Hi, my name is Christina Berry, and I'm addicted to reading.
[all of you]: Hi, Christina. You are in a safe place here.
Seriously. Despite finishing two editing jobs in as many days, I managed to read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. This is definitely an R-rated book, with one sexual situation that really bothered me, but the storytelling is divine.
Despite being Ms. Setterfield's debut novel, it is a fantastically rich, modern gothic read. I spent the majority of my reading time trying to figure out what exactly was going on. Even this morning, as I was driving back from taking the kids to school, I placed another piece of the puzzle in the correct spot, though I had finished the book more than twenty-four hours before.
The discussion questions at the back were extremely interesting. The one that haunts me still is this: "Margaret says on page 4 that reading can be dangerous. In what ways do you think this is true?"
Ms. Setterfield raises a marvelous point that reading, perhaps, could be classified as an addiction. She says, "I'd be interested to know just what happens inside the brain, chemically and structurally, when someone reads." It alters the mind. One always wants more, the craving never seemingly satisfied for long. Allowing one paragraph of reading often leads to hours missing from your life. An alternate world becomes so real we can laugh, cry, or get angry. A person can neglect relationships, obligations, chores, sleep, exercise ... all to get a few more pages in. Just one more chapter ...
What do you think? Can reading be an addiction? Are any of us willing to seek treatment? Or rather, are we the dealers on the street trying to hook the non-readers, tempting them with free books at first, and of only the best quality?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Writer-palooza!
It's been nonstop, writing-related activities around here ... and the forecast is more of the same! I'll be putting tons of pictures up on facebook, so friend me there if you haven't already, but I want to give you a taste of what the life of a (not so) famous author is like. :)
Valentine's weekend, I was very whiny--I mean wine-y. My Pendleton book signing back in December netted a connection, my mother's friend's friend, who owns a local winery. Plum Hill Vineyards celebrated its anniversary with live music, free food, a $5 tasting fee to try all ten wines, and a signing table of local authors. Perhaps next time they won't put a grazing clutch of authors by the food table, but Barbara, Mary Jane, and I had a great time sampling the fare between costumers. Everyone was in great moods with high "spirits" so the two days of signing went extremely quickly. Now I have an idea for a romance that begins with the season's plantings in March and heats up during the first "crush" in the fall ...
Ever heard someone complain about an occurance in a novel being too coincidental? Well, isn't that how real life is? My beau, Darren, and I hadn't been at the vineyard for more than fifteen minutes when I recognized a voice coming toward us from the hallway. Three women walked in and gathered around the food table. I sidled over to Darren and whispered, "Either that's Kevin's girlfriend or it's her twin sister."
Which sounds facetious, but isn't, because she really does have an identical twin!
I awkwardly gave a few half waves before finally asking if she was (okay, I'm going to use a fake name for her to protect her privacy ... not that I would ever say anything bad about her, but it seems the right thing to do ...) Sarah.
"No, I'm Susie, her twin. (another alias)" She reaches out to shake my hand. "Who are you?"
Giggling, I manage to say, "I'm Christina Berry, Kevin's ex-wife."
How surreal! We all laughed and chatted for awhile. They bought a few copies of my book--having me sign it to "my favorite twin"--and even signed up for the infrequent, humorous newsletter like all of you should. Here's a pic of us all. :)
Also had a surprise visit from a former tutoree of mine. We worked her math out from 6th grade through her senior year. She's now graduated from college and amazed me by being all grown up. Katie, I'm so proud of you!
Today my friend and fellow writer, Judy Gann, drove down from Seattle to stay the weekend. We'll be at the Oregon Christian Writers conference all day tomorrow, then at the American Christian Fiction Writers meeting Monday night, where Judy is speaking. Whew! I <3 being a writer!
Of course, there are the usual internet appearances. Yet they are unusual in content, so I hope you check them out.
Moody's Fiction blog features my humorous look at techniques for kicking writer's block to the curb.
Nora St. Laurent conducted a fabulously fun interview with me. She'll draw a winner from the comments on the 20th, so hop on over!
I tend to skip setting description in novels, so I was especially interested in the quote used for this review on Love to Paint.
From Heart of a Bookworm names The Familiar Stranger as one of her favorite books!
Valentine's weekend, I was very whiny--I mean wine-y. My Pendleton book signing back in December netted a connection, my mother's friend's friend, who owns a local winery. Plum Hill Vineyards celebrated its anniversary with live music, free food, a $5 tasting fee to try all ten wines, and a signing table of local authors. Perhaps next time they won't put a grazing clutch of authors by the food table, but Barbara, Mary Jane, and I had a great time sampling the fare between costumers. Everyone was in great moods with high "spirits" so the two days of signing went extremely quickly. Now I have an idea for a romance that begins with the season's plantings in March and heats up during the first "crush" in the fall ...
Ever heard someone complain about an occurance in a novel being too coincidental? Well, isn't that how real life is? My beau, Darren, and I hadn't been at the vineyard for more than fifteen minutes when I recognized a voice coming toward us from the hallway. Three women walked in and gathered around the food table. I sidled over to Darren and whispered, "Either that's Kevin's girlfriend or it's her twin sister."
Which sounds facetious, but isn't, because she really does have an identical twin!
I awkwardly gave a few half waves before finally asking if she was (okay, I'm going to use a fake name for her to protect her privacy ... not that I would ever say anything bad about her, but it seems the right thing to do ...) Sarah.
"No, I'm Susie, her twin. (another alias)" She reaches out to shake my hand. "Who are you?"
Giggling, I manage to say, "I'm Christina Berry, Kevin's ex-wife."
How surreal! We all laughed and chatted for awhile. They bought a few copies of my book--having me sign it to "my favorite twin"--and even signed up for the infrequent, humorous newsletter like all of you should. Here's a pic of us all. :)
Also had a surprise visit from a former tutoree of mine. We worked her math out from 6th grade through her senior year. She's now graduated from college and amazed me by being all grown up. Katie, I'm so proud of you!
On Wednesday, Mom and I spoke at Sherwood High's Career Quest. The school has a brilliant system set up that brings in fifty professionals and gives the students four selections. Our four groups were lively and interested. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Mom chucked candy at anyone who asked a question.
Something on my mind lately has been the true freedom of religion. That the so-called freedom we have has turned into an irrational fear of offending. Pushing your beliefs on someone is entirely different from expressing them respectfully. During our speeches, we clearly labeled ourselves as Christian writers and prayed that others might be encouraged by our openness. Not three hours after we came home, a student wrote to say we had done just that for her. :)
Thursday morning, Redeemed Writers, our critique group, met at our Ashberry Lane home. As always, it proved to be a lovely time of sharing, caring, and ripping each other's work to shreds. Kidding! We're tough, but kind. As Mom said in our high school talk, you have to have a teachable spirit ... tough skin, but a tender heart.
Thursday night, after spending twenty minutes driving in circles through dark parking lots, I stumbled upon the wonderful McKenzie Books. They are also the headquarters for www.cash4books.net. (If you've ever sold a used textbook, you might have used them.) I really couldn't find the place among all the closed businesses in the park, but that allowed them to say all the bad things about the book before I got there!
Fourteen wonderful ladies discussed The Familiar Stranger and asked lots of great questions. Two hours FLEW by. Intellectually stimulated and riding a natural high, I found sleep elusive last night.
(Sorry for letting the cup of pens block a face!)
These ladies spoiled me rotten. A night out, surrounded by book lovers, and talking about my characters would be more than enough. But they gave me gifts and TWO DOZEN red roses!
Of course, there are the usual internet appearances. Yet they are unusual in content, so I hope you check them out.
Moody's Fiction blog features my humorous look at techniques for kicking writer's block to the curb.
Nora St. Laurent conducted a fabulously fun interview with me. She'll draw a winner from the comments on the 20th, so hop on over!
I tend to skip setting description in novels, so I was especially interested in the quote used for this review on Love to Paint.
From Heart of a Bookworm names The Familiar Stranger as one of her favorite books!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
You'll Never Believe What I'm Doing Today!
Many of you know I claim to be a writer. That I, in fact, do have a book out in the world. So guess what I'm doing today??
Yep, I'm actually writing! ;)
After getting my newest fiction proposal off to my agent, I decided to focus on the funky devotional another publisher is interested in. Last night I cut 500 words from one devo I had written a year or so ago, and today I'm committed to getting a new one written and sent to my wonderful critique group for our Thursday meeting.
Random side note for Blogger readers: Though I love getting Percoset- and Viagra-related postings on my blog as much as the next blogger, my love for the generically-translated comment is waning. Example: "Many thanks for this genial letter. I give much thought to it and will use it in my university paper." What this means is that you lovely commenters will now have one extra step: word-verification. I'm sorry to do it, but I allowed those spammers access to my blogging world ... and I can take them out of it. ;)
Long, long ago (three weeks) in a town very nearby (Forest Grove) the paper ran a wonderful article about my book. The News Times article featured this picture of our whole family. By covering "Angel's" face, I stayed within the DHS confidentiality rules, but you can still get a small taste of her cuteness. :) There are a few mis-facts in the article, like my mother's name or the age at which I married, but the flavor of the piece is delicious, AND I even got some good jokes in there.
I gave a quick recap of my publishing journey on Annette Irby & Dawn Kinzer's Seriously Write blog.
And Christian Bookworm Reviews posted a fun interview. The first few answers are completely fresh.
Yep, I'm actually writing! ;)
After getting my newest fiction proposal off to my agent, I decided to focus on the funky devotional another publisher is interested in. Last night I cut 500 words from one devo I had written a year or so ago, and today I'm committed to getting a new one written and sent to my wonderful critique group for our Thursday meeting.
Random side note for Blogger readers: Though I love getting Percoset- and Viagra-related postings on my blog as much as the next blogger, my love for the generically-translated comment is waning. Example: "Many thanks for this genial letter. I give much thought to it and will use it in my university paper." What this means is that you lovely commenters will now have one extra step: word-verification. I'm sorry to do it, but I allowed those spammers access to my blogging world ... and I can take them out of it. ;)
I gave a quick recap of my publishing journey on Annette Irby & Dawn Kinzer's Seriously Write blog.
And Christian Bookworm Reviews posted a fun interview. The first few answers are completely fresh.
Monday, February 08, 2010
One Year Ago Today ...
I lost my marriage, my best friend, my house, my ability to be a stay-at-home mom, my stability, my future ... my life.
One hour-long conversation with my now ex-husband and everything in my life was unexpectedly and horrifically different.
This is not a post of wallowing, but of remembrance. A look back to see how far I've come, where the Lord provided for me. Or where I still need a lot of prayer and encouragement.
Marriage--the dissolution went as well as it could, really. I'm thankful there wasn't anger and bitterness and fighting on each side. We've done the best we could to work together for the kids.
Best friend--the void left by his departure opened my world up to new people. In the past year, a handful of new friends have become very close. They care about me, pray for me, worry about me, and encourage me. If Kevin hadn't left, I wouldn't have developed these new friendships in the same way.
House--still in the same house, and not in debt yet, which is a truly a miracle. I love watching the kids take off into the forest, love knowing we're safe in a way because of our seclusion, love the beauty of this place, love the ease of entertaining here. But it's also been the biggest weight to carry. Instead of working to get ahead, or feeling satisfaction in moving forward, I work as many hours as I can to barely make it. (Like so many people in the current economy.) It feels like my efforts disappear into the past instead of build a future.
SAHM--I miss enjoying my kids. Don't get me wrong; I still carve time to really play with them or listen to them. Unfortunately, a lot of the time I spend with them is split between cooking or homework or housework or writing work. It's much more difficult to give them undivided attention when I'm playing the role of both parents in their day-to-day life. This is NOT a I-don't-like-to-work whine, because I find subbing/writing/editing to be extremely satisfying. It IS a man-I-had-it-good declaration.
Stability--still gone. Everything remains in flux. Which means that flux itself is the only thing not in flux. ;)
Future--God knows what it holds, but I don't. Will I keep subbing as long as this license will let me, or go back for my Master's and be a "real" teacher? Will I go into a completely different field? Will my next book sell and build on the readership I've already gained this last year?
Life--"Angel's" adoption is moving right ahead, so I do know that my future holds another child! I have a wonderful boyfriend who prays for me, supports me, and refreshes me ... yet he and I openly acknowledge that God might very well call us to part ways at some point.
1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)says, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far has the LORD helped us.'"
Please pray for my family this next day. A year ago we experienced the worst stress of our lives, but we want to focus on all that we have, not all we lost. The lyrics to this song are perfect for capturing my feelings today. Enjoy!
(If you're reading this on facebook and the video was stripped, here's the link.)
One hour-long conversation with my now ex-husband and everything in my life was unexpectedly and horrifically different.
This is not a post of wallowing, but of remembrance. A look back to see how far I've come, where the Lord provided for me. Or where I still need a lot of prayer and encouragement.
Marriage--the dissolution went as well as it could, really. I'm thankful there wasn't anger and bitterness and fighting on each side. We've done the best we could to work together for the kids.
Best friend--the void left by his departure opened my world up to new people. In the past year, a handful of new friends have become very close. They care about me, pray for me, worry about me, and encourage me. If Kevin hadn't left, I wouldn't have developed these new friendships in the same way.
House--still in the same house, and not in debt yet, which is a truly a miracle. I love watching the kids take off into the forest, love knowing we're safe in a way because of our seclusion, love the beauty of this place, love the ease of entertaining here. But it's also been the biggest weight to carry. Instead of working to get ahead, or feeling satisfaction in moving forward, I work as many hours as I can to barely make it. (Like so many people in the current economy.) It feels like my efforts disappear into the past instead of build a future.
SAHM--I miss enjoying my kids. Don't get me wrong; I still carve time to really play with them or listen to them. Unfortunately, a lot of the time I spend with them is split between cooking or homework or housework or writing work. It's much more difficult to give them undivided attention when I'm playing the role of both parents in their day-to-day life. This is NOT a I-don't-like-to-work whine, because I find subbing/writing/editing to be extremely satisfying. It IS a man-I-had-it-good declaration.
Stability--still gone. Everything remains in flux. Which means that flux itself is the only thing not in flux. ;)
Future--God knows what it holds, but I don't. Will I keep subbing as long as this license will let me, or go back for my Master's and be a "real" teacher? Will I go into a completely different field? Will my next book sell and build on the readership I've already gained this last year?
Life--"Angel's" adoption is moving right ahead, so I do know that my future holds another child! I have a wonderful boyfriend who prays for me, supports me, and refreshes me ... yet he and I openly acknowledge that God might very well call us to part ways at some point.
1 Samuel 7:12 (NIV)says, "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far has the LORD helped us.'"
Please pray for my family this next day. A year ago we experienced the worst stress of our lives, but we want to focus on all that we have, not all we lost. The lyrics to this song are perfect for capturing my feelings today. Enjoy!
(If you're reading this on facebook and the video was stripped, here's the link.)
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Great Way to Find Good Books!
Lately, I've been doing a lot of things I'd been putting off for a long time. Friday, at 12:30 AM, I got the proposal for my next book off to my extraordinary agent, Wendy Lawton. My inbox is down to a mere FOUR emails--can't remember the last time that happened. I've caught up on most of my business dealings, mailings, promotions, etc, ...
One thing I finally crossed off my to-do list this afternoon was getting my info into Fiction Finder. Now that I'm fully loaded, I want to make SURE you all know about this cool tool for finding good reads. One can search by genre or author or title or setting or issue. Each book also has a scale ranking the following characteristics of the book from 1 to 10:
Action
Conflict
Humor
Mystery
Romance
Spirituality
Suspense
Language
Sensuality
Violence
If you've read The Familiar Stranger, stop by and see if I captured the scale correctly! Oh, and it you've already posted a review on amazon or cbd, come post the same review on Fiction Finder.
One thing I finally crossed off my to-do list this afternoon was getting my info into Fiction Finder. Now that I'm fully loaded, I want to make SURE you all know about this cool tool for finding good reads. One can search by genre or author or title or setting or issue. Each book also has a scale ranking the following characteristics of the book from 1 to 10:
Action
Conflict
Humor
Mystery
Romance
Spirituality
Suspense
Language
Sensuality
Violence
If you've read The Familiar Stranger, stop by and see if I captured the scale correctly! Oh, and it you've already posted a review on amazon or cbd, come post the same review on Fiction Finder.
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