Tag: bloggers

A Look Back, A Look Ahead

Published on by J. Kelland Perry36 Comments

Happy 2016, everyone!

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Okay. Now that we’ve gotten that out of our systems, let’s move on, shall we?

It’s a brand new year and a time when many of us who blog like to reflect on what we’ve achieved over the past twelve months, and where we are now headed.

I won’t bore you with all the statistical details, but I do want to mention the top two posts from Jennifer’s Journal in 2015 just in case you missed them or wish to take another peek. Out of 76 blog entries for the year, these are the posts that received the most comments and visits:

1. Book Deal! (April)

2. Berg Watching (June)

And as I have been each year, I am ever so grateful for my most active 2015 blogger commenters. My sincere appreciation goes out to all who follow my blog.

I noticed a couple of my blogger friends have come up with a special word to inspire and to keep them focused in the year ahead. I think it’s such a fine idea, I am offering a word of my own:

Accomplishment

By the spring of 2016, my first book will be published. The release of Calmer Girls, a Young Adult novel, is an accomplishment I have long dreamed of. I’m hoping my special word will give me the extra little push to finish its sequel well before the end of spring. This way it can be ready for my editor when the first one is released.

In between promoting Calmer Girls and editing the sequel, I hope to find time for photography, poetry, and the gathering of research for a third work. This new novel will be a total departure from the first two with new characters, an entirely new setting, and possibly a different genre. I expect it might be my most challenging writing project yet.

What accomplishments or progress have you made since last January?
What are your creative goals for 2016? Share your thoughts below!

Still need a little more New Year celebrating? Haven’t had your fill of fireworks?

Here you go!

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http://www.faithholland.com/

 

 

 

Blogger Bouquet #32

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

Selfies and the people who take a lot of them often get a bad rap. Here is a refreshingly different perspective on the topic from a blog called The Belle Jar :

An Open Letter To All Of My Friends Who Take Selfies

Comments are closed here but you can share a comment on the blogger’s page.

Blogger Bouquet #31

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

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Author Dylan Hearn at Suffolk Scribblings has written two books and is working on his third.

In his own words:

My name is Dylan Hearn and I am an author. It has taken me a while to admit this. I started this blog because I wanted to write, so I wrote about many different things, but over time the blog has become focused on the act of writing and self-publishing....I limit myself to spending only one hour on each post, plus a bit of extra time for editing, because I prefer to concentrate on writing my fiction. However, this does mean you may find the odd typo or grammatical error. I blame my fingers.”

The post I have chosen delivers great insight into the experience of writing a second novel.

5 Things You Learn When Writing Your Second Book

I have disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Dylan’s blog.

If you do, please tell him Jennifer sent you. 🙂

Friday Bouquet #30

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

Happy Friday, everyone! And Happy Thanksgiving Day weekend to all my fellow Canadians. 🙂

Before I share today’s Bouquet recipient, I wanted to let you know of a small modification to this regular feature from Jennifer’s Journal.

The name of the feature will change from Friday Bouquet to Blogger Bouquet because after today it will not be limited to Fridays. Instead, Bouquet posts will appear on any day of the week and whenever I am moved in some way to highlight a fellow blogger.

Now on to the bouquet toss!

Lois from on pets and prisoners is one of my favourite bloggers. She loves animals and owns three cats, has fun with photography, and for years has done volunteer work with prisoners.

In Lois’s own words:

So what do pets and prisoners have in common? In my life–plenty. Both hold a special place in my heart.
By day, I feed my pets and the strays at work. At night, I feed the souls of the prisoners I sponsor through Gavel Club–a Toastmasters affiliate.
All my animals are special. Those I have, those I had, and those I hope to have.
The prisoners–for me, they are the special ones. They were, at one time, someone’s father, brother, son, uncle–even grandfather. They have heart; they have soul. We have fun.”
~ excerpt from plenty for everyone

The following post has been highlighted because it will give you an idea of what Lois brings to these inmates’ lives.

The Gift

I have disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Lois’s blog.

If you do, please tell her Jennifer sent you. 🙂

 

Friday Bouquet #29

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

Because I have roots in Grates Cove, a little beluga whale has been all over my Facebook feed lately. That is where I recently discovered Jared through his Beluga At My Doorstep post.

His blog, Bird⋅the⋅Rock, specializes in bird & nature tours in Newfoundland.

From the blog’s About page:

Jared Clarke is a native Newfoundlander who grew up on the northeast coast of the island and was introduced to the outdoors at a very young age – mostly by his grandfathers…Despite his “official” training as a health researcher (PhD Medicine), his love of nature and sharing it with others has consistently led him astray. Jared has led tours big and small across Newfoundland; from historic St. John’s to the ancient Viking settlement of L’Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of the island and many points in between.

Check out the beautiful photos Jared captured in the link below. There’s even a short video of the whale:

A Beluga At My Doorstep

I’ve disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Jared’s blog.
If you do, please tell him Jennifer sent you.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

❤

Connected

Published on by J. Kelland Perry18 Comments

What comes to your mind when you hear the word connected? For some, the word may conjure a mental image of all the gadgets we have, like our smart phones, computers, etc. that allow us to stay accessible and up-to-date in the digital world. Or it may make you think of being well-connected, in that you have successfully networked with the right people who can further your career or your mission in life.

The most meaningful connections for me, as they are for most, are the ones I make with people in person, especially one-on-one. These attachments are unique and irreplaceable. You know who you are<3. But as much as I treasure the relationships in my personal life, there is a lot to be said for the virtual connections I have made with other bloggers over the past three to four years.

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Living in a remote or rural area can make it difficult to find like-minded souls, especially in the writing arena. The blogosphere has been instrumental in solving that dilemma for me. The advice and the inspiration I have received from other bloggers has been nothing short of extraordinary since I started Jennifer’s Journal. A huge thanks to every one of you that I follow. Whether your blog shares writing, art, or photography, I am grateful to have met you through the internet.

Kath Unsworth of Minuscule Moments of Inspiration is one such blogger. Not only does Kath pursue the craft of writing, she is also a gifted artist. Her creativity and dedication to her artistic endeavors have influenced my own aspirations much more than she probably realizes. And because of the internet, it is no matter that she lives on a farm in Australia. Well, actually it does matter; her location adds even more intrigue for me. 🙂

I was lucky enough to win a contest Kath held last year, where my name was drawn to receive a free pet portrait. Here is the result:

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Vivian by Kath Unsworth

This summer, I was moved to acquire one of Kath’s original, highly affordable works of art from her newly opened Etsy shop, ScratchyBirdDesigns. Her love of birds speaks to me, so much so I had to have one of them adorning my wall. (Vivian is in my living-room, Willy Wagtail is in my kitchen-dining room.) Isn’t he beautiful?

Willie Wagtail
Willy Wagtail
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I also purchased her delightful fridge magnet (its slogan fits me to a tee):

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Like me, Kath understands the value of virtual connection. You can read about it in her blog post here:

The Magic of Virtual Friendships

You can visit her Etsy shop here:

ScratchyBirdDesigns

What does the word “connection” mean to you? 

Are you as grateful as I am,
for the connections you’ve made in the blogosphere?

*special thanks to Orange is the New Black for those gifs 😀

Friday Bouquet #28

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

In the middle of the afternoon yesterday, I received a welcome and gratifying email. My editor sent me – minus a few finishing touches – the cover art for my upcoming YA novel, Calmer Girls.

I. LOVE. IT. Since then, to say I am getting more excited about my book’s upcoming release is an understatement. As one of the teenagers in my book might say: “this sh*t just got real!”

In keeping with what is now on my mind 24/7, I’m sharing one of the writer blogs I follow. Jane Friedman is a writing coach with a wealth of useful tips and advice on building an author platform and getting published. In the post below, she interviews Hannah Goodman, a proud advocate and author of the Young Adult genre.

5 On: Hannah R. Goodman

I’ve disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Jane’s blog.
If you do, please tell her Jennifer sent you.

Have a safe and happy Labour Day weekend, everyone.

❤

Search Party

Published on by J. Kelland Perry24 Comments

 

As anyone with a blog or a website knows, people online can find or happen upon our blogs using a variety of search terms. Some of those terms that have popped up on my blog admin section are logical and understandable, some are pretty strange, and still some others are downright funny.

I’ll start with a few of the logical search terms. My followers – at least the minuscule few who’ve visited since the beginning – will understand how these terms led searchers to Jennifer’s Journal:

  • Jennifer Kelland Perry, Jennifer Kelland – moi, the most logical 
  • cats at the ocean
  • cat ice
  • tentative cat
  • cats exploring – yes indeedy, you will find cats, ocean and ice here 
  • Newtown, Newfoundland – where?
  • Maisie and Vivian – and what are the cats’ names?

    Cats on Ice - Spring Thaw in Iceberg Alley
    Cats on Ice – Spring Thaw in Iceberg Alley

Then the cat theme begins to get humorous:

behold my French feline eyes - oo-la-la
behold my French feline eyes – oo-la-la
  • cat on an iceberg
  • fancy words for purr
  • jennifer with cat eyes
  • jennifer feline eyes
  • french jennifer cat eyes

Some other topics are right on the money:

  • polar bears in Newfoundland – a popular topic, only once for this blog
  • speciesism rant – one of my very few rants
  • pictures of patch quilt on clothesline – beautiful Greenspond 
  • little boy working on car – our grandsontenJ
  • you are my one and only blog – ❤
  • first date journal – ❤
  • Jennifer in varadero – Cuba!
  • heart turned cold quotes – I did pen a dark poem once…
  • journaling about bitterness – okay, twice!
  • reasons of dreams and meaning of dreams, see sleeping mouse in dream – because I put the word dream in a couple of my titles, I’m guessing
  • menopause feel like a furnace, perry menopause symptoms, hot flash journaling, internal combustion menopause – a topic of great concern out there, apparently, though I only blogged about it once
  • very cute images of love peace and understanding – but all they found were Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello!
  • Jennifer’s progress – my novel, the sequel? inquiring minds want to know
  • famous Jennifers in fiction – not me, but…maybe…someday?

Still giggling at the rest below. You will not find anything about the following topics in my blog:

  • having guy visitors in winter – shhh, don’t tell Paul!
  • cat foot ptarmigan – a new cross-breed?
  • scarlet woman – just call me the whore of Babylon
  • iceberg smelling  – hold on: is that a thing??
  • Jennifer is a racist blog – yikes! I swear you’ve got the wrong blog!

And my personal favourite:

  • Jennifer Kelland Perry the platypus

 Turns out there is an explanation for this one.
I just learned about this fellow when I did a search.

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Perry the Platypus

And there you have it. Someone looking for a platypus found me.

Have any funny or odd search terms from your blog to share?
Fess up in the comments below. 🙂

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Friday Bouquet #27

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

Happy Friday, all! Before I introduce this week’s recipient of Friday Bouquet:

Vivian and Maisie would like to extend a sincere and purry “thank you” for all the beautiful comments and well wishes on their 8th Birthday post, from all of their lovely followers both here and on Facebook, as well as the retweet on Twitter. Their mom and dad read, enjoyed, and treasured each and every one. 🙂

Now, on to the bouquet:

Brenda Knowles says her Space2Live blog is a place “where we intentionally reflect on core passions: art, nature,writing, reading, relationships,family, traveling, self-realization and spirituality.”

From her About Me page:

… I am an open listener, introspective, dreamy, expressive and a mom. When I say highly sensitive I don’t mean I cry at the drop of a hat or tremble like a Chihuahua. I’m not even shy. What I mean is, I will sense the moods of the people in a room and be affected. I am an introvert.
…Over-stimulate me (with noise, technology, hurrying, overscheduling, interruptions) and I am going to get overwhelmed and crabby and wish I could handle more. Writing is the perfect outlet.”

As much as I hate labels applied to people, the following post resonated with me. While reading it, I found myself wishing everyone could read it for a better understanding of why introverts and/or highly sensitive people have a need to withdraw at certain times. Maybe then we wouldn’t be described by certain others as “difficult” or “unsociable.” Maybe then we would be accepted for who we actually are, in spite of our differences.

Introverts and Withdrawal: Why We Do It

I’ve disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Brenda’s blog.
If you do, please tell her Jennifer sent you.

Have a terrific weekend, everyone.

❤

Friday Bouquet #26

Published on by J. Kelland Perry

 

Amy at Shirley’s Heaven is a mental health advocate who blogs to share her thoughts, to raise awareness, and to fight the stigma associated with mental illness. She writes with honesty, speaking out bravely about her own experiences.

From her About Page:

I dedicate this blog to my mom, Shirley, even though I had a very tumultuous relationship with her because of her mental illness, I know she did the best she could. I hope that the near future holds better treatment options for people with mental illness.”

I chose Amy’s post below because of the way she compares the pen pals she wished for as a child with her blogger friends and followers today.

Feeling Grateful for my Fellow Bloggers

I’ve disabled comments here in the hope you will comment on Amy’s blog.
If you do, please tell her Jennifer sent you.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

❤