Better Than the Magi...

12:17 AM Elizabeth Seckman 33 Comments

Bad people make for great headlines. We are bombarded with so much bad news that we sometimes need reminded that beautiful, wonderful souls live among us. That's why I asked Patti to stop by for the holidays.

Guest blogger Patti Roberts

When I first met Patti, she was Ms. Roberts, my son's first grade teacher. My little Cole was a perfectionist. He would get belly aches over red ink. Patti figured that out fast, so his papers came home with big smiley faces, stickers, and words of encouragement next to corrections. I mentioned to someone how special this lady was and I was informed...I didn't know the half of it.

Patti is a special lady, but before I say any more...I asked her to share her story...

The Last Christmas Gift

The year was 1981. I was 29 years old; my sister, Carole, was just 34. It was my seventh year of teaching. Carole had had brain surgery to remove a malignant tumor on the second of January of that year. It was not to be that all of it could be removed. The tumor grew again; the cancer also went into her bones. She was at home (where she grew up) with her four children, her parents, and me for several months.

In the early morning on the first Monday of October she had a seizure caused by the pressure of the returned tumor on her brain. The jerking, along with the cancer, caused her shoulder to break. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she was then transferred to OVMC. Surgery was performed on her shoulder. She stayed there until Dr. Rik Suyao made arrangements for her to be transferred to Wetzel County Hospital where he would oversee her chemo therapy and where she was close to family and friends.

It was a time period that the wearing of gold chains was popular. With four children Carole could not see spending the money on herself for something as frivolous as a gold necklace. I had a job and a Kaufman's charge card. I was at the mall one day in October and decided that she would have her gold chain. I bought it and gave it to her early-near Halloween. I told her that it was her early Christmas gift...that I was too excited to wait until Christmas. When really I did not know how long she had left. I put it on her; it looked very pretty. She really liked it. A few days later her children and I added a charm holder and four birthstone booties to the chain. She was so very pleased with it and wore it with pride. It wasn't too long though that the chain made a rash on her neck, and it had to be removed. It could have been caused by the foreign chemicals in her body.

The days passed; she did not get better. Her condition worsened. We all knew it would be her last Christmas. The entire community pitched in to make this a good Christmas for her and her children. Dr. Rik told her that she could go home and make one trip to town to Christmas shop. We had a hospital bed for her, but her pain was too great. The morphine pills could not control it; she needed it by injection or IV. She went back to the hospital after only being home for 12 hours. She was more at ease there...where people could care for her easier...where she thought that she was not a burden on her family...where her pain could be controlled.

We celebrated Christmas there with her by decorating her room although she really did not realize it as she was always under the influence of her strong pain medication. Christmas Day came and went. We knew the end was very near. We said our good-byes to her. On December 29th at 7:32 pm she took her last breath when Jesus reached for her hand. The next day I took her gold chain with the charm holder and booties to Mrs. Ratcliffe at the funeral home so it could be placed around Carole's neck. It was buried with her.

It was my last Christmas gift to her.

What Patti didn't add...she raised those four kids. For years she worked two jobs: teacher during day; retail manager in the evening. She's retired now, but she's still the surrogate mom and grandma. She is the kind of person who steps up...to give, to serve, and put others above herself.

Guest blogger, Patti with five of her sister's grandchildren.
(Now she's a Great Aunt!)
Front row:Piper, Sydney, Patti, and Laney.
Back row: Avery and Colson

And since Christmas is a time for sharing, I thought Patti's story was perfect. Thanks Patti for stopping by and proving there is still much right in this world.

Merry Christmas...and Happy 2013 :)

33 comments:

I'm a Bad Girl...

9:22 AM Elizabeth Seckman 45 Comments

I've been a bad blogger.

I haven't been keeping up on any part of it...the visits, the posts, even the lovely comments.

I blame my kids.

They've kept me hopping.

Boy #1 is home from college for the Christmas break, and I'm just so giddy that all my kids are under the same roof for more than a weekend...I don't feel like working!

Boy #2 was chosen for the Block of Granite award for football, and is in the running for offensive lineman of the year. He needed a suit to wear to the ceremony, so, we had some shopping to do. Poor me, right? :)

Boy #3 had his 15th birthday. Egads, he can get his permit to drive now! Sigh.

Boy #4 caught a nasty case of bronchitis and ended up in the emergency room. He's on the mend, a little croupy cough left over, but much better than a few days ago.

And through it all, I had but one thought...THANK GOD. Thank you for these days, even the busy ones...even the ones that feel like one hassle after another because my babies are safe.

My heart is heavy for the families of Sandy Hook school. Prayers go out to them all. No words can express the grief, the disbelief, or the horror. All I can do is appreciate the blessings I have and maintain my faith that for every one demon, there is a legion of angels.

45 comments:

Deja Vu: Man Up...It's a Gift

1:26 AM Elizabeth Seckman 18 Comments

DL Hammon, the genius who brought us Write Club, has also come up with this gem of an idea...pick a post from your archives that you want to re-run.

And we all love a good re-run, right?

So, here is mine. It's arriving late (I had a twelve year-old with acute bronchitis), but then aren't we all aware that I just do whatever I want here?

The beauty of being self-employed.

From Decemeber 2011...

Man Up...It's a Gift

During this Christmas shopping season, I am making myself the unelected, self-appointed man advocate. I am here to speak on behalf of every man who has bought the female in his life a gift and caught slack for it. Even the guy who really screwed up and bought snow tires and jumper cables (thanks Honey) should stand up and demand a little more respect this holiday season. You took the time to shop, right? You dropped the cash on it, right? You even wrapped it and put it under the tree, right?

Soooo, why did that top of the line rechargeable impact wrench (thanks again, Honey) not make her smile?

Let me try to explain.

Guys, it’s like this… women read between every line, even the lines with really fine print. She’s looking at your present with her Dr. Phil lenses on. While she’s unwrapping, she’s considering every psychological and emotional angle to the reason you bought it and what it means for your love for her.

For example…What does that gift you worked so hard to choose SAY about your love and appreciation for your union? Bought her a sweater a size too big? You think she’s fat. Bought her a sweater a size too small? You proved she’s fat. Bought her the wrong color? You certainly don’t know her very well, because if you did, you would know she NEVERwears that color…maybe you’re thinking of your girlfriend as you shop?

Men, I understand it’s frustrating and I feel bad for you, I really do. And I would try to educate you on the nuances of gift buying, but I try to keep posts under 500 words. Instead I offer this handy little gift tag as a cheerful caveat to whatever amazing thing you surprise her with:

Now ladies… this shopping season, cut your guy some slack. He’s as confused in the women’s department as we are in the hardware/ automotive store. I never understood this until I got a full blown ‘in panic mode’ call from my brother many years ago…after an unfortunate anniversary gift of a tread mill, he was desperate to make amends at Christmas. He called me, cold dread clear in his voice, “She has tennis bracelet on her list…sporting goods or jewelry?”

Yes, ladies they are that simple. Be gentle.

Merry Christmas!!!

18 comments:

Lisa Regan: Trespasser

6:39 AM Elizabeth Seckman 17 Comments

Lisa Regan came sliding down my chimney...I KNOW...I was shocked too!!

She wanted to bring her lists of festive favorites to help you get in the holiday mood.

And...once you're in the mood, she hopes you may want to do a little shopping. And let's see, what might you want to buy? Hmmm...I know! "Finding Claire Fletcher" is an excellent stocking stuffer!!

Total truth: I opened my copy of Finding Claire, but just to skim the first page because I am so way behind in the to-do list...well, before I knew it I was in the middle of chapter three. Thanks Lisa. The kids didn't get cookies...all thanks to you!

Enough of me whining!! Here's Lisa's Lists:

Top 10 Christmas Songs

1. Twelve Days of Christmas - It’s so fun to sing!

2. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer – I can remember the words and it has a lesson: sometimes what others perceive as your weakness can be your greatest strength.

3. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – I can remember the words!

4. All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey - Cheesy, I know, but come on! It’s so catchy!

5. Run Run Rudolph by Luke Bryan – cause that dude can sing anything

6. Wintersong by Sara McLachlan – sad, I know but so pretty too!

7. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer – come on, that’s so fun!

8. White Christmas – cause who isn’t dreaming of one?

9. Last Christmas by Wham – again, so catchy!

10. Dominic the Donkey – cause my husband loves this one and I love him!

Top 10 Christmas Movies

1. Elf – it’s hilarious and sweet and when my daughter was two we had to watch this on a loop for about six months!

2. Badder Santa – yes, it is crass and appalling but also hilarious.

3. Braveheart – okay, okay, it’s not a Christmas movie but in my family we had a tradition where we watched it every Christmas. I don’t know why but now I associate it with Christmas!

4. Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys – good childhood memories!

5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – a classic and oh so funny!

6. Love, Actually. Had to get a Romantic Comedy in there. Love that movie!

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas – such a classic!

8. Four Christmases – Contemporary, funny, and I relate to the fractured families!

9. The Family Stone – again, not specifically a Christmas movie but it takes place at Christmas and it’s a great movie about families.

10. Merry Madagascar – very funny!

You're in the mood and ready to shop, right? Well, here's all you need to know:

FINDING CLAIRE FLETCHER BLOG TOUR DETAILS

GIVEAWAY

As part of the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour (12/6/12 through 12/21/12), Lisa Regan will be giving away the following items:

$25.00 Amazon Gift Card

1 signed copy of the paperback of Finding Claire Fletcher

1 e-book version of Finding Claire Fletcher

All you have to do is visit the Finding Claire Fletcher Blog Tour & Giveaway page on Lisa’s blog which you can find here and comment on that page letting Lisa know whose blog you’ve just come from. Each commenter will be assigned a number and then the winners will be chosen using random.org. Winners will be announced on 12/24/12!

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon (Paperback)

Barnes & Noble (Paperback)

Amazon (e-book)

Barnes & Noble (e-book)

Below I am pasting both a long and short synopsis. Feel free to use the short one if you think the long one will make your post too long.

SYNOPSIS

Newly divorced and with his career in jeopardy, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a beautiful woman he meets at a bar. The next morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving nothing behind but an address and a decade-old mystery. The address leads to the Fletcher family home where Claire’s siblings inform Connor that their fifteen-year-old sister was abducted from a city street ten years ago and is presumed dead.

During those ten years, Claire endured the cruel torture and depravity of the man who abducted her. Paralyzed by fear and too ashamed to return to her family, Claire is resigned to her life as Lynn, the identity her abductor forced upon her. Every time she attempts escape or betrays him in the smallest way, someone dies. Even now, her clandestine run-in with Connor Parks may have put his life at risk, as well as the lives of her family.

Connor is convinced that not only is Claire Fletcher alive, but that she is also the woman he met at the bar. Driven to see her again, he begins his own investigation, off the clock and without the police department's consent. He is determined to find her and unravel the mystery of her abduction and odd reemergence. But finding Claire Fletcher proves more dangerous than he anticipates. In fact, it may be deadly.

SYNOPSIS

Down on his luck, Detective Connor Parks takes solace in the arms of a woman he meets at a local bar, but in the morning, Claire Fletcher is gone, leaving behind clues to a decade-old mystery. Abducted at age fifteen, no one has heard from Claire Fletcher in ten years. Until now. Driven by an unsettling need to see Claire again, Connor sets out to solve the mystery of her disappearance once and for all.

AUTHOR BIO

Lisa Regan is a suspense novelist. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member Sisters In Crime. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter. Her second novel, Aberration, is due out 6/6/13.

Best of luck to you Lisa...and Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!!

17 comments:

Kelley Lynn...Amazing Lady; Awesome Cover!

3:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 12 Comments

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the amazing...the talented...the awesome...and did I say lovely? Kelley Lynn! She's smart, she's talented, she's a freaking engineer, and she's here!

So, I am going to just step into this little lady's super tall shadow and let her tell you about her book!

Take it away Kelley!!!

Wow. I can't believe the day is here! Time for the FRACTION OF STONE cover reveal.

Before we get into that, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me get this far. All the fine people who are helping with this cover reveal, my CPs/Betas, family and friends. And of course, thank you to Sapphire Star Publishing for helping make my dream a reality. (And also letting me have a huge say in how this cover looks.) I am so, so excited and feel so blessed.

To thank you all, there is a drawing for 2 ARCs of FRACTION OF STONE which you can enter to win at the bottom of this post! You can enter until December 14th at which point the winners will be chosen.

Okay, now that, that has been said. Here we go!

Book information:

Fraction of Stone by Kelley Lynn

Release Date: March 21st, 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book Description:

12 comments:

Ninja Star!!

12:43 AM Elizabeth Seckman 32 Comments

It's the Cheers, Cavanaugh Blog Fest!

I'm joining Mark Koopman, Morgan Shamy, David Powers King, and Stephen Tremp and a host of other bloggers to pay Tribute (it's a stretch, but that's what they're calling it, so I'm sticking with it!) to Alex J. Cavanaugh...the Ninja Master.

The always working, never sleeping Mr. Cavaugh is a writer, a bloggern (founder of the Insecure Writer's Support Group), and all-around good guy (I did a Google search...there was no evidence of Alex kicking kittens, whew!)

Since alex is a busy man...let's waste no time and jump straight to the questions:
· In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?

Hmm...my guess is...he dresses all in black and carries a katana...a special weapon armed with sharpened pencil lead instead of steel.

· In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

Tom Cruise. (+10 bonus points for sucking up!)

· In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

Santa Claus. They both work year round in relative seclusion...all but the army of ninja staff/ elves and a dedicated Mrs.

· In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

"Alex: Christmas Hero!"

Christmas comes whether you're ready or not. It halts for no one...not even Trindel, the North Pole's Naughty or Nice Officer. Problem is, Trindel won't leave the Cosbolt long enough to do the check list! So, Santa called the Ninja master and prevailed upon him to put the guitar down and come help. Santa knew...if the Ninja master could keep hundreds of writers out of the nut house with the IWSG...he could manage a list of a million or so wayward kids! Of course Mr. Cavanaugh said yes, the righteousness of Christmas was preserved and the bad kids got coal!

For Bonus Points:

· In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing

Thanks to Mrs. Cavanaugh...we all know behind every great man is a great woman!

32 comments:

Hey There Big Stuff...

12:37 PM Elizabeth Seckman 38 Comments

I've got big things on my mind.

I was asked by Megan Wille of One Word at a Time to do the "Next Big Thing" Meme.

And I will get to that after I try to explain the big (confusing) blog tour idea I have.

All right here's the plan:
(Please be patient with me. I don't do directions well. Shocking, but true.)

~Everyone who volunteered to host me in January (muchas gracias, by the way) will offer up a prompt. A word, a phrase, a question...whatever you want.

I will write up a guest post based on your prompt, send it to you, and you can post it any day in January.

Be sure to let me know the date...because...

I will add a page to my blog.

All of the links to host bloggers will be listed there.

I will then ask readers to pick their favorite post and the blogger who thunk up the post gets a $25 Amazon card.

And for all the readers who stop by the page...there will (oh dear Lord, please let technology be kind to me!!) be a rafflecopter set up for a $100 cash* give away.

*By cash I mean $100 however the winner wants it...certified check, gift card, sack of pennies**...winner's choice
**Sack of pennies will only be delivered in the 26155 zip code area

If you want in on the fun (please God, let this not be a nightmare!)... feel free to email me at eseckman(at)ymail(dot)com.

Now if this makes zero sense, I won't be AT ALL surprised, so shoot me an email or a comment and I'll do my dizzy blond best to 'splain things.

Now for the Meme:

What is the working title of your book?

Hoosier Daddy
Where did the idea for the book come from?
The title...I love it!
What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary romance
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
No idea yet. My niece is my casting director and she's shopping.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Guy meets girl, guy insults girl...then girl steals guy's heart and makes him beg for it back.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
No idea.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Still drafting...could be a while.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
It was going to be my NaNo creation.
What else about your book might pique your reader's interest?
The final book will be dipped in chocolate.
What other books does your book compare to in your genre?
Kyra Lennon's books. She's a comrade in romance.

photo credit: Murilo Morais via photopin cc

38 comments:

Facebooker Insecurity Encephalitis:The Post that No One Tells Koopmans About: ISWG

9:45 AM Elizabeth Seckman 60 Comments

Read other IWSG posts HERE!

For today's IWSG, I'd like to take the opportunity to address a real problem in the writing community. It's insidious. It masks itself by appearing trivial, like a little cough that turns out to be TB. Please review the symptoms. If you, or anyone you love seem to be suffering...seek help immediately!

Do fears of lame status updates give you writer’s block?

Do you lose sleep as images of clever posts dance in your head?

Do you obsessively worry that “liking” Vagisil for the coupon gave people the wrong impression?

Or that “liking” Justin Bieber just lost you followers?

Do you fear your soul with be sent straight to hell because you scrolled past “Like and Share if you love Jesus”?

Do you allow your children to stretch the limits of good behavior…as long as it makes a good status update?

Do you put your marriage/relationships on shaky ground offering up TMI just to make a reader click like?

Do you call your therapist/minister/mommy when your follower number goes down, not up?

Do you keep Grammar Girl on your tool bar so no one can say you ain’t got smarts?

Do you feel compelled to have another baby or adopt a puppy just to have cute pictures to post?

*If you suffer from any of these symptoms…you may be experiencing Facebooker Insecurity Encephalitis. Seek reality in the form of actual conversation immediately before the swelling of your brain causes permanent damage.

Sadly, if you just thought, "Hey, a twisted brain makes for snappier status updates!" I'm too late. Next thing you know, your hair will fall out and you will look and act like this:

This is the lovely Mark Koopmans...if you aren't following this crazy man...CLICK HERE...and do it now.

60 comments:

Who Am I? I am the Shizzle, Mistah Spade!

9:59 AM Elizabeth Seckman 60 Comments

Emily and Tammy have invited the very sassy (yes, I just called a dude sassy!) David Spade to the internet. Okay, well, I don't really know that David is going to be here, but he is being channeled by Emily and Tammy and he has a few nosy questions:

(Pause a moment for some shameless self-promotion...I am putting together a blog tour for January...so if you have the time and/or inclination to host me for a day...email me at: eseckman(at)ymail(dot)com. Thanks...now back to Mr. Spade!)

Sooo, Elizabeth...here are the questions...

1. How many speeding tickets have you gotten?

Zero. Not a single one. Came close once. I was driving back to college in a Chevy Chevette and was clocked at 70 miles per hour. The interstate speed limit was 55. The state trooper didn't ticket me, but he did want to know...how did I get that piece of crap car to go that fast? I told him it had to be gravity...I was going down a big hill.

2. Can you pitch a tent?

No. And I don't want to learn. Not doing exhausting outdoor labor is one of the reasons I got married.

3. What was your worst vacation ever?

Any that started with pitching a freaking tent.

4. What was the last thing you bought over $100?

Groceries. Or do you mean single item? Cable. I just paid over $150 to watch tv...for one month! When I was a kid we had free tv...sure it was fuzzy and we had to wrap foil around the rabbit ears, but it cost NOTHING!

5. We're handing you the keys to what?

Fort Knox. I want a bail out.

6. What was the last meal you cooked that made even you sick?

Hmmm....it's been a long time since I actually cooked...I tried to grill fish this summer. Epic fail. Stuck to the grates, tasted like crap. The stomach turned just looking at the mess.

7. Fill in the blank: Oh my gosh! Becky, look at her butt! It is so big. She looks like___?

One of those rap guys girlfriend....This is one of the soundtracks in the make-believe movie montage of my life! How did you know?!

8. What was your first car?

Black Chevy Chevette: no AC, red pleather seats, and a cassette player. I was cool before it was kewl.

9. Your best friend falls and gets hurt. Do you ask if he or she's okay or laugh first?

Now, that completely depends on the fall! Willd swinging arms, legs going spread eagle, maybe spilling some coffee all over? Totally hilarious moment! I'll not only laugh, I'll grab the camera. A four foot drop that leads to unconsciousness? I'll take the iPhone off record and call 911.

10. What's the worst song ever?

"Ice, Ice Baby"...and just because I MAY know every word by heart and MIGHT have choreographed dance moves to it, means nothing. It's like a cold germ. Catch a snippet of it and it will clog your head for a week.

See you later David...go make a new movie...one like "Joe Dirt"...I love to laugh.

60 comments:

Meet Elizabeth: Pants Wetter

1:09 PM Elizabeth Seckman 56 Comments

I know, I know...you're dying to see my baby picture~

But first, I want to thank Trisha at Words + Stuff for coming up with such a fun idea!

I also have an announcement and a favor...

I have a book releasing on December 15, 2012.

(YAY...feel free to happy dance with me!!)

Now, I gave birth to boy #3 (Carter) on December 16 back in 1997 and I have learned over the past fifteen years since that wonderful event, that celebrations are a total pain in the weeks before the most awesome holiday (well, in my opinion) on the planet!

So, just like Carter's birthday...I am planning my book launch for January 15, 2013.

The favor?

I need bloggie friend help and love.

Invite me over to your blog in January so I can spread the word.

I swear, I won't wear my shoes on your carpet!

And, I have an idea to make the posts as fun and fresh as I can~

But we will discuss the details once I don't have candy cane brain.

If you can help me out...

Shoot me an email:

eseckman(at)ymail(dot)com

NOW...

My baby picture!!!

I love to share pictures of little me.

She's much more adorable than big me.

Meet little Elizabeth, middle name Merry.
She enjoys tinsel, fat men in red suits, and sneaking a peak at Christmas gifts.

Woot Woot!! It's December peeps!!
Merry Christmas!!!!!