Saturday, February 23, 2013

IF YOU LOVE MADEA, YOU'LL LOVE MRS. BAXTER

Good morning all,

I'm excited this morning to share the release of my newest book Mrs. Baxter Swarms Mount Vernon High School with you. 

Mrs. Baxter is no ordinary grandmother!  In fact, she's down right eccentric!  Martha Baxter does lots of wacky things like carrying an iron skillet with her everywhere and frying up frog legs in the Biology lab at the high school.

The story begins when Mrs. Baxter is summoned to Principal Thompson's office to discuss the pending expulsion of her grandson, Norman, who has gotten himself into a bit of trouble.  After the meeting, Martha does what any loving grandmother would do--she becomes a substitute teacher to keep a closer eye on Norman. 

Go with Granny Baxter on a comical adventure as she sets out to discover what's going on with her trouble causing grandson and his friends at Mount Vernon High School.  With any luck, she will learn the truth behind Norman's drinking, smoking, and swearing troubles.

Available at Amazon at www.amazon.com. in Paperback - ISBN - 978-1482610994, or Kindle Edition - ASIN: B00BJMGFVQ.

Keep Writing & Reading!

Kathy

Kathy

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

WHEN THE MOOD TO WRITE STRIKES ME

Yesterday at precisely 4 o'clock in the morning I woke up with a great storyline bouncing around in my head, so I did what I always do... I grabbed pencil and paper from my nightstand and quickly scribbled down my thoughts before they could fade.  Keeping a pencil and paper by the bedside is a habit I have had for more than thirty years.

Some nights I awake with a complete storyline in mind, while other nights I may have a single sentence or idea come to mind like I did a couple nights ago.  This was my thought: 

Sierra felt his eyes upon her long before she saw him standing in the shadows of trees.  As she watched him move into the moonlight, she was certain he was not from this world.

Who really has these kinds of wacky thoughts or crazy habits, besides me?  If you're a writer or a storyteller, I suspect you may have the same kinds of experiences.  Most likely, you have your own method of jotting down an idea or thought when it strikes.  I find I am most creative when I take the time to capture my thoughts and ideas as soon as they occur even when it is in the wee hours of the morning.

Writing when an idea strikes sometimes causes me to write for several hours before coming up for air.  Usually I can crank out three or four thousand words in a single two hour sitting.  One of my sisters recently said she thought my best ideas strike in the middle of the night because it's the only time a character can get my full attention.  Maybe she is on to something, but for now the mood to write no longer strikes me.  Until next time...

Happy Dreams,

Kathy

Sunday, February 3, 2013


“I Can Do Incredible Things”

           
For many years I have heard there is no “I” in TEAM and for the most part I have believed it; that is up until now...  Recently, I have come to realize that there is very much an “I” in every TEAM at least in my mind and thought process, especially now.  I know that “I” am an irreplaceable part of the teams in my world.  I am a valued member of and key component to the teams I am a part of.  On some teams without an “I” it is almost certain, more times than not, there would not be a team, so now more than ever and without a doubt, I am convinced and will beg to differ with those who believe and hold firm to the theory there is no “I” in team that there is in fact an “I” in every TEAM.

A few years ago my daughter had read somewhere a quote that she felt fit a situation in her present teenage life.  It said, “Why are you always trying to fit in when you were born to stand out”?   (She didn’t know who said it, but she was impressed with it because she often talked about how she felt so differently from her peers.)   She seemed so much more mature and serious than the kids her age – If you have teens you may know what I mean.  Anyway, then I saw a poster at my workplace that read, “Families do incredible things” and I began to think about that for a while.  I found myself agreeing that my family had done many great things.  I had personally overcome many great odds in my early life.  My siblings and I lost our mother at a very early age.  Our childhood was riddled with poverty and abuse. The list could go on.  Then, I realized my adult life had been good to date.  My late husband and I had raised 3 beautiful daughters, plus 3 other beautiful girls not our own.   Some of our grandparents had had unbelievable longevity.  Our eldest, Mrs. Lou Belle Baker, had lived just short of 107 years!  So, we were blessed with pretty incredible things, and we had done some pretty incredible things, as well.

Then, I began to think about those things I had not done, that I should have or could have done on my own.  You see, I have always had this incredible talent for crafting; give me a glue gun, glitter, paint, beads, and sparkles and it will sell!  Give me a camera and I am out shooting Bumblebees on a sunny afternoon in the wild Azaleas bushes behind my house in the woods.  Give me a stovetop, potatoes, and a pot roast and everyone comes for dinner!  Give me pencil and paper and I am busy for hours.  It was then that I thought, “What if I did my incredible things?”  What would happen”?  What if everyone did his individual incredible things?  What would or could or should happen then? 

So today, I declare there is very much an “I” in every TEAM.  In fact, there are multiple ones in every TEAM we know.  I am on my family team, my work team, my church team, my girlfriend’s team, my own team.  I am sometimes the Captain and I am sometimes not.  I can lead and I can follow.  Many times I push my team and many times I pull and sometimes I pull really hard, even too hard!  Often times I can be seen on my team while other times I cannot be seen at all.  Although I can be invisible on my team, one thing is for certain, I am definitely there.  I can do incredible things and when I do incredible things… incredible things happen!

The next time someone says to you that there is no “I” in TEAM , look them straight in the eye and repeat after me – “Yes sir, maybe you don’t see it in the spelling, but you may be certain of one thing – “I am a BIG part of what can be accomplished together on this TEAM!”  I am the “I” on my team.

 Kathy Mashburn