out her hand once more to save her Charge.

A Presence stopped her. She looked up into His Face and the somber Eyes.

Wait, no. NO...NO!

Sorrow overtook her. She sunk to the ground, falling away from Him.

"Do not grieve,” a deep Voice said. “Your labor of love has not ended but has shifted to a new horizon."

As He spoke, His loving Touch eased the razor-sharp wound in her heart.

Then, a soft cry. The sound of her dear lady, confused and questing for something familiar.

"You must help her,” He said. “You must guide her. For she has a home prepared. As it is for all who come to Me."

The Charge’s gaze captured hers. Both sighed and relaxed, as if joined by an anchoring lifeline. The Guardian Angel stood and held out her hand. Her Charge paused then took the outstretched fingers and allowed the Guardian Angel to pull her away.

Away from the machines and monitors. Away from the hospital bed and earthly life.

Once, her Charge stopped, resisting her pull. Together they looked back at the family weeping in the antiseptic room. Her dear Lady’s loved ones each with their own unseen Angel that hovered and soothed away the bitter pain.

Her Charge hesitated, bit her lip, and then turned. Bittersweet pain caused their clasped hands to tighten. A sigh and then both passed into the Light.

To be with Him.     

Always.

Five Sentence Fiction

Lillie McFerrin has a new follower. Me.
She runs an informative blog with a fun contest consisting of writing flash fiction based on one word. Today that word is 'clandestine'.

Here is my FSF post:

It inched closer, unnoticed, belly to the ground. Then froze, trembling when Master lifted the searing hot metal poker. But the barbed tip went back into the fire. At a slow crawl, it neared the cylindrical morsels.  One Olympic leap nailed the hot dog and black Labrador fled grinning a doggy smile.

My Book Cover

I admit it. If name recognition isn’t a factor—Kevin Hearne, Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs—then a great book cover is what snags my interest.

The title clues me to its content. A solid color (no hairy chests and derring-do men please) with a simple image stops my eyes from roving.

Finding that image for my book was difficult. Like crazy, wild-woman-type nuts. I photo shopped. Took pics of my own. Even had my bemused daughter take a photo of my hand once. Didn’t work well. Not at all.

Then Heaven came down and Glory filled my soul.

I found the stop-me-in-my-tracks and slap-me-upside-the-head photo.

While cruising the blogosphere, I ran across The Book Cover on Jenn’s blog, Into the Wild Blue Yonder.

Her photos exude life and show a place from a dream world. She has the ability that I cannot imitate, that nebulous talent that *sees* what is unseen, an image that translates into a story.

Thank you, Jenn, for this photo and my book cover.

No Longer Amorphous

8 lbs and 7 OMG oz is anything but amorphous.

Taking a break from writing while caring for my new grandson.