Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

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When Is A Box Or A Drawer A Good Thing For Your Book?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                                               (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

True confessions time. Last weekend I put my book in a box. Literally. I took it off my desk and put it in a plastic container with a lid and stuck it in a corner. We both need a time out. Now some writers might think I am avoiding hard work or procrastinating or all of the above. Probably.

My book in the box. (I keep all my manuscripts in 3-ring binders.) Back away from the box.......
My book in the box. (I keep all my manuscripts in 3-ring binders.) Back away from the box…….

However, when I am avoiding my entire home office because the manuscript is in there, it’s telling me something else is going on with the book. Like, maybe I don’t want to write this book at all. Forget the fact it is a second edition, originally published in 2006, it’s almost done – except for all the final grunt work.

A big part of this is the “been there, done that” where’s the new hot spicy fun stuff part. But a bigger part I am coming to realize is after specializing in my military niche for 16 years, its wearing a little thin on me or I am too thin in the creativity department right now. Think both apply.

Rather than slog through the grunt work and produce a second edition book with mediocre updates, I decided to give both of us recess time. Immediately felt better. Yes, the siren call of my other fiction and non-fiction manuscripts are luring me, but right now my right brain wants to do one thing; knit.

So that is what I am going to do for a while, be a creative knitter, write my blog posts, take pictures and see what happens. Maybe my muse needs a sabbatical summer to get itself in gear again. Or maybe there are bigger shifts afoot here in writer brain land. It’s been a bumpy eight months for me for various reasons and I think all the parts of my brain want a summer sojourn.

Warm summer evenings spent swinging in the lawn swing and knitting up a storm may be just what my muse needs to refresh and reinvigorate itself. Or maybe it is making grand plans I have no inkling about. One never knows.

Have you ever put your work in a box or drawer for a time and then gotten back to it? Was it fermenting or decomposing or growing in there? My quirky mind would like to know!

Cats Play Or Training?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

With a tap dancing seagull last Friday, it’s time to give the cats a shot at making the big time. This fabulous little kitten seems to be enjoying the play aspect, forget the training. At times walking seems to still be a challenge. I imagine the person with the feather toy is getting a great bicep workout.

Trying to talk Spec Ops Cat into maybe some agility training, but he insists he’s retired. We shall see how that works out. Enjoy the kitten and Happy Quirky Friday!

Now For Something Completely Different – Happiness

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Author Debbie Macomber is one of the sharpest marketing minds in romance fiction today. Besides that, she is a wonderful person, class act and always takes the high road. I’ve taken classes from her and learned from her since the mid-1980s. She is a gem and a great storyteller.

Author Debbie Macomber. Photo by The Hallmark Channel
Author Debbie Macomber. Photo by The Hallmark Channel

In this world of 24-hour infotainment news, plugged in everything and people getting a tad rude everywhere, I am so excited her new tv series debuts on the Hallmark Channel this Saturday, July 20, at 8 p.m.

Debbie’s made for tv movies from her books have been on the Hallmark Channel in the past, but this launch is the first tv series for Hallmark and they’ve bet their golden crown on Debbie Macomber. Good choice.

With more than 100 novels published and 170 million in print, Debbie always shares with aspiring romance writers and her readers. She is very smart about her career decisions and learns from her own mentors too.

Check out the two video previews of the new series here: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/cedarcove/video/Preview/CedarCoveExtendedTrailer

If you enjoy good stories, treating people with respect and dignity, and the novelty of not one car chase, this series is for you. Check out Debbie Macomber’s web site at www.debbiemacomber.com and see all the great things she does for her readers.

This is going to be a fun debut, so fire up the popcorn popper, grab the pets and snuggle in this Saturday. It will be a great beach vacation without leaving the couch!

Can You Tap Dance Like A Bird?

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Another Friday rolls around and this video clip is a gem. Been watching a lot of older movies lately and this seagull must have been doing the same thing. Reminds me of Gene Kelly in “Singin’ In The Rain.”

Dance is one of the best things for us humans, so why not for animals too? Check out the style and moves of this seagull, he may soon be on “So You Think You Can Dance?” Have a fabulous weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

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!