Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

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A Veterans Day Thank You

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

This Sunday is Veteran’s Day. The reason we had a national election today is because of the service of my fellow veterans for more than 200 years. While the news media reports and predicts tonight, I prefer to consider the future. One learns very quickly in the military that we are a diverse and wacky group of folks who make up the United States of America family.

Members of the Illinois Army National Guard’s 1-14th Agribusiness Development Team in Kunar Province, Afghanistan in September 2011. Photo by U.S. Army

But if someone comes after our “family,” watch out. Like any dysfunctional family or Army squad, we do the best with what we have and move on. We forge lifetime friendships and agree to disagree. All veterans will never agree on everything, we are a true cross-section of our nation.

But in tough times, the tough get going and keep going, like Navy SEAL Teams and Special Forces. But even those elite teams can’t get the job done without their support staff, families and friends. It takes a nation to fix problems.

So let’s follow our future veterans who are serving today and leading by example in Afghanistan, at U.S. Embassies around the world, at home and aboard, on land and sea and under the sea around the world.Thank you to all who have served and a special thank you to all those veterans who have written their stories to share with everyone else. Lest we forget.

Are You Ready For Some Gangnam Football?

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by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

This Saturday our beloved University of Oregon Ducks play USC. Now, we have Ducks, Beavers and Vikings in my family, but we all get along. Except for Civil War. (And in a mascot fight I think my PSU Viking could take the Duck and Beaver, just saying.) BUT, this weekend the mighty USC is going to try to out fox us on the field. Can’t wait!

In the meantime I wanted to share this fabulous U of O band half-time show they did in September. Saw it the first week it was online and couldn’t wait to share it with everyone. Not only is Puddles the Duck a great dancer, he’s got great guns from all those push ups! Go Ducks!

A Responsibility For All

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by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

While Superstorm Sandy still pounds the Eastern United States, my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone. Stay safe. One dedicated unit who stood their ground against Mother Nature’s wrath was the Old Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington, D.C.  They maintained their duty while the superstorm hit, not leaving their posts. Read about it here http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/10/ap-old-guard-stays-tomb-of-unknowns-hurricane-sandy-102912/

With soldier dedication like that, including all the first responders and National Guard saving lives during this storm, the coming election day can fade from view. For those of us not touched by this storm, we need to make the effort to get out and vote next week to honor those who may not be able to go to the polls. With a week before the election, getting folks out to vote will be an even harder task back East. I don’t talk about religion or politics on my blog because military writing is my news beat and  everyone gets their own ballot.

Maj. Cornelius from Macon, GA, fills out her absentee ballot form while PFC Miller from Auburn, NY looks for her mailing address at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar on Oct. 16. Using the base dining facility, 200 ballots were mailed the first three days and had a bar code on each parcel so absentee voters could track their ballots online. Photo by U.S. Army

But I can encourage everyone to get out and vote. Period. I voted on October 22. Oregon has had vote-by-mail since 1998. I think the entire country should do vote-by-mail. Leaves a paper trail, costs 30 percent less and we might even save the United States Post Office by making them the official national ballot couriers. (I do not trust electronic voting machines with heaven knows what code inside them. Call me old school.)

Until the USPS gets that tasking, I can’t encourage folks to vote enough. The first time I voted was on a pool table in my barracks recreation hall watched over by my First Lieutenant. Serving in the Army in Colorado, I had a Oregon absentee ballot. I felt so adult and proud to do my duty.

It’s easy to forget how and why we got the vote, but it was George Washington and his soldiers, their families and women who supported them fighting and dying to create this great country. Since that time our military men and women have continued to defend, serve and sacrifice not only so we can vote, but so other nations can grow to have that same right. So if you can go to a polling place or send it in by mail, do it.

As a former newspaper reporter who cherishes the First Amendment for Freedom of Speech for writers as well as everyday citizens, I know voting is a privilege and a duty. If you don’t vote, you can’t gripe. That’s my rule!

Who Ya Gonna Call For Treats?

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by Kimberly A. Cook         (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Halloween is almost here. While we go out and buy more candy since we gobbled all the pre-Halloween supplies, we might as well cozy up with a good movie. Some of the oldies but goodies are best. Let’s try a run at Ghostbusters! You never know when you might need one and the theme song rocks. Enjoy pumpkin carving and candy scarfing this weekend. Happy Quirky Friday!

Are You A C.r.e.a.t.i.v.e.?

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by Kimberly A. Cook        (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

In the land of orange pumpkins, are you an albino pumpkin? Do you stick out among friends and family? Do you consider gazing out the window to be mind work and eavesdropping on bystanders homework? Then you might be a creative.

This white pumpkin outside my New Seasons grocery store got me to thinking. How many times have I felt like a creative albino pumpkin in an orange pumpkin world?

Learn to rejoice in your unique role. (I prefer unique to odd, sounds more French) What are our creative strengths? What traits do we bring to the world and our planet? Here are a few.

Curiosity. Life-long learners, we never stop questioning or exploring the world around us. We embrace small details and the big picture at the same time. We believe connect-the-dots is not a game we only play as kids. Cats understand us and dogs know we are always up for an adventure.

Resolute. We will spend seven years writing a story and not give up on it because we know kids will want to read about a world of wizards, aka J.K. Rowling. When all about us are following the trend, we fight upstream like a salmon to create the next new thing, like Hobbits or Twitter or flash mobs.

Energy. When we get that aha moment which solves a dilemma or a writing challenge, we light up like a stadium spotlight. Power will pulse from our skin and we’ll type streams of words to create new worlds, save nations, celebrate love and heal pain. Comic strips may be involved.

Attitude. We fight for our characters, our stories, our books and our words. We know it’s not how many five-star reviews we have on Amazon.com, but how many hearts we touch, entertain and educate. We know our lives will end one day but our words and works will live on and that is enough. Except for intellectual property estate planning. Copyright extends seventy years beyond our death, so plan for it.

Time. Everyone has the same amount of hours on this earth and we choose to spend our time creating. Make art not crap is our mantra. Mastery of any craft takes work and patience. If we give up too soon, we miss our earned goal. We have to practice and hone our craft over time. Nora Robert’s number one writing rule, “Ass in the chair.”

Inventive. We like to create worlds and push boundaries. With our inventor hats on we have created tribbles, E.T., vampires, talking dogs, wizards, James Bond, Madagascar penguins and Garfield the cat. No one knows what will become of their creations, but we give life to new personalities out of thin air. We are Dr. Frankenstein.

Vicarious. Adventurers of space, foreign lands and haunted houses, we will create worlds we might never want to visit, but we will take others along for the ride. We invite readers into our fantasies and fears. In our stories we show humanity; the good, the bad and the warts. We teach with mental pictures.

Explain. We try to make sense of our world by crafting ideas and lands which inform us of how we have lived and how we strive to live in the future. We struggle to understand our roles on this planet and our life’s purpose through creating. We document the lives and loves of an entire planet and envision a future for all.

Be a proud albino pumpkin creative. We creatives celebrate the unusual, the great, the pain and hope of all people on a little planet called earth. Which looks kinda like a pumpkin. We are creatives, watch us soar!

Jump For Joy On Friday!

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by Kimberly A. Cook        (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

It’s the middle of October and the holidays are almost upon us.  For everyone who’s already eaten their “pre-Halloween” candy supplies, let’s work off some of that sugar.

Watch how this little goat, Pipsqueak, does his aerobics at home. Pass the M&Ms and have a Happy Quirky Friday!