Another Poem to be Published! "The Angel Watches"

Hi everyone!

Well, I'm very excited to announce that another poem has been accepted for publication.  This one, "The Angel Watches", has been accepted by The Story Shack with a release date of January 6th.  I am excited to find out my illustrator pairing and will update the site accordingly.

Have a great weekend!

Quote of the Day

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So . . . get on your way!"

-- Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Quote of the Day

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” 

― Ernest Hemingway

Poem to be Published! "Vehicle"

Friends,

I am excited to tell you that my poem, "Vehicle" has just been accepted by an online magazine, Leaves of Ink.  The publication date is December 23, 2013.  I know that with the holidays this will be a busy time for everyone, but if you can spare a second or two to check it out, please do.  It will be on the front page that day.

Thanks for reading!

Fortune Cookie Wisdom

The following is another article I wrote for my employer's newsletter, which is appearing today:

Fortune Cookie Wisdom

The other evening my husband and I ordered some Chinese takeout, and at the end of the meal we cracked into the highly anticipated fortune cookies to see what our futures would hold.  The message on my tiny strip of paper was this: “A calm sea does not make a skilled sailor.”  As I read these words I chuckled at the irony and immediately nodded my head in agreement with this statement.  I chose to take this message as a reconfirmation of the strength and lessons I have gained from past experiences instead of a foreshadowing of any future events.  I also chose not to toss this little message, but instead decided to hold onto it as a gentle reminder for use in all personal and professional areas of my life.

So what does this message really mean?  “A calm sea does not make a skilled sailor.”  I tilled those words around in my head, and to me it means this: 

Sure we all think we would love to sail through life on calm waters, myself included, but it is only when we sit back and review the tumultuous waters that we have sailed upon that we realize it is only by those trials in life that we learn.  In other words, it might only be as a result of that big career mishap that you learned a lesson such as due diligence.  Or perhaps you learned from a potentially embarrassing situation with a client the lesson of quick thinking.  Maybe you hit a quandary with a particular job task that has given you the skill of problem solving, or a conflict with a colleague that has taught you the art of diplomacy.  I bet there are many other useful skills that you have learned throughout your career that even you do not realize.  And where did you learn these skills?  I would wager that it wasn't from calm waters. 

I believe we all need to learn to look at these challenges as opportunities to learn and grow as individuals, both personally and in our careers or vocations.  So the next time you feel as though a Tsunami is going to hit you, stay calm, take a deep breath, pull out your compass and dig deep into your bag of finely tuned skills to navigate through your next crisis.  And by all means, don’t forget to enter your new skill in your sailor’s logbook!

Quote of the Day

“It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.” 
― Lou Holtz

Update on "Jack"

I just received the illustrator link-up for my story "Jack", which will go live on October 31st.  The illustrator I will be working with is the talented Alankrita.  I look forward to this latest corroboration!

New Story "Jack" Coming Soon

This October look for my next story "Jack" on the new and improved "The Story Shack".

Look for more info coming soon!

My Author Page on The Story Shack!

The Story Shack has revamped its website, and with this cool new format, comes my very own author page!  Now when you read one of my stories, if you click on my name it will take you to my new page where you can view all of my previously posted stories.  The editor, Martin, has taken much care and consideration with this new format allowing him to advance The Story Shack in great directions.  I look forward to his continual advancements.  Here's the direct link to my page which I will also post to my blog's sidebar: http://thestoryshack.com/author/christinacfranklin/

Book Review Time - The Inheritor's Powder: A Tale of Arsenic, Murder and the New Forensic Science

Categorized as science, this book to me has the flavor of Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City".  Like Larson, Hempel rotates back and forth between a true crime story and the facts, telling us about the science and history of arsenic.

I found this book informative and full of interesting tidbits about a time period I was unfamiliar with, and although it is quite heavy with scientific and historical facts, it is also entertaining.  All in all it was a good read (no pun intended).

History buffs, those interested in medicine and true crime fans may enjoy this tale.  Strict fiction readers might take issue with all of the science and find it hard to get through.

I won this ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) from a Goodreads giveaway, and gave it 3 out of 5 stars.  Thanks Goodreads!