A Note On Writing & Reviewing

Cyana,
I have now encountered four books that I promised reviews on. But I don’t believe in posting bad reviews so I never posted a review.
The last one I promised was so bad that my husband read the beginning and was laughing like a hyena. Sadly, as a fellow author I don’t find it funny. It is tragic that we put so much of ourselves out there, but don’t bother to make sure that our “baby” is ready.
But I also just read a book with a publisher and an editor and was surprised with all the issues in it. You can look for my most recent review here to see it.
Hiring a professional editor is the ONE thing you should spend your money on. I also know a woman who has six books out there. She spent money on a photographer and graphic designer, but her sister-in-law edited the book for free. She said that she’s a teacher so … I guess in her opinion that qualified her. I am a teacher. And I would never edit anyone’s book.
Editors are very special people with an eye for minutia. They have to read the book without sentimentality. Definitely not me. And not my friend’s sister-in-law either.
Also, like it or not, only with years of critiques of our work from professionals can we see all our silly mistakes. We can’t help but be sentimental about our own work.
May you have all that you want and more.
Sherrie

Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too:

Honoring the soldier & the vet … British Television Show: “Call the Midwife”

I just watched the 3rd episode of the British show “Call the Midwife.” The show takes place in 1950’s London. I was quite surprised to see how well the Brits treated their elderly veterans. The story is from a memoir of a midwife who stayed with the nuns and (mostly) helped babies be born (at home, most of the time!). The protagonist, a very young & naive midwife, just loves the gentle man whose legs she had to wrap a few times a week. He fought in the wars (WWI & II, I assume); his family is all gone. They died during the blitzes. (Perhaps that is the major difference: we haven’t had a war on our land since the civil war.) And when she sees his invitation to a luncheon honoring the soldiers, she decides he must go & she will take him. It brought tears to my eyes, seeing the respect & honor the old man is shown. 

Having worked at St. Vincent de Paul Medical Clinic (for the homeless), I can tell you, these men, these vets, OUR vets, do not get that kind of treatment here. They are homeless, or they are living sadly in homes for the aged. (My apologies to Gov. Brown, who had some beautiful homes built in recent years) They don’t get invited to fancy luncheons where the young soldiers are dressed in their dress blues; they aren’t saluted. They are usually just regarded as crazy old (or more often, sadly, young) men. And now, women get to be treated like that too. One female vet has been on the streets with her child here in San Diego for years. 

There are other beautiful stories here, like the husband, whose wife bares a black baby & the father falls in love with the boy on sight. Imagine that in 1950’s America!

Anyway, I just had to post about this as I was in tears throughout the show. These midwives & nuns were not the typical stereotype that many have; they were kind & generous people working with their hearts on their sleeves. If you ever get a chance to watch an episode, do watch. You might be surprised!  😉 ❤

Peace, love & respect for all, esp. our soldiers,                                                                           Sherrie                                                                                                                                             Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to the Home page of her blog to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉

The Happiness Tag

The Happiness Tag..
There are three simple rules and here they are.
List:
5 Things that make you happy.
5 Songs that make you happy.
5 Bloggers that make you happy. Let them know you nominate them and you are done.

Here goes. This is off the top of my head, so I will probably end up coming back & adding something important that I remember.
5 Things that Make Me Happy:
1) My husband. Always no. 1. Don’t have to think about that. Except he might not like being called a “thing.” 😉 ❤
2) My book being published & available to the word. Of course, I still need to get it translated into Spanish, but I will … sometime soon … I hope …
Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
3) The video my piano-playing husband made for my book.
Angelo made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉

4) My home. I love my historical home in old CV, but I also love the fact that for the first time in my life, I am part of a “real” community. I know my neighbors, other historical home owners & many of the young people. I had a community when I lived in New Orleans, but we were separate from the powers that be: we were the outcasts: the change makers, feminists & anti-war & protesters. We also protested the police violence there.
So far, here in CV, I haven’t protested anyone publicly! 😉 ❤
5) Last, but not least, is my dad. This man was there for me in good times & bad. He warmed my hands in winter & took me (& all the family) on picnics in summer. My dad believed in me when no one else did & I will always be grateful for that! He celebrated his 86th birthday this past April! 😉 ❤
6) I am adding my mom here. If you look at no. 5 below, you will see why. I love you, Mom, & I remember you everyday! ❤ ❤ ❤
5 Songs that Make Me Happy
1) Imagine, by John Lennon
2) All Simon & Garfunkel songs, esp. Sounds of Silence.
3) All of the rest of Paul Simon’s songs, including “Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes.”
4) All the Beatles’ songs – Here’s one list of the top 50 Beatles’ songs: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/08/50-best-beatles-songs.html?a=1
“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is a favorite of mine, but the only video I could find that really was the Beatles is blocked in the US, but if you’re not in the US, it’s No. 18 on the list above.
5) “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” – an anti-war song that my mother introduced to me when I was just a kid. I am only now realizing how much my mother influenced me, how much I learned about injustice, about compassion & love from my mother.
5 Bloggers that make me happy:
1) Art by Rob Goldstein – Rob is an amazing artist & I also feel that socially & politically, we are kindred spirits, both wanting more love & justice in the world. I just found this gorgeous art of his & a beautiful poem. This link will take you to any blogpost:
A Quick Note to God
He’s also like me in that he reblogs a lot of other people’s posts. 😉 ❤
2) I don’t get over to Kendall F. Person’s blog enough (I need to make sure I am still following him), but here is a beautiful post about an event starting on Monday:
ANGELS
3) Chris, the Story Reading Ape is one of my all-time favorite blogs. Chris supports authors & posts helpful writing advice. Here’s one: https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2016/06/23/classification-of-book-lovers-infographic/
4) Here’s a poem dedicated to Elfkat, whose blog, Adventures and Musings of an Archduidess can keep you so busy, you might have to be reminded you have a live to live:
https://elfkat.wordpress.com/2016/07/27/a-prayer-for-the-grieving/
5) DRay has so much to share on his blog Dream Big & Dream Often that I should get over there more OFTEN!
6 Mindsets People Have That Will Always Lead to Underachieving
Tag, you’re it!
Peace, love & happiness for all,
Sherrie

Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to the Home page of her blog to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉

5* Review of “The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton” A Suffragette, A Feminist, A lover of life

I bought this book at The Women’s History Museum at Liberty Station here in San Diego. My mother’s maiden name was Cady & I wanted to see if there was anything that hinted at our being related to Miss Cady.
But, once I got reading it, I was fascinated by this woman, who although a feminist by today’s standards, still loved fancy clothes & parties. She loved talking with the men, which at that time was not allowed. I loved seeing how she continued her education by getting others on her side.
I got so into the book that I began to worry about her attraction to her sister’s husband. But, Elizabeth had scruples & when push came to shove, she told her brother-in-law to shove off.
Like others here, I would love to read a sequel. Even though there is plenty of nonfiction writing about Ms. Cady Stanton’s suffragette years, historical fiction is so much more fun to read. In fact, if Ms. Bates does not write the sequel, I may not read anything else about this woman who very likely is an ancestor of mine!

Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador: http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to the Home page of her blog to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉 ❤ 😉

Please

Don’t let these women’s protests & harassment be in vain! VOTE! 😛😝😜😳
Peace, love & compassion for the world,
Sherrie                                                                                                                                                          Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to the Home page of her blog to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉 ❤ 😉

Adventures and Musings of an Arch Druidess

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Think

Always! Don’t let anyone else tell you what to think! 😔😁😳
Peace,
Sherrie                                                                                                                                                          Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to the Home page of her blog to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉 ❤ 😉

A Writer And His Thoughts, Meaning In Life

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Do All The Good

The pre-writing activities the students were doing this week was a pleasure as I was helping them learn about avenues to descent careers, other than a 4 year plus college degree. It was a lot of work & I’m tired (in case you’re wondering where I’ve been), but it was fulfilling.
But I am very grateful I m no longer a full-time teacher as I would have had almost 200 packets to bring home & grade. Next week, it will be the actual essays. So, if you ever wonder why there’s a teacher shortage, here’s why: It’s hard to have a personal life when you are a teacher. I SALUTE ALL TEACHERS TODAY. THANKS FOR GIVING YOUR BEST YEARS TO OUR YOUTH! 😉 ❤
Peace, love & understanding,
Sherrie
Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to her Home page to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉 ❤

Orlando Espinosa

Your life has meaning when you’re doing good and helping people!

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The true sign…

If you thought knowledge was more important, look at who has become successful on their own terms. The creatives are doing what they love. The knowledgable ones are probably supervisors for a company they don’t even like! 😉 ❤
Peace, love & creativity to all,
Sherrie
Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to her Home page to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc 😉 ❤

Sacred Touches

**This is what I call my Curly-Q morning glory. Could anyone be any more intelligent or imaginative than the Yahweh, Creator of heaven and earth?  I think not!

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Hee hee

Safari is working again. I guess those virus people gave up on trying to screw me! Too bad this guy hasn’t given up on screwing us all 😁😔😢
Peace, love & justice for all,
Sherrie                                                                                                                                                         Sherrie Miranda’s historically based, coming of age, Adventure novel “Secrets & Lies in El Salvador” is about an American girl in war-torn El Salvador:
http://tinyurl.com/klxbt4y
Her husband made a video for her novel. He wrote the song too. You can go to her Home page to watch it:
https://sherriemiranda1.wordpress.com
Or you can see it on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P11Ch5chkAc

Adventures and Musings of an Arch Druidess

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