Blog Milestone - 15,000 Pageviews!

The Golden Cricket hit a milestone this week - 15,000 page views. WOOHOO!

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog, and for all of the awesome comments. You guys seriously rock :)

To celebrate, I thought I'd showcase the top three posts I've featured on The Golden Cricket thus far.

Here we go:

1)  How To Write Historical Fiction Without Really Trying - Guest Post by Christie Stratos: This article was one of my very first guest posts I featured on the blog. It's written by fellow author, Christie Stratos, who also happens to be my editor.

If you've ever wanted to write historical fiction, but don't know where to get started, you have to check out her post.

2) TBT Writer - Confessions of a Sugarholic: Each month (give or take), I try to post something I wrote way back when accompanied by an awkward pic. I call is #TBTWriter, or Throwback Thursday Writer.

This particular bad story was written about an ice cream sundae. Get ready to laugh! Check it out. 

3) TBT Writer - Good Ideas, Sometimes: Remarkably, the third most-viewed post on The Golden Cricket is another Throwback Thursday story.

In this post, I share the very first book I wrote, pics, and a peculiar dedication at the front. Hope you enjoy it.

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What's your favorite post on The Golden Cricket? Share below.

Have you checked out my articles about writing? You might enjoy these too:

• How to Write A Novel, Part 1: Let The Journey Begin 
• How to Write a Novel, Part 2: Brainstorming, Drafting, and Getting Organized 
• How to Write A Novel, Part 3: Editing Like A Pro  
• How to Be a More Productive Writer

It's Time for Ice Cream!

 
How does one celebrate after completing the first draft of a new book? ICE CREAM!!!

I'm thrilled to report that I've finished writing A Darling Secret. Woot! 

What's next? Lots and lots of editing. And then some more editing. Then a little more...

Stay tuned for details. :D

P.S. My website got a facelift. Check it out!

TBT Writer - Good Ideas, Sometimes

It's #TBTWriter! Time to share some funny pics and things I wrote back in the day. If you’ve got a writing throwback, post it with this hashtag so we can all read your story.

When I was ten, we were given a class assignment to write our own short stories, draw the illustrations, and even include a dedication inside a bound book. The completed book would then be given to our parents during parent/teacher night and our parents would write us a letter telling us what they thought. Creative writing was my absolute favorite subject in school, but I had completely forgotten I made this book until my mom recently sent it to me. Now, I'm sharing it with you!

Oh la la!

Here she is. My first book! Check out the intricate hand-drawn cover art. Fancy, I know!

I just about fell out of my chair laughing when I read this. If you can't read my handwriting it says, "I dedicate this book to my brother "Scott" who helps me get good ideas for writing sometimes!" Not all the time, only sometimes! Ha ha ha. And, apparently I felt pretty strongly about this claim given the exclamation mark. This is so funny I just might have to do the same dedication in my next book.

My stories were all about sweets and animals. Big surprise! I'm curious why I starred the picture/story of the ice cream cone. Perhaps because dessert is my favorite meal of the day :) If you haven't read my TBTWriter story about an ice cream sundae, get ready to laugh.

And no book is complete without an About the Author section. Check out more of those fancy shapes and oh la la, a hand-drawn book in the middle. Aside from my last name and where I live now, pretty much all of my interests have remained exactly the same, especially the "she loves writing, music, and art" component.

Then, I came across this letter from my mom after she read my "book."

"You may become an author someday." Wow! I had no idea that my family saw that kind of potential in me back then. Writing was just something that I always enjoyed, but I never imagined I would write books one day. 

And this is me and my bro...and we're obviously up to no good.

Don't forget to check out my other #TBTWriter stories and pics:

• Confessions of a Sugarholic
• A Nine-Year-Old's First Horror Story

What did you think of my first book, or the weird dedication? Do you have something from way back when you'd like to share with the world? Post your comments below.

TBT Writer - Confessions of a Sugarholic

It's Throw Back Thursday (TBT)! If you're a writer, I invite you to share something you wrote way back when and/or a pic of yourself. Bad stories happen. It's part of the journey of becoming a better writer. Whether you wrote a bad story when you were eight or twenty eight, embrace it with laughter. :) Don't forget to use #TBTWriter when you post. If you're a reader, enjoy the hilarity.

And now...for my bad story. For those of you who don't know, I have a major sweet tooth (especially for chocolate). I could eat an entire four course meal and miraculously have room for dessert. It's a special skill, I know (*hold for applause). Anyway, for this month's TBTWriter, I thought I'd share a hilarious story I wrote when I was eight-years-old about ice cream. Hey, I was eight! What could've possibly been more important? And of course, I included photos.

Gotta love fashion in the 90s!

An editor's nightmare.

The Ice Cream Sundae Was Good

The ice cream sundae that cost $20.00 was fantastic. It was nice and cold like snow. I could almost taste all of the wonderful flavors with the hot fudge and caramel drowning the multi-colored toppings. On top of that was the creamy, white whipped cream, circling around that were bits of Reese's peanut butter cups all crumbled up. My favorite part was the ruby red cherry on top. All of this was piled high. The smell was cool and creamy. Just looking at it almost hypnotized me. Waiting still for the lady to let me eat it, I felt the hardness of the uncomfortable chair that I was sitting in. Finally it was time. I asked for the biggest spoon and I took a huge mouthful of the ice cream. The word "yes!" ran through my mind. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now I think you know why it cost $20.00!

Some things never change.

Don't forget to check out my other #TBTWriter stories and pics:

• Good Ideas, Sometimes!
• A Nine-Year-Old's First Horror Story
• A Sparkling Dog Named Millie

What did you think of my silly story? Do you have something from way back you'd like to share with the world?