Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Kimberly A. Cook

Can You Write A Fridge Magnet?

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by Kimberly A. Cook        (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Some of my favorite writing is on refrigerator magnets. On flight status with the Air Force Reserve, my fellow crew members warned me about ending up with a potential Military Airlift Command home decorating scheme due to shopping the world. I already had a jewelry and refrigerator magnet habit, so I stuck with those two items to collect. Mostly.

One of my favorite frig magnets. Also explains why I have so many shoes.......
One of my favorite frig magnets. Also explains why I have so many shoes…….

My collection of frig magnets is vast and I rotate them out. There is also a bunch decorating my home office file cabinets too. The number of characters on Twitter is a book compared to a frig magnet. One of my recent favorites is “Let go or be dragged.” Found out it is a Zen proverb.

A friend mentioned a favorite quote she saw on a client’s shirt; “Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it,” by David Foster Wallace. That is brilliant.

In these days of blogs by everybody and all the social media sites, it is so refreshing to enjoy the powerful and concise writing of a favorite quote or refrigerator magnet. When one is able to say a lot in a small space, it packs a punch.

There are several places I go on a regular basis to add to my frig magnet collection. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is one such site. A selection from my pink file cabinet proclaims, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on…” from The Tempest, IV, i.  And he wrote plays too!

What is your favorite refrigerator magnet saying? Could you write one of your own?

Are You Prepared For A Picnic?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                  (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Bet a lot of us made this an extra long holiday weekend. What better way to spend summer than to kick back and have a picnic. One must always be prepared when venturing out into the wild campgrounds, so here’s a little safety reminder for everyone. The animals are organized!

Happy Quirky Friday!

The Digital Shift – Blessing or Curse?

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by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

This past week came the news of the partial demise of an old friend – The Oregonian newspaper. Part of my regular morning ritual is to get the newspaper from the front porch and read the headlines, then scan to the comics and horoscope. That will change October 1 when the daily home delivery is cut to Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

My Classic Nook. Can't tell you how hard it is to get a picture of it without my reflection in it!
My Classic Nook. Can’t tell you how hard it is to get a picture of it without my reflection in it!

While ebooks are a boon to authors and indie publishing, the same shift is catching the print newspapers in the pocketbooks. The Oregonian is starting up another “media” company and moving the bulk of their resources to support their online digital presence with oregonlive.com

As an ex-newspaper journalist who has former co-workers and editors working at The Oregonian, it rips my reporter heart out. Knew it was coming one day, but still seems too soon. Now how they decided which reporters to keep and layoff is an entirely different story and the independent Willamette Week has a bead on that story. Read “Black and White and Red All Over” at www.willametteweek.com

Which all leads me to what this post had started out to be about; the demise of the Classic Nook. An early adopter, I bought the first Nook ereader. Works like a charm and still does. A friend’s Classic Nook croaked and they recommended she turn in the beauty to 1-800-BookNow for a $50 price because they want the lithium batteries. She can then pay only $29 to get the Nook Simple Touch, the new version you can read in the sunlight.

I have a Nook Tablet too, but I’m reading my Nook Classic until it dies a digital death. Being able to read without a backlit screen is an eye saver for those of us who are plugged in all the time.

If ereaders are already being recycled, what does that say for the rest of the print magazine and newspaper business? Upgrade happens. The new buzzword is transmedia – storytelling across all platforms. So get on the change train – it’s at the station!

Get Ready For The Fourth Of July!

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

We are heading toward the Fourth of July with amazing speed. Wanted to share one of my favorite memories. Grew up watching The Capital Fourth on PBS in Oregon. In 1990 while in Washington, D.C. with the Air Force Reserve, I got to experience it in person. Amazing!

Every year without fail I watch it on tv, but being in person is a knockout. Watch the reflection on the tidal pools and the river. But of course, my favorite part is the 1812 Overture with the cannons! Makes my little Army heart flutter. In person the finale looks like they are going to launch the Washington Monument into space! Enjoy this clip from one recent Capital Fourth broadcast.

Happy Quirky Friday! Happy Birthday USA and a big thanks to those who serve to keep her free!

The Words That Launched A Nation

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Next week is our Nation’s birthday. I got to thinking about how this country came to be with ideals and dreams written down on paper. The Founding Fathers, and the Founding Mothers who supported them, were all rock stars and boy could they write.

USS Constitution fires a 17-gun salute during the ship's 215th launching day, Oct. 17, 2012, In Boston Harbor. U.S. Navy photo by 2nd Class Thomas Rooney
USS Constitution fires a 17-gun salute during the ship’s 215th launching day, Oct. 17, 2012, In Boston Harbor. U.S. Navy photo by 2nd Class Thomas Rooney

They fought for independence for our people, nation and a new way of life by signing their names on a document which amounted to treason against the crown. Talk about independent publishing. So what are some of the actual words they used?

The Constitution of the United States

Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.  

That is a great opening. Tight writing, clear stated purpose and a nation was born. One very important Amendment for all writers is the First, added in 1791.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.  

The Founding Fathers could not predict social media and blogs, but their words still ring true. In these day when corporations own media companies, it makes me smile to know there are hundreds of thousands of rookie reporters around the world observing and documenting with digital video, photos and words.

Another Amendment I’m pretty fond of is the 19th added in 1920.  The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

So a mere 93 years later women are in combat and getting ready to go into Special Forces and Special Operations. Citizenship confers a duty and responsibility on all to not only defend our nation but to make sure we protect the rights which so many have paid the ultimate price to protect.

Writers are the storytellers of every generation. Never underestimate the power of words and your role in that legacy. Write Free!

Wish The Big Orange Guy A Late Birthday!

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I missed Garfield’s birthday on Wednesday. I hope the big furry guy will forgive me. Of course, I can’t mention it to Spec Ops Cat, he gets so jealous. Thought we could all use a quick review of the great orange one’s trip to London.

Enjoy the home movies and have a Happy Quirky Friday!