Good things are happening!

What a whirlwind of a few weeks I've had.

Last Thursday, I attended the Family TOUCH workshop as a vendor. The coordinators of the event are interested in having me come do my workshop "Writing Roads" for the co-op group. Yes, that's the same workshop listed on my website and they are aware of the costs. They will have the families participating contribute to the cost so that I can do the workshop.

My friend, Heidi Ippolito, called me last week and asked if I would be interested in a new venture - a teaching one. Now, I've not taught anything before but I told her to go ahead and give my contact information to the person at the Junior College in town and I would see if I could do it. So today, the young lady calls me (she's the one in charge of setting up instructors for the classes). So, starting Thursday (yes, July 1, this Thursday) I'll be teaching a transcription class at the college - what an exciting new item to add to my resume. (Of course, this is a paid job too, so that makes it doubly exciting).

I've been trying to get in touch with the South Carolina Council for the Social Studies (SCCSS) folks and so today left a message on the president's office phone and her cell phone and she called me back. We were discussing the conference to be held at Myrtle Beach this fall and me being a vendor. I explained a little bit about my books and she asked me to consider doing a presentation for the social studies teachers, the same type of workshop I have geared for kids. So now, I'm thinking with this new teaching job and a little supplement to my income, I can make the trip and do the presentation. I was telling Hailie about it and the first thing she says is that if I go to Myrtle Beach this year, she's going with me. Yay!! Now I know if I go, I'll have help in my booth while I do my presentation, and she will get to spend some time on the beach. She was a bit disappointed to find out that it was in October saying it was too cold in October to go to the beach, but honestly this is South Carolina - hello! - trust me, in October at Myrtle Beach, it will be nice enough for her to be on the beach.

One other place to contact about being a vendor for their 1-day workshop in September and hopefully everything else falls in to place.

And Heather, my new illustrator is working out wonderfully - have the almost final layout for "Train of Clues" and then it's off to the printers, so be on the look out for the story that started the whole series within the next couple of weeks -

See you all in the postings - E :)

VBT virtual tour guest - check it out

I'm the guest of Gary Murning's. This was another fun interview as I got to share a little bit more of myself and actually from a different angle. Check it out and leave a comment - E :)

Anonymous Remailer Services and creepy emails

For my email, I use GMAIL and have the notification turned on so I can see who the email is from and the subject. Just a bit ago, I received an email with subject "Books" from Anonymous. I was thinking maybe this person had used my contact form on my website to contact me about ordering some books or something pertaining to my series.

I jumped over and read the email. It was kind of weird. It really is from an anonymous person (due to the services of an anonymous remailer). I have no idea who sent it or why they are targeting me and my books. The email wasn't really bad towards me but towards 4RV in a round about way. I've seen comments on blog postings after I've left a comment that are nonsense type things and haven't really thought much about it. This email is kind of creepy though.

Here is the message from the anonymous person:

Hi Elysabeth,

I wanted to let you know that I've been reading various blogs about your book project. I think you've come up with a wonderful idea for children. I looked at the company's site for more info, but it doesn't look very pleasing. (Did you know they've been red flagged?) I'm glad to hear that you're leaving them because their books look terrible and I don't think you'll get noticed or taken seriously. Hopefully you'll be able to get better looking books with your new publisher and you'll be able to get them into our schools.

Good luck out there.

I tried sending a reply to the emailer and then got another response - basically saying that I couldn't reply to folks using the remailer service but could block them from sending me emails. Here is the reply from my reply email to the anonymous sender:

This message is being sent to you automatically in response to an email
that you sent to .

Most likely, you tried to reply to an email that has been sent through
this service. If you did not send an email to ,
please ignore this message.

The Anonymous Remailer is a free service that
allows individuals including crime victims, domestic violence victims,
persons in recovery, and others, such as those living under oppressive
regimes, to communicate confidentially in a manner that ensures their
privacy under even the most adverse conditions.

To block individuals using this remailer from sending email to your
address in the future, please send a message to
containing the line

destination-block eeldering@gmail.com

anywhere in the body text of the email. You can simply forward this
entire email to using your email
program for your current email address to be permanently blocked
from users of the Anonymous Remailer.

For more information about the Anonymous Remailer Administrator's
strict anti-abuse policy, please send a blank email to


Sincerely,

-- The Anonymous Remailer Administrator

It almost makes me feel like I'm being stalked. I wish I knew who sent it so I could figure out what they meant about 4RV being red flagged. I don't agree with them and perhaps they have another publisher confused with who I was with. Weird. Creepy. Unnerving. (I don't want to go into hiding, no I won't do it - lol)

Making room for your Dreams

Make Room for your Dreams
By Debra L Eckerling

There is no better time than now to pursue your dreams – whether it’s to write a book, start a business, or find love. We all are busy, and frequently relegate our passions to the backburner. Well, if that’s the case, that blog will never get written, that concept will never get marketed, and that room will never get redecorated.

Take time, even if it is just a few minutes each day, to dedicate to you. And remember to think positive … and to have a plan. Pursuing your passion is the best gift you can ever give yourself.

1. Visualize: In order to get what you want, you have to see it. If you have trouble seeing it in your mind, let the Sunday newspaper assist. Do you want to write a New York Times bestseller? Then cut that column out of the paper, and write your name in the top spot. Do you want to write a blockbuster movie? Take out the calendar section and rework the text for the weekend’s big release. Want a new house? Go shopping in the “Homes” section, pick out a house, and put it on the fridge or somewhere where you will see it on a daily basis. If you are going to dream, you may as well dream big. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

2. Eliminate Clutter – both physical and mental: All of the positive energy in the world will not help you if your life is cluttered. Clean a closet, you’ll be surprised how free and motivated you feel. Do you have stressors in your life you feel are beyond your control? Get up 5 minutes early and meditate before you start your day. Then, when you have some down-time, you can put your energy towards something positive. It’s amazing the power a dose of “hope” can have.

3. Make a Plan: Set goals: both personal and professional. Even if it’s to organize your workspace in a month or to write a page a day or a page a week, it doesn’t matter. Make goals that are attainable. Also, do not allow yourself to get sidetracked if circumstances beyond your control prevent you from working several days in a row. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on.

4. Make Time: The biggest roadblock people face is a lack of time to work on a long-term project. The quick fix is to use the time you have, no matter how short the increment. When you are waiting in line at the grocery or pumping gas, take those few moments to work on your project. If you are writing fiction, do some people-watching, and make physical or mental notes. If you are working on a pitch, you can always practice it in your head for five minutes.

5. Believe in Yourself: There’s a lot to be said about the power of positive attitude. Eliminate negative thoughts and negative people from your life. And, while we’re on the subject, you might want to keep this special project to yourself—at least at first. You can tell one or two people who have your best interests at heart and whom you trust. If you truly believe in yourself and surround yourself with those who believe in you, anything is possible.

Those overnight success stories rarely happen overnight. Remember the Tortoise and the Hare? Slow and steady wins the race. But even better … the shortest distance between you and the realization of your dreams is a straight, consistent line.

Debra Eckerling is a professional writer and the founder and leader of Write On!, a live – and online – writers support group, which focuses on goal-setting, productivity, and networking.

Dream It, Then Do It! Debra recently launched a seminar series with life coach/matchmaker Marla Martenson (author of Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker), which offers workshops, tools, and inspiration to put people on the path to their dreams.

For more information, e-mail Debra@WriteOnOnline.com.

Come visit with Debra Eckerling

Debra Eckerling will be my guest Sunday and she has prepared an article on making your dreams come true, which ties in to her goal setting article posted previously. Come visit and see what she has to say on how to make your dreams become a reality. See you all in the postings. E :)