Kimberly Goodyear's Blog

• February 2008 Article for CSU's, The Vindicator.

  2008 Feb 26

  The Price of Fame...
  But who’s flipping the bill?
  
  By Kimberly D. Goodyear
  
  
  
  
  
  It seems that in our infinite world of excess, we’ve looked to our Hollywood stars for what’s socially acceptable, instead of following the universal rule of common sense. After all, celebrities seem to have it all, right? Who wouldn’t want to follow a lifestyle whose uncommon extravagances are that of a storybook life? Their excessiveness is boundless and the power of their fame gives an all too often delusion of grandeur in thinking that their stardom will make them impervious to harm.
  They set the tone in the hot spots of whose-who, indulging in decadent after-parties and hedonistic carousing, where suddenly, anything becomes possible on this virtual playground for the famous…yes, anything! For most, this lavish type of lifestyle would appear glamorous and alluring, but what happens behind the scenes is no joke and it can cause even the brightest of stars to loose their luster if not burn out completely.
  Hollywood is a town long known for its glamour and glitz, with ‘extreme’ being the name of the game. And anyone who didn’t get the memo yesterday may as well take themselves off the A- list!
  As a rule, what usually begins in a trendy night, spot will usually end up in the next morning’s headlines, with tales of lewd conduct and haughty brawls that spread vagrantly through the ornamented city like last night’s trash. Unfortunately, what most would deem a social embarrassment is now considered to be the means of propelling a lagging career, by re-inventing or beefing up their once illustrious image for the meat grinder they call, Fame, whose fickle nature is notorious for using and scrapping. And just like an unruly child that requires the attention of any kind, so suits the ostentatious egos of the famous, with the perception that any press is good press. And stories of their wild shenanigans seem to crop up daily, becoming more of a staple to the press than the war in Iraq, while it fills our social palette with more celebrity Botulism than you can shake a stick at!
  And as if this daily nosh weren’t enough, we willingly binge on the putrid smorgasbord of waste laden reality shows that litter our culture with piteous stories of drug abuse and celebrity has-beens, as if there were nothing else on the menu! Is this what our social needs have been reduced to? Is it only the hunger for ‘canned hype’ that we crave?
  Anna Nicole Smith’s reality show is sadly, a perfect example of how we’ve obsessed over lack of control. Voraciously, we watched from the sidelines as Anna’s drug induced lifestyle eventually spun her life out of control. We poked fun at her weaknesses, while people closest to her maintained an arms distance for fear of how it would make them look to be associated with the free spirit who made no bones about living life to it’s fullest. She had an ongoing battle with weight, drugs and alcohol, while trying to medicate her emptiness inside. What she didn’t count on, was that her long-time association with prescription drugs would inevitably seep into her son’s life as well as her own, eventually claiming them both.
  In looking back, did we not see this coming? Are we so caught up in television shows, pop stars and fashion faux pas, that we cannot see the obvious need for humanity when it’s right before our eyes? In fact, would it be too far fetched to ask this question about any celebrity who has fallen from grace and into the depths of icon tragedies?
  In the aftermath of Anna’s death, we saw interview upon interview with people who upheld a pointed finger at one another, even when it came down to the ones who were with her and supposedly, loved her the most. That’s right, even her attorney/husband, Howard K. Stern, admitted to keeping her medicated because it was just “easier than fighting her to get the help she needed.” Have you seen enough? Well don’t leave now; this is celebrity excess in its finest hour!
  Even our airwaves flow deep with self-deprecating songs of refusing rehab, almost initiating the replacement of our National Anthem since hitting number one on the music charts, by a very publicly drug-addicted, jazz vocalist, Amy Winehouse! Has this now become the type of role model we seek? It was recently reported on MTV News, that Ms. Winehouse’s in-laws were in fact, pleading for her fans to “not buy” her CD’s, so she wouldn’t have the means to feed her serious drug habit, which as of late, should be a sobering issue for this very talented , but very lost young woman.
  It is most sad that our media sanctions this poison to flow freely through the veins of every entertainment show and celebrity tabloid, haphazardly integrating its waste into the moral fabric of our apparently still, very green rationality, with the sole objective to create ratings by idealizing their lude behavior, and further imparting them as role models for all who emulate them.
  Humbly so, it remains in the hopes of the minority that we are not such slaves to trend that we cannot question the motives of our media, and their spawn of paparazzi, whose constant presence has been a trivial source of Jekyll and Hyde for decades. Their career is to keep fans updated on their status and projects, but are they only adding to the chaos? This on again off again love affair with the media has even its favorite celebrity targets in an upheaval of what they want being publicized, versus what’s crossing the line. On one side, we have Lindsay Lohan going on record to say that she “wouldn’t know what to do if she woke up and the paparazzi weren’t there to photograph her”, but in the same token, it is believed to be the fault of this incessant entourage that ended the life of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in 1997, in hot pursuit of their photograph. It’s all just too much to wrap ones mind around when the price of the photo becomes more important than the price of one’s life! And with as much publicity as celebrity glutton receives, would it not be fruitful for us as a society to aim our interests in another direction, and recycle our ‘green’ conduct for green peace? Perhaps global warming doesn’t reflect the same admired patina as that of our tarnished icons, but we are destined to burn out with those stars if our priorities don’t take precedence over the ‘here and now’ syndrome. Have we relinquished all power to these false images of perfection? Have we now wantonly become a society of the blind leading the blind? Ergo, the old adage that the world changes, but people don’t is now up for debate and it would be in our best interest to reach out; if only clad in the name of humanity, to help our fellow citizens of this earth before we inanely lose another to senselessness.
  But with all the disorderly conduct swirling among the celebrity world, it is most heartbreaking when it touches the lives of our younger stars that never really had the chance to come into their own.
  Britney Spears holds the most vivid account of ‘losing it’, stemming from her breakup with Kevin Federline; former husband and father of her two children, and someone whom most agree, would not be a suitable choice for anyone’s daughter. It seems the young couple was in trouble during the pregnancy of their second child and it only escalated from there, with a long list of bad choices that spun Hollywood’s golden girl, Brit, flailing out of control. Brit’s most recent mistakes were failing to comply with a judge’s order to apply for parental counseling and drug testing, as well as not driving her children around town with an invalid California driver’s license. Fortunately, the judge that presided over this issue disregarded her, “I’m a star and you can’t touch me” attitude, which landed her children in the arms of Federline for temporary custody until further notice from the court. But it appears that this is not the only problem that faces Ms. Spears. Former bodyguards and associates are now coming out of the woodwork to shed light on just how out of control Britney’s life has become, with a long list that consists of collapsing in public, issues of nudity and drug abuse and rumors of her planned “hit” on Federline. This is in addition to the poor judgment that America’s seen in the tabloids; such as driving with her child on her lap, public displays of nudity, attacking a citizen in his car with an umbrella, to the most popular; the shaving of her head. And though this is quite enough to substantiate a problem in anyone’s eyes, it was Britney’s shaky performance at the 2007 VMA’s that gave the jaw-dropping first hand observation of just how unstable she really is. Without a doubt, Britney has become a product of what money, drugs and celebrity excess can do; a far cry from the clean-scrubbed girl that once sang, “not a girl and not yet a woman”. Hopefully family or one of her fellow celebs will take her under their wing until she can get it together.
  The extravaganza of extreme Hollywood absurdities goes on to the performers who brawl at award ceremonies over a mutual love interest, to the starlets that publicly cast fiery names at one another, and to those who do their 40 minute jail sentences ‘bravely and without protest’, because it’s the right thing to do. Well yes, one would hope that a 40 minute jail sentence could possibly be served without introducing the skills they learned in acting classes, especially when the time spent behind bars after processing was more likely to be the equivalent of 10 minutes!
  I question the rights given to those performers who don house arrest ankle bracelets on stage, when it’s no secret that a person of non-celebrity status would not have an excuse important enough to leave the premises of their home while wearing one of these tracking devices!
  And so we will continue through life, bearing witness to the incredibly bizarre behavior of these people who seem to take their status and their money for granted. We’ll watch the shows and sing the songs of their ‘misfortune’, blinded by the effects that it’s having on our youth and our society as a whole, and confirming that our shock value has simply lost its power. Its numbing effect is changing the course of what we consider to be ‘normal’, and the issue of the human condition being alive and well, is now questionable. And until we come to terms with what we ultimately want for ourselves and our future, we will continue to see alarming trends that fray at our country’s seams, dictating our state of mind and lack of control, with a firm grip on Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels. We must ask ourselves that if what we are seeing now is considered to be trivial, what will we see in 10, or even 20 years from now? One can only assume that the price of fame will be more than anyone can afford to pay. ~
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Local Restaurant Review, 2006 - The Vindicator.

  2008 Feb 26

  Jimmy’s Café
  NEW ORLEANS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD!
  
  Written by Kimberly D. Goodyear
  Photos by Rick Zaidan Photography
  
  
  "When the taste changes with every bite and the last bite tastes as good as the first, that's Cajun."
  - Paul Prudhomme
  
  Looking for a good place to eat that’s off the beaten path? There are so many restaurants that are well worth mentioning, and Jimmy’s Café in Cuyahoga Falls, just happens to be one of them! From the moment that one sets foot into this simulated southern territory, it’s anything but dull! Quaint al fresco dining quarters with vibrantly-painted umbrella tables line the front entrance of this New Orleans inspired Café, and are always considered to be the best seats in the house during the balmy summer months.
  
  Upon entering Jimmy’s venue, you’ll notice a grand wall of cherished photos that exhibit the many colleagues and friends that have come to love Jimmy and his establishment. And just as New Orleans is noted for its total mix of cultures, every corner of this Cajun scene displays such an assortment; dripping with jewel encrusted walls in a copious feast of visual art and sculpture, both inside and out! If not to dine, the artwork alone is enough to keep one lingering for hours!
  
  Who would be the proprietor of such a new fangled café? Non other than Jimmy Van Hoose, a native to New Orleans, turned owner/operator and artist to what was previously an abandoned building with no memorable history to speak of. Van Hoose bestowed a much needed breath of life into Cuyahoga Falls by opening this unique Café with flavor, which is often said to be the “Jewel of the city,” attracting business professionals and young folk from all over to take in this feast for the eye and appetite! And although you can often drive by and see Van Hoose busy incorporating some new artful decor, he admits that in the beginning, the café had “become a real communal project," with people lending their hand to it’s renovation, and donating their own cherished works of art to adorn his walls.
  
  In addition to this collective project of the heart, Van Hoose and his staff family have held cook-offs to raise money for the Hurricane Katrina victims back home in N’awlins, donating 100% of its proceeds towards the families directly! Jimmy’s Café is also a home to many local musicians, and artists who are always encouraged to get up and do their thing on stage every Friday and Saturday night, performing folk, blues, jazz music and much more! It is never out of the ordinary to hear their elevating performances throughout the neighborhood, followed by swells of cheers from the crowd that it draws. - A surefire way to attract nearby residents in to see what the fun is about, Jimmy’s has literally turned a once bland street corner of the Falls, into a hopping, fun place to be!
  
  What kind of cuisine does Jimmy’s offer? While Jimmy’s Café is known for their unparalleled desert coffees and drinks, his expertly skilled kitchen staff is proficient in creating a modest, yet perfected array of southern dishes! From Jimmy’s famous red beans and rice, spicy Jambalaya and variety of Gumbos, to the ever authentic Po’ Boy sandwiches, quiches and crepes are available, and have become local favorites!
  
  Have a sweet tooth? Well y’all ‘ave come to the right place! Some of Jimmy’s best deserts can be described as “delectable,” boasting an incredibly rich rice pudding, drizzled with southern comfort sauce, or an out of this world almond tort, drizzled with warm caramel! Jimmy’s also offers breakfast crepes for you early birds from 8-10:30 Saturday mornings and 12-3 on Sundays, using only the freshest ingredients. Have a party that needs catering? Jimmy’s Café hopes to expand its services to offer catering in the near future!
  
  
  Café features;
  - Live music/entertainment
  - Patio dining
  - Take-out
  - Cash and checks only
  - Smoking sections
  - Casual dress
  - No reservations
  - Vegetarian dishes
  
  
  So if you’re ever on this side of town, be sure to stop by Jimmy’s Café for a fine slice of The Big Easy! - We’re Talkin' N'awlins Style!
  
  A lil’ “yatspeak” to get you in the mood!
  
  
  - Gris Gris (gree gree) - Voo-Doo good luck charm (If the Saints tried it, we know it doesn't work!)
  
  - Do-do (dough dough--not du-du!) - In New Orleans, it's a cute word children use when tired and sleepy (from the french "to sleep" = dormir)
  
  - Dressed - Sandwiches served with lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise--"the works"
  (And, of course...the way those with class catch their Mardi gras throws!)
  
  - Gallery (galllll-rreeeee) - Balcony--walkway outside of homes on the second floor.
  
  - Fat City - A region of Metairie (see below) that is a popular place to party during Mardi gras, originating from the term Fat Tuesday, the literal translation of Mardi gras.
  
  - Mardi gras - Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent....the day to celebrate before the traditional Catholic tradition of sacrificing and fasting during the 40 days of Lent.
  
  
  
  Happy Dining!
  
  
  

• January 2008's Published Interview In CSU's, The Vindicator.

  2008 Feb 26

  An Interview with Controversial Author, Dr. Joseph Suglia
  By Kimberly D. Goodyear
  
  
  
  
  • Full name: Joseph Suglia
  • City and state of birth: Buffalo, New York
  • Education: Ph.D., Northwestern University
  
  
  How many books have you written? Dates/titles of books.
  
  Watch Out (2006); Years of Rage (2005); Hölderlin and Blanchot on Self-Sacrifice (2004).
  
  Can you give your readers a brief introduction to your latest book?
  
  Watch Out is the story of Jonathan Barrows, the world’s first completely self-sufficient human being. He has feeling for no one other than himself, desires the company of no one other than himself, lusts after no one besides himself. Jonathan is both masculine and feminine and neither masculine nor feminine—an auto-inseminating super-computer. He is absolutely free of desire (for other human beings) and is therefore desired absolutely.
  
  What message do you hope people will take from your book?
  
  I have my writings published in order to inflict my nightmares upon the world. My hope is that my fiction will invade your consciousness and grow within your mind like a vicious monster fungus. My fiction will infect you like a virus. Everything that you think, every word that you utter will be contaminated by my language to the point at which you will be able to think of nothing else and speak of nothing else besides my brilliant language. My books have the tendency to traumatize readers, and that is a very good thing.
  
  What first inspired you to write?
  
  I write because I have no other choice. No genuine writer seeks inspiration, as no genuine writer suffers from what is called “writer’s block.” To paraphrase the great Paul Valéry, the apostles of inspiration must explain why the winds of inspiration blow through certain writers and not through others. I see myself as the mediator of images in verbal form, the conduit for a ceaseless flow of language.
  
  
  Who (celebrity/non-celebrity) has inspired you in life and why?
  
  Serge Gainsbourg, if only because he had sexual intercourse with Jane Birkin and Brigitte Bardot.
  
  Can you explain what you believe sets you apart from other American writers?
  
  Whereas every other American “writer” writes like an average twelve-year-old, I maintain a high watermark of eloquence, intelligence, and sophistication. Some of these creatures call themselves “minimalists”; they are, in fact, infantilists. They “dumb-down” their prose in order to flatter readers with low reading levels. There was a time when I attacked such cretins by name. Now I merely refuse to read their illiterate “fiction.” The rise of self-publication has, if anything, contributed to the “dumbing-down” of American letters. Everyone and his brother calls himself a “writer” these days, which I see as the poisonous end of democratization. I may be the only genuine writer left in the United States of America. The intelligent love my books, and the mentally stunted despise them.
  
  Dr. Suglia, you claim to be the “Greatest author in the world,” do you have any statistics to back up that presumptuous statement?
  
  Aesthetic quality cannot be quantified or measured statistically. If I have declared myself “The Greatest Author in the World,” it is because I am the only living writer who fashions truly imaginative, elegant, and groundbreaking fiction. There are, of course, other “Greatest Authors in the World” who are still very much alive—J.G. Ballard, Martin Amis, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Pierre Guyotat—but they have produced nothing in recent years that would aesthetically approximate their earlier masterworks. I never nominated myself “The Greatest Man in the World”—I’m far from that. I am merely the greatest author in the world.
  
  There’s a buzz that your book has captured the interest of Indie filmmaker, Steve Balderson. So much goes into writing a novel, especially when you have the opportunity to see it materialize on screen. Do you have a cast line-up in your mind’s eye for this movie, and if so, how much collaboration will you have with Mr. Balderson to ensure that your vision will play out the way you see it?
  
  Whoever plays Jonathan Barrows must a.) Know how to act and b.) Be willing to appear unclothed on camera. Steve and I discussed this matter on the telephone. It is difficult to find good actors who are also completely comfortable with exhibiting their bodies in their natural state. Nicolas Roeg often cast musical performers in his films—Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Art Garfunkel. Though they had no formal training as actors, each has a screen presence that is—if I could put it this way—definitive. Perhaps we could cast a former or current “rock star” in the role of Jonathan Barrows.
  
  When do you foresee your movie coming out?
  
  I have no idea when the film will be completed. Steve spent ten years on Firecracker (2004), from what I understand. We are both aesthetic purists, and neither of us, I am sure, would ever release a work of art onto the public until it reached the glistening acme of perfection.
  
  What advice do you have for starving writers?
  
  Starve to death!
  
  What is next for you, Dr. Suglia?
  
  I am currently engaged in a new project, a novel with illustrations. Besides being a brilliant writer, I am also a draughtsman—and a dashing man-about-town.
  
  Professional links:
  
  www.myspace.com/josephsuglia
  
  www.josephsuglia.com
  
  
  

• January 2008 Book Review Published by CSU's, The Vindicator.

  2008 Feb 26

  
  A Book Review on Extremist Novel, ‘Watch Out’
  By Kimberly D. Goodyear
  
  
  
  
  Graphic, unsettling and vividly ornate best describes this extreme novel entitled, ‘Watch Out’, by Dr. Joseph Suglia.
  
  This novel reveals the sickened mind of the perfectly cultivated narcissist, Jonathan Barrows; exposing a deranged and troubled childhood that propelled an excessive adult life of human-loathe and self worship to the point of which there is no one in the world that he desires more than himself.
  Dr. Joseph Suglia creates and utilizes his extensive knowledge in terminology and mind play to express life through the eyes of a man gone mad, as well as creating innovative expressions to more effectively capture the very essence of Jonathan Barrows’ evocative thoughts.
  
  The first few chapters begin as what would seem like the normal life of a man with a general abhorrence for people. His thoughts are mechanical and unwarranted, as he describes the depth of his repugnance; deliberated as general statements of preference, as he travels by train towards a scheduled job interview.
  In chapter four, the story begins to unfold; affording the reader a deeper look into the unhinged psyche of this character, though Jonathan Barrows thinks that he is in fact, the only sane, beautiful, perfect and worthy life form on the planet, not recognizing his own transience. His perception of people and their idiom is sickening, as he instinctively re-names everyone he meets to suit the foul image they project in his mind. Jonathan also, frequently re-iterates random significant thoughts through his experiences with the general public to further define his reasoning, and formulates mental notes upon confirmation of this irrational reasoning; almost as if to convince himself that his way of thinking is absolute.
  Apart from the sheer revulsion for others, Jonathan’s mindset is of only himself and the greatness that he exudes. His life seems very cut and dry, and very right or wrong as he transgresses through the story, justifying his greatness with the human error of others. His thoughts are littered with comparisons and they’ll often run rampant as he perceives most communication from others in a continuous thought with no beginning or end.
  Jonathan Barrows’ life ultimately ends in tragedy, but not for himself. He holds deep hatred and hostility for people with whom he believes to purposely stand in the way to his ‘greatness’, or his life’s objective. - What’s left is the shell of a man who is completely misplaced in the reality of delirium.
  
  I highly recommend this book for the sake of sanity alone. The disturbed meanderings of this intricate character will have you questioning your own ability to reason, and present a reality check on the delusional journey of the ‘perfect’ narcissist.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• A historical avenue...

  2007 May 16

  .
  During my lifetime of 36 years, I always knew that I was partial to history. It was a subject that came easy for me in school, and it intrigued me to see how people used to live.
  
  During those years, I would also learn how most people - for no apparent reason, were inclined to favor one era in time over another. I don't know that I believe in reincarnation, but found that I too, am partial to a particular era as well.
  
  For years I would admire large old homes (particularly in the south), and enigmatically drawn to antiques and trinkets from the 1920's-1930'2 time period. Magnolias, antique china, flagstones and stained glass to name a few...Why do these things give my soul comfort? Are they somehow familiar to me? Yes. Why? I don't know, but somehow these things are sewn into the fabric of my being, suggesting that maybe I am remembering something from my past. All of these things inspire me; not surprisingly, coming from a father whose passion in life revolves around the Cival War! But why this period in life for me? Why the Cival War for my father? Why do songs from the 60's give people an unknown feeling of kinship? Is it the echoes of a previous lifetime that still rings in our souls? How does one's passion evolve from something that someone has no memory of experiencing?
  
  But with all of these notions running through me, it is no wonder that I've decided to try my hand at a historical novel based on a young family living through The Great Depression! I believe I've reached chapter 12 in this novel, as I have in my dark fantasy novel, and have to say, that this is one exceptional book thus far, and that I hope to market both of them as movie ideas once published.
  
  This book will fall under the 'Mystic River' imprint upon completion.
  

• The birth of a dark fantasy.

  2007 May 16

  
  
  It was late last fall; I was sitting at my computer working on one of my books from THE CAT TALES COLLECTION, when I noticed that it was an unusually beautiful night. The sun had already gone down, but it was still fairly warm out (almost balmy) and there was a slight breeze blowing through my office window, suggesting the hint of a storm moving in. I can't really exlain why the weather will sometimes inspire me to write, but on this night, it did.
  
  After awhile, I decided that I had to go outside to experience the fresh smell of earth that was traveling heavily through the air, and to get a better feel of the mood that it was giving me.
  
  There I stood there in my driveway wrapped up in my favorite sweater, gazing at the houses on my street as the wind blew through my hair. Everything was peaceful, but there was something in the air that suggested otherwise; running through me like an untamed emotion. And that's when it hit me. The first chapter of a new book had begun playing like a movie reel in my head, sending me flying back into the house to type it out before it was gone!
  
  I often wondered before I began writing, just what it took to inspire one to begin such an endeavor, but have come to realize that as much as my own methods may differ from others, the more they may be similar.
  
  A few years ago, I found that once I'd cleared my head of all the negative issues that I was clinging to, I'd soon meet a whimsical little being that I like to refer to as my 'muse'. Sound funny? Well...sometimes it is!
  This unseen creature runs in and out of my head as it pleases, inspiring me at times with the slightest touch of someone's hand, by the inflection in their voice, or the atmosphere on a warm summer night. Sometimes it's all I can do to keep this little guy on a chair - just so I can catch up from all the ideas that he's left floating around in my head. Other times, he is nowhere to be found; leaving me with not even an initial word to use for those many ideas - like he took them when he left!
  
  Today, not even a year later, I've managed to complete 12 chapters of this unique little story that continues to unfold into new and exciting directions, with 20 pages per chapter. I imagine there will be at least 12 more to follow but I'm not counting. The story will end where it will end, and is filled with mystery. I know it will be something special.
  
  This book will fall under the 'Mystic River' imprint upon completion.
  

• THE CAT TALES COLLECTION / A TALE OF TAILS - Where the tails begin.

  2007 May 12

  
  
  Thus far, I've completed the first book in this series of 9, entitled A TALE OF TAILS.
  
  I have to admit, this book is a very enjoyable read, even for adults! It's full of real life issues that pertain to adolescents and families alike, with a good dose of humor and an endearing cast to play it out. I've read it a many times myself as well as taking turns reading chapters of it with one of my daughters. It's an amazing feeling when I get a giggle from any one of the situations that are in there, and even more of a thrill when their friends ask to borrow the book!
  
  Each book to follow will be a take-off from the beginning, with new characters and stories that are all linked to the first! I have about 4 others in this collection that I've halfway completed and anticipate one more of them to be completed by the end of 2007 or the beginning of 2008- I'm hopeful that this will include the editing too!
  
  Sometimes I think the editing takes longer than writing the actual story. usually once I've written a chapter, I re-read it to check for obvious mistakes (grammer, spelling). The chapter that follows is much of the same, only after the initial grammer and spelling check, I re-read the chapter prior to the one I've just written and then go onto the second to make sure it flows and then repeat this process for the remaining chapters. When the entire book is completed, I read the entire thing (several times); checking the time sequences, inconsistancies and of course, the flow.
  
  This next book (wait until you hear the title, too cute!) will contain a lot of mysterious happenings...
  

• Book 3 in THE ALL ABOUT ME COLLECTION.

  2007 May 11

  So far I've completed 3 books in THE ALL ABOUT ME COLLECTION, with 'Me, the Bee', being the most recent. This book series are easy-readers and is for children ages 5 to 8. I imagine I'll be writing 3 more to make this book series a collection of 6.
  
  I love children and find writing these types of books very enjoyable. The rhyming sequences are fun to create and come naturally to me once I've selected my focus. I also love drawing the illustrations for them, what a blast!
  
  I hope to have book 4 in this series completed by the end of this year (2007).