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CreateSpace and Me: New Developments

This is where I get to suck it up and eat crow.  This is my new paperback proof!  It is finally here!

All hope is not lost after all.  CreateSpace, after my Customer Service call to them, fast-forwarded their process to get my proof to me ASAP.  While they had a slight oversight and failed to note that I had requested four extra proofs be sent, they are sending those overnight delivery today.  They should be here by October 1^st.

What’s that you say?  You thought I had an October 1^st deadline with the contest?  You are right.  And Charles Yallowitz, I owe you one…you were right too.  There WAS a way to work it out.

I called the prize contest coordinators in NYC, and they tell me to go ahead and send overnight to them, as they have items trickling in all week d/t mail and such, so they are not excruciatingly strict.

I do not expect to win the contest, but at least it is a way to get the book read, perhaps by some who could be influential in promotions.  An honorable mention would be delightful, but it isn’t an expected outcome.  Being able to follow through on my reader’s groups’ expectations of me, and get this book entered at all is the accomplishment.  I am very happy today.

Timelines Giving You Fits?

If you write, or are even thinking about writing, you NEED this!  It is brilliant and it’s FREE!

If you struggle with timelines and need to know birthdays and ages, and ages at specific events in time, this is the program for you!

My new friend Vicki Thompson, from across the pond…yes the one who got me connected with the Scrivener courses at the perfect moment in time, has just done it again.

It comes to us via Wendy Clarke, and her exceptionally clever “new” husband (a keeper for sure).

It is called Wendy’s Story Timeline and it is available here, where you can also see the simple instructions.  No more scribbling out timelines that span five pages.  You can also see events in one character’s life relative to events in another’s at a glance.  No more marrying off your character at the age of eight!  The new version also has a DOB calculator.  How nifty!

It comes loaded with Kings and Queens, and some other historic events, but you can put anything in here, save it, and make more.  Feel free to pass this on, no fees, all she asks for is a comment and a post.  How truly generous!

I have already downloaded, played with this, and it is really simple.  Seriously, can’t wait to use it.

Farm Life in Fall

Autumn for The Community Storyboard prompt

Florida doesn’t have much of an autumn and I do miss the autumn days of my childhood.  The first thing that comes to mind is change in the leaves and harvest time.  The second is camping and Halloween. The final is the preparation for Thanksgiving.  These were family times, when my sisters and cousins were most active on the farm as we joined together for autumn events.

In Georgia, September in the foothills of the Appalachians meant the landscape changed from lush green to a palette of reds, oranges and yellows.  We would go on top of Pine Mountain and look down below onto the colorful valley.  You could see for miles and it made the world seem so big.  On the farm, summer days fading into autumn brought harvest time and that was always a most busy time.

The fresh garden vegetables had already been frozen and canned.  The sweet potatoes had to be dug, the dried corn had to be shelled for the livestock, and the fields and garden spots had to be plowed under.  The apples were the first tree crop to be welcomed.  Grandmother would pare the apples that we gathered from the orchard.  Bushel baskets of them would be peeled and sliced to lay out onto aluminum panels to dry in the sunshine.  Grandmother bagged the dried slices into old flour sacks and pillowcases to hang in the pantry for fried apples pies.  Later, the dried apple slices would be soaked in syrup of water and sugar, laid out on circles of pastry dough, folded over, and then deep fried to a golden crispy crunch filled with juicy sweet goodness. The whole house smelled of cinnamon and apples when these were prepared.

We would pack the fried pies in our knapsacks to take camping.  Sometimes we camped in our own back yard which covered acres and acres, and sometimes we would go into the mountains or out by the Chattahoochee River to camp.  The older cousins would pitch the tent and prepare the site, while us younger ones gathered firewood.  The nights would bring songs around the campfire with my cousin playing the guitar, and then ghost stories to make us shudder and cling to each other in fright.  The stories got creepier the closer we got to Halloween.  Come October 31^st, we were ripe for the horrors of Halloween and spent hours planning our costumes and making them ourselves. Nothing much was store-bought except the makeup we creatively applied.  Door to door trick-or-treating was done between neighbors and family without any thoughts to stranger abduction or individually wrapped candy or treats.  Some would give homemade popcorn balls or candy apples, and others would give store-bought candy bars.  We gladly accepted either without question.

Once  Halloween was over, we would start preparing for Thanksgiving.  The hired help from summer was mostly gone for the season.  After pulling weeds from nursery plants for a quarter a row on hot summer days, we were glad to see the cooler nights and the frost covered mornings.  The cold mornings meant that the pecans would fall soon.  Once this occurred, if we had a bumper crop, we would get paid a quarter a bag to pick up pecans.  We truly learned the value of a dollar.  Cousins, aunts, and uncles were all involved in this process as the pecans were gathered up from the orchards for sell by the truckloads to the local pecan warehouses.  They would then be sent to Westin, GA, where they were made into pecan brittles, divinities, fudge, fruitcakes, and other candies & cakes that would be sold at Christmas time.  Again, the pecan pies would be made that were always served with fresh whipped cream at the Thanksgiving feast.

Thanksgiving was a huge event where family gathered from all over to give thanks for such a bountiful harvest and the blessings that had been bestowed throughout the year. The season of autumn was a long and busy season, but brought family together to work and to play.  We all seem so distant now with everyone living miles and miles apart, and families dividing, growing too large to keep up with.  Reunions are a difficult thing nowadays.  I miss the autumn of my childhood, but was glad to have raised my own family on a farm in GA, so my children had some taste of what my own childhood was like and the happiness found in it.

CreateSpace and Me: Bummed

I am suffering the complete loss or absence of hope.  I have already made a post about my anguish with CreateSpace.  This is another rant but it will be brief.

There was a rather prestigious contest that a reader’s group paid an entry fee for to nominate my book, “Red Clay and Roses”.  My only responsibility was to get four proof copies of the paperback to the contest judges by October 1^st, and that won’t be possible.  Today, CreateSpace informed me that my proof copy will be shipped in five days.  Count the days.  Not going to be a possibility to get the proofs and get them FedEx’d to the judges by October 1^st.   Needless to say, I am more than sorely disappointed.  I have failed.

I first started with CreateSpace on June 6th.  This process has taken entirely too long.  I wouldn’t be so upset if it had not taken three weeks for CreateSpace to get around to giving my book ANY attention.  I know my revisions were part of the problem, but again, if they did not make their process so very time consuming…well, enough.  I am happy that there is a service that provides POD to self-published authors.  Who’s to say my book would have won the contest anyway?  I am just nettled that my horse broke his leg coming out of the starting gate.

These Books Have Been Banned, Really???

I never even thought about banned books or political correctness when I wrote my book. I wanted to clearly stay in the era which was Deep South 1950s-60s. Without this element the book loses its meaningfulness. This one hits close to my heart. A must read if you are interested in avoiding censorship, or are opposed to censorship.

Nurse’s Notes by S.K. Nicholls

Recently paid another visit to WDBWP. It was nice, and they posted a poem for me. It is a really cool site for poetry submissions, short story submissions, prompts and other really cool stuff. Lots of creativity there.

Weekly Prompt – Autumn

Today, September 22nd, being the Autumnal Equinox, we have the new weekly prompt on the Community Storyboard.

Callaway Gardens: A Virtual Tour

I have a small image of the setting of “Red Clay and Roses” on my blog site in a slideshow  that shows a few images of Callaway Gardens, a place mentioned a couple of times in the novel.  Although the novel only offers a slim glimpse of Callaway Gardens through a couple of references, I thought I would give you a virtual tour. As a side note to the book, Callaway Gardens was a “whites only” resort until the 1970’s due to segregation policies. It is now enjoyed by all.  Pine Mountain has its own airport, even though it is a small town of only 700 residents in the town proper. There are many antique malls and quaint shops in Pine Mountain. I have many of my own photos but most of these are from TripAdvisor show much more than mine.  If you are looking for a nice vacation spot for spring or fall, Callaway Gardens is the place to go.  It is located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, about 100 miles Southwest of Atlanta, and 40 miles North of Ft. Benning, near Columbus, Georgia.  I raised my family on a farm near Pine Mountain, and there was always something to do there.

CALLAWAY GARDENS HISTORY

Open since 1952, Callaway Gardens is nestled in the southernmost foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Founders Cason and Virginia Callaway longed for a place where man and nature could abide together for the good of both. More than six decades later, their retreat continues to offer solace, inspiration and discovery for all who come here.

A 13,000 acre, year-round horticultural display garden that offers the Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center, Birds of Prey Show, Day Butterfly Center, Sibley Horticultural Center, Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden, Walking Trails, Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel and Pioneer Log Cabin as well as golf, tennis, fishing, fly fishing and biking. Seasonal events and educational workshops are offered throughout the year. Four lodging types, a spa, nine restaurants and two lounges are available.Golf Courses; Gardens; Nature/ Wildlife Areas.

Golfers seeking a real test of their abilities look forward to playing 7,057 yard, par 72 Mountain View, designed by world-famous golf architect Dick Wilson. Tight, tree-lined fairways are characteristic of this true championship course. Mountain View was home to the PGA Tour’s Buick Challenge for more than a dozen years. One of Mountain View’s most intriguing holes is the par 5, number 15 where the threat of water looms over both tee and approach shots. This hole was ranked as the fourth most difficult par 5 on the Tour by USA Today.

All but a few Photos are courtesy of TripAdvisor.  The Chapel photos and some others of flowers and the bike trails are my own.

View from the top of Pine Mountain over Callaway Gardens.

Entrance sign to Callaway gardens.

The Mission sign from the early beginning. There are now 17,000 acres.

These pink and whites are the azaleas that The Gardens are famous for, they bloom in March and April at their peak.

There are eleven miles of drive through the shady woodlands, around the lakes and streams that are patched with azaleas.

You can stay in one of the delightful cabins or condos.

Or in the hotel across the hwy. It used to be a Holiday Inn until Callaway bought it. It has several restaurants and a couple of lounges in it.

My favorite places to stay are in the cottages because they are inside The Gardens, nestled in the trees, within walking distance of most of the attractions.

One of the first things you will see is the beach at Robin Lake, It was one of the largest man made beaches in the world for many years. There are little ice cream shops, beach gear shops, and sunwear boutiques all along the sidewalk by the beach and a huge pavillion just east of it. The Masters water ski tournament used to be held here annually.

Children love the beach in summer.

You will start your drive through the azaleas in spring.

And pass the many glass still lakes with the arched and meandering bridges.

The green golf courses attract a lot of attention. The Gardens host many renowned golfing tournaments. This is the famous Mountain View course.

Lake View course has many water traps and is the location of The Veranda Restaurant overlooking the greens.

The FSU Flying High Circus is there under the big tent every year near the beach for the kids to enjoy. Also around the beach are the choo-choo train, putt-putt golf, and playgrounds.

Independence Day brings the fireworks display on the beach, which you can look DOWN on from the mountaintop.

There are many arched stone bridges across the several lakes on site.

Fishermen can rent boats for the day or half day.

Canoes are also available for going out onto the water, a lovely way to see The Gardens from a different perspective.

The peddle boats are fun.

Probably my most favorite way to view The Gardens is by bicycle.

The boardwalked bike trails through the woods are nice any season.

There are lacy shadows over the trails whether leaves are out or not,.The trails meander through the woods and over bridges crossing the lakes and mountain streams.

A pretty way to see the wild azaleas that bloom along the water’s edge.

Most of the bike trails are paved for a smooth ride, and if you just can’t do the full eight miles, you and your bike can take the ferry back to the boat house.

As you pass by the serene lake pools you will come upon the Sibley Center.

The Sibley Center is a huge open air glass walled greenhouse with several conservatories to show off the beautiful plants. Here is a nice place to sit down awhile and relax.

There are water features upstairs at the Sibley Center, and it will cool you off just to look at them.

Another view of the waterfall.

The water flows to the goldfish and koi ponds below.

You don’t want to miss Cason Callaway’s vegetable gardens and orchards.

The Victory Garden TV show on PBS was filmed here.

Another place to see is the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center.

This is the back view of the butterfly house.

There are many unusual butterflies in the Butterfly Center. They import the chrysalis and place them into special windowed chambers where you can watch them emerge, and then they set them free into the Conservatory.

In the conservatory the butterflies are free to fly around and feast on flower and fruit. The children and adults alike love it when they land on their noses.

These are the wild yellow azaleas from Texas, but the pink ones are native to Georgia. They have a different flower that looks like a honeysuckle bloom up close.

The mountain laurel blooms all around the embankments surrounding the chapel. There is a rocky creek that runs nearby. They are hard to see in this photo, but the wild dogwood and azaleas are all blooming at the same time as the mountain laurel. It is a gorgeous sight to behold.

The chapel is a spot you don’t want to miss as you drive through. You can spot it across the lake before you make the turn to drive up close.

The Callaway Chapel is one of the most photographed sites at The Gardens.

Ida Callaway, Cason’s mother, whose inspiration initiated the gardens, has her portrait hanging in the chapel..

Stained glass image from inside the chapel.

Stained glass image from the opposite end of the chapel.

Little stony brook flowing over stone near the chapel.

Fall season in stained glass along the chapel wall.

Summer season in stained glass along the wall of the chapel.

Spring season in stained glass along the wall of the chapel.

Winter season in stained glass along the chapel wall.

Blossoming mountain laurel outside of the little Callaway Chapel.

Native azaleas.

Azaleas that line the walkways and bike trails of Callaway Gardens.

There is also a small pioneer log cabin near the chapel and the butterfly center that often has demonstrations on how to make soap, churn butter, dip candles or spin yarn.

From Thanksgiving through New Year’s there is a feature called Fantasy in Lights. After dark, you can take a trolley car or drive the 8 mile drive through display after display of colorful, brightly lit Christmas scenes that are spread out between the trees; like the Winter Wonderland, the Poinsettia Show, Santa’s Workshop, and the Manger Scene. The forest comes alive with the multicolored Christmas lights hanging from the trees and the displays set up along the roadside.

Jonquils and pansies on display around the gardens. I just had to leave you with one more picture of the flowers that make The Gardens so special.

Hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of lovely Callaway Gardens.

Ponder This… #4

If you write, are you doing NaNoWriMo? Papi needs to know!