Forever 1.7

So after DVR-ing Forever, I finally watched it yesterday. I must admit that it didn't really hold my attention. The plot of snobbish rich kids who kill someone {accidentally or on purpose varies} and then keep it a secret till someone tries to confess and then ends up dead is a worn-out plot for me. I've seen it done before multiple times before and it's not as interesting as it once was. That being said, it was still pretty fun to see Dr. Morgan interact with Detective Jo {who is getting special attention from her boss after the shooting of last week's episode} and Abe. Abe is definitely comic relief. It would've been nice to get more into Dr. Morgan's past and continue along the lines of what happened to Abigail, and also Detective's Jo's husband. I suppose that'll get picked back up later on in the season.

Next week's episode looks..... shady. Not sure how much I'm looking forward to watching it. But we'll see. I really want to see how the detective reacts to finding out Morgan is immortal but I bet that won't happen for as long as the writers can draw it out.

Once Upon a Time 4.5

In Once, we have a glimpse into Emma's past where she had a chance to make a good friend but threw it away. Determined not to make the same mistake, she pushes herself to mending things with Regina and shooting for that elusive friendship she wants so badly. Meanwhile, Elsa has to face her fears and learn to conquer them, but for what purpose? And the Snow Queen is back, the mystery surrounding her growing like a storm on the horizon.

Admittedly, I missed the beginning of this episode, but I caught the end and really enjoyed it. Hook was so sweet with Emma and wanting to know about "her beginnings." Love it!

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

~ Robert Frost

Sherri Wilson Johnson Author Interview

If you saw my post this past Saturday promoting Mrs. Johnson's new book, To Laugh Once More, then you're in for a treat today because I have an interview with her for you! Read on and enjoy; do be sure to find her book on Amazon and GoodReads. *winks*

Welcome, Mrs. Johnson, to my library! How are you this fine Autumn day?

I'm great! Thanks for having me.

Do tell us a little about your latest writing project!

My newest project is To Laugh Once More, an Inspirational Historical Romance. It's not your typical romance though because in this book, the hero and heroine, Lydia and Hamilton, are already married. They struggle with a lot of family issues and their marriage is suffering because of it. So as they begin to pull away from each other, they must learn to draw closer. The book is set in Florida, but after a tragedy, the couple moves to Georgia. They start out in Atlanta and then move further north to Marietta. This book is the sequel to my first book, To Dance Once More, but is written as a standalone and can be read without reading the other one.

What made you want to become a writer?

I have always wanted to be a writer. I wrote my first short story when I was eight years old and fell in love with writing! I suppose the reason behind that is I always loved to read. I loved the way a good story made me feel.

 

How do you get inspiration for your stories?

Story ideas just come to me all the time in the strangest places. Riding down the road. In the shower. In the grocery store. While I'm sleeping. I wake up in the middle of the night and have to write down my latest ideas because I know if I wait till morning, I'll forget. (I'm getting old.) I'm always inspired by stories of faith, stories of overcoming, stories of people who have had to persevere through the worst trials. I love to write about those kinds of things and to inspire people to press on!

Are your characters inspired by real-life people, your imagination, or a mix of both?

I think my characters are inspired by both real people and people I dream up. Of course, I say that to protect myself from being accused of creating the bad guy based off someone I know, haha!

 

Which area would you say you’re strongest in as a writer? {Plot, dialog, description, action, characterization, showing vs. telling, etc.}

I suppose my strengths lean more toward plotting, characterization, and dialog.

Which area are you weaker in?

I am probably weaker in action than anything else.

 

What do you do when you hit writer’s block?

I don't usually have an issue with writer's block because I'm working on so many projects. If I find it difficult to work on my current manuscript, I hop over to editing an already finished project, or I answer interview questions or write a blog post that's due for one of the blogs I write for.

Do you have a favorite spot to write? 

I can write anywhere, even in the car while I'm driving. I use my phone's voice-to-text feature and send my scenes back to my computer. When I get home, I copy and paste it into my manuscript. My favorite spot to write would probably be at the beach, although I really just stare at the waves and don't get much work done. But since I only get to the beach once a year (if that), I'm happy writing in my study with my Chihuahua by my side every day.

Do you work best in peace and quiet or surrounded with background noise and action?

I work best in quiet but can write with people talking or the TV on. I do not write with music on anymore unless it is instrumental. If the music has lyrics, I find myself singing instead of writing.

How do you decide which story to work on next? 

I don't really decide. The story decides for me. Whatever idea rises to the top first and fights its way out of my mind gets first shot.

Which genre do you prefer to work with? 

I love romance. All the way! Historical or Contemporary, it doesn't matter. But I do stick to Inspirational romances. I'm not a 50 Shades kind of girl. I also have written some romantic suspense.

Who has influenced your writing the most? 

I have so many favorite writers who I aspire to be like, I can't name them all. But I do love Carrie Turansky, Karen Witemeyer, and Anita Higman.

Who are your favorite authors? 

As I mentioned above, Carrie Turansky, Karen Witemeyer, Anita Higman are some of my favorites. I love Julie Lessman and Maggie Brendan too. My absolute favorite male writer is Creston Mapes. I also enjoy reading Davis Bunn's books.

I understand you’re a homeschooling mother; how do you balance writing and motherhood? 

I homeschooled for fourteen years until my youngest graduated in 2012. I will always be a homeschooling mom at heart. How did I balance it? Wow! I don't know. Except by the grace of God. I also worked several part time jobs during those homeschooling years and volunteered a lot too. But I wouldn't take back one single day of that time. I'd do it all over again even though it meant that the writing had to sit on the back burner a lot of the time.

What is your advice for other aspiring authors out there? 

Never stop writing! And never let others discourage you. There are so many choices out there now for writers and they need to pick the one that suits them best. I always striven to be traditionally published. I finally got the coveted contract in 2008 and then another one in 2010. My latest book is Indie published. I have two other books that are in the proposal stage. If publishers don't want them, I'll put them out there myself too, and keep coming up with new ideas. What matters most is that you follow your heart and do what fits you best.

Where can my readers go to find out more about your books?

Here's a link to my website: http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com/sherris-books/

Make sure to check out my devotional for homeschool moms!

Here's a link to my book's page on Amazon:  http://fb.me/3amKIIIi3

And for a random question, what is your favorite thing to do with pumpkins? 

Let other people make pumpkin muffins or pumpkin bread out of them and then eat them!

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to help promote your book and for having so much fun with the interview! It's been a blast and I hope to do it again for your next book.

Scorpion 1.5

In Scorpion, the team undergoes a good deal of bad feelings, old wounds and conflict that should've remained in the past when a former team member calls on them for help and Walter agrees without consideration to his teammates' feelings. With Paige playing referee and a nuclear meltdown about to happen, tempers flare and drama unfolds. When they're called upon to work together, they can do wonderful things. But they each hold secrets, painful pasts and things they'd rather not see the light of day but which will someday come out and be dealt with.

I actually watched most of this episode this week which was a nice change. It's still moving slowly, but I like how Paige is trying to help everyone with their emotions or lack of. It's sweet how they're all bonding together.

The Big Bang Theory 8.6

In The Big bang Theory, Raj and Sheldon toss around the idea of going down into a mine to study their new-found field of dark matter energy {or something like that}. When the actual mine conditions are further investigated, the idea is somewhat of a turn-off till they decide to simulate the conditions via the university's basement. Needless to say, they don't last for long. Meanwhile, when Leonard and Penny start fighting about money, they go to Howard and Bernadette - the only married couple they seem to know. The results are hilarious!

October in New Zealand

O JUNE has her diamonds, her diamonds of sheen, 
Meet for a queen’s neck, if Death had e’er a queen! 
June has her blue days, jewels of delight, 
Set in the ivory of Alp-land white,— 
But October, October’s the lady o’ the year! 

O January’s garland is redder than the rose, 
And the wine-red ruby of January glows 
All the way to madness and half the way to sin, 
When sleep is in the poppy and fire is in the whin! 
But October, October’s the lady o’ the year! 

October will ride in a mantle o’ the vair, 
With the flower o’ the quince in her dew-wet hair; 
October will ride to the gates of the day, 
With the bluebells ringing on her maiden way;— 
For October, October’s the lady o’ the year! 

~ Jessie Mackay

Forever 1.6

The latest episode of Forever was rather creepy. I didn't like it very much, but I am very intrigued to find out how Detective Jo will react when she learns that Dr. Morgan is immortal. It'll be cool. This episode was about the twosome trying to catch a serial killer who is a copycat of past killers - most notably Jack the Ripper. It adds a hint that perhaps the mysterious dude named Adam who keeps calling Dr. Morgan is a killer. It touches on the question of what do you do when you're immortal and have so much time on your hands? Dr. Morgan leans toward saving lives rather than taking them. In short, this episode was just too creepy for me. Hopefully next week's will be better.

Once 4.4

This week's episode of Once was very Hook-centric. Not that I'm complaining or anything. It just was more of a filler than a plot reveal/twist/follow-up. Hook and Emma going out together was so cute. Although {due to being in the kitchen making apple cider probably}, I was a little confused over the whole hand thing. I did like that we finally got to see what the funny hat box Rumple found was all about and I was right! It was a nod to The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Anna was so sweet too. The snow queen definitely has a connection to Emma but my only theory is that it has something to do with Emma's past in the foster care system. Anyway, maybe I'll be more attune for next week's episode. *winks*

Forever 5th Episode Thoughts

With such a vast experience, Dr. Morgan has seen history repeat itself enough times  to know that it will always repeat itself and never change. And he isn't surprised by that outcome. So when a boxer is found dead in a run-down neighborhood and had a dispute with the local land-developer, Dr. Morgan isn't surprised to find a suspicious trail interconnecting all over the little neighborhood that boils down to money. Meanwhile, Abe is busy trying to sell antiquities which is the business of his choice; this is increasingly difficult when Dr. Morgan doesn't want to sell anything because he has a sentimental attachment to most of the items in the shop. When you live forever, you really almost can keep your stuff as long as you want.

It'd be cool to see an episode where Dr. Morgan has to deal with the little inconveniences of immortality - like renewing his drivers' license, what happens when he has to relocate because the neighbors are all getting suspicious of his ageless looks, etc. It could be fun. Also, why do all these tough girl cops have bad dads that are either con men or just bad role models? Seriously? Can't they think of something different? I know that Beckett from Castle has a good dad {who doesn't come into the show nearly enough}, but everyone else doesn't. Just a thought.

To Laugh Once More Promo!

There's a new exciting self-published book out that you all should totally check out. With a gorgeous cover, a professional set-up and a thrilling story, you won't want to miss the opportunity to add this gem to your private collection. To further entice you, keep reading for the book's description and the author's bio.

To Laugh Once More is a Victorian Inspirational Romance set in Georgia in 1895. The War may be over, but the battles still rage.

The War may be over but the battles still rage.
A dissatisfied wife. A misunderstood husband. Three tragedies will alter their path forever. Will their choices tear them apart, or will they allow them To Laugh Once More?

Three years after her marriage to Hamilton, former debutante Lydia Barrington Scarbrough is dissatisfied with life. She has yet to have children, and she spends most of her days sitting in a circle of women chatting about homemaking. She thought life would be more than what it's turned out to be. Hamilton travels on business and never takes her with him. What's a lonely wife to do when she has no children to raise? She longs for adventure and romance, and really, she longs for the fulfillment of her purpose in life. A purpose beyond being a wife and raising children.

Lydia faces a series of hardships that stretch her faith beyond capacity. Leaving her childhood home in Florida for Georgia proves to be more difficult than she ever imagined, and her marriage may not survive the trials. Lydia’s own personal battles drive a wedge between them. What will it take to make Hamilton attempt to save their marriage and draw Lydia back to him?

As Lydia strives to etch out a place for herself in a new world full of unfamiliar prejudice and attempts to overcome her private battles, she must help Hamilton understand her deepest longings and learn the true meaning of joy. Will she surrender her will in order to find her purpose? Will her future hold a happier marriage, motherhood, and a calling greater than she could ever have imagined?

Sherri Wilson Johnson is an Inspirational Romance novelist, a speaker, and a former homeschooling mom who’d rather have laugh lines under her eyes than worry lines across her forehead. She lives in Georgia with her husband, her two children and her Chihuahua, Posey. Her favorite thing to do when she’s not with her family is to curl up with a good book or work on her current work-in-progress. She loves to dream of visiting romantic places and is passionate about the Lord, motherhood, homeschooling, and writing. Sherri is the author of To Dance Once More, Song of the Meadowlark, and To Laugh Once More. She is a columnist with Habits for a Happy Home and Choose NOW Ministries.

For more information, visit her website and to purchase, check out Amazon and don't forget to add it to your GoodReads shelves!

Scorpion 4th Episode

So last week the channel wouldn't come in and we completely missed Scorpion. This week we had spotty coverage and were switching between a different show so we only caught some of it. But what basically seemed to have happened is that Walter was framed and had to rely on his team to get him out - with mixed success. Apparently, they're useless without him. :) We're not sure if we're gonna keep watching this show or not, but we'll see.

The Big Bang Theory 8.5

In The Big Bang Theory this week, the guys all decide to have a science retreat weekend while the girls go off to Vegas for some fun. But with their main source of distraction {the girls} out of the way, the guys still have trouble getting down to business and focusing. They even have a complete sidetrack involving the timeline of Back to the Future 2. Leonard is busy trying to keep them on track while, in a surprising twist of things, Amy and Bernadette are busy trying to get Penny off track from her studies.

This was such a funny episode! I don't always laugh out loud at stuff, but when I do, it's super funny and this was great!

Autumn

A touch of cold in the Autumn night—
I walked abroad,
And saw the ruddy moon lean over a hedge
Like a red-faced farmer.
I did not stop to speak, but nodded,
And round about were the wistful stars
With white faces like town children.

~ T.E. Hulme

Once Upon a Time 4.3

When Marian falls under a frozen curse, suspicion turns to Elsa while a distraught Robin comes running to Regina for help. Emma feels discouraged but stands by Elsa alongside her father, David. Together, they set out looking for the real perpetrator behind Marian's curse. While they're busy with that, Hook and Elsa do a little snooping of their own and come across some very interesting surprises. Meanwhile, Snow White begins to feel overwhelmed by her new role as mayor, and Henry enthusiastically joins Regina in her quest to find the author of the fairytale book. They code name it Operation Mongoose.

Hook was particularly sweet in this episode, moping about and whining about Emma till he found out why she's so reluctant to return his affections. And Elsa had a new hairdo in the flashbacks! Awesome! Still not so sure about Kristoff but I could get used to him. Seeing all of Hans' brothers was interesting. The backstory behind the new snow queen must be really neat; my husband and I had fun discussing it.

$10 Great Dates Book Review

Title: $10 Great Dates.

Author: Peter and Heather Larson, David and Claudia Arp.

Genre: Nonfiction, Christian, Marriage, Budgeting.

Plot: Experts in the field of marriage and dates after the wedding, these two married couples bring a short fun read to help you reconnect with your spouse and keep the romance alive in your marriage, all on a $10 budget.

Fifty-two Great Gates are outlined in this book - one for every week of the year as my husband pointed out. Each date has a Before the Date prep, during the date talking points, and a takeaway from the date to reflect on. Some of the dates are planning ones, such as the Coupon Date where you make coupons for future dates, Other are spontaneous multi-tasking dates, such as Running Errands, the Library and Home Improvement Dates. Other fun dates include a Breakfast date, a Bucket List date, and a section for seasonal/holiday dates. In this busy life we lead nowadays, taking time to be with each other doesn't have to be a big expensive ordeal. It can be a fun cheap spontaneous moment in time that you'll treasure for years to come.

Likes/Dislikes: Most of the date ideas listed in here are great ideas, though there were some that just didn't sound like fun to me - such as driving along the local backroads {we do that all the time}, checking out open houses {when you're already doing that to be with, it gets old}, and anything sports related. But I did really like some of them, such as the library date, just desserts, an at-home spa date, and all the seasonal/holiday dates. A fun challenge would be to go through this book in a year. I had a great idea for a New Years date; and I'm rather surprised one wasn't included in the book. It's a very easy read and I did skim a few spots,

Rating: PG-10 and up, mainly for reading level. Recommended for all ages.

Date Review Written: October 7th, 2014.

The Flash Pilot

So the new show The Flash started on Tuesday and we've just gotten around to watching it. In the show, we meet Barry Alan, a young forensics assistant for the police who has suffered a traumatic experience in the past. Always running from bullies or running late to work, Barry's life is pretty normal, and he's an excellent forensic. With a secret crush on Iris, the daughter of the man who took him in, Barry is more or less content in life. And then one night, when the huge particle accelerator explodes, Barry becomes something more than normal. He becomes super. With the ability to regenerate at a rapid rate and to reach impressively high speeds, Barry has the chance to make a difference and to finally put the past behind him. But with people doubting him and other unknown super-humans out there, Barry will have his hands full if he chooses to pursue the course laid out for him.

The Flash wasn't one of those classic superheroes I grew up with, yet I have a feeling he'll be a lot more interesting now. The show is epic, well paced and exciting. The best part is when he goes to an old friend for advice and gets the confidence boost he sorely needed. I'm not a die-hard comics fan and therefore have no idea how cool this show is to the fans with all the facts, timelines and cool interconnected bits, it'll still be super cool. And better than Spider-man with the whole geeky-guy-turned-superhero. Looking forward to the next episode!

The Big Bang Theory 4th E. Blurb

A genetically engineered dinosaur chicken sandwich isn't the only thing on Sheldon's mind this week. He and the gang are also considering co-owning a comic book store with Stuart, mainly for the fun of it and partly in the hopes of getting Stuart out of Howard's mother's house. While wrapped up in that, the gang meets Raj's girlfriend Emily and everyone hits it off with her, except for Penny. The two just don't get along due to a previous episode involving Raj. But after attempting to mend the fences, the girls settle for developing an icy demeanor toward each other.

Autumn Fires

In the other gardens
  And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
  See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
  And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
  The gray smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
  Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
  Fires in the fall!

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Once Upon a Time S4 E2

In this week's explosive episode of Once Upon a Time, we have more questions than answers, yet plenty of excitement to keep us all happy as we wait for those answers. With her sister's necklace in hand, Elsa puts the town in lock-down via a massive ice wall and waits. When Hook, David and Emma come to investigate, they find a nervous Elsa waiting. But when those nerves react in the form of more ice, Elsa and Emma become trapped, and the cold begins to {quickly} take a toll on Emma. Meanwhile, Snow is suddenly thrust into her new role of town leader, and we get flashbacks concerning Anna meeting a pre-Snow White David. With a surprising twist at the end, the next episode should be even more exciting.

We still don't know what the funny purple hat Rumple found is {Merlin's maybe?} and we still don't know what the far-reaching consequences of Regina's choice to rewrite the book will be {provided she even finds the author}, and now we get to wonder who this new character is {perhaps the bad ice queen as depicted in the original fairy tale?}. Emma's quick decent into hypothermia and then amazingly time recovery was so distractingly silly. And Snow just had a baby, she shouldn't be walking around so easily so soon. Ah well.

Forever 3rd Episode

"Youth is wasted on the immortal," Abe dryly remarks as he sees Dr. Morgan gleefully disappearing back into his "dungeon of death" to investigate his latest clue in possibly unraveling his immortality while Abe looks out the window and longs for a taste of youth once more. One man is old and wants to be young again, while the other man is forever young and wants to grow old. But when the body of an old man, supposedly killed in a mugging, lands in Dr. Morgan's morgue, thoughts of old age and immortality are set aside. A trip to Chinatown with Detective Jo lends some surprising and somewhat odd results. Due to his long experience, Dr. Morgan is familiar with so-called miracle drugs that can extend life and he doubts they actually work. But when the young want to live forever and the old want to be young again, what's a disillusioned immortal to do?

This third episode of Forever dove a little bit more into Dr. Morgan's past and his relationship with Abe who is his adopted son. They're so cute together! I'm really enjoying this show play out in the gradual way it is. Lovely!

Scorpion 2nd Episode Blurb

In Scorpion this week, Walter's team races against time to save the life of the governor's young daughter and three other children when a vengeful mystery person specifically targets them with a lethal virus. This hits close to home for Walter who's sister was sick and never got better; feeling particularly useless with this problem, he takes things to a higher level of action - physically taking down a suspect to everyone's surprise {particularly that of the girls} and planning a break-in to acquire necessary information. But when the case is finally cracked, the stakes are raised and the clock begins to run out.

In all honesty, I missed the beginning of this episode because I was taking a shower with the baby. But I caught the end and enjoyed the action. I also found it highly amusing {and predictable} that the waitress Paige has joined the gang to "translate the normal world to the geniuses," as my husband explained. But it's not quite grabbing my attention; my husband likes the show however.

The Big Bang Theory S8 E3 Blurb

In this week's latest episode of The Big Bang Theory, we have Howard gearing up to throw the first pitch in a baseball game due to the fact that he's an astronaut. Raj and Bernadette spend plenty of time generating laughs as they attempt to help him practice for his big public appearance, only to have their efforts lead to an interesting conclusion. Meanwhile, Sheldon and Amy double-date with Leonard and Penny, and get into an animated discussion of whose relationship ranks first.

We had a bonus rerun episode afterwards and it was such fun to have an hour of our favorite show without watching the same past six seasons again. *winks*

The Autumn Poem

Go, sit upon the lofty hill,
And turn your eyes around,
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound.
The summer sun is faint on them —
The summer flowers depart —
Sit still — as all transform’d to stone,
Except your musing heart.

How there you sat in summer-time,
May yet be in your mind;
And how you heard the green woods sing
Beneath the freshening wind.
Though the same wind now blows around,
You would its blast recall;
For every breath that stirs the trees,
Doth cause a leaf to fall.

Oh! like that wind, is all the mirth
That flesh and dust impart:
We cannot bear its visitings,
When change is on the heart.
Gay words and jests may make us smile,
When Sorrow is asleep;
But other things must make us smile,
When Sorrow bids us weep!

The dearest hands that clasp our hands, —
Their presence may be o’er;
The dearest voice that meets our ear,
That tone may come no more!
Youth fades; and then, the joys of youth,
Which once refresh’d our mind,
Shall come — as, on those sighing woods,
The chilling autumn wind.

Hear not the wind — view not the woods;
Look out o’er vale and hill —
In spring, the sky encircled them —
The sky is round them still.
Come autumn’s scathe — come winter’s cold —
Come change — and human fate!
Whatever prospect Heaven doth bound,
Can ne’er be desolate.

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning