10 Gift Suggestions for the Writer

November 23, 2017December 5, 2017 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

It’s hard to believe that we are coming up on Thanksgiving and the inevitable Black Friday Christmas rush! Buying for kids and grandkids that already have the latest gadgets is becoming more and more difficult, but I refuse to resort to the dreaded gift card.

Unlike our children, there are lots of great ideas for the writers in our life. So, to help you get a start on the madness, check out these great gift ideas.

My ten top suggestions for the writer in your life.

I would be remiss if I did not plug my own short story collection – Maybe Next Time – available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback.

2. Gift a one-year subscription plus an extra goodie.

3. Available on Amazon:

3d-Rose, Please Do Not Annoy The Writer Black – Two Tone Black Mug, 11.oz

3d- Rose I Write What’s Your Superpower? Two Tone Black Mug, 11 .oz, Black/White

4. The Writer’s Toolbox: Creative Games and Exercises for Inspiring the ‘Write’ Side of Your Brain.

5. Ernest Hemingway Engraved Quote Pen – “In order to write about life, first you must live it.”

6. 5-Pc.Typewriter Coaster Set

7. On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft Special Edition by Stephen King.

8. Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft: A step-by-step guide to a better novel by Janice Hardy.

9. Say What? Second Edition: The Fiction Writer’s Handy Guide to Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage by C. S. Lakin.

10. a must-have collection from Writers Helping Writers. The Emotion Thesaurus, The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, The Urban Setting Thesaurus, The Rural Setting Thesaurus, The Emotional Wound Thesaurus.

Happy shopping!

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

I Bit the Apple

December 5, 2014March 12, 2018 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

Samantha Paige Images

I feel a little like Eve. I bit the Apple, tasted the forbidden fruit. Yep, my eyes opened, and I threw the inferior Windows out, well the window. Unfortunately, once you’ve taken a bite, there’s no turning back. Now, I’m ruined and so is, unfortunately, my Apple.

Seems one can screw up an Apple in a heartbeat while reading recipes, cooking, and imbibing in a taste or two, of wine. Apparently, Apples detest getting wet, even a tiny splatter. In fact, they throw a fit, opening the very application you never knew you had and will even attempt to send emails on your behalf. Unruly is an understatement. I lost all control.

After a trip to the Apple doctor, I was given good news and bad news. The bad, my Apple had succumbed. “The sauce did it,” the cute little technician said. I didn’t ask which sauce. My mind was already taking a pantry inventory, God let there be wine. He continued, “The good news is we can bring it back to life.”

I swallowed. “How much?”

“We’ll send it off, and a week to ten days, it will be like new. Only $800.00,” he said, smiling.

I blanched then my eye caught the gleam of the table to my left. Bright, new shiny Apples flashed on display, and I swear I heard a whisper, “Wanna bite?”

Black Thursday

November 26, 2014October 21, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 2 Comments

I am happy to admit, my Christmas shopping is done and every gift wrapped! I know, some of you are envious, others think I’m a bit type A (maybe a little). But here is the truth. I can’t stand Black Friday, oh wait I meant Black Thursday! Yep, our generous retailers are doing us a favor – moving Black Friday to Thursday, Thanksgiving night no less. The one day families like to gather and show thanks for all life has brought, is this year turning into a race for the bargain. To hell with giving thanks. I’ll be thankful after I elbow my way to that great savings deal on the shelf. It’s a scam.

According to Tiffany Hsu of the LA Times, “The weekend is crowded with misleading promotions, including deceptive discounts off misstated “original” prices and deals that could have been had a year earlier, according to NerdWallet.”

And Suzanne Kapner of The Wall Street Journal explains it well in her article, The Dirty Secret of Black Friday ‘Discounts’.

We, dear consumers have been duped. I’ve been backing away from Black Friday for several years but when it became Black Thursday, I said, “Enough.” I know some will say, “I love it. I get up at 3:00 am and it’s a blast, puts me in the Christmas spirit.”

Yeah…if one considers obnoxious, belligerent, elbowing, rude-ass people fighting over toys or parking spaces a mood setter for Christmas. More power to you.

Me? I shall be kicking my heels up on the ottoman, in front of a fire, and enjoying a hot hottie or two.

Oh, might I suggest you wear extra padding, those elbows get pretty sharp.

Christmas Magic

December 8, 2012November 19, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 6 Comments

Christmas is just around the corner, and we adults are hustling and bustling, to buy the perfect gift for everyone on our list. By now we’d received all kinds of hints and a few suggestions (lists, to make our shopping experience easier).

Christmas is for the little ones, but my children are adults now with families of their own, and on Christmas morning, my husband and I will wake up in an empty old house. I’m sure Christmas morning will be lovely, but the sound and excitement of little ones is but an echo. As a result, the season has lost a little of its magic.

Months of commercialization sap the life out of Christmas spirit and crowds of shoppers which grow every year, are overwhelming. By the time, my family arrives on Christmas Eve, I’m worn out from shopping, wrapping presents, decorating and baking. I’m just ready for the New Year to begin.

In an instant a precious grandchild can bring the magic back, and remind us all of the true spirit of Christmas.

It isn’t about the most expensive or trendy gift but a gift from the heart. My seven-year-old granddaughter’s school sponsored a Santa Shoppe for students where each child would have the opportunity to purchase Christmas presents for their parents, and friends; the prices ranged from $1-$5.

Included on my granddaughter’s Christmas list was her daddy, a construction worker. She spotted the perfect gift the minute she walked into Santa’s Shoppe.

Her daddy often received calls after hours, and on more than one occasion, she watched him go out to his van at night. Unable to see well enough to unlock the door to his van, he always came back, grumbling in search of a flashlight.

What did my seven year-old granddaughter buy her daddy for Christmas?

A keychain flashlight.

Her thoughtfulness brought him to tears. How do I know? She couldn’t wait to give it to him.

Often the small things that make the biggest differences in our lives. This is the spirit of Christmas. The magic is back.

A Kernel of Magic (onthehomefrontandbeyond.wordpress.com)
“Share With The Children “ (christmasblessings.wordpress.com)
Christmas Across America: A Small White Envelope (Watery Eyes Alert) (lower48plus2.wordpress.com)
Giving From the Heart for the Holidays (mystiblu.wordpress.com)
Christmas Spirit (ashleychristie.wordpress.com)