Here at Life is as Sweet at Cotton Candy we’re working hard to present a week-long series for you. The only hint I’m giving you guys is the series is all about animals big and small.
🙂
Coming next …..
Meet my new assistant entertainment/features reporter
My name is Kimberli Pierantoni. I’m 21 years old. I’m majoring in Communication at Laramie County Community College.
I’ve been openly writing poetry, non-fiction and songs for five years now. I am an artist. I do a lot of photography, drawings, dancing and I play music. For my writings I have gone to a few literature conferences.I have taken a class in mass media and literacy.
Readers: Kimberli will be reporting on entertainment in the Northern Colorado region and around the state of Wyoming, primarily Cheyenne. She also will be writing features articles. She’s a great writer with a lot of talent.
New York Times Bestselling author Craig Johnson talks writer’s block, reviews and new Longmire book that he just finished
New York Times Bestselling Author, Craig Johnson, who is a Wyoming resident, answered questions about writer’s block, reviews and why he enjoys writing.
Johnson is the author of the Walt Longmire series of mystery books. The latest, “As the Crow Flies” was released on May 15. He’s currently on tour. The A&E television new drama series, “Longmire,”which is based on his mystery series will air on June 3 at 10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. “Longmire” will continue to air on Sundays at 10 p.m. EDT.
There is more detailed information about Johnson under the category Author on Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy.
You can see videos of “Longmire” under Johnson’s Longmire tab on his official website.
Johnson’s website:
http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/
The cover of his latest book in the Walt Longmire series:
A&E’s “Longmire website link:
Johnson’s Q and A
Q: You’ve written eight books and a number of short stories …do you ever have a day where you face writer’s block?
Johnson: “Generally, no. Sometimes the well is depleted, but there’s always something there.”
Q: If so how do you work through writer’s block?
Johnson: “My advice to students is always to go back and look at what you did yesterday; I bet it’s not perfect… Usually that jerks you loose and gets you started again.”
Q: Has a terrible review or comment ever blocked your writing?
Johnson: “No.”
Q: How do you deal with those negative comments?
Johnson: “It’s just an opinion; your opinions on your own writing should override anyone else’s. There are always going to be people who don’t like or appreciate your work for whatever reason—just take those reviews or comments and toss them in the Toxic File,and move on.”
Q: Do you have days where you feel like you just don’t want to write?
Johnson: “Sure, then I go out and do ranch work; you’d be amazed at how quickly you want to get back inside and write after shoveling manure for a few hours…”
Q: What inspires you to write?
Johnson: “For me, writing has become like breathing; I don’t have to be inspired to write, it just comes naturally. Good characters, turns of phrase—but mostly, a good story are what gets me going.”
Q:What do you like the most about writing books?
Johnson: “The freedom to do what I want to do how I want to do it,entertaining people and having a platform for my stories, opinions and beliefs.”
Q:Can you tell my readers about your main character Sheriff Walt Longmire and where the inspiration for him came from?
Johnson: “I was looking for an individual that would be emblematic of the American west, but still complex enough to be compelling to readers. Walt is what I refer to as a detective for the disenfranchised; he cares about the cases that no one else does. He’s an elected official that’s responsible to his community and I like that better than the ‘lone-wolf’ style characters that kill forty people before the book is over. Walt is a little ‘over’—over age,over weight, overly depressed, and facing a lot of the things that the readers face every day and I think that keeps him real.”
Q: What kind of advice would you give a writer who longs to be published?
Johnson: “Write what you want and with your heart, everything else is a dead end.”
Who is your all time favorite mystery novelist?
Johnson: “TonyHillerman”
What are you working on now?
Johnson: “Just finished ‘A Serpent’s Tooth’the next Walt Longmire novel.”
Second author on writer’s block coming soon….wildfire
Check back tomorrow for the second author on writer’s block and their projects …
Readers there’s a wildfire close by to where I live and the smoke is giving me a horrible headache, which is making it tough to focus on the computer screen tonight.
I hope they contain it, but the winds are supposed to be terrible tonight. Please say a prayer for the people who live in that area. The news is reporting that it’s human caused.
http://www.9news.com/news/article/268221/188/Crews-battle-against-winds-at-Hewlett-Gulch-fire
The U.S. Forest Service is posting updates on the fire at http://inciweb.org/incident/2863/.
C.J. Box answers questions about writer’s block, reviews and new projects
C.J. Box is a Wyoming resident and is the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Joe Pickett book series. His latest book in the series came out in March, “Force of Nature.” He also has written several stand alone novels, short stories and essays.
Box took time out of his busy schedule to answer questions about writer’s block, reviews, (the good, bad and in between), and his latest projects that he has going on. Possibly a movie ?
In an e-mail interview Box said, “Sometimes I wish I had more time, but I’ve never been ‘blocked.’”
However, Box did give some advice and wise words to writers who do face writer’s block from time to time and how to move on from it. Find out more in the Q and A below.
Box has won numerous awards including an Edgar Alan Poe Award for Best Novel for his 2009 book, “Blue Heaven” His other awards include the Anthony Award, Prix Calibre 38 (France), the Macavity Award, the Gumshoe Award, the Barry Award, and the 2010 Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association Award for fiction.
For Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy international readers you could possibly find Box’s books in your language. His books have been translated into 25 languages.
Here is C.J. Box’s Q and A:
Q: How would you describe writer’s block?
Box: “A writer without ideas.”
Q: What advice would you give someone who thinks they have writer’s block?
Box: “Write your way out of it.”
Q:How can they avoid writer’s block in the future?
Box: “Don’t wait for inspiration. Treat writing like a job. Working people can’t have “working block” or they’ll not have a job very long.”
Q:Has a bad review ever given you writer’s block?
Box: No.
Q: How do you deal with bad and good reviews, or are you not phased by reviews?
Box: “I’m more interested in the aggregate than individual reviews. If the reviews are 95% positive I don’t worry about the 5% that aren’t.”
Q: What do reviews mean to you?
Validation.
Q: Have you ever had to deal with rejection when you were trying to get your first book published ?
Box: “Of course. It took five years to get the first novel published.”
Q:How did you deal with the rejection and what helped you get past that?
Box: “I moved on and kept going because I believed in the novel.”
Q: On a whole new topic can you tell my magazine readers what you have in the works right now?
Box: “I finished a new stand-alone a few months ago and I’m currently working on the new Joe Pickett novel. Because my book tour for FORCE OF NATURE was long I feel pressed for time.”
Q: Has Hollywood been knocking on your door ?
Box:“Blue Heaven” and “Nowhere to Run” are under option for feature films. “Blue Heaven” is supposed to start filming in the fall with Jack Nicholson, Joe Pesci, and Josh Brolin are attached to it.” You can see Josh Brolin soon in theaters in “Men In Black III” http://www.meninblack.com/
Find out more about C.J. Box here:
http://www.cjbox.net/about-c.j.-box
C.J Box’s Joe Pickett Novels: “Open Season” (2001), “Savage Run” (2002), “Winterkill” (2003), “Trophy Hunt” (2004), “Out of Range” (2005), “In Plain Sight” (2006), “Free Fire” (2007), “Blood Trail” (2008), “Below Zero” (2009), “Nowhere to Run” (2010), “Cold Wind” (2011), “Force of Nature” (2012).
Learn more about Joe Pickett here: http://www.cjbox.net/about-joe-pickett
C.J Box’s Stand Alone Novels: “Blue Heaven” (2008), “Three Weeks to Say Goodbye” (2009), “Back of Beyond” (2011).
Bookstores that sell Box’s books: http://www.cjbox.net/bookstores
Purchase C.J. Box’s latest book “Force of Nature” on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Force-Nature-Joe-Pickett-Novel/dp/039915826X
Purchase C.J. Box’s latest book on Barnes and Noble.com:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/force-of-nature-c-j-box/1104082896?ean=9780399158261
Purchase other C.J. Box books on Barnes and Noble.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/c.-j.-box/1021570
Purchase other C.J. Box titles on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.-J.-Box/e/B001IGSO0I/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1/181-9013666-2145529
Coming tomorrow …two New York Times bestselling authors on writer’s block, rejection and new projects
Check out two of my posts tomorrow.
I have two New York Times bestselling authors who gave me their thoughts about writer’s block.
They will give some advice on how to beat writer’s block, how to deal with rejection, and they’ll let their readers know what projects they’re working on right now.
I also have the scoop on a movie project that one of them has in the works 🙂
You’ll find out who they are tomorrow 🙂
Until then …
Thanks for reading Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy
new readers from five countries that are new to this magazine
Thank you for reading Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy.
To my Danish readers I’m a second generation Dane ! great to have you reading my magazine. 🙂
New Zealand http://www.newzealand.com/us/
Greece http://www.visitgreece.gr/
Italy http://www.italia.it/en/home.html
Denmark http://www.denmark.dk/en
United Arab Emirates http://wikitravel.org/en/United_Arab_Emirates
Introducing Guest Writer Kimberli Pierantoni ….read her poem here
Introducing Guest Writer Kimberli Pierantoni.
” I’m 21 years old and I’m majoring in Communication at Laramie County Community College. I’ve been openly writing poetry, non-fiction and songs for five years now. I am an artist. I do a lot of photography, drawings, dancing and I play music. For my writings I have gone to a few literature conferences. I took a class in mass media and literacy. Here is one of my poems … keep reading Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy to read more of my work.”
Mr. Fear
Laughter plays upon my eyes,
Here I stand center stage spotlight on me,
My voice strings the crowd along.
A portrait of me hung on the wall, similar as the faded pages of a book
The audience takes a closer look,
I draw them in, appearing through my magic mirror.
A chill creeps up my spine, staring back at the crowd,
Whilst the fog settles in thick as smoke, soon to surrender to fathom,
My fist pounds against the surface of the mirror, shimmering shards hit the floor,
Time stands still, my breathe captured in the odd echoes,
Laughter broke the silence and the fear within evaporates.
what’s next …. my next post is up to Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy readers
I’ve got a lot of ideas floating around in my head for posts on this blog, but I wondered what you, my readers would like to see as my next post on Life is As Sweet as Cotton Candy 🙂
Leave ideas in the comments section or e-mail me at karencottonwriter@gmail.com
Butterflies and moths …..Cheyenne Botanic Gardens… photos by Karen Cotton, copyright
We had hundreds of painted lady butterflies and other butterflies in Cheyenne, Wyoming recently. Today, however it was thirty degrees Farenheit and snowing outside, so I’m not sure if they made it 😦 Here are some pictures that I took last week at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens.
If you know the names of the brown and white butterfly/moth let me know in the comments below.
Thanks Karen 🙂
The orange and black butterflies are identified as painted ladies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Lady
The yellow moth/butterfly is a Clouded Sulphur: http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Clouded-Sulphur
This is a great website to identify butterflies: http://www.gardenswithwings.com/identify-butterflies.html
Life is as Sweet as Cotton Candy 