Book launch Twitter Party!

Yesterday my publisher, Big World Network, hosted a fun Twitter party to launch my new book "Climbing Family Trees."  

Below is the dialogue that trended all morning long:

Trina Boice has been with BigWorldNetwork.com since the beginning of the site in late fall of 2011, and has since published several series and books with us. How to Stay UP in a DOWN Economy, a nonfiction book about earning and saving money from home, is available now in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.

Trina’s newest novel, originally published in 2005, and then as a series on BWN, is a joint effort with her twin sister, Tracey Long – Climbing Family Trees: Whispers in the Leaves.

Climbing Family Trees is a nonfiction/inspirational book about genealogy, with advice as well as personal stories from the twins and others. The book released this past weekend, starting with a Twitter Release Party in which BWN asked the sisters to join us and answer some questions about the book.

BWN: Welcome to BWN’s second ever Twitter Release Party! Featuring new book release Climbing Family Trees: Whispers in the Leaves. This is the 2nd edition of Climbing Family Trees. What originally inspired you and Tracey to take on this book?

Trina: Our own family inspired us to write Climbing Family Trees several years ago. We had been bit by the genealogy bug and loved inspiring stories. It was such a fun book to write! Any time you want to have a spiritual experience, just do genealogy!

Tracey: It was such a fun project to do together. Because we're twins, we think alike so we're already "on the same page."

BWN: How did you go about gathering so many inspiring personal stories about genealogy?

Tracey: We sent query letters to genealogical societies and got great stories.

Trina: Genealogists are VERY giving. Sharing is what they do all day long, so they were eager to contribute. We put a call out for inspirational stories of people who felt help from heaven with their family tree. We received so many heartwarming stories. Heaven truly helps those who want to unite families! So sweet!

BWN: Further proof that writing can be communal! What was the most difficult hurdle while working on Climbing Family Trees?

Trina: We wrote the book before cloud computing and had to email the manuscript back and forth. Our computers crashed TWICE while writing it. Luckily, we each had manuscript versions to email to each other. The two of us are in the process of writing another fun book together. We love the collaboration.

BWN: What new title are you working on? Can you give us a sneak peek on the topic?

Tracey: Because our focus is "families" & "fun" we're writing a book of party games. People often rely too much on watching videos for group entertaining because they don't know what else to do!

Trina: We're usually working on several things at a time! We’re working on a kind of Whose Line Is It Anyway party game book. Our nephew was in a comedy improv group in college and shared some of his group's warm-up games to add! We've tried many of them at parties. Soooo much fun! We'll post videos when the book comes out.

BWN: That sounds fantastic! I know my family get togethers could use some fun ideas for activities.

Trina: Every family has natural hams, so interactive party games at family reunions are always a hit. We have a whole chapter in Climbing Family Trees with fun family reunion party games too!

BWN: Was Climbing Family Trees your first time writing something together?

Trina: Yep, the first official published work. We had collaborated on other projects together and still do.

Tracey: We competed in a National Speech/Debate event together as twins.

Trina: Can you believe Tracey was my live prop once in college for an expository speech about twins? We won 1st! Another project could be to gather fun stories about twins. People love stories about twins tricking people.

BWN: Have you and Tracey ever tricked anyone as twins?

Trina: Of course! We switched classes, and tricked dates. Tracey's husband almost kissed me on her wedding day!

Tracey: The question is how many times have we tricked people! That's a great book idea!

BWN: Agreed! Thank you both for joining us today! Genealogy is something anyone can get involved in, and often engrossed in before they even realize it.

Trina: Absolutely! It's not just for "old" folks. We all have a hunger to know where we came from. Genealogy isn't just finding your ancestors, but connecting with your living relatives and celebrating family.

Tracey: Alex Haley, the author of Roots stated everyone has a deep thirst to know more about their family. Our book helps you start learning how. Many people believe in a guardian angel, and who best but an ancestor of yours to help guide you in climbing your own family tree.

Trina: Climbing Family Trees includes TONS of ideas to honor your heritage and celebrate family every day. It also includes touching stories of adopted children finding their blood relatives. Very tender.

Tracey: We even have a chapter on animals involved in genealogy. And we'd love to know how the book helps readers and listeners find and connect with their own family trees!

To let Trina and Tracey know your thoughts on the book, feel free to respond to this blog post, on their series page, on any episode pages for Climbing Family Trees, or leave a review on Amazon.

Purchase your copy of Climbing Family Trees: Whispers in the Leaves now at: https://bigworldnetwork.com/site/store/climbingfamilytrees/ … and receive a FREE audiobook with purchase of the paperback

Watch for FREE eBook days on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Family-Trees-ebook/dp/B00CUTES2U/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369001924&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=climbing+family+trees+trina

Check out the video promo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNSX_yW5f_s …

You can also download and print a FREE bookmark at the Climbing Family Trees series page: https://bigworldnetwork.com/site/series/climbingfamilytrees/ …

Sometimes Dishes and Inspiration Go Hand in Hand

By Christine Thackeray

Last weekend I went to the Northwest Writer's Retreat and came home on fire, ready to pound out brilliant prose and finally finish my WIP. The first chapter whizzed by without a hitch and the second chapter wasn't bad but fell a little flat. The third chapter just plain stunk. I knew what I wanted the final scene to look like but the build to get there was not coming. I couldn't imagine having my MC merely run in circles until the final show down be an effective stategy.

Finally I slammed down the computer lid and faced my kitchen. Now I don't know if your house is like mine but when I'm writing we often only cover the "have to" and let the details go. In the kitchen that means pots and pans. The dishes get washed all right, but cake pans filled with soapy water may linger in the corners days after the macaroni casserole has been consumed. So this morning I decide to get every corner clean. I started at 7 am and just kept scrubbing, drying and putting away as the counter slowly reemerged from its hidden condition.

As I sloshed in the bubbles, ideas popped in my head. Humor- the brother says my wife Miriam never liked Rheba and Ananel replies "A two week old opinion doesn't count." (Okay, it was funny when I thought of it.) Action- There's a secret passage in the villa. His ex-betrothed leads him to it and the evil priest Kohen Yacob directs him back in a circle for the final showdown. Ananel thinks he's being lead to freedom and he promises the vindictive rabbi that he will not return. Kohen Yacob laughs "No, you shall not" as he opens the door and delivers him to a sword drawn Simeon.

I finished and was ready to write, pulled out my computer and then remembered I was supposed to blog today. So I'm going to add all of it and keep writing. Meanwhile my kids came up to get breakfast and have taken out eggs, tortillas, cereal, milk, the frying pan, bowls, grated cheese and spices. They've eaten as I've typed and just walked out the kitchen door, leaving it much the same as when I entered this morning. My plan is to type for an hour or so and then I'll roll up my sleeves and attack. Maybe I'll get more inspiration before lunch.

A Story Inspired

Today, an incredibly beautiful and talented young lady turns twenty years old. I first met her shortly before she turned four--she caught my eye when I saw her bouncing down the aisle in my sacrament meeting. Twice. I next saw her dancing circles around my mom and some guy in the foyer.

I married the guy. :)

But I saw her first.

Someday, I'm going to write a picture book about the love a stepmom can have for a child. The kind of love that doesn't lessen the love either of her parents feel for her; it's just another person who loves her. It's called I Saw You First. It's funny to me how sometimes the title of a story comes to me first. For this one, I have the title and the first couple of lines. It's going to be a poem I turn into a book. Rhyming and all that. Which, in large part, is why it's not written yet.

I receive story inspirations in different ways. Sometimes, an entire plot will sit down in my mind and not move until I write it down. Other times, like the above situation, it's the title that hits me first, but with a meaning I can't set aside. And, occasionally, a character will come to me with a story so powerful it can't be ignored. Though I doubt we've ever talked about it, I'm sure every writer has similar experiences. I don't know anyone who is always inspired the same way for every story they write.

It's my firm belief that the Lord speaks to each of us in ways He knows we will hear. The inspiration I receive at different times is what will actually impact me in those moments--and, as I stated before, it's not always the same thing. He knows me. And He speaks to me, but not the same way He speaks to you.

How are you inspired?

Improving My Sense of Self-worth

by Rachel Rager

I have always known my children are here to help me learn and grow. Shortly after I gave birth to my third daughter I was depressed. And though I can blame my lack of sleep as the result of my slightly depressed manner, I am not one hundred percent convinced that there was not more behind that. My baby had been extremely grumpy one afternoon and evening and I received no more than ten minutes of respite. She would fall asleep in my arms only to wake up as soon as I set her down. I sunk into a deep depression that concerned my husband, the counselor; though I thought I was merely tired. As I awoke the next morning from another sleepless night, I could still feel the lingering effects. And all I wanted to do was lay down and sleep the day away. However, my husband suggested I get out of the house and do something. My thoughts automatically shifted to shopping. I would go to the store and buy something, because that would help improve my mood.
As I stood fixing my hair, I began to contemplate why women feel so much better about themselves when they have new clothes. It is exciting to go shopping and get new things. It makes me feel beautiful, even special. I think sometimes we rely too heavily on physical things to improve our feeling of self-worth. And so often this can thrust us into financial difficulties as well.
At an Enrichment activity the week prior, the Second Counselor in the Bishopric spoke and expressed his concern for the women of the church; for while we are a very caring, compassionate and serving group, we frequently neglect our own needs. Hence, I think we slip into a sort of depression. From there we become more concerned with things of this world and many other outside influences that we think will make us feel better. When they only make us feel good for a short little while, we grasp for other things to give us the same boon and soon are spiraling downward faster and faster. We have little sense of self-worth and have many other problems – perhaps emotionally, physically, financial, and spiritually and these things can affect our relationships, not only with a spouse, but children, parents, siblings and friends as well.
So how do we fix this? First, become intimately acquainted with the Savior. Learn of His teachings. Learn of His love, compassion and friendship. Next, submit yourselves to Him. He has atoned for you and has enabled you to use that atonement to draw closer to Him. Perhaps you have not sinned while in this cycle of self-destruction. Does that mean the atonement cannot help? No. We are all children of God, and as such, He desires for us to return to Him. By Allowing Him to share our burdens and pain, we are drawing nearer to Him.
Another step in this process of self-improvement is to take time for yourself. Do something you enjoy without feeling guilty. Plan a night with friends, away from the children once in a while. Set a budget so you do not exceed your means in the process. Go on regular dates with your spouse. Talk with your spouse about your feelings. Talking with a spouse will not only help with depression and improve self-worth, but it will also strengthen the marital relationship. If you don’t feel comfortable talking, write them a letter. Writing is very therapeutic. Exercise is also a great way to get in touch with yourself and it will improve your physical health while helping your mental health.
How will these things help you become an emotionally healthier person? When you are in touch with yourself and your needs, you are much more in tune with the Spirit. You are able to not only help yourself but are able to help those around you much more effectively. You will no longer need new clothes or other worldly possessions to make you feel better about yourself. When you take care of yourself and take the time to spend time doing what you need to do, without neglecting your family, you become close to our Savior and can truly be happy.

Oooops!

I usually try to post early and have my blog ready so it posts automatically. However, I've been painting my house and then my mom came into town and I haven't checked my emails and missed my reminder. Fortunately I found it today and not tomorrow, huh!
So, I'm not sure I have anything relevent to write today. So, I'll post this. One day in April, I went into my room and found a paper on my bed. I picked it up and instantly knew it was from my six-year-old. This is what it said. (complete with picture)

Abinadi by Lylli Rager

To my mom and dad for all the teachings about the prophets and having faith in him. I love you very much.

Abinadi was one of Heavenly Father’s prophets. He told Abinadi to come to a king. The king’s name was King Noah. So Abinadi walked to King Noah’s kingdom all alone but with Heavenly Father’s help. When he got into King Noah’s kingdom, he told them to repent or else their enemies would destroy them.
But they said, “No we don’t want to repent. Go away. Now!”
So Abinadi walked home all alone again. A few months later he came to King Noah again.
They said, “We have not repented, young man.”
Abinadi said, “All right. Your enemies are going to destroy you.”
King Noah punished him for telling the truth. His punishment was for him to walk to prison all by himself. King Noah put him in prison for two weeks! After two weeks in prison, Abinadi walked halfway home until he started thinking about the message Heavenly Father asked him to tell King Noah. So he went back to his home. He taught him about Jesus and Heavenly Father. After that King Noah wanted to kill Abinadi. So it happened. He burned him down. And that was the end of Abinadi. The end.

Reading this was one of those awesome moments as a mother when I knew I was on the right track! May you all have a wonderful Sunday!

The Thrill of Literary Adventures

by Trina Boice

Happy Columbus Day tomorrow!  (October 12, 2009)  I know, it's not the biggest holiday in this country, lacking such things as beloved Columbus Day carols, festive decorations and traditional meals to commemorate the day, but it is definitely worth celebrating.  The story of Christopher Columbus is inspiring, as that great man's historic voyage teaches us to explore, search, and dream big.

We often discover new horizons while aiming for something completely different.  Christopher Columbus never did accomplish his original goal - to find a western ocean route to Asia.  Instead, he achieved something even greater - he ushered in a new era in world history by opening up the Americas to exploration.  What great book do you dream of writing?

Sometimes when we're writing we visualize something specific, only to be led into a completely different direction. It's almost as if the writing itself carries us on the journey, navigating the project without our control.  Have you ever written something, only to go back later to read it and thought to yourself "Wow, I wrote that?"

Like Christopher's plea to Queen Isabella, writers need to find a publisher who will fund their great literary adventure and believe in their project.  The purse strings direct the writing voyage, but the author's passion and persistance will ultimately determine the success.

Several years ago I stood at the very site where Christopher Columbus and the Queen of Spain discussed his ambitious project.  I tried to imagine the conversation and hear the emotional supplication.   Together, the dreamer and the monarch were able to change history.  So it is with writing - an author and a publisher can create something magical together.  In your search for a literary partner, look for a publisher who shares your passion and can visualize your dream.  A happy working relationship with your editor and publisher can make all the difference in your adventure.

So, in honor of Columbus Day, dream big.  Think big.  Imagine the impossible.  And enjoy the journey!

What Are Your Blessings?

by Rachel Rager

LIFE ~ What a crazy thing. Everything seems to happen all at once! (Such as moving out of state, going on a blog tour and attend a book signing all at the same time!)
This week we closed on a new house in Provo, UT. Nearly my entire life I have lived in Casper, WY. My husband is also from Casper, so for us to make this move has been difficult. In fact, if we hadn't made the decisions we did and lived with my parents for three months, I'm not certain we would have been as eager to make this move.
Is this my dream home that I have moved into? No. Certainly not. But it's mine and I have definately learned (or rather remembered) how wonderful it is to have family, friends and ward families. The help and support we have recieved has been wonderful. I have learned to find blessings in the little things. Blessings appear in so many different shapes and sizes. I'd like to share just one with you today. When we were preparing to make this move, my four-year-old noticed my tears one day. She asked why I was crying.
"Honey, Mommy's just a little scared. That's all."
"Do you know what Nana told me?"
"What?"
"If you're scared, we should stick together. We can do anything if we stick together."
What wonderful advice. As you can see, I'm truly blessed. I hope you will take the time to look around you today and list your blessings, big and small.

The Writing Journey Through Music

By Trina Boice

My eyelids were drooping and every part of my body was aching last weekend as I sat in front of my computer screen for hours, scrambling to make a deadline my publisher had given me to finish my latest manuscript. I felt tired and uninspired, yet determined to finish.

What do you do for inspiration and motivation to keep hacking away at the keyboard? Well, I'm so excited about my latest discovery that I just have to tell you about it! Have you heard of http://www.pandora.com/ ? I absolutely love it and I have it to thank for keeping me on task with my last writing project!

It's like a music radio station online, except without all of the annoying commercial breaks and songs you don't like. You simply tell it what songs you like and it creates a custom station just for you! Best of all, it's free!

To get back some energy I plugged myself into the "Journey" channel and suddenly felt a surge of writing strength overcome me. Yeah, I'm dating myself, but Journey is one of my favorite bands of all time. Thankfully, they're making a come-back with their 2009 tour, so now I won't seem so old, right? I hear their new singer, Arnel, is blowing everyone away. Sure love that Steve Perry...

When I needed to think harder and work on the more spiritual parts of the book I switched to the "Yanni" and "Enya" channels. Perfect. I even created my own "Wicked" and "Dream Girls" channels when I wanted to sing out loud while I continued typing away.

Pandora.com declares itself as a music genome project that began in the year 2000. They've grouped songs together by sound, rather than genre, making for a very nice collection that appears to be able to identify my taste spot on.

I used to be one of those writers who prefers silence as their writing companion, but now I'm converted to Pandora.com! What do YOU do for inspiration?

What's Jane Doing?

by Nichole Giles

This weekend I watched the movie, “Becoming Jane,” which is based on the life of author, Jane Austen. In a particular scene, Jane is inspired by something that’s said and excuses herself mid-conversation to go write down the words. As she sits and pulls out her lead and paper, the woman—a ‘Lady’ of wealth—and man—the wealthy woman’s nephew—with whom Jane had been conversing have a small exchange that goes something like this:

Lady: “What’s she doing?”

Nephew: “Writing.”

Lady: “Can anything be done about it?”

Nephew grins and shrugs.

While watching this show, I had to laugh at the situation because it is such a spot on scenario in my own life. It truly can’t be helped, and my answer to the ‘Lady’ is, no, nothing can be done about it.

As authors and writers, we often tend to take in fine points of conversations and surroundings that others easily dismiss. These are the words and details that usually end up in our stories or other writing.

Is it because we’re hyper-aware? Or because we pay closer attention to the details of life? Maybe both. Or maybe our brains are constantly on overdrive as we do our best to go through life thinking around and through the voices in our head. Because for some of us, those voices are always there, and often loudest when we’re trying to close down and have a quiet moment. They hound us as we sleep at night, as we sit in church meetings, drive in our cars, sit on our back porch enjoying the family, during vacations, and sometimes as we attempt to meditate.

So when you ask yourself (or when someone else asks you) “Can anything be done about it?” here’s a possible solution: don’t ignore inspiration. Pull out your handy-dandy notebook (which you should always have nearby) and use it as a filter. By writing down the random lines, thoughts, and impressions as often as they come, we can better pay attention to other things going on around us.

Inspiration can be a terrible inconvenience—and it may take some training, but we can teach ourselves to keep those precious moments of clarity while still continuing through our daily lives with work, family, friends, and other obligations. We don’t have to give up one for the other. Instead, we simply learn how best to capture those moments while we continue to be present in the here and now.

And when you stop mid-conversation to snag a pen and write a few lines on your hand, your relatives and friends will eventually stop asking, “What’s she doing?”

They’ll automatically know you’re writing and that it’s okay. You’ll write down one or two lines, and jump right back into visiting.

Such is the life and reputation of a writer. And personally, I think it’s grand.

My Writing Story

By Nichole Giles

I got a phone message the other day. My neighbor’s sister heard I write books and wanted to ask me some questions. Though I haven’t talked to her yet, I definitely plan to call her back. It’s easy for me to remember the day when I consciously decided to start writing—for real.

I’ve always been a big reader, and had recently read several books in which a main or supporting character was a writer. (Yeah, goes back to us writing what we know.) Believe it or not, reading those books was the first time it occurred to me that people could actually write as a career. I mean, you know, there are authors, and they do it, but they’re like actors and supermodels. At the time, in my mind, I might as well go apply for a job at Nasa and ask to be an astronaut. But the idea was planted, and no matter how I avoided starting, it grew until I decided to write anyway. Not for fame and fortune, but because I needed to do it. Because it was something for me. I’d supported my husband in his career, my children in school and sports and babyhood, and this was something I wanted, and that I could do for me.

The catalyst, though, came one day when I was reading a parenting magazine and came across an advertisement for a writing class. It seemed too good to be true that I could take this college accredited course (I’d had zero college) through the mail—and they promised to help me produce at least one publishable article by the end. What I didn’t realize was that they didn’t guarantee my article would be accepted anywhere—just that it would be good. That class was the first interaction I ever had with another author, and it was absolutely liberating for me. I learned a lot.

As I communicated with my instructor, she encouraged me to find and attend some writing conferences. But I had no idea where to even look (this was before the days of Google and having information available at the click of a mouse—or at least that I knew of). Then one day, I was in the library checking out, and came across a flier for a writer’s conference by a group called the LDStorymakers—and it happened to be the very next weekend. I took the flier, and hung onto it for two or three days before I got brave and called the number to talk to a lady named Tristi Pinkston. She told me they had room and that I could pay at the door.

I had no idea what to expect when I went, but let me just tell you, I never, ever in my wildest dreams expected what I got. That weekend I learned a lot—but what’s more, I made some amazing, incredible friends. Also, I joined my very first writer’s group, where I’ve had more encouragement than I could ever had imagined. These people have taught me more than any college or class ever could, and I’ll forever be in their debt.

See, even as I was searching for that special thing for myself, I was fighting incredible amounts of guilt. I was the wife and mother—and it should be enough for any woman, right? Why should I need something for myself? But I did, and somehow, I knew that if I didn’t do this, I would lose myself entirely.

It’s been several years since I started this journey. This year, I’ll have two books published—something that I never could have dreamed was in my life path before I started it.

But the very most amazing thing is the comfort and support I’ve received since I started. Heavenly Father has shown me over and over again how important it is that I magnify my talent, and use it to better myself and those around me. I almost didn’t do it—but I am infinitely grateful that I did.

Just in case my story isn’t enough inspiration to help give you a boost, watch this video. I promise, there will be no more doubt and no more guilt—but you may shed a few tears.




See you in two weeks!