National Poetry Month

April!! Not only is it a great month because it's my birthday--gifts graciously accepted, but it's National Poetry Month. I know, I know...not a poet you say? Me either! I'd like to give a good try, but I don't know that I'll post one every day. Stephanie Abney  is my inspiration and you can check out her blog for the poetry challenge of the day. So here is what I wrote, per her prompt which is to write a couplet.

I can write poetry, dad-gum-it!

Everyone thinks I can write a great poem.

Haha, says I'll, and then I'll show 'em!

Laugh if you want! Go ahead, get it out of your system.

Come back tomorrow and let's see if I can top that!

So what couplet did you write? Post it in your comments.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!

Dear Friends,

So many of your have been so wonderfully generous and kind. 

Thanks to all who donated to make Isaac's hearing aids a reality. 

He leaves on Wednesday for Utah, then he's off to Romania. 

He will be an amazing missionary.

Here are some fun pictures taken since he got his hearing aids on Friday!

The proud mother, Theresa and her son Isaac

You can barely see them

Holding his hearing aid

Isaac and I at Latter-day Cottage in Mesa

Stephanie Abney, Theresa, Isaac and I at his farewell last night

A Boy with a Mission-and a GREAT need

I know a boy, a very handsome boy,

who happens to be a miracle. His name is Isaac Sneed. He just got his mission call for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. My family got to be there when he read the letter that explained where he will be serving. He is going to the Romania Bucharest Mission and reports to the Mission Training Center in Salt Lake City on Dec. 14, 2011.  

Let me back up about 11 years, a time I remember well. Isaac's mom, Theresa Sneed is my best friend. Her son started complaining about his "tummy". You know, the kinds of complaints all kids have. Only his ache never went away. 

Long story short--he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. This cancer is almost always fatal, and most children who get this kind of cancer are diagnosed by the age of 2.  By the time it is discovered, the cancer usually spreads to the point of no return. Through a miracle, his tumor was completely intact and the doctors were able to remove it. Isaac was 8.

As a result of his treatment (chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell transplant), Isaac's suffers from significant hearing loss.

So why am I writing today? Because Isaac needs hearing aids to be the best missionary he can be. Learning a new language is challenging for a normal missionary with a set of good ears, so you can imagine what Isaac's challenge will be with significant hearing loss. 

The cost of hearing aids is approximately $6500. His parents are currently without health insurance and cannot afford to purchase them. If you have a heart, and I know you do, would you please make a donation to get them for him. Every little bit helps. So far $110 has been collected in his behalf. But that's a long way from the total we need. Even small amounts add up. You can go to any Chase bank and deposit funds. The account number is: 2996079725. 


Thank you for your generosity and Christ-like love! Your donation may remain anonymous if you'd like.

Blogging Blues-Or I'm changing my plan!

I started this blog as a way to journal, post stories, just for fun. However, I'm starting to rethink this whole blogger thing. I'm going to change the format of this blog. This is going to be my personal blog. The one where I get to vent, post stories I've written, and just be a little more about me. I'm going to use my other blog: Ramblings of a Random Writer as my official writer/author's blog. I'm going to post reviews, author interviews, and writing tidbits on that site. So, if you're following me here and not finding what you're looking for in an author site, then go visit me at the link above. 

Because, this is me:

Well, not just me, but my handsome wonderful husband, too!

Struggles with Edits

Waters of Mormon
By Walter Rane

I am in the throes of editing my Book of Mormon novel, Soulfire. My amazing editor believes in my story, I believe in my story, and my friends who have read it believe in my story. 


The writing SUCKS! 


Okay, maybe that's being a little harsh. I wrote this book over twenty years ago while I was a beginning writer. In fact it started out as a short story. I let it sit for a couple of years. Then the bug to write a novel hit me, but I didn't know about what.

While I was struggling, it came to me that I should turn my short story into a novel--it certainly had the potential for a longer version. It took me seven years to write it. During that time I experimented with different writing styles, never being able to quite find my voice. 

So now as I look back at this story, I'm having to really hard time editing it. Sometimes I think I just want to start over and rewrite the whole thing. So what keeps me from doing just that?


What do you do when you're stuck? When you're revising and you don't enjoy the process? What helps you?