tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282437932024-03-07T18:35:35.373-05:00Wylie's WordsDiscover the Wylie Side of Romance...Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.comBlogger559125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-87721784491594993472011-02-09T20:28:00.004-05:002011-02-09T20:38:50.791-05:00Last Tempation... coming soonHello blogworld. It's been awhile...<br /><div></div><br /><div>Now that I'm back in the 9-5 salt mines, it's hard to find time to blog, tweet, facebook, write, AND keep up with the pulls and demands of the family.</div><div>My husband -- who, after 19 years of marriage, is suddenly becoming a fairly decent cook -- can attest to the major adjustments we've all had to make these past 6 weeks.</div><br /><div></div><div>The hardest part for me was pushing writing to the back burner. I'm sure I'll figure out a way to make it all fit, but for now, just keeping up with the laundry, housework and homework checks is about all my over-stressed brain can handle.</div><br /><div></div><div>That said, I have recently sold a paranormal short to Ellora's Cave that will be out in late Feb or early March, entitled Last Temptation. I'll post the blurb next week, but for now, here's a little cover eye-candy:</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571868546738353682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlQL7LegmDA_8jNdvDRec8b-I-M3jTWgNVMnKHaWyS-O6GfvMvy9Vjbj_5xKSnuR7lspgd8LqvKfLk_VpUgQUXGjV6XAQ9bsMwuN9l5VOMGtE1k1PxvKybrWh3P1OLw79Y2XE/s400/Last+Temptation+cover.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div></div><div>Until next week...</div><br /><div>~ ~ ~</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-41223849677521595352010-12-27T16:31:00.001-05:002010-12-27T16:36:30.983-05:00FREE READ!Destiny by Design is now a FREE READ on the Ellora's Cave site!<br />(and soon to be on Amazon, I believe...)<br /><br />Go here to download: <a href="http://www.jasminejade.com/p-5074-destiny-by-design.aspx">http://www.jasminejade.com/p-5074-destiny-by-design.aspx</a>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-70028387214621216372010-12-07T13:31:00.003-05:002010-12-07T13:45:05.940-05:00December is here!Quick catch up:<br /><br />November was a frantic month as I'd decided to try my hand at National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo.<br /><br />What I learned? I am not a fast writer. Soaring word counts, as delightful and motivating as it was, is not my gauge for progress. Because now I have 50,000 crap words to fix. My routine is more think/write/research/plot/write/research/plot/write, etc... And because I don't write in a linear fashion (I like to get down those critical scenes fairly early), the speed really messed with my head.<br /><br />Will I do it again? Probably. But only because I liked the collective energy! It's great to write with a group of friends, to push each other ahead, to bounce ideas around when you're stuck...<br /><br />I also took a quick trip up the Thunder Bay to visit my family -- a whirlwind shopping/visiting/eating extravaganza that left me with a sore throat and a suitcase full of Christmas pressies. All good :)<br /><br />Hunger Games follow up: Both me and oldest son LOVED them. We gobbled up those last two books in Thunder Bay -- in fact, we were fighting over the third, which meant I couldn't read it until he was asleep.<br />And oh, the discussions we had -- all very good, and I've decided it should be required reading for all teens/tweens... As long as parents or teachers steer the commentary and show kids how the issues are very much relevant in the here and now.<br /><br />Walking Dead was my t.v. obsession and though it was only a disappointing six episodes long, we have something to look forward to next fall when they return with thirteen eps. That should be long enough for me to get on a good, reliable heart medication, yes? LOL<br /><br />December, December, I can't believe it's here. With my head in NaNoVille, I didn't think of anything else but writing, so December suprised me with it's arrival and it's myriad activities.<br />Perhaps the best part was my birthday -- I got a Kobo e-reader! I'm going through the pre-loaded books at the moment and trying to decide which book shall have the honor of being my first bought book. That's going to take some thought...<br /><br />Back to the kitchen for me. I'm baking so I have something to put out when the inlaws arrive later this week: shortbreads, bishcottes, gingerbread cookies, peppermint bark, Nainimo bars (or New York special, as it's called south of the border), and maybe some toffee squares.<br /><br />Tell me, tell me... WHAT BOOKS DO YOU WANT SANTA TO LEAVE UNDER YOUR TREE?<br /><br />*Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-20288450063983884722010-11-13T06:57:00.003-05:002010-11-08T09:10:36.720-05:00The Hunger Games DilemmaI walked into our family room last week and caught my son thirty pages into my copy of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games. My first reaction was... whoa, that's not appropriate reading material for and almost-11 yr old. But I didn't snatch it away, figuring that he'd get lost and lose interest before any of the heavy stuff happens.<br />Wrong.<br />Guess he's more like his mother than I thought, and five days later he's asking me for the next book in the series, Catching Fire.<br /><br />I think I'm supposed to have The Talk with him regarding some of the heavier issues in the book (no, there's no sex, but there are kids killing kids, encouraged by the adult populous), but<br />A) I'm not sure he really understood the moral implications and by bringing them up I might be stirring something that hasn't occured to him, and<br />B) I have no idea how to approach/handle this!<br /><br />Any advice?<br /><br />Also - I haven't read Catching Fire or Mockinjay yet. If he's already read the first book, is there any harm in giving him the others?<br /><br />~Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-26401455314593673652010-11-11T10:50:00.000-05:002010-11-11T10:52:31.505-05:00Lest We Forget...In Flanders fields the poppies blow<br />Between the crosses, row on row,<br />That mark our place; and in the sky<br />The larks, still bravely singing, fly<br />Scarce heard amid the guns below.<br /><br />We are the Dead. Short days ago<br />We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,<br />Loved, and were loved, and now we lie<br />In Flanders Fields.<br /><br />Take up our quarrel with the foe:<br />To you from failing hands we throw<br />The torch; be yours to hold it high.<br />If ye break faith with us who die<br />We shall not sleep, though poppies grow<br />In Flanders Fields.<br /><br />- John McCraeWylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-78728056893921008832010-11-06T08:17:00.000-04:002010-11-06T08:17:00.110-04:00Never Let Me Go(written Oct 15)<br />I just put down Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. The book may not sound familiar to you, but you've likely heard of the upcoming movie starring Keira Knightly and Carey Mulligan (love her!).<br />At the time I'm writing this, the movie has yet to be released... but I'm putting it on my go-to list as the performances will no doubt be award-worthy.<br /><br />The book. Here's the back cover blurb:<br /><blockquote>From Booker Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro comes a devastating new<br />novel of innocence, knowledge and loss.<br />As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at hailsham, an exclusive<br />boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of mercurial<br />cliques and mysterious reules--andteachers were constantly reminding their<br />charges of how special they were.<br />Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Rutha nd Tommy have reentered her<br />life, and for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past<br />and understand just what it is that makes them so special--and how that gift<br />will shape the rest of their time together.</blockquote>SPOILER ALERT<br />If you don't already know, and it's revealed very early in the book, so I don't think I'm letting out a big secret... is that these 'special' kids are being bred/raised for the sole purpose of organ donations. They're clones, with no parents or families, who will go on to make up to four 'donations' in their young adult lives before 'completeing'.<br /><br />It's narrated by Kathy H, a 'carer', a sort-of nurse to the donors before she'll become one herself, who thinks back to her time at Hailsham and her relationship with her best friends Ruth and Tommy.<br />It all appears rather innocent, her reminisces about classes and cliques, artwork and crushes... while their destinies are never questioned, not a rebellous streak in any of them.<br /><div> </div><div>Though well written and engaging (which made it worth every cent of the $15) I can't come right out and say I loved it because underneath all the gentle flowing narrative is a highly disturbing subtext. The reader, who understands what's going on from almost the outset, keeps waiting for the breakthrough, the aha moment when these characters come to terms with who and what they are... but it never really happens. </div><div> </div><div>Yes - I get that this was the point, but it left me shaken.</div><div> </div><div>The book never once questions the moral/ethic dilemma, leaving that instead to the reader, and this particular reader kept hoping someone would step forward to champion for right. I suppose Miss Emily, the headmistress of Hailsham did, in her own way, by creating this sheltered world for the donors, and yet... it wasn't enough.</div><div> </div><div>Then again, this story can serve as an analogy for any number of wrongs being committed in the world right now under the guise of science or politics or war and here I sit, in the comfort of my suburban home, wondering which pizza place I'll order from tonight.</div><div> </div><div>Perhaps this book served it's purpose -- to make me think, to question, to not accept things just because society has deemed it a norm.</div><div>Damn you Ishuguro, for making my brain hurt!</div><div> </div><div>Have you read this book or seen the movie? I'd love to hear your thoughts...</div><div> </div>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-1016311779808319652010-10-31T21:20:00.002-04:002010-10-31T21:26:51.374-04:00National Novel Writing Month, November 2010With only hours before the November 1st start date, I decided to take part in National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNo.<br />The object: write 50,000 words in 30 days.<br /><br />I've shied away from this in the past for a few reasons, the most important one being that I'm not a fast writer. I plod along, edit and research as I go and I know I'm going to have a tremendously difficult time shutting off my inner editor.<br /><br />With my youngest in full-time school this year, I don't have a lot of excuses not to at least try. And I figure if I tell the world of my intentions, I'll be too embarrassed to give up by Nov 6th, *hee*.<br /><br />I'm also hoping my buddies, Amy Ruttan, Kimber Chin, Christine D'Abo and JK Coi, will hold me accountable, crack the whip when needed and out me as a loser/giver-uper/defeatest if I try and pull out.<br /><br />Yup - crazy. I'm feeling a tinge of regret already, and it's 2 1/2 hours before the starting gun. Eeks!<br /><br />How 'bout you? Nano-ing or Nono-ing?Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-39929692199117012102010-10-30T08:31:00.001-04:002010-10-30T08:31:00.661-04:00Doctor Who - the bond between a mother and sonA few weeks ago, I said I hadn't posted a blog in months. That wasn't exactly true. Driven by utter and absolute disgust in learning that those Jersey Shore twats make more money than the Glee kids (who possess actual talent), I did a very ranty post about the state of the television industry.<br />I took it down a day later. Who am I to judge what people watch? (heh heh - but if you do indeed watch Toddlers and Tiaras, we're fighting)<br /><br />I think I was frustrated because I couldn't find a good family show for me and my oldest son to watch (other than Discovery Channel fare) that wasn't loaded with sex/sexual innuendos or violence/disturbing content without frying our brains on obtuse drivel (a la Hannah Montana and Suite Life).<br /><br />Then we found Doctor Who.<br />This British series (a reboot, btw... which began anew in 2005) has the perfect mix of interesting characters, fun dialogue and a requisite amount of alien creepiness to keep an eleven year old boy happy.<br /><br /><div>Because the show utilizes a terrific mix of science fiction with reality, it's opened up the kitchen-table dialogue -- always a bonus.</div><br /><div>The Doctor time travels and has found himself in WWII, saving Shakespeare and meeting Queen Victoria, flirting with Madame Pompedor, etc... and it's spurred some discussions we'd likely never would have had. </div><br /><div>We pause the show, discuss things like London's blitz, and how my hubby's mother used to have to hide under the dining room table when the bombs dropped, or how plays were revolutionized by Shakespeare and the Globe. </div><br /><div>And oh... the memorable one-liners that we now toss to each other have become our secret inside jokes. "Don't they teach recreational math anymore?"</div><br /><div>Anything to connect to my adolescent kid gets two thumbs up in my book!</div>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-18704293348874055632010-10-23T11:10:00.000-04:002010-10-23T11:10:00.669-04:00Big BrotherTHE Big Brother, of Orwellian proportions, is here. Right here in 2010.<br />It's not the government or some evil corporation.<br />It's us.<br />It's people.<br />You and me.<br /><br />Thanks to the cellphone cameras, Twitter, YouTube, etc, we have become our own Big Brother. We take pictures of people - doing good, doing bad, doing embarrassing things, or simply being themselves... and we share them with the world. And the world judges.<br /><em>Oh, we judge.</em><br /><em></em><br />Think about the young gay man who was filmed having sex in his dorm room. He committed suicide over it because he knows... WE JUDGE. We watch, we tsk-tsk, we condemn.<br /><br />It started with celebrities - like the Britney/Lindsay/Paris trainwrecks. We saw it all, in real-time, minute-by-minute with crotch shots, drunk tweets, barber-shop breakdowns.<br />Perez Hilton, TMZ, US Weekly... they judge. And we watch and nod and judge too.<br /><br />Think about it... We are Big Brother.Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-77002630749330811882010-10-16T10:58:00.001-04:002010-10-18T12:40:44.459-04:00Books Books Books!This one's about books.... just like the title implies. I didn't get to read as much as I'd have liked to over the summer holidays, maybe ten books total. But of those, here are the ones that resonated:<br /><br /><strong>Still Alice by Lisa Genova</strong> - follows the journey of a Harvard prof as she copes with early onset Alzheimers. Very real, very moving and very scary. It's a difficult subject to read but the author balances the weightiness with lighter moments.<br /><br /><strong>One Day by David Nicholls</strong> - the problem with highly recommended books is the high expectations that come with them. I wanted this book to be amazing, to change my life, to shake my world. And it was good. Very good. But something fell a bit short for me. Probably because I never really fell in love with Dexter, the 'hero'. He was mostly a douche and though he may have been Emma's one true love, (they did have a complex and powerful relationship), he remained shallow and selfish until the end.<br />And by the way.... WHY is this romance not called a romance? Just because someone dies in the end, lit romance is still romance. David Nicholls, Nicholas Sparks, Diana Gabaldon... y'all should be shelve next to La Nora. :P<br /><br /><strong>The Girl... (x3) by Steig Larsson</strong> - DEVOURED this series. Ah, but wait... I lie. I haven't read book one yet, ...with the Dragon Tattoo. Because I bought book 2 by accident (all the covers look the same, non?) and didn't realize it was book 2 until I was about 50 pages in thinking "why do I feel like I've missed something?" So I set it aside, watched the movie (the original Swedish version with Noomi Rapace) to get caught up, and dove back into the book. And then the third, moments after putting down the second. Fast paced, thrilling, interesting characters (Lisbeth Salander will be a classic heroine, wouldn't you agree? Others will be compared to her forever) and the true definition of a page turner. I will go back and read book one, simply because I don't want to let these characters go and poor Mr. Larsson won't be writing anymore, bless his soul.<br /><br />I know there were a few others but dang if I can think of them at the moment...<br /><br />On the bedside is <strong>Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro</strong>, which I want to read before the movie comes out later this year, and the <strong>Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins</strong>. I adored book one (this will be a classic, oh yes it will) and want to re-read it before jumping into the next two.<br /><br />What are you reading?Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-395721551619319732010-10-09T10:45:00.003-04:002010-10-09T11:21:55.467-04:00Whatever happened to Willem Dafoe...It's been five months since I last blogged. It wasn't intentional. I got busy with kids and summer. Then I had nothing to say that couldn't be said in 140 characters or less so my news and opinions went to that other social network.<br /><br />But I get these reports that insist I still get over 150 hits per week so it had me thinking... maybe I should be saying something?<br /><br />I'll begin with 'whatever happened to Willem Dafoe'? This talented, versatile actor (English Patient, Platoon, Last Temptation of Christ, Spider Man) hasn't been in anything in a very long time.<br />Nothing Hollywoodish, anyway. Nothing that has come to my suburban theatre.<br />Shame.<br />I miss him.<br /><br />Anyone out there you miss seeing on the big screen?Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-46370651421529717072010-05-29T17:07:00.003-04:002010-05-29T17:33:34.208-04:00On TimeMy youngest, aka Sweetness, turned six years old a few weeks ago and I've been dwelling on the fleetingness of time. Seems like only moments ago I was holding a newborn in my arms and now I've got a little man who reads big-boy books, can kick my butt in Mario Cart and can hold fairly intelligent conversations with his ten year old brother. He begins Grade One in the fall and though I'm excited for him, I'm suffering a savage case of The Nostalgias.<br /><br />But I can't blame it all on him. My big sister celebrates her 50th birthday in a few weeks. For the record, I am waaaaay younger and it's my great pleasure to remind her of this on every occassion :)<br />A week later, my mom turns 90. NINETY!! And her age hasn't deterred her. She's still spry, still driving and doing her own housework and still the smartest lady I know.<br />And yesterday, my neice Kaitlyn, who spent ages four through five dressed in her Maid Marion Halloween costume which <em>I swear</em> was only a few years ago -- graduated university with a degree in political science.<br /><br />Remember how summer holidays felt so loooong when you were a kid, and now, as an adult, it's a blip? Sweetness finishes Kindergarden on June 11th. He can't wait. Meanwhile, I'm panicking about losing my writing time for three months and fretting over the low word count on my current work in progress.<br /><br />Scary business, this time thing...how in some cases it feels fleeting --like between blogposts --and in others, painfully and agonizingly slow --like during childbirth. Or when you're waiting for an email from your agent on the status of your book as it makes its rounds through the NY publishing houses :)<br /><br />Since we both know it will be awhile until my next blogpost, I leave you with fond summer-time smoochies<br />xoxoxoxoxoxoWylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-45885515486618666622010-05-04T07:59:00.004-04:002010-05-04T08:17:34.323-04:00Wylie's Entertainment Round UpShame on me.<br />Can't believe I haven't blogged in over a month. Closer to two, actually.<br />Can I use that old fallback excuse... I was busy? Yeah, aren't we all.<br /><br /><strong>On Writing:</strong><br />After a fabulous writing-free March Break, I went on an equally fabulous writer's retreat with a few of the Toronto Romance Writer peeps. A blast was had by all. And some writing got done! Yay us.<br />I managed to finish revising ye old manuscript sometime in April.<br />What a job that was! Took the book apart like a giant puzzle and had the damnest time putting it together again. *queue violins*<br />The agent liked. *queue angels*<br /><strong>Game On</strong> is currently being shopped in NY. *queue prayer circles*<br /><br /><strong>On Reading:</strong><br />Loretta Chase's <strong>Lord of Scoundrels</strong> (thanks for the recommend Kimber Chin!) was awesomeness.<br />Then tackled Dan Chaon's <strong>Await Your Reply</strong> - excellent in a creepy sort of way. Outstanding writing, fascinating topic (identity theft), disturbing yet likable characters. Highly recommend.<br />In the middle of Malcolm Gladwell's <strong>What the Dog Saw</strong> - interesting. I've new respect for that Popeil character I see at 2am slogging his wares.<br />My fellow TRW author, Juliana Stone's <strong>His Darkest Hunger</strong> - a panther shifter story, first of a series. Both entertaining and hot :)<br /><br /><strong>On T.V.:</strong><br /><strong>GLEE</strong> - SQUEE!!! need I say more?<br /><strong>LOST </strong>- Half of me is looking forward to saying goodbye to this colossal mind-f*ck, the other half is having an anxiety attack at the thought of it being over forever.<br /><br /><strong>On Movies</strong> (two rentals, two in-theatre):<br /><strong>Up in the Air</strong> - a must watch. If only for the incredible acting. It's an actor's movie. And a thinking movie. And a life movie.<br /><strong>Men Who Stare at Goats</strong> - interesting. quirky. entertaining. and possibly true? which makes it a wee bit scary.<br /><strong>Clash of the Titans</strong> - I was expecting greatness. I found okayness. Goodness, even, but not greatness.<br /><strong>Furry Vengeance</strong> - only if you have kids. It's cute. But my forever-crush on George of the Jungle is firmly OVER.Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-42992133742635066272010-03-13T10:55:00.006-05:002010-03-13T11:26:06.136-05:00Forever Young... This is Where I Leave You<strong>On Writing:</strong><br />I've had the cold from hell for the past week. Kinda plague-like in severity (with no disrespect to those with the original plague ;)<br />Sadly, this meant NO words were written on my current wip... no laundry was done either (which isn't too horrible - heh)... and I'm missing today's Toronto Romance Writer's meeting cause breathing is still an issue. Nobody, I'm sure, would want to sit next to mucusy me.<br />And the second round of waiting has begun. The SuperAgent has the revised ms and I'm drumming my fingers, tapping my toe and whistling an annoying tune while I wait to find out what she says about the 20K I added to thicken up the plot. Knowing this is the first of many many 'waits' makes me wonder if I'll have any non-gray hair left on my head before I see my name on the spine of a book in Chapters.<br /><br /><strong>On Reading:</strong><br />Read Jonathan Tropper's THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU. I promise, you will not be disappointed. This book is sad and funny and real and heartbreaking and uplifting and hilarious and you'll wonder how Jonathan Tropper got into your head and got your very private thoughts out. So so so good.<br />It's a bit like Jonathan Franzen's THE CORRECTIONS ... equally well written but more hopeful and infinitely easier to digest.<br /><br />I purchased the hardcover edition of THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU, only because it's not out in paperback yet, and don't regret shelling out the bucks for a moment (and to know me is to know I'm a cheap bastard who gets books from the used book store) - so if that's not reason enought to trott and out to Chapters/B&N, I don't know what else I can say...<br /><br /><strong>On Music:</strong><br />Perhaps I'm feeling a bit cranky from my cold but JESUS H. MAHONEY -- why why why did they let JayZ destroy the amazingness that was Forever Young? WHY??<br />And how could Alphaville let him do this to their beautiful song?<br />When the first strains of it come on the radio I get that 1984 feeling and then BLAM, JayZ ruins it all with very lame rap. I'm disgusted. He's gone and f*cked with my college memories. :P<br /><br /><strong>On TV:</strong><br />Are you watching Castle yet?<br />And speaking of Nathan Fillion...<br />I'm all caught up on Firefly. This was the SF series I missed (blaming The Bermuda Years - we didn't get much in terms of channels) and it was very enjoyable. I'm sad that it was cancelled.<br /><br />LOST is back on and I'm suprising myself - a DIEHARD fan - by saying I'm not all that impressed with it at the moment. It's the final season so perhaps I'm preparing myself psychologically for the large hole it's going to leave in my entertainment life,... but it's not all mind-blowy like it has been in the past.<br /><br />That is all...<br />***Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-48295077941200529262010-03-01T09:47:00.003-05:002010-03-01T09:56:45.354-05:00With Glowing Hearts...The Olympics is over. I feel sort of lost...<br />The television was on for 17 straight days, from the poignantly Canadian opening ceremonies through to the final gold medal delivered by Sidney Crosby.<br />Every emotional chord was hit, from frustration to elation, and I probably cried at least once per day. Yes... the Tim Horton's commercial got me every time.<br />And does anyone know the name of the song in the Coke commerical? The hockey-themed one with the line "... let everybody know who's game they're playing" cause it's stuck in my head.<br />Oh - and I finally understand the line from our national anthem "with glowing hearts". It stopped being just words and became something real.<br /><br />It was such fun meeting new Twitter friends during the games! Don't think I watched one event alone :)<br /><br /><br />Back to writing!<br />Which I've done little of.<br />I'm putting the finishing polish on my novel today and will send it out to my agent (I still squee inside when I type that word). Fingers crossed that she'll know what to do with it from there.<br /><br />And how fitting that the hero of the book is a hockey player.<br /><br />***Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-91599809298970473622010-02-14T09:48:00.004-05:002010-02-14T10:05:50.297-05:00Hurt LockerI finally saw Hurt Locker last night and I'm not sure what to say about it... except maybe WOW.<br /><br /><strong>Should it win Best Picture Oscar? imo... No.</strong><br />It was indeed a powerful film with a subject matter not easy to understand or watch. Do you know the premise?<br />In a nut-shell... It's about a 3-man team of blasters, those brave souls who find/diffuse IED's. It was intense and very real. It did not glamorize war.<br />It wasn't anti-American nor was it pro-American. Not anti-Iraqi and not pro-Iraqi. Not overtly anti-war but very anti-war.<br />It just was.<br />It's brilliance lay in the grey-area and absolute avoidance in painting things black or white. The good guys were kinda bad and instead of giving the audience a bad guy to hate, it gave us war to hate.<br /><br />Everybody should see this movie because it will make you uncomfortable as war should.<br />btw - it wasn't overly graphic, so if that's stopping, it shouldn't.<br /><br /><strong>Should Bigelow win Best Director Oscar? imo... resounding YES.</strong><br />Where Cameron (Avatar) is all bigness, brightness and much over-the-top-ness, Bigelow is subtle, symbolic and she let the landscape and quietness scream the loudest. She made it look effortless but if you look, <em>really look</em>, it was anything but. Every shot had a reason, every frame meant something.<br /><br />I found it interesting that both movies shared a theme... and you have to see them both to understand how powerful but drastically different they relate that theme.<br /><br />btw - I still don't get the title. Am I stupid? Did I miss something key?? Anyone know where 'hurt locker' comes from?Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-62154409949718401192010-02-11T12:54:00.003-05:002010-02-11T13:01:16.261-05:00Because I have nothing better to blog about...Working hard to revise my category length novel into a single title length, on the advice of my <em>agent</em> (that will never get old so expect me to bring it up often and shamelessly).<br /><br />Other than that, I really don't have much going on, so I thought I'd share the last five songs I downloaded on iTunes:<br /><br /><ol><li>Creep - Radiohead</li><li>21 Guns - Greenday</li><li>Glitter in the Air - P!nk</li><li>Wavin' Flag - K'Naan</li><li>Morning After Dark - Timbaland</li></ol><br />A little eclectic, like my taste in books. G'head -- tell me in comments what your latest download was.<br /><br />WWylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-86421839342759190402010-02-10T10:27:00.002-05:002010-02-10T10:33:08.543-05:00Huh? What was that? Speak up please!I got an agent.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I GOT AN AGENT.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">I GOT AN AGENT!!!!</span></strong>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-28431936613879190862010-02-03T13:46:00.002-05:002010-02-03T13:48:24.392-05:00It's AMAZON!I'm on Amazon and didn't know it. Heh.<br />I got an email from Ellora's Cave advising that I should have an author's page and I was like WTF? Sure enough, here I am...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Wylie+Kinson">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Wylie+Kinson</a><br /><br />(No, this isn't the exciting news I had to share. That's coming next week...)Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-63773449103034483572010-01-31T10:15:00.004-05:002010-01-31T10:34:32.636-05:00Outlander and The Lost Symbol on my Keeper Shelf<em>I've got some VERY good news coming. Can't say anything just yet... (and you know it's killing me) but soon, soon. All will be revealed...</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Don't you just HATE teases like that? </em><br /><em>Me too, but I'm feeling smug so it's staying ;)</em><br /><br />On books: I read two this week, thanks to a bout of insomnia.<br /><br /><strong>The Lost Symbol</strong> by Dan Brown -- let me start by saying I LOVED IT. The architectural puzzles of Washington DC, a fascinating peek behind the secretive veil of the Freemason society, a new mystic science called Noetics... it was all good.<br />This is one author who really does his homework. I don't mind waiting years and years for an author's book if he can captivate me so.<br />I almost took notes so I wouldn't forget some of the tres cool things he imparted.<br /><br />But, I must laughingly agree with the critics who shake their heads at Mr. Brown's writing style. Eeeks. One sentence that will not dislodge itself from my head is "The door hissed loudly open."<br />Thank goodness he's an awsome storyteller :)<br /><br />Diana Gabaldon's <strong>Outlander</strong> -- yes yes,... it's about time. The book came out in the early '90's and I've been meaning to read it since, but never quite got around to it.<br />Is it good? Let me just say, this 850 page tome took me only a little over 24 hours to read because I could not put it down.<br />I wish more books like Outlander were published today. These days, the shelves seemed to be packed with quick reads, lots of white space, and pacing that leaves you feeling like you've been on a rollercoaster for an hour too long.<br />Ms Gabaldon took time to fully develop her characters so when they did jump on the coaster, you were rooting for them, hurting for them, and falling in love with them. She also had a brilliant balance of description (ah, Scotland -- made me ache to go), history and romance.<br />If you haven't read this modern classic, do. Don't let the thickness or lack of white space intimidate. It's got nicely spaced section breaks... IF you can put it down.<br />Go. Buy. Enjoy the kind of books that are rarely published today ;)<br /><br />On Television:<br /><br />LOST is back this Tuesday!!! WOOT!!!<br /><br />***Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-89708033347636598112010-01-24T06:57:00.003-05:002010-01-24T06:57:00.296-05:00Can we bill the 11 million to the Panty Bomber?I've been reading a lot (fact-based and op-eds) about the new airport screening procedures and what an even bigger nightmare flying has become in the wake of the PantyBomber.<br /><br /><em>*author note: you can call him the Underwear Bomber if you like, but I'm stickin' with Panty because it sounds more idiotic. And what kind of IDIOT sticks explosives next to his dick... What was he going to do with the 72 sacrificial virgins he undoubtably was promised? Sing soprano to them?*</em><br /><br />It's a scary world we live in. Granted. But it's pissing me off that travelling by airplane has become such a freaking nightmare that I'd rather just not go anyplace.<br />I used to be that girl who would plan her next trip before this one was finished. I read travel magazines, saved air miles, even strategically moved closer to the airport (weird but true!)<br /><br />Now? The thought of the lines, the body scanners (creepy!!) the three-hour-before-your-flight arrival times, the no-ANYTHING on the plane (people who made these rules do not have children, clearly) and get this... they're even considering 'smart-belts' -- seat belts that lock you into your seat at the discretion of the airline employee. *horror-movie-girly-scream*<br /><br />Thank the Gods, all of 'em, that I've seen the Louvre, the Tower of London, the canals of Venice and the Alps cause if they lock me in a seat, I won't need a panty bomb to blow up.<br /><br />For the US bound flights, the Toronto airport has to buy 44 body scanners (creepy!!) at the cost of $250,000 per unit. That's 11 million dollars folks. Not to mention the cost to run them and monitor them as they each 2 man team at minimum, one to be present with the passenger while the one minute scan takes place, while the other is in a room someplace else, so that they can't actually see the face of the naked person at whom they're looking (Come on... that doesn't creep you out?)<br /><br />ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS. Think of the Ontario arts programs that could pay for. Or what the Cancer Society could do with ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS. Or how many Haitans could be fed, clothed and housed?<br /><br />My question: Can we send the bill to the Panty Bomber? Or the Shoe Bomber? Or W?? ;)<br />Cause the airport taxes on my airline tickets often add to more than the cost of flying already and that's not right.<br /><br />Why don't we simply put a police force on every flight -- hell the seats are half empty these days...<br />Or hey, lets get the flight attendants RCMP-trained (I hear they're good)<br />Or make us fly naked. (body scanners=creepy!)<br />Or in tight fitting Star Trek suits -- oh yeah!<br /><br />Because some Idiot (see Panty Bomber, above) will find another way, like swallowing a bomb, or sticking it up his butt, for which the body scanner (creepy!!) is completely ineffective. As would be the naked flying...<br /><br />Point is, if these terrorists want to bad enough, and get someone stupid enough (see Panty Bomber, above) it will get done.<br />Meanwhile, they've already terrorized the millions of people who tried to fly over the Christmas holidays. And beyond.<br />Meanwhile, I'm done flying.<br /><br />Your thoughts?<br /><br /><em>**I wrote this before carry-on restrictions were lifted. As of Jan 20th, with the exception of creams, liquids, etc, carry-on luggage is back on**</em>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-58363584418452041732010-01-19T11:31:00.013-05:002010-01-19T12:56:30.535-05:00Just say NO to trout pout and cheek implantsTo the Women of Hollywood, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrFJSPZhWL4SxNRyaCmCiLsZBexM9IM2CmnaFldSXqcO3ThydqzadrXwgZ73SEMEBCajivmutjZifAxDK43W-kGCmpbwoADIBDzayjufHlnoBQrryOkSF_LxGuBMDAVZ8Htqf/s1600-h/Plastic+surgery+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428506702468862050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 278px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrFJSPZhWL4SxNRyaCmCiLsZBexM9IM2CmnaFldSXqcO3ThydqzadrXwgZ73SEMEBCajivmutjZifAxDK43W-kGCmpbwoADIBDzayjufHlnoBQrryOkSF_LxGuBMDAVZ8Htqf/s320/Plastic+surgery+3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><br /><div>Please stop messing up your faces. Please. It's not pretty, no matter what your 'people' tell you, or your management, or, God forbid, your plastic surgeons.<br /><br />Yes - I'm talking about Madonna, Meg Ryan, Melanie Griffith, etc...</div><br /><div>I caught Joan Rivers on some late-night talk show the other day and it was creepy. It's just not right for a 76 year old woman to have a lineless face. None-what-so-ever. She looked like she was wearing plastic mask *cringe*</div><br /><div>Have you seen Cougar Town? I saw it for the first time the other day and thought I recognized the actress that plays best friends to Courtney Cox's character. I IMBD'd her and OMFG, it's Christa Miller, the cute goofy actress from the Drew Carey Show. Oh Christa, not you too!! What are those things in your cheeks? And you lips... *shudder*</div><br /><div>Ironically, the ep I saw guest-starred Lisa Kudrow as a bitchy plastic surgeon. As Jules (Cox) got injected, Kudrow, with her aged-beauty undoctored, ridiculed the practice saying she would never be so stupid as to inject poison in her face.</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisAHZkvycpWFv-L-eqMxfzOBE7PdV_6TZLp83-kTQ6jHDSQOtfL4t6Che9IDRBQLqYvtwvJSgc4DOv_wiQiNlC1Pl5AJsD5nvfhoMx4BdIBlNy9JOmfx-v25qmnb_PS1r-joH/s1600-h/Plastic+surgery+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428506452876460338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 168px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisAHZkvycpWFv-L-eqMxfzOBE7PdV_6TZLp83-kTQ6jHDSQOtfL4t6Che9IDRBQLqYvtwvJSgc4DOv_wiQiNlC1Pl5AJsD5nvfhoMx4BdIBlNy9JOmfx-v25qmnb_PS1r-joH/s320/Plastic+surgery+1.jpg" border="0" /></a>So <strong>why?</strong> Why are they doing this to themselves? It's OKAY to age. It's OKAY for your forehead to crinkle up when you look suprised, or crinkles around your eyes when you laugh. </div><div>I get the face-lift, the eye-lift, even the tummy tuck, especially on mommy-actresses. Looking 'youthful and alert' is part of the job, one could argue, but the collagen and botox, cheek implants and whatever the heck they're doing that makes them look like an army of Jokers must stop.</div><br /><div>Witness actresses such as Helen Mirren, Meryl Streep, and Susan Sarandon, who, if they've had work, it's been very subtle and tasteful. They're ageing with grace and dignity, and most importantly: They're still hot.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428509172137801378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrtklhNwJVKLr6f12KatNfg0SyYnoNAmimb_mCB8GITgYEGaIiBZQ_xxyvIGvIH2I1x8XjTRqj68QwnxLVaBY44-EavDXwiaQkCHJEOtVuWUFsFtdn9QH9lUbSajoKtxAHn1j/s200/Plastic+surgery+4.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>Helen Mirren, for the record, is 65 this year... Wowsa.</div><br /><div>The men... with the exception of Mickey Rourke, they're not doing this, so why are the ladies?Yes yes yes,... I know this sexism arguement too, but could you see Clint with a trout pout, Redford getting a shot of Botox? </div><div>Oh - Barry Manilow just came to mind. Add him to the Freak list.</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFq0EwrGYEMSvcfJBKGXA7afaXyLvZV0qkUBMyp6iA0aYNr_QdYVyvlhLK4-JI1DQmxUipoBS52n5n9vD96dtPIL9ItrNlGPEajs_lVhRLfeCPBjPOPivvek1wKbd0ZPVsd7K/s1600-h/Plastic+surgery+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5428505943439612978" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 206px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 211px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFq0EwrGYEMSvcfJBKGXA7afaXyLvZV0qkUBMyp6iA0aYNr_QdYVyvlhLK4-JI1DQmxUipoBS52n5n9vD96dtPIL9ItrNlGPEajs_lVhRLfeCPBjPOPivvek1wKbd0ZPVsd7K/s400/Plastic+surgery+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>What scares me most is the inevitability that what goes on in Hollywood eventually drips into the masses. How much longer until we see Attack of the Plastic-Faces in a mid-western Walmart. Everywhere you look, it'll be a sea of Jocelyn Wildensteins...</div><br />EEKS!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-25945748593129874732010-01-12T09:43:00.003-05:002010-01-12T10:29:48.046-05:00What I'm Watching, Reading, Writing...<strong>On Books:</strong><br />Jonathan Franzen's <strong>The Corrections</strong> has been on my must-read list for almost a decade. I remember the buzz when it came out, when the author famously dissed Oprah. Ha!<br />I FINALLY got around to reading it and it was brilliant. Freaking BRILLIANT.<br />That said, as much as I was awed by his writing, I couldn't get into it for the first 100 or so pages primarily because I didn't like the characters. They appeared selfish, self-serving and bottom-line unlikeable. But as the story unfolds, as you delve into each characters childhood, their memories, their coping strategies, and how their shallow pschyes gain depth through the perspective their individual lives, the story becomes moving, disturbing, eye-opening, thought provoking and have I said <em>brilliant</em>? Even if the story of a dysfunctional family doesn't appeal to you, read it for the stunning writing.<br /><br />I received Wm Paul Young's <strong>The Shack</strong> for my birthday from a very dear friend. I'd heard some buzz last year but wasn't interested enough to pick up the book. And truly, I didn't realize it was all about God, which would have sealed the deal on my avoidance. Don't get me wrong... I believe in God, not just the one who hates gay people and turns water to wine. I am, in despite of my disgust at organized religion, a very spiritual person. So... into The Shack I went with the dad of a kidnapped and murdered child to spend a weekend with the Holy Trinity.<br />Between the occassional eyeroll and chuckle, I admit to truly liking this book. Call it a right-time, right-place experience, but this book spoke to me, calmed me, made me open my eyes to a few things I'd firmly shut them against. The principle of the book -- relationships, acceptance, forgiveness -- were things I needed to hear, needed to feel...<br /><br />The Shack, much like The Corrections, won't be for everyone, but each is cathartic to an open-minded reader.<br /><br /><strong>On Movies:</strong><br /><strong>Avatar.</strong> Wow. Was sceptical of the over-hype but WOW. Go for the visual brilliance.<br />The story is okay, nothing you've not seen before in countless other incarnations, but the world-building, the characters, the amazingness of Sam Worthington -- all worth the price of admission.<br /><br /><strong>Sherlock Holmes.</strong> RDJ and Jude Law were magical together. Haven't seen bro-chemistry like that in a long time. I enjoyed this movie immensely, though it didn't give me that "OMG - this is the bestest movie evah!" feel like I got after seeing Iron Man.<br />But the story was excellent, the visuals spot-on (the close-ups, foreshadowing of clues - brilliant) and the acting superb. Can't wait for the sequel.<br /><br /><strong>On Writing:</strong><br />I finished a contemporary romance, currently titled <strong>A Taste for the Game</strong>, before Christmas and spent a good chunk of December querying agents. Nothing has come of that yet, beyond a few form rejections (ouch) so while I wait,... patiently, endlessly, obsessively checking email... I'm writing a new book. It's a stand alone, though it involves characters I introduced in A Taste for the Game, with the grand hope that if one sells, perhaps the other will.<br /><br />I've been recently asked about my post-apocalyptic novel, <strong>Jump Zone</strong>. That one is still sitting on the shelf.<br />I will, eventually, dust it off, make some revisions to tighten the pacing (thanks to Eve Silver's pacing lecture!!) and get my querying hat on again. But the rejections (despite the great contest feedback - humpf) ... oh, they just overwhelmed me.<br />Also, in terms of a career strategy, it's best that I stick with contemporary until I have some level of success before I introduce my darker gloom on the world.<br /><br />What are you watching/reading/writing?Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-90695076163857178782010-01-04T00:38:00.000-05:002010-01-04T00:38:00.417-05:00Oh Canada!Ha ha ha -- joke's on me. I thought I posted this two weeks ago and it seems I only saved it as a draft. D'oh... So pretend this is December 18th and share my patriotic joy:<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL9K9lLCgAZv2RPzFe1BrsVDHpFc_QwOId2Rjs2QUVYmJRAQQQ6_eY3-asXwqWrh3lKM308aigQrjuA5uBSIFLEyD5Q_gooiPkJbXqVG1T7ZP5k_6LhrZMSqA14fVWO0694-P/s1600-h/2009+Dec-James+10th+birthday,+OLYMPIC+torch+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416633097413732018" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL9K9lLCgAZv2RPzFe1BrsVDHpFc_QwOId2Rjs2QUVYmJRAQQQ6_eY3-asXwqWrh3lKM308aigQrjuA5uBSIFLEyD5Q_gooiPkJbXqVG1T7ZP5k_6LhrZMSqA14fVWO0694-P/s320/2009+Dec-James+10th+birthday,+OLYMPIC+torch+005.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Olympic Torch came thru my town today, and although I had no interest in standing out in the cold to watch the procession, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and witnessed a little piece of patriotic history.<br /><br /><br /><div>IT WAS SO AMAZING!! Can't begin to explain my reaction -- swollen with emotion, tears threating to spill over with pride -- as I stood amongst hundreds of school children who waved little flags and shouted "Go, Canada, go!!" </div><br /><br /><div>And now I'm psyched about the Olympics :)</div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxyRSDkHLqjsJfQWDffF0EDi2ta5Hy8c8ibzPD5hPDjR57MywuBQOXCyKDITYtfRw6ffMV-MrcgfDEOYZqxgMbTxx7bkdayyxv0vGlcd4Tr6kZFbx5X5qoQhK6Kf_2dBvgSHh/s1600-h/2009+Dec-James+10th+birthday,+OLYMPIC+torch+006.JPG"></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>GO CANADA!!!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxyRSDkHLqjsJfQWDffF0EDi2ta5Hy8c8ibzPD5hPDjR57MywuBQOXCyKDITYtfRw6ffMV-MrcgfDEOYZqxgMbTxx7bkdayyxv0vGlcd4Tr6kZFbx5X5qoQhK6Kf_2dBvgSHh/s1600-h/2009+Dec-James+10th+birthday,+OLYMPIC+torch+006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5416633280290103570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxyRSDkHLqjsJfQWDffF0EDi2ta5Hy8c8ibzPD5hPDjR57MywuBQOXCyKDITYtfRw6ffMV-MrcgfDEOYZqxgMbTxx7bkdayyxv0vGlcd4Tr6kZFbx5X5qoQhK6Kf_2dBvgSHh/s400/2009+Dec-James+10th+birthday,+OLYMPIC+torch+006.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28243793.post-80937980997090883562009-12-24T13:56:00.002-05:002009-12-24T14:03:13.752-05:00Adoption Dilemma: Part DeuxIn case you were wondering - hey, "where'd she go?" -- I just gotta say, after I wrote the last post on my adoption dilemma, I needed some emotional distance. I really had no idea how deep this issue would affect me.<br />(Or maybe the Christmas Season is too sentimental a time for me? LOL)<br /><br />I guess because I have such a great family and wonderful life, I've always sort of taken my adoption in stride, never dwelled, never wallowed in the "omg - I was rejected as a baby" crap, but WOW -- I'm a bit of a mess over this.<br /><br />That said, I really appreciate all who commented. Your wisdom and caring, your hugs and advice, your stories (thanks Julia-the other perspective was eye-opening) made me think, consider, and search deep for how much of this I want/can invest of myself. You all made such good points and if/when I decide to take a next step, I'll keep you posted :)<br /><br />Merry Christmas to all my friends in the blogosphere, and a happy, healthy, prosperous and productive 2010.<br /><br />MWAH!<br /><em>~Wylie</em>Wylie Kinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09271148590574475682noreply@blogger.com4