Leave a comment and I'll gift you one of my novels or a subscription to my Wellness Ezine.

Leave a comment and I'll gift you one of my novels or a subscription to my Wellness Ezine.
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Sunday, October 25, 2015

For YA Authors: 19th Free Dear Lucky Agent Contest

Welcome to information about the 19th (free!) “Dear Lucky Agent” Contest on the GLA blog. This is a FREE recurring online contest with agent judges and super-cool prizes. 

According to Chuck , here’s the deal: "With every contest, the details are essentially the same, but the niche itself changes—meaning each contest is focused around a specific category or two. So if you’re writing any kind of young adult fiction, this 19th contest is for you! (The contest is live through EOD, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015.)"

This contest will be judged by Agent Eric Smith, so you'll have a chance to have an agent see and review your work, and you might even win a critique!

Here's the place to go: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/19th-free-dear-lucky-agent-contest-young-adult-fiction
Be sure to scroll down to the article, then submit per the instructions.
Good luck!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

How tennis teaches you patience, control, focus, how to have fun and keeps you healthy

I've been into tennis for decades...off and on. Now, I'm into it in a big way, playing 4-5 times a week, and loving it.

Yes, this is me, before I got off the hard courts, and now play only on clay.


Tennis, which contains not one normal movement, is a real challenge because most of us like to attack problems head on. Does tennis? NO. To execute every shot in tennis you have to turn your body either left or right, and that calls for focus and control. Of course, you also have to position yourself in the right spot, keep your eyes on the ball, have the right grip, right swing, and right follow through, but if you do all things, the ball will go where you want it to go with plenty of power to knock the socks off your opponent.

Okay, so tennis requires focus, patience, and control. Bigtime. It's said you have to hit a stroke thousands of times to make the mind-body imprint so the movements become a habit. It may even be millions of times. I'm not sure. I'm still working on consistency.

Tennis is also a lot of fun when you execute properly because you win the point. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and pure joy when that happens.

The most important thing tennis can do for you is keep you healthy. Sitting is the worst thing for the body. Moving it is the best. Our bodies are meant to move and tennis accomplishes that. Also, if you play on clay or grass court, you'll protect your joints while exercising. And it's a lot more fun to play a game than work out in a smelly gym...at least it is for me.

Also, we all need to get at least 15 minutes of exposure to the sun (the best source of vitamin D there is) 3-4 times a week; up to three times that if you have dark skin. Playing outdoors is a great way to get that exposure, but play before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m.

So, if you haven't explored tennis, do so. And let me know how it goes.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Cover Reveal for GRUDGING

DO you like chivalry and witchcraft…and invaders from the North who would destroy everything and bring a cruel religion and no mercy? What about a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power? 

GRUDGING is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy. To see the cover and read more about book, which is coming next month, click on http://www.brenda-drake.com/2015/10/grudging-by-michelle-hauck-cover-reveal/