WEEK 21 - Special Guest Karen S. Elliott

Hello fans and followers! On this wonderful journey through my writing career, I've had the opportunity to meet and connect with so many outstanding individuals in the genre. Since there are so many greats - I wanted to begin to share them with you. So from time to time and sometimes back to back, you'll now be seeing interviews of these talented folks right here on the JLB Creatives' Blog. 
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And have I ever got a treat for you this week to kick off this new interview feature! My special guest, Karen S. Elliott, is a fellow writer, proofreader, copy editor, and blogger. And if that's not already amazing enough in itself, Karen has been dealing with being evacuated and living the natural disaster life in Minot.

She's quite the trooper and here's why. I had invited her to be a guest on my blog before the floods of Minot hit. I had kept up through posts regarding her evacuation and her forced new lifestyle. Not being sure whether doing a blog interview would be a nuisance or not, I took a chance and emailed her. The response I got was one of strength, courage, and a fantastic attitude! She returned an email telling me to "bring it on" because nothing was going to keep her from her passions in the industry. I think you will find the combination of her knowledge and wonderful attitude to be something we can all learn from should we ever be faced with a natural disaster.


I ask you to please send your thoughts and prayers to those of Minot for a speedy and safe recovery.

WEEK 21 Video

Introduction to: 

KAREN S. ELLIOT 

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Minot Flood photos courteousy of  Jayson Kennedy 
All photos are the sole property of Jayson Kennedy. Photos may not be copied, posted, or reproduced in any fashion without the written consent of Jayson Kennedy.

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INTERVIEW

with Karen S. Elliott

And as always with technology - the spacing just won't seem to work with me, so please excuse the gaps and "no gaps" as they were all created equal on the draft. :) 

JANET: Hello Karen. First I want to thank you for taking the time to participate in the interview. You are an amazing woman. I'm sure others would like to know what you're all about, so please, tell us about yourself.

KAREN: Sure, I'd love to. I was raised by my mom and her sister – both forward-thinking women – in Wilmington, DE. I lived in Delaware into my 40’s, moved to NM for 10 years. I’m now in Minot, ND. People invariably ask me, “Why NM?” and “Why ND?” My son is in the Air Force, he gets transferred – I follow the grandchildren! We had a lovely eight-month winter with record-breaking snowfall; now we have a catastrophic flood, evacuations, and 10-foot temporary levees. Love the weather, just love it. I had a fabulous childhood – full of big band music and jitterbug lessons, a dash of classical and opera, Bobby Darren and Ella Fitzgerald. We did jigsaw and crossword puzzles and played baseball in the backyard. Mom wanted to be an English teacher, and she used to proofread for Merriam-Webster. Aunt Agnes could do the Sunday New York Times crossword in a day. Their favorite expression was, “Look it up.” So from a very early age I had English, grammar, spelling, and a love of literature.

JANET: That sounds like a life chocked full of goodness! Oh how I envy you when it comes to the big band era and jitterbug lessons...but enough about me. Now before we get down to business, I'd love for my followers to get to know Karen a little better as a person, so I'd like to ask you some "off the wall" questions that have nothing to do with your career if that's all right.

KAREN: Sure.

JANET: OK, here goes. If you could be any animal, bird, or fish in the world, which would you be and why?

KAREN: I’m currently evacuated because of record-breaking flood waters, so I would like to be a fish. A really big fish. 

JANET: There you have it folks, the sense of humor I was bragging on! Karen, you made me laugh out loud with that one. Here's your next "off the wall" question. What is your favorite pass time when you're not writing?

KAREN: Oh gawd, I'm so boring – when I'm not working on my writing, proofreading, and copy editing, I read or do research! Seriously. I love to research subjects that interest me. For instance, I found out that a former high school friend was working in Antarctica, so I read four books on Antarctica including Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s The Worst Journey in the World. I’ve done extensive genealogical research on mom’s side of the family tree – going back to the Southern Welsh coal-mining valleys and Ireland. My dream vacation would be – travel to Wales, trek all over the place, stop in every pub I encounter, and chat up the locals (especially the old geezer types). I enjoy spending time with my family, my grandchildren. I love baseball, playing pool, cycling, walking and hiking.

JANET: Are you kidding me? I'll bet I'm not alone when I say, I don't think your pass times are boring...in fact I find them all very fascinating beyond measure - I would love to travel to Ireland and discover where my family came from. How about when it comes to flowers...are you more of a rose person, tropical arrangement, or spring bouquet?

KAREN: Actually, I’d rather have a jade, spider, or philodendron so I can continue to enjoy them for years. Save the bouquet – give me books.  

JANET: Again, here I go laughing. You're so much fun! I'm having a great time learning about you, so I've just got to ask a few more crazy questions. Dog or cat person - or both?

KAREN: I do not have any pets though I prefer dogs. No cats – I’m allergic.  

JANET: I too am a dog lover and can relate all too well to the cat thing! Aaachoo! :) Describe your perfect day or evening out - movies, theatrical productions, dinner (where), the beach, the mountains, shopping...and who would you most want to spend it with?  

KAREN: I love the beach and visited the shore a lot in my teen years and early adulthood in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. I love the mountains as well – I have visited sites in Pennsylvania,  New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, New England, et al. I prefer less-crowded, non-tourist type spots. I’d be happy in a log cabin with a wood stove and a rocker on the porch. My perfect companions are my son, his wife, and my two grandchildren. I am quite content with myself, and am happy to spend an evening on my couch with a good book. Truly my favorite evening out is staying in. No kidding. Occasionally I’ll enjoy a movie out – it usually has a G rating. In the past I've enjoyed the theatre, comedy clubs, and concerts. I hate shopping – for anything. Dining out is fun though I only do that several times a year (yes, I said year), and I love all types of American fare and ethnic foods. I’d rather eat at home and rent movies so I have more money to spend on books. (Do you see a book-related theme developing here?)

JANET: Yeah, I'm starting to see a book-related theme...and there is NOTHING wrong with that! It's people like you who authors live for! LOL!! Now that we've made our way to the business side of the interview, what are your favorite things to write?

KAREN: My favorite and best-suited writing genre is horror (I have been reading Stephen King since high school). I especially like to mold my bad guys after ex-husbands, and I’m satisfied when I can make them die in the story. I dabble in poetry – to express my feelings, joys and sorrows, recount memories of my mom. I took a class through UCLA Extension on experimental fiction; a few good stories came out of that experience. I work occasionally on little bits for a memoir – this is inspired from a class through UCLA with Deb Everson Borofka, Memory, Muses, Memoir. I’ve also taken numerous writing classes at the University of New Mexico and through Writer’s Digest – Writing the Breakout Novel – which I can endorse without pause.


JANET: WOW! You certainly cross quite a gambit when it comes to reading and writing. What pieces have you actually completed as of now?

KAREN: My completed projects are short stories and numerous non-fiction pieces. I have many, many freelance articles in my arsenal – none of which have been picked up yet. Historical memoir – I’m working on a historical novel focusing on my great-grandfather who immigrated from Wales to America in 1869. I have a horror novel sketched out. These two novel projects are temporarily shelved until I can further expand my proofreading and copy editing business.

JANET: Again, WOW! With so many completed, even though you say some haven't been picked up yet, with your talent there has to be a hint of successes...am I right?


KAREN: Yes, there are some. 

North Dakota Ambassadors – Thoughts from a North Dakota Ambassador. http://networkedblogs.com/bPhO6

www.writingraw.com

http://www.writingraw.com/fiction.html#Delaware Shores Losers Club
http://www.writingraw.com/fiction.html#The Devil’s Passing
www.bewilderingstories.com – The Garden

JANET: Hey - that's great! And thanks for giving us the links for where to find those. Choosing from those successes you mentioned, which one stands out the most to you?

KAREN: My absolute favorite piece to date is The Garden. The whimsical story of bugs and birds was inspired by memories of my mother, and it was my first foray into experimental fiction.

JANET: That is so cool. The Garden sounds like one I would enjoy, especially being the epic fantasy nut that I am. What are you working on currently?

KAREN: I have several short stories going; I also work a lot on the blog and social networking. My primary focus is my freelance proofreading and copy editing business.

JANET: You really are a dedicated lady to the passion of the writing industry. That is something that I believe all of us, readers and authors, appreciate to the fullest. How about wrapping up Karen S. Elliott in a bold statement covering things you'd like people to know about you that I might have missed asking?

KAREN: Absolutely! I take notes on every book I read – to keep track of characters, make note of especially strong passages, sentences, or phrases, and maintain a notebook of vocabulary. When recently evacuated because of flood, I said, “Leave the furniture, pack my books!” I shop yard sales for weird tomes. I have a collection of foreign language dictionaries and phrase books – I can say “Beer, please” in 27 languages. I know American Sign Language.

JANET: Laughing again at your brilliant wit...and I'm pretty sure I can hear others joining in on the Karen S. Elliott band wagon! Speaking of that, where can these great readers discover more about you?

KAREN: Oh that's easy... My Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and I recently launched a Tumblr account. Please visit!

JANET: I know I'm heading to all of them right now to follow, "Like", tweet, and Tumble with you. Karen, you have been a pleasure to interview. Thank you so much for taking the time and I hope not only me, but others, will become and remain connected to you and your talents for years to come.

KAREN: Thanks for having me, and thanks to all of my future connections!

WEEK 21 TOPIC POST/INTERVIEW:

If you get the chance, please give Karen a shout out - and be sure to spread the word and share her interview with others. Here's the link to use:

 JLB CREATIVES BLOG - INTERVIEW WITH KAREN S. ELLIOTT

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Pic N' Thought

by

Janet Beasley

A path to peace is always a wise choice.

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LINK OF THE WEEK: Inuksuk

While on our travels through Cananda, one of the most fascinating things we would see along the shores of Lake Superior were the Inusuks. What? You don't know what those are? Well, we didn't either until we did a little research. Their history is very cool. Used to mark a multitude of things such as navigation, travel routes, fishing places, food caches, hunting grounds, and more. Check out the link to learn about them.

INUKSUK HISTORY

Photo by Janet Beasley

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WEEK 21 SUMMARY:

And yet another great week here at the JLB Creatives Blog. Hope you enjoyed meeting Karen as much as I did. She's a trooper who deserves a round of applause and a pat on the back for sure! This week's photo was taken on a path we hiked in Michigan's U.P. and I hope it brought you the peace it brought us as we hiked through the northern woods enjoying the silence, the aroma, and the beauty. And how about those Inuksuks huh? We found them ever so intriguing. Next time you're in the right area, look for some and share the fun with your family and friends.

Well, I guess that's it. Remember to share JLB Creatives on Twitter and Facebook and encourage as many of your friends as you can to join with you. Let's see if together we can't reach those goals mentioned early on in this post!

Until next week...

Stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate!

Thanks for stopping by,

~Janet~

WEEK 19 - SURPRISE!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY USA!!!

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Welcome everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by the JLB Creatives Blog.  This week we've got some pretty cool news to share...so be sure and check out the video! You're doing a great job at sharing and spreading the word - that is so appreciated. Keep up the good efforts and encourage your friends and family to join in with telling their friends and so on. ;-)

NEWS FLASH #1!

June 29 the new site Love A Happy Ending made its debut.

30 upcoming authors were invited to participate on a reader's website where
these author's new books and such will be reviewed. So you may
want to make Love A Happy Ending, the new place you go to find out
the buzz on the hottest new titles.

Be sure and click on the beautiful strawberry image on the right to visit.

Authors are listed in the right hand column of their page.

Enjoy!

NEWS FLASH #2 and #2A!

I was interviewed by the wonderful Carma Spence - aka The Genre Traveler!

The recorded pod cast is available for listening from the link below:

Carma Spence Interviews Janet Beasley author of "Maycly"

If you've been dying to find out even more about the story of Maycly, this is the podcast to listen to!

I was also interviewed by the wonderful Lord David - a man who brings a much needed spice to life!
If you've been chomping at the bit to read an excerpt from Maycly, this blog interview is the first place it's been posted. Be sure and leave a comment to let us know what you think or just to say hello...we love to hear from our fans.

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WEEK 19 VIDEO
SURPRISE!

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NOVEL NEWS this week = TOPIC POST: "Maycly"

     Yes, the rumors are true...we really did submit Maycly for consideration to be published. But we all know that with every good thing, there is a "booger" - and the booger with this one is actually quite small...considering! 

     For those of you who have eagerly been awaiting the ebook version of Maycly - you're just going to have to wait with Dar and me to find out if the publishing company is going to accept or reject the novel. I spoke with them last week, and they suggested that it is best to do just that, because if they decide to publish the book, they will handle both hard copy and ebook, plus they want to do the "big splash" if it's accepted...but remember - rejection is still an option. And finding out the decision of the pub co could take up to 3 months. 

     It was after much thought, consideration, prayer, and everything else we could think of to do to help us make our decision, we opted to wait it out. We've been working 7 years on this beast, so we decided waiting another few months...we could do standing on our heads. This way we don't jeopardize our "getting published" chances in any way shape or form.

     Stay tuned to the blog for the most current updates regarding the progression of getting Maycly published. We certainly want to thank you, our dedicated fans and future readers, for understanding and being patient with us. You are simply the best, and we wouldn't have made the decision without considering you as well. By having so many responses not only wanting ebooks but also tangible copies, we figured this was the best decision for all of us.

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Pics n' Thought

by:

Janet

 

 "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water!"

Since we kayak so many of the natural springs here in FL we are asked all the time, "Aren't there alligators!?!?"  The answer is yes. And they are not be taken lightly. The three photos above are from three separate kayak trips we've made. Please keep in mind I do have a zoom lens!

We've found that if you mind your own business, don't taunt them, and for heaven's sake don't bring along any raw chicken...they either hold their ground, or slide down into the water and swim as far away from you as they can get. Only one time did we ever see one move like lightning when it dashed off of the river bank and into the water after a bird. They are magnificent creatures, and I have to say, the opportunities we've had so far to catch glimpses of them in the wild have been absolutely spectacular!

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LINK OF THE WEEK:

     I don't know about you, but I love a good juicy watermelon at a picnic! But how often do we think about how a watermelon comes to be? All I ever cared was that there was one in the cooler ready to slice! I was surely stunned to find out that we can devour a slice in seconds, but it takes months to grow! 

     This week's link takes you (for all you gardening fans) to a site where it explains watermelons. I thought it was pretty cool! 

HOW LONG TILL THAT WATERMELON IS READY?

As always, I don't endorse this site, get paid for clicks, or any of that stuff - it's just strictly something fun I found and wanted to share for summertime fun! ;-)

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WEEK 19 SUMMARY:

     This week we were riddled with NEWS FLASHES (but good ones!) - discovered a podcast and a brand new website, we enjoyed seeing some gators...from a safe distance, learned how to grow a watermelon, and have become victim to "the waiting game" with Dar and myself regarding Maycly.  I'd say it's been a full week. How about you? 

     Thanks again so much for taking some time out of your busy day to spend with us. Remember - leave us your comments - we always love hearing from you! Please keep spreading the word about JLB Creatives - it's easy! You may choose your method on the right hand side of this page and share away. :) 

Have a great day

Stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate...

Your writin' picture takin' fool - 

~Janet~ 

   

Blog Interview with Daniel Carter

BONUS POST

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...I was asked by Daniel L. Carter, author of The Unwanted Trilogy (available in multiple formats) to participate in a blog interview. 

If you'd like to read the interview, you may visit:

Interview with Janet Beasley

Author of Maycly

I'd love to hear from you, so please feel free 

to leave a comment on Daniel's site regarding the interview.

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WEEK 17 will post on the JLB Creatives blog Sunday night at 12:01 midnight. You won't want to miss week 17, I asked some of my fellow authors to answer one question for me...and they did! But you'll have to stop back by after midnight on Sunday to see their cool answers, plus a special Happy Father's Day portfolio just for dad's, and more!

Thanks for your shared enthusiasm-

Have a great weekend!

~Janet~

WEEK 16 - Short Stories

Hello faithful fans! Thanks for returning to the JLB Creatives blog. We hope you're enjoying the posts and are inviting your friends to become a part of the fun!

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YAY JLB Creatives blog! We were one of 30 blogs chosen to participate in a blog tour this week.
If you didn't get the chance to check out the previous post titled "A World Without Books" you may check it out below this post.


Also at the bottom of the post you will find the entire list of all 30 blogs who got to participate.
Enjoy!


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Audio is really nasty - but what do you expect from being outdoors near the street? :)

WEEK 16 VIDEO

"Short Stories"

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WEEK 16 TOPIC POST: Short Stories on the website

      Writing short stories is hard enough - but doing it off the cuff when you have a spare moment adds another challenge to the mix. 

     I often heard it said that writing less is harder than writing more - I couldn't really understand that in the beginning of my novel writing career. It made more sense to me to say it the other way around. If there was less to say, it should be much easier...when I tried it, I found that I was sadly mistaken! :)

     Writing short stories is difficult for novelists - especially epic fantasy writers. Us epic fantasy writers choose the genre for many reasons, with one being we just can't seem to present our stories without some added fluff, long time frames, and bizarre characters - all of which allow us to utilize our creativity to the fullest and it takes a lot of words to get these things across.

     I definitely have to commend the short story fantasy/SF writers of the world - kudos to you! The great thing is though, through your short stories I'm learning another aspect of being able to write in my genre. I decided, if I want to keep my creativity and writing skills as sharp as possible, take my brain in all directions, entertain my blog followers with interesting stories that hold their attention...and leave them wanting more...short stories is where I need to venture. And just to make it even more of a challenge for myself, I'm doing it off the cuff. If I have an extra 15 mins, then I get busy inventing a story line as I write.  

     Does this mean I'm not going to continue with my epic fantasies? Not at all - it just means I'm constantly working my brain to be more creative, and hopefully spark new ideas for future novels.

     The best way to keep up with when I've added "more to the story," is to simply follow me on Twitter. When I've had some spare time and written a little bit more, I tweet that there is "MORE TO THE STORY." 

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PIC N' THOUGHT

by Janet

Fly your kite of life from a 

different perspective today!

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LINK OF THE WEEK:

     Who knew kite flying could be so much fun? I remember as a kid standing with grampa in anticipation in the back yard, unwinding string for what seemed like hours, and watching the kite rise into the air and hover. It was cool (or so I thought), plus I got to be with grampa. 

     Then one day I discovered there was so much more to kite flying than met the eye! Before you knew it we had ourselves a stunt kite, and were dreaming of doing this!

AWESOME STUNT KITE FLYING!

I by no means endorse this video, I don't get click through money, or anything like that. It's just another cool video I found one day while surfing the web for stunt kite coolness! ;-)

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WEEK 16 SUMMARY:

     Another fun week here at the blog. We discovered I'm pushing myself to the limits writing short stories off the cuff, and we learned about stunt kites. Short but sweet I like to say! 

     I hope you have a wonderful week filled with tons of laughter, smiles, and fun, and we look forward to seeing you here next week on the blog. 

     Keep up the sharing - you're doing great! Just use the links on the right of the blog to inform your friends about JLB Creatives. Remember to follow us on Twitter for the latest news regarding there's "More to the Story."

     Don't forget to leave us a comment - we'd love to know how your summer is starting out! And be sure and check out the blog tour post "A World Without Books" - all 30 participants are listed on the bottom of this post. Take some time to read all of the different interpretations of the title, and it would be great if you'd leave them a comment to let them know you stopped by. 

Until next week - 

Stay casual, live life to the fullest, and laugh at least once a day!

~Janet~

BLOG TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

Tour Date Starts - JUNE 11, 2011

Theme - A World Without Books

1. Dora - http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/

2. Kriti - http://kriti-howaboutthis.blogspot.com/

3. Sonia Rumzi - http://soniarumzi.com/

4. Paula - http://hardlineselfhelp.com/

5. Kate & Ashley - http://backofthebookreviews.com/

6. Roy - http://royd-spiltmilk.blogspot.com/

7. Shaeeza - http://shaeeza.blogspot.com/

8. Anna - http://annalwalls.blogspot.com/

9. Lisa - http://misclisa.blogspot.com/

10. Jessica - http://findingonesway.com/

11. Corinne - http://www.everydaygyaan.com/

12. Nicole - http://riverarunsthroughit.blogspot.com/

13. Tosh - http://totsymae.com/

14. Desiree - http://www.desireeholttellsall.com/

15. Shelley - http://bookfare.blogspot.com

16. Tessa - http://tessadick.blogspot.com 

17. DK Levick - http://dklevick.wordpress.com/

18. La Vonya - http://www.Battered-not-broken.blogspot.com 

19. Janet - http://jlbcreatives.blogspot.com/

20. Jim - http://holesinmysoles.blogspot.com/

21. Linda - http://bookorbust.blogspot.com/

22. Sibylla - http://divaluscious.com/category/mad-moms-manifesto/

23. Amber - http://wosushi.wordpress.com/
24. Lori - http://www.girlparker.typepad.com

25. Neil - http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com

26. Tina - http://tinahoggatt.wordpress.com/

27. Babz - http://lovebabz.blogspot.com/

28. John - http://jmountswritteninblood.com/

29. Violet - http://rhiannonpaille.blogspot.com- 

30. Dora - http://blogaliciousblogs.blogspot.com/

A World Without Books - A Blog Tour

Hello faithful followers - always good to see you here. Dropping by with a fun BONUS POST for the weekend! Here's how it goes...

Being chosen as one of thirty blogs to participate in the "Blog-A-Licious" Blog Tour, I get to write a quick idea of what my "World Without Books" would be. 29 other bloggers have participated. When you're done reading my thoughts, you are cordially invited to visit the blogs of La Vonya - http://www.Battered-not-broken.blogspot.com  and Jim - http://holesinmysoles.blogspot.com/ to read about their ideas on the same.

Thanks for playing along, and as always, my regular weekly post will hit Sunday night at 12:01 midnight. Have a great weekend and enjoy this BONUS POST!

"A World Without Books" 

by Janet Beasley

A world without books is sadly a real world for many.

For many, illiteracy is not a joke, but a way of life.

There is nothing that breaks my heart any harder, 

than to have an elderly person ask me to read 

something to them, 

not because they are having trouble seeing it, 

but because they never had the opportunity 

to learn how to read.

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A world without books is sadly a real world for many

who live in areas where books may not be allowed.

For them, their children, and their children's children

will most likely go through life, 

never knowing the joy of a 

timeless story and its characters.

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A world without books is sadly a real world for many

who may not have possessed the ability to learn

to read early on, but were too embarrassed to 

tell their friends and family.

So for the most part, they "fudged" their way

through life, until the day came when

they truly needed or wanted to know how to read.

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Would you believe that only a few short years ago, 

I, Janet Beasley, was among the last group mentioned above?

It was a sad world without books, 

but I couldn't read and understand a story,

and I was too embarrassed to ask anyone for help. 

Eventually the longing to be a part of my friends conversations 

was overtaking my embarrassment and I was desperate to learn.

If it weren't for my closest friends and family 

who listened to me instead of laugh at me, 

then graciously spent the time to help me learn,

I would not have read more books in the past couple of years

than I ever had in my entire 50 years of life. 

And to boot...I'm only a few weeks

away from publishing my first ebook:

An epic fantasy novel titled "Maycly."

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A world without books is sadly a real world,

a real world that should never be. 

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Join Me!
Blog-A-Licious Blog Tour

Thanks again for visiting JLB Creatives Blog on the tour.

See you next week! 

~Janet~

Lilly's Nightmare - A short story in progress

Your JLB Creatives Blog Host:

Janet Beasley

Something a little special for the weekend...

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you know that my "short story in progress" is now finished! Check it out from my website here : "LILLY'S NIGHTMARE"

I'd love for you to come back to the blog and post a comment on what you thought of the short from start to finish. Thanks! :)

And just a reminder - WEEK 15 will post Sunday night at 12:01 midnight - be sure and check back as WEEK 15 is all about giving back to you, my faithful followers and your friends.

Have a great weekend!
Your writin' picture takin' fool...
~Janet~

WEEK 14 - Picture This!

First things first - let me know if you like the new summer color theme I've gone to. I need some feed back to know if you guys are able to see the stuff, like/can't stand the color scheme, and more.

THANKS!

Welcome one and all - I hope you invited a guest, and aren't hogging JLB Creatives all to yourselves. :)  Seriously, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and check out what's going on at JLB Creatives and for sharing us with others. Plus there's a BONUS MEMORIAL DAY Video (by me), and as always, we're going to stray completely off course - not only with the LINK OF THE WEEK, but with a "shout out" for some amazing and talented people. There's so much fun to be had here at the blog! This week it's all about pictures...

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HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

In the US we take pride in honoring those who have fought for our freedom. I'm no different in that fact. So for that reason I created a video a few years ago that still seems to "hit the spot" when it comes to our nation's freedom and those who have given their lives to defend it.

It is to those of you, I dedicate this video

"America's Freedom"

BONUS VIDEO by: Janet Beasley

Please feel free to repost and/or share

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WEEK 14 VIDEO

PICTURE THIS

(this video is NOT paid advertisement. It is strictly a "shout out" 

for some outstanding women in their line of work)

WEEK 14 TOPIC POST:

     Being a scenic nature photographer, I have to admit...when I walked into Picture This Studio I felt like Pavlov's dog, I couldn't help but start drooling at the site of all the exciting photography and graphic arts equipment. 

     Each time Dar finished an illustration she would photograph it or scan it then email it to me. When I got it I instantly fell in love with it, but Dar would always be so frustrated that it didn't look like the original. I told her I didn't think it needed to as I was elated with what I was seeing.

     During last summer while I was visiting Dar in Michigan, of course we got the illustrations out that she had done so far (and had emailed me) and I was gobsmacked! She was right. Her originals were beyond words. The details, the true colors, everything was truly that much better. 

     After I returned home to Florida, I got to thinking about how great our family photos had turned out when we were all together in Michigan. I made an instant phone call to Dar and asked her to stop by Picture This up town and talk to them about what we were trying to achieve. When she did, our worries were over!

Jill and Andrea

     In not time Dar was calling me to let me know that they weren't going to photograph all of her illustrations, but rather scan them and do some "cleaning" up. What seemed like decades to us because we were so excited - but actually was only less than a week - we had Dar's "finished" products in our hands. There's no other word for me to describe what I saw other than - AMAZING! The colors are true to form, there are no smudges, the details are vivid in every picture, and the service - just like always - top notch. 

Picture This Studio - Brimely, Michigan

     If you have an engagement, a wedding, a new baby (either here or on the way), a graduation, or other event you deem worthy of being photographed professionally, we highly recommend you give them a call. Or if you are in need of top quality graphic design, again, the Picture This team is who we would suggest without hesitation.   

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PIC N' THOUGHT

by Janet

Take some time to relax...it's well worth it.

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LINK OF THE WEEK: Pictured Rocks, Michigan (hint: each link in this article goes to a different page)

     Kayaking used to be a hobby, then it became a passion, now it's just an obsession! LOL!!

     Don and I bought our first kayak less than 2 years ago, sold it, and upgraded. We now own 2 tandems and one sea kayak. Why? It just gets in your blood. Being so close to nature, looking down through calm crystal clear waters, and getting to spend time together I guess sums it up for us.

     We didn't start out as obsessed yakers, but it didn't take long. Once you experience how peaceful it can be, you'll want nothing more than to be in your kayak on a gorgeous day. We haven't gotten our nerve up yet to kayak around the world or anything, but Don is planning on kayaking Pictured Rocks this summer while we're in Michigan. You may be asking yourself, "Why aren't you going with him, Janet?" That's easy - the sea kayak only seats one, we only have one of those, and we're not going out there in anything but! 

Kayakers enjoying a trip past Pictured Rocks

Photo by: Janet Beasley

      Pictured Rocks is located in Munising, Michigan. It is well known as one of the top places in the world to toss the rig in and start paddling. The good news is...you don't have to be a kayaker to enjoy the view! You can take a professional large boat tour and still get the sensation of grasping the beauty of this Lake Superior shoreline - a true spectacle of wonderment crafted by Mother Nature herself. 

     So, this week's link is going to take you to Pictured Rocks national shore.

     And here's some really cool news - a bonus link! The following link is specifically for teachers: Picture Rocks - for Teachers. There's all kinds of neat stuff to share with your class and more!

     And still - I don't endorse any of the sites, get paid for clicks, or anything like that, that I provide on Link of the Week - they're just cool sites about things, places, and people I find very fascinating and worth mentioning. Enjoy!

Pictured Rocks: one of many outstanding views from boat tour

photo by Janet Beasley

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WEEK 14 SUMMARY:

     Well there ya go! The posts just keep getting more and more fun. You never know what to expect when you come to the JLB Creatives blog. 

     Next week we'll be sharing some insight on what's been going on at the website! You won't want to miss out on the news, so be sure and "follow" us if you aren't already to keep up with the latest happenings and creativity of JLB Creatives.

     Thanks again for stopping by. Please remember to check out Picture This Pictures and let them know Janet Beasley sent you! ;-)  Share us with your friends (links on the right of the page), and we'll see you next week!

Live casual, eat chocolate, and smile!

Your writin' picture takin' fool-

~Janet~