Writing - the ups and downs

Me at booksigning at Tamarack in Beckley, West Virginia, December 15, 2012. Had a great time signing books, meeting new people, and shopping at the unique shops that make up the arts and crafts center. What a fun experience. If you are ever down that way, stop in and say hello at the nice folks that run the books store there. And check out the beautiful things created by native West Virginians. Barbara A. Whittington signing Vada Faith for a customer.

I'll be at the Tamarack, the arts and cultural center, in Beckley, West Virginia on December 15, 16 to sign copies of my novel Vada Faith at the book store there. I believe the book store is next to the restaurant which is called Taste of West Virginia.  This is most appropriate as the novel is set in a small town in West Virginia. It's the story about a surrogacy gone wrong and main character Vada Faith who longs for something more in her life. By the end of the story she realizes she has what she has needed and wanted all along. But not before dragging herself, her family, and the entire town on this tumultuous journey that most are not happy to be going on. This is my first real book signing and I'm excited. Beyond excited. I'm going back to my home state to show off what I've accomplished. Even if it's a small accomplishment, this is huge for me. Besides wondering what the weather will be in Beckley -- which is in the ...

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  My new book Ezra and Other Stories is now on Amazon as a Kindle book. Come by and check it out. This collection of eleven short stories brings to life down home characters who make do with what they've been given. From Mabel, in Mabel and the Garage Sale, who has been misplaced from her home by a highway coming through her living room, to Ezra, the last story in the collection, who finds true love at the end of his life, the stories are intended to be inspiring and hopeful in a world where hope is often in short supply. This collection of stories is dear to my heart. Possibly, it will become close to yours as well. Blessings, Barb Ezra and Other Stories [Kindle Edition] Barbara A. Whittington (Author) Digital List Price: $2.99 What's this? Kindle Purchase Price: $2.99 Prime Member...

I often wonder what's in a name. My name from the time I was born until I was 18 was Bobbie Ann (Null). Barbara was shortened to Bobbie by my father, so I'm told. I never knew my dad as he died when I was two years old. A story for another time! After I left West Virginia to move with my husband to Cleveland for a job, my new friends there seemed to think Bobbie was a funny name for a new wife and mother. Bobbie Ann even more so.  Where I was from having two names was common - down in the hills - and more often than not you were called by those two names. Bobbie Ann, Donna Sue, Ella Louise - myself and two of my sisters. Mother often said all of those names at once when referring to us, especially IF she wasn't happy with us! When I started back to college, I gave my name as Barbara and from that time on, it stuck. As I began to be published I kept that name as my byline. The name felt more professional and adult. (What did I know?) I finally learned we are not...

Thanks to Kate Dooley, author and friend, for entering the book review contest I held for my novel Vada Faith.  She won a copy of the paperback of the novel for her lovely review. Here goes! And thanks, Kate. **************** I think one of the things I liked best about Vada Faith was the author's ability to turn a phrase. She took an old saw and sharpened it, time and again. The character wasn't "all thumbs", she was all fingers. That says so much! I also loved that I knew the characters. It was like taking a peek into the lives of hometown folk, but in very unusual circumstances. Vada decides to be a surrogate mother, to the disapproval of nearly everyone she knows. She gets hate mail, is verbally assaulted by kinfolk and town folk alike, even debated about on television. Even though the situation Vada Faith finds herself creating is quite unusual, her reactions, struggles, and soul searching are all things you and I would understand. I would have liked a le...

My collection of short stories, titled Ezra and Other Stories, is almost ready to be put on Kindle thanks to my grandson, Daniel. He wanted to learn how to turn a manuscript into an e book and here was his chance. I told him if he did it for me I would pay him for his endeavors. Perhaps not quite as much as I paid the company that I used for my first book, Vada Faith, but I'd make it worth his time. Thus we entered into a non contract called money changing hands between a grandma and a grandson. Understood but un uttered was the fact that if he failed I would not hold him to it and would pay him anyway for his time. It's a grandma thing. His smile could warm any heart, particularly mine, this first born grandchild! So I edited and read and edited and read and kissed the stories good bye and turned them over into his twenty year old hands. With the stories went half of the payment which we had earlier agreed upon. He needed the money a bit ahead of time because he was trav...

Gave away almost 6000 Kindle copies of Vada Faith yesterday so decided to add TODAY as another free day! If you did not get your Kindle copy yesterday, then go get yours today. www.amazon.com The review and contest is still on. Will run through midnight tonight. Get me those reviews and win a free signed copy of the paperback of Vada Faith. Have a blessed Sunday!

On September 15 my novel - Vada Faith - will be free on Kindle. People have categorized this story as chick lit, general fiction, contemporary fiction, light romance, mainstream, and women's fiction. As for me, I call it a relationship book though there is no such genre. It revolves around the surrogacy that main character, Vada Faith, becomes embroiled in. It pulls in every member of her family and the community. Some of the problems that arise are her own fault due to selfish decisions, others erupt simply from the circumstances she finds herself in - a verbal surrogacy agreement with a couple who end up being small time criminals - not a good idea from the get go. Does this couple want a baby? Yes! Desperately! Do they deserve one? We'll see. You'll travel the road with Vada Faith as she moves from her family to her husband's family to an appearance on a talk show, pleading her case for being a surrogate mother in the small town of Shady Creek, West Virginia. Is her ...

Help, I'm falling was just a title to get you over here. I have a dilemma. I want to revamp my blog and need suggestions. Since I have hardly anyone reading my blog, I realize I must make some changes or I'm never going to make it in the blogger world. Since it's supposed to be a blog about writing and I've often strayed from my purpose for this blog, do you have any ideas? Change the title and change what I'm writing about???  Writing is only half of my life. The other half is filled with family, husband, daughters, three son in laws, eight grand children. All of those are important to me and I can't leave anyone out of my posts. I've spent some time browsing other blogs and see lots of photos. I'm not very tech savvy and need to figure out how to put photos on here. How important are photos to you when checking out a blog post? Another thing I'm seeing is giveaways. I love a good giveaway myself. Is that what draws you to a blog? Are you look...

This short story will be included in a collection of stories due on Amazon in the next month, titled Ezra and Other Stories. Hope you enjoy! Comments appreciated. Thanks.                                      Delphine and Rainelle                                           At exactly nine every weekday morning, Delphine walks three houses down the street to Rainelle's. The scent of fresh brewed Colombian coffee greets her as she swings open the door of her friend's newly remodeled kitchen.     Rainelle's husband, Bud, hung the new wallpaper himself. And the walnut finish cabinets. He paid an installer to lay the no wax Solarian floor. It is Morni...

I had such high aspirations for June. I was going to visit with Jill and her family while they were here. I was going to soak up some sunshine as it had been a depressing dreary winter here in Ohio. I was going to get a real sun tan. None of that bottle stuff for me! I was going to get my next book, a book of short stories titled EZRA AND OTHER STORIES, copyrighted and formatted for Kindle. My grandson Daniel has agreed to convert it from text to   epub form. I planned to get back on track after health issues had been somewhat resolved. My pancreas block was a success. I was going to sell paperbacks at several venues and do some book signings. I decided June was the month to get it all together since Ray's back surgery had taken up the months of March, April, and May. He ended up having two surgeries and a wound pump that seemed to be on forever. I can report that the wound is 98% healed and we are two happy people. He had the wound and I had to wear a nursing cap...

The triplets arrived with their little brother yesterday.Of course, they brought their mom Jill too. I'm so excited to have them all here. I have to share them with their aunts but that's okay. Aunt Susan who lives on the hill behind us has a trampoline and a swimming pool. They've already worked both of those activities in. Last evening, they played ball with mom Jill in the backyard. R and I sat on the deck and watched. Today I have to get off the deck and join in. Yesterday just before they arrived I had to go to OSU Med. Center for a procedure on my pancreas. A block for pain. Today I can report that there is NO pain. So I'm assuming that it worked. Unless the pancreas is still asleep. Daughter Lisa accompanied me there. I made the mistake of eating on the way home. Not a good idea. They said I could but still.....I should have known better. But now that that worked itself out I feel really good. Thank God! I have so much to do with what life is left to ...

I'm excited to report that my book is complete and available at Amazon. I've waited a long time to hold that book in my hand and I have to say I was not disappointed when I received the first print copy. What a thrill. This is a story I've worked on for ten long long years. It took that long to give birth to it. I'm not disappointed. The writing and rewriting that went into it has paid off. Now, perhaps when I read it over in this paper format I'll see mistakes and kick myself for not going over it one more time. But honestly I reviewed and reviewed it until the lines sentences words all become one big glop of black on a white page. I could no longer see mistakes, could barely even see the story. So I sent it to the press. I'm praying that Vada Faith will shine and that I've made the story into one that is worth reading. Right now I'm trying to complete the proofing of a book of short stories to get on Kindle this summer. I'm not making muc...

In celebration of my birthday on June 8th, I will be giving away VADA FAITH free on Amazon, the ebook version  - both June 8 and 9th. I'm excited to be giving it away again free. This is the most fun I've had in ages, doing this project. That's what kind of life I have - boring - and now you know. Not much of one outside of writing and reading. I'll be going to the West Virginia Writer's conference on those days and hope to see lots of my writer friends there. It's always a fun time. Who can beat meeting new writers, talking about writing, attending workshops on writing, being in a park with all  the beauty of nature around me. I'm not excited to be another year older, but then again I can get excited when I think of the alternative. I'm not yet DEAD. I've had a great life. I have family that I love and who love me. What a blessing! I have a craft that I enjoy. And that hopefully brings joy to others. So with that said, here's a p...

I'm excited to be going to WV conference this year. While I don't have my paperbacks of Vada Faith - due now end of June - as I'd planned, I'm still pleased to be able to attend the event. I need a get away about now. This year my writer buddy Jill Sanders is going along. That means we can talk writing, editing, reading etc. non stop for the two days we will attend. I always love going back home to the mountain state for any reason. But somehow the trek to Ripley for this event means more than going home to me. It means bringing what little talent I have as a writer and the few successes under my belt to share with my fellow West Virginians who also share my love of writing and reading. Cedar Lakes where the conference is held is full of nature and wildlife and when I'm there I feel a sense of being one with the universe. Corny? Probably. True? Yes! An emphatic yes. So as we who attend the conference get ready for this coming week end, I'll be thinking...

I've kept myself from blogging lately because I didn't have anything uplifting to say. However, my mind is full of emotions and feelings and words that if I don't let them out soon, I'll likely explode. Since I don't want to explode here goes. We are still dealing with husband's health issues. Back surgery the end of March lead to another surgery to reopen the incision four weeks later due to infection. That surgery left him with a wound vacuum which I'd never heard of nor seen. It vacuums out the wound as the wound heals from the inside out. We've had non stop problems with the vac seal. While he was in the hospital the last time he grew quite weak and had to have some rehab in hospital before he came home. WE learned he was weak because of the strong meds and once those were withdrawn he felt quite well. Now home we're dealing with him being plugged in to the electric for part of each day. A pain for him, for sure. He has made several f...

                                                           Micro Wave     The only time Micro ever left his house was at dusk to walk his pug dog, Dumpling. Neighbors got used to the sight of the old man and the pug, both huffing and puffing with every step, as they made their way down to the old wooden pier, jutting out into the Ohio River. Once there, the two would sit on that old pier until dark or after, catching their breath and gazing out into the dark water.     "Didn't always have breathing problems," Micro said, "but years of chain smoking spotted my lungs. Now old Dumplin' here," he said, "well, he come to me snortin' and snuffin'. No bigger than my hand when I got him."  He studied the palms of his big calloused hands and...

Vada Faith is going to be offered free on Amazon - Kindle - on Mother's Day. I had hoped to do another post reporting on the progress of my WIP Sweet Baby James, the follow up novel to Vada Faith. But husband has been in hospital since Sunday night. He was in for a week before that and had came home Friday night. Right now he's having in patient therapy to get some strength back from being so ill after his back surgery. Between running to the hospital and keeping up with things at home it's been difficult to think much less write. Create Space (Amazon) is almost finished putting together the paperback of Vada Faith. I've ran into so many glitches during this process that it's been frustrating. However I figure once I learn the routine it will be a piece of cake for my next project. Isn't that a laugh. So optimistic. I'm excited to see so many bloggers now publishing books! I look forward to reading them all. I have the Kindle on my lap top full...

Right now I'm reading several books that I would not ordinarily read. I'm taking advantage of the free books on Kindle. I don't have a Kindle unit but downloaded for free the reading app to my laptop. Every day I get the Pixel newsletter from Amazon which lists the free books for that day - and you can too! Let me know and I'll make sure you get it if you do not know how. I glance through the offerings, somehow I cannot ignore good stories that are free. Many are stories I would not go to a book shop and pay for. I'm learning that I like all kinds of writing and stories. And I'm finding new authors to follow. Right now I am reading Hippie Boy: A girl's Story. Very good. By Ingrid Ricks. Not a book I'd ordinarily buy. Free - I've learned to love it. Now, I'd even buy it! I've also started PROMISE ME THIS by Cathy Gohlke, a story about characters on the Titanic. very good read. I've downloaded but not read Leaving the Comfort Ca...

I've decided today that I need to "buck up." I need to quit feeling sorry for myself and move out of the slow moping lane I've been in the past two weeks. My pancreas has reared its ugly head recently and I'm not feeling my best. With any chronic condition you never know what each day will bring. However, it is - thank God - a condition that I can live with. There are some remedies that help and I need to realize many do not have my options when they have an illness. Instead of giving in to my condition, I'm girding myself up to be strong - at least for today. My plan is, as I sit here on the comfy sofa writing about it, to do my yoga that helps, to do my neck exercises so I can move my otherwise stiff neck which give me an additional boost of energy. Surgery a few years ago left my neck with rods and pins! and little movement which makes it hard to drive if I don't keep it loosened. And yes exercise and heat daily keep it more flexible. I'm in...

I thought it would be fun to give everyone a report on our writer's meeting today, what each writer is in the process of doing and what we do at these meetings. It's pretty simple, really. Sherry Hartzler or I usually lead the meeting, I guess, because we were the founders of our group: Writer's Helping Writers. We meet at the Great Expectations Cafe in the strip mall at the Hocking Hills Flea Market on Rt. 33, near Logan. We meet monthly and there is usually 5 to 7 of us, give or take one or two.  We each bring something to read and we give feedback. Often we pass out material to the members to take home and read, comment on, and return at the  next meeting. We ask for feedback about various projects and use each other to bat ideas off of. I plan to publish a book of short stories this summer so today I read two of those stories, titled VINNIE and the other MACON FOR GEORGIA. Very short shorts. I got great feedback, and believe me if they don't like something...

Today I started doing yoga again. I've missed it and the calmness and balance it brings. I'd forgotten how good it felt to stretch and bend and listen to the soothing voice of Rodney Yee and the soothing music. It's good for the soul. This coming week I plan to start writing again. I've been bogged down with VADA FAITH and now it's time to let her fly on her own. I've hovered and I've fretted and I've advertised til I'm blue in the face.  It's time to let go and move on. I'm going to start the week with another story that catches up with Vada Faith a few years after she serves as a surrogate mother. She has a sweet baby boy she calls SWEET BABY JAMES which I hope will be the title. The only information I can offer at this time is James is kidnapped from his own yard from his play pen. Vada Faith of course is beside herself with worry which turns to terror when he's gone a day or so. That's where my work begins. I h...

Vada Faith is free today on Kindle. If you have a moment check it out. It's usually $2.99 but today it's free. If you aren't sure you'd like the story read a few sample pages and then  you'll know if it's for you or not. Many thanks! I've missed being on here lately but creating the paperback has taken more time than expected. Then husband R had back surgery this past Thursday. He's home and recovering.God is good! (Prayers appreciated!) Have a blessed Saturday! Barb http://www.amazon.com/Vada-Faith-ebook/dp/B007G97Z60/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1333201069&sr=1-1

This is a reprint of a blog post by Munir over at her blog. Hope you enjoy! And again, thanks to Munir for doing this interview. Saturday, March 17, 2012 An Interview with Barbara Whittington Hi everyone. One of the biggest fears I have in life is the day when there will be no one to write things for people to read. To me writers have a very big place in my heart and in this world. We should never fail to remember that. Like my father's gardener always said, "We leave our words behind, our deeds and the trees we planted." I recently had a chance to interview Barbara Whittington about her recently published book, Vada Faith. It is my utmost pleasure to have known you. Your book Vada Faith seems like it is heart warming and has some very nice reviews. I am glad that I have the opportunity to ask you some questions as I am always very much interested in understanding authors. 1)  How long have you been interested in writ...

Thanks to all who downloaded VADA FAITH free! It's one way to get readers to read the story of one's heart. I'm moving on now and proofing the copy for the paperback version. Plus, believe it or not, this is not my whole life. Husband was in the hospital for three days recently and then came home and brought the flu! Whew. That was not fun. Especially for him. I'm now preparing for a visit from our daughter, Jill, her ten year old triplets, and six year old son. We cannot wait. They are more fun than a barrel full of monkeys. And lots of work! It's rainy and dreary here in Ohio today but spring temps are here and I could not be more exccited. I have more in this life than I deserve and I'm thankful to God for that. Hope that you are in a thankful mode as well. Many blessings to you and yours. Back soon with more news.

Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11th, my novel Vada Faith will be offered free on Kindle at Amazon. Get your copy. AND let me know when you read it what you think. I'm interested in comments. I want to know if you find mistakes or typos so I can correct them! And thanks for being interested enough in this story to follow it on here. Don't forget that you can download Kindle free for your Mac or PC and can get all the free books you want! Now, that's a deal. Blessings!

VADA FAITH is now available as a Kindle e book on Amazon. See bottom of page for cover. I'm so excited I could shout it from the rooftops. I would, if I wasn't so tired. I've never worked as hard as I have these last few weeks getting the book in shape. And I thought the initial writing was difficult. Then the worrying kicked in and I've fussed over every little detail. I can see why some call it "birthing a book." At least I don't have to sit up with it at night or listen to its cries. Or rock it back to sleep. I'm ready for a break. But it will be a short one. I'm starting to format the manuscript for paperback. E books are nice but I love to hold a book! I plan to work with Amazon to produce the book form. It should be available on Amazon by late spring or early summer. Those are my plans for the coming months! What are yours??? Any writing OR reading projects ahead? Please share.  If you have time please take a look a...