Wednesday, July 10, 2013

LIFE THROWS LEARNING CURVES...



Life is full of pop quizzes...we are tested every time we're thrown off by something we didn't see coming. What most people don't realize is that it's not the outcome that decides our grade, it's how we handle it. The cooler we are under pressure, the closer we get to that A on the report card....and the fewer cell phones we'll break.


Is there a learning curve? Of course there is. Every day we are given the opportunity to learn through our experiences and to get better and better at handling the ones that surprise us... I hope that sometime soon I will master keeping my cool when McDonalds screws up my daughter's crispy chicken wrap order... just chicken and lettuce, people! Not plutonium, a TNT trigger, and a timing mechanism. Not a booster rocket, combustible fuel, and trajectory. Not even, for God’s sake “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese..” Is it that they can’t make the crispy chicken wrap with ONLY LETTUCE AND CHICKEN because there’s no SONG that tells them how to do it?

Last week I was away in North Carolina and almost every moment for me was like a pop quiz, but the biggest ones were on the drive home. Anyone who has done it knows that traveling through several states can be challenging. What time should I leave? Should I continue through torrential downpours or should I pull over? How tired is too tired to drive? And at what point does the bickering from the back seat become grating enough to decide that a hundred miles in the trunk would bring my kids closer together?  

Today, for those of you loyal enough to be sticking with my summer reading book club, I have a treat for you. 

A mid week pop quiz... with a reward. 

If you have been keeping up with your reading assignments, this should be easy. Pay close attention to the rules:

1. Between now and Friday 7/12/13 at midnight, post a review for:
   
SUKI:

and/or for 

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME:

2. Leave an email address where we can reach you at and which book you reviewed on the comments of this post

3. I will randomly pick ONE winner to receive a mother/daughter bracelet set compliments of THE SHINY BEAD, for leaving a review about SUKI






and David will choose TWO winners to each receive an e-book copy of his latest release, MY WAY just for leaving a review about WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME.





Hope you are all having fun with our Summer Reading Bookclub so far! There are plenty more picks and giveaways to come. Stay tuned for WEEK 3. I will post it on Sunday.


Uh oh! I forgot to let the kids out of the trunk!

8 comments:

Terry Tyler said...

But I haven't got a daughter, and Dave's book My Way has just been on free promo for 3 days anyway!!!!! :D :D Hey - it proves I look at your posts! xx

A real pop quiz would be fab, I love them :)

Unknown said...

Serious question. I have been wondering this for some time since a conversation with a mutual friend about how amazon screens comments and prohibits multiples from the same IP address. (Big Brother much?) So, I have already read Suki, and like Terry have no daughter, but I know plenty of girls who would like my "daughter" bracelet...Question: After re-reading, is it legit to post a second comment on amazon? Honest, I am not doing this just to win! But after re-reads you pick up so much more, and feel a lot of things you missed on round one! Okay, off to win both prizes. No, of course I am not competitive!

CF Winn said...

Terry, you're a sweetie for reading my stuff! Thanks! The mother/daughter bracelet set is significant to SUKI and would make a nice gift like Mary Margaret mentioned if you can't use it yourself. Dave's book is no longer free, so consider this catch up week...if you haven't read with us so far, the new pick doesn't go up till Sunday, and for those who were just a little bit behind, hurry up and be eligible for the giveaways. Mary Margaret, while I want to thank you for being the teacher's pet, I don't think it's a good idea to post twice on Amazon. Have you posted a review on Barnes and Noble? You bring up a good point though, and for the future I will consider what can be done for the students who turn in their assignments early...

CF Winn said...

Terry, here's a "real" quiz for you... as per the book club drinking game...how many times did you "drink" with Dave? Mr. Perlmutter is your proctor and will grading this exam... watch for her answer teach...

Stacey Roberts said...

I posted my review of Wrong Place, Wrong Time on Amazon...will my previous glowing review of SUKI stand, or would you like another? I can't seem to run out of good things to say, so if the rain forest gods will let me, I'll post another one. PS - mother-daughter? What about us underappreciated, derided, cowering, enraged fathers of daughters? :)

CF Winn said...

Stacey, thank you for your reviews. They are much appreciated by us indie authors and helpful when it comes to growing as writers. Since you have already read SUKI, you know how significant the bracelets are to the story and I'm sure that they'd make wonderful gifts for the women who may be in your life. What a hero you will be when you hand them jewelery AND a copy of my book... Have you posted a review on Barnes and Noble yet? That might be a solution to your review issue. Thanks for sticking with the club and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the other posts! We are all in this together and are hear to LEARN from our different perspectives!

Unknown said...

First: Stacey, still unsure of what to do with those bracelet? Chris can be my Mom, God graced me with delightfully dainty wrists (does that count as positive self talk, Chris?)! And together CFW and I are a postage deal being in close enough proximity to hand them off from one package. Seriously, little girls love their Daddy's so (I am an expert in Daddy's girls...that one of five thing!)...though some don't show it 'til later in life! I imagine you a good Daddy! And I make a life out of my imagination so it must be true! So, now, on to those reviews...Everyone catching up this week?

Unknown said...

Such a "newb", laughing at myself and wondering "Is it good etiquette to post on both sites (seems okay?) and if so should you use the same review (seems honest!)? mmatucker@aol.com has posted on Amazon for both books and will gladly cut and paste to B&N, if it's the right thing to do, and Emily Post gives me the go ahead!