IWSG Blog Hop: What Do You Read? 99 Cents eBook Sale #IWSGbloghop

 

Hello and Welcome to the Focused on Story Blog 
AND the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop

Always on the first Wednesday of the month.

#IWSGbloghop

Happy IWSG Blog Hop Day!!

and an early Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. To find out more, click this link:  Insecure Writer’s Support Group

The purpose of the group is 

* to share and encourage. 

* Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. 

* Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. 

*It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

You're invited to become a member of this supportive group. Click here to sign-up to join.

🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

Aye, 'tis a lucky day for me indeed because it's my turn to be a cohost, sharing duties with a bunch of lively leprechauns.--- Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre.

You may not find a pot of gold at the end of your stops, but I bet you'll find some golden nuggets of information, inspiration and encouragement that are more valuable than gold.

                                                                      🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

Question of the Month

March 3 question - Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write.

 But what about your reading preferences? 

Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for?

What motivates your reading choice?

As I romped through the wide-open cyberspace filled with books, I discovered I have my go-to genres- romantic suspense, cozy mystery, YA, time travel, historic fiction, and Westerns (written by Sandra Cox). My non-fiction choices are mainly books dealing with the craft of writing, marketing, publishing and memoir. ( I like memoirs written like fiction.) I have tried many other genres to support fellow authors in the BWL Publishing Stable and here at IWSG. Frankly, there were some genres I sampled, but could not finish. I'm sure you have the same experience when it comes to trying something new. 

   🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

WRITING UPDATES

1. You may remember last fall, I was revising and adding new material to my Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women interactive eBook. I had to put that plan on hold when my publisher decided to put my memoir, Arranging a Dream on pre-order in November. 

I picked up where I left off. I contacted the 15 role models to let me know what they were up to nowadays. Afterall, it had been 10 years since their interviews. What fun to reconnect with these amazing women. And yes, they have moved on. 

I updated each interview and added another interview. So I was privileged to add another amazing role-model for girls, an attorney. (Girls requested a chapter about the career of an attorney.) 

With so many changes, the book needs to be released with a different title and cover. In a nutshell, the book profiles successful women who made their childhood dream careers come true. Their stories will inspire MG girls to dream big and work toward making that dream come true.

So--if you have an idea for a title that would catch a reader's attention, please let me know.

Here a few ideas: 

• Girls' Dreams Come True: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women
• Dream Careers Can Become Reality
• Dream Careers Can Come True.   

I plan to release the book in March during Women's History Month.

Naturally go together-Your Words, Your Life Story and My Life Writing Journal

2. As you may know, I am a life storytelling evangelist! To further my mission for encouraging people to write their stories, I made the needed changes to My Life Writing Journal to make it a useful tool. The writer can choose from a long list of topics to spark their memories, then jot down notes, thoughts, or a complete essay in the journal about the topic such as Travel, Hobbies, Homes, etc.

I also updated the eBook that accompanies the journal, Your Words, Your Life Story:  A Guide for Sharing Memories. 

If you have thought about sharing stories from your life, click here to download the eBook format of this guide at your favorite digital bookseller. On sale now for 99 cents.

Click here to order your life story writing journal at amazon.com. Promotional price $5.87.

Thank you!

Click here to visit more bloggers. I hope to see you on the hop!

   🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

The Rose Courier March 2021 Edition

Stay in touch with updates from JQ--packed with articles, freebies, and photos!
Click here to sign-up for delivery once a month.

In Remembrance of the 500,000

 

In Remembrance of the lives lost in the US during the COVID Pandemic
February 22, 2021

Today I honor and remember those who have passed during this COVID Pandemic. My thoughts, hugs and prayers go to those families and friends who lost a loved one. 

In January 2020, Reuters reported --"The worldwide coronavirus death toll surpassed 2 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, as nations around the world are trying to procure multiple vaccines and detect new COVID-19 variants.

'Behind this staggering number are names and faces: the smile now only a memory, the seat forever empty at the dinner table, the room that echoes with the silence of a loved one,' United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said in a video statement."

We must resolve to do everything we can in order to eliminate this disease murdering our world citizens.

Photo above courtesy of pixabay.com pixel2013

Thank you!
Photo by B S K from FreeImages

Thank you to all those workers and volunteers in our communities who take care of the sick, show up to work, pray, offer meals to hungry families and keep us rolling along, offering hope and light in this world.

Sincerely,

Janet

Jacqui Murray's #CoverReveal for Laws of Nature, VIDEO: Our First Valentine's Day Excerpt from Arranging a Dream

 

Valentine's Day, February 14, has passed,
but February is the month of love.
Let's celebrate all month and beyond!!

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog. 

I hope you had a delightful Valentine's Day. When we were in the floral business, Valentine's Day was one of the biggest holidays for florists. In 1976, it was our first holiday in the business. What a learning experience with OJT (on-the-job) training! Did we survive??? Check out the reading from my memoir, Arranging a Dream, about that first Valentine's Day holiday. You'll find the answer to that question!

💝💝💝💝💝

Please welcome back multi-talented author, professor, blogger and reviewer, Jacqui Murray. Read her bio after the articles. You'll be amazed.

Her focus at the moment is on prehistoric fiction with her saga, Man vs. Nature. It’s a series of trilogies set in seminal times of man’s evolution. The first is Dawn of Humanity, about Homo habilis, with one book completed, Born in a Treacherous Time. The second in the trilogy, Against All Odds, will be out 2021. The second trilogy, featuring Homo erectus, is Crossroads with the first two books out, Survival of the Fittest and Quest for Home. The third and final, In the Footsteps of Giants, will be out Winter 2021.

I am delighted to introduce you to her new upcoming release this summer, Laws of Nature.

Thanks so much for revealing your cover today!

Thank you, Janet, for inviting me to share the #CoverReveal for my upcoming book, Laws of Nature.

Good news! I can reveal the cover, fresh from my design folks at Damonza.

Laws of Nature by Jacqui Murray
Pre-historic Fiction
Book 2 in the Dawn of Humanity Trilogy

A boy blinded by fire.

A woman raised by wolves.

An avowed enemy offers help.

Set 1.8 million years ago in Africa, Lucy and her band of early humans struggle against the harsh reality of a world ruled by nature, where predators stalk them and a violent new species of man threatens to destroy their world. Only by changing can they prevail.

If you ever wondered how earliest man survived but couldn’t get through the academic discussions, this book is for you. Prepare to see this violent and beautiful world in a way you never imagined.

I sure hope you like it because it's too late for changes!

I might publish Laws of Nature to Amazon as a pre-order soon. An Indie friend did that with a publication date in late summer. Any thoughts on that?

You can find all of my books through my Amazon page. I'm on KU so if you are, they're even free!

Thanks, again, Janet, for hosting #CoverReveal! 

Jacqui

💝💝💝💝💝

Click here to visit Jacqui's guest post on this blog for the first book in the series, Survival of the Fittest.

Click here to visit Jacqui's guest post for The Quest for Home, Book 2 in the Crossroads Trilogy. series.

💝💝💝💝💝

About Jacqui Murray

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and Born in a Treacherous Time, first in the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice,  a columnist for TeachHUB and NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics.You can find her tech ed books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning

Click on the links below to connect online with Jacqui :

Twitter http://twitter.com/worddreams

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher

Linked In http://linkedin.com/in/jacquimurray

Word Dreams (Jacqui's blog) https://worddreams.wordpress.com

Jacqui's author page https://jacquimurray.net

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Jacqui-Murray/e/B002E78CQQ/

💝💝💝💝💝

VIDEO: Excerpt from Arranging a Dream: A Memoir--Our First Valentine's Day

Paperback book is available at amazon.com and bn.com

Click the Buy Now link below to purchase the eBook for Arranging a Dream: A Memoir 

Buy Now

A Pig, a Kangaroo and a Handsome Detective--Oh My! by JQ Rose #MFRWHooks

 

Read on to see if this Book Hook grabs you!

Book Hooks Blog Hop #MFRWHooks

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog. Today we're joining the Book Hooks Blog Hop sponsored by the Marketing For Romance Writers Group. Each participating blogger shares an excerpt from their book. Because Valentine's Day is almost here and February is the month of love, I'm sharing an excerpt from Dangerous Sanctuary, a romantic suspense novel.

Dangerous Sanctuary by J.Q. Rose
Romantic Suspense

💕💕💕💕💕

REVIEW: 

"I generally read edgier thrillers but a friend recommended this book, so I gave it a try. It turned out to be a witty, pleasant, and cozy little romantic thriller." Kia Heavey

Abraham the Pig, a star in Dangerous Sanctuary

BACK OF THE BOOK:

Pastor Christine Hobbs has been in the pulpit business for over five years. She never imagined herself caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer. 

 Detective Cole Stephens doesn't want the pretty pastor to get away with murdering the church music director. His investigative methods infuriate Christine as much as his deep brown eyes attract her.

 Can they find the real killer and build a loving relationship based on trust?

💕💕💕💕💕

EXCERPT FROM DANGEROUS SANCTUARY

Christine stood in the parking lot hanging onto the leash of the agitated pig in one hand and the docile kangaroo in the other. Taking her eyes from the ambulance careening out of the parking lot, she turned her attention to the animals and wondered what just happened here.  Her heart caught in her throat when she spotted Cole Stephens speed into the parking lot, barely missing the departing ambulance. What was he doing here?  He pulled up near her and jumped from the car. “I heard the call come through. I was afraid of what I’d discover at this church.” 

His serious expression broke out into a huge smile. “You never know what situation a 9-1-1 call will lead to. This… this is a first for me.” His hearty laughter echoed off the brick walls of the building. He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes with the back of his hand.

Cole’s appearance seemed to shake up the animals. Christine struggled to hang on to them, so the detective grabbed the kangaroo’s harness and tried to calm the frightened animal.  “What are you doing with the Noah’s ark critters?”

 She saw the twinkle in his eyes. Her face cracked into a smile. She had to admit it was an odd situation. She must look like an idiot standing out in the lot hanging onto these two adorable creatures. “Well, in a nutshell. A woman had a cardiac arrest here in the parking lot. As you saw, she’s on her way to the hospital, and well, these are her pets.”

Christine swept her free hand toward the animals.

“Yes, her pets.” Ella nodded and pointed to Katy and Abraham.

“Um, I guess I’m keeping them till, well, until… Let’s just say we didn’t really have time to discuss it. I’m sure you probably have a place to put them, don’t you?”

“Huh-uh, lady. I’m not taking in any animals.” He backed away as if they were wild animals ready to attack. “Anyway, my retriever would probably eat them.” His wink was disarming.

💕💕💕💕💕

Available at amazon

2^nd edition Kindle http://amazon.com/dp/B07SVPS8N1

2^nd edition Paperback  http://amazon.com/dp/0228609291

Happy Valentine's Day from JQ Rose

↪Click here to visit bloggers participating in the #MFRWhooks  Blog Hop!

Click Here to receive updates from J.Q. Rose, articles, newsworthy events, giveaways in the Rose Courier. 

Delivered to your inbox once a month.   

Thank you!!

IWSG Blog Hop: Friendship, Bruno Mars Video

 

Hello and Welcome to the Focused on Story Blog 
AND the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop

Always on the first Wednesday of the month.

#IWSGbloghop

Happy IWSG Blog Hop Day!!

and an Early Wish for a Happy Valentine's Day!

💟💟💟💟💟

What is the Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook and Instagram group, Twitter, and a monthly newsletter. To find out more, click this link:  Insecure Writer’s Support Group

The purpose of the group is 

* to share and encourage. 

* Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. 

* Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. 

*It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! 

You're invited to become a member of this supportive group. Click here to sign-up to join.

The awesome co-hosts for the February 3 posting of the IWSG are Louise - Fundy Blue, Jennifer Lane, Mary Aalgaard, Patsy Collins at Womagwriter, and Nancy Gideon!

💟💟💟💟💟

Question of the Month

February 3 question - Blogging is often more than just sharing stories. It’s often the start of special friendships and relationships. Have you made any friends through the blogosphere? 

Friends
Image by Мария Ткачук from Pixabay

The answer to the question is yes! I have made friends through IWSG as well as writers in  FB groups and publishing houses. When I was first published I was astounded by the generosity and support from experienced authors. I thought we would be competitors but that never occurred. Having my horizons broadened by meeting folks from around the world is an opportunity I cherish.

I am happy to be friends with three authors whom I met through my first publishing house in 2010. In fact, we are planning on gathering together at Mackinac Island, Michigan, in October 2022! The authors are from Wisconsin, Texas and England and I am in Michigan. 

I am grateful to IWSG friends who have hosted me on the Arranging a Dream: A Memoir Virtual Book Tour this winter and to those who will give my memoir a shout out this week.

Feb 3 Ellen Jacobson

Feb 4 Pat Garcia

💟💟💟💟💟

Click here to receive all the news once a month from JQ Rose plus freebies, articles and tidbits.

Click here to visit more participating bloggers

Now I leave you with this peppy song about friends performed by Bruno Mars

Thanks for stopping by!!!

YouTube VIDEO: Count on Me--Bruno Mars

My Dad, Excerpt from Arranging a Dream

 

My dad

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog! I am so glad you are here today.

 This week is my father's birthday. Dad would be 104 years old. He's been gone for 45 years, but I still miss him.

My memoir, Arranging a Dream: A Memoir, is about our life-changing year when my husband, my one-year-old daughter and I moved from family and friends and the security of two paychecks to West Michigan to become owners of a flower shop and greenhouses. In March of that year, 1976, my dad passed away. His passing turned my world sideways. Not only life-changing but also life-challenging. Dads and daughters have a special bond, and we certainly did.

I did not think I could move on from that horrible grief and despair that comes with losing a loved one. Those who have lost their family and friends to COVID come to mind as I write this. Believe me, you will conquer the grief and leave it behind, but the love and memories of your loved one will remain forever.

This excerpt from the memoir recounts how I shook off the sadness and found the strength to move on. 

Here is an excerpt from that chapter, My Dad.

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir

Arranging a Dream: A Memoir, Excerpt Chapter 16, My Dad

After we returned to Fremont, I went through the motions as a wife, mom, and shopkeeper, but I was in a daze. I was still in shock as I worked through the grieving process. Because we were newcomers to Fremont, we weren’t close to anyone. Ted and I only had each other for support, binding us closer together. 

At the craziest times, I would find myself bursting into tears standing in the grocery store aisle, working at the design table or fixing lunch for Sara. Often, I would go to the phone to call Dad to share something about my day, only to realize he would never be on the other end of the phone again. 

Anger filled my life. Anger with God for not saving Dad. With my dad for leaving us. He didn’t even have the chance to come up to Michigan to see our new place or learn about our floral business or play with Sara. 

He was gone. 

Forever. 

A month later, I was in the kitchen sipping coffee and finding it difficult to make myself get going. Instead, I wallowed in my sorrow. I heard Sara singing in her crib in her room off the kitchen. The refrain of one of her self-composed songs filled with gibberish carried through to the kitchen as her voice sang louder and louder with every note. I heard her stand up, so I snuck over to the doorway and peeked in. She was hanging onto the rail of her crib, dancing. When she spotted me watching her, she thrust her arms up in the air and yelled, “Mom, mom, mom” and flashed that dazzling smile. My heart filled with joy knowing, in her own one-year-old style, she was celebrating the morning and anticipating a new day ahead. 

Our daughter, Sara

Looking into her happy blue eyes, I realized I had to move on, if not for my sake, at least for Sara and Ted. I decided I would make it through one year without Dad; and then I’d be okay.

 **** 

The best way to keep my dad’s memory alive and to honor him is to remember all he had instilled in me while growing up and to practice those lessons. He always pointed out the beautiful things surrounding us in nature like a wide-open prairie sunset, the glitter of the sun on a spider web, and the way the leaves on the trees flipped over before a storm. 

He never gossiped about anyone or badmouthed a person. He never swore, well, except the time when my brother’s class ring was not correct, and the shopkeeper would not do anything to make it right. 

A sense of mischief popped out in his odd sense of humor. He’d go for coffee at Turner’s, the local greasy spoon located on Route 66, where they called him Digger. He carried a measuring tape in his pocket to measure up anyone who gave him a hard time, being sure he would order the right sized casket for the jokester. He cared about people and appreciated the simple things in life. I wanted to be just like him as a business person, friend, and parent. But most of all, I wanted to teach Sara the same lessons by example.

Virtual Book Tour 2020-21

 The Virtual Book Tour Continues: I visited with multi-genre author and generous supporter of authors, Janet Lane Walters, over the weekend. Click her name below to stop over at her blog, The Eclectic Writer.

 Janet Lane Walters 

Upcoming stops are scheduled with Helen Henderson, Ellen Jacobson and Pat Garcia. I'll have their links next week so you can pop-over and visit!

Click Here to receive updates from J.Q. Rose, articles, newsworthy events, giveaways in the Rose Courier. 

Delivered to your inbox once a month.   

Thank you!!

Update: Kitchen Do-Over is Finished!! Arranging a Dream Virtual Book Tour Continues, FREE eBook

Hello and welcome! Update on the Kitchen Do-Over today.

A Kitchen Do-Over Report

AnnaliseArt / 7579 images from Pixabay

Hello and welcome! Update on the Kitchen Do-Over today. GT and his brother have been busy! 

Take a peek.

Before the tearing down of the cabinets, we had to empty them of all food, small appliances, bowls, pots and pans and move all of it to the back bedroom 

We removed all the drawers and gave them to a gentleman who is a woodworker.
The rest of the cabinets went to the dump. They were not full cabinets, but doors attached to the frame and were not good enough to salvage. We saved the knobs though!

 

The sink was in this corner at an angle. You can see exactly where the cabinet stood because the '70s vinyl is still on the floor. Remember those good ole days of Harvest gold and green? Compare the first photo with the sink in place in the first picture.

Now the new cabinets are in place, but that's about it. The old sink is temporarily set in place under the window. I love how getting rid of the sink opened up the room. Compare the first picture with this one and you can notice the wall under the window is empty now. No countertop or microwave over the range. No new floor. 

See the cute light over the sink. Adds to the "beachy" atmosphere.

This was the most difficult part of the whole renovation. No, not applying the tiles to the wall! Selecting the tiles to put on the wall! LOL. So many styles and colors. 

Standing in the lumber company, staring at all the choices and in that warehouse style lighting, it was impossible to imagine what the combination of countertop and tiles would look like once the tiles are installed. BTW, installing IS a difficult job. Grouting and then wiping off the haze that appears on the tiles a countless number of times is no fun. GT did a marvelous job on this tedious project.

This is my favorite nook. The light, the tiles, the wallpaper, the cabinet all come together beautifully.

Ta dah!! Finished!

Due to the lighting, the floor and counter look more brownish, but in the daylight they are gray.

The refrigerator side. I seem to have more room for storage now even if I did lose a cabinet in order to put in the dishwasher and reduced the size of the pantry.

WHEW!

I really loved my palm trees border, gold wallpaper and painted white cabinets when we remodeled the kitchen when we moved in on January 2006. So glad we updated the look and added the dishwasher and microwave over the range for 2021!

🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴

I am excited about the kitchen make-over, but nothing compares to the fantastic response by the readers to my newly released memoir,  Arranging a Dream: A Memoir. I appreciate the touching reviews and comments in emails and on blog posts. 

I am having a blast on the virtual blog tour for the memoir. I am meeting so many generous authors and fabulous readers. Click the authors' names to join me.  During my visit with Helena Fairfax across the pond, we talked about getting ready for spring gardening. At Marsha West's site in Texas, Marsha asked many questions for readers to learn more about me and the book. Yes, I do get around!!

Jacqui Murray reviewed my book at the Word Dreams blog. Her words left me misty-eyed when I read it. Her 5-Star review:

J.Q. Rose’s Arranging a Dream (BWL Publishing 2021) is a how-to in buying a family business (in this case, a flower shop and greenhouse) in an industry you know nothing about in a town you’d never even visited before all this started, with a tiny support system of unknown provenance–all while raising a family. In Janet’s case, she and her husband gave up solid predictable jobs for the unpredictability of being self-employed. Janet took classes to learn the basics and then trusted herself to solve each problem as it arose. 

Turns out, with passion, drive, and a clever mind, that works nicely. This is a delightful memoir of the growth of Janet’s family business and how it fits nicely with her personal dreams. I’d categorize it as a Quiet Memoir (link may not be available yet)–memoirs that deal with more common topics that are made uncommon by the author’s voice. Dorothy Rice says: 

“Memories…are often quiet, more echo than boom, more lingering sense than clamor, more subtext than headline.” 

In this case, J.Q.’s voice is approachable, friendly, vulnerable, and honest, innately addressing the worries we’d all have if we started a business, or didn’t. See if you agree that Janet’s voice is what makes this memoir truly stand out:

“…for the first time, I was always second-guessing my instincts.”

“We had followed the map’s directions to find our destination. If only we had a map to know if this place was the right direction we should take for our future.”

“…could “Ted-gineer” anything [Ted is Janet’s husband].”

5/5 for this memoir, and a worthy read if you're interested in exploring a life well lived with good decisions followed through to success.

BTW, husband Ted is amazing.

–I received an ARC of this book but the opinions are my own.

Click here to download your copy from your favorite digital bookseller. 

Click here to order the paperback book from amazon.

Thank you to BWL Publishing for making another dream come true for me.

Click here to visit the BWL Publishing site and download a free romance, Powerful Destiny by award-winning author Tricia McGill. BWL is giving away a free eBook every month in 2021! 

Virtual Book Tour 2020-21

Thank you for stopping by!!