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“They swept through the storm like jagged bolts of lightning, flashing from cloud to cloud; they moved like the thunder’s roar, like the swell and rip of the hurricane. It was a crackling, impossible journey. There was no fear: only the power of the storm, unstoppable and all-consuming, and the joy of the flight.”
-p. 411, American Gods

And now…

… a Star Wars quote taken completely out of context:

“Look at the size of that thing!”
–Wedge

 

Bonnie Sparks’s fundraising page for NaNoWriMo 2012 Author Sponsorship | StayClassy.org

Dear Friends, Family, and Righteous Supporters,

This November, I’m writing a novel. An entire novel, started from scratch, and completed in just one month, as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

And you thought nothing interesting ever happened in November.

NaNoWriMo is free. I’m raising money to help the nonprofit that runs it build communities in classrooms, coffee shops, libraries, and living rooms all over the world and help the inspiration flow for me and thousands of my fellow novelists.

Every dollar I raise will keep my spirits high as I write my way towards the realization of my creative goals. More importantly, your contribution will help The Office of Letters and Light build a more engaged and inspiring world.

Thank you so much for your support of my writing! I’ll be posting updates on my novel and fundraising on my sponsorship page throughout the month.

As a Thank You: Every sponsor that donates $5 or more will receive a digital copy of my book when I finish it and, if I get it published at a later date, you’ll be included in the thank yous in my book. Just make sure you use a valid email when donating (one you use regularly too) so I can contact you when it’s all over.

Here’s more details about what I’m writing.

via Bonnie Sparks’s fundraising page for NaNoWriMo 2012 Author Sponsorship | StayClassy.org.

Hey Fiver and Not Writing, or Writing Update « Bonnie Sparks Writes

That would have been my first write-in, had I attended. I’m prone to panic attacks, have social phobia, high anxiety, and haven’t been coping with social isolation lately, so had two panic attacks in the morning. Needless to say, I didn’t get in the building! I did make it, at least to out front. After being exhausted and losing the ability to make decisions (it happens when I’m hit with anxiety and have a panic attack)

via Hey Fiver and Not Writing, or Writing Update « Bonnie Sparks Writes.

 

 

Me too. Except I didn’t even make out my front door. The library hosting write-in I wanted to attend isn’t that far away, but it’s also at night and I’m not doing well being out by myself at night these days. Just thinking about trying a nighttime walk makes me tremble. Plus I should have roughly upwards of 6,000+ words by now — I’ve got zero. Ugh. I can’t seem to focus on weaving my plot threads together into a coherent story, let alone start writing it out.  The more I try to get into the storytelling frame of mind, the more distracted I get.

Keep Calm…

“You’re the cleverest witch of your age I’ve ever met, Hermione.”

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• September Brings Out My Inner Hermione (girlsheartbooks.com)

Read, Give, and Share | We Give Books

Read, Give, and Share with We Give Books

I just found an amazing free resource and I wanted to pass it on to all of you. We Give Books is a free online library of children’s books that enables your kids to help other children around the world while they’re reading.  Whenever you read a book at www.wegivebooks.org, they donate a book to a child who doesn’t have one, and it doesn’t cost you a thing. Their tagline says it all, “combining the joy of reading with the power of giving.” It’s the perfect tool for parents, teachers, caregivers, and anyone who loves children’s books!

When you go to www.wegivebooks.org, you’ll be able to read a special selection of books without a We Give Books account, but you have to sign up to access their full library. It’s definitely worth it, though. It’s just a quick form, and once you’re signed up, you’ll have access to over 150 quality children’s books! There are a lot of familiar classic titles, and even more new ones for us to discover. You can sort the books by age level, genre, author, and seasonal selections in the “editor’s pick” section, so everyone can find something they like.

On the Causes page you can learn more about where your donated books are going. This fall, We Give Books is focusing on early childhood literacy across the United States and supporting great causes like Jumpstart for young children. In the winter, you’ll be able to read to support global literacy and give books to non-profits like Room to Read. They also give you the option to donate to help your book donations reach even more children.

We Give Books is a program of the Pearson Foundation and Penguin Group. Penguin works with its authors to provide an outstanding selection of online books while the Pearson Foundation donates print books to charity partners. We Give Books is a great way to get your children excited about reading and to teach them about the importance of helping others.

via Share | We Give Books.

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• First lady reading to children at Lexington center (sacbee.com)
• Childrens Books by Famous Authors of Adult Books (todaysmama.com)
• Got Books? Help Strengthen Detroit’s Literary Community! #michlit #mwn #motownlit (motownwriters.wordpress.com)

Sharing Is Caring

“We Give Books is a new digital initiative that enables anyone with access to the Internet to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them, simply by reading online.
We Give Books combines the joy of reading with the power of helping others, providing a platform for caregivers and educators to inspire children to become lifelong readers and lifelong givers.
We Give Books also helps some of the world’s best, most inspiring, literacy organizations by spreading the word about their great work and by providing books to the young people these organizations support.”

http://wegivebooks.org 

Relationship Violence in “Twilight” | Psychology Today

I love psychology, and I love movies. Every couple of years, I teach a class called “Psychology in Film.” When I tell people about it, they often ask, “Are there enough movies about psychology for an entire class?” My response is first shock, then slight annoyance, then my vocal response of, “Every movie is about psychology.”

An abusive future?

As my initial posting for this new blog, I’d like to focus on the “Twilight” movies (based on the books by Stephenie Meyer). In the past decade, the rise in popularity of vampire-themed books, TV shows, and movies has risen dramatically. While some vampire stories are rich with sexual and cultural lessons, the “Twilight” series, in my opinion, can be used as a display of behaviors that put people at risk for abuse in dating relationships. The popularity of the Twilight series shows just how much attention girls are giving to the examples of lovers displayed in Edward and Bella‘s world. To them, Edward represents the troubled soul who is waiting to be tamed by just the right woman; it’s the modern “Beauty and the Beast.” Unfortunately, the course and characteristics of Bella’s relationship with Edward are actually templates for violence and abuse, and Twilight fans may unwittingly model a relationship that is far from healthy. While relationship violence is extremely complicated and every case is different, some warning signs have been identified by researchers.

via Relationship Violence in “Twilight” | Psychology Today.

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“They were not the same eyes with which he had last looked out at this particular scene, and the brain which interpreted the images the eyes resolved was not the same brain. There had been no surgery involved, just the continual wrenching of experience.”

-‘So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish’ by Douglas Adams

BA News: January Giveaway Postponed and Challenge Badges

BA News: January Giveaway Postponed and Challenge Badges.

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Also testing out the ‘Press This’ button. 😀