Winning weekend in San Diego - New York here we come!

My daughter Andrea competed last weekend in San Diego at the YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) which is a ballet competition. We've never done this before so we weren't really sure what was going on, but figured it would be a good experience. The students can compete in a contemporary ballet piece and then a variation ballet piece. Andi was in the Senior category which has dancers from ages 15 to 19. (Andi is 15 by the way) Andi danced the Black Swan variation from Swan Lake. Her contemporary was choreographed by the insanely talented and wonderful Jenny Hill Barlow. The top twelve in each category are invited to compete in the national competition in New York in April.
ANDI MADE TOP TWELVE IN BOTH CATEGORIES AND WAS THIRD IN CONTEMPORARY! The pictures below are from her competition. We are so stinking proud of her and all her hard, hard work.

Author Interview - Kersten Campbell

My daughter was in a hurry to get to work the other day. She was dressed in a black skirt, cream silk shirt and black patent leather heels. I was sitting at the computer (shocker--I know) and I heard the clunk, bam, bumpity-bump, crash of her falling down the stairs. Then, I heard . . . laughter. It hurt like heck but she found it incredibly funny. I loved that she could laugh. If you can't laugh when you're down, then you got a long, hard road ahead of you.

That's why I'm thrilled to post an interview with Kersten Campbell. She's discovered the secret of happiness . . . laughter.

In her new book, Confessions of a Completely Insane Mother Kersten expertly writes on the escapades of daily life that any woman can relate to. With subjects ranging from zucchini crime to selling rocks to the neighbors, this book is sure to please any mother who is overwhelmed, tired, frustrated, bored, or ultimately happy. Mothers and grandmothers everywhere will find therapy and comfort through the humor of these hilarious escapades.


Kersten Campbell grew up in Wisconsin until she turned sixteen, when her family moved to Boise, Idaho. When she protested the move, her father said, Don t worry, you ll probably find some nice Mormon boy to marry. Confused, Kersten replied, What s a Mormon? She soon found out and joined the LDS Church at age twenty-one. She earned a bachelor s degree from the University of Idaho in English Literature and has written many articles for Church publications and other magazines. When not writing, she enjoys reading, painting, family history research, playing the clarinet, and playing with children.She and that nice Mormon boy live in Washington with their five beautiful children.

Here's the inteview with Kersten:

M.B.: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

KERSTEN: I think I only fully realized it after I became a mother. I’ve always loved to read. My parents had my hearing tested because I was always so lost in a book that I couldn’t hear them calling me. I studied literature in college because I loved to read. But I didn’t realize that I could write until after I started sending in little articles here and there and kept getting published. It was then that I realized I loved to write. And the wonderful experience of becoming a mother made me realize that I had a message about motherhood that needed to be shared: how to enjoy it, in spite of its ups and downs.

M.B.: What was the pathway like for you to get your first book published?

KERSTEN: I started by trying to write a teenage romance novel. It was terrible! And it seemed to be getting worse each time I tried to fix it. Then, on a whim I decided to see if I could write humor that would make people laugh. I began to write little humor vignettes about motherhood on a blog, and the few people who read the blog loved the stories and kept telling me they laughed until they cried. So, after a while of doing this I decided to collect what I had written and see if I could get it published. The first publisher turned me down and I was so discouraged I tried to file it away forever. But as I was putting the file in the drawer something stopped me and told me to give it one more try. I did, and the next publisher liked it.

M.B.: Were you ever discouraged along the way? If so, how did you deal with it?

KERSTEN: Whenever I get discouraged as a writer, whether it be an article or a book that gets rejected, I always remember one piece of writing advice that I read in a book. Always keep writing. It takes away the sting of rejection to be fully involved in your next project. I always try to start on something new the minute I send something in to a publisher.


M.B.: What is your writing schedule like?

KERSTEN: I have five children ages 3-14, so I don’t have much time to actually sit down and write. Right now I write during my youngest son’s nap which gives me about two hours per day on weekdays. Now that the book is published I have to use those two hours to work on publicity for the book as well. I try not to be at the computer when the kids are home or awake because they don’t like it. I’m not always successful, but I try. I don’t write on the weekends in order to spend time with the family. If I’m really pressed I’ll write late at night.

M.B.: Where did your idea come from for this book?

KERSTEN: I think it was the Holy Ghost, because the idea just hit me out of the blue and surprised me. I had never even been a joking type person before. It was crazy to think I could write things that would make people laugh. Even now I can feel inspiration as I continue to write humor stories. I am positive that I am receiving help so that I can accomplish much in the little time that I have, and so I always try hard to qualify for the Holy Ghost, in order not to lose this gift the Lord has given me.

M.B.: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire to
have their manuscripts become books in print?

KERSTEN: First, never give up. Even if you aren’t good at writing, you will get better if you keep doing it. Writing is something that can be learned. I know. I’m a formerly non-funny person writing humor books. Secondly, be patient. Don’t sacrifice what’s most important in life to achieve your dream. The Lord knows your desire to write, and I believe that when the gospel and our family come first, He blesses us with every good thing that we desire as long as it is in accordance with His plan. He will open up doors of opportunity for us when it is our time. Meanwhile…keep writing, so you’re ready when it happens!! Keep sending in those manuscripts! And keep praying!

M.B.: What is your process of brainstorming a story? Do you just sit
down and write, waiting to see what happens next? Or do you outline
first?

KERSTEN: I like to take a couple of days to brainstorm an idea. I write down every funny thing I can think of that will go along with my subject. I also have a worksheet of plot and character questions that I fill out for each story. Sometimes I do research on the internet. Then I stew on it for a day, until the plot begins to form in my mind. After that, I may outline, or I may just sit down and write, depending on how clearly I can see the story in my head. But I’m always surprised by what comes out. The story I write always deviates from the one that I planned to write.

M.B.: Do you ever experience a snag in a story, a form of writer's
block? If so, how do you deal with it?

KERSTEN: Yes, often! If that happens I take a break. I walk around, do a chore and think while I work. If it still doesn’t come to me, I wait another day. Praying helps too. Usually the solution comes when I’m pondering in the shower or while I exercise.

M.B.: Do you need absolute quiet to write? Do you listen to music when
you are writing?

KERSTEN: I need absolute silence. If there is any noise or music I can’t think. I spend a lot of time staring at walls in silence…just thinking.

M.B.: What kinds of inspiration do you use during your story creation periods?

KERSTEN: My family is my inspiration. They are so crazy and funny. I keep index cards in all my pockets and write down the hilarious things they do and say. Then I file the index cards in a box and look at them later to become inspired as to what to write.

M.B.: Who has made the greatest difference for you as a writer?

KERSTEN: Other than my husband, who supports me, it would have to be Patrick McManus, the author. His books taught me that humor doesn’t have to be uncomfortable, sarcastic, or put people down. It can be uplifting. I love his stories. I wanted to do something like that with a family theme in order to inspire mothers to laugh and enjoy the craziness of family life and not be discouraged.

M.B.: Do you use a critique group during the writing process? Why or why not?

KERSTEN: My husband is my critique group. I have never had time to search one out or to go to regular meetings, and so I have relied on his advice. Luckily he’s a realist and will tell it like it is. I can rely on him for complete honesty when I’ve written something terrible.

M.B.: Anything about yourself that you would like readers to know about?

KERSTEN: Just that I’m old. Not ancient, but I am almost forty and just now getting my first book published. It’s okay if it takes a long time before your dream comes true. Sometimes there are other things that you need to experience first. And in the end your writing will be better for it. I know mine is.

M.B.: Any final words you would like to share

KERSTEN: Yes. One final confession. All reports of me being addicted to chocolate doughnuts are absolutely true. I’m eating one right now, in fact.

M.B.: Where can our readers go to find your books and order them?

KERSTEN: Right now you can get “Confessions of a Completely Insane Mother” through my publisher at http://www.cedarfort.com/ under “new releases”. Within the next month the books will be available at all LDS bookstores and online, including sites such as amazon.com, Seagull, and Deseret Book.

I can't wait for Kersten's book to come out. I can think of about twenty people, including myself, that could use a book filled with laughter and hope. This is the perfect book for birthdays, Mother's Day or just for someone who needs a little boost during a rough time in their life.

Thanks Kersten!!!

Random Thoughts

I won't take up too much of your time today. It was a rough weekend. I attended the funeral of a very dear friend from my ward who passed away. I find myself thinking of her a lot, worrying about her family, being a little more paranoid when a loved one leaves the house. She died in an automobile accident, along with both of her in-laws. She was an amazing wife, mother and person. I found it interesting as I listened to the talks at her funeral that she was the type who always had her camera with her and was always the one taking the famiy videos and pictures. That's why she was rarely in any of the pictures of the vacations and family events.
This made me laugh.
I don't know if you've visited my blog much lately, but I've been searching for a picture of myself to use for it. With not much luck I might add. You might notice that every picture I've tried to use of me has another person cut out of the picture.
Not that a picture of myself is vital to the blog, maybe it would be best to just forego the picture and put up a nice sunset or tropical scene or something interesting. But it did make me realize that even though I'm not the type of person who hands the camera to her husband or kids and says, "will you take a picture of me in front of that landmark, or next to something interesting like the Empire State Building, or at the Sacred Grove or something," I would like to leave some memories of myself in pictures when the day comes that I do pass away.
My motto is, you can never have too many pictures or too many videos. I live by that and I'll die by that. And maybe, if I do it right, my face will even be in the mix somewhere.

Also, don't miss Thursday's blog, which will be an interview with Kersten Campbell! You won't want to miss it.

INTERVIEW with Lisa Mangum, author of The Hourglass Door

Lisa's book The Hourglass Door hits store shelves May 13th and is destined to become a best-seller! I was so excited get to know Lisa and interview her to find out more about her and this awesome book she's written.

Lisa's bio reads: I knew I was destined to work with books when I opted to skip recess in elementary school to help out at the school library instead. A voracious reader my entire life, my first paying job was at the Sandy Library as a Page (I shelved books all day, dreaming of the day I could be a "Chapter" :) I worked at Waldenbooks for the four years I attended the University of Utah, earning a BA (with honors) in English (graduating cum laude in 1997). Four months to the day of my graduation, I landed a job as an Editorial Assistant at Bookcraft, Inc. I've been a book editor ever since. Perhaps with that background, it was logical that I would take the next step and actually write a book. So I did: The Hourglass Door is my first book, and the first in a trilogy.

Here's my interview with Lisa:

M.B.: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

LISA: I grew up with writing in my blood, I think. My mom is an author and so I grew up reading and writing all kinds of things—stories, poems, plays. I remember being a sophomore in high school and writing down my goals—one of which was to be a published author before I graduated. While I didn’t get a publishing contract then, I did have some of my work featured in my high school literary magazine and I did win some state writing awards. Another early, vivid memory I have is standing in the stacks at Waldenbooks, reading the back of Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn and thinking to myself, “I want to be the person who writes the summary on the back of the book.” And now here I am, not only writing back cover copy as part of my job as an editor, but writing the back cover copy for my own novel.

M.B.: What was the pathway like for you to get your first book published?

LISA: I love hearing about how authors find their way to publication because no two stories are ever the same. For me, it all started with a conversation I had with Chris Schoebinger (Product Director at Shadow Mountain) on the afternoon of June 13, 2007, about YA fiction—what worked, what didn’t, and what he was hoping to find to publish. Our conversation was interrupted, but I kept thinking about it. After work, I was driving to Provo to attend a writer’s conference and I started thinking about the possibility of writing a YA love story. And then it was like Dante and Abby just jumped in the car with me and told me the whole story of The Hourglass Door. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot of the conference, I scrounged up some paper I had in the car and wrote everything down as fast as I could—plot outlines, character’s names and relationships, key scenes. Chris was attending the same conference and I made a beeline for him the minute I came through the door. I showed him what I’d done and said, “What do you think?” Chris said, “I think you should write it.” So I did.
It took me about a year to complete the manuscript. I turned it in and waited anxiously for Chris’s feedback. I knew that, even though we worked together, if he didn’t like it, he wasn’t going to publish it. It was early in June 2008 when we met and he said, yes, he did want to publish my book and it officially went on the schedule for Summer 2009. Start to finish, it’ll be almost exactly two years from when I got the idea to when finished books will be published and in the stores.

M.B.: Were you ever discouraged along the way? If so, how did you deal with it?

LISA: I think discouragement and doubt are part and parcel of writing. It’s sometimes hard to convince yourself that what you have to say is something other people are going to want to read—especially on those days that end with a still-blank screen—but I found that sometimes the doubt can be a help instead of a hindrance. On those days when I didn’t know what to do, or when that little voice in the back of my head tried to tell me my writing wasn’t good enough and no one was going to like it, I found that if I tossed all that doubt and discouragement out the window—magic happened. Some of my best writing came about when I let loose and just wrote.

M.B.: What is your writing schedule like?

LISA: With a full-time job, I do most of my writing on the weekends and the occasional weeknight. For Hourglass Door, though, a couple of key scenes wouldn’t wait until I got home so I wrote them by hand on the train on my way home from work. Often I’ll do a lot of thinking and mental plotting on the train and then, while it’s fresh in my mind, I’ll jot down an outline to work on later.

M.B.: Where did your idea come from for this book?

LISA: As a junior in college, I took a class at the University of Utah that focused on Dante’s Divine Comedy. The class turned out to be one of the best classes I ever took at college—and one of my favorites. At the end of Paradiso, there is a beautiful passage that I fell in love with—Dante’s final prayer to his true love, Beatrice. And so when I first thought about writing a YA love story, I immediately thought of Dante and Beatrice. I drew a lot of inspiration from the classics—Dante, Shakespeare, Virgil—as well as from some of my favorite poets, including W. H. Auden.

M.B.: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire to have their manuscripts become books in print?

LISA: Don’t give up! I know that sounds like a cliché, but there is a world of truth in those three words. Publishing is all about sending your story to the right place at the right time. I was talking to a friend the other day about this and I said I thought that publishing sometimes is like dating because often you have to go on a lot of blind dates before you find Mr. Right. So keep polishing up those stories and keep sending them out. If it’s a good story, someone will propose—so to speak. J

M.B.: What is your process of brainstorming a story? Do you just sit down and write, waiting to see what happens next? Or do you outline first?

LISA: I’ve done both, and I’ve had success with both. Because I’m the type of person who likes to make lists and organize my life, I really enjoy outlining a story start to finish. But because I’m also the type of person who loves to be surprised and enjoys puzzles and mysteries, I allow enough flexibility in my outline to just write and see where the story takes me. Even though I had outlined all of Hourglass Door over the course of a couple of days, it turned out that the whole second half wasn’t going to work the way I had planned it. So I ditched the outline and followed the story into new and unexplored territory.

M.B.: Do you ever experience a snag in a story, a form of writer's block? If so, how do you deal with it?

LISA: When I was younger, I’d write chronologically. I’d start at chapter one and try to write straight through. But inevitably, I’d run into a troublesome spot and instead of skipping to something else, I’d stop. So now, I write whatever I want, whenever I want. If there is a scene that is itching at my brain, then I’ll write that—even if I don’t know where it will end up in the story. I keep a file labeled “Text That Needs a Home” where I gather up all the odds and ends and bits of scenes. Sometimes they work into the story and sometimes they don’t. But I find that when I follow my muse, I write more and stop less.

M.B.: Do you need absolute quiet to write? Do you listen to music when you are writing?

LISA: I enjoy some background noise, but it’s harder to write if it’s a TV show or movie—I get caught up in that story instead of working on mine. Music is a must for me. I love stretching out on the couch with my computer on my lap, my cat asleep on my legs, and my iPod on shuffle—a trifecta of writing bliss.

M.B.: What kinds of inspiration do you use during your story creation periods?

LISA: Is chocolate considered an inspiration? J For me, I love it when I find a story—whether in a book or a movie—that is deeply satisfying to me. I love analyzing a good story, seeing what works and why, and then thinking about what I can learn from it and how I can apply to my own work. I also find inspiration in the relationships I have with my family and friends.

M.B.: Who has made the greatest difference for you as a writer?

LISA: I would probably have to say my mom (LaRene Gaunt). She set the example for me with her own writing and her own books. She is always willing to give me honest feedback on my writing—she’ll tell me what is good and what needs work as well as suggestions on how to improve. She loves to talk shop with me about all things books. And when I was little, she loved to have me read aloud to her. We read lots and lots of books together that way—me following her around the house while she hung up wallpaper or made cookies. Whatever talent I have as a writer was first nurtured and encouraged by my mom and I am so grateful to her.

M.B.: Do you use a critique group during the writing process? Why or why not?

LISA: I do belong to a writing group and I love it! It’s a small group of people I’ve met at work and we are all committed to improving as writers. We meet every other Saturday for breakfast and books. We have rotating deadlines so every ten to twelve weeks my work is due for discussion. It’s also nice because then we can focus on one person’s work each time and not feel the extra pressure of having to turn in something every two weeks. But there is still enough pressure that the deadlines become helpful. One reason I wrote Hourglass Door on such a quick schedule was because I was working against my writer’s group deadlines.

M.B.: Anything about yourself that you would like readers to know about?

LISA: My favorite Girl Scout cookies are Samoas. I’ve seen Rush in concert eight times; they are easily the best band on the planet. I never miss an episode of Lost. I love watching previews at the movie theater (and ordering extra butter on my popcorn). I love jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku puzzles—but not crossword puzzles. I’m becoming more of a sports fan every year (Go Utes!) The best movie I saw last year was The Dark Knight and one of the best books I read last year was Watchmen by Alan Moore and David Gibbons.

M.B.: Any final words you would like to share.

LISA: I’ve shared this motto before, but it’s worth sharing again: “Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. Don’t quit.” I don’t know who said it—it was on a display I saw at Disneyland and attributed to one of Walt Disney’s Imagineers—but it’s one of my favorites. Even though he was talking about animation, I think it applies to anything creative. Don’t hurry your talent—develop it. Don’t worry if you make a mistake. Don’t quit—persistence is the key to great art.

M.B.: Where can our readers go to find your books and order them?

LISA: The Hourglass Door is available for pre-orders at DeseretBook.com, Amazon.com, and BN.com. The book will be in stores May 13, 2009. I’m thrilled to join the ranks of published authors and I hope people enjoy my book. I’d love to hear readers’ reactions and reviews; you can contact me (and read my blog “The Word Nerd”) at my web site LisaMangum.com.

I want to thank Lisa for spending time sharing a little about herself and her writing. She is one talented lady and I'm really looking forward to The Hourglass Door.

Keys to Success - making dreams come true!

I am fascinated by what makes people tick. People watching is one of my favorite things to do and I can't help but wonder as I watch them, what their story is, who they are, what their lives are like. I think that's the author in me. My father is a Psychology professor, maybe some of that rubbed off on me.
I'm particularly fascinated by people who are survivors, who have exhibited an amazing ability to exercise the human will and overcome incredible odds. I also enjoy hearing about people who have achieved great success and I am inspired by certain aspects of their character that allows them to achieve their dreams and goals.
I found a wonderful list on the internet I thought would be interesting to share. I believe inside every person is greatness. And usually, the only thing holding us back from making our dreams come true is . . . ourselves. Sometimes it's fear, sometimes it's doubt, sometimes it's laziness. No matter what, we all have the key to unlock that greatness. We just have to use it.

I hope you take these not-so-secret, secrets to heart and realize your dreams – whatever they may be.
1. How You Think is Everything.
Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. Beware of a negative environment.
This trait has to be one of the most important in the entire list. Your belief that you can accomplish your goals has to be unwavering. The moment you say to yourself “I can’t…”, then you won’t. I was always given the advice “never say I can’t” and I’d like to strike those words from the dictionary.
Positive things happen to positive people.
2. Decide upon Your True Dreams and Goals: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
You may have heard the old adage: A New Years resolution that isn’t written down is just a dream, and dreams are not goals.
Goals are those concrete, measurable stepping stones of achievement that track your progress towards your dreams.
3. Take Action. Goals are nothing without action.
Be like Nike and “Just do it”.
4. Never Stop Learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training & acquire skills.
Becoming a life long learner would benefit us all and is something we should instill in our kids. It’s funny that once you’re out of school you realize how enjoyable learning can be. What have you learned today?
5. Be Persistent and Work Hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
There is no getting around this and there is no free lunch. But, if you’re working towards something that you’re passionate about, something you love – then is it really work?
6. Learn to Analyze Details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
Spend time gathering details, but don’t catch ‘analysis paralysis’.
7. Focus Your Time And Money: Don’t let other people or things distract you.
Remain laser focused on your goals and surround yourself with positive people that believe in you. Don’t be distracted by the naysayer’s or tasks that are not helping you achieve your goals.
8. Don’t Be Afraid To Innovate: Be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
Follow through on that break-out idea you have. Ask yourself “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”
9. Deal And Communicate With People Effectively: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
Successful people develop and nurture a network and they only do that by treating people openly, fairly and many times firmly. There is nothing wrong about being firm – just don’t cross the line to being overbearing. How do you deal with people?
10. Be Honest And Dependable: Take responsibility, otherwise numbers 1 – 9 won’t matter.
(January 17th, 2008 by Victor Stachura)

I've said in a previous post, (I think), that achieving the dream of becoming an author, for me wasn't attributed to a great talent I possess, but rather, a strong desire to make that dream come true. I worked hard and I never gave up, and that is all there is to it. We create our own luck and we make our own dreams come true. There's no magic involved.