Mary C. Ryan Words for Young Readers

EBOOKS

A mix of reality and science fiction, The Secret in The West Woods pits two unlikely heroes against a force which is out to capture fame and fortune at the expense of a defenseless creature. Get this for your Kindle, iPod, or iPad from Amazon.com for only $1.99.

This chapter book is sure to bit a hit with young readers, especially boys involved with hockey, as they find out whether Jeremy is successful in getting the new skates he knows will make him the star of the team. From Amazon.com for only $.99.

Seventh grader Ray Brennan has a lot on his plate. A major trumpet solo in the school jazz band’s spring concert is in serious jeopardy, things aren’t going well at home, and to top it off, there’s the question of who’s been watching him. Add a mysterious girl who nobody seems to know and a best friend who’s no help at all, and Ray wonders if things can get any worse. As it turns out, they can. Ray eventually learns that help can come from very unexpected sources, but that it’s not always easy accepting it. Available as a $3.99 download on your computer and for Kindle, iBook, Nook, Sony Reader and other readers.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/132164

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MY FRIEND, O'CONNELL

Even though it isn't summer (far from it here in Ohio!), bring back some memories of July and the celebrations that highlight the birthday of the United States of America. Bradley and O'Connell are front and center. And in light of it being close to Valentine's Day, you can read (or reread) #7 in the O'Connell series, A Good Knight's Work.

DEFEATING PHIL

    One of the great inconsistencies of the writing life is that, faced with a blank page, we can come up with all kinds of excuses why we have writer's block, can't think of any ideas, need to run a load through the washing machine RIGHT NOW!, etc., etc., etc.
    It's been a doozy of a winter. Actually, doozy doesn't even begin to cover it. Schools have been closed almost as much as they've been open, a gazillion airline flights have been cancelled and I am really sick and tired of being stuck in the house. But wait! Doesn't 'stuck in the house' mean you have lots and lots of time to write?
    Uh.. .yeah. But there are other factors at play this year, namely adjusting to retirement life. I can't seem to get into any kind of a schedule, and the snow and cold isn't helping.
    I had good intentions. I signed up for a web challenge called Start the New Year Write--a series of prompts for every day in January, starting with the 5th. How did I do? About half of them.
    I signed up for 12 x 12, an online group for writers of picture books. Have I done anything yet beyond thinking about it? Not so you'd notice. Sigh.
    One day, in utter frustration, I grabbed some paper and my iPad and drove over to a very roomy and comfy Starbucks store nearby. All the couches and chairs were taken, but there was a high bar with stools and I plopped myself there. I ordered myself a Gigante cuppa tea and then proceeded to bury myself in some writing. The sounds of the baristas and customers faded away and before I knew it, an hour had gone by. Now why, I ask myself, can't I do that at home? Answer? The number of possible distractions is higher there.
    Punxatawny Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter. Drat! Well, as soon as I can get out of the driveway, I know where I'm going!

       MIDSUMMER MINDFULNESS

   I love it when the temperature is such that I can open the bedroom windows at night and be one with nature. In high summer, it's fun to watch the fireflies as they dart about and listen to hoots and croaks from the nearby woods. In such a peaceful atmosphere, the mind is free to wander as it will, resting or creating. I come up with some of my best ideas in such a peaceful time. My novel, Me Two, came out of a moment between sleep and wakefulness. I'd had an idea for a plot, only to find that someone had beat me to it and published a book using much the same scenario. What to do? I loved my characters and the voices that had already become familiar to me. All they lacked was something to do.

A few weeks or maybe even months before, at a meeting of our small writer's group, my friend Margery Facklam was telling about her most recent book, Spare Parts for People. A nonfiction writer of the highest caliber, Marge had detailed some of the most recent advances in technology that made it possible for people to live better and more complete lives. One of the chapters looked to the future and the possibility of cloning. Somehow, as I drifted in and out of consciousness, the two blended together and the idea for Me Two was born.

Sometimes we try too hard to think up ideas. We forget that sometimes ideas just come to us without us even asking. It's up to us to accept the gift, say "Thank you," and go to work.

These July days are made for daydreaming. I wish I had my hammock back, not to mention some time to lie in it and just leave my mind open to whatever is floating out there in space. But maybe tonight, if I keep real still and block out the demands of the day before and the day after, the tendrils of my mind will reach out and grab something precious.

SOLSTICE!

Summer has finally arrived. The gardens are doing well, except that I can't seem to grow anything edible without attracting the attention of a whole host of critters who seem eager to dine. I think I may have found the solution, though--a table top garden. I put a bunch of dirt and some seeds in a large plastic container, put it up on an old wooden platform and everything is sprouting away. Netting keeps the deer out of there and my friends Chuck and Chip can only dream.

Family outings on the calendar include the Ryan clan this weekend and the other side next month. It will be good to see everyone again. Amazing how fast the kids grow up while we never get any older.

I have been working on my book and I like what I've done so far. Still no idea of what it's about, which is strange. If I keep plugging away, though, it's sure to materialize. That's the secret of this writing business. Saw an ad recently where someone wanted to hire a freelancer to write his/her novel based on a general idea. Wanted it done in six weeks and was willing to pay $500 - $1000. I'm not sure there will be any takers, but if so, it's bound to end badly. Ideas are a dime a dozen. It's the execution that matters.

HIGH HOPES

I'm finally getting out of the winter doldrums. Everything is blooming in shades of pink and green and white. Mother Nature has a wonderful way of refreshing one's soul. So I thought I'd do a little refreshing of my own and took out some of my writings with an eye toward submitting them. I managed about six queries and submissions and already have two rejections. They weren't bad rejections, however, so I take heart that the next time will be the charm. That's a big part of the writer's life--hope!
I'm also working on a new novel--no title, no solid plot as yet, but every day seems to bring more revelation. Did you know that thinking is considered Work for a writer? Yes, even when you're doing other things like washing the family car, walking the dog or even on hold on your cell phone. I once heard someone tell about being at dinner with the famous Andrew Lloyd Webber when suddenly he just seemed as if he was a million miles away. I know that feeling. An idea just goes floating by and you better grab it, no matter what's going on.

     Still Ready for Spring

    I don't know what the holdup is, but we're still freezing here! I'll be back when the weatherman decides to be cooperative and fix it so my fingers don't freeze on the keyboard! Meanwhile, take a look at the new O'Connell story and at least you'll feel in tune with the season.

             Ready for Spring
    This is the time of year I start watching for sprouts in the garden and in the woods behind the house. The crocus are often the first to appear, or maybe the skunk cabbage down by the creek. Already, the newspapers are heralding the yearly pancake breakfasts, which means that the sap is a'risin'.
    Winter hasn't been too horrific--yet. I guess there's still time. We did escape south for ten days to go on a cruise with some old friends. We did a little snorkeling, kayaking, and learning about Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras. It was pretty interesting. The next day, we had the neat experience of going down 110 ft. onto a coral reef off the Yucatan in a small submersible. I loved looking out the window at all the colorful fish and coral and even waved at a group of SCUBA divers, as if we were in a bus driving by a streetcorner!
    Is it spring where you are yet? What signs do you see? Are you starting any seeds in preparation for a garden? Last year, I tried growing spaghetti squash. I think I would have done better if it weren't for our resident groundhog, who decided that little green plants were the yummiest thing ever. I managed to foil him with some netting, but the slow start meant that there wasn't much action on the vines. This year, I will prevail.
    I also joined a new writer's group and am working on an intermediate book. What it's about and where it's going are things to be determined later. This is probably the least I've known about a work in progress ever. But I have confidence that the magic of writing will occur. I just have to keep plugging away.
    If you're a writer, what are you working on?

2012: IN REVIEW

     As it goes, 2012 was a pretty good year. At the moment, I'm still on the right side of the grass, I recently passed all my medical checkups, and I managed to get some books out there. I started the year with a resolution to take some time for myself and I did a good job with that. I had to say no a lot, but I survived and so did everyone I said it to, I guess. I did some traveling--Florida, Wisconsin, Washington State, New York and Virginia. The absolute best part was the wedding of our granddaughter. We had all 28 of our family in church for the beautiful ceremony. Second best was losing nearly 20 lbs. My knees don't hurt so much, my back either. It cost me a few bucks to replace some of the stuff hanging in my closet, but it was overdue anyway. One of my resolutions for 2013 is to keep it off!
     Top on my list, though, is to do a better job of marketing my books. If you've been published recently, you know that it's not your father's book promotion any more. Twitter, Facebook, web sites, blogs and the like have necessitated new ways of presenting you and your books to the public.    The good news for readers is that books are getting cheaper and cheaper--at least if you go the digital route. I currently do a lot of reading on my MP3 player, downloading audio books from the library. But there's still nothing like holding a bunch of real pages in your hand and let's hope that never goes away. I don't think it will.
     Have a wonderful 2013--and remember to make someone happy. BUY A BOOK! If not mine, then someone else's. You'll be all the better for it.

Visit my blogs at www.entropyplaza.blogspot.com or www.thegrannyapple.com