#Shakespeared

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is one of my favorite summer getaways. Short of purchasing a ticket across the pond, there's no better way to dip your toes in Shakespeare and/or get thoroughly #Shakepeared.

This summer, Henry V, wasn't enough. It wet my appetite but didn't satisfy. A thick volume in the gift shop called The Friendly Shakespeare piqued my interest and set me on the path to discovery. 

As a source for inspiration, there nothing better than Shakespeare. The plays, from comedy to history, are a superb mix of drama and humor, truth and fiction, prose and poetry, romance and tragedy. Reading or viewing Shakespeare will expose you to:

Heroes who act like villains and villains who act heroically. Prince Hal from Henry IV exemplifies debauchery and heroism as he treads the path from from ale house to throne and prince to king.

So when this loose behavior I throw off,
And pay the debt I never promised,
By how much better than my word I am,
And like bright metal on a sullen ground,
My refomation, glittering o'er my fault,
Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes
Than that which hath no foil to set it off.

Real emotion woven throughout the tales make hundreds of years old feel familiar and relatable. Jealousy, fierce loyalty, true love, infatuation, self-interest, humility, hopelessness. Duke Orsino from Twelfth Night drowns in melancholy due to unrequited love, and like many of us, he wallow in it.

If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die...

Relationships of all types--both healthy and unhealthy--are explored. Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, husbands and wives, sovereigns and subjects, siblings, and the best and worst of friends. Prospero, the magician and one time duke in The Tempest, does much to ensure the happiness of his daughter Miranda.

I have done nothing but in care of thee,
Of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter, who
Art ignorant of what thou art, nought knowing
Of whence I am, nor that I am more better
Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell,
And thy no greater father.

Some of the most delicious banter ever written. Like a tennis match where each hit is efficiently lobbed back. Petruchio and Catherine in The Taming of the Shrew and Benedick and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing come to mind. I'd love to gift my lovers such wonderful dialogue.

Beatrice: I wonder you will still be talking, Signor 
Benedick, nobody marks you.
Benedick: What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?
Beatrice: Is it possible disdain should die while she hath 
such meet food to feed as Signor Benedick?

Shakespeare is timeless. His plots, intrigues, epic romances, and tragedies draw us into another world. From Romeo, Romeo to Out damned spot! he captures our imaginations and feeds our need for both beautiful language and wonderful storytelling.

* * *

If you need a bit o' inspiration, there's always some new interpretation to explore. Here are a few of my new and old favorites (complete with links to Amazon):
The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard, by Norrie Esptein.
The Tempest, featuring Helen Mirren as Prospera
The Hollow Crown: The Complete Series, featuring Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal/Henry V
Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Kenneth Branagh
A Midsummer Night's Dream, featuring Rupert Everett as Oberon & Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania
Twelfth Night, featuring Imogen Stubbs & Helena Bonham Carter

* * * 

What are your favorites? Leave me a comment and tell me your true feelings about the Bard. (Be warned that if you loathe him entirely, there may be mocking...) I've also embedded links to my own posts on being #Shakespeared through the post. Happy clicking!

Book Hangover

Book Hangover 
book hang-o-ver noun
a severe headache or other after effects caused by reading an excessively good book into the wee hours of the morning.

“I have the worst book hangover! But it was so worth it!”

This summer has been a bit of a challenge, but it has given me the opportunity to read more. (We call that research in the writing world. And it's my favorite kind!) There have been some decent books, and then there have been some of those that resulted in a book hangover like none other. Do I regret it? Nope. It's all the name of art, my friends!

They're all clean reads and they feature at least a spark of romance. In case you're looking for something fabulous to read, here's what I'd had my nose in lately:

Painting Kisses by Melanie Jacobson (YA Romance)
Lia Carswell is good at what she does. The popular waitress works hard and with her witty personality and good looks, she's something of an enigma to the male customers who vie for her attention. Lia keeps her distance, with one exception. Aidan's clever teasing draws Lia's attention, though Lia would never let their relationship get serious, especially since he's not the only one trying to catch her eye. Then her old New York artist life comes knocking. It would ensure financial security for her family, but Lia doesn't know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she reawakens her heart and soul. And as she finds herself falling in love and needing an outlet more and more, she realizes her paintings might be her saving grace.

My review: 5 stars! This is my top summer read! Melanie is gifted at creating strong yet fragile heroines. The romance that blossoms throughout the story is complex and beautiful and keeps a girl reading far into the night. I adored it! Possibly my favorite aspect of Painting Kisses was seeing the world through Lia's artist's eyes. It was beautiful and amazing.

Forbidden, Kimberley Griffiths Little (YA Fiction)
In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden's tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden's turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe's leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family's position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden's heart. Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden's heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb's increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden's every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.
My review: 5 stars! A truly wonderful read. It's clear that Kimberley has done some amazing research and weaves it together with an enchanting story of her own making. Intrigue, romance, and tradition draw the reader in and yes, keep you reading well into the night!

Ignite, Sara B. Larson (YA Fiction)
Alexa continues to harbor a secret love for the newly crowned King Damian, yet she remains by his side as his guard and ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people. However, when a new threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on the once friendly nation of Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. Once again the fate of her country hangs in the balance. Will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy -- before it's too late?

My review: 5 stars! I absolutely loved Defy, the first book in the series as well as Ignite. Action/adventure and romance surrounding a truly fantastic main character makes for a great story. For more, read my posts Ignite and Tragically Flawed Or Not.

Victoria's Promise, Julie Wright (Christian Fiction)

A luxurious mansion. Thirty stunning bachelorettes. One very eligible bachelor. All of the ingredients are in place for a successful reality dating show, and behind the scenes, Tori Winters is set to pull the strings as assistant director of Vows. Despite her distaste for public exhibitions of love, Tori intends to give the public exactly what they want: scintillating footage of a bevvy of beauties vying for the attention of Christopher Caine. But Chris, a consummate Southern gentleman and the star of Vows, seems almost too good to be true—and soon, even Tori finds herself falling under his spell. With the support of her friends in the Newport Ladies Book Club, Tori must decide if she is willing to jeopardize all she’s worked for in order to embrace her own fairy-tale ending.

My review: 4 stars. I appreciated Julie's skill as a writer. And a behind-the-scenes story of reality TV? Well, that's bound to be interesting. Definitely a quick, breezy, romantic read. However, I didn't jive as well with this story as I did with the others. But it is part of a series of books all about the Newport Ladies Book Club, which I'd enjoy reading.

Sophia, Paula Kremser (Historical Fiction)

Small-town Sophia Spencer can't believe her luck when an unexpected inheritance sweeps her up into the glittering London social scene. With more invitations to balls, parties, and country drives than she can keep up with, Sophia is soon lost in the swirl of dresses and dances, friendships and flirtations. But her happiness comes to an abrupt halt the moment she's caught napping in a gentleman's bedroom—and forced into an engagement to protect her reputation! 

My review: 3.5 stars. Honestly, I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one. It had a lovely cover and the storyline was compelling (seriously, hand me anything Regency Romance/Clean Read and I'm all over it!) but the beginning didn't grab me. Fifty pages in and I was hooked! Sophia is a fun character with a mind of her own in a time when reputation meant the difference between life and death. According to society anyway.

Anything sound interesting? I've linked all the titles to Amazon, so you can easily check them out or purchase them if you're interested. Any hey, Becoming Beauty is also a sassy summer romance that has been known to result in the occasional book hangover. I really am enjoying my summer of reading and if I get my act together, there may even be another collection of amazing books coming your way!

In case none of these float your boat, here are some other books that I've reviewed: Miranda Hart, Letters To My Future Husband, Where Life Takes You, Persuaded, The Rent Collector, and Not My Type.

May's Shorty Short Shorts

For May (National Short Story Writing Month), my delightful Writing Group did Micro Short Stories at 250 words (I'll admit that mine is closer to 300). It was probably one of most fun get-togethers ever, including dinner and shakes at Johnny Rockets and a trip to the theater to see Pitch Perfect 2. (That's right, we're professionals, people!) I presented the first three Micro Short Stories--a silly, snarky trio--in my last post May is For Micro Shorts. These are the remaining three, which include my submission.

Meg Zerkle

The text message simply said, Very clever.

I smiled. If only he knew.

I wondered what he’d found. The shirts with the sleeves sewn shut? Maybe the snake in his sock drawer? I was sure it wasn’t the mouse in his boots. He wouldn’t be amused by that one.

Can we talk?

Fat chance. But, I had to admit he was persistent.

I uncapped the Sharpie and picked up the first photo album. This was going to be fun. A moustache here, a beard there, and lots of large, black Xs. Those were my favorite. Even the pungent smell of the ink was pleasurable. I couldn’t stop smiling.

My phone rang a few times, but I ignored it. I was enjoying myself far too much to stop now.

It wasn’t what it looked like!

Ha! Just for a moment, I lost it and threw a handy vase at the wall. Luckily, my aim sucks and it sailed harmlessly through the doorway and bounced to a stop on my bed.  Deep breath. Anger isn’t productive. Revenge, now that was better.

I had 10 more albums to get through. Plenty of fun ahead. A giggle slipped out, and I covered my mouth with my hand. No, I just had to focus on the projects in front of me.

She’s just a friend! Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little?

Oooh! Nope! Breathe in. . . breathe out.

My boots! Why did it have to be my boots!

My dog howled in harmony with my maniacal laughter.

Sarah Boucher

One last breath. I closed my eyes, sucked it in, and held the taste of dried flowers and the tang of soap on my tongue. Tears pricked my eyes. The letter crinkled in my fist. I took another stabilizing breath. This time the flat smell of dust coated my mouth. I opened my eyes. Dust motes danced in the light from the nearest window, clung to the wide sill where I once read fairytales, and outlined the squares where mother’s cushions had sat.

Simple, clean, tidy. That’s how Mother had always kept her home. Sorrow rose at the back of my throat. I swallowed it back, but the flavor of tears hit my tongue just the same.

“Pardon me, miss.”

I swiped a hand across my eyes and pressed the letter to my chest. I turned to the boy. “Yes?”

“Everything is packed, miss.”

What little is left, you mean, I wanted to add. “Thank you. I’ll be right there.”

His shoes scuffed against the bare boards as he left.

Bare walls, bare floor. My throat tightened. I squeezed my eyes shut and made a wish. A wish for another family to furnish the home with love.

The scrape of footsteps sounded behind me.  The boy cleared his throat.

I looked him over. He was a waif of a boy with brown hair and plain clothes. None of this was his fault.

I pushed the words out. “Thank you, Johnny. I’m coming.”

I smoothed the wrinkles out of the letter before stowing it in the bodice of my dress. I reached for the bag at my feet, slung it over my shoulder, and stepped away from the life I had always known.

Shandra Burnett

Kim ran to the closet and began stuffing clothes into her backpack. A quick stop in the den for her passport and she was out the door. She almost forgot to lock it. Her brother, Jay, hated finding it unlocked. Of course, she wouldn't be there to hear his lecture. She smiled and almost laughed, but she would miss him. He would hate the way she was running without considering all possibilities and consequences. She saw this her chance to be like a new companion climbing into the TARDIS. Jay would see it as the last act before her mangled body was buried in the woods and “Missing” pictures started going out on milk cartons. Either way she couldn't hang out at home anymore. Just reading about adventures and dreaming about them wasn't enough. Not that anything was wrong with her life. Jay was great to live with and her job at the library gave her easy access to all the books she wanted. She’d been healthy and comfortably well off all her life, but nothing had ever happened. No love stories or heartbreaks. No crises with hard decisions to make. No fortifying leaps of faith. Just calm waters flowing steadily from day to night and back again. She wanted to wake up somewhere new. The sun was setting when she rounded the corner and saw his smiling face. He held the promised airline ticket. Kim took his hand and stepped forward into adventure that was bigger on the inside.

* * * 

As you can see, we excel at different aspects of the writing process. It makes us stronger as a group, especially when it comes to giving helpful feedback. If you're interested, all the ladies can be found on Facebook and half of us are on Twitter as well. Thanks for dropping in, friends!

FYI: Meg is an editor. How cool is that? Also, my submission is the beginning of Book Three (a.k.a. the Rumpelstiltskin retelling). What did you think? If you had your pick, which fairytale would you for me to rewrite?

One Hundred

100 posts in! 100 posts full of Sarah silliness, insights, story samples, and plenty of advice on plenty of subjects. I'm just enough of a data dork (yes, another of my lovely quirks) to enjoy watching those numbers tick higher and higher. Delightful! The top 10 (plus 1) are a medley of everything that makes me ME. Read and enjoy!

Bend in the Road Are there rocks ahead? If there are, we'll all be dead! New adventures don't come without a little bit of risk. 

Woman: The  Most Dangerous Plaything Meet Sylvi Lockhart, a budding author who throws in with private investigator Jesse James. What begins as research for her next novel leads to adventure, excitement, and more sweaty balding men than Sylvi bargained for. 

Socially Acceptable Stalking: the Ins and Outs of Followers Ah, the art of mastering the Twitterverse. It's not for the faint of heart! Learn how to find, gain, and keep worthwhile followers. 

Ready or Not... Change will come. How you respond to it as a writer and as a human being will define you as a person. 

#BookSelfie Everybody is jumping on the #selfie train! Maybe you think it's only a fad, but trust me, it's fun to see your cover featured in a #BookSelfie! 

On Tour! Revisit Becoming Beauty's Blog Tour from Nov 2015. Yep, I'm definitely doing that again. Blog tours are the best. 

It's Playtime! All kids learn through play. And SURPRISE, adults need it too. (Also, we need cookies and fluffy pillows.)

Verbosity Many are afraid of large words, but they needn't be! We only need to use them well so that our audience will run to Google and not throw our books at the wall in annoyance.

Ms. Etiquette Makes an Appearance After conquering the Neanderthals at school, Ms. Kindergarten Teacher takes on social media. Can they be taught manners? Or will they be put in timeout within the first five minutes?

Cringe Worthy Got an embarrassing moment? Suuuure you do...I'm pretty sure I've got you beat. Humiliations galore!

Sassy Pants Worried about crafting the perfect Woman Power heroine? How about being one? It's fun and makes for fantastic writing.

Expect the Unexpected

Because that makes sense. It's about as enlightening as What goes up must come down. Oh yeah, Sherlock, are you sure about that? How about Until you learn to master your rage, your rage will become your master. 

The problem is that the unexpected isn't something you can anticipate. Because, after all, it's unexpected. (Can you tell I spend most of my life with five-year-olds?) What you can do is keep the freak-outs to a minimum, keep your support group on call, and keep a stash of homey comforts on hand (chocolates, softy blankies, burly firemen, and the like).

Awesome things are coming my way. And yours. I don't know about you, but I can't wait! And I really can't wait to share them with you...but in the meantime, this is my game plan:

Stay involved in amazing projects: I have several back burner projects I can whip out at any time. Focusing on them, even just for an evening, gets my creative juices flowing. (And some of them have nothing to do with writing!)

Stick with amazing people: I will forever be grateful to my friends and family. When anything goes sideways, or hey, even when it's awesome, they're there for me. We celebrate. We commiserate. We go bowling. We watch chick flicks. It's all good.

Participate in something inspiring: If it's church and gospel study or inspirational memes on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram, I try to find something inspiring and uplifting every day. And share it with someone else. Nothing recharges the batteries like pondering something good and sharing it with someone else.

Get plenty of rest: Mental health and acuity are more tied to physical health than we realize. So, why am I still awake writing this? I have no idea. But the plan is to rest. (Sometimes my body has a plan of it's own...but there's always Tylenol PM.)

Read/watch something fabulous: We call this research, but as often as not, taking a stroll down a different path freshens our minds and gets the creativity percolating. And plus, we just really like 5 hours of Downton at a time. (Not even kidding. And not even sorry.)

Do something you love (even if it's only for 5 minutes): Getting stuck in a loop where worry and nerves affect your emotional well being isn't fun. Even if it's five minutes of breathing and out and resisting the urge to hide under the table and/or throw things, it can help you move on instead of having a massive freak out. (Dancing in the kitchen while making brownies is a personal favorite.)

What do you do to keep yourself from crossing over into the bad place? (Or getting out of the bad place instead of taking up residence there?) Leave me a comment! I'd love to hear what you have about your coping strategies. And stay tuned, news is forthcoming (the next couple of weeks will be fun).

Like to read more? Here's are a few more posts about my crazy life and how I cope with everything life throws at me. (Man, it's been a tough year!) Ready or Not, Author Envy, Panic City, Population 1.

Author Envy

Pity party for one, please! Here's your complimentary box of Kleenex, ma'am: 

I love my fellow authors. I love interacting with and learning from them. I love how freely they share, uplift, and inspire. Yet here I sit, bawling my eyes out and having a full-on lady moment.

Why? You might ask. Because I'm finally admitting that I have a nasty case of Author Envy.  

I envy full-time authors, those making money and those who aren't. See, that's just not my reality. No matter how much I wish it was. Nope. If I don't pay the mortgage, nobody does...

I envy authors who know what they're doing in a veritable sea of social media. Sometimes it feels like I'm drowning. Sometimes it feels like I'm riding the waves. (Really, I have no idea what I did differently.)

I envy authors who GET what marketing is all about...and those who sit back and let someone else do it for them. Oh, how I'd love to have a personal marketer! But once again, if I don't hop off the couch and put myself out there, nothing will happen with any of my projects.

I envy authors who schedule time daily, weekly, & monthly for writing. Frankly, I run out of energy. The sweet little cherubs I work with every day have something to do with that, I'm sure. The little funny darlings.

I envy authors who can stay home and write in their pajamas. Why do pajamas just feel more inspiring than say, slacks and a blazer?

I envy authors who know what their characters are going to do and when they're going to do it. I regularly argue with my characters. You're making me sound like a woman! My main character keeps yelling at me. I do feel like I've emasculated him. Poor, poor Jonas. I shall try to make a man out of you, my dear.

I envy authors who seem to have it all figured out. Hold the phone! These guys don't even exist do they? If they do, I don't like them anyway. Nevermind. It's like complaining about unicorns, anyway.

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this. Unless you really are one of those authors who has everything figured out, then I really don't want to talk to you. 

The thing I'm trying to remember throughout this whole process is that Author Envy goes both ways. And instead of comparing myself with others, I need to stand tall and be proud of my strengths as a writer. 

With an open heart and mind, I can participate in the wonderful community of professionals who freely help, uplift, and inspire one another as both readers and writers. And isn't that what we're here for?

Thanks for reading, my dears. I appreciate your support and expertise more than I can tell. Keep it coming!

Panic City, Population: 1

The first year I taught kindergarten we had something called New Teacher Induction. Sounds like you're joining some sort of clan, right? Whatever. Anyway, the one thing that stuck with me was this: For the first while, you will be in survival mode, but please, don't stay there forever. 

Little did I know that the first year teaching would test all my philosophies and patience, as well zap all my energy. My after school activities included staring blankly at the computer screen and trying to summon the energy to drive home. 

Ten years later, you'd think I'd have it all figured out. Nope. With my days spent with crazy kindergarteners and my nights spent on book promos, I'm at my limit. Vegging nightly with Netflix, though tempting, isn't feasible. And since for several reasons I can't afford to live in Meltdown City, something must be done. So, this is my advice for me and anyone else in the same boat:

Treat yourself: Get a cupcake, get your toes done, go to dinner with a friend, catch a movie. Whatever. Just do something for yourself.

Talk to friends: Speak to someone about what's bothering you. They may be able to help or they may just listen, but connecting with another human makes the process so much more bearable. And Siri can't answer everything. Plus she kind of has a lot of attitude.

Don't rant on Social Media: I did recently post Consider yourself ranted. But that was about it. Ranting makes you look unprofessional and, frankly, unhinged. Slap on the happy face for online encounters and use the phone a friend option for venting. Plus your friends already know that you're crazy, so they won't judge.

Stay healthy: Admittedly I'm not staying healthy right now...but I'm trying to rest up, get out of work on time, and put my feet up. Hitting the gym a few times a week, eating your fruits and veggies, getting a full night's sleep, and taking your vitamins really does solve a lot of problems. And hey, just step away from the pan of brownies.

Find an outlet: Books, games, hobbies, music, writing/journaling, underwater basket weaving, etc. really help to freshen your mind and recharge your batteries. Even a few minutes a day/week will turn you into a proficient basket weaver. Seriously.

Ask questions: Don't shut yourself off from people who could be of help. Suck it up, ask them for what you need! There are no stupid questions, just the ones you're too stupid to ask, Big Dumby.

Take a night/day off: Pick your poison. Are you addicted to British television, 80s movies, or romcoms? Bring it. You deserve it. And things will run smoother if you take some time out every now and then.

Yes, life is hard. But will I give up, either on my day job or writing? No way. Uh-uh. Not happening. I'll keep it together, paste on my happy face, jump in with both feet, and only occasionally have a big girl meltdown and down way too much chocolate. It's all good. 

What do you do to survive the hard, crazy, busy times? Thanks for dropping in!