tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78623515006368624492012-02-18T04:27:47.872-06:00Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.comBlogger701100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-84447262485464798522012-02-18T04:27:00.000-06:002012-02-18T04:27:47.893-06:00

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King My rating: 5 of 5 stars It's no surprise - and probably no accident - that King's book on writing is as easy to digest as his prose. This doesn't make it any less important, no matter what critics of King's work may try to tell you. King is a phenomenal writer and has a great understanding of story. Nothing of this work is particularly

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-91409968744690558552012-02-07T05:33:00.001-06:002012-02-07T05:33:47.485-06:00

Side Quest! is a Friday segment where I basically share some links to stuff that entertained, enthralled, and distracted me during the last few days. The idea of "Side Quest" as a segment comes from just such a thing: The Indoor Kids, a podcast on the Nerdist Network (a site sure to make many an appearance in this segmant...) Hosts Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon talk videogames, movies, and

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-25389895305533010752012-01-27T15:00:00.000-06:002012-01-27T22:46:34.746-06:00

Side Quest! is a Friday segment where I basically share some links to stuff that entertained, enthralled, and distracted me during the last few days. The idea of "Side Quest" as a segment comes from just such a thing: The Indoor Kids, a podcast on the Nerdist Network (a site sure to make many an appearance in this segmant...) Hosts Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon talk videogames, movies, and

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-10114306102006068442012-01-26T21:41:00.000-06:002012-01-26T21:41:53.477-06:00

Things have been feeling... oddly familiar as of late. Not deja vu, per say, more like God hit the reset button on the videogame of my life and I forgot to save. So now I'm repeating levels, trying to figure out a more perfect way to conquer a task - looking for a more ammo-effective means of slaughtering the El Gigante, if you will.  (If you understood that reference without clicking the

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-54117155647708654472011-12-27T09:25:00.000-06:002011-12-27T10:42:40.473-06:00

On December 26th, 2011, at 6:11pm, Nolan Sirius Haney entered the world. Weighing in at 7 lbs, 6 oz with a vertical of 20 in, this all-star took only about 3 good contractions to make his presence known... that was after 11 hours of labor (some at home, some at the hospital) and a solid 5 hours or so of pretty intense back labor, a slow-to-get-going epidural (which did finally kick in... just in

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-28539139988032900612011-12-26T08:57:00.000-06:002011-12-26T09:12:08.940-06:00

So admittedly I've been pretty neglectful of this blog. One thing that's kept me busy has been work. Since Thanksgiving weekend I've been working 10 hr days and Saturdays, logging lots of extra hours in my cold, cold (though not as cold as previous years, thank God) warehouse. But the OT is a wonderfully blessing because Michelle and I have been expecting our second child, a boy, Nolan Sirius

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-22468988068050788322011-11-25T07:04:00.000-06:002011-11-25T18:11:14.480-06:00

The Gunslinger by Stephen KingMy rating: 4 of 5 starsStephen King is one of those authors I've loved since I was a young teen (I even visited his house during one summer vacation.) However, being a young teen with a short attention span - and King having the tendency to pen some rather thick tomes - I never finished any King novel I started. Pet Cemetery; Gerald's Game; It. I even wrote an 11

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-1290711860521094042011-09-07T14:05:00.000-05:002011-09-07T14:05:00.416-05:00

No, this post isn't about the awesome 1984 flick that shaped a chunk of my childhood. But I will point to another monumentally influential film as an example of what I fear.Embracing of technology as I am, I am afraid of the never-ending story. Case in point: Star Wars. By now you Star Whores (see what I did there?) may know that the interwebs were all abuzz with last week's revelation that

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-61126591191179468852011-09-06T23:34:00.000-05:002011-09-06T20:34:21.944-05:00

or: Finding Your SparkleLet's play a little game, shall we? It's called Fill-In-The-Blanks. Here is a simple yet accurate synopsis of a novel. I'll give you a hint (SPOILERS!) its epic fantasy. Shhh... don't tell.___ ______ follows the journey of the title character _____ ______, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost _____ Kingdom of ______, which was long ago conquered by the

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-77430930559386709562011-07-18T20:48:00.000-05:002011-07-18T20:59:42.030-05:00

I honestly couldn't tell you, without looking it up, when the first Harry Potter ("The Sorcerer's Stone") was released as a novel. I also couldn't tell you when Warner Brothers got the rights and released it as a movie. The most I knew about the Harry Potter books was that they were banned from Zeeland Public Schools because of it's “witch crafty” influences. My only interactions with Harry

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-29853943343038115432011-07-16T09:37:00.000-05:002011-07-16T09:44:58.496-05:00

Sing It Loud Saturdays is a "weekly" feature here at Creating Life that will introduce you to bands, songs, albums, and artists who I really dig. Some of them you may have heard of, many you will not have.This week's featured group is: Alkaline TrioClick here to check out an acoustic version of their song "Every Thug Needs a Lady," originally heard on the band's 2003 release Good Mourning.And

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-46633969814012582202011-07-16T08:54:00.000-05:002011-07-16T08:57:55.427-05:00

The House Eaters by Aaron PolsonMy rating: 4 of 5 starsAfter reading (and loving) Polson's March 2011 offering, We Are The Monsters, I knew I had to find something else by this author to read.The House Eaters did not disappoint. Though, for me, not as chilling and atmospheric as We Are The Monsters, The House Eaters showcases well Polson's gift for capturing a teen voice and for brisk and

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-36816901252941023992011-07-14T20:49:00.001-05:002011-07-14T21:03:55.839-05:00

A post on author Roni Loren's blog entitled The Beauty of Books: Why The Literary vs. Genre Deabte Isn't Necessary sparked this comment from me:The fact of the matter is that what's well-written enough to be considered literary and what is popular fluff will be decided by generations after ours. "Literary" shouldn't be used to categorize and compartmentalize what we do as authors. Writers cut

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-57440435188424176582011-07-02T06:15:00.000-05:002011-07-02T06:20:57.262-05:00

Sing It Loud Saturdays is a new weekly feature here at Creating Life that will introduce you to bands, songs, albums, and artists who I really dig. Some of them you may have heard of, many you will not have.This week's featured group is: Butch Walker and The Black WidowsClick here to check out "Summer of '89" of their forthcoming record, The Spade (available Aug 30!)And don't forget to check out

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-15894065750265618532011-06-23T18:56:00.000-05:002011-06-23T20:20:07.935-05:00

Evening, readers!So I'm on vacation again this weekend and I thought that while I have a free moment tonight, I'd share with you some of what I've been reading as of late. All the links of the book's titles will take you to their Goodreads page where you can read more about them. (FYI, Goodreads is slowly becoming one of my favorite sites on the web. You can find me on there, so friend away!)The

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-16291895092224795142011-06-22T22:11:00.000-05:002011-06-22T22:18:53.978-05:00

People of the internet!I am looking to lock down the first issue of Dead Living by the end of the month and I'm seeking out some beta readers to give it a look and offer some feedback! It's a really quick read - a novella coming in at about 13,500 words - and is pretty action packed. Not a lot to it! Just point out some obvious grammar crap and let me know if you connect to the format and

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-48715716986294031302011-06-18T12:00:00.000-05:002011-06-18T12:00:01.551-05:00

Sing It Loud Saturdays is a new weekly feature here at Creating Life that will introduce you to bands, songs, albums, and artists who I really dig. Some of them you may have heard of, many you will not have.This week's featured group is: Four Year StrongClick here to check out the title track off their 2010 release Until We Surrender.And don't forget to check out last week's featured artist,

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-32484408416611857892011-06-16T20:24:00.000-05:002011-06-16T21:54:06.272-05:00

What's the major goal for most writers?Publish a book, of course.But there's a pot of gold at the end the rainbow that is publishing. Its gaining fans, making money, selling J.K. numbers, signing the movie deal, approving the Happy Meal toy tie-in, retiring at 40 a millionaire.Let's be honest, we've all had these daydreams. Many of us won't reach those pinnacles of fame. But in today's digital

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-46794193175126542702011-06-14T18:48:00.000-05:002011-06-14T19:09:51.207-05:00

So going by the date of the announcement on this blog (April 14th), it has been two months to the day since I first got my Twitter account. I will say that it is a lot more useful and more fun than I ever thought possible.I am, however, running into some questions.I have 128 followers, which is pretty cool. I get a couple every day and I've been chatting and making some good connections with

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-83789329497385438802011-06-11T15:00:00.001-05:002011-06-12T10:50:39.149-05:00

Sing It Loud Saturdays is a new weekly feature here at Creating Life that will introduce you to bands, songs, albums, and artists who I really dig. Some of them you may have heard of, many you will not have.This week's featured group is HeartsoundsClick here to check out the title track off their 2010 release Until We Surrender.And don't forget to check out last week's featured artist, Cartel.

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-1187903473964837092011-06-04T07:15:00.000-05:002011-06-10T21:22:23.578-05:00

Sing It Loud Saturdays is a new weekly feature here at Creating Life that will introduce you to bands, songs, albums, and artists who I really dig. Some of them you may have heard of, many you will not have.This week's featured group is CartelClick here to check out Faster Ride off their 2009 release Cycles.And don't forget to check out last week's featured artist, AM Taxi.

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-85387664556183934722011-05-30T12:00:00.000-05:002011-05-30T12:00:01.494-05:00

Well since the last entry on "Inspirations Week" was not one day ago, but rather one MONTH ago, I really should lose the whole "Week" thing in the title. But now I just find it funny.A brief rundown: Previously on Inspirations Week...Day 1 I talked about a couple of self-pub rock stars, JA Konrath and Amanda HockingDay 2 saw me gushing about the king of the Smodcastle himself, writer/director

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-47589186428562176512011-05-28T13:13:00.000-05:002011-05-28T13:26:45.283-05:00

Sing It Loud Saturdays is a new weekly feature here at Creating Life that will introduce you to bands, songs, albums, and artists who I really dig. Some of them you may have heard of, many you will not have.This week's featured group is AM Taxi.Click here to check out The Mistake off their 2010 release We Don't Stand a Chance.

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-37905920814179303192011-05-27T20:02:00.001-05:002011-05-30T06:50:04.801-05:00

Greetings people of the interwebs!So May has completely slipped by me and I see today that I have only published 2 posts this month! This simply will not do. So since I have the house to myself tonight, expect a plethora of posts. Don't worry, for my sake and yours I will space them out to publish in the next fews days. Call it my Memorial Day Weekend gift to you. And if you hate all my posts,

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-8323022975270855562011-05-11T11:02:00.001-05:002011-05-30T06:46:05.730-05:00

So it's my son's 1 year birthday today! Above is a picture of the two of us. I am on the right, at age 1. He is on the left. It's very shocking to have a little Mini-Me running around the world. It's almost like an evil twin, or a baby me come from the past, and eventually someday we must destroy each other in mortal combat because both of us, so similar, can't exist in the same time.I guess it's

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-87178197103547116902011-05-02T10:59:00.000-05:002011-05-30T06:46:57.156-05:00

Lit agent/blog rock star turned published author Nathan Bransford wrote today in this post on his writing process that:"as long as you get the job done you're a writer."The idea of that hit pretty profoundly after I read it. What does it mean to be a writer, after all? Is it writing a book? A blog? A poem, a short story? Is it having that piece read? Enjoyed? Discussed? Published? Or does it

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-69657937204106631592011-04-27T19:02:00.001-05:002011-05-30T06:49:36.578-05:00

Matty and I had a great night Tuesday. First we traversed the tornado-filled skies (I exaggerative... sort of) to hit GR's Baker Book House for a Q & A with a writer's guild. This wonderful group of ladies founded the Breath Christian Writer's Conference and were sharing a bit about their collective and individual journeys.It really got Matt and I thinking.1. Are there any guys writing anymore???

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-64241362571613041022011-04-22T11:50:00.000-05:002011-05-30T06:47:50.392-05:00

So inspiration week is turning into the longest week on record. I began with good intentions on Monday, April 11 with a post about indie author rockstars Joe Konrath and Amanda Hocking. "Day 2" was actually a date late, on Wednesday the 13th. In it I gushed about my huge man-crush on writer/director Kevin Smith. Today on this "Day 3", a solid 11 days since this alleged "week" began, I have again

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-67449019515595010612011-04-14T22:29:00.000-05:002011-05-30T06:50:04.802-05:00

I've put it off this long, but the day has finally come. Now you can follow and tweet at me, and retweet with me and whatnot. I will have to learn the vernacular. Some weird, questionable things go on around the Twitters, that's all I know...Anyways, I can now officially say "check me out on Twitter."

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-46843013144287022932011-04-13T11:02:00.000-05:002011-05-30T06:47:50.393-05:00

*disclaimer: Kevin Smith is a man who does not care if you are at work, so clicking on some of these links may lead you to sites you might not want your boss to see you on. It's not nakey-time or anything. It's just... let's say... Smith doesn't care about offending you. Or your boss.Yes, I am in fact inspired by a guy who wrote and directed a movie called Zack and Miri Make a Porno; a man known

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-59274605506255541662011-04-11T11:08:00.000-05:002011-05-30T06:47:50.393-05:00

Now before those of you in the authorial "know" roll your eyes and think "oh great, another post blindly praising the supposed God-like awesomeness of indie authors J.A. Konrath and Amanda Hocking" let me preface this post with a fact.I always wanted to indie publish.In the back of my mind, even 10, 12 years ago when I wrote my first screenplay, my goal was never to "be published" or "sell my

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-78752763297745934372011-04-08T08:40:00.000-05:002011-05-30T06:50:04.802-05:00

Howdy Inter-webs!So yea, it's been a while since I've posted. By a while, I mean months and months and months. But that's all going to change! (I know you're excited, try to contain yourselves.)Basically, I realize that I need to get more involved in this blogosphere, by reconnecting with my peeps on the blog. Why do this, you ask? For completely selfish gain, of course! Why do anything?So with

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-73122755102929678312011-03-28T11:27:00.000-05:002011-04-07T21:00:22.806-05:00

Life since we got back from our Texas trip has been craaaaaaaazy! My car needed new back brakes, so Geoff and a friend kindly took care of that minor problem. All was well until my "check engine light" came on. It appears that I may need a new belt of some kind. Great. Geoff's van also needs new brakes and a muffler. I love cars. I finished up watching my niece Josalyn for the month of March, and

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-29012791653159942942011-02-23T14:09:00.000-06:002011-05-30T06:50:19.880-05:00

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since I've updated everyone. Where to start things off?We had a wonderful Christmas filled with lots of great presents, delicious food and of course spending some much needed time with family. Carter enjoyed everything, but I think he liked the wrapping paper and boxes the most. :DWe rang in the New Year in a relaxed setting with some close friends,

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-4286813925392619722010-11-07T19:19:00.000-06:002011-04-07T21:00:53.268-05:00

It's been a while since I've made time to blog, but here it is.Carter had his 6 month birthday and he's heading right into his 7 month already! It's incredibly crazy how time passes by so quickly. He's still just a little peanut though weighing in at 15 pound 2 ounces, 26 1/2 inches long. He is rolling around everywhere and scooting, but not quite crawling or sitting up by himself yet ...

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-67462178615337225072010-10-12T21:08:00.000-05:002011-04-07T21:01:09.042-05:00

October 11 marks a very special day in my life. October 11 is the day Geoff and I got married 2 years ago. This past weekend we were able to celebrate our anniversary by having our first official "date day." We started the day off with an amazing breakfast at home, then we dropped of Carter to the Grandparents and headed to the movie theater for a double feature. We saw Toy Story 3 in 3D (

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-71975422673486478422010-09-22T20:22:00.000-05:002011-04-07T21:01:22.487-05:00

Carter is now just over 4 months old and more fun than ever! He's 14 pounds 15 ounces and is 26 inches long! He's in the 50% for weight and 90% for height. On his birthday (Sept. 11) we introduced cereal on a spoon and he did spectacular! We are so proud of him! He's rolling over on his own, loves to be tickled and we're working on getting to sit by himself. His feet are starting to get

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-59339157964578762812010-08-20T17:25:00.000-05:002011-04-07T21:01:37.311-05:00

At 15 weeks old Carter is more beautiful than EVER! He's 13 pounds 15 oz and stretching out at 24 1/2 inches long. The little man has been through quite a bit over the past 4 weeks. He's successfully moved to his crib, had a clogged tear duct, weaned from breastfeeding, and had his second round of Thrush. Some good things, some bad. Overall he's still a very happy baby, who's only fussy when

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-35194763090551566622010-07-30T08:01:00.001-05:002010-07-30T11:12:24.764-05:00

Our beautiful boy is nearly 3 months old already. I can hardly believe it! He's no longer a newborn, but now a baby. *sigh* He's almost out of his 0-3 month clothes, and is weighing in around 14 pounds. He's not chubby, he's not thin, he's juuuuuust right. lol.We had some pretty big things happen this week so far. I believe Carter is at the beginning stages of teething. Not close to

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-84622934045261103032010-07-20T14:01:00.000-05:002010-07-20T15:55:52.857-05:00

As you can probably tell, I like to journal. Not just blogging, but physically writing in an actual journal. I used to find it extremely therapeutic. I still do, but now I find myself writing just so I remember things. lol. Last night I wrote an entry and caught myself reading past entries from 2008. In so many ways I've changed, but in other ways I haven't. I still catch myself struggling

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-49552952912269823842010-06-28T08:40:00.000-05:002010-07-06T11:15:44.523-05:00

Carter is 7 weeks old and weighing in at 10 pounds exactly. He's growing so fast! Everyday I can see him learning new things, and thankfully he's starting to smile more and more. He's not quite grasping things, but he loves holding onto fingers. He's discovered his own fingers as well as his tongue. He sticks it out constantly. Geoff and I have also caught him sucking on his hand every now

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-63627962042107678862010-06-24T06:50:00.000-05:002010-06-24T06:51:38.495-05:00

I’ve got everything but time on these handsMud, sweat, and tearsBloodDirtA few wasted yearsCardboard cuts and smudged ink notesSpilled guts and slit throatsWhiskey and ginSmoke and sinResponsibilityA new theme to my melodyA baby boy drifts back to sleepSing sweetBreath in, dream deepThese hands are yours to keepKeep steady nowReady nowConquer the world somehowPray God will keep wind in these pale

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-21178701395834935492010-06-13T11:27:00.000-05:002010-06-13T11:30:42.269-05:00

One month ago today our little miracle came into the world. Wow. Time really does fly. He's changed so much already, but I love watching him grow. He's 22 inches long now and nearly 9 and 1/2 pounds. He still fits into some newborn onesies, but not for long. He's holding his head up more and more and already wants to stand up. He is starting to love bath time as well, which makes mommy and

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-91764226720372223802010-06-01T18:04:00.000-05:002010-06-01T18:55:18.042-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted a new blog. But, I have found energy (and time) to give my shpeel on our little miracle.I can hardly believe that 3 weeks ago (to the day) I was in the hospital giving birth to our son. Wow. I would like to take a moment to reflect on that crazy/awesome event. My water broke at 11:30 p.m. on Monday night. By 5:00 a.m. Tuesday morning we were leaving for

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-58426155221269480452010-05-27T19:50:00.000-05:002010-05-27T21:33:11.241-05:00

And has been for a while now! I haven't gotten around to posting anything since the moment he came into this world, May 11th 2010 at 4:11pm, weighing in at 7 lbs. 9 oz. and 20.5 inches tall. His mother did SO wonderful with the delivery. I was severely impressed and proud to stand beside her. And her cousin Emily who assisted us the entire time we were in the hospital that Tuesday was such a

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-27979315784460069412010-05-11T14:00:00.000-05:002010-05-11T15:44:19.180-05:00

So it's a little after three now and Michelle has done SUCH an amazing job! She was experience a lot of back labor and was so very tired that we decided at 7cm to do an epidural. Before that she had taken only a couple doses of pain meds and I'm very proud of her for trying to things natural like she wanted to. We just ran into little Carter wanted to come out "sunny-side up" which leads to a lot

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-53420994387573865012010-05-11T08:30:00.000-05:002010-05-11T19:22:33.817-05:00

So we are officially all settled in to Holland Hospital for the birth of little Carter. What's that you ask? Oh, yes, he is exactly TWO WEEKS EARLY! I blame our families - they've all been calling it all week. Way to jinx us!Carter is feeling just fine and his heart rate is right on track. Michelle's blood pressure has been a bit high so she has been stuck in bed until just a few minutes ago. Now

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-57421089027537709902010-04-30T09:31:00.000-05:002010-04-30T09:41:40.571-05:00

36 weeks, 26 days away now! Geoff and I got wonderful news yesterday from the doctor. I'm 2 cm dialated, 50% effaced, Carter has dropped, his head is down, ready to go and they estimated that he'll be 7 1/2-8 pounds at birth. The nursery is really coming along (pictures to be posted soon), we just need to paint the dresser we got from Aunt Deb and Uncle Phil (thanks again, we LOVE it!) and I

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-82188402416191944952010-04-22T11:36:00.000-05:002010-04-22T14:19:40.600-05:00

Blessings. Geoff and I have received many recently. I had my last baby shower this past Saturday, and it was so wonderful to see all of my friends and family, not to mention to have all the love and support that surrounded me. Thank you everyone for making it wonderful!Geoff and I aren't 100% set on everything that needs to be done before Carter arrives, but after this weekend, we are

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-57435658828139792522010-04-15T18:13:00.000-05:002010-04-15T19:18:33.225-05:00

Spring Break was last week. It was so great to have a whole week off from work. Not so great not making money, but I got lots of things accomplished including many visits with friends, cleaning the house, and getting some things reorganized. However, I must say it feels good to be back at work again. There's something to be said for the daily grind. :D The only negative was that I spent the

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-32172562680042262612010-03-31T11:07:00.000-05:002010-04-08T10:05:22.914-05:00

So I had a great experience last week Wednesday. Casey McCormick at Literary Rambles was nice enough to post my article, Self-Publishing: Your "Demo" Tape? as a guest blogger piece on LR. LR has over 400 readers and is a very informative and helpful site for would-be writers. I had written the piece for Creating Life and e-mailed her asking to check it out and if she enjoyed it to republish it on

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-86333833830440487862010-03-29T14:36:00.000-05:002010-03-30T05:06:42.094-05:00

32 weeks/8 months along today. Wow. Carter is weighing in at 4 pounds and is just over 19 inches long. I cannot believe that I only have 6-8 weeks left in this pregnancy. I am so ready physically for this to be over. Sleep is getting harder and harder to come by. You can expect that all you want, but no one can ever prepare you for sleep deprivation. lol. However, in every other way,

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-1402181878134270942010-03-17T18:48:00.001-05:002010-03-20T09:38:36.329-05:00

Last post was the family hat. Right now I'm gonna put on my writer hat. Feel free to tune out if you're not interested...But I think you should be, because this isn't only about writing. It's about art and the consumption of it. So yea, let's see if I can organize all these thoughts into something coherent! :DAs I've been diving harder than I ever have before into editing a manuscript, I've

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-37243994838556441432010-03-13T10:53:00.000-06:002010-03-17T18:47:43.324-05:00

So this is my family blog, as well as my writer blog. When I jump on here, I wear different hats.Tonight I'm posting a quick family update, so here's this! Michelle is clipping right along! This is our photo from March 15 at 30 weeks in! I've starting talking to Carter at night before bed. Its pretty fun. I don't say much, but I pretty much have to do it once a day now since about a week ago I

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-22882435671850890752010-03-09T10:36:00.000-06:002010-03-09T15:36:07.957-06:00

Last week Thursday, Geoff and I visited my OB for my 28 week appt. Everything is looking GREAT! I didn't gain as much weight as I thought I had, and my glucose test came back normal. I'm measuring a week a head of schedule, which made me slightly panic, but other than that, the heart rate is perfect and Carter seems to be very content in his little home. That's fine by me, I'm not ready for

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-80767052111978419372010-03-02T12:53:00.000-06:002010-03-02T14:09:47.926-06:00

I'm 28 weeks along today! Baby Carter is 16 inches long and just over 2 1/2 pounds. He's not kicking as much as before, but I can feel him shifting around inside more. He's like a big bulge on one side of my stomach or the other. It's really weird, but very cool at the same time. We have our 28 week check up this Thursday and I'm really hoping that they're not going to tell me I'm becoming a

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-80618697160239622062010-03-02T11:33:00.000-06:002010-03-02T14:10:09.977-06:00

Hello everyone. It's been a while since Geoff or myself have posted anything new, but alas, here it is.Geoff and I are still looking for an apartment in Zeeland that we can afford. With the baby on the way, and Geoff's work relocating in 4 short months we really need to be closer to our families. We need a 2 bedroom that allows cats, and only has electricity as the utilities. Of course I

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-74627462436608283802010-02-16T12:38:00.000-06:002010-02-16T14:06:33.556-06:00

Valentine's Day. I love it and I hate it all at the same time. Holiday's that seem to be invented by Hallmark such as this, along with Sweetest Day just don't seem to be all that genuine. Shouldn't everyday be "like" Valentine's Day? Anyway ... moving on.Geoff and I had an extremely random Valentine's Day. We started the day very early because he was scheduled to play in the band that

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-27598727077579360072010-02-11T08:39:00.000-06:002010-02-11T08:44:12.315-06:00

So I used to have a blog that I did strictly about The Sons of The Moon. I won't be adding to it ever again now that I have this one, but I will update the links section in it to include excerpts I post from the novel on this blog. There are some older excerpts already linked that you won't find in Creating Life. It's a pretty cool little blog and dates back almost to the very start of this

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-14061933867151310952010-02-10T11:09:00.000-06:002010-02-10T14:12:53.110-06:00

If you're a frequent reader of this blog, you know that Michelle and I are in no shortage of financial woes. We talk about them on here with you not to complain or to dwell on the negative, but more so to share, so that if you are in the same sorts of situations, you can take solace in the fact that you're not alone. If it doesn't always come across that way, know that our hearts, if not always

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-41395630333809198202010-02-09T17:45:00.000-06:002010-02-09T22:57:38.455-06:00

Since Geoff and I have been together, we've seen our fair share of "homes." When we first got together we lived in an apartment with two other room mates, then I lived in a separate place for a while. Then we got an apartment together about 3 blocks away from our previous apartment. We were there for just over a year, but realized we missed home. Therefore, we headed back to our hometown,

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-62392697091556608772010-02-09T11:03:00.000-06:002010-02-09T22:54:08.725-06:00

I'm reading two books these days. That's a lot for me, considering I rarely read one. Yes, I'm one of those guys - a writer who has a hard time diving into books. When I decided a couple of years ago to take my writing seriously, I knew I would have start reading again, just as when I was in a band and I consumed every ounce of new music in my respective genres to see what the competition was

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-43167960361298199002010-02-05T00:40:00.000-06:002010-02-05T08:39:00.213-06:00

The winds of change blow consistently across my seas; each unpredictable wave threatens to maroon me on some forgotten island shore. But then, of course, I would at least be on solid ground. Stability - security - these are but ghosts shimmering in the memory of days gone by; simple dreams that fade in the waking moments, disappearing into the blood orange sunrise of a new and unfathomable day.

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-64156625468353489592010-02-02T17:07:00.000-06:002010-02-02T17:13:52.835-06:00

Kathleen Ortiz, Associate Agent and Foreign Rights Manager at Lowenstein Associates, is holding a contest over on her new blog where the winner gets a full-on, "red pen" query critique. It's a thinly veiled way for her to get new readers (the points system involves doing a lot of tweeting and blogging and such about her new blog (hence this blog :D)), but, heck, I'll play along! Always one to

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-68075330754819039842010-02-02T07:36:00.000-06:002010-02-02T11:13:05.459-06:00

Tuesday, January 26th I was asked to go outside for recess duty for a co-worker who was out sick. No big deal, I've done it hundreds of times. I'm outside helping a kiddo zip up his coat, I walk away, next thing I know I'm on my stomach on the ground. Yep, I biffed it on the ice and my stomach took the brunt of the fall. I got up, and instantly start crying because I was really scared. If I

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-64912885146473630222010-01-28T10:59:00.000-06:002010-01-28T17:36:15.796-06:00

So on Tuesday, Michelle was at work and was filling in on recess duty. She slipped on some ice and fell flat on her stomach. Her knee was all bruised up nicely and of course, we were concerned about Carter. So we went to the Doc's later that afternoon and Carter had a clean bill of health. Yet for the rest of the day and night and into yesterday, he wasn't moving around much. Ever since we've

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-80584461855866496412010-01-23T11:45:00.000-06:002010-01-28T17:38:27.231-06:00

Okay, so here it is! You may have read it before, but this truly is the FINAL edit of the book. Tweaking really here and there, mainly, but what you read below is what will be. I close the book on chapter 1 and will continue on, finishing up a chapter at a time until completion. Then this book will go through it's final round of agent submissions. Scary stuff. If The Sons of The Moon doesn't

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-17044033169341193712010-01-21T20:02:00.000-06:002010-01-21T21:12:51.226-06:00

An author by the name of Jon Gibbs (An Englishman in New Jersey) guest blogged today on agent/author Nathan Bransford's very popular blog and posed a rather interesting question to all us writers out there:Is your "but" too big?No, this is not some kind of fat joke. It is a warning to us to look at our "buts" - all those hundreds of little excuses we throw up in front of ourselves as to why we're

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-4691929413053644112010-01-21T19:25:00.001-06:002010-01-21T20:02:22.778-06:00

Jan. 11, 2010What a crazy experience it was to see inside my wife's belly! Our first looks at our new baby boy, of course, came with a lot of questions. Michelle's were particular good at times.(having already seen the picture on your left...) Michelle: "So, are you sure it's a boy?"(and then later on...) Michelle: "And you're sure there's only one in there, right?"I think Mic was secretly

Geoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03763181324812983569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7862351500636862449.post-14076401528088217692010-01-15T10:00:00.000-06:002010-01-15T14:13:45.144-06:00

For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a mom. I never felt compelled to be an astronaut, lawyer, doctor, etc. I spent my childhood growing up on a dairy farm. I did everything from climbing trees, jumping in piles of hay, feeding calves, riding my horse, and catching crawdad’s in the creek. Outside of that, I played with Barbie’s, dress up and house. However, thanks to my brothers

Michttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06792812816861112767noreply@blogger.com2