Joey's conflict

Hello readers, yeah, I know, I wandered into a black hole and disappeared. 

Well, Here I am, still alive and kicking, but just put things off for awhile.  I was a bit stuck on my book and where to go with Joey's conflict.  I finally sat down and wrote about 4 pages the other day. 

BUT I really need a new conflict to add pages to this story, to explore family situations and figure out how all this is going to lead to Joey solving his problems. 

Can it be done in just 172 pages? 

 

We'll see.....the story will lead me to answer.

ITS ALMOST HERE!

Here I am again, with my life in the way of my passions! I have finally made the decision to retire from my company of 30 years!  Big decision.  51 more working days!

BUT,  oh so happy now that I get to concentrate my time and energy on writing, blogging and reviewing books for others.  This is my passion.

So, If you'd like me to review a book or do a blog tour, contact me at yaya_key@yahoo.com or danette.key@gmail.com  OR you can message me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/writingsbydanette/  I also am on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

I'd love to hear from you!

Have a great week!

"ON THE EDGE OF WISHING TOO"  Is in process now.  If you're interested in reading it, email me a yaya_key@yahoo.com and let me know, Ill send you a page...or two!   Thank you

BURSTING THE CONTAINER

Haven't written anything lately about books and haven't even really written anything lately. I realized that writing takes a lot out of you and when your focus is off it makes it harder to write. Filling in your mind with other things can make it harder to fill your mind with writing.  You would think that was the deal, but filling and emptying is the writing process, right?

What do you fill your mind with?  

I am currently living with very small children. My grandkids.  They are so cute and sweet and especially innocent. This living situation fills my mind all the time and keeps me engaged with life,   this can be good and bad.  Does this fill my mind so much that I can't empty it?  Is it the same as if something is so full it can't empty and the container continues to fill until it finally bursts?

This is a writers dream. To burst. To sit down and write a novel in a few days and empty your brain. That would be my goal too, a wonderful goal.

 How do you empty all those thoughts in your head?  Do you talk with your best friend, write in a journal, dream?  

Share with me one thing you do to empty your thoughts.  Make a comment below

Have a great week my friends!  

ANNOUNCING..............

Today was a very exciting day.  The book I've been working on for several years has finally been published!  The book Daffodil Hill and the Purpose of the Lavender Fields is now out.  It has been a long and arduous journey getting it to this point.
Daffodil Hill is a book about a small community that loves and depends on their gardens. When a creature come through and starts to dig them up, the whole town is in an uproar! What they find is completely unexpected! Daffodil Hill is like most cozy stories with a surprise twist at the end. Clean, no sex, no violence-a perfect book to trust to your teenager without worrying what they are reading.
I  love the characters, they are all a part of me and those I love, even the crazy ones!  Here is a picture of the cover... The drawing of the trees were hand drawn by Jill Nelson.  She did a great job.  And I love purple!   Let me know what you think and I hope you love it as much as I do.


Here is one of the reviews... Its kind of long, but worth it!

There is a great Rolling Stone song that speaks to the truth that “You can’t always get what you want.” In Danette Key’s Daffodil Hill, this theme resonates throughout this cozy community as several characters come to terms with, as one of them describes it, the realization that one’s hopes are not their reality and the sadness that comes from that discovery. At some point, we’ve all experienced this disappointment in various aspects of our life—relationships, career, health, faith—and the residents of Daffodil Hill are no different.

Ms. Key creates many well-developed and relatable characters, each of whom is struggling to move beyond past misfortunes and find their way forward. While it is a small community, and almost everyone knows everyone else, there is another thread that links the various characters together. There is a whimsical, unobtrusive sci-fi fantasy element running throughout the novel (and running through the vegetable gardens of many residents). But, in the end, even that doesn’t turn out as planned.

The real strength of this story is in the depth of character development and the believable interpersonal connections that breathe life into these people, this community, and even the “creature” at the heart of the story. You feel as if you could walk these streets, go to these shops and have conversations of your own with these people, and that is what keeps the story moving along. You really care what happens to them. Some adapt and look to a bright future, and some hold steadfastly to the past and are miserable, but you can relate to all in some way. It’s that connection, along with Ms. Key’s straightforward writing style, that earns my 5-star rating and wholehearted recommendation.

WISHING YOU WOULD HEAR...

You thought I was writing "wishing you were here", didn't you?

Either way, wishing is a good thing. Unless you are wishing for something you shouldn't have like Peter in my book, "On the Edge of Wishing".  So,  lets address that first.
Wishing for someone else's spouse is not good.  Wishing for someone else's car is not good.  Or wishing for someone else's kids isn't good either.  Wishing to win the lottery isn't very productive nor is wishing for something to happen that you know isn't going to happen.  Peter does make wishes, but doesn't seem to realize he shouldn't be wishing for those things.

So what is something good to wish for?
 I always wished for my husband to be nicer to my kids. It didn't happen. I was sad and discouraged. I finally expressed this to him and he began to change.  Wishes can be good, but there needs to be action too.  

Taking action and then wishing it happens is good.  If you wish for your neighbors car, save up your money and make it happen!
If you wish for an outcome, make it happen.

Now Mary Ellen in "On the Edge of Wishing" does start to wish certain things and in a fictional story wishes do happen without action.   As her wish begins to come true, she is surprised and excited.  Cinderella had the same experience.  However cute both stories are, they are not real life.

So today..  I'm wishing you all the luck in your wishes!   Make something happen.
Read, "On the Edge of Wishing" by Danette Key for more information on WISHING.

I'm telling you WISHING can really get you into trouble!

The other day I was walking down the sidewalk and "wishing"  my knee wouldn't bother me so much and "bing" it stopped hurting!  I was a bit surprised and then just pushed it out of my mind blaming it on my crazy body! As I continued on.....  my left contact in my eye was really irritating me.  So I "wished" it would stop irritating me and "bing" it stopped.

What was I to think at this point?  What would you think? Lucky?  Coincidental? Brain going crazy?

Feeling a bit cocky, I began stepping to the unheard music and my swagger increased.  Oh yeah, I was pretty cool with a new knee & perfect vision.

So I walked into my house and having a bit of fun, "wished" the dishes were all done.  Then I walked into the kitchen and "bing"  they were all done!  I promise you, there were no dishes!  I know you don't believe me..... that's okay, it didn't happen to you!

So I walked into the TV room ( I call the room with the comfy chairs, huge screen TV and 10 remote controls.. the TV room).  I saw my husband watching ANOTHER war documentary and I "wished" he would disappear so I can watch my Hallmark channel. And "bing"  He disappears!!!  

Now my husband has disappeared.... No where to be found.  Man, am I in trouble with him.

I guess I should "wish" him back.  !

 Reflection on how dreaming & wishing impacts us

I was sitting and going over what I really wanted out of life and how I was going to make it happen. I came to a realization that as I get older dreaming & wishing are a waste of time.  When we are younger, dreaming and wishing are important because they help us plan our lives.  But if you are older and still dreaming and wishing you have missed an important step in your life.

I'm not saying dreams aren't important when we are older; I still feel that is important.  I am saying if you are wishing about something that isn't going to change, well....  maybe you need to get over it.  OR... make it happen!!!

I have done this.

So, I wanted to share my success with you.
I dream all the time about writing and submitting a book.. or two.  I have so many ideas that I want to put on paper to share with the whole world!  But how?  How do I make this happen?

I find that my job currently sucks a lot of energy out of me. I know this is  happening, and yet can't seem to NOT let that happen.  I have to admit there are days when I can barely get home and get something done at night and I don't even have children at home anymore. My job is very stressful and my energy level is reduced because of it.  Sitting at a computer writing is not the best thing after sitting at work at a computer for hours.  Thank goodness for my ipad that at least lets me type and sit on my comfy sofa.

I think the secret of success in our dreams is one tiny, tiny little thing....
Keeping our eyes and ears open for opportunities!

Yeah, I know easy for me to say. But put yourself out there and associate with other people, make yourself available for interactions.  You'd be surprised what you can learn.

Or maybe I'm just especially blessed.  Can I claim that?  I know that Jesus Christ loves me, but would he bless me in my dreams & wishes and not another?
So in summary, here are my suggestions.
1) Always dream & wish
2) Keep an eye & ear out for those dreams & wishes
3) Make yourself available
4) Find ways to make it happen.

Last, don't be impatient like me,  Reflect.  Make sure this dream or wish is what you really want.

Thanks for reading my blog, please comment below on how dreams & wishes impact you!!!!