Monday, March 4, 2013

Overcoming Adversity




 
Today is the launch of Overcoming Adversity, an anthology for Andrew.
It is for a great cause and was edited by Andrew's step-dad, the wonderful Nick Wilford.
 

A collection of seventy moving and uplifting original pieces - real life, flash fiction, and poetry - about battling against the odds and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. The contributors include Amazon bestselling authors Alex J. Cavanaugh and Kyra Lennon, and the cream of upcoming talent.

The anthology is part of a fundraising effort to send the editor's stepson, Andrew McNaughton, to a specialist college in England. Andrew has cerebral palsy, and is a remarkable young man with a promising future. However, the free further education options offered in his own country of Scotland will not challenge him and allow him to progress. In order to access the education he deserves, Andrew will have to pay exorbitant fees, thus creating a situation of discrimination.

Help us get Andrew to college by buying a book that runs the full gamut of human emotions, ultimately leaving you inspired and glad to be alive. Whatever struggles you are going through, our sincere hope is that this book will help.

Editor Bio: Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those rare times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction. When not writing he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also co-running a campaign to get a dedicated specialist college built in England. You can find him on his blog here.

You can get your copy of Overcoming Adversity here on Amazon. Or here on Smashwords.

Friday, March 1, 2013

The Bloghop of Joy

A big thank you to Kyra Lennon and Clare Dugmore for hosting this awesome bloghop. I love this idea! Everyone is sharing the things that bring them joy. And who couldn't use a little extra joy? Especially in the middle of winter!

Things that bring me joy:

-The sound of my kids laughing.
-When my kids learned to read, and now watching them fall in love with a book.


-When a great song comes on the radio. (Like this Tom T. Hall song, all about what brings him joy. I thought it was fitting.) :)

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-Snow days.
-Warm, fuzzy socks.
-Finding a picture of Pinterest that inspires a new picture or scene. (This is a new one for me.) :)
-Watching people win. Whether it's seeing people start to cry and hug their horses after winning the roses at Nationals, or watching my speech kids' faces as they stand up for awards. Just last week a girl on my team got first place for the first time and she freaked out. They call up the top six, then start with sixth and work up to first. When they said fourth and it wasn't her she started to grin. Every place that wasn't her she got more and more excited until she realized she'd won. It was awesome.
-When my husband gets home from work and all the kids run up to hug him.
-Reading everyone's success's on their blogs. Every time one of you gets an agent or a publishing contract it lifts me up. It reminds me that success comes to those who work hard and dream big.

Tomorrow is our home speech meet, so today is crazy busy! But I am looking forward to sitting down with a cup of tea tonight after things calm down and reading about what brings joy to all of you. :) Have a great Friday everyone!