Author's Webpage

Hi Loves!

Soon, I will be taking this page down and everything will be moved over to a wordpress page I've created. I still own the domain for my "official" author's page but until I get my first publishing deal in place and things pick up for me there, I'm going to conduct all things writing on my wordpress blog at: carolynmwalker.wordpress.com.

Thanks for everyone's support on Blogger!! :)

Big Reads in a Small Town – The Minneola Schoolhouse Library

Earlier this week, I took some time to visit my neighborhood library, which is literally within walking distance from my home. The Minneola Schoolhouse Library is a wonderful landmark here in beautiful Lake County, Florida. Housed in a building that was built in the late 1800s, one cannot miss the timeless nostalgia of this old town monument. This historic property was originally a schoolhouse with two classrooms and a bell tower. Inside, you will find beautiful wood finished floors and original pictures of the schoolhouse from over 100 years ago.

In 1915, Lake County merged schools and eventually built a larger new elementary school in Clermont.  Minneola's original schoolhouse was then closed down and it was later converted into a private residence. The homeowners decided to make some additions to the building, including adding on an enclosed porch, a living space and kitchen. Some of these features were later removed to return the building back to its original appearance. 
 

 
Today, the public library offers a wonderful space where patrons can literally step back into the past and enjoy a piece of history alongside a good book. There is a full section solely devoted to children’s books, five fully equipped computer stations and free Wi-Fi available for the tech savvy visitors. I have spent many a mornings at the lovely Minneola Schoolhouse Library. If you are ever in the neighborhood, check out the Minneola Schoolhouse Library and their friendly staff.


The library has a Friends Group, Front Porch Book Club, frequent Family Story Times, and other wonderful seasonal events and happenings throughout the year. Also check out their lovely outside gated garden with additional shaded seating. Another favorite place of mine to enjoy a good book or work on writing mine!

 

 

 

Food Kicks Makes a Debut

I've decided to do something I have been wanting to do forever...launch a foodie blog! Food Kicks is a blog all about food. I will share reviews, recipes, food hacks, and other great foodie news! The thought came to me years ago when I began recipe scrapbooking. I enjoyed collecting recipes and searching for new food hacks so much I said to myself I should make a foodie blog.

Nothing happened until I recently when I decided I should create my own place on the web where people could enjoy a variety of foodie related topics. So I decided I'd blog about it "for kicks." Thus Food Kicks was born! The page is still very new but I hope everyone will enjoy it and follow me to stay connected.

You can check it out HERE!

What's in a Picture? Google's New Look!

Google. The staple search engine. The term used to refer to how to find something. People have been using the term around the dinner table for years and kids today have grown up with that infamous little G floating around them since the cradle. Google is everywhere and if you aren't on the Google bandwagon, well you've been left behind.

Today, Google changes the face of their logo, going from the classic Times-new-Romanish default look to a sleeker, more Arial-inspired font. What's with the modern and more contemporary look? A change in times m'dear! Simpler seems to go further. The new logo sports the same simple color palette but with cleaner lines and less "flourish" than the older style.

Google's New Look!

So you might be asking why Google has decided to do this now? Well they are no stranger to change. In fact, they have changed a lot over the past 17 years. Today, they like to call their updates a form of evolution. See more on Google's creative transformation here.

According to Google's official blog, they are introducing the new logo and identity family that reflects their versatility and the ability to utilize Google whenever and wherever you need it. They have also updated the Google logo and branding, "for a world of seamless computing across an endless number of devices and different kinds of inputs (such as tap, type and talk)."

Google's new multi-color icon!

Pretty exciting stuff right? I myself am a self-proclaimed Google-lover, so I am all for the positive change! It seems that the biggest take away from this change is in how the new look shows you how Google is working for you. It seems interaction and consistency are key. As you use Google across multiple platforms, you will never doubt that Google is with you. This is ever-present in the the replacement of the lower cased blue "g" that was Google's prior icon. Now it has been replaced with the four-color “G” to match the new logo.

In a word, Long Live Google!

Back to School... Yes Please!

For some, it has already started. For others, it's not for another week or so. However for me, today was the first day back to school for my daughter Amber! She was excited but I was ecstatic! As a writer, time alone to get work done is so important! And now I get to partake in the joys of quiet and uninterrupted time once again. Thank you Jesus! Not that I did not enjoy every moment of summertime with my young one but ahh.... do you hear that?

(insert long pause here)

Exactly! Enjoy the silence! Of course that doesn't mean I won't be blaring some of that Depeche Mode or Foster the People or Aretha Franklin or Luke Bryan as I write on (I enjoy a wide variety of music). For all my parents out there who have passed GO, collected $200 and sent their precious bundle(s) of joy off to school, give a shout out! 

I love to think of back-to-school time as a time to start a few new things of my own. I reflect on the year thus far, and bring things into perspective moving forward. It gives me some much needed clarity of mind before we get lost in the whirlwind of the holidays and end of year hurrahs. One of the things I like to do is make some writing goals for myself.

My writing goals for this fall are:

• Finish my current fiction novel and begin the submission process.
• Attend at least two writer's conferences.
• Organize my stockpile of poetry (wouldn't mind submitting that either :P).
• Networking with more great authors and writers. (I have met so many talented and wonderful folks so far!).

 If you have any new writing goals of your own, share below!

Are You a Night Owl or an Early Bird? What's Your Writing Preference?

Do you prefer to write early in the morning/day or later in the evening? In the past, this question has come up a lot. I  find it really interesting how some folks tend to work early while others prefer the night life. Everyone is different as to when they prefer to write and why. I couldn't help but wonder what caused this.

So my question of the day is this: why do some of us gravitate toward the grand sunrise hours to tap into our creative muse while others prefer to howl at the moon while they pen their great works of art? Read on and see what I've discovered.

It turns out that your sleep patterns are actually genetically predetermined! So if you have family members before you who were early risers or late nighters, you could be taking after them. As we know, most things tend to occur during "normal business hours" (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). So for those who are trying to get things done during these hours, regardless of when they rise from or fall into bed, sleep is going to become a factor.

Not surprisingly, sleep deprivation is a major driving factor in the different ways both early birds and night owls tend to act. Night owls in particular, often experience what is called "social jetlag" because even though they stay up late, they may need to get up relatively early in the morning. I know I do. As a work at home mom, life still calls and believe me, my 9-yr old does not wait.

According to researchers, Early birds tend to be more positive and social, compared to their night owl counterparts who are less optimistic and proactive. Due to fewer pathways in the night owl's brain for feel-good hormones like serotonin or dopamine to pass through, late-nighters tend to be more prone to depression and addiction (yikes). Coffee at 12 a.m. anyone? However, night owls tend to me more creative and have higher cognitive abilities than their early bird counterparts.

In the writing world, this brings forth a very interesting correlation. It would seem that those who get up earlier will be more prone to pounce on their work and will likely drill out more, perhaps quicker than the night owls. On the other hand night owls may have a tendency to produce more creative and cutting edge work than the early birds because who would be crazy enough to stay up late writing anyway, right?

I've been asked the question myself, and I must say I fall into the "night owl" category. The idea of getting up super early and drilling out something even remotely decent is slim to none. For me, I tend to write better in the evening hours. As a night owl, my day seems to be much shorter. I also have the lack of sleep factor to contend with. On the other hand, my sister who is also a writer, is the most devout early bird I have EVER known. We're talking 5 a.m. type early bird. So even though we are sisters, obviously there were both types in our immediate family.

Of course the traits of the early bird and night owl have exceptions, as with nearly everything in life. I'm sure there is a late night writer out there who loathes that "outrageously out of the box" style of creativity, while there is likely an early riser out there who moves at a snail's pace. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, it's interesting (and fortunate) that we are each unique to our craft, regardless of WHEN we decided to put pen to the paper or fingers to the keyboard.

additional source: ASAP Science 

Scooby Dooby Doo, Where's the Truth?

www.scoobydoo.com

My daughter Amber and I love to sit back on a lazy weekend afternoon and watch old Scooby Doo Episodes on cable, Netflix or wherever we can snag a good mystery. It's one of the few cartoons from my childhood that I still love to this day. That makes it even more nostalgic that it is one of my daughter's favorite cartoons too. I have a sneaking suspicion that one day she will be curled up on the couch with her little one(s), riding the mystery machine down memory lane too. Ah, some things never change... or do they?

We love Scooby and that sentiment goes for both old and new installments of the beloved Hanna-Barbera original. But I've noticed quite a few changes over the years, and it's not just the different voice actors (Casey Kasem, rest his soul—he was epic). The stories changed. It didn't really occur to me in its entirety, until I was on the edge of my daughter's bed fruitlessly telling her all the reasons NOT to be afraid of the dark.

She lay, wrapped tightly in multiple layers of blankets like an overstuffed burrito.

"There's no need to be afraid sweetie," I said. (and we all know how well THAT one works...) "I promise it's nothing more than your imagination."

"But there's monsters in the—"

"No there's not! I'm telling you...it's just like on Scooby Doo when they find out at the end that the 'monster' was actually some guy with a mask and wig." It was then that I paused. That wasn't totally the truth. Not if you look at the more recent episodes and movies of Scooby Doo. As I sat there in silence, my daughter took the opportunity to throw in my face everything I had just thought about. It seemed there was more to this than I had originally thought.

In the 1998 film Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, both the lagoon zombies, and werecat descendants Lena and Simone Lenoir are of supernatural origin. No rational explanation is given, because there wasn't one!

Exhibit A: Undead Lagoonies
www.scoobydoo.com

Exhibit B: Werecats...apparently REAL ones
www.scoobydoo.com

In the 1999 film Scooby Doo! and the Witch's Ghost, acclaimed mystery writer Ben Ravencroft is literally sucked into a spell book along with the actual ghost of his ancestor Sarah Ravencroft, who turns out to be a witch!

Exhibit C: Into the book...see?
www.scoobydoo.com

There are numerous other examples, where supernatural instances like these go unchecked and unexplained. Mystery Incorporated, anyone? So this begs the question: why the change? Well, I think as a society deeply rooted in superstition and legend, it stands to reason that we would be fascinated with the notion of monsters being real. Now, more than ever we become lost in the romance of mystery and the thrill of the unknown. We openly allow ourselves to suspend disbelief and turn our attentions to the "what if's" of life.

Horrors have become more "real" and the unknown has become the norm. Just look at the slew of supernatural horror films flooding the market these days! I can't turn a corner without something pertaining to an exorcism, poltergeist, vampire or zombie staring me in the face! We fantasize about these vampires, build fan pages about the zombies and watch reality ghost hunter shows like it were the evening news. In short, consumers cannot get enough of the mystery train!

And children's shows are no exception. You don't just see it with Scooby Doo, you see it in the magic of Disney and among the superheroes of Marvel and DC Comics. In actuality, this isn't new but it is an ever-growing trend becoming more an more prominent among new generations who will usher in a new age of understanding and perception of well...everything!

So I looked down at my wide-eyed daughter buried under a mountain of blankets that would surely not save her from the proverbial boogeyman, and I was at a loss of words (and this doesn't happen often)! The monsters that lurked in the dark, lived in her mind and they were put there by the silent messages of entertainment that whisper, "guess what kiddo...it's real." So it seems the age of storytelling is ever-changing and more rapidly than ever as it reaches younger and younger audiences. Basically it's more acceptable to suspend disbelief and allow those monsters to be real, nowadays. Why explain it away with logic and practicality? Why keep it rational when it is so much more interesting to entertain that idea of "what if?" Just saying.

A History of Writing: How it Differs in our Brain from Speaking

Have you ever been in a situation where you were lost in translation? How about you said something only to quickly revise it with the common: "Well I didn't mean it like that..." We've all done it. What we say might not always be what we mean, just as what we write may not be what we are trying to say. Blame it all on our mind and how the two are actually completely separated within our brains.
As we know, writing evolved from speaking. Ancient civilizations did not begin writing but rather with grunts, utters, and sounds that translated and developed to form what we know as words of language. It was only after generations of further intelligent development, that we finally embark upon the phenomenon of utilizing a writing tool to create WORDS!

Interestingly enough, modern research shows evidence to support just how separate these two functions are. Let's take my daughter for example. She is 9 years old and in 3rd grade (ah the staple of early learning and the beginning of language art comprehension and vocabulary expansion). She is a fabulous reader, much like I was at that age, getting lost in the wardrobes of C.S. Lewis, and falling in love as well as down the rabbit hole of Lewis Caroll’s classic "Alice in Wonderland." Consequently, her vocabulary is that of a 6th grader and she is sharper than a needle at story comprehension. However, she can't spell to save her life. Why was this? I wondered.

Johns Hopkins University Professor of Cognitive Science, Brenda Rapp, finds it surprising. “We don’t expect that we would produce different words in speech and writing. It’s as though there were two quasi-independent language systems in the brain,” she says. Researchers today specifically want to know if the written word is at all dependent on spoken language. A study conducted in the journal Psychological Science shows that speaking and writing are indeed supported by different parts of the brain via basic motor controls as well as higher level aspects of word construction.

Rapp's interesting study "Modality and Morphology - What We Write May Not Be What We Say," offers a fascinating look at how complex our brain is in effectively separating writing and speech. She details the written language as an "evolutionarily recent human invention," but that it is perhaps dependent on much older rudimentary skills of speech, which we have had command of from the earliest points of time. Still the separation poses questions and requires more research.

The bottom line?

If you can write well and speak as superbly as me, you are a genius!
Just kidding!

 However, because both skills come to me naturally,  I assumed that they were one in the same. Going back to my daughter's situation, I see clearly that this is not the case. While I don't doubt she will improve in spelling eventually, the lack of causality between her speaking and writing skills interests me and only reconfirms how very amazing we humans are.

Carolyn

But first, Let Me Take a Shelfie. What's on your Bookshelf?

Today, I'm going to springboard off slogans and sayings—those little sayings that stick it in your head, and if they’re really good, leave a lasting impression. They serve a very important purpose and many of them hold a lot of weight and truth. Take for example the saying: “You are what you eat.” True enough if you regularly eat poorly, then feel poorly as a result. What about Capital One’s coined slogan: “What’s in your wallet?” Well, if you want the most out of your credit card, you better evaluate what’s in there, right?

Well, in the world of Writing, let me ask you this: “What’s on your bookshelf?” And more importantly, what does it say about you? After all, we could say: “You write what you read.” Hmm. So this got me thinking about my own bookshelves and I decided to take a snapshot of a random shelf. The results were quite interesting.

It would appear my variety of books rather accurately represents of course my interests, but also my path as a writer.

So we've got a couple Roget’s Thesaurus’, J. Rodale’s Synonym Finder (an EXCELLENT reference book, might I add!), a few journals (I’m an avid note taker), some mythical and folkloric studies (vampires and mythology—two loves of mine), Strunk and White’s classic Elements of Style (a must-have for ANY writer worth their salt, aspiring or seasoned), some volumes covering Freud, and the proverbial outdated edition of the Writer’s Market (which makes a fine paperweight these days), some religious  study books, and a couple motivational books (yes, even a weight loss one) for good measure. What does this say about me? I’m an out of shape, psychology-minded, religious/occult obsessed writer who enjoys thumbing through thesauruses in her spare time. 

Not quite! 

Each of these books are a reflection of my greatest interests which happen to be: Religion, mythology, psychology, and the mechanics of writing. Put all that together and you have what I am: a supernatural fiction writer who does her research. Pretty much all my book shelves look like this one, except for my fiction shelf, which houses all my favorite mystery, romance, and crime paperbacks. :)

Bookshelves are more than just a place to store your reads. They are a unique snapshot of who you are, be it the building blocks of knowledge and accomplishments you have accumulated throughout your life or a plethora of interests and passions that are currently guiding you to where you want to be. So I ask everyone today, what’s on your bookshelf? Feel free to share below with a “Shelfie” of your collection! And if it’s worthy of being on your shelf, share why that is.  

Carolyn 

Relax, It's Friday the 13th...

You don't see a Friday the 13th like this every day. I feel it deserves a little homage.

Today is significant; in fact this entire weekend is interesting. Many consider today to be an unlucky day. It is a day when superstitions run high and strange things can happen. In many countries it is known as Black Friday. You may know it as the infamous Friday the 13th. What makes this particular day interesting is the fact that today is the "ill-fated" day of doom while tomorrow is the highly anticipated day of love. Such is the crazy world of superstition and boxes of chocolates.

Taking a quick stroll down history lane, 13 is interestingly connected with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ because Friday was the day the crucifixion took place, and 13 people were present at the Last Supper. In Dan Brown's 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code and the reference to The Knights Templar reveals the correlation between the Knights and Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th in October of 1307, happens to mark the day that members of the Knights Templar were arrested and burned alive across France. Such a dark occurrence would no doubt lead people to feel that day as a cursed one from then on.

It's also interesting we should find  Friday the 13th darkly portrayed in medieval literature as well. Just take a look at all the mayhem and misfortune we see in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, constantly emphasizing that Friday is indeed an unlucky day!

We may see what 13 is viewed as but what about what 13 is not? 13 is not 12. In numerology, the number 12 represents completeness. 13 is seen as irregular, effectively contradicting the "perfect harmony of completeness" that 12 represents. If you doubt the power of 12 just look at how it represents completeness below: 

• The 12 months of the year
• The 12 hours of the clock
• The 12 signs of the Zodiac
• The 12 deities of Olympus
• The 12 tribes of Israel
• The 12 Apostles of Jesus,
• The 12 Successors of Muhammad in Shia Islam
• The 12 years of the Chinese Buddhist cycle
• The 12 days of Christmas!

...and the list goes on.

While you may not be stricken with the phobia phenomenon of the number 13, known as Triskadekaphobia (yes this is true), you may not be partaking in the lovey-dovey Heart Day specials being flung about like confetti at New Years, either. Whether you're a lovebird or a lone wolf, this weekend is sure to be an eventful one.

Happy Friday the 13th

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Day of our Lord

Happy Presidents Day

Carolyn