A Book, A REAL Book!

The Food We Were Raised On


Well here it is, the project I evasively mentioned here! The writing project I actually finished!!

I wrote this cookbook for my children.  A keepsake of sorts, but friends and family members who encouraged me throughout the process and helped with the endless edits thought it worthy of a larger audience. Since it is a collection of family recipes, photographs and the memories associated with them, I wondered how interesting it could possibly be to anyone beyond  family. But then I thought why not? Why not give my little cookbook an airing and see where the chips (hehehe) may fall.

When I finally held the finished product in my hands the sleepless nights, frustrations, multiple swear words and hours of editing seemed to melt from memory. A Book, a REAL Book...... I chanted like a three year old with giddy excitement!



Can you see the silly big grin stretching from ear to ear!   

The Food We Were Raised On can be found on the self-publishing site Blurb. 

Let me know what you think.

Projects, Projects Everywhere!

Is it the first Wednesday of November already? That means it's time to add another installment to  Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support Group. It seems like the first Wednesday of October was only yesterday and I subjected bloggie friends to major whinging and whining about my writerly insecurities.

This month instead of whinging I will air my most shameful writerly secret. Here it is, I have way too many unfinished projects stashed under the bed. Five to be exact.  Yes, you read right....Five.  Are you tsking at me and shaking your head. 

I have a tendency to stumble and fall when trying to incorporate descriptives to a story. A weakness of mine. Or as with my latest unfinished project when I tried to write a love scene. I wrote the scene, but was very unhappy with it…so off I toddled to Eason’s/Borders and bought multiple books I felt confident were bursting at the seams with love scenes. My postman was also very busy delivering the many tomes I ordered online. Just as a side note…..my arms are a few inches longer from carting the many shop purchases home.  The postman's biceps also showed noticeable improvement! Now that I think of it, shouldn't he be thanking me?!?

So I read and read and read. This proved quite a helpful exercise, “but”….isn’t there always a “but?” I had this brainwave for Christmas presents. It is writing of sorts if you class creating a keepsake as writing. Which I am doing, because it makes me feel better! I really can’t go into detail as those on the receiving end of this project may be lurking. It is taking much longer than I thought it would. I need to have it completed within the next two weeks, so it will be printed in time. This is proving to be hair pulling pressure.

I decided to take my friend Jim Lawn’s advice and publish my project with Blurb. Jim published his, "The Book of Silence," in Blurb and was very pleased with the results.  "The Book of Silence," is filled with beautiful photographs taken in the Dungarvan locality.  Check out Jim’s Website and peruse his other works. 

Do you have any waiting to be finished projects stashed under the bed.  How many? Do tell….