I'm Moving to a Reader Page

To My Dear Friends,

I wanted to say that this is a new season for me. I need to lighten my work load a bit. I see that I have not been all that faithful with my blog, and for that I apologize. I've simply been trying to do too many things, and I don't have enough hours in the day to get it all done. It's hard to write books as well as keep up with social networking sites as well as a reader page and a blog. So, I'm moving to my reader page on facebook. It will be more interactive. You'll be able to make comments there, and we'll all be able to interact with each other. I think this might be a fun change. More personal. So, this is my last post and fairly soon, I'll be closing down this personal blog on my website. If you'd like to stay connected please feel free to drop on over and "like" my reader page, and we can stay linked that way. Thank you all for your support here. You each mean a lot to me...

Here's the link to make the switch. I think all you have to do is simply hit the "like' button when you get there. http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnitaHigman


Blessings always!!!
Anita

A Special Friend

Recently I found myself in a rather painful situation, but one of my friends came to my rescue. It was so amazing to watch her support me and lift me up that I broke into tears of joy. It's the kind of friendship stuff that makes God smile. Thank you, Janice Thompson. If humans could be like celestial bodies then you are one bright star...

Anita

Just a Smile

Sometimes when I run errands I'll come back in a good mood or maybe a not so good mood. And some of what influences my state of mind is merely how many people have smiled at me or how many have frowned. Such a simple thing--it's facial muscles! But those upturned lips or those furrowed brows can make such a big difference in my day. So, I try to smile at as many people as I can when I'm out and about. I don't always succeed, but I try. A smile is a free gift, and so easy to give away. It's so appreciated and so memorable and people usually give you the same lovely gift in return. With all the benefits, you'd think folks would give more of them away!

Anita

Free Kindle Download

I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday weekend.
I found out that my novella, The Perfect Blend is now (from May 29th to the 31st) a free Kindle download. Here's the link. Click if you like inspirational romance.
Anita
http://www.amazon.com/The-Perfect-Blend-ebook/dp/B007L5PO0S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1338300321&sr=8-3

Those Sheltering Wings

In the process of making our beloved homemade blueberry pancakes this morning for our weekend treat we saw a sight in our backyard that was a bit unusual. Five baby black-bellied whistling ducks had somehow scuttled in through a small space in our fence and couldn't get out. The mother and father sat on the fence, looking down at their brood, wailing and whistling as only whistling ducks can, wanting to be reunited with their ducklings but not knowing how. The adorable little fuzzballs were trying to fly-climb up over the fence toward their parents. After much distressed whistling, two of the friends of the parents landed on the fence to help them whistle for help. Needless to say, we were overcome with a need to intervene, so my husband scooped up the ducklings and released them back into the retention pond area behind our house. Once the family of ducks appeared to be reunited (hard to tell for sure since there are a zillion black-bellied whistling ducks behind our house) we went back to making our pancakes. But I thought of a possible scene in the novel I'm about to start working on, and I realized our duckling drama could become a poignant moment when the antagonist must face her failures as a mother. She will need to see how desperate one's offspring is to reunite with one's family, to settle under those safe and sheltering wings...whether duckling or child. So, I'll be making notes today to add that scene when the time comes. A lot of life that happens around me ends up in my work, and this was the perfect backyard drama to incorporate into my novel. By the way, this new work will be, Winter in Full Bloom. Let me know what you think of that title...

Anita

Those Firefly Summers

Well, summer is coming. It's too hot in Houston, where I live, to dream of summer. Here, we relish every breath of spring and then long for autumn. But today I was thinking about summers in Oklahoma where I grew up. And I was thinking about my grandmother who made that season memorable. We'd stop by her house after church and sit out on her glider with a glass of iced tea and a bowl of her homemade cherry cobbler. When we were finished with our delight-filled gorging I would catch fireflies and listen to everyone chat in the fading light. No matter how hot it had gotten during the day, the air would cool down and the breeze would blow and we were refreshed for another week. So pleasant. Such a summer hug. So grandma. Do you have any special memories of your grandmother from summers long ago?

Anita

Happy Mother's Day

I have to say this was a stellar Mother's Day weekend for me. I saw my kids. I ate with my kids. I yakked with my kids. And reminisced. And dreamed. And laughed. And generally had a wonderful time. Plus I got to see the new Avengers Movie (3-D IMAX) twice. It was a blockbuster weekend all around.

I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend too...

Anita

The Landscape of My Guts

Today I was in the hospital so my doctor could do an endoscopy. They took photos of my guts. I'm fine, but as I sat at my computer later, I realized that was what I was doing with the characters in my novels. Giving you, the reader, a view of the landscape of my character's insides. What they think. What they feel. What they fear most. What secrets they have lingering in their past. What drives them forward or backwards. What they love most in the world. I hope I can be as revealing with my characters as the tummy photos I brought home today. Of course, it helps when what you see are healthy, redeeming qualities and not just red splotchy irritating qualities. But I'm hoping when you really see my characters, that you'll come to know and love them as I do.

Anita