Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Rider's Blog...Not to be confused with Writer's Block!
In addition to working on my fourth novel this summer, I have rediscovered another of my summer hobbies, cycling. As I watch the cyclists battle each day for stage wins and eventually the whole enchilada in the Tour de France, I am convinced that cycling is the most grueling sport ever! I know this first-hand, as I've graduated from riding a 70s model Trek to a Santana road tandem that Mike and I were inspired to buy after touring parts of Germany on one four years ago, and finally I've landed-sometimes- on the seat of my newly acquired ladies' specific Giant Avail. I have named her Lipstick. She is red, and the romance author in me thought this name would be apropos, but don't let her name fool you for one minute! She is as wicked a little minx as I've ever ridden! After my first three rides, a better name for her would certainly have been Bloody Mary. In comparison, the Trek was kinda like driving a pick-up truck, while the road tandem was more like driving an 18-wheeler, and regardless of what my husband says, I did pedal. You have to. Both riders use the same chain ring so if he's pedaling, then I am too. We rode the Tour to Tanglewood which is 50 miles a day for two days, so I was somewhat seasoned once upon a time. Of course, sitting on the back of the tandem, one doesn't have to make decisions, negotiate traffic, or even change the gears. Sightseeing, along with pedaling, was one of the pleasures I had that he didn't. "Oh, honey, did you see that beautiful hydrangea?" or "Look at that adorable little bungalow on your left." or "Did you see that precious little jack rabbit over at the edge of the woods?" The Avail, on the other hand, is so responsive it is like driving a sports car, or so I would imagine. There is no time to observe the beauty of nature for which you ride to behold.
So now, on Lipstick, I have had to readjust my whole psyche, not only with how to change gears again, but honing my attentional skills, so that I can manage to stay upright while groping around for my water bottle, avoiding cracks or bumps that could send me flying over the handlebars at any given moment, which brings me to the part about cycling that I had blocked out while happily touring around on the back of the tandem: TERROR! Once the terror returns, the self-assured person that got on the bike in the morning is reduced to a quivering pool of nerves in just two hours. Never have I realized while driving my car how many cracks, bumps, potholes and roots of large trees that grow under the roadways as there are when on the bike. The secure feeling of wearing a seat belt is nada, no where, and one quickly realizes how easily one could be impaled upon the passing lovely brick wall of someones front yard, if the following motorist happens to be texting, or blinded by a slanting ray of morning or afternoon sun...or putting on lipstick. Speed is another thing that I used to enjoy, but which now terrifies me at my age, as I'm flying down a hill on tires less than the width of my thumb at 22 miles per hour. This is nothing for Cadel Evans, who is probably cruising along at 45 mph on a flat somewhere in Belgium at the moment! He is probably admiring some old castle, or flower gardens. I feel so cheated! My cheeks begin to flap, going any faster than 22, and since I'm too old to see as clearly as I'd like, who knows when I'm going to glide over a root that will send me sprawling on my ass! Which, by the way, hasn't decreased in size, even after over 100 miles in the saddle.
Oh, and speaking of asses, there are the saddle sores! In additon to the required helmets cyclists must wear, we wear chamois pads in our shorts, which is similar to wearing a jumbo-sized, industrial strength maxi-pad sewn in, with the softest imaginable fabric rubbing, well, you know where. But it still takes several rides to break in your seat. At some point during the ride, it all goes numb anyway, so you don't have to worry about it for long.The guys have great names for this phenomenon, which I'll share because I don't have these body parts. Still, you get the idea of what Numb Nuts and No Noodle mean, and they are not insults, but a range of pain ratings that are produced when you sit for long periods on a bicycle saddle. For a woman, this kind of pain can be equally as uncomfortable and I'm sure there are names other than Fanny on Fire that I've come up with that describe what I'm talking about! Saddle sores are real things and should be avoided at all costs. There's even a product called "Chammy Butt-r" that helps. Don't cha love it?
The other thing I've learned is, make sure your quick release cleat pedals are quick enough. It's very embarrassing, not to mention, dangerous to have to stop suddenly and, unable to get your foot out of the pedals, you fall over as inertia sets in instantaneously. I have scabs and scars to show the effects of that particular malfunction, not to mention the terror that is so intense it produces nausea when you realize you could have been killed, lying in the street like that. Incidentally, I avoid streets as much as possible, and stick to parks and green ways for your safety as well as my own! We have adjusted my pedals; however, it will be a while before I consider myself road-worthy on this thing.
So, I'm getting used to my new ride. I have stepped up my mental game as well as my physical coordination and endurance to make life with Lipstick the joy it should be...and to not be the hazard I could be to the many innocent motorists out there. Please remember this tale when you see a cyclist on the road. You never know what could happen. It could be me, so steer really wide for your own protection! And all kidding aside, sadly, with all the tragic reports of experienced cyclists losing their lives while out riding on the road with drivers that aren't aware they are there, please, share the road!
So now, on Lipstick, I have had to readjust my whole psyche, not only with how to change gears again, but honing my attentional skills, so that I can manage to stay upright while groping around for my water bottle, avoiding cracks or bumps that could send me flying over the handlebars at any given moment, which brings me to the part about cycling that I had blocked out while happily touring around on the back of the tandem: TERROR! Once the terror returns, the self-assured person that got on the bike in the morning is reduced to a quivering pool of nerves in just two hours. Never have I realized while driving my car how many cracks, bumps, potholes and roots of large trees that grow under the roadways as there are when on the bike. The secure feeling of wearing a seat belt is nada, no where, and one quickly realizes how easily one could be impaled upon the passing lovely brick wall of someones front yard, if the following motorist happens to be texting, or blinded by a slanting ray of morning or afternoon sun...or putting on lipstick. Speed is another thing that I used to enjoy, but which now terrifies me at my age, as I'm flying down a hill on tires less than the width of my thumb at 22 miles per hour. This is nothing for Cadel Evans, who is probably cruising along at 45 mph on a flat somewhere in Belgium at the moment! He is probably admiring some old castle, or flower gardens. I feel so cheated! My cheeks begin to flap, going any faster than 22, and since I'm too old to see as clearly as I'd like, who knows when I'm going to glide over a root that will send me sprawling on my ass! Which, by the way, hasn't decreased in size, even after over 100 miles in the saddle.
Oh, and speaking of asses, there are the saddle sores! In additon to the required helmets cyclists must wear, we wear chamois pads in our shorts, which is similar to wearing a jumbo-sized, industrial strength maxi-pad sewn in, with the softest imaginable fabric rubbing, well, you know where. But it still takes several rides to break in your seat. At some point during the ride, it all goes numb anyway, so you don't have to worry about it for long.The guys have great names for this phenomenon, which I'll share because I don't have these body parts. Still, you get the idea of what Numb Nuts and No Noodle mean, and they are not insults, but a range of pain ratings that are produced when you sit for long periods on a bicycle saddle. For a woman, this kind of pain can be equally as uncomfortable and I'm sure there are names other than Fanny on Fire that I've come up with that describe what I'm talking about! Saddle sores are real things and should be avoided at all costs. There's even a product called "Chammy Butt-r" that helps. Don't cha love it?
The other thing I've learned is, make sure your quick release cleat pedals are quick enough. It's very embarrassing, not to mention, dangerous to have to stop suddenly and, unable to get your foot out of the pedals, you fall over as inertia sets in instantaneously. I have scabs and scars to show the effects of that particular malfunction, not to mention the terror that is so intense it produces nausea when you realize you could have been killed, lying in the street like that. Incidentally, I avoid streets as much as possible, and stick to parks and green ways for your safety as well as my own! We have adjusted my pedals; however, it will be a while before I consider myself road-worthy on this thing.
So, I'm getting used to my new ride. I have stepped up my mental game as well as my physical coordination and endurance to make life with Lipstick the joy it should be...and to not be the hazard I could be to the many innocent motorists out there. Please remember this tale when you see a cyclist on the road. You never know what could happen. It could be me, so steer really wide for your own protection! And all kidding aside, sadly, with all the tragic reports of experienced cyclists losing their lives while out riding on the road with drivers that aren't aware they are there, please, share the road!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Summer 2012
School's out for the summer! As I wrap up one more year as a speech pathologist in the NC public schools, I'm grateful to have a job, and even more grateful to have the summertime to afford me the time to pursue my writing. Forever Man, the fourth book in the Kyle and Chelsea series is eight chapters in the process, and they have been calling me to get busy with the rest of their story! I'll also be spending time on Saturdays throughout the summer participating in book festivals and other events, where I hope to meet more readers and talk about what we all love, reading good books! I'm glad to announce that copies of The One, Second Time's a Charm, and Three Gifts can now be purchased at the Barnes and Noble stores in Greensboro and High Point, NC! The Friendly Center store in Greensboro will be hosting a book signing on Thursday, July 26th at 7 pm. Please come out and help make a crowd for me, so they will keep my books on the shelves! Here below is the updated summer schedule of events:
June 16 from 10-3: Mount Airy Book Festival at the Mount Airy Public Library on Rockford St.
July 4 from 10-5: Fourth of July Celebration at the Banner Elk Elementary School
July 7 from 10-5: Meet the Authors at Crafts in the Meadow, Meadows of Dan, VA
July 26 at 7 pm: Barnes and Noble, Friendly Center, Greensboro, NC
August 3, 4: High Country Festival of the Book, Blowing Rock, NC
August 8 from 2-4 pm: Island Books, Duck, NC
August 9 from 11-2: Downtown Books, Manteo, NC
August 10 from 9-noon: Ducks Cottage, Duck, NC
September 8: Book Marks, Winston-Salem, NC
School's out for the summer! As I wrap up one more year as a speech pathologist in the NC public schools, I'm grateful to have a job, and even more grateful to have the summertime to afford me the time to pursue my writing. Forever Man, the fourth book in the Kyle and Chelsea series is eight chapters in the process, and they have been calling me to get busy with the rest of their story! I'll also be spending time on Saturdays throughout the summer participating in book festivals and other events, where I hope to meet more readers and talk about what we all love, reading good books! I'm glad to announce that copies of The One, Second Time's a Charm, and Three Gifts can now be purchased at the Barnes and Noble stores in Greensboro and High Point, NC! The Friendly Center store in Greensboro will be hosting a book signing on Thursday, July 26th at 7 pm. Please come out and help make a crowd for me, so they will keep my books on the shelves! Here below is the updated summer schedule of events:
June 16 from 10-3: Mount Airy Book Festival at the Mount Airy Public Library on Rockford St.
July 4 from 10-5: Fourth of July Celebration at the Banner Elk Elementary School
July 7 from 10-5: Meet the Authors at Crafts in the Meadow, Meadows of Dan, VA
July 26 at 7 pm: Barnes and Noble, Friendly Center, Greensboro, NC
August 3, 4: High Country Festival of the Book, Blowing Rock, NC
August 8 from 2-4 pm: Island Books, Duck, NC
August 9 from 11-2: Downtown Books, Manteo, NC
August 10 from 9-noon: Ducks Cottage, Duck, NC
September 8: Book Marks, Winston-Salem, NC
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Flinn writes with true eloquence!
Flinn writes with true eloquence!,
March 28, 2012
By
jenniferedits - See
all my reviews
This
review is from: Three Gifts (Paperback) As a freelance editor,
I was lucky enough to meet Mary Flinn and was an instant fan! Her first book,The One: A
Novel was an instant hit with believable, lovable characters to begin the
story of a small town couple, Chelsea and Kyle, and their coming of age story.
Second
Time's a Charm is the second book, following the same family, but focusing
on an older, more experienced couple, but a lovable, genuine couple nonetheless.
The third book,Three
Gifts is just that-a true gift to literature! No wonder this novel won the
Pacific Book Review Best Romance Novel of 2011 award, as well as a first place
finish for the 2011 Reader Views Reviewers' Choice Award. It is an authentic,
heartfelt story of a now grown up Kyle and Chelsea that we came to know in the
first novel, The One. Three Gifts is a rapid read, once you start turning the
pages, you quickly find yourself at the end and wanting the story to continue.
Truly, as you read this story, you feel as if you know the characters and
situations. I can only imagine the next chapter in the story of these beloved,
familiar characters that everyone can relate to in their own lives.As a
writer, Mary has continually perfected her skill in dialogue, character
development and the true art of storytelling in a believable voice. It is a joy
to pick up any of the three books and I can only hope that I get to read the
next masterpiece that she will release! The simple skill of writing believable
stories with recognizable characters is a true talent. Mary Flinn is not only a
skilled writer of eloquence, but an artist! I am a fan and I hope that anyone
reading this will be so moved as to read all three of her novels. You will be
amazed and quickly a fan of the characters in these familiar NC towns! These
books are full of genuine NC settings that will resonate with natives and those
who know the beauty of the mountains and the coast of NC. The characters will
make you feel as if you are part of their circle of friends, or you wish that
you were! These novels are a must read! Whether you are on vacation or just
wishing you were, it is definitely worth the time to get to know the cast of
characters and spend some time with this trilogy of books!
March 28, 2012
By
jenniferedits - See
all my reviews
This
review is from: Three Gifts (Paperback) As a freelance editor,
I was lucky enough to meet Mary Flinn and was an instant fan! Her first book,The One: A
Novel was an instant hit with believable, lovable characters to begin the
story of a small town couple, Chelsea and Kyle, and their coming of age story.
Second
Time's a Charm is the second book, following the same family, but focusing
on an older, more experienced couple, but a lovable, genuine couple nonetheless.
The third book,Three
Gifts is just that-a true gift to literature! No wonder this novel won the
Pacific Book Review Best Romance Novel of 2011 award, as well as a first place
finish for the 2011 Reader Views Reviewers' Choice Award. It is an authentic,
heartfelt story of a now grown up Kyle and Chelsea that we came to know in the
first novel, The One. Three Gifts is a rapid read, once you start turning the
pages, you quickly find yourself at the end and wanting the story to continue.
Truly, as you read this story, you feel as if you know the characters and
situations. I can only imagine the next chapter in the story of these beloved,
familiar characters that everyone can relate to in their own lives.As a
writer, Mary has continually perfected her skill in dialogue, character
development and the true art of storytelling in a believable voice. It is a joy
to pick up any of the three books and I can only hope that I get to read the
next masterpiece that she will release! The simple skill of writing believable
stories with recognizable characters is a true talent. Mary Flinn is not only a
skilled writer of eloquence, but an artist! I am a fan and I hope that anyone
reading this will be so moved as to read all three of her novels. You will be
amazed and quickly a fan of the characters in these familiar NC towns! These
books are full of genuine NC settings that will resonate with natives and those
who know the beauty of the mountains and the coast of NC. The characters will
make you feel as if you are part of their circle of friends, or you wish that
you were! These novels are a must read! Whether you are on vacation or just
wishing you were, it is definitely worth the time to get to know the cast of
characters and spend some time with this trilogy of books!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Book Awards for Three Gifts and Second Time's a Charm
Three Gifts and Second Time's a Charm receive Reader Views Book Awards 2011
I am honored and humbled to announce that Three Gifts placed first in the Romance Novel category in the Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and won Pacific Book Review’s Best Romance Novel of 2011. Second Time’s a Charm won an honorable mention in the Readers’ Choice Awards. Reader Views, a national Book Review Company based in Austin Texas, reviews primarily books from self-published authors like me. Additionally, Pacific Book Review is a professional book review company based in Nipomo, CA.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Spring Happenings
The weather has been teasing us that spring is around the corner, and then the snow came! With spring comes book promotions, and I love the opportunity to meet my readers in person and talk about our friends--on paper, that is, Kyle and Chelsea, and Stacie and Tyson. A lot has been happening in their lives, as Forever Man is in the works as the fourth installment in the series. Here is the latest list of upcoming events:
Friday, March 2 from 6:30-8:00 Art Crawl in Boone--The Jones House artists reception
Saturday, March 17 from 2-4 pm Book Signing at Caribou Coffee, Friendly Center in Greensboro
Saturday, April 28 ASU Alpha Phi Moms' Day Celebration
Saturday, May 12 Summerfield Founders' Day Celebration
Saturday, June 2 from 2-4 Todd General Store, Todd, NC
I'll look forward to keeping up with my readers! Until we meet again, happy reading!
Mary
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Something to Talk About
As I enter 2012, planning to kick my promotional strategies in gear for the New Year, I have to reflect on the joys of self-publishing, and also to request a favor of any of you who have read one of my books and liked it.
First of all, I could be wasting away, sending out queries and receiving rejection after rejection from one agent after another. I have spent some amount of time doing just that, so I know the drill. Some agents accept queries via email, affording them the luxury of rejecting an author in a nano-second, making me wonder if they even read the material at all. Others have very nice stationery cards they send, supposedly to soften the blow with a touch of elegance, as opposed to the traditional form letter. All of these approaches are accompanied by a generic statement that reads something like, "Your work is not what I'm looking for right now."
Instead of subjecting myself to this slow and tedious torture, I decided in 2010 to go it on my own and self-publish the manuscript of The One. Instead of dealing with more rejection, I was gratified to learn that many of you liked it, and liked it so much you wanted to know what happened next. Thus, Second Time's a Charm was born, and then Three Gifts had to follow for the same reasons. The act of self-publishing has allowed me to work at my own pace, free of pressure from a publisher who'd like me to write it their way, or would choose the cover without my input, or worse yet, deciding I wasn't worth the risk after all, and giving me the boot! The way I've chosen to proceed has kept my love of writing alive, and has allowed me to connect on a personal level with my readers, who I usually meet one on one, or in a conversation over the internet through this website. It makes me wonder if Johnny Appleseed felt this grateful every time he watched someone bite into a crisp, ripe red delicious! In all, it hasn't been a bad road. And I'm still waiting to meet that one person who can help me crack this thing wide open and take my book sales to the next level. Killing the time thinking of who to cast in the movies is not a bad way to wait out a red light!
So, as to the favor I'd like to ask, I'd like you to consider writing a review on Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, or on your favorite blog. Send a shout out to all your Facebook friends, or tweet away about these books. It doesn't matter how many bookstore shelves these copies occupy; if nobody knows about them, nobody buys them. I need to get people talking about these books. If you are in a book club, consider discussing one of these books. If you are a member of a women's group, or a boys' club that needs a good story about a young male role model, pick The One. My husband called it a handbook for the way a guy should treat a girl. So there you go! Maybe our boys should be reading this, even more so than our girls.
Thank you again for reading my books. Thank you for your support!
Mary
First of all, I could be wasting away, sending out queries and receiving rejection after rejection from one agent after another. I have spent some amount of time doing just that, so I know the drill. Some agents accept queries via email, affording them the luxury of rejecting an author in a nano-second, making me wonder if they even read the material at all. Others have very nice stationery cards they send, supposedly to soften the blow with a touch of elegance, as opposed to the traditional form letter. All of these approaches are accompanied by a generic statement that reads something like, "Your work is not what I'm looking for right now."
Instead of subjecting myself to this slow and tedious torture, I decided in 2010 to go it on my own and self-publish the manuscript of The One. Instead of dealing with more rejection, I was gratified to learn that many of you liked it, and liked it so much you wanted to know what happened next. Thus, Second Time's a Charm was born, and then Three Gifts had to follow for the same reasons. The act of self-publishing has allowed me to work at my own pace, free of pressure from a publisher who'd like me to write it their way, or would choose the cover without my input, or worse yet, deciding I wasn't worth the risk after all, and giving me the boot! The way I've chosen to proceed has kept my love of writing alive, and has allowed me to connect on a personal level with my readers, who I usually meet one on one, or in a conversation over the internet through this website. It makes me wonder if Johnny Appleseed felt this grateful every time he watched someone bite into a crisp, ripe red delicious! In all, it hasn't been a bad road. And I'm still waiting to meet that one person who can help me crack this thing wide open and take my book sales to the next level. Killing the time thinking of who to cast in the movies is not a bad way to wait out a red light!
So, as to the favor I'd like to ask, I'd like you to consider writing a review on Amazon, or Barnes and Noble, or on your favorite blog. Send a shout out to all your Facebook friends, or tweet away about these books. It doesn't matter how many bookstore shelves these copies occupy; if nobody knows about them, nobody buys them. I need to get people talking about these books. If you are in a book club, consider discussing one of these books. If you are a member of a women's group, or a boys' club that needs a good story about a young male role model, pick The One. My husband called it a handbook for the way a guy should treat a girl. So there you go! Maybe our boys should be reading this, even more so than our girls.
Thank you again for reading my books. Thank you for your support!
Mary
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