Writing – Page 8 – Jennifer's Journal

Five-Year Reflection

Published on December 29, 2016March 13, 2018 by J. Kelland Perry25 Comments

I received this notification today:

“Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!

You registered on WordPress.com 5 years ago.

Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.”

***

My blog turns five years old on New Year’s Eve. When I look back on that first post, Follow the Yellow Brick Road, I wonder: how on earth did I make it this far?

Before I started blogging, I wondered what the point would be in it. I used to liken it to shouting into a void, and where was the fun in that? And at first, that’s exactly what it was. With only a handful of followers, getting a like or two – or, wow, is that a comment??? – was all the encouragement I needed to post another photo, or a poem, or a thought about something.

Photo from: Travel Theme: Oceans – June 2012

Consistency is everything, as many of my blogger friends will tell you. Showing up and putting in the time and energy is what draws more followers, likes and comments. It is what brings the lovely reward of connection with other like-minded people, as well as with those who walk an entirely different path.

So much can happen in the span of five years. When I reflect on my life as shared through this blog, certain events stand out. I remember the highs – cherished moments with friends and loved ones (which strengthened those relationships), travel to new destinations near and far, and the fulfillment of two novels written; and the lows – first and foremost, the loss of my beloved mother to Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other sad good-byes, personal disappointments and health afflictions. For me, keeping a blog is also a form of testimonial to my ongoing gratitude, as a way to pay homage to the priceless gifts that life has granted me.

Today, I can’t picture my life without blogging. I know I’ve said this on earlier blog anniversaries, but it still holds true. When life gets hectic or throws me a curveball, I admit to moments that hint of burnout, but those times have thankfully been few.

I hope Jennifer’s Journal lives on for a few years yet. Why? Because, as an introvert, I have been enriched and inspired by all the incredible people I’ve met here. You’ve added another meaningful dimension to my days, and I want to keep you around, in 2017 and beyond!

Bloggers:

How long have you been blogging?
Have you found the connections you’ve made rewarding?

Daily Post D.C.: Retrospective

12 Dumb Tips New Writers Share

Published on November 20, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry12 Comments

pexels-photo-640x426 In this modern-day world of widespread social media and information overload, it seems everyone professes to be an expert on something. This, of course, includes the “rules” for writing novels and memoirs.

I have to make a confession. I’m sharing the following link from writer Anne R. Allen’s blog for my benefit as well as yours. Thankfully, I haven’t been taken in by most of the “stupid writing rules” listed, but I’ve also bookmarked it to refer to the many helpful links she shares throughout the post.

If you are a new or aspiring novelist, you would be wise to give it a read. Above all, make sure you get your writing advice from a reliable source.

Stupid Writing Rules: 12 Bad Writing Tips New Writers Give Each Other

Making Memories That Will Last Forever

Published on November 11, 2016June 20, 2019 by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

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Have you ever looked at your children when they are teenagers – or beyond – and wished you could go back in time to enjoy a day when they were little? I certainly have.

Children grow up so incredibly fast! It’s almost like you blink and they are grown. All the way through childhood they are making firsts: Their first word, their first steps, their first day of school. There is so much to relish and celebrate about these milestones that you almost forget about the time whizzing past.

Kids need a solid grounding and good examples to learn from, therefore conscientious parents want their kids to remember their childhood fondly, and with love. Their formative years are important because they’re going to remember certain things forever, so if you do fun things together as a family, they will remember these events fondly for the rest of their days. Here are some ideas on how to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Play with paint

It’s a great idea to teach a child creativity from a very young age. If they learn not to be afraid of a blank page, they will probably go on to create great things. (As a writer, I have faced that blank page many times.) One of the most imaginative and artistic things you can do with your children is to create and paint together. Let them go wild with crayons, colouring pencils, acrylic and water paint, and glue. They will feel proud of their results in the moment, and it will be fun to look back on their creations together in the future.

Pose for a picture

The wonderful thing about smartphones is that you have a camera almost always at hand. This give you the chance to capture as many candid photos of your children as possible. And don’t forget taking videos of them. If you would like something a bit more professional, a photographer can give you great results. A professional family photo is something that everyone loves to look back on because it perfectly captures a moment in time you can cherish forever. Not only will you have the physical photos, but you’ll have great memories of the actual day as well.

Read stories together

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My girl’s favourite: The Owl & The Pussycat

This was a big one for me when I raised my kids. When your children are little, it’s a great idea to get into the habit of reading them a book every evening. This not only calms them before they sleep, but it also helps them learn. The stories that you first read them will probably stay with them forever. Almost everyone can remember the first book that they loved to have read to them. It’s a child’s way of really using their imagination to form the pictures in their mind. Keep a couple of their favorite books for you to show them when they are grown up.

Cook together

If you can teach your children a family recipe that has been passed down through the ages, they’ll remember it forever. A cherished recipe can be pulled out and enjoyed again and again, and it will strengthen the memory for your child of when you first made it together.

Our boy making muffins!

Notice the recurring theme here? Creative endeavors seem to be the best way to make memories for you and your family!

What do you and your children do to make memories that will last a lifetime?

Come From Away – A Review

Published on October 31, 2016October 31, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry13 Comments

In September, I blogged about how excited I was to have tickets to a local showing in concert of Come From Away, a musical that is heading to Broadway in the new year. You can read that post here.

We attended the Gander show on Saturday afternoon, and it was INCREDIBLE!

Both shows in Gander on Saturday were sold out. — Both shows in Gander on Saturday were sold out and received standing ovations.

Flawlessly executed.

Overflowing with energy, talent, and professionalism.

And generating such love and pride for the citizens of Gander and surrounding communities – who most certainly deserved it – it was truly a moving experience.

“The Come From Away musical was written to show the compassionate response by Newfoundlanders when air space closed over North America after the Twin Towers fell —diverting dozens of planes to Gander. The community took in more than 6,000 passengers for several days while planes were grounded.” – Local CBC story on Come From Away

Can you imagine if the population of your town had nearly doubled on 9/11?

The show tells the tale through the eyes of local mayors, residents, a pilot, and stranded passengers, 100 minutes of heartfelt musical numbers that show how Newfoundlanders went above and beyond with their own special brand of hospitality.

To paraphrase Canadian playwright Irene Sankoff, cowriter of the musical:

“Not only did the {citizens of Gander} let people off of the planes who were {strangers} to them, but they let them into their community buildings. They canceled school for the entire time that “the plane people” were there, devoting all of their energy to taking care of them.

They put them up in their schools and community buildings, and then began inviting people home for dinner, inviting them to stay the night, cleaning their clothes, and giving them anything that they could ask for over the time that they were stranded.“

Countless times during the show, we laughed out loud. And many other times we wiped away our tears. And boy, did we ever applaud! I had chills several times, and it had nothing to do with the fact we were in a hockey arena.

I could go on and on about it, but just let me say, if you have the opportunity to see the show in Toronto or New York, you should. I know I’m biased, being a Newfoundlander and all, but I think anyone would enjoy such a positive showing of humanity in the face of crisis and disaster. With all the negativity in the media these days, it was a welcome change.

The cherry on top? All proceeds from the Gander shows were donated to local charities.

The Love Story. On the left, the actors who played the real-life couple on the right. One from Texas and one from England, they met during 9/11 in Gander, eventually marrying and honeymooning back in Newfoundland! — The Love Story. On the left, the actors who played the real-life couple on the right, a woman from Texas and a man from England. They met during 9/11 in Gander, eventually married, and honeymooned back here in Newfoundland!

At a special dinner held in Gander, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman unveiled a new plaque thanking the people of this province. — At a special dinner held in Gander over the weekend, the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, unveiled a new plaque thanking the people of this province.

I think our little province and its people made quite an impression on those affected that week. To illustrate, near the end of the show, one of the “plane people” from the U.S. told her new Gander friend that Newfoundlanders can’t tell knock-knock jokes.

“Why not?” her friend asked.

“Okay, I’ll be the Newfoundlander,” said the American. “You say knock knock.”

“Knock knock.”

“Come on in – the door is open!”

This is a shining example of Newfoundland hospitality and our way of life being brought to the Broadway stage. Did I mention I was proud?

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For more info, here is the Official Come From Away Website.

Looking to Increase your Blog’s Audience? Some Dos and Don’ts

Published on October 25, 2016October 26, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry16 Comments

Hello, fellow bloggers! This little post was written just for you.

I want my blog to reach as many people as possible, and I’m sure that you’re no different. Whether your blog is personal or lifestyle, an author website or a commercial site, once your blog audience increases significantly, you may find that many opportunities will open up.

This applies to noncommercial blogs too; you will meet more people, share ideas, and learn new things. You might even get companies approaching you about sponsorship.

So how exactly do you increase your blog’s audience? Well, it’s not just about the content of your blog posts (although, of course, that helps!). To give you a helping hand, here are my chief dos and don’ts for improving your blog’s audience.

Do: Improve The Design Of Your Blog

More and more web users are browsing sites on their smartphones and other mobile devices. That means your blog needs to be designed so it can be viewed on these smaller screens. If you aren’t sure how to do that, you can always enlist the help of a web design agency.

As well as being easily viewable on a mobile screen, the site also needs to be easy to navigate. If it isn’t, users might not find what they want and could move onto a different blog. Again, you can use a design firm to help you improve the navigation on your blog.

Do: Give Readers A Chance To Engage

There should be a number of ways that your readers can interact with you on your blog. For instance, leave a comments section underneath each article that you post, where your readers can leave their thoughts and opinions. You can use this feedback to tell which topics are the most popular.

You should also leave social media buttons on each article. Then readers can engage by sharing your content onto their social media profiles, which is a great way to reach more readers. Make sure your blog posts are fun and unique so that people will feel compelled to share them.

Don’t Spam Followers

You need to publish a lot of content to your blog, however, it is important that you don’t spam your readers and followers by posting too much. Otherwise, they may end up getting frustrated and could unfollow you. You need to get the balance right when it comes to posting.

Frequency depends on what type of blog you have and what your goals are. Try and aim to publish a new blog post every other day, or as I choose to do, about twice a week. That way, you’ll be giving your followers lots of fresh, new blog posts without overwhelming them.

Don’t Forget About Social Media

Social media is extremely important in the blogging world. It is crucial that you create social media accounts for your blog and share your updates on them, and be sure to use hashtags so more people will stumble across your updates.

One of your tweets or Facebook updates may go viral, and then you will be opening up your blog to thousands of people across the world! Try to follow as many bloggers who write about the same things you do. If they follow back, you’ll be able to create a network of bloggers where you can find support.

Hey, it seems to be working for me. 🙂

Are you actively trying to grow your blog’s audience?
Any tips you’d like to share?

Photo credit

Vivian’s View From Here: My Trip to the Vet

Published on October 22, 2016October 22, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry20 Comments

Happy weekend, Peeps and Pets.

Vivian K. Perry here, back for a new guest post on Jennifer’s Journal. Can you believe this is my eleventh time blogging here on WordPress? I’m becoming an old pro!

Let’s get down to business: I went to see my veterinarian in Gander yesterday. And because I did, my weekend is going to be one of recovery instead of more itching and scratching of my pretty face.

You see, I have this recurring condition, an allergy of sorts, or so I’m told. The problem is that no one can determine what triggers it! The first time this happened to me was when we were still living in the city, and I was barely out of kittenhood. I had a little spot on my cheek that simply would not heal.

fullsizerender-1 — **This is me yesterday morning. I had no idea at this point where I would be going that afternoon. Notice my not-so-pretty face. 😦**

As it happened, Jennifer and Paul went on a trip to Jamaica that spring, and when they came back, they were horrified to see that the little spot had festered and had gotten much worse. Off to the vet we went, and I came back with steroids, antibiotics and that ghastly ‘cone of shame’ around my neck. Let me tell you: I HATED that #@%*#!ing cone!

But I healed, and ever since, my staff made sure I never got to that point again.

A year or so ago, Jennifer read on the internet that the cat treats, Temptations, were causing itchy skin allergies in some other members of my species, so of course I never got to eat another one after that. For a long while, it seemed the mystery had been solved.

Then my condition returned, so we are back to square one as to the cause. If anyone out there has any experience with this or knows what I might be allergic to, would you help a kitty out and please leave a comment below?

Jennifer put together this little gallery from my visit. I hope you enjoy it more than I did.

**“I hate this #%&*# cage and this #%&*#car!”**

**Jennifer stayed in the back seat with me, so I stopped crying. An hour and a half is a long drive for a kitty.**

When we finally got to the vet's, we had to wait for a little while. — **When we finally got to the vet’s, we had to wait for a while.**

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Too many doggies for my liking. I was outnumbered!

Paul faced me away from those doggies, but I could smell them. Ugh! — **Paul faced me away from those doggies, but I knew they were there. Doggie smells don’t lie.**

In spite of my allergy, the vet said I was very healthy for my age. :) — **In spite of my allergy, the vet said I was very healthy for my age. I was also very well-behaved.** 🙂

After my check-up, I went home with my new meds. I hardly made a peep the whole way, probably because I was worn out from all the excitement.

I thought Maisie would’ve been lonely during our absence; she is rarely left by herself.
But she seemed un-purr-turbed.

Change the Way You Think About It

Published on October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry12 Comments

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Recently, I was catching up with someone I hadn’t seen in a while.

At first, the conversation was pleasant, as was my general mood, but as the chatting continued, I realized this person was swimming in barely concealed hostility.

Almost everything that came out of this person’s mouth was either a brag or a humble brag, a passive-aggressive remark, or a backhanded compliment (don’t you just love it when someone insults you like that – and it’s “socially acceptable”?).

But perhaps what rankled most was the obvious avoidance of discussing anything going on in my life. Whether the reason for this was self-absorption, disinterest, jealousy, or whatever, I could only hazard to guess.

So what did I decide to do? Well, I held my tongue and chose to follow the advice from Ms. Angelou as stated above. I decided to look at the experience differently, to frame it in a way that muted the annoyance I felt, and replace it with understanding.

I already know this person has difficulties going on in his own life, which helped me to recognize that the hostility had very little to do with me.

So I chose to temper my hurt with this awareness. The pain he is presently enduring in his life is far worse than anything he could inflict on me with his words. And perhaps, along with that, he was having an especially hard day.

It doesn’t always work, but in this case, a little understanding made all the difference.

Have you ever consciously changed your thought processes about something?
How has it worked for you?
How do you deal with difficult people?

A Seasonal Love Note

Published on September 19, 2016February 2, 2017 by J. Kelland Perry26 Comments

I know our Atlantic Canadian summers are short and I treasure the warmer days while they’re here, but there is something about this season of change I truly love as well.

Late summer and early fall has a uniquely different quality, where on a sunny day the air lends a crisper, more metallic edge to the natural world. (This love affair hinges on one important caveat: that the northeast wind doesn’t blow too much and turn our world chilly and wet for days on end.)

The outlines of clouds against the steel-blue sky look sharper, heralding the approach of what is to come. Most foliage and grasses are still summery green. I relish them all the more, knowing the colours will soon transition into vibrant shades of red and gold before finally fading to the cool grey and white hues of late autumn and winter.

It is a season of harvest and renewal, a time of new beginnings and the dawning of fresh ideas. The kiddies are back in their classes. Though my own school days and child rearing years are well behind me, I still feel that push of motivation into new plans and goals, to make the transition into a stricter work schedule, to get back to writing more in the coming months. November and NaNoWriMo are still a ways off, but I strive to clear up all loose ends in preparation for – dare I say it without jinxing myself – a 50 thousand-word first draft of a brand-spanking new novel.

Then there are the berries. Where would this season be without the berries?

fullsizerender-3 fruits of the first trip

fullsizerender-2 …and fruits of the second

In two afternoon jaunts, the blueberries are now picked, and it won’t be long before we are in on the barrens again to pick partridgeberries. (In other parts of the world, these lovely bitter, relatives of the cranberry are called lingonberries or cowberries.) I make plenty of the “patchy-berry” jam for my other half since he likes it on his morning toast all year round, not to mention in the occasional pastry tart with a generous dollop of thick cream.

Especially anticipated, besides an excursion on the barrens, is picking the plump, juicy partridgeberries that grow right here on our land. I checked all around the Point last week and it looks like a bumper crop this year, probably a sign of how plentiful their growth is everywhere else. They, along with the blueberries and the cod from the food fishery, will go a long way in keeping our deep freeze full for another winter.

Coinciding with the cool-down in temperature is a return to more bread-baking. There’s nothing like the smell of a fresh batch from the oven to take the chill out of your day.

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

What do you like the most about this time of year?
Relief from the heat? A return to a more orderly schedule?
Getting the children out from underfoot and back in school?
Or are you sad because the summer is nearly spent?
Do tell!

This post was inspired by Ailsa’s Travel Theme: Seasonal.

Plot Twists and Other Stuff

Published on August 24, 2016January 9, 2017 by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

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Hello, everyone!

I have some news, my peeps: I will be changing publishers.

My publisher for Calmer Girls, a small press in the U.S. which has been in business for five years, is closing its doors at the end of August. It was sudden news that leaves me (and all of its other authors) facing new decisions, transitions, and a fresh start.

But it’s okay! This sort of thing is not uncommon these days because of continuing changes in the publishing industry. This even includes the big presses. Who knows, it may turn out to be – dare I say it? – a blessing in disguise for some. With all rights, files and cover art, etc. now reverted back to me, I may even decide to self-publish. Why should hubs be the only one who runs a business in this house?

That said, I’m currently weighing all options while my third reader is plowing through the sequel to Calmer Girls, Calmer Secrets. Don’t you worry, dear Calmer readers, because one way or another you will soon be reading that sequel too!

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As for those who want to but haven’t had a chance to read the first book of the two-title series, there will be a short delay before it becomes available again for purchase on Amazon and Indigo. In the meantime, I still have a small supply on hand which includes those already ordered directly from me, and Norton’s Cove Studio is carrying them as well.

Many thanks to all of you for your support, readership, and for everything you’ve done so far. I hope you will continue to support me and my work as it is incredibly important to me. I will post updates, and the moment I have more info on my novels, I will make it available here and on my Facebook Author page.

Plot twist and move on!

Who’s That Indie Author? Jennifer Kelland Perry

Published on July 26, 2016July 29, 2016 by J. Kelland Perry12 Comments

Hey everyone, I’ve been featured on Barbara Vitelli’s blog, Book Club Mom. I hope you’ll check it out!

Book Club Mom

Author name: Jennifer Kelland Perry

Genre: Young Adult & New Adult Fiction

Books: Published this year: Calmer Girls

In Prepublication: Calmer Secrets (sequel)

Bio: Jennifer Kelland Perry is a native of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. In 2010, she and her husband Paul sold their house and left the city to enjoy rural life in Bonavista Bay. They live beside the ocean there and are loving every moment.

While working for years in the banking industry, Jennifer always dreamed of a time she could devote to her first passion of writing fiction. Calmer Girls is her debut novel, the first in a two-book deal with an independent American publisher. The sequel Calmer Secrets is expected to be released early in 2017.

In between working on her novels, Jennifer updates her blog, Jennifer’s Journal, where she shares her thoughts and observations on life in Newfoundland through prose and…

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