Cheers, Captain Cavanaugh!

Today is the beginning of Mark "Aloha" Koopmans' Cheers Cavanaugh Blogfest. You can find the details, here.

So, we're supposed to answer some questions about Alex. Here they are:

In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?

I believe that Alex looks a lot like Geddy Lee, the lead singer of Rush.

In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

Well, as far as I know, documentaries are non-fiction, so I think Alex should play himself, but if he wasn't available, I suppose Daniel Day-Lewis could probably earn an Oscar for his portrayal.

In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

Due to his kindness, and how prolific he is in the blogosphere, Alex reminds me of ... me! LOL.

In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing.

Dear Mrs. Cavanaugh, thank you so much for sharing your husband with all us writers! He's the best, most supportive friend any of us could hope for, and we really appreciate you sharing him with us.

We were also supposed to write a piece of flash fiction, which normally I would jump on, but I don't have time today, because of all this:

Also today, my post at YA Confidential is up: (RE: The College Educator Interview) The Answers.

Also, Natalie Aguirre is interviewing one of my favorite author's, Susan Quinn, son today at Literary Rambles.

Also, today is the release date for The Best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal 2012, which I am honored to have a vignette in.

Middle Grade Madi

So, I'm still struggling to get back into the rhythm of blogging, but apparently, ever since Natalie Aguirre interviewed her at Literary Rambles yesterday, my daughter has caught the bug. She's got another post up, and would love it if you would stop by and say hi.

Now, I do need to work with her on what constitutes a proper book review, and what is just kind of a plot summary/short synopsis, but that's okay. She's just getting started.

Two Announcements

First, quickly, my daughter Madison is being interviewed by Natalie at Literary Rambles today. But first, if you have a moment, please stop by Middle Grade Madi, and say hi!

Second, today Sheri Larsen is celebrating signing with Literary Agent Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary! And she's holding an epic giveaway celebration:

Here are the details:

Giveaway #1:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway #2:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck to all who enter!

The Kindness Project: Forgiveness

Too often kindness is relegated to a random act performed only when we’re feeling good. But an even greater kindness (to ourselves and others) occurs when we reach out even when we aren't feeling entirely whole . It’s not easy, and no one is perfect. But we’ve decided it’s not impossible to brighten the world one smile, one kind word, one blog post at a time. To that end, a few of us writers have established The Kindness Project, starting with a series of inspirational posts.

If you read this blog a lot, you know that my kid sister got married last week. It was a lovely wedding, and for the most part, a wonderful time. What I didn't tell you is that it was the first time I'd seen my aunt and uncle, and one of my cousins, in twenty years.

I'm not going to go into all the details why, but if you know me well, you can probably guess. Anyway, the point is, it was a difficult reunion for me to face. I stressed about it for months before the trip - pretty much ever since I heard the wedding was going to happen.

The last time I saw these people, I was basically a boy. A lot had changed since then, but the same feelings remained. The same feelings many young people feel toward people in positions of authority over them, whether they are their natural parents or not. Sure, I was much more rebellious than most teenagers, but I had plenty of reason to feel the way I felt.

However, justified or not, my feelings and old resentments, were not going to serve the purpose of the trip: to celebrate my sister's union with the person she'd decided to spend her life with. In other words: it wasn't about me.

So I sent my aunt and uncle an email ahead of time, asking them for forgiveness, and implying I forgave them, without mentioning any specific grievances. I didn't expect a reply, and I didn't get one, but what I did get, which was a nice surprise, was a hug from each of them, when I happened to answer the door at the rental house, when they arrived in town the day before the wedding.

We're not best friends again or anything, but we did agree to start writing to each other, and I hope that things will go well. Even if we didn't always see eye to eye back in the day, there's no denying what they did for my sister, so I made sure to thank them for that when I gave my toast after dinner.

Even if forgiveness isn't going to make a huge difference to the people you need to forgive, sometimes forgiving yourself, or even acknowledging that you need to seek forgiveness, can lift a heavy burden from your shoulders. Letting go can be extremely liberating. I highly recommend it.

NOTE: On another kindness related point, Natalie Aguirre is interviewing one of the kindest bloggers I know today on Literary Rambles. Please stop by, and say hello to Lenny Lee!