Follow Me To Kissimmee

Hi! I am proud to be chosen for a guest blogger spot for i.seekissimmee.com .
Follow my posts as I visit Florida!

Re-posted from:
 http://i.seekissimmee.com/2012/03/21/follow-me-to-kissimme/

There is nothing like a vacation to cleanse your soul, and refresh your spirit.

Let me start by telling you a bit about myself.  I’m Lynn Hubbard, I am a Historical Romance Author from Georgia.  I will be vacationing with my two sons, my parents and dog, Wyatt. Living in Georgia, we are just a hop, skip, and  jump from Kissimmee, so we try visit at least once a year.  Our preferred mode of travel is by car. No better way to see America than to get in the car and go.

This trip we have several things planned, and some we’ll write in as we go.

My son Michael’s favorite is Universal. Their Big Event this Spring is Mardi Gras, it will be our first time to see the parade. It only runs select days, so we will have  to wait a bit.

My son Nicholas, is into Photography, so we’ll be spending a day at the beach so he can capture the sunset.

My Parents want to see Epcot. And what better time to visit than during the Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival?

Wyatt is my parents dog. Traveling with a dog is an adventure in itself. He’s a bit disappointed, he’s not getting his Fiji water from the Hard Rock Hotel. However, I’m sure he’ll enjoy the Westgate Vacation Villas just as well.

And me: Loving history, I will be visiting the Titanic exhibit. This is the 100th Anniversary of the tragedy.

Enough for now, I’m off to pack!

Getting ready for a trip is an adventure in itself. About a week before I sit down and write out a meticulous to do list. To make sure I don’t forget anything, I keep it with me clutched in my hand as I wander around the house.

The list grows.

The days count down.

Then finally, I start to pack.

Now where did I put that list?

Why does packing takes about half an hour, but getting ready to pack takes about three days? The good thing about traveling to Kissimmee is that anything you forget, you can buy! This city is one of the few places on earth you can find a bathing suit in the middle of winter!

Driving is my preferred method of transportation, not only is it easier on the budget, but you get to spend all that family time on the way. To beat Atlanta traffic, we usually leave by 4am and hit Kissimmee around noon. That gives us a whole day to explore!

My Mom getting Juice in Florida Welcome Center

Almost there!

St. Patrick’s Day and my Birthday are both sneaking up, so stay tuned for more!

I like to encourage my kids to read, so sometimes we will listen to an audio bok along the way. One of my favorite memories is pulling into the Disney parking lot. I found a great spot with a clear view of the Epcot ball. I go to turn off the car and my son says. “Can we finish listening to the chapter first?”

If you would like to read more from Lynn, please visit: my website,  my Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads 

Meet Author Laura Vosika

 Write from the Heart warmly welcomes Historical Author, Laura Vosika

 

Hi Laura, Congrats on your new release, The Minstrel Boy.  Please tell us about your series:

Hi, Lynn.  Thank you! 

 

The Blue Bells Chronicles is the story of two men, polar opposites except for their looks and love of music.  Shawn Kleiner is an arrogant, self-centered philandering musician of the twenty-first century who finds himself caught in the life of his cross-century look-alike, Niall Campbell, with the fate of medieval Scotland resting on his irresponsible, party-loving shoulders.  The devout medieval Highlander, Niall, is no happier to find himself in Shawn's modern life of ease, dealing with the fallout of the messes Shawn has left behind--a pregnant girlfriend, angry mistresses, amorous fans, and a conductor threatening to 'fire' him--as he tries to find a way back to save his people.

 

As their story progresses through the series, they each grow and change, influenced by one other and the unlikely friendship that springs from their original animosity.

 

 

These books give a different twist to time travel. Where do you get your ideas from?

I think it is less common to have a time travel story where two people switch places.  Blue Bells of Scotland was originally Shawn's story, but the rest grew from asking questions about what the other characters were doing while he was gone and the What if's that kept popping into my head as a result.  I'm fascinated by the way people view times and places different from what they know, and how attitudes change through the years.  It was interesting to me to see how someone from medieval times might react to what Shawn considers normal, while at the same time seeing how Shawn reacts to Niall's world and what he considers normal.  As the story progresses, they have some discussions about this.  At the same time, I think many parts of human nature, emotions, and experience never change, and this is a place where Shawn and Niall find that we're not so different underneath it all.

 

If you could time travel would you go to the past or the future?

Definitely the past.  I would love to witness some of the events we know of from history, or learn more details, learn the things that we don't yet know from historical records, learn more about the way people really lived and thought.

 

Which character do you like the most? The least?

Wow, that's a tough question.  I like most of them in different ways.  I like Niall because he's definitely more of my mindset, but Shawn is fun to write.  (Or should I say, it's fun to watch and see what he'll decide to do next?)  Yes, he's arrogant and obnoxious, but I think these characters are often fun because we all sometimes wish we could bulldoze through life doing as we please.  I also like him because, despite his many, many flaws, he is usually cheerful, makes people feel valued, and is capable of finally learning and redeeming himself.

 

I guess the character I'd have to say I like least is Rob.  He certainly thinks he's nicer than Shawn.  He behaves with more integrity and morality, and would never cheat on Amy, but he's an annoying, clueless sycophant who is, in his own way, as unable as Shawn to think of what anyone else wants or needs.  And it takes Rob awhile longer than Shawn to see where he needs to make changes.

 

 

What inspires you to write?

Well, I think I'm similar to many writers in that these stories and people are just there, and they really need to get out of my head.  I can't not write.

 

Where is your favorite place to write and why?

I'm not very particular.  My laptop goes everywhere with me, and whenever I have spare time, I write--in my music studio, at my kitchen table, in my office, living room, in my car in a parking lot or at a coffee shop or the library if I'm out and about and have time in between appointments.

 

You are blessed with many children, are any of them interested in writing?

Yes, I have nine children, from 22 down to 6.  At least three of them--two sons and my younger daughter--like writing.  Another draws cartoons with stories.  My older daughter writes movies with her cousin and friend, which they then film.  Most of them are big readers and all are creative in some way, if not writing, then in music or art.

 

A Trilogy is mentioned, do you have a date or title for the last book?

Well, it seems I've inadvertently followed in the footsteps of Douglas Adams, and my 'trilogy' now has more than three books.  So The Blue Bells Trilogy has officially been renamed The Blue Bells Chronicles.  The Minstrel Boy, Book Two, was just released.  Book Three, The Water is Wide, is scheduled for 2013.  The last two books are titled Westering Home and When the Battle is Over, and I'll be aiming for releasing one each year. 

 

Where can your fans find you?

I'm at www.facebook.com/laura.vosika.author and www.twitter.com/lauravosika. I also keep a blog, largely on medieval Scottish history, but also touching on topics in theChronicles such as time travel, music, and instruments, at http://bluebellstrilogy.blogspot.com

 

The books can be found at http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Bells-Scotland-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B002T460DG/ref=cm_cr-mr-title and http://www.amazon.com/Minstrel-Blue-Bells-Chronicles-ebook/product-reviews/B007A389JY/ref=cm_cr_dp_hist_5?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addFiveStar 

Leap Day-Those Rascally Pirates

Every Leap Day, I think about the pirate movie.

 No, no not Pirates of the Caribbean; the 80’s musical The Pirate Movie.

 I love musicals and this is one of my favorite. Starring Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins, this movie has something for everyone. Drama, adventure, romance, music, you name it.

What does it have to do with Leap Year? Well, Fredric (Christopher), an unwilling pirate, was offered freedom on his  20^th birthday.  However, since he was born on Leap Day, the pirates tricked him into believing it only counted as five. (Fredrick isn’t the brightest hero, but he’s cute!) 

Mabel (Kristy), the Generals youngest daughter, is brave and daring. She breaks all the rules, and saves the day. What I love best about this movie is it flashes from the 80’s, to back in time, and then back to the 80’s. In Real life, Mabel is plain compared to her glamorous sisters. Only Fredric can see her true beauty.

Ok, so it’s a bit cheesy, and the kids griped when I made them watch it with me. But, yesterday on the way home, I was telling my oldest about this post, and do you know what he said? He said his favorite song from the movie was “ I am the very model of a modern Major General ”.  It almost brought tears to my eyes. 

If you want a flashback to the 80's watch it!

Rabbit Stew

My son's Bunny, Bella

Cheryl Bradshaw is creating a Cookbook for Indie Writers Unite 

It will be available  April, 2012

50% of the proceeds received from this book will go to UNICEF.  

The book contains a collection of recipes from Indie Authors. 

Mine is below.

Run into the Wind By Lynn Hubbard

Run into the Wind is the story of Sabrina. After tragedy strikes, she heads west to make her own life. Unfortunately, there are not many jobs for women, so she dresses as a boy and works at a stable. Then Brock comes to town, and Sabrina must decide whether to keep hiding, or admit her feelings for him.

Lynn Hubbard is a Historical Romance Author. She breathes life into her characters, and they come alive on the pages. So pick up a copy of Run into the Wind, take a trip back to the old west, and have a taste of Rabbit Stew.

Rabbit Stew By Lynn Hubbard

My Character Sabrina, from Run into the Wind, is sharing her Rabbit Stew Recipe, Enjoy!

I’d rather clean out horse stables than to cook, but I was trying to seduce Brock so I thought I would try my hand at it. Cookin’ can’t be that hard can it?

First you need a rabbit. I laid some traps and hopefully caught the one tearing up my patch!

Next comes the icky part, you have to take the guts out and skin it. Wish I had spent more time watching Alma do it. Once you get the parts out, I like to rinse it off in the river. If you have a fancy water pump, you can use that as well. Cut it up into pieces, I don’t use the head or feet, I don’t it want it lookin’ at me while it’s cookin’.

Dump the pieces into a pot of boiling water. If you don’t know how to boil water you need to stop readin’.

I grabbed some parsnips, turnips, onions, and carrots from my garden. Pretty much, whatever the rabbit didn’t eat. You chop it up and toss it in. I put in a pinch of salt, and some flour to thicken the broth. Let it cook until the sun goes down.

 Not sure how it tastes yet, but it smells pretty good. Maybe cookin’ ain’t so bad after all.

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Website: www.LynnHubbard.com

Twitter: @lynnhubbardbook

Facebook: facebook.com/lynnhubbardbooks

Blog: authorlynnhubbard.blogspot.com

Censorship: How do you burn an ebook?

I thought the practice of book burning was in the past. Apparently not.

I was quite disturbed after receiving an email from an ebook distributing company, Smashwords. Smashwords.com offers ebooks in all genre’s and for all ebook formats. A one stop shop.

I have been selling ebooks on Smashwords for years and have been quite happy with their service.  Some of my books are steamy, so I list them as such. Hence the email.

The bulk email (which you can read below in its entirety) states that Paypal was opposed to, some of the content, in some of the hundreds of thousands of books on Smashwords.  With Paypal threatening to cancel Smashwords entire PayPal account, they had no choice other than to request the offensive books be removed.

My books are not in those categories, however:  where does it stop?  Why should PayPal say which books you can read? Shouldn’t it be up to the reader to decide? 

Books like these have been on the market for years, so why now?  Has Paypal grown a conscious?  Are they tired of people buying the books and then claiming fraud? Is it a Government conspiracy? 

We may never know, but it is a sad day for everyone, when freedoms are lost.

If PayPal is deciding what is right and wrong, then may God help us all!

Sign the Petition!

February 24, 2012

Re: Your Smashwords account at http://smashwords.com/profile/view/lemonpress

Dear Smashwords Authors, Publishers and Literary Agents,

This email is being sent to all authors, publishers and agents who have published
erotica at Smashwords.  We will also post this message to Site Updates and the
Press Room.

According to our records, you pubish 5 erotica-categorized title(s) out of 8
title(s) now live in the Smashwords system.  This message may or may not pertain
to you.

Today we are modifying our Terms of Service to clarify our policies regarding
erotic fiction that contains bestiality, rape and incest.  If you write in any
of these categories, please carefully read the instructions below and remove
such content from Smashwords.  If you don’t write in these categories, you can
disregard this message.

PayPal is requiring Smashwords to immediately begin removing the above-mentioned
categories of books.  Please review your title(s) and proactively remove and
archive such works if you are affected.

I apologize for the short notice, and I’m especially sorry for any financial
or emotional hardship this may cause the authors and publishers affected by this
change.

As you may have heard, in the last couple weeks PayPal began aggressively enforcing
a prohibition against online retailers selling certain types of "obscene" content.
 For good background on the issue, see this Selena Kitt post here - http://selenakitt.com/blog/index.php/2012/02/19/slippery-slope-erotica-censorship/
or here - http://theselfpublishingrevolution.blogspot.com/2012/02/slippery-slope-erotica-censorship.html#comment-form
or this Kindleboards thread here - http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,104604.0.html


On Saturday, February 18, PayPal’s enforcement division contacted Smashwords
with an ultimatum.  As with the other ebook retailers affected by this enforcement,
PayPal gave us only a few days to achieve compliance otherwise they threatened
to deactivate our PayPal services.   I've had multiple conversations with PayPal
over the last several days to better understand their requirements.  Their team
has been helpful, forthcoming and supportive of the Smashwords mission.  I appreciate
their willingness to engage in dialogue. Although they have tried their best
to delineate their policies, gray areas remain.

Their hot buttons are bestiality, rape-for-titillation, incest and underage erotica.


The underage erotica is not a problem for us.  We already have some of the industry’s
strictest policies prohibiting underage characters (we don’t even allow non-participating
minors to appear in erotica), and our vetting team is always on the lookout for
"barely legal" content where supposed adults are placed in underage situations.

The other three areas of bestiality, rape and incest were less well-defined in
our Terms of Service (https://www.smashwords.com/about/tos) before today.   I’ll
tackle these one-by-one below, and I'll provide you a summary of the changes
that will go into effect immediately.

*Incest:*  Until now, we didn’t have a policy prohibiting incest between consenting
adults, or its non-biological variation commonly known as "Pseudo-incest."  Neither
did our retailer partners.  We’ve noticed a surge of PI books over the last few
months, and many of them have "Daddy" in the title.  I wouldn't be surprised
if the surge in "Daddy" titles prompted PayPal to pursue this purge (I don't
know).  PI usually explores sexual relations between consenting adult stepchildren
with their step parents, or between step-siblings.  Effectively immediately,
we no longer allow incest of any variety in erotica.

Like many writers, censorship of any form greatly concerns me.  It is with some
reluctance that I have made the decision to prohibit incest-themed erotica at
Smashwords.  Regardless of your opinion on incest, it’s a slippery slope when
we allow others to control what we think and write.  Fiction is fantasy.  It’s
not real.  It unfolds in our imagination.  I’ve always believed fiction writers
and readers should have the freedom to explore diverse topics and situations
in the privacy of their own mind.  From an imagination perspective, erotica is
little different from a literary novel that puts us inside the mind of farm animals
(1984), or a thriller novel that puts us inside the mind of a terrorist, or a
horror novel that puts us inside the mind of an axe-murderer or their victim.
 All fiction takes us somewhere.  We read fiction to be moved, and to feel.
Sometimes we want to feel touched, moved, or disturbed.  A reader should have
the right to feel moved however they desire to be moved.

Incest, however, carries thorny baggage.  The legality of incest is murky.  It
creates a potential legal liability for Smashwords as our business and our books
become more present in more jurisdictions around the world.   Anything that threatens
Smashwords directly threatens our ability to serve the greater interests of all
Smashwords authors, publishers, retailers and customers who rely upon us as the
world’s leading distributor of indie ebooks.  The business considerations compel
me to not fall on the sword for incest.  I realize this is an imperfect decision.
 The slippery slope is dangerous, but I believe this imperfect decision is in
the best interest of the community we serve.

*Bestiality:*  Until now, we didn’t have a stated policy regarding bestiality.
I like animals.  Call me old fashioned or hypocritical (I’m not a vegetarian),
but I don’t want to be a party to anyone enjoying animals for sexual gratification,
for the same reason we’ve never allowed pedophilia books.  I don’t want to publish
it, sell it, or distribute it.  The TOS is now modified to reflect this.  Note
this does not apply to shape-shifters common in paranormal romance provided the
were-creature characters are getting it on in their human form.  Sorry I need
to clarify it that way, but we don’t want to see bestiality erotica masquerading
as paranormal romance.

*Rape:*  Although our Terms of Service prohibits books that advocate violence
against others, we did not specifically identify rape.  This was an oversight
on our part.  Now we have clarified the policy.  We do not want books that contain
rape for the purpose of titillation.  At Smashwords, rape has no longer has a
place in erotica.  It has no place anywhere else if the purpose is to titillate.
 Non-consensual BDSM - or any other form of non-consensual violence against another
person - is prohibited.

*NEXT STEPS:*  If you have titles at Smashwords that are now expressly forbidden,
by the end of day Monday (Feb 27), please click to your Dashboard at https://www.smashwords.com/dashboard
and click UNPUBLISH then click ARCHIVE.  This will also cause our automated systems
to remove the titles from retail distribution.

DO NOT try to hide or obfuscate violating content by changing book titles, book
descriptions and tags.  If we discover such shenanigans, said authors/publishers
will risk account deletion and forfeiture of any accrued earnings, per our Terms
of Service.

We take violations of the TOS seriously, because such violations jeopardize the
opportunities for your fellow authors.

We do not want to see PayPal clamp down further against erotica.  We think our
authors should be allowed to publish erotica.  Erotica, despite the attacks it
faces from moralists, is a category worthy of protection.  Erotica allows readers
to safely explore aspects of sexuality that they might never want to explore
in the real world.

The moralists forget that we humans are all sexual creatures, and the biggest
sex organ is the brain.  If it were not the case, none of us would be here.
Erotica authors are facing discrimination, plain and simple.  Topics that are
perfectly acceptable in mainstream fiction are verboten in erotica.  That’s not
fair.  Our decisions today are imperfect.  Please, act responsibly, don’t try
to game the system or publish content that pushes the limits of legality.  Help
us continue to help indie authors around the world to continue to publish and
distribute with freedom.

*THINGS TO AVOID:*  Avoid using words such as 'bestiality,' 'rape,' 'incest,'
'underage,' or 'barely legal' in book titles, book descriptions or keyword tags,
otherwise Smashwords may conclude you’re violating the Terms of Service, or trying
to push the limits.  If you’re writing non-erotic works, and any of these words
are necessary, then you’re okay.

On Tuesday (Feb 28) we will begin removing content that we deem in violation.
 When we remove a title, you will receive an email notifying you of such, and
that email will append this letter along with instructions on how to notify us
if we made an error.   I promise you, we will make mistakes, so please work with
us, take a deep breath and honor us with your patience.

If you believe we removed something in error, please click "Comments/questions,"
mention the title we removed, provide the hyperlink to said title, and provide
your *calm* reasoning for why we should reconsider.

Our support team is backlogged, so it may take several days for them to respond.
 As we mention in the Terms of Service, we reserve the right to remove anything
for any reason.  That said, we will also try to make our decisions with care
and prudence.

You might wonder if Smashwords should simply switch to a different payment provider.
 It’s not so easy.  PayPal is designed into the wiring of the Smashwords platform.
 They run the credit card processing for our retail store, and they’re how we
pay our authors and publishers.  PayPal is also an extremely popular, trusted
payment option for our customers.  It is not feasible for us to simply switch
to another provider, should such a suitable provider even exist, especially with
so few days notice.

Please note our Terms of Service is subject to additional modifications as we
work to bring Smashwords into compliance with PayPal requirements.  Let’s hope
today’s actions mark the limit of the slippery slope.

Significant gray area remain.  Erotica is still permitted, though if authors
try to push the limits of what’s permitted, we risk further clamping down.  Please
be responsible.  Don’t go there.   If you’re going to push the limits, push the
limits of great writing, not the limits of legality.

Thank you for assisting our compliance efforts on such short notice.  We know
these decisions will be upsetting to some of our authors and publishers, and
for that we apologize.  We do believe, however, that these decisions will place
us on a stronger footing to represent the best interests all indie authors and
publishers from here forward.

Best wishes,

Mark Coker
Founder
Smashwords

P.S.  Please contact our support team for inquiries regarding this change in
our Terms of Service by clicking the "comments/questions" link at the top of
any page at Smashwords.  If your inquiry regards a specific title, please include
the hyperlink to the book page of that specific title.

More info on Book Banning

If you would like to read more from Lynn, please visit: my website,  my Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

Inside the Secret World of Allison Bruning: Inside The Man Who Started It All.......George Was...

Inside the Secret World of Allison Bruning: Inside The Man Who Started It All.......George Was...: Inside the man who started it all......George Washington  President's Day. In our fast paced society the meaning of this important holida...

Family

Family

I have always been blessed by a large family. Returning from my Uncle’s funeral, it makes you realize how important family is.

My Uncle had been ill for many years, so it can be looked upon as a blessing that he is at peace. But, I guess I’m selfish. I miss him.

They had a slide show at the funeral. Pictures flashed across the screen which depicted him at better times. When he was young and healthy, the way I remember him.

I have lost so many family members in the past years, most were taken all too soon. But, I was blessed to have them in my life while I did.

My grandparents had twelve children and raised eleven, which were great odds in those days. Perhaps the good ole days weren’t so good.

I was very close to my Grandparents, and still think of them often. They would surely be disappointed to know that the family only gets together now for weddings or funerals. Even with all the technology for contacting one another, it seems there is just never enough time.

Of course I could blame other factors; I lost your phone number that you’ve had for twenty years; I misplaced your address; I don’t have your email; You’re not on facebook, and the list goes on and on.

But I need to make time, and reach out to those loved ones I have left. Send them a real paper card, a letter or perhaps some flowers, for no reason at all.

I spent Valentine’s Day in a room full of family and I only knew about half their names. But I still have time, to reconnect, to make amends, to visit, and tell them I love them. And I will.

*Pictured some of my Cousins: Randy, Mike, Keith, Jeremy, Sarah, me, Lisa, Scythia, Shauna, Donna, Dawn, Kristi and Spencer