Please Welcome My Guest, Lacresha Hayes

Making a marriage works takes patience and practice. This journal has been designed to usher couples into new intimacy and love for each other. With three primary areas of closeness, couples will see how to fix common relationship problems. The question and answer area will help couples learn some lesser known facts about one another. The book fosters truth as a bond of understanding between both the husband and wife; and understanding as a bond of peace.

Lacresha N. Hayes is a business owner, author, and community advocate. She serves as Co-Founder and Co-Pastor of Compassionate Healing Ministries International. She's also on serves on the CommunityServ Executive Board as Chairperson. She's a student at Capella University online. She's married to Pastor Lensey Hayes and they have one son. Lacresha is a multi-published author writing under two pen names. She is author of the bestselling book, The Rape of Innocence: Taking Captivity Captive, and the new sensation, Truth and Intimacy: A Couple's Journal.
Truth and Intimacy Purchase Link: http://tinyurl.com/cxl65x

And Now, Here's Lacresha, with a a motivating message about leaving your own legacy:

When I entered the writing world, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't fully understand the process of writing for the reader. Previously, I'd written only for myself and a select few. I wrote to heal, or to express things I couldn't express to others. Sometimes, I wrote because I couldn't get a thought out of my head until I did. That, I believe, is the driving force behind all writers.

There are three things I've discovered in these past eight years about writers and the craft of writing:

The best work of any writer is what comes from his/her soul. When I read a book, article or blog post that came from the heart of the author, normally it touches my heart, even when I don't fully agree. The passion seems to drip from every word. This kind of material makes an author special. It doesn't come around everyday. You can't really force it, but when it happens, it's something spectacular for both author and reader.

If you write for money, you'll miss the biggest reward for writing. If you write for change or inspiration, the money is a reward that follows close behind. I've seen wonderful books pounded out swiftly, and sent out way before time. I've done that myself. But writing a book, or even an article, is like parenting. Whatever you're writing, give yourself time to nurture it. Don't send it out looking crazy. Your writing is a direct representation of you. I wish I'd learned this sooner, but I'm happy I learned it at all.

Lastly, don't ever stop writing. Even if you have to slow down, don't stop. If one group of people reject what you're offering, seek out others. Someone somewhere will appreciate the effort you've put into your work, even if it isn't in a commercially published book or super popular blog. As long as I'm getting a visitor a day, I choose to keep blogging. As long as I can sell a book or two from time to time, I'm going to get pounding them out in faith.

I hope you have been inspired to continue on in your writing career. Remember, it's not the easiest job in the world, but it is very rewarding if done for the right reasons. What you write today is history tomorrow. Leave a great legacy!


Pastor Lacresha N. Hayes, Publisher, Author, Grantwriter
Choose ye this day whom you will serve. It's as simple as a choice!
Business ~ www.livingwaterspc.com
Author~ www.lacreshahayes.com
Twitter~ http://twitter.com/lacreshahayes
Goodreads~ http://www.goodreads.com/lacreshahayes
PPP~ http://learntofeelpretty.blogspot.com

Blog Tip of the Day - Don't Hide

When you leave a comment here or on any post, after you type your name, please leave the blogspot address where you'd like to be visited. Often, after receiving a comment on my blog, I like to return the favor, sometimes on the same day, or whenever I get a chance. Also, others commenting here may like your comment and want to visit you.

If there's no blog address, it takes a bit longer to click on your name link or profile photo link to learn where to find you. Then, if you have more than one blogspot listed, it gets confusing. It would be a shame if you just posted a great blog on one of the spots, but it was maybe the third one listed, so it didn't get attention.

So, please don't hide, unless you're not receiving visitors.

Okay, gang, let's see who's paid attention. Please leave a comment here and put your blogpost address underneath it. Many happy returns.

What's Your Favorite Gadget?

I've mentioned it before. I love gadgets. My favorite is still my Iphone since it has so many uses. I make and take phone calls and photos. I surf the net, send and receive e-mails, listen to music, watch videos, get directions, play the ipod, read books, plus so much more.

What about you? What's your favorite gadget? Maybe it's a Kindle, a camera, a videorecorder, a Swiss army knife, a TV remote, a garage door opener, an electric can opener.

Please name it and tell us why you like it so much.

Dirty Words - Self-Publishing, E-Publishing, POD

Just wondered. What's wrong with self-publishing, e-publishing, or print on demand technology? At times, I get the impression some people believe books published by any of these methods don't meet the standards of those published in the traditional manner.

All things being equal, if a book is edited correctly, looks good, and reads good, what more could readers want?

What's your take on this subject? Please share.

Facebook Backs Down

The twits on Twitter.com reached record proportion the last few days as news spread about Facebook's new terms of service. Foul was cried and many Facebook members rushed to their sites and removed items to prevent them from belonging to Facebook in perpetuity. To protect members of my network, I promptly removed the Book Place video and photo feeds to Facebook. Then I removed my own personal photos.

Here's one link on the matter:
http://www.canada.com/Entertainment/Facebook+about+face+content+rights/1301996/story.html

For more information, if you're a Twitter user, sign in, go to the bottom of the page, click search, type #Facebooktos and you'll see all sorts of enlightening tidbits and links.

As of Wednesday, Facebook, realizing the repercussions of the fallout of unhappy campers, backed off from the new terms and switched back to the old ones, with a promise of studying the matter thoroughly before making or revising another set. With news of the reversal, I downloaded my profile pic again to my Facebook account, but don't plan to overdo it until I'm more comfortable with the situation.

The same thing that made Facebook so popular threatened to destroy it. For now, it appears the danger has passed. And how was the reversal achieved? By social networking. People spoke out.

One person may not make a difference, but collectively we pack a wallop.

What are your feelings about Facebook and its terms of service? Were you aware of what happened? Do you trust them? Or, maybe you don't have a Facebook account. Please share.

What Are They Saying?

As promised - Another Reenactor Fest Photo - This is my favorite.

Let's play a little game. What do you think these characters are thinking or saying?Have some fun with it.

When you're through, I invite you to stop on by at Acme Authors Link for a great motivational post from my guest, L. Diane Wolfe.

Embarrassing, Annoying, Nosy Questions

Today, I'll do a fun post. Here's the plan. I'll list a bunch of embarrassing, annoying and nosy questions. If you want, you can pick one to answer, or if you want, you can relate something embarrassing that happened to you, a friend or a book character.

Here goes:

Ladies - When was the last time you shaved your legs or underarms?

Guys - Do you ever shave or get shaved your nose hairs or ear hairs?

Anyone - What do you wear to bed at night?

Anyone - Do you ever pick your nose? Or have you seen someone else pick theirs?

Anyone - How often do you brush your teeth?

Anyone - Have you ever worn shoes from two different pairs and not realized it right away?

Anyone - Have you ever gotten toilet paper stuck to your shoe?

Ladies - Has your skirt ever ridden up in the back, or gotten stuck in the waistband in the back and you didn't realize it?

Guys- Have you ever left your fly open in public and someone had to tell you?

I'll start by answering a few -

Because it's winter and cold around here, I shaved my legs and underarms a few days ago, after not bothering for a while. During the summer, I do it every few days at least.

I usually wear a nightshirt to bed, sometimes with a fleece vest. If it's really, really, cold, I'll wear my flannel pajamas plus a fleece jacket over it. Our upstairs doesn't get as warm as the rest of the house, but the water bed makes up for it.

I did wear two different types of shoes to work one day and didn't discover it until on the train ride hope, so no one else noticed all day either.

Okay, your turn. Provide your own question and answer, or Take Your Pick - Pun intended.

What do you do with your days off - Crash or Dash?

Today, I'm off work from my day job because of President's Day, but I'm not sitting idle. Well, I'm sitting, but not idle. I'm getting my mystery, Killer Career, together to send out to my editor, Helen Ginger, plus I'm determined to make headway on my Boomer thriller, stuck at 63,000 words, when my goal is 75,000.

Not to mention, but I will anyway, I have some questions to answer at the Blog Book Tours listserv about my Ning network, Book Place, some other e-mails to answer, blogs to comment on, Twitter to control - I've gone from 664 followers to 764 in less than a week. Apparently, Twitter is the new "in" place to be.

Did I mention, it's my day to blog over at http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com ? You're more than welcome to stop there for fun stuff about turning the ordinary to scary.

Getting back to my day. Other mundane matters must be dealt with, such as the laundry, the pots and pans in the sink, the newspapers scattered around, the coats and jackets left on the rocking chair, all of which were neglected since I knew I had Monday off. Oh, and Rascal says I better take her on a long walk, because Tuesday will turn ugly weatherwise.

No problem. Everything is under control. I've got some sticky notes to remind me of what to do. I'm actually looking forward to getting things done.

What about you? How do you spend an extra day off? Do you like to keep busy or simply relax? Or, maybe sometimes you like to crash, but other times you like to dash? Please share.

Do You Celebrate Holidays on the Exact Day?

Group shot: Morgan Mandel, Debra St. John, June Sproat, Margot Justes, Sherryl Bodine, Carrie Loftus.






Valentine's Day was a busy one. After my husband and I exchanged Valentine's Day cards early Saturday morning, I was off to Step Class at the Park District, then a book signing at the Des Plaines Library, along with fellow Chicago-North RWA Chapter members.

Then came a long walk with Rascal, ending up at where else but her favorite hangout, Bentley's Corner Barkery, where we caught the tail end of their doggie Valentine's Day Party. Here's Rascal in the Kissing Booth

Instead of going out to dinner for Valentine's Day, we decided to eat in, in favor of going out to an early dinner on Sunday instead. It's always so crowded at restaurants on Holidays anyway. I don't mind celebrating on another day. When you've been married a while, any day is as good as another.

What about you? Does it bother you if you don't celebrate a Holiday on the day itself? What do you do? Please share.

Give Me a Break

When I opened up the back door Friday night to let the dog out, there it was again, that dreaded white stuff I've come to hate. All I could say was, "Give me a break."

Actually, I did get a brief respite of a few days from that dreaded slippery, wet stuff. During the intermission, I thoroughly enjoyed walking the dog, walking to work and other activities I'd missed, which I couldn't do when the snow made it too difficult to travel on foot. Spring seemed so close I could almost think it had arrived.

That was before the cold, soft, flakes hit me in the face when I opened the back door. Once again, I'm dealing with what looks oh, so pretty, but doesn't act so very nice.

This dismal turn of events reminds me of a novel. The hero and/or heroine suffers through all sorts of calamities. Then, when everything appears to be okay, calamity hits with a vengeance. Wham, once again, the world is not so pretty. The only hope is that somehow everything will turn out all right at the end.

So, as an author, I put my characters through the roughest winters I can think of, I give them a short break, pile on more snow, then at the end I reward them with the wonders of Spring sunshine.

What about you? Do you like to torture your characters? Can you think of any novels where you thought all was lost, yet somehow everything turned out all right? Or, maybe, can you think of novels where you were disappointed because the author treated the characters too nicely? Please share.

Undivided Attention

Undivided attention is a rarity, almost an impossibility. Right now, I'm trying to keep my mind on finishing my blog, while the DH has TV blaring in the background and the Rascal dog is gnawing noisily on her rawhide bone.

It takes some effort, but I can do this. What I find more difficult is to work on my novel under the same circumstances. When I create, I need to give my novel my undivided attention, which means a non-noisy atmosphere, maybe soft music, but not much else. On the train, if I get distracted by loud talkers when I'm creating, it also wrenches me out of the zone.

What about you? Can you create in any atmosphere? Under what circumstances do you seriously work on a manuscript? Please share.

PS Now that I have your undivided attention, if you wish to proceed, please see Little Things Mean a Lot at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com

Hybrid Cars and Books - What are your Faves?

To same money on gas, lots of people are buying all sorts of hybrid cars, such as the Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight, and others. If I didn't already have a car which I bought six years ago, with only over 1,000 miles on it, and if I drove more, I'd consider getting one myself. I must admit the Prius is mighty cute and tempting. I can't go into operational details since I'm far from being a mechanic, but I do know the hybrid works off of a combination of gas and electricity. Maybe someone reading this can comment with a better description.

Anyway, in case you didn't notice it, more and more hybrid books are emerging. At times this presents a problem for classifying them, since the publisher and bookseller have to figure out which section of the brick-and-mortar or online bookstores to put the books in. It takes effort, but it's worth finding homes for these treasures. Many hybrid novels are wonderfully unique reads.

Let's face it. Nothing about life is only black and white. There are all sorts of nuances. Why shouldn't that also be true about books? I enjoy reading mysteries with romances tucked into them, or romances with paranormal elements, and other combinations.

What about you? Which do you like best? Specific genre novels or hybrids? Or, maybe you like both. Please share.

Sword Play and Sparring at the Love Is Murder Conference and in Books

One of the highlights of Love is Murder was a sword play demonstration.

Not only when writing historical books, but also in almost any kind of novel, either actual sword play or verbal sparring is involved, sometimes both.

Can you think of a memorable sword play scene in one of your books or another's? What about verbal sparring? Please share.

Hamming it Up - Do You?

Laurie DeMarino, on the left, and Deb Gross, on the right - Two Chicago-North RWA Chapter members who were attending the Love is Murder Mystery Conference last weekend took time out to ham it up with two obliging reenactors from the Reenactors Fest.

What about you? Have you ever done a spur of the moment, kind of silly, but fun thing? Or, do you have a book character who's a funny, quirky sort? Please share.

What Comes Easy or Hard for You As a Writer?

Morgan Mandel, Jennie Spallone, Rosemary Harris - 3 of the Love is Murder Power Marketing Panelists

- More Love Is Murder photos to share in future posts - Also, back by popular demand will be more Reenactor Fest photos. I heard the time period covered was from the Roman Empire to World War II. Nothing like seeing adults dressed up in very expensive looking, authentic costumes. I'm saving those photos to tantalize you to return here. They'll be worth the wait. Some are a real hoot!


About Love is Murder. I came back with lots of learning and bonding to absorb. I enjoyed seeing my yearly friends and making new ones. On a disappointing note, I'll have to wait until 2011 for the next Love is Murder Conference.

For 2 1/2 days I lived in a land where writers dwelled. There's nothing like being among my own kind and having people understand what I'm talking about without looking bored. I would have loved to have finished my work-in-progress in time for the conference, but that was not to be. I vow to do so before Spring, so I can spend the Summer relaxing without feeling guilty about leaving my poor characters dangling in dire situations.

Jeffery Deaver's guest speech after dinner Saturday was witty and encouraging. He revealed that even a successful author has stumbling blocks. His was letting distractions keep him from tying up the pieces in his novel. I also have a talent for allowing distractions to overcome me.

Right now I have a character boxed in a corner and I need to plant a clue earlier in the book to get her out of it. That's only one of the problems I face.

I have a compulsion to write, but sometimes I don't know why. On a good day I'm in heaven. On a bad day, I'm in hell. Then again, I wonder if there are any writers who can say writing always flows easily and they have no trouble with any aspect of the craft or the marketing which accompanies it.

Maybe you'd like to share what's easy or what's hard for you about being a writer. I could probably write a book on that concept itself. I'll start out by saying that in addition to falling prey to distractions, I have a hard time with descriptions. It's much easier for me to write dialogue. What about you?

Love is Murder Day 2 - Photos

My two new buddies



Steve Berry, Morgan Mandel and Jeffery Deaver - photo is a little fuzzy. Photographer had never used an iPhone camera before.


What a Stitch!
Reenactor Fest is also at the same hotel this weekend. The members are all over the place roaming the hallways. I've got some dandy photos of them and will be posting them later, along with more photos of Love is Murder.

Love is Murder 2009 - Day 1

Working the Registration at Love is Murder. I was in charge of name tags. Margot Justes and I also manned the candy holder. You might say we were quite popular.
I had a great time at Day 1 of Love is Murder 2009. The Power Marketing Panel I moderated went so well we couldn't finish all the questions I had lined up. Great participation by panel mambers Rosemary Harris, Joanna Campbell Slan and Jennie Spallone.

Gorgeous hotel. The panel rooms were stuffy, so tonight I had to re-think my choice of outfits for Saturday and accessorize all over again. Finally figured it out after at least half an hour of rummaging. More photos to come tomorrow.

Love is Murder Memories 2008 -- What are your conference memories?

Love is Murder Memories from Feb 1-3, 2008.

What conferences have you been to? What did you like or dislike about them? Please share.

Can Openers - What Kind Do You Use?

Why do you use a can opener?
To open a can.

What kind do you use, electric or manual?
Either will work. It depends on circumstances. If the electricity is on, it's easier to go electric. Otherwise, the manual will do just as well to get the job done.

There are many ways to get a book published. Which method works best for you depends on your circumstances.

If you can get to a conference and pitch or if you can win a contest with the prize being an editor, agent or publisher reading your manuscript, the process will go smoother.

If those options are not available, you can still rely on the tried and true methods of following guidelines and submitting a query, proposal or partial, depending on requirements. If you're talented and fortunate, you'll advance to the next round, which is submitting a full manuscript.

I'm going the electric route this weekend at the Love is Murder conference, where I'll pitch to editors, agents and publishers.

What about you? Which do you do? Go to conferences and pitch? Enter Contests? Make snail mail submissions? Or all of these?

Preditors and Editors Poll Results

The Preditors and Editors Poll results are in!

I'm excited to say my romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams by Morgan Mandel, came in #4 in the romance category. To celebrate, I added the Top Ten Finisher graphic to my sidebar.

I couldn't have done this without the support of all my wonderful friends and readers. Thanks to everyone who voted for me.

Maybe you have a favorite you voted for and would like to see where it landed. Here's the link for the romance category:

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/votenovelrom08.htm

For other results, here's another link. You'll need to scroll way to the bottom of the page there and look for the 2008 results in the different categories.
http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/perpoll.htm