Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

writer

How About A Great Whale Tale?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Happened upon this clip while doing my usual cruise through Weather.com’s 10 day forecast for my town. I adore whales. When bad things happen to good whales it makes me crazy, but this whale had seagoing angels.

Do not try this at home, kids. These guys are experienced and still took huge risks, but I know that special Right Whale had the smarts to know they were trying to help. So for a good Happy Quirky Friday send off, check out this fabulous whale of a tale and tail. Get it?

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!

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?

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!