Archive for the ‘Dear Blog’ Category

Breaking Dawn Part II vs The Hobbit

Posted: January 6, 2013 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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Well some of you are aware of the crazy obsession I have over the Twilight Series and for months I talked about the release date of Breaking Dawn Part 2, which drove my husband nuts as the day approached.

When that day in November came I was thirty minutes early to the theater to make sure I had a seat before all of the teens claimed them. My husband went with me and didn’t complain.

Of course I loved the fourth installment and was probably the only one cheering for my favorite character, Charlie. Yes, I’m #Team Charlie and was happy to see him have a love interest.

As I wait patiently for the movie to be released on DVD, my husband who didn’t make a peep about going to the show, returned the favor of driving me bonkers about wanting to go see The Hobbit.

We double dated with friends and arrived just as the movie started. Ten minutes into the show, my eyes began to close without my permission. Yes, I fell asleep during the movie, but I wasn’t the only one.

I managed to wake up just in time to see the part with the eagles. When I looked over at my friend, I noticed she was sleeping as well.

It had nothing to do with me not liking the movie; I just had a hard time following it. The Lord of the Rings was much more interesting and according to my husband, The Hobbit is a must for people who want to know what happened before it all began.

To sum things up, I felt really bad about not being awake and will make every effort to purchase it before he does, hoping to surprise him.

A Writer’s Cave

Posted: July 22, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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One of my favorite writing retreats can only be reached by boat!

This spot is surrounded by a lake and the thunderstorms there are awesome.

Here are some pics.

Go Away, you Twitter Stalker

Posted: July 15, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog, Roll Call
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You can bet I love my social media, but it saddens me to see adults acting like children.

Simon Says to Follow

After the latest incident with a would-be follower, I felt it was time to vent my frustrations.

I do not believe in auto follow. What I do believe in is following someone that has the same interests as me. I’m also a big believer in supporting fellow writers and bonding with my readers. However, if you follow me, un-follow me, and then follow me again accompanied by a DM asking me to follow you back, it gets to be annoying.

Not to mention it is rude, especially if someone swears at you for not following them back the first time around. Yes, that has happened to me twice and I have had to hit the block button.

Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful when I get new followers and try to show my appreciation when my schedule allows it.

Here are three things that I do to help me make my decision:

1. Read over the profile.

2. Scroll through the tweets.

3. Visit the website or blog.

No matter what my decision may be, I make an attempt to thank them individually or tweet a general thank you with a mention.

My point here is that it is still common courtesy to be respectful in the cyber world just as if you were meeting someone in person.

Please be nice and have fun social networking.

Have you been in a similar situation? What are some suggestions for handling an issue like this?

Our Mother’s Day With Chef Sami Fgaier

Posted: May 14, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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Sami Fgaier.jpg 2

Mom had no idea that she was getting a personal chef for Mother’s Day and it was a great experience.

I hired Sami Fgaier of Le Personal Chef to cook an early Mother’s Day breakfast on May 12th. He’s been featured in Madison Magazine and the Journal Sentinel.

I wanted to do something different for Mom, who had flown in from out of state to be with me for the weekend.

We vacationed in the Wisconsin Dells, and Mr. Fgaier traveled there with his assistant to help me make mom’s day a special one.

He treated us like royalty and left us speechless at his dedication and passion. His presentation of the menu was wonderful and his food, delicious.

Mom, who is very picky about how her food tastes, loved it. Especially, the oysters. Did I mention she likes to eat them raw? Yuck.

For this special occasion, Sami made Oysters Rockefeller and she was in heaven.

Mother’s Day Breakfast Menu

Coffee
Vitamin D milk
Half a dozen oysters Rockefeller
Crispy bacon
Fruit Salad
Whole pink grapefruit
Spinach & Camembert cheese quiche squares
French baguette with honey, butter and jelly (grape & fig)

Oysters Rockefeller

As for me, I have heard the oysters stories. Yeah, well, let us just say that this was my first time and I delayed as long as possible. Then, it happened. Mom said, “Have you tasted one of the oysters?” At that point, I needed “a moment.” Unfortunately, my candy bar was still at the grocery store.

Anyway, I had to woman up and eat the oyster, right? There was no way I was going to disappoint my mom. After delaying with questions such as, “how do I eat this?” and “will it mess with my palate?” I caved in. It was magnificent.

BTW, Mom wanted me to mention how nice it was of him that he made sure we were settled before he left.

Spinach & Camembert cheese quiche squares

Mr. Fgaier was professional and courteous. I will be using his services again and spreading the word about his company.

Thank you, for helping me create a Mother’s Day that we’ll never forget.

My Experience as a Radio Co-host

Posted: April 8, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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I can tell you that when I made the decision to write crime fiction, I never imagined that radio would be in my future.

Well, my first time as a radio co-host went well. I had the pleasure of sitting with Breezy Gipson, Nikki LaShae, and James Green.

Our guest on the show was Ilia Nikco with INIKCOKREATIVE. By the way, I just love her website. Anyway, as I listened to her story about what it took to get where she is today, I was deeply touched and found Ilia to be inspirational.

After we finished the broadcast, I congratulated myself for making it to the finish line. I was not a bundle of nerves like I thought I would be. When it was my turn to ask a question, I was full of energy and eager for a response.

With all that said, I am looking forward to my upcoming co-hosting gigs.

If you think about it, this goes to show that you never know what opportunities will come your way.

Have you had an unexpected opportunity come your way?

Precious Times

Posted: April 1, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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Photo by Jazmen Kuhnke

Photo by Jazmen Kuhnke

My following statement is very cliché and I know that we are supposed to avoid all things that are such. However, just for the heck of it, I am going to be rebellious and write it anyway.

I am watching the rain on the window and hearing the thunder in the sky. I love this type of weather. For me, it is the best “writing weather” a girl can ask for.

I am going to start by telling you that over the last three weeks I have come to appreciate life more. A while ago, I thought I had it mastered by being thankful, respectful, and working at not complaining about the up’s and down’s that life throws my way. Without realizing it, I have still been taking daily life for granted.

Do not get me wrong, I try to remember to thank the Lord every day for letting me wake up every morning. I do say “I love you” to my family members every time I get the chance. There are, however, some points in my daily life where I cram so much in at once that there is not enough time to call or visit.

After this past week, I learned quickly that taking the extra five minutes to call or go visit is worth every second it takes.

I lost a good friend of mine suddenly at the age of 22. We had many things in common, but we did not talk very often. When I did see her, the bubbly personality she possessed was breath taking.

We would sit and exchange notes about what scary movies we had seen to random history facts.

Now she is resting in a better place. For all of us down here, try to find the time to visit or call loved ones. With technology the way it is nowadays, it should only take a few moments.

Dear Blog – Goodbye Thomas

Posted: March 11, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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Photo by Jazmen Kuhnke

Photo by Jazmen Kuhnke

Today we lost a family pet. The bird I bought my husband for Christmas in 2011 died. We are not sure what happened, but parakeets are known to have a long life span.

I noticed earlier today that he was sitting down at the bottom of the cage. I mentioned this to my husband later on. When my husband went to check on him, Thomas died in his hands. It was a sad moment for my husband; it was also a sad time for me.

I had become accustomed to hearing his singing throughout the house, especially when I would write. His chirps and whistles were music to my ears. It was sweet enough to put a smile on my face, even when I was having a bad day. I treasured that bonding time with Thomas, and it reminds me how short life is.

Another thing I remember of him was he always seemed to know when it was naptime. I think he felt: now would be the best time for me to exercise my vocals and tweet a lot louder since the others are trying to sleep.

So it is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my blue-feathered friend. You were with us for only a few months. I understand that there will be no more mornings of saying, “Hello, pretty bird,” or pretending that I can whistle your tune and keep up.

You will be missed.

Dear Blog: Life is Too Short

Posted: February 27, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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Life is Too Short

I wonder how many people realize just how short life really is. People fight over petty things or do things out of spite just to hurt others.

After I finished the first paragraph, I stepped out to go get my nails done. While I was there I had an awesome conversation with my nail technician. I also got to meet his fiancée. They told me about their long six-year journey to be together and how much they were in love.

As I was starting to leave a woman came in and began talking about her job. She said her job was so stressful because every day she had to sit and listen to people argue about how much they hate one another.

Eventually the fighting needs to end. If you truly have the heart to make things right, then discipline yourself to do so. Trying to hurt someone in return because you are seeking revenge will eventually come back on you.

Catching Up

Posted: February 26, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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Due to a recent family emergency, I am currently behind on posts. Please bear with me as I catch up.
Thank you for your continued support.

Keeping the Heart in Valentine’s Day

Posted: February 14, 2012 by msashtonwriter in Dear Blog
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It is said that in 1381, Valentine’s Day was officially linked to romance with the help of an English poet by the name of Geoffrey Chaucer. Back then a simple gift and a hand-made card would have sufficed.

Now fast forward to present Valentine’s Day—a heavily commercialized holiday. For dating sites, restaurants, and flower shops, this day is a very busy time for them.

For the rest of us, it is a great way to introduce the concepts of sharing love and the acknowledgement of those feelings that someone is very special to you. It is a reminder that we need to take time from our busy world to show love to one another. Too many people only express love on certain days like today. Valentine’s Day needs to be a door opener, not an obligation.

What does Valentine’s Day mean to you?

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