Archive for the ‘odds and ends’ Category
Feb
And Our February winner is…
It’s time to announce the winner of my monthly blog appreciation award. I put the name of everyone who has posted a comment on my blog during that particular month into a hat…the more you stop by (and comment) during the month, the more chances you have to win. Then, once the names are all in the hat, I swish my hand around and pull out a winner.
So, our winner for February is Chris C. Yay! Chris, please drop me a quick email at: ElizabethLCasey@aol.com to claim your prize. You can choose from an autographed copy of either SEW DEADLY (mystery) or KAYLA’S DADDY (romance). Let me know your choice, as well as a snail mail address, and I’ll get that out to you right away! And if you want me to personalize it to anyone in particular, let me know that, too! Congratulations!
~Elizabeth
Feb
Love According to Romance Writers…
Interested in a little behind-the-scenes look at bringing love to the page? 
A few of my agent’s romance authors have put together a very special Valentine’s Day blog! You can check it out by clicking on this link: www.bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/ but remember, on this particular site, I’m referred to as Laura Bradford (that’s my romance writing persona).
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
~Elizabeth
Jan
News!
This just in…
(Sorry, but I’ve always, always, always wanted to say that) 
As an update to Wednesday’s post, my eldest daughter not only made it into school that day but she also auditioned and got a part in her high school musical, Beauty and the Beast!!!
She’s Beast’s butler.
It’s a happy day! And I’m a very proud mom.
Nov
A Call To Arms, Er, Needles
With DEATH THREADS (the second in my Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series) set to debut on May 4th, and Book #3 awaiting editorial comments from my amazing editor, I’ve turned my creative energy toward plotting book #4.
This plotting (or “percolating” as I’m fond of calling it) phase is when I sit down with a pad of paper and think about my characters–who they connect with, what they do, their history thus far, etc. As I ponder all of that, I begin to consider ways to turn their lives upside down. So far, the ideas are swirling thanks to a cast of characters that are simply fun to write.
I’m often in this phase for several weeks as I dream up ideas and wait to see which one sticks. Fortunately for me, the basic idea stuck pretty fast this time. Now I just need to work it through in my mind as I figure out the all-important who, how, and why. And then, when I’m done with that, I need to figure out how to cover my tracks and throw the reader off the scent.
This phase is, without a doubt, one of my favorite parts of writing. Then again, so is the day I sit down at my computer to start. Oh, and don’t forget the middle where things are coming together and characters are beginning to take over, dictating what my fingers should write. And then there’s the climax where it all happens…
See? I haven’t even started and I’m already getting excited.
This time, though, I’d like to try something new. Rather than compile sewing tips from various places for the back of the book, I figured I’d see if any of you have one (or a few) you’d like to contribute. I’ll send a signed bookmark to each and every person who contributes a sewing tip.
Ready?
Hit the comment button and give me your best tip. The email address you type in the requested field is not seen by anyone else. The only thing that shows up under your comment is the name you’d like to show! Easy, huh?
Have a great week!
~Elizabeth
**P.S. Allison Collins (who entered last week’s “Where Am I?” challenge via my good-girl-kills.com blog) was the winner of the $10 B & N gift card and signed cover flap of DEATH THREADS! Congratulations, Allison!
Nov
Where in the World am I?
After a crazy month of deadlines (and moving), I’ve hit the high road for a few days.
In my absence, I’m having a little contest of sorts. The following two words have something in common (a single word). It’s your task to figure out what that is. Once you know THAT word, go to my group blog (and my post of 11/17) and figure out the second word. Tell me where I am in the comment section and, if you’re correct, your name will be entered into a drawing for a $10 gift card to B & N and a signed coverflap of my next book, DEATH THREADS.
The winner will be announced on Tuesday, November 24th!
Edison
Jefferson
~ELizabeth
For the first word, click HERE (November 17th post)
Nov
Multi-tasking
I used to consider myself a fairly good multi-tasker. I could keep track of the kids and their activities, find time to hang out with them, keep everyone’s stomach happy at dinner time, and get laundry and other jobs done all before I shut my eyes for the night (let’s pretend I didn’t have issues with insomnia, okay? Makes me sound more productive).
I even added homeschooling to the mix for an entire year at one point. And then, a few years later, single motherhood and four different part-time jobs…
Yet I still got everything done.
I think some of that was my love affair with the to-do list. I wrote everything down that I needed to do in a day…exercise, shower, take kids to school, write, laundry, work, dinner, take kid # 1 here, take kid # 2 there, bed. As I did them, I checked them off–often adding things to my list just so I could ink a little mark next to them (yeah, I know…).
But lately, the list thing has fallen off. Mostly because I don’t have a space yet that I can call mine. No spot for the calendar that keeps me on track, no place where my to-do list can be without getting covered over by other stuff. Which has me feeling like a failure in the multi-tasking department.
And that’s not a good place to be when I have three major projects due over the next thirteen days.
So how do you juggle things? What works for you? I’ll take any and all suggestions no matter how big or small…
~Elizabeth
Oct
Favorite Slogans
I was walking through the Newark Liberty airport the other night when I saw a billboard on the wall. And while I can’t recall the name of the company, the slogan itself jumped out at me…
It’s not a setback, it’s a test.
Wow.
I think that seven-word sentence is rather poetic and certainly a positive way to look at a rough patch in life.
So how about you? Any slogans that have made you pause–whether in a good way or a bad way?
~Elizabeth
P.S. I’ve updated my “latest news” page with, well, latest news. 
So click on that tab at the top of the page and check it out!
Sep
The Contagiousness of Nice
I’ll admit, I’m a bit old fashioned. I think television shows have pushed it with language, I think the magazine headlines that young ones see in the checkout stand at the grocery store are distasteful at best, and I think kids are dressing way too old (old, not necessarily being synonymous with taste in this sentence).
So what’s up? Why have things changed so much?
My guess is respect, or the lack thereof. We no longer seem to care how our actions affect the person standing next to us. And it’s sad.
Friend and fellow author, Judy Merrill Larsen (if you’ve not read her book, ALL THE NUMBERS, you should) is fighting back, or at least trying to make people think…
About what it means to be “nice.”
That’s right, “nice” (if you’d like to read more, check out her blog here). And, if you think about it, being “nice” is–or should be–rather simple thanks to one easy-to-remember rule… Treat others the way you want them to treat you.
So here’s what I’m looking for this week…some examples of “niceness” that you’ve witnessed while out and about. Maybe it’s something you, yourself, have done. Maybe it’s something you’ve seen someone else do. It doesn’t matter, just so long as it’s “nice.” And maybe, if we share some of these acts with one another, they’ll inspire us to pick up the torch and take back our world.
For my part, I’ll share two: I was at the beach this past weekend. A gentleman literally keeled over as he was stepping out of the water (an apparent heart attack). Of course there were the gawkers (the folks who offer nothing to the situation except to serve as obstacles for the emergency personnel to maneuver around once they get there) but there was also someone else…a man in blue and white swim trunks who left the comfort of his beach blanket to administer CPR…a selfless act that literally saved this man’s life.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget that moment. Ever.
And then I’ll share a smaller any-person-can-do-something-like-this one. I was at Panera writing this past week (Judy’s blog fresh on my mind). There was a woman sitting next to me with two very small children. One, who was in the very early stages of being potty trained, needed to use the bathroom. I had no idea what the mom was going to do with the baby while trying to help the 2-year-old. So I pushed aside my computer and played with the baby while she took the older one to the bathroom. It was simple. It took maybe 5 minutes of my writing time. But the relief on the mom’s face made it worth it a million times over.
It’s about being nice. And treating others the way you’d want them to treat you.
So share some stories, will you? Or, even better, go out and DO something nice this week and come back and tell us what you did.
~Elizabeth
Sep
Dating…Yourself?
I’m one of those strange people who doesn’t mind being alone. To think. To dream. To function.
Maybe that’s because, when I’m alone, there’s no one scrutinizing, or judging, or waiting to point out this flaw or that shortcoming. Or maybe it’s simply a sign that I’m comfortable in my own skin.
Either way, one of my “alone” things over the last few years is to take myself on a movie date (complete with Milk Duds and water, of course). Sometimes, I’m the only one in the theater. Sometimes, I’m the only one by myself. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I’m there to enjoy the show.
Just last night I went off to see The Time Traveler’s Wife only to find it wasn’t showing at the theater. So, after consulting the pictures out front, I chose an alternative: All About Steve. I had my Milk Duds. I had my water. And I had a relatively empty theater despite the fact the movie isn’t all that old.
All in all I’d say it was cute, serving its purpose as a nice diversion. But the one I’m really looking forward to seeing? Love Happens with Jennifer Aniston…
Which means I’ve got another date on the horizon.
So how about you? Do you ever treat yourself to a date? If so, what’s a favorite?
~Elizabeth
Aug
Hobby, Passion…It’s All The Same
When I was little, I considered writing a “hobby”. It was something I enjoyed doing.
As I got older, my hobby turned into a passion…one I wanted to pursue as a career. But no matter what I called it, writing was something that made me happy.
Today, I still love writing. Probably even more than ever. And since I’m focusing the bulk of my time/energy on it these days, I’m not sure it qualifies as a true “hobby” any longer… Except for the fact that a) I love it, b) I love to talk about it, c) I love to be around others who write, and d) I dream about it.
Which keeps the word “hobby” from disappearing into the stratosphere, doesn’t it?
So what was a childhood hobby of yours? What’s your hobby now? And what (if anything) does it bring to your life?
~Elizabeth