Neighborhood Sharing

 

 

https://littlefreelibrary.org/about/

In my neighborhood and many others in Seattle you can find "Little Free Libraries". These often look like tiny houses and usually have two tiers of books inside. Some may be dedicated to children's books, but most have titles for all ages.

The concept is that you take a book and leave a book. There is one on my street and there may be one on yours. You can look up locations at the Little Free Library site linked here.

The Little Free Library site also has plans for creating your own Little Free Library, and a link to register your location.

In addition to occasionally dropping off a book, I recently created bookmarks to add to the Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood. Making the bookmarks gave me a new creative outlet where I can apply all my card making techniques and supplies, and the bookmarks are perfect accompaniments to books.

This first batch is made from DSP--double-sided paper. Each bookmark is vinyl covered for durability, and the decorations on the end of the ribbons are little trinkets I've found while out on walks.

There is a tab on the bookmark that slides over a page to help keep it in place:

My next batch of bookmarks were made from metallic paper and included new tassels that I bought. Each one also has a stamp on the back: a hedgehog, rain, field of flowers, coffee mugs, and a sentiment "Sparkle with all your heart". I love having a new way to share my paper hobby with others.

In addition to Little Free Libraries, our neighborhood also has Little Pantries where people can leave food for those in need. On a walk this week we found a Little Pantry refrigerator stocked with juices, salads, and fruit!

Little Free Libraries feed hungry minds, and Little Pantries feed  hungry bodies. Both are wonderful ways to share with our neighbors.

 

Photo by cyrus gomez on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

Whatcha Reading? ~ by Grace Augustine

As a child, I was more of a color book and paper doll girl than a book reader. In fact, as a child, I don't remember reading, nor being read to. Then I hit junior high. 

Afraid of my own shadow, the thought of giving an oral book report made my stomach churn. To this day, I cannot remember the books I read to do the reports because I was so nervous.

During high school study halls, I began reading Grace Livingston Hill books, while my best friend always had an Anne Mather novel in her hands. 

I became obsessed with the written word (I was still pretty gun shy about doing anything that required me being in front of the class) and took every grammar and composition class offered. I also took Modern Literature and Mythology.

Gone With the Wind did nothing for me, but Thor Heyerdahl's adventures on the Kon Tiki, well, that was the best. And anything by Chaucer or Shakespeare swelled my heart. 

My study hall reading had graduated to the tamest of the Harlequin romances but continued reading all of Grace Livingston Hill books. I'd read Janet Dailey's entire Americana series by 1980. And somehow in a move, the books by both authors were lost, which broke my heart. 

Today, I still gravitate to a beautiful romance over any other genre. Part of why I write romance is because of Janet Dailey and Debbie Macomber, to me, the true queens of all matters of the heart.

What's on my shelves? Well, let me show you. I have a copy of each of my books as well as many favorite authors, one is my co-administrator, Joanne Jaytanie. You will see names like Debbie Macomber, Kim Law, Karen Hawkins, and Kathleen McGowan among those on my shelves.

So, I ask you, what are you reading? What is on your shelf? Who is your favorite author?  And, if you haven't already done so, take a moment to let that author know, even if it means finding an address through an agent and writing a note. Authors love hearing from their fans. I do, too!

Bookish ~ by Author Bree M. Lewandowski

“Hey, thanks for letting me borrow that book.”

“Oh, you’re welcome. What did you think of that scene in the living room? You know. The one I told you about.”

“Oh, that one! Gosh, that was so intense! And the way the author described the blue carpet really made me feel like Jen and her mom were drowning from their different points of view.”

“Blue carpet?”

“Yeah. The blue carpet underneath the two sofas they’re sitting on, separating them like an ocean.”

“The carpet was blue?”

“Yeah! Didn’t you—”

“Didn’t you think the open window was an amazing allegory for what their relationship becomes?”

“The window was open?”

Okay, pause. Because I could write this conversation all day long. And no one here wants to read that go-back-and-forth. I was trying to make a point. I was trying to be clever in illustrating a point. But I didn’t do anything more than confuse you and cause you to wonder why you’re reading this blog post. 

Sorry, babe.

Let me start over. We’ve all read some of the same books. Whether it was books we read in school or books recommended to us by friends or the online book community. At some point, you picked up a book because So-and-So on GoodBookFaceReads told you it was an “uh-maz-ing” read.

So, you read it.

But it wasn’t amazing.

Or, and come with me here, you picked up a book because the cover was pretty, read the back synopsis, and decided it might be worth your time. Except you went on GoodBookFaceReads and sampled the comments section. And people hated it. Couldn’t stop complaining about it. But the cover was so lovely, and the plot seemed so nifty, you held your breath and dove in.

And you loved it. Loved that character everyone and their mother couldn’t stand. You adored the way the author wove her tale. This book is going down on your imaginary (or real) list of Tippy-Top Books.

I haven’t exactly made my point yet. You still with me?

Cool, cool.

The point I’m wandering my way into is that we all don’t read the same book. Your perspective on a piece of fiction is influenced by a myriad of things. Your upbringing, your current quality of life, your outlook on a bazillion things. And the person who reads the same book you did is affected by all those same things. Except those same things are different from yours because none of us are living the same life.

And that’s beautiful.

What you read and what the author wrote are probably far apart. Yet, therein lies the wonder of books. It’s like a new day for everyone who turns to page one. There aren’t many things like that in this world.

Should there be? I rather think not. It ruins the awe.

And, sure, we could delve into a different conversation here about whether the color red I see is the same color red you see, or how maybe what I’m suggesting teeters on the verge of nihilism.

Back the truck up.

I’m saying it’s lovely. It’s a gift. It allows the same set of words to take on new variations every time those words are read. And who is it more of a gift for? The author or the reader? I don’t know. But that makes it even more special.

I’ll go so far as to say that this “newness” can happen when you read a book for a second, third, fourth, or fifth time. You’ll find something new. A line of description will strike you differently. Why? Because you aren’t reading it with the same eyes as you were the first time. You’re not there now.

You’re here.

Is this a conversation tipping around philosophy? That a book can be the same and new at the simultaneously? I’ll say it’s not. But I will say that it’s indescribable and I only know of one place the indescribable comes.

Look up, dear reader. Look Up.

Author and Dance Instructor
Bree Lewandowski

Bree Lewandowski is married and has 4 fur babies. She teaches dance when she isn't writing. Coffee is her passion. "Coffee spurns my writing. Coffee is wonderful." She eats noodles like they're vegetables, she can't swim, and thinks writing bios is weird. To connect with Bree, please visit her HERE .

What’s New and How-To~by Joanne Jaytanie

If you’re looking for a fun story, interested in hearing some new music, or admire a piece of art, Originality by Design is your next must-read. Stop by and see what’s new. We have a wide variety of guest bloggers with a multitude of subjects. And, we’re introducing a brand new page titled, REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS. 

Are you excited to see what there is inside the pages of Originality by Design (OBD), but a bit bewildered?

No worries. I’m here to give you a quick rundown. You’ll become an expert in no time.

When you enter the OBD site, the newest blog post will be the first thing you see (like this one). To the right of this blog post is a list of PAGES. If you click on the HOME page, you’ll see the description of Originality by Design. And as you scroll down, the next block is once again, the newest post. Under that post is a list of the ten most viewed blog posts. 

The next tab under HOME in PAGES is MEMBERS. There you will find an introduction to each of our members along with a link to their PERSONAL PAGE. Each member’s page can also be reached by clicking on their name in PAGES. Along with the MEMBERS, we have our REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS and the list of GUEST BLOGGERS – by year. You can also CONTACT US if you have suggestions, comments, or are interested in joining us as a guest blogger.

Have you found a person you’d like to read more from but can’t locate their posts?

If they are a MEMBER, when you click on their name in the PAGES, their personal page will come up. There you can read all their posts to your heart’s content. You can also find links to their other sites, such as Facebook, Pinterest, and their website. Each member’s page is tailored to their choices.

If you’re looking for a specific GUEST BLOGGER, REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR, even a MEMBER, and you don’t want to scroll through pages and pages, let me tell you a little trick. Scroll up to the very top of the blog. On the top left side, above the Originality by Design banner, you’ll see a “B” next to that is a white box. Just type in the name you are looking for and hit enter. Everything relating to that person will appear. 

Those are the basics. So feel free to pursue OBD whenever the mood strikes. There’s always something new to read, a thought to ponder, or a laugh to be had.

Enjoy!  
Joanne

Have You Seen or Heard a Ghost? ~by Kim Hornsby

I write ghosts or unexplainable occurrences into my books and I’m not going to brag or apologize for it. I just do. I never started out to write about ghosts and I’m not a freaky ghost-loving fanatic, but those things just seem to creep into most of my books whether they were included in the character list or the original storyline, or not. I’ll be writing a perfectly sweet little story and the next thing I know something moves the curtains or there is a tap at the window that can’t be explained.

When I was a child, I was very frightened of ghosts. Even as a teen, I remember being told to say out loud that I did not want any ghost to present themselves to me. Apparently, the spirits that surround you will protect you from anyone coming through if you let your parameters be known. I was not open to messages, or visions from the other side. At all. I believed and I was terrified. I was a reluctant believer.

My grandmother was a believer and when my grandfather died, she felt him in the bed with her for the nights afterwards. I grew up hearing these stories. When she died, my aunt tried to contact her with an Ouija Board and a message came through for me that only my grandmother and I knew about. 

               Kim Ghost Hunting 

Over the years, I’ve had a few occurrences, including the vision of my recently deceased dog going around the corner a few days after his death. I saw him and so did my daughter who was ten at the time. We both couldn’t believe it. Now, it seems like we might have imagined it except for the fact that we both saw him.

I wrote my latest book series about a woman who was used by her mother as a child to do ghost readings in houses. Bryndle Moody is all grown up now and has a YouTube show called Moody Paranormal Investigations in which she investigates ghosts and films her findings. She’s a medium, which is different from a psychic, although she is also psychic. And, she’s newly blind. When she inherits a house on the Oregon Coast with a ghost that gives her back her sight in his presence, she never wants to let him go. But his request is to find his bones from 1850 to let him pass on.

I’m not sure where I got this story from, but it’s now evolved into 4 short books that involve ghosts, mystery, and lots of snarky humor from Bryndle. For this series, I drew upon stories my readers tell me about their experiences with ghosts to write a series with no gore, horror, little swearing and very little hanky-panky until the 4th book and by then you are ready for it. It’s a continuing series with cliff-hanger endings that lead you to the next book. If you pick up the first one, which is only .99, you might need to keep going to the next. I keep my books cheap so everyone can enjoy my stories.

Have you ever seen or heard a ghost? I’d be very surprised if you haven’t whether you knew it or not. Do tell!

You can find Kim's books and her past posts on her page

Not a Guilty Pleasure ~ by R.L. Merrill

     Greetings and thank you to Grace Augustine for inviting me to the Originality By Design blog!
     I want to start by sharing part of an email I received today:
     “I'm a graduate student...and we're working on a podcast episode with the general theme of Guilty Pleasures. We came across your group (San Francisco Area Chapter of Romance Writers of America), and we'd love to speak with you.”
     At first I was flattered and excited...and then I paused at the theme.
     Guilty Pleasures.
     This was my answer to the person:
     Thank you for reaching out. I would be happy to talk about the romance industry on your podcast. Before we go any further, I’d love to share my thoughts on the subject of guilty pleasures and we can go from there.
     

I will say that it is the belief of many of us that reading romance novels is actually not a guilty pleasure. We’ve been taught that romance novels are something that we should feel guilty about when actually reading of any kind is an important way to fulfill oneself, especially for women who work hard and rarely have time to themselves. Romance brings hope to those who read it.
     I recently was reminded of this when I sent out interview questions to other authors I was featuring on my blog. I asked what their reading guilty pleasure was and several said “None. I never feel guilty for reading what I want to read, for doing something that makes me happy.” We beat up on ourselves enough as it is!
     After we had a phone conversation, they asked me to be on their podcast and were very interested in this perspective. I am proud to be representing Romance Writers of America as VP of Communications for the San Francisco Area Chapter and I’m very excited to take up the sword against the notion that genre fiction—specifically romance—is trash, smut, or a guilty pleasure.
     I have met some of the most brilliant people during my five years as a member of RWA as well as in the romance community at large. I’ve attended conventions and workshops as well as countless events on Facebook where I’ve met incredibly talented people. We have doctors, lawyers, even politicians in our midst. We have stay-at-home mothers, authors working two or more jobs, and parents of special-needs children all writing stories of love, hope, strength, endurance, and resilience. 
     The majority of the time, our community lifts each other up and cheers each other on. I’ve made great friends and received support from some of the most talented and brilliant authors writing today. Writing romance has fulfilled me in ways that my 25-year career as an educator doesn’t always. So why should I look at the stories I write and read as a guilty pleasure?
     I’ve been asking authors for their reading guilty pleasures for

my Friendy Friday blog posts for a while now and recently three best-selling authors Kimberly Kincaid, Avery Flynn, and Sarah Hegger all said, “None. I don’t feel guilty about doing something that makes me happy.” Their answers inspired me today as I spoke to the podcaster on the phone and encouraged me to write this blog post.
     There is nothing to feel guilty about when you experience art. Whether it be live music, a painting in a famous museum, or reading a story about a pirate conquering the seas and stealing the heart of a fair maiden in the process, you’re taken on a journey and given the opportunity to step outside yourself for a little while. Did it make you happy? Is it hurting anyone? No? Then why the guilt?
     As a mom of two busy teens and various pets who teaches 70% of the time and writes romance novels whenever I can, I have enough guilt. I feel guilty I don’t have enough Algebra skills to help my son with his homework, or that I really don’t want to see the latest emote on Fortnite. Or I feel guilty that I can’t go to my daughter’s track meet because my son has a standing appointment at the same time. Or I feel guilty that I don’t get to see my mother more than once a week sometimes, or that I don’t have time to take on a board position for the kids’ swim team. I feel guilty every day for my messy house or that I still haven’t called a contractor out to fix that door. I feel so much guilt. 
     

But I also recognize that part of taking care of my family is taking care of me, and I do that by writing. It helps me work out things that are bothering me, it makes me happy, and it’s a way to connect with people who share my passion for hopeful love stories. And guess what? My family supports me, and I know that by chasing my dreams I’m setting a good example for my kids. I have zero guilt about that.
     I’m excited about this upcoming interview, which I will share on my social media and in my newsletter just as soon as I have links. I’m excited to share this important perspective and my hope is that somewhere a person who is reading the latest contemporary, paranormal, LGBTQ or science fiction romance will hear it and not feel like they have to hide their book cover while riding on the train to and from work, or keep their preferred reading habits quiet around co-workers who only value “literary fiction.” We have got to stop tearing each other down. Reading is good for the soul. Period. It improves vocabulary, it enlightens the reader to the plight of others who are perhaps different from them, and it takes the reader away for fifteen minutes or three hours in a day when life is pummeling them from every direction. These are all good for you. Reading—no matter what the subject—is not a guilty pleasure and we should stop calling it so.
     Now go grab the book on top of your TBR pile and feel zero guilt about it.
     

Thanks for reading today. If you would like to learn more about my books and the world of Rock ‘n’ Romance, please sign up for my newsletter-y thingie at  www.rlmerrillauthor.com. You can also follow me at www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor
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I love chatting with readers and other authors and I love sharing my favorite music. I have playlists for all of my books on Spotify and my reader group shares their favorite tunes on Music Mondays. Stay Tuned for more Rock ‘n’ Romance…