HUNTED Book Trailer + First 6 pages - by Cheryl Rainfield

Read the first 6 pages of HUNTED a paranormal fantasy YA book by Cheryl Rainfield

A New Trick for Inspiration

This has nothing to do with writing. Well, it could be if you use it as inspiration. :) This is my guinea pig, Beanie. She's only 4 month old and we've perfected her standing trick. Too cute!

My Name Is Not Bob: Do You Put Too Much Pressure on the Beginning...From the Beginning?

ROBERT LEE BREWER has a way with words, and his post below is no exception. I often get hung up on the hook (so to speak) when I should 'just write.' Uninterrupted, free-flowing_thought, get-it-all-out-there writing. Read Robert's post below and let me know what you think. Do you get hung up on the hook?

Do You Put Too Much Pressure on the Beginning...From the Beginning? (from My Name Is Not Bob)

Happy New Year!! Watch out 2012

Yes, I realize it's the 2nd of January and I'm just posting about New Years now.
I wanted to wait to see what the first day of 2012 brought and so far the year is shaping out pretty well. Nobody is in the hospital, nobody is sick and my house is clean-ish.

As far as writing goes, I've hit the ground running, starting off the year with #MoP12 (Month of Poetry 2012) hosted by @KatApel http://monthofpoetry.wordpress.com/ The goal - write a poem a day for the month of January. I have my first 2 poems completed, a third one started and a few ideas on the side. I'm doing well.

I've also been doing some research for submissions and it looks as though I have a few options, which always makes me happy.

A couple of years ago I submitted one of my children's manuscripts to a publisher, it was one of 6 to make it to the final round. Unfortunately, it wasn't chosen. I've been fiddling with it since. This year I plan to finish fiddling  and submit to agents. I've never submitted to an agent before so this makes me excited and nervous but I believe it is the best move for this manuscript and myself as a writer.

This year I already have one publication lined up. In August I will have my 2012 Horrorku published in the print edition of Scifaikuest. This will be my second time in this publication.

Finally, I plan to post in this blog more regularly. Though I still have the Auntie Flamingo blog I am going to phase that one out and continue on with this one. I feel that the other blog has pocketed me into the children's genre and though I still write for children there are other areas of my writing that need attention. There are so many other sides of me, which some people may be surprised by some.

So the plan is to regroup, refocus and reach out. This is the year to get my name out there more and get noticed. This is MY year - 2012!

Guinea Pig Surprise - The Surprise

Be sure to see Episode 1 - The Plan and Episode 2 - One week away

Guinea Pig Surprise - One Week Away

Be sure to see Episode 1 - The Plan

The surprise is planned for November 18th, 2011

Guinea Pig Surprise - The Plan

See Episode 2 - One week away

Halloween Horror Poster Competition

I created this image for a Halloween Horror Poster Competition, on the Lyons New Media Centre Facebook page! I'm in need of votes and they have to be in before Oct. 31, 2011.

Click here to see it in full and vote : http://bit.ly/sKMMFO

JACK-O-LANTERNS - An Acrostic Poem

I've posted this acrostic poem before but I thought I'd post is again since it fits the occasion.

JACK-O-LANTERNS
by Madeline Barr

Jagged tooth grin
And nothing to say.
Candy he guards,
Keeping ghouls away.

Orange, cool armor he wears. His

Life, an internal light.
Armed with an eerie glow and the
Natural darkness of night.
Triangular, flashing eyes
Examine the area for miles.
Relentlessly protecting the sweet treats but
Never forgetting to
Smile!

Dream Soup

I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamed I received an acceptance letter in the form of soup. Yes, SOUP.

I got it from the mailbox and it was chicken soup with pasta words. As I stirred the soup the pasta words floated around with the chunks of chicken and carrots. The words started to surface so I could actually read them. YOUR was the first word, then SUBMISSION. As I kept stirring the word that had surfaced just bobbled around a bit but didn't move. HAS and BEEN joined the first two words. The next word was long and stared with an A.

ACCEPTED!



I kept stirring thinking it was a joke and waited for the word NOT to pop into place but it never did. I was so happy I stared to cry. 

Then I woke up.
I can come up with a few meanings for this dream but I want to know what you think.