<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Colleen Houck</title> <atom:link href="https://www.colleenhouck.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com</link> <description>“I took hold of that scourge -filled ship and crushed it between my limbs, hurtling it into the second sun, the red one that gave me strength. But I was too late." Terraformer</description> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 06 Sep 2024 23:08:39 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <image> <url>https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/cropped-colleen2-32x32.jpg</url> <title>Colleen Houck</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>Resilience in Adversity</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/11/18/resilience-in-adversity/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/11/18/resilience-in-adversity/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2020 23:19:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=9051</guid> <description><![CDATA[Simpler Times When I was a little girl, I couldn’t have conceived of the multitude of trials that face young people today. Times were simpler. Yes, we had bullies and we needed heroes to show us how to be resilient in times of adversity, but back then, the good guys always won on tv and it was pretty easy to figure out who the villain was. Evil and violence, if we were lucky, were not things we faced on daily basis. There were no computers or smartphones back then that exposed us to the constant thoughts, feelings, or opinions of …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h1>Simpler Times</h1> <p>When I was a little girl, I couldn’t have conceived of the multitude of trials that face young people today. Times were simpler. Yes, we had bullies and we needed heroes to show us how to be resilient in times of adversity, but back then, the good guys always won on tv and it was pretty easy to figure out who the villain was. Evil and violence, if we were lucky, were not things we faced on daily basis. There were no computers or smartphones back then that exposed us to the constant thoughts, feelings, or opinions of others.</p> <p>Heck, for most of my childhood, I didn’t even have cable. There were only three maybe four channels to surf and if we wanted to change the channel, we had to get up and move. Playing with my siblings was often more interesting.</p> <p>I didn’t need as much resilience in adversity back then. Instead, I worried about skinned knees, tangled kite strings, lost dogs, and anything lower than a “C” on a report card.</p> <p>Most adults of my era hoped we were at least average or, if lucky, above average. That we had a friend. Summers were for mowing lawns, sleeping in, watching Saturday cartoons, Star Trek marathons, swimming, and playing outside. At least that was my experience.</p> <p>I didn’t have much adversity in my home, at least that I was aware of as a child. I did, however, have adversity in other areas of my life that required me to develop a resilience that I came to depend on over the years.</p> <h2>Record Keeping</h2> <p>I faithfully kept a journal as a youngster, and, as of late, I’ve set a goal to take up the practice of record-keeping again. But this time I’ve decided to do it in more of a memoir-style with the purpose being to share my life experiences with my nieces and nephews.</p> <p>Since two of them are currently serving missions for <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</a>, and I promised I would write to them every week, especially as they are spending much of their time away from home in isolation, I get to accomplish two objectives at once.</p> <h2>Bullying</h2> <p>Since many, many people in this world are targets of bullying, I decided that this is a topic I could share with all of you as well. I sincerely hope that none of you go through similar or worse experiences, but I suspect many have and do.</p> <p>My stories are certainly not the worst examples of bullying nor are they even that typical. And these aren’t all the representations of bullying that I’ve experienced over the course of my life either. I’ve omitted several, purposely. The point isn’t to tell you the mean things people can do to one another, but to share some thoughts on how to overcome and rise above what others say and do to you.</p> <h2><span style="font-size: 24pt;">My Letter</span></h2> <p>11/9/2020</p> <p>Dear Kids,</p> <p>Since grandma has been going through some work bullying recently, the topic of bullying has come up frequently these past weeks, so I thought it might make for a good journal topic.</p> <h4>Bullying Story #1</h4> <h2>Potty Problems</h2> <div id="attachment_9055" style="width: 271px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/kindergarten-photo-e1605045134963.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9055" class="wp-image-9055 size-full" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/kindergarten-photo-e1605045134963.jpg" alt="" width="261" height="334" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/kindergarten-photo-e1605045134963.jpg 261w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/kindergarten-photo-e1605045134963-234x300.jpg 234w" sizes="(max-width: 261px) 100vw, 261px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9055" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen Kindergarten Photo 1973</p></div> <p>I would say my first experience with bullying would have been kindergarten and my poopy pants incident.</p> <p>Now I’m sure you’re shocked that I was bullied in school after having seen my awesome bowl haircut and my handsewn Amish-style dress complete with itchy-scritchy lace at the sleeves, neck, and hemline, which, for those of you who are wondering, did indeed end at the ankles.</p> <p>Not only did I have an amazing sense of fashion and came from obvious money, but I entered school at the very tender age of, count ‘em on your fingers, four years old. The reason for this, my friends, is that my mom already had me (the oldest), my two-year-old brother, and a newborn sister.</p> <p>The next in line was going to be knocking on the door before we could blink, therefore, the earlier mom could get one of us out from underfoot, the better. Back in those days, if you turned five the year you went to kindergarten, you could sign up, so I went, ready or not.</p> <h2>Not Ready</h2> <p>What I wasn’t ready for, was that the teacher would tell me when I could or couldn’t use the facilities. When a kid has to go, a kid has to go. Holding it wasn’t an option for a four-year-old.</p> <p>Despite the adultish knowledge I possess now, my grey-haired teacher did not appear to share this opinion in 1973 and felt that I could perfectly well contain my need until I walked, yes, I said walked, the nearly two miles (and yes, I have mapped it) home in the hot Arizona afternoon sunshine.</p> <p>During reading time, I sat squirming. Then, at recess she watched me, forbidding me to enter the bathroom, which was a playground rule for some inexplicable reason. Unable to attend to my needs, I ran for the cement tunnel and hid my shame in my drawers, hoping no one would notice.</p> <h2>Crime and Punishment</h2> <p>Unfortunately, my schoolmates did notice, and, as a result, my teacher made a big “stink” about it, proclaiming to all that I was obviously still too young to potty myself properly. As such, I was, in her opinion, ineligible for the lofty educational halls where she conducted her rigorous kindergarten coursework or to be granted a seat among her pupils.</p> <p>I spent the rest of the day standing in the corner of class with everyone staring and giggling and never made a friend the rest of that year or the next. I thought things might change in second grade, but I was mistaken.</p> <h4>Bullying Story #2</h4> <h2>A Special Day Out</h2> <div id="attachment_9056" style="width: 159px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1975.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9056" class="wp-image-9056" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1975-e1605044986740.jpg" alt="" width="149" height="204" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9056" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen 2nd Grade Photo 1975</p></div> <p>Around 1975 or so, my mom gave me a perm which resulted in the chopping off of all my hair, which brought about the wearing of a scarf for my school photo. That’s neither here nor there. What <em>is</em> important is an incident that happened with another teacher that year.</p> <p>On my birthday, which fell in October, my mom decided that I needed to have a special day out. She called me in sick at school and we went to the mall for a day of shopping. My mother bought me a pretty necklace and it was an all-around special enough day for me that it was memorable and I was thrilled.</p> <h2></h2> <h2>Memory Failure</h2> <div id="attachment_9057" style="width: 237px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/necklace.jpg"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9057" class="wp-image-9057 " src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/necklace-e1605045478302.jpg" alt="" width="227" height="186" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9057" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen with Necklace</p></div> <p>My recollection is a bit faulty here because I recall being alone with mom which is highly unlikely. I also vividly remember the necklace being an Annie necklace, which isn’t possible.</p> <p>I checked and the film didn’t come out until 1982. In 1982 I would have been thirteen and probably wouldn’t have been as interested in an Annie necklace as a tween. I believe this necklace on the right is the gifted jewelry item I’m referring to.</p> <h2>Side Note</h2> <p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083564/?ref_=tt_mv_close"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-9058 alignleft" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/51-vvdaItBL._AC_.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="331" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/51-vvdaItBL._AC_.jpg 326w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/51-vvdaItBL._AC_-196x300.jpg 196w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" /></a>On a side note, in 1982, my parents took us to see <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083564/?ref_=tt_mv_close">Annie</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084726/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0">Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan</a> in the movie theater as a double feature. Annie was first. About Annie, there never has been, and never will be, an Annie film like this one. I’m sorry but you just can’t beat Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, and Tim Curry. It’s not possible. It will never be done. Just don’t try, Hollywood.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone " src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Q6os48O78m4/maxresdefault.jpg" width="574" height="323" /></p> <p><span style="font-size: 24pt;"><em><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Spoiler Alert!</strong></span></em> </span></p> <p>As far as Star Trek goes, I’ve been a Trekkie since I sat with my dad watching Saturday marathons in the ’70s hoping to catch a show we hadn’t seen. I associate Star Trek with my father and the Next Generation with dating my husband so the franchise means a lot to me. Many of you know I modeled my character, Mr. Kadam on Mr. Spock. When Spock died at the end of The Wrath of Khan when I saw the film in 1982, I cried so hard, I was practically inconsolable as we left the theater.</p> <p class="video-container"><iframe title="Spock's Death and Funeral" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eVIt0DYKssI?feature=oembed&rel=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <h2>Back to the 2nd Grade</h2> <p>Back in school, after my birthday mall trip with my mom, the teacher took attendance. When she asked if I’d recovered from my illness, I proudly showed off my new necklace and told her I hadn’t been sick at all, but I’d had a special day instead.</p> <p>She slapped her hand down on my desk and told the entire class what she thought of such behavior and that if anyone else ever tried such a thing, she’d send them to the principal’s office for a spanking. And, yes, the principal spanked in those days. Rumor had it, his spanking board had rusty nails embedded in the paddle. So again, no friends that year or the next.</p> <h4>Bullying Story #3</h4> <div id="attachment_9060" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/me_03.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9060" class="wp-image-9060 size-full" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/me_03-e1605054810862.jpg" alt="" width="290" height="249" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9060" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen age 8</p></div> <p>By the time I hit fourth grade, my family erupted in chickenpox, just in time for me to escape the verbal assault of another teacher who told me I was too stupid to learn either history or math. I used my poxy skin rash to escape the last two months of the school year and almost had to repeat the 4<sup>th</sup> grade.</p> <p>Luckily, my mom intervened and I went on to the 5<sup>th</sup> grade and a new teacher. Despite excelling at math that year, it was still suggested that I wasn’t quite ready for middle school and plans were made for me to be transitioned to a different elementary school instead. One that had a sixth grade.</p> <h4>Bullying in Middle School & High School</h4> <div id="attachment_9061" style="width: 276px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/me-a.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9061" class="wp-image-9061 " src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/me-a-e1605055237967.jpg" alt="" width="266" height="324" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/me-a-e1605055237967.jpg 496w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/me-a-e1605055237967-246x300.jpg 246w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 266px) 100vw, 266px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9061" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen 8th Grade</p></div> <p>Of course, middle school brought on its fair share of bullying, but sixth grade at a new school had given me a new start and I’d made a few friends that carried over. Unfortunately, middle school was big and I was quickly lost in the shuffle of students. Still, I had some nice teachers and found I enjoyed writing, English, and poetry.</p> <p>There was an unfortunate vomiting incident after running a mile and our P. E. teacher also insisted on measuring our fat in front of everyone with a calibration tool. That was a fun new way to humiliate kids into exercising.</p> <p>(Isn’t that 8th-grade photo awesome? I totally look like I would fit in on <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80057281">Stranger Things</a>. Pretty sure I’d get eaten by something nasty though.)</p> <p>By the time I got to high school, my self-esteem was shot and I knew the best way to avoid being bullied was to try to go unnoticed, never raise my hand, and sit in the back of the class. Trying to make friends was unwise. They’d either turn on you at the earliest opportunity or laugh in your face at the start. Either way, it meant pain.</p> <h2>Low Self-Esteem</h2> <p>I also suffered from not developing the traditional talents that my siblings and parents possessed. My inability to sing, play a musical instrument, dance, act, or excel in academics did not go unnoticed in such a talented family.</p> <div id="attachment_9062" style="width: 317px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/sophomore.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9062" class="wp-image-9062 size-full" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/sophomore.jpg" alt="" width="307" height="448" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/sophomore.jpg 307w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/sophomore-206x300.jpg 206w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9062" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen Sophomore Photo</p></div> <p>Once, my very lovely and gifted sister, Linda, spoke in church, extolling the virtues of her siblings. One by one, she praised their various gifts, saving me for last, and then she stood there, trying to summon up one talent, one thing that I did well, and my dear little sister couldn’t think of anything. I sunk lower and lower in the pew as our entire congregation waited with bated breath for her to come up with something. Anything.</p> <p>The back of my neck burned and we sat. Another moment passed and another. Finally, she said, “Colleen is a good…sewer.” How humiliating. Especially because it wasn’t true. She’d told an outright lie. In church, no less. How pathetic was I that she couldn’t think of a single thing that I could do well?</p> <p>One sister was beautiful and popular and a peacemaker. Another was smart and could sing and act. My mother was organized and talented in all areas, but Colleen? Nope. Nada. Nothing.</p> <p>Now, this wasn’t bullying.</p> <p>This was just…sad.</p> <p>And it definitely added to the way I felt about myself.</p> <h2>A Change</h2> <div id="attachment_9063" style="width: 208px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/jr.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9063" class="wp-image-9063" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/jr.jpg" alt="" width="198" height="296" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/jr.jpg 349w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/jr-201x300.jpg 201w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9063" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen Junior Photo</p></div> <p>A couple of things started turning that around. The first was a teacher, Brother Rosser, who let me eat lunch at the seminary building. One day he pestered me with enough teasing questions that I let my guard down and answered him with all the snark I normally kept hidden.</p> <p>No one else was around to hear it except him and it shocked him so completely that from that day on, he gave me a new nickname, <em>Vicious</em>.</p> <p>He used it all the time, even in class. Everyone wanted to know why he would call me, the quiet-as-a-mouse-sits-in-the-back-of-class kid, <em>Vicious</em>. It made the other kids begin to treat me differently.</p> <h2>I Do Have Talents</h2> <p>The second thing that helped me change the way I saw myself, was taking an American Sign Language class. I only signed up because I wanted to know what secrets the girls were passing between them, certain they were talking about me, just by using their hands instead of voices.</p> <p>Turns out, I was good at ASL. Really good. I began making friends. Smart kids started saying I should take Shakespeare. I did. I was good at that, too.</p> <p>Then I graduated high school and you’d think that bullying stopped there.</p> <p>It didn’t.</p> <h4>Bullying Story #4</h4> <p>After high school, I started working at a grocery store in the deli. It was a good company that had desirable positions with benefits. This made the workers competitive and nervous, especially when lots of new aspiring part-timers were hired. I was one of those.</p> <p>Part of the job was helping customers, but we were also required to accomplish certain tasks. So, to wean out newbies, long time employees used the tried and true method of having the newer employees help all the customers, freeing up their time so they’d get all their work done and the boss would be pleased with their work.</p> <p>As I have always been customer-oriented, I was happy to help customers, but my work suffered as a result. My co-workers reinforced the idea that I wasn’t able to get everything done, that I wasn’t trainable, and that it was unlikely I’d be able to cut the deli “mustard,” as it were. I was on the verge of losing my job and being pushed out when I realized that the salad bar staff never had to help customers.</p> <h2>The Goal</h2> <p>(Note: Salad bars were huge in the late ’80s and early ’90s. As such the salad bar was the biggest deli moneymaker at the grocery store.)</p> <p>From that day on, I determined I needed to work the salad bar.</p> <p>I shared my goal with my manager who told me I wasn’t up to snuff and I’d never get there based on my current job performance. It was unlikely I’d even qualify for the standard raise and get $3.50 an hour instead of the starting $3.25. “Besides,” she said, “there are no hours for training.”</p> <p>Not willing to give up, I asked who was the best salad bar employee and planned to return on my day off at five am. Not only did I come in once but two other shifts as well, to learn how to do the job. Nobody could call me up to the front to work because I was on my own time.</p> <div id="attachment_9064" style="width: 220px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1990.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9064" class="wp-image-9064 " src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1990.jpg" alt="" width="210" height="260" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1990.jpg 550w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1990-242x300.jpg 242w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9064" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen 1990</p></div> <p>The salad bar guy was more than happy to have help all day and decided if there was someone new who could do the job, then he could take a few days off. When he did, I filled in. I came in early my first shift and created the best, most stunning salad bar my boss and the store manager had ever seen.</p> <p>Every bowl was perfectly rounded and piled high with gorgeous, glistening salads. Every spoon, set of tongs, and dressing dipper was aligned exactly the same. The ice and kale was mounded and chilled to polar precision.</p> <p>Not only did I get the raise, and the promotion, I was untouchable after that. No one even thought of bullying me again. I was gold. The salad bar was my full-time gig until I left that place of employment.</p> <h2>Is It Over Now?</h2> <p>Unfortunately, no. That wasn’t my last experience with bullying. In fact, there might be more bullying waiting for me around the corner somewhere in my future.</p> <p>Though I grew up thinking I had no talent, that no one would ever be my friend, that I wasn’t pretty, that I’d never find a guy who could love me, and that I was mostly good for nothing, I know that was never true.</p> <h2>Truth #1-You Have Gifts, You Are Beautiful, You Are Glorious</h2> <p>God gives every single person born on this earth multiple gifts. They might not all be dancing and singing, and they shouldn’t be. How boring would it be if that’s all everyone could do? Each of us is a beautiful and glorious and unique person.</p> <h2>Truth #2-You Are Loved, You Are Amazing, You Are Valuable, You Are Cherished</h2> <div id="attachment_9065" style="width: 289px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/baby.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-9065" class="wp-image-9065 " src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/baby.jpg" alt="" width="279" height="214" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/baby.jpg 643w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/baby-300x230.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-9065" class="wp-caption-text">Colleen 1969</p></div> <p>Look at that little baby. I can see the soul behind the eyes in that photo. That baby is happy. God loves her and she’s lucky enough to have a family who loves her.</p> <p>Heck, she was lucky enough in 1969 to have that sweet console television set. How awesome is that?</p> <p>What isn’t sweet, is that it’s so damaging to hurt our brothers and sisters by making them feel as if they have no worth. That they aren’t amazing, valuable, and cherished.</p> <p>Children should never be made to feel that they are less than special, or that they are not loved, especially by a teacher.</p> <h2>Truth #3-You Can Help Others, You Can Stand Up, You Can Offer A Hand, You Can Be A Friend</h2> <p>First, while it’s true that some people can sink you into despair and make you feel less than, it’s equally true that other, well-meaning souls can boost you right back up.</p> <p>Being a friend, standing up for someone, offering a hand to someone who needs one, can mean so much. Making that effort helps others, and helps yourself at the same time.</p> <h2>Truth #4-Forgiveness Can Help You Heal Too</h2> <p>Second, when I became a New York Times Bestselling Author, it didn’t change how I saw myself. By that time in my life, I’d become very settled in my own skin. It did, however, change how some others saw me. In fact, several of my old bullies have made efforts to come to see me at book events.</p> <p>One bully was first in line, waited for hours, and owned every book I’ve ever written. Her life hadn’t gone well. She was unhappy. Well versed in public dealings by that time, I smiled, posed for photos, wished her and her family well, and didn’t show that my heart was racing.</p> <p>Afterward, I pondered what had happened. She’d seemed genuinely happy to be there. Even excited to see me. That she considered us to be on friendly terms, was obvious. In fact, it probably didn’t even occur to her that I thought of her as a bully. I wondered then if I still did. Could I let it go?</p> <p>On reflection, she didn’t appear to be nervous about how I might act toward her. Perhaps that’s just the level of confidence a bully possesses. Or, maybe her actions weren’t as impactful or as memorable for her as they were for me. Either way, she’s moved on. Perhaps it was time for me to move on too.</p> <h2>Truth #5-Resilience Requires Knowing Your Potential</h2> <p>Finally, the definition of resilient is having the ability to spring back, being tough, or being able to recover quickly. In scientific terms, resilience is the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after it’s been deformed by stress.</p> <p>What’s interesting about resiliency is that now that I’m in my fifth decade of life and I’ve lived through all these experiences, is I can look back and recognize the lessons learned.</p> <p>Resiliency, to me, means something more than simply springing back to your original shape, being tough, or recovering quickly after stress. When you are exposed to stressors, it shapes you into something new. There’s an excellent example of this regarding trees.</p> <p>When a tree grows in a windy area, it sinks its roots down deep. This video is talking about spiritual whirlwinds but the principle applies in the same way.</p> <p><a href="http://iframe%20src='//players.brightcove.net/710874264001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5350254566001'%20allowfullscreen%20frameborder=0/iframe"><iframe src="//players.brightcove.net/710874264001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5350254566001" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a></p> <p>For some of us, resilience takes time. I think the most important and key factor in becoming resilient, is in knowing exactly who you are and what you’re capable of.</p> <p>When a child, or anyone for that matter, can feel God’s hand in their life and knows that even if no one else in the entire world loves them, cares about them, or is willing to stand beside them except Him, then they can still stand tall and proud.</p> <p>Because when a person knows, truly knows, who they are…</p> <p>In their spirit.</p> <p>In their heart.</p> <p>And in their mind.</p> <p>No bully.</p> <p>No power.</p> <p>No force on earth.</p> <p>Can stop them.</p> <p> </p> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Read the Next Article</h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/06/22/my-covid-19-experience/">My COVID-19 Experience</a></h3> <h3><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/06/22/my-covid-19-experience/"><br /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-8928 aligncenter" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/COVID-19-1-800x500-1.jpg" alt="" width="291" height="182" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/COVID-19-1-800x500-1.jpg 800w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/COVID-19-1-800x500-1-300x188.jpg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/COVID-19-1-800x500-1-768x480.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 291px) 100vw, 291px" /></a></h3> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/11/18/resilience-in-adversity/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Fall 2020 YA Scavenger Hunt</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/09/29/fall-2020-scavenger-hunt/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/09/29/fall-2020-scavenger-hunt/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 29 Sep 2020 18:00:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featuring Authors]]></category> <category><![CDATA[YA Scavenger Hunt]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=8967</guid> <description><![CDATA[Are You Ready to Hunt? The Fall 2020 Scavenger Hunt is here! For those of you who don’t know what YASH stands for, the YA means Young Adult, as in books, S is for Scavenger, and the H is for Hunt! Since fall is the perfect time for hunting, what could be more fun than hunting for books? “The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.” Unknown About Me I’m Colleen Houck, your hostess for this leg of the hunt. For those of you who don’t know me yet, here are …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Are You Ready to Hunt?</strong></h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>The Fall 2020 Scavenger Hunt is here! For those of you who don’t know what <strong>YASH</strong> stands for, the <strong>YA</strong> means Young Adult, as in books, <strong>S</strong> is for Scavenger, and the <strong>H</strong> is for Hunt! Since fall is the perfect time for hunting, what could be more fun than hunting for books?</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":8668,"sizeSlug":"large"} --></h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/picmonkey_image-9.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-9016 size-full" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/picmonkey_image-9.jpg" alt="Fall 2020 YA Scavenger Hunt Image" width="800" height="450" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/picmonkey_image-9.jpg 800w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/picmonkey_image-9-300x169.jpg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/picmonkey_image-9-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure> <h2><!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:pullquote {"customMainColor":"#8ed1fc","textColor":"very-dark-gray"} --></h2> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote" style="border-color: #8ed1fc;"> <blockquote class="has-text-color has-very-dark-gray-color"> <p style="text-align: center;">“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.”</p> <cite> <strong>Unknown</strong></cite></blockquote> </figure> <h2><!-- /wp:pullquote --> <!-- wp:heading {"align":"center"} --></h2> <h2 class="has-text-align-center" style="text-align: center;"><strong>About Me</strong></h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>I’m Colleen Houck, your hostess for this leg of the hunt. For those of you who don’t know me yet, here are five fun facts…</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:media-text {"mediaPosition":"right","mediaId":8416,"mediaType":"image","verticalAlignment":"center","imageFill":false} --></h2> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-vertically-aligned-center"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-8416 size-medium aligncenter" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/High-Res-300x300.jpeg" alt="Photo of author Colleen Houck" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/High-Res-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/High-Res-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/High-Res-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/High-Res-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/High-Res.jpeg 1632w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"><!-- wp:list --> <ul> <li>The only touring I’ve done outside the US is in Brazil.</li> <li>My goal this year is to learn how to machine quilt.</li> <li>I prefer pedicures over manicures.</li> <li>I’ve already dipped several dozen apples in caramel.</li> <li>My favorite pumpkin goody is a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.</li> </ul> <!-- /wp:list --></div> </div> <h2><!-- /wp:media-text --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","dropCap":true,"textColor":"vivid-purple","fontSize":"large"} --></h2> <p class="has-text-color has-drop-cap has-text-align-center has-large-font-size has-vivid-purple-color"><strong>You are currently hunting on TEAM PURPLE.</strong></p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:media-text {"mediaPosition":"right","mediaId":8430,"mediaType":"image"} --></h2> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1000" height="800" class="wp-image-8430" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Team-Purple.jpg" alt="Team Purple Block Sign" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Team-Purple.jpg 1000w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Team-Purple-300x240.jpg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Team-Purple-768x614.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"><!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"left","fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-text-align-left has-small-font-size">Looking for my exclusive bonus content? You’ll have to keep searching.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"small"} --> <p class="has-small-font-size">Somewhere on this blog hop, I’ve hidden an exclusive brand new scene from the tiger series! Before you go looking for it, check out the amazing author I’m hosting. But, first, a few rules.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></div> </div> <h2><!-- /wp:media-text --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --></h2> <h2>SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE RULES</h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --></h2> <h3>DIRECTIONS:</h3> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on TEAM PURPLE, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator!)</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"center","textColor":"vivid-purple","fontSize":"medium"} --></h2> <p class="has-text-color has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size has-vivid-purple-color">HINT: THE SECRET NUMBER IS HIGHLIGHTED IN PURPLE!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p><a href="http://www.yash.rocks/p/enter-here.html">ENTRY FORM: Once you’ve added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.</a></p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --></h2> <h3>THE RULES:</h3> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by <strong>SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th</strong>, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>On the FALL 2020 YASH hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each participating YA author, but you also get a <strong>secret number</strong>. Add up the numbers, and enter it for a chance to win a major prize–one lucky winner will receive at least one book from each author on my team in the hunt! But play fast. This contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online until noon PST on <strong>SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4th</strong>!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>There are <strong>THREE</strong> contests going on simultaneously as well as a bonus contest and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the PURPLE TEAM but there is also a RED TEAM, & a BLUE TEAM! Check out each team for a chance to win THREE different sets of signed books!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the <a href="http://www.yash.rocks/p/prizes.html">YA Scavenger Hunt page</a>.</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>Now that all the technical stuff is out of the way, I’ll introduce the author I am hosting on the FALL 2020 YASH!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;">Featured FALL 2020 YASH Author</h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p style="text-align: center;">This season I am hosting…</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"align":"center"} --></h2> <h2 class="has-text-align-center" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amandamarinwrites.com/">AMANDA MARIN</a></h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:media-text {"mediaId":8669,"mediaType":"image"} --></h2> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/41VX2Yn9kdL._US230_.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-9017 aligncenter" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/41VX2Yn9kdL._US230_.jpg" alt="" width="230" height="230" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/41VX2Yn9kdL._US230_.jpg 230w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/41VX2Yn9kdL._US230_-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px" /></a></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"><!-- wp:paragraph {"dropCap":true,"placeholder":"Content…","customFontSize":12} --> <p class="has-drop-cap" style="font-size: 12px;">When Amanda was a child, her father traveled frequently for business, always bringing back a book as a present for her. Whether she was getting lost in the pages of a tale about faraway knights, girls with supernatural powers, or kindly giants, she was quickly hooked on stories. Nowadays, Amanda writes books of her own. Her favorite things include Starbucks lattes, lazy summer afternoons at the beach, and stories with characters that make you go “awww.” She lives in New Hampshire with her family and furbaby, Snickers the Poodle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></div> </div> <h2><!-- /wp:media-text --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading {"align":"left"} --></h2> <h2 class="has-text-align-left" style="text-align: center;">Featured Book!</h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p style="text-align: center;">Check out her book <a href="https://books2read.com/EnchantedKingdoms">ENCHANTED KINGDOMS</a>!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:media-text {"mediaId":8670,"mediaType":"image","mediaWidth":47} --></h2> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 47% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cover_md.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-9018 aligncenter" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cover_md.jpg" alt="" width="375" height="600" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cover_md.jpg 375w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cover_md-188x300.jpg 188w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px" /></a></figure> </div> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://books2read.com/EnchantedKingdoms">ENCHANTED KINGDOMS</a></h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"dropCap":true} --></h2> <p class="has-drop-cap">Old tales, new twists ..hi. The stories you loved as a child have been twisted into wildly addictive tales that will bewitch you as an adult: enchanted castles, spellbinding magic, handsome princes, beautiful princesses, and as many happily-ever-afters as your heart desires. This mesmerizing set includes 21 novel-length retellings of different classic fairytales—all by a collection of best-selling and award-winning authors. And—because everyone deserves a fairy godmother—100% of proceeds benefit Puzzle Peace United, a children’s autism charity!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"left","fontSize":"medium"} --></h2> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading {"align":"left"} --></h2> <h2 class="has-text-align-left" style="text-align: center;">FALL 2020 Scavenger Hunt Bonus Material</h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>Are you looking for ENCHANTED KINGDOMS Bonus Material? Then you’re in for a treat. Check out what’s being offered up during the Fall 2020 YASH!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:core-embed/youtube {"url":"https://youtu.be/WRzbs8gFihI","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --></h2> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"> <figcaption>Hello Readers! My YASH bonus material is contained on a webpage link found here: <a href="https://www.amandamarinwrites.com/yash-bonus-content-sept-2020">YASH Bonus Content Fall 2020 | Amanda Marin Writes</a>. There you will see a video trailer, an image gallery, and find an excerpt posted! Enjoy!</figcaption> </figure> <h2><!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;">All the Links</h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"customFontSize":22} --></h2> <p style="font-size: 22px;">There you have it! If like me, you are sucked in already, you can buy the book <a href="https://books2read.com/EnchantedKingdoms">HERE</a>! Check out more on <strong>Amanda’s</strong> <a href="https://www.amandamarinwrites.com/">Website</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/AMarinWrites">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amarinwrites/">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/amandamarinwrites">Facebook</a> page.</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;">Don’t Forget the Secret Number!</h2> <p style="text-align: center;">How many purple pumpkins do you see in this picture? Add them up and you have your secret number.</p> <p><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/671d2843e6c13ed2c33e07d29cecd4bf.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-9019 size-full" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/671d2843e6c13ed2c33e07d29cecd4bf.jpg" alt="Fall 2020 YASH Secret Number Picture" width="480" height="308" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/671d2843e6c13ed2c33e07d29cecd4bf.jpg 480w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/671d2843e6c13ed2c33e07d29cecd4bf-300x193.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Write that number down on your sheet and add it to the rest of the numbers you find on #TeamPurple, then enter to win the Purple Grand Prize, a Book from each author on the Team!</span></p> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:media-text {"mediaId":8659,"mediaType":"image"} --></h2> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-9005" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-683x1024.jpg" alt="Fall 2020 YASH Purple Team JPG" width="400" height="600" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px" /></a></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"><!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Content…","textColor":"vivid-purple","fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-text-color has-medium-font-size has-vivid-purple-color" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>And don’t forget to enter the other two </strong><strong>contests for a chance to win even more! </strong></span></p> </div> </div> <h2><!-- /wp:spacer --> <!-- wp:separator --></h2> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2><!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:heading --></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;">FALL 2020 YASH Bonus Contest</h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>What? A bonus contest, you say? Nah. You guys don’t want a fall 2020 YASH Bonus Contest do you? What was that? You do? Ah, well since you insist, and since this is our final YA Scavenger Hunt, and since 2020 has been a tough year all around. I will definitely be running a bonus contest with freebies galore.</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --></h2> <h3>But What Do I Have to Do?</h3> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>Not too much. This one’s an easy one. I’m giving away a dozen free downloads each of my two novellas, TIGER’S PROMISE & REIGNITED. I’m also giving away FIVE e-book downloads of my brand new book TERRAFORMER. For my long time readers who are comfortable with getting a package (indicate this on the rafflecopter), I’ll be putting together a special prize pack full of bonus mystery goodies. You’ll have to answer a couple of questions to prove you’re a superfan for this one though. Good luck!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --></h2> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Enter the Rafflecopter Below for a Chance to Win!</h3> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <a id="rcwidget_a17zidjz" class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/824ee19b127/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="824ee19b127" data-theme="classic" data-template="">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></h2> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Superfan Rafflecopter</h3> <p><a id="rcwidget_i0jn473u" class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/824ee19b128/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="824ee19b128" data-theme="classic" data-template="">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></p> <h2><!-- wp:paragraph {"customFontSize":24} --></h2> <p style="font-size: 24px;">Are you ready to move on to the next author on the Fall 2020 YA Scavenger Hunt? Up next is <a href="https://literarydust.wordpress.com/">CANDACE ROBINSON</a>!</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --></h2> <h2 style="text-align: center;">Blasts From the Past</h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --></h2> <p>Want to check out some FALL YA Scavenger Hunt Posts from Years Gone By? With twenty seasons under our belts now, we’ve put a lot of miles down memory lane. Feel free to take a journey with us.</p> <h2><!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --></h2> <h4><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2019/04/02/welcome-to-the-2019-spring-ya-scavenger-hunt/">Spring YA Scavenger Hunt 2019</a></h4> <h4><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2019/10/01/fall-ya-scavenger-hunt-2019/">FALL YA Scavenger Hunt 2019</a></h4> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --></h2> <h2><!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --></h2> <h4><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2014/03/25/spring-2014-ya-scavenger-hunt-authors-announced/">And the first one I did on my own website, Spring YA Scavenger Hunt 2014</a>!</h4>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/09/29/fall-2020-scavenger-hunt/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>28</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>The Fall 2020 YA Scavenger Hunt Teams</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/09/21/fall-2020-ya-scavenger-hunt-teams/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/09/21/fall-2020-ya-scavenger-hunt-teams/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2020 18:40:35 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[YA Scavenger Hunt]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=9002</guid> <description><![CDATA[Fall 2020 is here. That means it’s time to introduce your YA Scavenger Hunt teams! As some of you might already know, this season, sadly, will be our last. Though we might reinstate the hunt at some point in the future, we will be putting it on hold at least for the time being. That means the time to win these fabulous YA Scavenger Hunt prizes is now! For those of you who have never joined the YA Scavenger Hunt before, it’s not too late. Here’s a sneak peek of the prizes that await. Fall 2020 YASH Prizes That’s a …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>Fall 2020 is here. That means it’s time to introduce your YA Scavenger Hunt teams! As some of you might already know, this season, sadly, will be our last. Though we might reinstate the hunt at some point in the future, we will be putting it on hold at least for the time being. </p> <p>That means the time to win these fabulous YA Scavenger Hunt prizes is now! For those of you who have never joined the YA Scavenger Hunt before, it’s not too late. Here’s a sneak peek of the prizes that await.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Fall 2020 YASH Prizes</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FBLUE2020-683x1024.jpg" alt="Fall 2020 YA Scavenger Hunt Blue Team" class="wp-image-9003" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FBLUE2020-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FBLUE2020-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FBLUE2020-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FBLUE2020-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FBLUE2020-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FBLUE2020-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FRED2020-683x1024.jpg" alt="Fall 2020 YA Scavenger Hunt Red Team" class="wp-image-9004" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FRED2020-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FRED2020-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FRED2020-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FRED2020-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FRED2020-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FRED2020-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-683x1024.jpg" alt="Fall 2020 YA Scavenger Hunt Purple Team" class="wp-image-9005" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-683x1024.jpg 683w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FPURPLE2020-scaled.jpg 1707w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure> <p>That’s a total of sixty YA Scavenger Hunt book prizes. Not only can you win a bunch of great new reads but authors will be giving away multiple prizes on their websites during the hunt as well and there will be a $50 Amazon gift card up for grabs too. </p> <p>Which 2020 Fall YASH team are you the most excited about?</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">New to the YA Scavenger Hunt?</h2> <p>That’s totally fine. We have a YouTube video that explains the process and we will be checking in on the YASH website during the hunt to answer any and all questions you might have.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <p class="video-container"><iframe title="YA Scavenger Hunt Welcome Video" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBpsDRMNcCg?feature=oembed&rel=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> </div></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Is Your Curiosity Piqued?</h2> <p>Excellent. Now all you have to do is wait for the hunt to start. You can begin hunting on my blog on September 29th, or to make sure you don’t miss out, you can head over to the <a href="http://www.yash.rocks/">YA Scavenger Hunt page</a>, scroll down, and sign up for notifications with your email on the right.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What About the Secrets This Season?</h2> <p>This final season of the Scavenger Hunt needs to be special so because of that, I think I’ll write something new as a gift to my readers. It will be a special little scene of something. I don’t know what it will be yet but it will be a fun surprise.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Did You Miss Out on The Last Hunt?</h2> <p>Not to worry. There are links to all the fun launch party events I did around my last publication, TERRAFORMER, which you can check out on this <a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/01/terraformer-countdown-to-publication/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blog post</a>. </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/09/21/fall-2020-ya-scavenger-hunt-teams/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>The Five Mistakes I Made With My Instant Pot</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/07/20/the-five-mistakes-i-made-with-my-instant-pot/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/07/20/the-five-mistakes-i-made-with-my-instant-pot/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:14:38 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Life Events]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=8932</guid> <description><![CDATA[First of all, what’s the Insta-Hype? So I’m one of those people who only JUST got herself an Instapot. Also, I know it’s probably Instant-pot or Instant Pot. Yep, I just checked. It’s Instant Pot. I don’t like it. It should be Instapot. Or Inst-A-Pot. Wouldn’t that be cooler somehow? Am I the only one who thinks it should be rebranded? Well, let me tell you about the lessons I learned using the Instant Pot and the mistakes I made along the way. Anyway, I digress. I didn’t get the hype. I kinda still don’t. See, I think kinda like …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <h2 class="wp-block-heading">First of all, what’s the Insta-Hype?</h2> <p>So I’m one of those people who only <strong>JUST</strong> got herself an Instapot. Also, I know it’s probably Instant-pot or Instant Pot. Yep, I just checked. It’s Instant Pot. I don’t like it. It should be Instapot. Or Inst-A-Pot. Wouldn’t that be cooler somehow? Am I the only one who thinks it should be rebranded? Well, let me tell you about the lessons I learned using the Instant Pot and the mistakes I made along the way.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61IzKouqj1L._AC_SL1500_.jpg" alt=""/></figure> <p>Anyway, I digress. I didn’t get the hype. I kinda still don’t. See, I think kinda like Insta should be a word. Why isna it? Huh? “Why did I need to buy an InstaNT Pot?” I asked the ladies at church potlucks. Especially when I already had, count ’em, not one, not two, but three different sizes of crockpots AND a plugin turkey roaster AAAANNND two different sizes of rice cookers? I mean…did I REALLY need to carve out a special new spot on my already burdened shelf for a brand new appliance? </p> <p>Did George Forman need to make some room? Did I have to learn how to assemble my rarely used food processor parts instead of leaving them scattered along the shelf? Well, the answer was, yes. You see, I’m the type of person who has five old school ice cream machines stored in her pantry just so my family can have a proper ice cream competition come reunion time. Do you think I’m going to let a niggling problem like a lack of shelf space stop me from adding a small kitchen appliance? My husband would like to think so. But, in actuality, no.</p> <p>So, buy an Instant Pot, I did.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Did I Cook First?</h2> <p>Probably what everyone cooks first. Soup. Did it turn out well? Eh. My favorite soup of all time is split pea with ham and/or bacon. Preferably both. The meatier the better in my opinion. I used the soup/stew feature and the soup came out…how do I describe it…baby food-ish. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. </p> <p>What I missed the most was the lack of viewability which made it a bit of a nail-biter for me. I wanted to control the stopping point in the cooking process. The machine was telling me when it was done and there was no stirring of the product which was irritating mentally. I like fussing with things. </p> <p>The end result was gummy and, like I said, it had the consistency of baby food, which isn’t at all the way I like my pea soup. I prefer it a bit chewy and the peas to be recognizable. Not that baby food can’t be good, I just enjoy more stew-like soup.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.beechnut.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Spinach_Zucchini_Pea_Puree_.jpg" alt=""/></figure> <p>Here’s another thing about me. I don’t like experimenting. I like it to work right the first time. Better technology is supposed to make things easier or faster or taste better. This didn’t feel that way at all to me. The time it took to heat up, pressure off, and cook didn’t feel like it was saving me a ton of time. At least not with pea soup. Having said that, I didn’t exactly follow the advice of the many skilled Instant-Pot chefs out there either. I just threw in my normal ingredients, dialed soup, and let it do its thing.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Failures</h2> <p>After that was a failed asparagus steaming attempt when I realized that steaming required <em>unpressurized</em> cooking. Who knew? I bought an accessory kit and pondered the possibility of cheesecake but talked myself out of that deciding that I definitely needed to master the basics before attempting a cake of any type.</p> <p>I was fairly successful with a pot roast and found it did save time. But I was vastly unhappy with the veggies, preferring them roasted in the oven. Next, I proceeded with a pot of chili, and that was OKAY. Finally, I decided it was time to tackle oatmeal and I was going to do it properly this time. I was going to Google it.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Oats</h2> <p>In preparation, I bought the good kind of oats. The spendy kind. There wasn’t going to be any cheaping out here. If I was going to make an effort, it was going to be the right kind of effort. But at the store I found too many options. Oh <a href="https://www.bobsredmill.com/shop/oats.html">Bob’s Red Mill</a>, what have you done? I knew Instant Oatmeal was out. I wanted Steel Cut. But then I saw these Organic Extra Thick Hearty and don’t even talk to me about the Gluten-Free options or Scottish. I bought one of each.</p> <p>For my first attempt, I followed the advice of the <a href="https://detoxinista.com/instant-pot-steel-cut-oats/">Detoxinista</a> and not because I’m trying to Detox. Her’s was just the first one with lots of stars that popped up. I used the hearty oats for that one, added the salt, the two cups of water to one cup of milk, chopped up two apples, added cinnamon, and behold, I got a delicious batch of oatmeal!</p> <p>I also had a huge fight with my husband. Why? I’ll tell you. Not because I like to air dirty laundry, but because I learned something from it, both as a person in a relationship and as the owner of an Instant Pot. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Instant Pot Lesson One-Warm Counting Backwards</h2> <p>So the delicious oatmeal I’m describing was done cooking and was in the warm cycle. As described in the recipe, I was waiting for it to depressurize on its own and the machine was counting down or up I suppose, adding minutes. Since I never really read instruction manuals unless I have a problem, I wasn’t entirely sure why it was doing this. </p> <p>I’d been hoping that the oatmeal would be done for my mom before she headed out to work but it went from thirteen to eighteen. She couldn’t wait any longer and headed out the door. The hubby came in the kitchen, asked what was going on and after I described the oatmeal, proceeded to open the lid.</p> <p>My next mistake may not have been with the instant pot but it was certainly a relationship error. I panicked and screamed at him, calling him an idiot among other things.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.clipart.email/26309c49f33fceedb5cafa766fed5a1c_lady-yelling-clipart_450-450.jpeg" alt=""/><figcaption>Credit: Clipart.email</figcaption></figure></div> <p>Now, in my defense, back in my late teens, I used to work in a grocery store deli that used huge pressure cookers for fried chicken and I have a very vivid memory of an employee forgetting to release the pressure valve and opening the lid. It wasn’t a pretty picture. </p> <p>Once my hubby was done being offended, I realized the Instant Pot wouldn’t have opened if it was still under pressure. Then I figured out the counting backward thing must have meant it was on a warming cycle and it was done and was now safe to open. </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Instant Pot Lesson Two-Focus on the Positives</h2> <p>Here’s the relationship bonus lesson for those of you in a long term relationship. You know the saying that goes something like, “When you date someone, keep your eyes wide open and when you get married, keep your eyes wide shut?” Huh…just looked that up and it appears that its a Benjamin Franklin quote. Who knew?</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"><p><strong>Keep your eyes</strong> wide <strong>open</strong> before <strong>marriage</strong>, half <strong>shut</strong> afterwards.</p><cite>Benjamin Franklin</cite></blockquote> <p>Anyway, after my argument with my husband, I was still upset because he wasn’t getting why I was alarmed or that he could have destroyed the house (not really, I was over-reacting). I stomped upstairs, thinking about all the other things he did that bothered me, making a giant list, and using it to tell myself that it meant I must not be a priority for him. </p> <p>For some reason, I started thinking about rose-colored glasses. The eyes wide open and half shut thing made me think of glasses and perspective. When we date, we see only the good things and the potential of the other person. It’s like looking at them through a pair of rose-colored glasses. Then, when we’ve lived with them a long time, we switch out those rose-colored glasses for say, a yellow-tinted pair, that shows only the faults and weaknesses. </p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.frameandoptic.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/650x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/l/a/lab265a_001_a.jpg" alt=""/></figure> <p>Neither view is an accurate image, but surely, keeping the rose-colored pair in place is the better option. Looking for the good and positive things about your spouse, remembering why you got married, takes effort. It’s easy to see the faults and weaknesses. Who knows those weaknesses and can point them out better than a wife or a husband?</p> <p>Long story short, I ended up apologizing and told him I freaked out because of the chicken thing. The countdown warmer on the Instant Pot will come up again. Stay tuned.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Instant Pot Lesson Three-Make Sure Your Appliances Are Cleaned Properly</h2> <p>A couple of days later I wanted to try to make oatmeal again but this time with peaches and steel-cut oats. The apple oatmeal was a hit but it didn’t last long so this time I wanted to double the recipe. <strong>INSTANT POT MISTAKE ONE.</strong></p> <p>At least I think that was an instant pot mistake. But let me get back to the pot. After the first oatmeal, I attempted split pea soup again, and once again, it came out a bit too mushy. My mom did the dishes and she has a thing against using the dishwasher. </p> <p>She hates the oven and cooktop too and LOATHES the drawer microwave. We have a beautiful custom-built, brand new kitchen with state of the art <a href="https://www.jennair.com/">JennAir</a> appliances. I think that’s the problem. She’s scared of them. I can program my oven to cook with my phone. I love my induction cooktop. </p> <p>But my mom was born in 1950 and she was a housewife in the ’70s. The dishwasher, with no knobs in sight, is a mystery to her. I’ve taught her how to use it many times but she refuses to learn. Her cell phone she tolerates, barely, but the dishwasher, no way. She washes everything by hand, including the Instant Pot pot. As a result, it had a tiny bit of residue left on the bottom.</p> <p>Now I’m not talking about…this.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.apartmenttherapy.info/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto:eco,c_fit,w_730,h_488/k%2Farchive%2Fe52db2062705e1ad80ad35602cbe2ae251e4fb98" alt=""/><figcaption>Image Credit: Joe Lingeman</figcaption></figure> <p>There was only a teeny-tiny bit. I would never have used it otherwise and I might actually be over exaggerating it regardless.</p> <p>It might have had nothing to do with my eventual problem. There were a lot of other potential contributing factors. Still, I ignored it and proceeded to make my oatmeal. That was the real <strong>INSTANT POT MISTAKE ONE</strong>. I needed to properly clean the pot.</p> <p>I’m also a big of an organizational freak. It’s much easier people, and this is how I preach it to my hubby, to clean the appliance properly, BEFORE, you put it away, and for heaven’s sake, put it the right place so it can be found again. That includes beaters, Kitchen Aids, Crock pots or giant Turkey Roasters. </p> <p>Now, most of you are thinking, Colleen, these items are too large to go missing, and you’re right. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found things stacked on top of other things. This is how scratches happen. I’m the type of girl who puts all attachments in zip bags so as not to lose them. I mean, do I have to draw circles and use a label maker? What gives?</p> <p>If I went to all the trouble to carefully line my pantry shelf in the first place and spent several months drawing plans with measurements for each appliance in the pantry, then I expect a certain level of basic skill in kitchen usage. Otherwise, it’s hands-off. Especially when I can’t locate the beaters.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mistake Alert-Don’t Double the Recipe</h2> <p>I know I already said it, and doubling the recipe may or may not have been a mistake but I wanted more oatmeal and the pot can hold more so what’s the problem? My guess is all the stuff on the bottom of the pot causes issues. Surely someone else out there has a big family to feed. I don’t. At least not at present. But I like cooking in large quantities to save myself time. Is this a problem for anyone else? Can you cook more oatmeal than the standard? <strong>INSTANT POT</strong> <strong>MISTAKE TWO</strong>-Don’t Double. At least not until I know what I’m doing.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Instant Pot Lesson Four-All Knowledge Isn’t Equal-Liquids Aren’t Either</h2> <p>I know all you Instant Pot people are shaking your heads right now. You’re thinking…her husband isn’t the idiot. It’s her! And, you’re right. I didn’t do my Instant Pot research, watch YouTube videos, or read blogs. In fact, I just now learned what Pot-in Pot meant. </p> <p>What the heck? How did you guys even figure that out? Did you take a class? Who taught you how to do that? Is there an Instant Pot guru out there teaching everyone about glass bowls inside the pots that protect your delicious culinary goods? Is it in the manual I didn’t read? I feel like I missed the season of a show everyone else is talking about around the water cooler. </p> <p>So here’s what I did. I wanted peaches and cream oatmeal and because of COVID-19 and a hearty food storage backup, I have a ton of powdered milk. So…after adding my oatmeal first (<strong>POSSIBLE INSTANT POT MISTAKE THREE</strong>), my salt, cinnamon, peaches, and water, I added in enough powdered milk to make the whole thing super creamy, (<strong>INSTANT POT</strong> <strong>MISTAKE FOUR</strong>) then stirred it all together, and turned it on.</p> <p>You guys know what happened next. </p> <p><strong>BURN!</strong></p> <p>I didn’t even know this was possible. </p> <p>Immediately, I googled it and found a helpful blog post at <a href="https://kristineskitchenblog.com/instant-pot-burn/">Kristine’s Kitchen</a>. She described the problem and I quickly realized it was likely I’d made one of several mistakes. After canceling the cycle, I stirred the contents, hoping that would do the trick and started it up again. </p> <p><strong>BURN! </strong></p> <p>I repeated the process with fingers crossed. </p> <p><strong>BURN!</strong></p> <p>Nope. I knew I now had no choice but to abandon all hope. Canceling the cycle a third time, I sent mom to work again with a different breakfast, and proceeded to lift the pot out of the machine, burning my hands and spilling not all but a good enough portion of the hot milk onto myself and the floor just as my husband walked into the kitchen.</p> <p>He helped me mop it up and then went to get cereal, leaving me to figure out the rest which still wasn’t enough of an effort for me to be happy with since I’d now been busy with the machine for an hour.</p> <p>After twenty minutes of cleaning the charred pot, draining the milky contents from the peaches and oatmeal, I filled the pot with water and replaced the solids, then restarted the pot. This time, it cycled through.</p> <p><strong>SUCCESS!</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://p7.hiclipart.com/preview/732/7/757/clip-art-happy-woman-thumbnail.jpg" alt="Credit: PublicDomainVectors.org"/><figcaption>Credit:HiClipart</figcaption></figure></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Instant Pot Lesson Number Five-Just Because You Think You Know Something, Don’t Assume</h2> <p>By this time, my breakfast had been postponed for far too long, so when the clock started counting down like it had a few days before when my hubby cracked the Instant Pot lid, I figured I’d go for it. </p> <p>The countdown clock only said six but the oatmeal had already partially cooked twice before, so I figured it had absorbed plenty of water by that time. I tried to open the lid. It was locked. That meant it was still under pressure. </p> <p>Now, nowhere on any of the, okay, <strong><em>two</em></strong>, blogs, I’d read on the subject, did it say that oatmeal pressure was unlike any other pressure. It only said they <strong><em>recommended</em></strong>, that the pressure release naturally so the oatmeal could absorb all the liquid. I had NO IDEA what was going to happen next was even a possibility.</p> <p>I pushed the valve to release the pressure.</p> <p>Now I don’t know if any of you were ever as dumb enough to try this as I was. If you were, I don’t need to describe to you the ensuing mess or remind you of how you will never, ever, ever do such a thing again. But, for the rest of you who have never released the pressure on a pot of oats, let me tell you what happens. </p> <p>Normally, when you release steam pressure, steam comes out. Occasionally, juices of some type also sputter out into the plastic juice catcher cup, but, honestly, I’ve never had to remove that to even clean it, and, as you know from previous paragraphs, I’m a bit fastidious when it comes to cleaning. </p> <p>With oatmeal, what emerges from the pressure valve can only be described as a relentless, crackling eruption of the most diabolically, gelatinous sputum from hell. It covered the counter, the floor, the cutting board, the toaster, the cupboards, the refrigerator, my hair, shoulders, face, and shirt, the dogs who ran away yelping, and then floated in the air for several seconds before settling on every surface, slicking it with a slimy, shining-wet, deliciously peach-flavored coating.</p> <p>As I stood there, dripping steaming-hot oatmeal, contemplating the enormity of this fifth and final terrible <strong>INSTANT POT</strong> <strong>MISTAKE</strong>, with my husband calmly watching from the kitchen island, still spooning cold cereal into his mouth, there was nothing I could do or say. </p> <p>He stood up and handed me a spoon.</p> <p>We tasted the mess in the pot. </p> <p>It was pretty good.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator"/> <h2 class="has-text-align-center wp-block-heading">Like This? Check Out These Other Food Blog Posts</h2> <div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow"> <div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow"> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2015-05-08-14.20.30-768x1024-1-225x300.jpg" alt="Cashew Curry Spread" class="wp-image-8938" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2015-05-08-14.20.30-768x1024-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2015-05-08-14.20.30-768x1024-1.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><figcaption><strong>Cashew Curry Cheddar Spread</strong></figcaption></figure></div> </div></div> </div></div> <div class="wp-block-group"><div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow"> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="198" height="300" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/image1-4-198x300-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8939"/><figcaption><strong>Firecracker Snickerdoodles</strong></figcaption></figure></div> </div></div> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/07/20/the-five-mistakes-i-made-with-my-instant-pot/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>My Covid-19 Experience</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/06/22/my-covid-19-experience/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/06/22/my-covid-19-experience/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2020 05:52:55 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Life Events]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=8926</guid> <description><![CDATA[When it hit the United States, it was in my backyard. Seattle is much, much too close for us to feel safe from the virus and the more I heard about it on the news, the more worried I became. My fears were compounded when my mother sent me to the store in early March with a grocery list, and I found produce shelves empty and the refrigerated section ransacked. My Covid-19 experience had begun. To read about more such articles visit nican . We Made a Plan I told my husband we needed to hunker down for a while. …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>When it hit the United States, it was in my backyard. Seattle is much, much too close for us to feel safe from the virus and the more I heard about it on the news, the more worried I became. My fears were compounded when my mother sent me to the store in early March with a grocery list, and I found produce shelves empty and the refrigerated section ransacked. My Covid-19 experience had begun. To read about more such articles visit <a href="http://nican.org.au/">nican</a> .</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">We Made a Plan</h2> <p>I told my husband we needed to hunker down for a while. We were going to be smart. Though my mom and I were at high risk, we did our research, we were careful. My husband and I both worked from home. He closed his downtown counseling office and began working with clients online and for all his employees he got the <a href="https://www.workpuls.com/employee-monitoring">best employee monitoring software</a> so he can know how the work was going for all the business, since all the employees were working from home as well. We canceled all appointments and learned how to groom our dogs ourselves. I gave him a haircut and he tried to give me and my mother a pedicure. We even baked our own bread, though not always successfully.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" class="wp-image-8927" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-04-19-19.32.16-768x1024.jpg" alt="Man giving mother-in-law a pedicure my covid-19 experience" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-04-19-19.32.16-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-04-19-19.32.16-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-04-19-19.32.16-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-04-19-19.32.16-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-04-19-19.32.16-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> <figcaption>My hubby giving my mom a pedicure</figcaption> </figure> <p>The thing is, my mom, who lives with us, couldn’t hunker down at home with us. She’s a nurse. Yep. She’s still reporting for duty at seventy years old. In fact, she’s older than some of her patients at the nursing home, though you’d never know it to look at her. My mom looks great for her age. She’ll probably live to be one hundred.</p> <p>Still, she was careful. My mom had prepared. Every night she wiped down her steering wheel, took off her shoes at the door, walked straight to her room and threw her clothes into her laundry (she has her own laundry room). Then she’d shower and come have dinner with us.</p> <p>That plan worked well.</p> <p>For three months.</p> <p>Until there was an outbreak.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Outbreak-My Covid-19 Experience</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://bw-orlandomedical-site.s3.amazonaws.com/article_images/DB6n2hICkTLpYtMqdXydgVOFDozH14KgGIIEgb7Y.jpg" alt="An empty wheelchair in a vacant hospital wing-my covid-19 experience" /> <figcaption>Image Credit to Orlando Medical News</figcaption> </figure> <p>Then there was a Corona-virus outbreak at the nursing home where my mom worked. When she arrived home, she immediately isolated herself. We took precautions, sanitizing our home again, leaving meals for her outside her door, and keeping our dogs with us.</p> <p>That night, a Thursday, she had a terrible headache, she didn’t sleep, she called our doctor and asked to be tested. She stayed home from work on Friday and was tested by our PCP. Her results came on Sunday morning. She was positive for <strong>Covid-19</strong>.</p> <p>My Mom is sixty-nine years old. She’s overall very healthy with controlled type two diabetes and hypertension. She’s still working and very active. She never presented with the big warning symptoms and yet she would be the first to tell you, she felt like she was dying.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The First Week</h2> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://elgin.edu/media/elginedu/news-and-events/COVID-19-1-800x500-1.jpg" alt="Corona-virus closeup image-my Covid-19 experience" /></figure> <p>My mom’s first week wasn’t as bad as her second. The worst part of it was the isolation. It’s not right to leave someone alone, dropping food at the door, knowing they’re sick or need bedding changed, or would like someone to sit and visit with them. I couldn’t nurse her properly because I was a high risk. My poor mom was alone for that whole week and I couldn’t help even though I already knew I had <strong>Covid-19</strong> too.</p> <p>How did I know? Sunday evening I was sewing a quilt for my nephew and my back hurt. I took some Tylenol PM and went to bed. Usually, that knocks me out pretty well, but that night, I couldn’t get comfortable. In fact, for the next forty-eight hours I had such severe body aches, I couldn’t find a place to sit or lay down that didn’t hurt. Every joint in my body was swollen, aching, and on fire.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://sa1s3optim.patientpop.com/assets/images/provider/photos/2103214.png" alt="Body aches and joint pain-my covid-19 experience" /></figure> <p>Monday morning, I went in to be tested, presenting with body aches and a very slight fever of 99.3. My test results of <strong>Covid-19</strong> positive didn’t come until Thursday, a full week after my mother came home with the news. Thus began my <strong>Covid-19</strong> experience.</p> <p>My husband had a headache, ringing in the ears, and slight body aches. He tested Tuesday and his result of <strong>Covid-19</strong> positive came that next Friday.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Week Two of my Covid-19 Experience</h2> <p>The county contacted us, warning us to stay inside our home. We were already doing that. They said to watch out for warning signs indicating that we needed to go to the hospital. I’d already looked up all the emergency information on the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CDC website</a>. Our doctor also gave us her personal phone number so we could text her with any questions. She’s awesome like that.</p> <p>After our body aches went away, my hubby and I had mild cold symptoms that disappeared after a few days. General fatigue still lingers as of today into week two and my husband had a brief two or three days of loss of taste and smell, which, for a Deaf man, was an interesting loss of senses. He was like one of those sets of monkeys, but all in one guy. Lucky for him, his eyes were still working.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Fcvhv9o-L._SR500,500_.jpg" alt="Three wise monkeys-my covid-19 experience" /></figure> <p>Unfortunately, my mom’s case didn’t turn out so lucky. In week two, she developed severe gastrointestinal problems. Her nausea was so severe, she couldn’t eat at all. She had constant low grade fevers and chills and seemed slightly disoriented.</p> <p>I called the doctor and tried to research online to figure out what was happening. She wasn’t having problems breathing. There was no cough or pain in her chest, but I knew fever meant infection. She was fighting the virus somewhere in her body. You can also <a href="http://doctortoyou.com.au">find Best doctors Here</a>.</p> <p>Most of the articles I looked up talked about how to keep seniors engaged and encouraged mask-wearing. They said to watch for the same warning signs everyone else was talking about. But no one was talking about what happened when a senior was struggling with the virus in a way that didn’t reflect the typical warning signs. Finally, I discovered a few articles on how seniors were responding differently to the virus.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/23/health/seniors-elderly-coronavirus-symptoms-wellness-partner/index.html?usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D&amp_js_v=0.1#aoh=15924097664019&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2020%2F04%2F23%2Fhealth%2Fseniors-elderly-coronavirus-symptoms-wellness-partner%2Findex.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seniors with Covid-19 show unusual symptoms, doctors say</a></h3> <p>I knew she had to keep fluids down and get enough nutrition to stay alive. We said a lot of prayers. I called my sisters and had them give her the tough mom talks when she wouldn’t eat or drink and when she refused to listen to me.</p> <p>The doctor prescribed Ondansetron which helped with some of her symptoms but not with persistent nausea. When I became desperate, I called a sister for help. She was familiar with Ondansetron having had lots of experience with nausea, after giving birth to five children and having terrible bouts of motion sickness. She told me that the only medicine that helped her was Dramamine. I ordered some online and mom finally agreed to try it. Her nausea diminished and she finally began eating and drinking.</p> <p>A chest X-ray showed no signs of pneumonia. Within a few days, the fevers abated and she felt better. Her recovery is going slow. Though she’s extremely fatigued, she’s improving daily and is finally out of the woods. There you have it, my <strong>Covid-19</strong> experience.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here’s What I Learned From my Covid-19 Experience</h2> <ol class="wp-block-list" start="1"> <li><strong>WE NEED TO EXPAND THE LIST OF SYMPTOM REQUIREMENT</strong>S-When the county called me, they said I’d be cleared to leave my home when I had no symptoms. When I asked them to define symptoms, they said fever, shortness of breath, and cough. By that definition, I never had symptoms yet I still had the virus.</li> <li><strong>YOU CAN HAVE THE VIRUS AND NOT KNOW IT</strong>-If my mom had not come home and told me there was a case, I would not have assumed I had <strong>Covid-19</strong>. I might have thought I had arthritis or a flu bug but I doubt I would have assumed it was COVID.</li> <li><strong>TESTING CONFIRMATION TAKES WAY TOO LONG-</strong>I don’t understand why it takes three or four days to confirm you have the virus. My mother was stuck in isolation while we waited on confirmation of the virus. People can spread it for those days while they wait to find out. If you suspect you might have it, I’d just assume you do.</li> <li><strong>EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE THE VIRUS AND TELL PEOPLE, MISTAKES ARE MADE-</strong>I had to have blood drawn and the receptionist told me to just come inside to wait. I had to remind them I couldn’t. The pharmacist at the drive-through took my card but didn’t wipe down anything afterward. People make mistakes.</li> <li><strong>YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE A LUNG ISSUE TO DIE FROM COVID-19-</strong>My mom felt so sick and exhausted, she wanted to give up. Many people without breathing issues and who aren’t hooked up to ventilators have passed away. There’s not enough information about that online. As a caregiver, I needed to know what else was happening to my mother that might not be affecting her lungs.</li> <li><strong>WEARING MASKS IS A KINDNESS</strong>-It would be awful to find out you had <strong>Covid-19</strong> and then have to think about all the places you’d been and how many people you’d put at risk. I was lucky. I didn’t go out much, but I still panicked thinking about it for a minute. Once you’ve seen someone struggle with this virus, I promise you, you wouldn’t want to put anyone through that pain, especially someone so fragile as our precious elders. Wearing a mask is a little thing. It’s a small ask.</li> <li><strong>PRAYERS HELP</strong>-Knowing that family and friends were thinking about us and praying for us was incredibly beneficial.</li> <li><strong>IF THE REMEDY ISN’T WORKING, TRY SOMETHING ELSE</strong>-The nausea medication prescribed wasn’t working for my mom. I could see she was failing. Don’t be afraid to tell your doctor something’s wrong. You know yourself or your parent or grandparent best. Speak up and don’t wait until it’s too late to ask for help or to make a change.</li> <li><strong>FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS CHECKING IN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE-</strong>We had several church friends and neighbors checking on us via video, dropping off meals, and going shopping for us when we couldn’t leave the house. That was incredibly helpful. Mom needed something as simple as Gatorade and I wasn’t able to get out to the store to get it but a kind friend was more than willing. Those gestures mean everything.</li> <li><strong>LASTLY, CHECK-IN ON YOUR SENIOR LOVED ONES</strong>-Make sure they get the medicine and the care they need. Isolation and loneliness are difficult. If they are refusing food because they feel ill like my mother, it could be that they also have <strong>Covid-19</strong> and it’s affecting them in a similar way. If they are a DNR, it’s unlikely that anyone other than you will make sure they eat. Remember that the big symptoms are not the only symptoms. If you have a suspicion, ask that they get tested.</li> </ol> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://happyseniors.care/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/crying-senior-female-hiding-her-450w-599810897-1000x645.jpg" alt="Senior citizen with a caregiver-My Covid-19 Experience Picture credit https://happyseniors.care/en/caregiving/why-do-dementia-patients-have-spontaneous-crying-outbursts-and-spontaneous-screams/" /></figure> <p>The good news is that when my mom returns to work, she will recognize the warning signs and she can advocate for those who need her. I’m so grateful that we’re all on the road to recovery. My heart goes out to those who’ve lost loved ones. If you’d like to share your own thoughts or experiences with the virus, please feel free to leave comments or links to your own blogs.</p> <p>Also, realize that I’m not a medical professional in any way. Though my mom is a nurse, and she read my blog, I’d hate to think anyone was basing their care plan on my experiences, so please consult professional help if you suspect you or your loved ones have contracted this virus.</p> <p>Take care of yourselves. And be careful.</p> <p>Love your grandma? Write her a poem. Here’s one I wrote to inspire you.</p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2010/06/26/grandmas-poem/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grandma’s Poem</a></p> <p>Or you can bake her some cookies. Here’s a recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip.</p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2014/11/19/madison-hayes-famous-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies-kelseys-favorite/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Madison Hayes’ Famous Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/06/22/my-covid-19-experience/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>11</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>A TERRAFORMER Guessing Game!</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/09/terraformer-an-a-b-c-keyword-guessing-game/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/09/terraformer-an-a-b-c-keyword-guessing-game/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2020 17:00:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Terraformer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Writing Fun]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=8595</guid> <description><![CDATA[TERRAFORMER: A Keyword Guessing Game Do you love guessing games? Or coming up with new writing ideas? I know I do! For those of you who’d like a sneak peek into what’s going on in my new book, TERRAFORMER, you may want to check out this fun blog post. I’m selecting keywords from the book and arranging them in alphabetic order. You get to unscramble them and try to figure out what’s going to happen as a TERRAFORMER guessing game. You can also check Butterfly Releases for more updates. Check out these sci-fi A, B, C’s and have fun everyone! …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <div class="wp-block-cover has-background-dim" style="background-image: url('https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-scaled.jpg');"> <div class="wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow"> <p class="has-text-color has-text-align-center has-large-font-size" style="color: #dfe392;">TERRAFORMER</p> </div> </div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">TERRAFORMER: A Keyword Guessing Game</h2> <p>Do you love guessing games? Or coming up with new writing ideas? I know I do! For those of you who’d like a sneak peek into what’s going on in my new book, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/terraformer-colleen-houck/1136490726?ean=9781475607116">TERRAFORMER</a>, you may want to check out this fun blog post. I’m selecting keywords from the book and arranging them in alphabetic order. You get to unscramble them and try to figure out what’s going to happen as a TERRAFORMER guessing game. You can also check <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Butterfly Releases"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":268476,"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"10":2,"14":{"1":2,"2":3700253},"15":"Arial","21":1}" data-sheets-hyperlink="http://butterflyreleases.com.au/" data-sheets-hyperlinkruns="{"1":0,"2":"http://butterflyreleases.com.au/"}"><a class="in-cell-link" href="http://butterflyreleases.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Butterfly Releases</a></span> for more updates. Check out these sci-fi A, B, C’s and have fun everyone!</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://clip.cookdiary.net/sites/default/files/wallpaper/alphabets-clipart/487957/alphabets-clipart-space-487957-6654771.jpg" alt="space alphabet to help you guess what's in the TERRAFORMER book" /></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The A, B, C List</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong>A</strong>-Alien, Aquasystem, Accelerate, Animals</li> <li><strong>B</strong>-Breathe, Biophysicist, Beast, Bloom</li> <li><strong>C</strong>-Contact, Computer, Crew, Colony, Cosmos</li> <li><strong>D</strong>-Death, Doctor, Danger, DNA, Deadly</li> <li><strong>E</strong>-Engineer, Exam, Exploit</li> <li><strong>F</strong>-Flower, Float, Flourish</li> <li><strong>G</strong>-Giant, Green, Genetics, Growth</li> <li><strong>H</strong>-Heart, Hyperbaric, Horror</li> <li>I-Invasion, Imagine, Invention, Information</li> <li>J-Jumpsuit, Jealousy, Journey</li> <li>K-Kiss, Klaxon, Kill, Kit</li> <li>L-Leaf, Lion, Love, Leader</li> <li>M-Moon, Medicine, Mission</li> <li>N-Nature, Nightmares, Native, Network</li> <li>O-Organic, Others, Oxygen, Origin</li> <li>P-Planet, Pathogen, Passenger, Pod, Pollen</li> <li>Q-Quarantine, Questions, Queasy, Qualified</li> <li>R-Recycle, Rations, Report, Resources, Release</li> <li>S-Space, Star, Stasis, Serum, Specimen, Secrets</li> <li>T-Tree, Trainee, Test, Thermal, Toxin</li> <li>U-Understand, Uncle, Use, Universe</li> <li>V-Void, Voices, Vial, Vines, Vegetables, Vessel</li> <li>W-World, Wolf, Witnesses, Womb, Wild</li> <li>X-Expectation, Exhale, Examine, Explosion</li> <li>Y-Young, Youth</li> <li>Z-Zip, Zoo, Zoom, Zaius</li> </ul> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Guessing Game: Create a Book Idea</h2> <p>There you have it. What do you think about the TERRAFORMER guessing game? Have any hunches? I’m curious to see what you think is going to happen. Try to string together a few sentences with those words to make a story premise. Here’s an example and it’s not at all what actually happens, by the way, but it will be fun to see what you come up with.</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> <p>As a quarantine ship zooms through the cosmos, a star explodes, damaging the vessel and releasing the deadly toxins into the atmosphere of a nearby moon.</p> <p>Young, native wolves and other animals who survive on the liquid pollens that surface on blooming vines are affected by the changes that take place in the plant’s DNA.</p> <p>Soon all life on the moon morphs into one nightmarish network of beings, a flourishing colony with one heartbeat, one purpose.</p> <p>They rise into the sky following their leader, the queen.</p> <p>Their mission?</p> <p>Invasion!</p> <cite>Colleen Houck</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Want to Check out my Other A, B, C Book Lists?</h3> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2018/09/06/the-a-b-cs-of-the-lanterns-ember/">The A, B, C’s of The Lantern’s Ember</a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2018/02/06/the-a-b-cs-of-tigers-dream/">The A, B, C’s of Tiger’s Dream</a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2016/12/30/recreated-a-to-z/">Recreated A to Z</a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2017/01/09/reignited-a-to-z/">Reignited A to Z</a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2015/12/17/reawakened-a-to-z/">Reawakened A to Z</a></li> </ul> <p> </p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/09/terraformer-an-a-b-c-keyword-guessing-game/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Terraformer Cover Design</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/04/terraformer-cover-design/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/04/terraformer-cover-design/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2020 19:54:34 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Terraformer]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=8871</guid> <description><![CDATA[The Design Beginnings The time has come to talk about the Terraformer cover design. You’ve probably been waiting for this one for a while now. I actually finished writing this book in 2018, I believe. I then turned it over to my agent who shopped it around the United States for about a year. He sold the audiobook rights along with The Lantern’s Ember and when he did, his team made up a place holder sort of cover. Here’s what that looked like. Josiah Rock is one of the best platform who provides guide to design good looking covers. Follow …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Design Beginnings</h2> <p>The time has come to talk about the Terraformer cover design. You’ve probably been waiting for this one for a while now. I actually finished writing this book in 2018, I believe. I then turned it over to my agent who shopped it around the United States for about a year. He sold the audiobook rights along with The Lantern’s Ember and when he did, his team made up a place holder sort of cover. Here’s what that looked like. <a href="https://josiahrock.co.uk"><span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Josiah Rock"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":1313341,"3":{"1":0},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":3700253},"21":1,"23":1}">Josiah Rock</span></a> is one of the best platform who provides guide to design good looking covers. Follow <a href="https://mcgannbrothers.org.uk"><span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Mcgannbrothers"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":1313341,"3":{"1":0},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":3700253},"21":1,"23":1}">Mcgannbrothers</span></a> for more updates.</p> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="320" height="480" class="wp-image-8875" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image001.png" alt="Alternate Place Holder Terraformer Cover designed by Trident Media" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image001.png 320w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image001-200x300.png 200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 17px;">You can see from this image that we still have the Venus fly traps. I think this one looks a bit more Sci-Fi than what we actually ended up with. You might also note that we have since removed the “S” at the end of the title. That’s because I am planning on writing a sequel and the “S” didn’t work for the end of book two.</p> </div> </div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Inspiration Behind Terraformer</h2> <p>When I was at the Emerald City Comic Con in 2018, I stopped by an artist booth and bought two unicorn prints and a mermaid print and was amazed by all the lovely art done by two outstandingly talented women, <a href="http://heathertheurer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Heather Edwards</a> and <a href="https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/kaitlund-zupanic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaitlund Zupanic</a>.</p> <p>One series of paintings by Heather struck me as quite memorable, especially as I had recently finished writing Terraformer at the time. It was titled the “Ribbon” series. Each of the young women has a colorful ribbon around her neck and a crown of creatures adorning her head.</p> <figure class="wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex"> <ul class="blocks-gallery-grid"> <li class="blocks-gallery-item"> <figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="763" height="1024" class="wp-image-8872" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/blue-ribbon-nggid0251-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-763x1024.jpg" alt="" data-id="8872" data-link="https://colleenhouck.com/?attachment_id=8872" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/blue-ribbon-nggid0251-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-763x1024.jpg 763w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/blue-ribbon-nggid0251-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-223x300.jpg 223w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/blue-ribbon-nggid0251-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-768x1031.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/blue-ribbon-nggid0251-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px" /> <figcaption class="blocks-gallery-item__caption">“Blue Ribbon”</figcaption> </figure> </li> <li class="blocks-gallery-item"> <figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="628" class="wp-image-8873" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/yellow-ribbon-nggid0246-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg" alt="" data-id="8873" data-link="https://colleenhouck.com/?attachment_id=8873" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/yellow-ribbon-nggid0246-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg 800w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/yellow-ribbon-nggid0246-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-300x236.jpg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/yellow-ribbon-nggid0246-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-768x603.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /> <figcaption class="blocks-gallery-item__caption">“Yellow Ribbon”</figcaption> </figure> </li> <li class="blocks-gallery-item"> <figure><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="1024" class="wp-image-8874" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Crimson-Ribbon-2015-nggid03277-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-512x1024.jpg" alt="" data-id="8874" data-full-url="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Crimson-Ribbon-2015-nggid03277-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg" data-link="https://colleenhouck.com/?attachment_id=8874" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Crimson-Ribbon-2015-nggid03277-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-512x1024.jpg 512w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Crimson-Ribbon-2015-nggid03277-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-150x300.jpg 150w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Crimson-Ribbon-2015-nggid03277-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010-768x1536.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Crimson-Ribbon-2015-nggid03277-ngg0dyn-800x0x100-00f0w010c010r110f110r010t010.jpg 800w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /> <figcaption class="blocks-gallery-item__caption">“Crimson Ribbon”</figcaption> </figure> </li> </ul> <figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption">The Ribbon Series by Heather Edwards</figcaption> </figure> <p>One wears a crown of insects. Another wears a nest of birds and feathered things, and the third wears a headdress of sea creatures. I loved the idea of such a thing and thought any of these would make for an outstanding book cover.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Design</h2> <p>When we found out we were going to have the chance to design the Terraformer cover ourselves, and by ourselves, I mean the outstanding publishing team who works at <a href="https://www.tridentmediagroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trident Media Group</a> and myself, we contracted with <a href="https://www.kam.design/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kam Design</a> and talked over cover ideas with designer Kelly A. Martin.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Design Element One-Green</h3> <p>There were a few things I knew I wanted on the cover. The first thing was that I wanted the book to be green. Lots of shades of green. The planet was a green world, covered by trees and it was a huge part of the story so I knew that needed to be reflected in the color palette of the book.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Design Element Two-The Girl</h3> <p>The second thing I wanted was a girl. I already mentioned the art inspiration above. One of my YA cover pet peeves is a girl in a dress on the cover of a book. There are a lot, and I mean a LOT, of YA books with girls in fancy dresses. I am totally fine with that if the dress means something. A Cinderella retelling would make sense. The dress is a key point. I know WHY they put pretty girls in pretty dresses on book covers. I like looking at pretty dresses too. The thing for me is, I want the cover to tell me something about the story. Generally speaking, you don’t want to brand your character a certain way either because you want every type of girl to feel like she can identify with your character so that’s why I like dragons and tigers on the cover instead of girls anyway, but I also like art. I like pretty things. In this case we put a girl on the cover to put on a fancy headpiece so we could tell a story with it.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Design Element Three-The Flowers</h3> <p>Like I said before, I really love pretty things. Having said that, I also love the idea that pretty things can be deadly. The idea that a butterfly could poison you, a plant could eat you alive, a flower could kill you, or even an unassuming girl could be much more than she appears on the surface, is one that appeals to me and it’s something I wanted to showcase on the cover.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Result</h2> <p>Once we talked over the elements and I described the types of animals I wanted to see in the headdress, we only stumbled a bit over how to make the animals look like animal/plant hybrids. Once Kelly came up with the idea of using topiaries and found a leafy, twisty font, the cover came together quickly.</p> <p>The only thing we all would have liked would have been to make the title in gold but that option wasn’t available to us in our hardback print choices so we went with pretty shade of yellow that reflected in the centers of the flowers and along the edges of the Venus fly traps.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">More Details</h2> <p>If you’re itching for a few more details about the Terraformer cover design, here are some fun book facts I put together on an infographic. You can visit <a href="https://gallery-k.co.uk"><span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Gallery-k"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":1313341,"3":{"1":0},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":3700253},"21":1,"23":1}">Gallery-k</span></a> to know the way this kind of making this kind of designs. Take a look and see what clues you already figured out.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="683" height="1024" class="wp-image-8876" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Untitled-683x1024.png" alt="The Terraformer Cover Design Infographic designed by Colleen Houck" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Untitled-683x1024.png 683w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Untitled-200x300.png 200w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Untitled-768x1152.png 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Untitled.png 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 683px) 100vw, 683px" /></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Want to See Other Cover Posts?</h2> <p>Did you like this cover post? If you’re an author, feel free to create your own or you can take a look at some of my other cover posts here to get some more ideas.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2018/08/31/lets-talk-the-lanterns-ember-cover/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check Out the Lantern’s Ember Cover Post</a></h3> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2018/01/31/lets-talk-the-tigers-dream-cover/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check Out the Tiger’s Dream Cover Post</a></h3> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2014/04/30/tigers-promise-cover-art/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check out the Tiger’s Promise Cover Post</a></h3> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Check out What Else I’m Doing to Celebrate the Release of Terraformer</h2> <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/01/terraformer-countdown-to-publication/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Terraformer Countdown to Publication</a></h3> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ready to Order a Copy?</h2> <p>You can get a copy in hardback or a Nook Book in the US from <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/terraformer-colleen-houck/1136490726" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barnes & Noble</a> or you can get a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Terraformer-Colleen-Houck-ebook/dp/B084Z551M6/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=terraformer+colleen+houck&qid=1582243404&sr=8-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kindle copy on Amazon</a>. It’s also available on <a href="//books.apple.com/us/book/terraformer/id1499662287?ls=1v" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iBooks</a> or <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/terraformer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kobo</a>. Stay tuned for the audiobook release and other languages are to come!</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/04/terraformer-cover-design/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>2</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>TERRAFORMER: Countdown to Publication</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/01/terraformer-countdown-to-publication/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/01/terraformer-countdown-to-publication/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2020 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Contest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Events]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terraformer]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=8583</guid> <description><![CDATA[Hello Readers! By now you’ve might have heard the announcement of my new book, TERRAFORMER, to be published in May, and you might be wondering…what comes next? When are the contests and who are the characters? There aren’t enough details. I need more details! Well, you’ve come to the right place. Terraformer: Countdown to Publication-What’s That Now? First, for those of you who don’t know, TERRAFORMER, is my first ever Science Fiction book! It’s still loosely mythology-based (though I’m going to make you read the book to figure out how it relates to mythology, exactly) and for those of who …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>Hello Readers! By now you’ve might have heard the announcement of my new book, TERRAFORMER, to be published in May, and you might be wondering…what comes next? When are the contests and who are the characters? There aren’t enough details. I need more details! Well, you’ve come to the right place.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Terraformer: Countdown to Publication-What’s That Now?</h2> <p>First, for those of you who don’t know, TERRAFORMER, is my first ever Science Fiction book! It’s still loosely mythology-based (though I’m going to make you read the book to figure out how it relates to mythology, exactly) and for those of who are worried, it’s still very much a romance. I’ve been teasing little hints about it for over a year now, so I’m very happy to finally be able to talk about it openly. I would suggest you to check <a href="http://cheapmotorhomes.com.au"><span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"cheapmotorhomes"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":2621,"3":{"1":0},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":3700253}}">cheapmotorhomes</span></a> for all the latest updates.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">TERRAFORMER: Countdown to Publication-Where and When is it Being Sold?</h2> <div class="wp-block-group alignwide"> <div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow"> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="707" height="1024" class="wp-image-8585" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-707x1024.jpg" alt="Terraformer Book Cover: Countdown to Publication" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-707x1024.jpg 707w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-207x300.jpg 207w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-768x1113.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-1060x1536.jpg 1060w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-1414x2048.jpg 1414w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Terraformer-cover-scaled.jpg 1767w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-normal-font-size">TERRAFORMER</p> <p>Form: Hardback</p> <p>Where: <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/terraformer-colleen-houck/1136490726">US-Barnes & Noble</a></p> <p>Release Date: May 12, 2020</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Oh <em>Man</em>! What About <em>My</em> Country?</h2> <p>We are working on all our international editions and contracts at the moment and will update the language pages on my blog as soon as they are finalized. In the meantime, make sure you let your local publisher know you’re interested. There will definitely be an English audiobook version that will be released by HighBridge, the same company that released the audiobook of <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Lanterns-Ember-Audiobook/1684572533?source_code=GPAGBSH0508140001&ipRedirectOverride=true&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9ZzzBRCKARIsANwXaeJn3joJwFacI2g829jamehjVWIVEJyDs3n90PhlcmLvTXXLyUXNHfAaAr0BEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">THE LANTERN’S EMBER</a>!</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Okay, So, What’s It About?</h2> <p>Sheesh, you guys with all the questions. Okay, I’ll tell you this. It’s on the jacket cover anyway so it won’t spoil things too much.</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote is-style-default" style="border-color: #12704d;"> <blockquote class="has-text-color" style="color: #199b58;"> <p>In the future, a terraforming ship lands on a <em><strong>perfectly</strong></em> green planet.</p> <p>Two <strong>perfect</strong> young men, one a budding colony leader, the other an engineer, compete for the affection of one <strong>perfect</strong> young woman training as a botanist.</p> <p>The only problem?</p> <p>She’s not <strong>perfect</strong>.</p> <p>Astra has a secret.</p> <p>A big one.</p> <p>And somone or some <em>thing</em> just maybe trying to kill her for it.</p> <cite>Terraformer-Colleen Houck</cite></blockquote> </figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" style="color: #199b58;">TERRAFORMER: Countdown to Publication: Calendar of Events</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://youtu.be/A449GhVJkqE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>25-REVEAL OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER!</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_dUTqhjrJQ/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>APRIL 26-BOOKSTAGRAM</strong> <strong>VIDEO</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://youtu.be/zTOeuTI_2Dw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>27-CRAFT #1 VIDEO</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_irYyAHcJe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>28-BOOK QUOTE #1</strong> </a>/<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_lEPZqH9tF/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>BOOK BLURB #1</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/04/29/word-clouds-how-to-turn-your-books-into-art/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>APRIL</strong> <strong>29-WORD CLOUD BLOG POST</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ndVtuH3Yy/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>APRIL 30-CHARACTER FEATURE #1</strong> </a></li> <li><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>1-PREORDER NEWSLETTER WITH TEASER IS EMAILED</strong></li> <li><a href="https://pin.it/5p02IbX"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>2-PINTEREST BOARD IS REVEALED</strong></a>/<strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_slgYMnBQU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BOOK BLURB #2</a></strong></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_v4Y_hI7Pz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>3-BOOK QUOTE #2</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/04/terraformer-cover-design/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>4-COVER BLOG POST</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_z-SyjnKpc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>5-CHARACTER FEATURE #2</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0kcbltyRy3gcan9b60lFVH" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>6-MUSIC PLAYLIST IS REVEALED</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_54LQenccX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>7-BOOK QUOTE #3</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://youtu.be/0Bxt_fathoo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY 7-</strong> <strong>TOP TEN VIDEO ON YOUTUBE</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B_76mCsntUC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>8-CHARACTER FEATURE #3</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/?p=8595" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>9-THE BOOK A, B, C,’S POST</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CADs1HaHnrl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>10-BOOK QUOTE #4</strong></a>/<strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAGVvbrHlIz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BOOK BLURB #3</a></strong></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAIo_kmnGbO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>11-BOOK QUOTE #5</strong></a></li> <li><strong><a href="http://bit.ly/TERRAFORMER">MAY 12-THE </a><a href="http://bit.ly/TERRAFORMER" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BOOK </a><a href="http://bit.ly/TERRAFORMER">IS RELEASED!</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAJVD1yn0h_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 13-CHARACTER FEATURE #4</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CALbKNjHw8x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 14-CHARACTER FEATURE #5</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CANnTjhnrdL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 15-BOOK QUOTE #6</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVrxrwHAmg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 16-CHARACTER FEATURE #6</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAYECzgHGGb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 17-BOOK QUOTE #7</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAays1Wn8rC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 18-CHARACTER FEATURE #7</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/sN71wDRV3jE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 19-TERRAFORMER HAIR AND MAKEUP</a></strong></li> <li><a href="https://youtu.be/-r6IXu937I4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>21-MY TOPIARY IS REVEALED</strong></a></li> <li><a href="https://youtu.be/sta0ykd8qnA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>MAY</strong> <strong>28-TERRAFORMER HEADBAND CRAFT VIDEO</strong></a></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/21233995-terraformer-q-a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAY 29-GOODREADS Q & A</a></strong></li> <li><strong>MAY 30-PRIZE WINNERS REVEALED</strong></li> </ul> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" style="color: #199b58;">THE BLOG TOUR</h2> <p>The TERRAFORMER Blog Tour will be run by <a href="http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2020/03/terraformer-by-colleen-houck.html">JeanBookNerd</a> from June 8-June 19. Stay tuned for details. If you are a blogger who would like to be involved, please reach out to Jean via her <a href="http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/">website</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/jeanbooknerd">Twitter</a>. AND….she will be doing a TERRAFORMER Storytellers Box!</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/2020/05/terraformer-by-colleen-houck.html"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="500" class="wp-image-8917" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Terraformer-Tour-Banner-1024x500.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Terraformer-Tour-Banner-1024x500.jpg 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Terraformer-Tour-Banner-300x146.jpg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Terraformer-Tour-Banner-768x375.jpg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Terraformer-Tour-Banner-1536x749.jpg 1536w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Terraformer-Tour-Banner.jpg 1845w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure> <p><strong>WEEK ONE – REVIEWS AND GUEST POSTS</strong></p> <p>JUNE 8th MONDAY <a href="http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/">JeanBookNerd</a> PODCAST<br />JUNE 9th TUESDAY <a href="https://moviesshowsnbooks.blogspot.com/">Movies, Shows, & Books</a> GUEST POST<br />JUNE 10th WEDNESDAY <a href="https://bookslesstravelledreviews.wordpress.com/">Books Less Travelled</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 10th WEDNESDAY <a href="http://www.ttcbooksandmore.com/">TTC Books and More</a> GUEST POST<br />JUNE 11th THURSDAY <a href="https://acourtofcoffeeandbooks.com/">A Court of Coffee and Books</a> EXCERPT<br />JUNE 11th THURSDAY <a href="https://jrsbookreviews.wordpress.com/">J.R.’s Book Reviews</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 12th FRIDAY <a href="https://twirlingbookprincess.com/">Twirling Book Princess</a> EXCERPT<br />JUNE 12th FRIDAY <a href="https://gwendalynbooks.blog/">Gwendalyn’s Books</a> REVIEW </p> <p><strong>WEEK ONE – REVIEWS AND INTERVIEWS</strong></p> <p>JUNE 15th MONDAY <a href="https://www.bookhoundsya.net/">BookHounds YA</a> REVIEW & INTERVIEW<br />JUNE 15th MONDAY <a href="https://bookqueenreviews.wordpress.com/">Book Queen Reviews</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 16th TUESDAY <a href="https://www.wishfulendings.com/">Wishful Endings</a> REVIEW & INTERVIEW<br />JUNE 16th TUESDAY <a href="https://chrikarublog.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chrikaru Reads</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 17th WEDNESDAY <a href="https://nayspinkbookshelf.blogspot.com/">Nay’s Pink Bookshelf</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 17th WEDNESDAY <a href="http://www.kellyrisser.com/">Author Kelly Riser</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 18th THURSDAY <a href="https://yaitslitblog.wordpress.com/">Ya It’s Lit</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 18th THURSDAY <a href="https://bookbriefs.net/">Book Briefs</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 19th FRIDAY <a href="http://insaneaboutbooks.blogspot.com/">Insane About Books</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 19th FRIDAY <a href="http://www.aislynndmerricksson.com/">Port Jericho</a> REVIEW<br />JUNE 19th FRIDAY <a href="https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/">Lisa Loves Literature</a> REVIEW </p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">TERRAFORMER Storytellers BOX</h2> <p>For those of you who’ve been waiting for the JeanBookNerd Storytellers BOX, wait no longer. It’s here! Orders may be placed from JUNE 2nd through July 15th 11:59:59 PM Pacific Standard or while supplies last. For more information, go the the website at <a href="http://www.jeanbooknerd.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">www.JEANBOOKNERD.com</a>.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1024" class="wp-image-8923" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Terraformer-1024x1024.jpeg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Terraformer-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Terraformer-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Terraformer-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Terraformer-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Terraformer-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Terraformer-2048x2048.jpeg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>INSIDE THE PROMOTIONAL BOX YOU WILL FIND THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:</strong></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>1. Book – TERRAFORMER</li> <li>2. Postcard</li> <li>3. T-Shirt</li> <li>4. Bookplate</li> <li>5. Sticker</li> <li>6. Notepad</li> <li>7. Bookmarks</li> <li>8. Puzzle</li> <li>9. Mug</li> <li>10. E-book from previous title.</li> </ul> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" style="color: #00a315;">THE LAUNCH PARTY</h2> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SPECIAL NOTE:</strong></h2> <p class="has-text-color has-vivid-red-color">LAUNCH PARTY UPDATE: Due to the Corona Virus outbreak, the TERRAFORMER launch party has been canceled. This is very sad but I want to keep all my readers as safe as possible. If you’ve already purchased a ticket, your money will be refunded. Not to worry my friends, we will still have lots of fun online things to do as we get ready to launch the book.</p> <p><s>Now, this is very exciting! If you live in the Salem, Oregon area, or have just always longed to visit, you might want to save the date of May 9th. I’m hosting a TERRAFORMER launch party in my hometown of Salem at my favorite grocery store of all time, ROTH’S! </s>It might sound like a strange place for a party, but trust me, it’s not. This store is AH-MA-ZING. Seriously.</p> <p>You might recall that the TIGER’S DREAM launch party happened in the downtown Salem public library. Well, that’s not possible right now because it’s closed for renovations and when I began looking for event space, everyone kept saying, go to ROTH’S.</p> <p>It just so happens that I actually wrote most of <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/terraformer-colleen-houck/1136490726">TERRAFORMER</a> on the balcony of that store overlooking the gorgeous produce department, which is going to make a LOT of sense when you start reading the book.</p> <p>Also, they make great made-to-order lunches and have an outstanding salad bar right downstairs. It’s basically a writer’s dream with dozens of interesting characters walking around downstairs who I can easily study from my bird’s eye perch.</p> <p>Anyhoo, my launch parties, if you didn’t know, are pretty epic. Those who have attended my events can give a shout out in support. We are planning on some fun and fabulous games. There will be prizes, of course. My mom and I will be dressing up sort of matchers. Then there will be food. Oh…the food. ROTH’s is one of the last grocery stores that still makes homemade donuts.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Posts</h2> <p>If that’s not enough to tempt you to head in our direction, you are welcome to peruse the other launch party blog posts to help you make up your mind.</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2017/08/14/the-reunited-launch-party/">REUNITED LAUNCH PARTY</a></li> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2015/07/29/preparations-for-the-upcoming-reawakened-launch-party/">REAWAKENED LAUNCH PARTY</a></li> </ul> <p>Oh, and did I mention that this was a PRE-launch party? That means that those who come to this one are getting their hands on the book EARLY…as in, BEFORE everyone else!</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/98525702027"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="379" class="wp-image-8614" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PreLaunch-Party-Image-1024x379.png" alt="TERRAFORMER: Countdown to Publication-Pre-Launch Party Image 5/9/2020 West Salem Roth's" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PreLaunch-Party-Image-1024x379.png 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PreLaunch-Party-Image-300x111.png 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PreLaunch-Party-Image-768x284.png 768w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PreLaunch-Party-Image-1536x569.png 1536w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/PreLaunch-Party-Image.png 1702w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure> <p>But be warned. Space is limited. Get it? SPACE?! HEE. HEE. Grab a ticket before they’re sold out! You don’t want to miss your shuttle to paradise!</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background" style="background-color: #199b58; color: #199b58;" /> <h2 class="has-text-color has-text-align-center wp-block-heading" style="color: #199b58;">TERRAFORMER: Countdown to Publication: The Contest</h2> <p>So this contest is going to be a little something for everyone. Some of you just like to do click and follow type stuff or review books and I love that. Some of you are the more artsy type and want to do Dress up the Cover creations or love Cosplay or want to participate in our Topiary battle. This is going to be a pick and choose how you want to play.</p> <p>Obviously the more effort you put in, the better your chances of winning, but if you’re the type that loves social media and tweeting or shooting Instagram photos, you can do that as often as you like to make up the difference so it should even out in the end.</p> <p>We’re going to start the contest a little early to give you creative types, time to come up with your art. Once you create, all you have to do is take a picture and share it once on some social media site and attach it to the Rafflecopter via a link.</p> <p>If you want to share it more often, you can, but the big points only count once per art project. Remember, it has to be your original work, not someone else’s. You are also welcome to do all the typical rafflecopter entries if you like as well.</p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ideas for Art/Craft Projects</h2> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2017/03/01/dress-up-the-cover-reunited-contest-of-the-month-a-bonus-contest/">Dress up the Cover</a></li> <li>Create a Topiary</li> <li>Make a Chia Sculpture</li> <li>Create a Cosplay Costume</li> <li>Fashion a Headpiece</li> <li>Do a Character Makeup Video</li> <li>Write a Poem</li> <li>Make a T-Shirt</li> <li>Instagram Art</li> <li>Draw or Paint a Picture or Scene</li> <li>Create an Alien Flower/Fruit Arrangement</li> <li>Bake a Terraformer Cake</li> </ul> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">My Projects</h2> <p>Personally, I’m planning on making a topiary, a headpiece, a costume, and I might just try my hand at a cake. Dressing up the cover is always fun. I love playing with food and appetizer ideas. We’ll be having some amazing treats at the party including edible flowers! I can’t wait to see what all of you create! Don’t forget to tell me how many points you think your project/s are worth. Rafflecopter only allows up to five, so I’ll have to adjust your numbers manually. Good luck everyone!</p> <p><a id="rcwidget_4vu8y5ca" class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/824ee19b122/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="824ee19b122" data-theme="classic" data-template="">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a> <script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/05/01/terraformer-countdown-to-publication/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>4</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Word Clouds: How to Turn Your Books Into Art</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/04/29/word-clouds-how-to-turn-your-books-into-art/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/04/29/word-clouds-how-to-turn-your-books-into-art/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2020 15:00:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Reawakened]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Recreated]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Reignited]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Reunited]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Terraformer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Lantern's Ember]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tiger's Curse]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tiger's Destiny]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tiger's Promise]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tiger's Quest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tiger's Tale]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tiger's Voyage]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Writing Tools]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleenhouck.com/?p=4738</guid> <description><![CDATA[How to Turn Your Books Into Art I’ve had a lot of fun playing with word clouds on a website called Tagul. It’s pretty easy to turn your book into art for your readers, and it doubles as an editing tool by letting you see how many times you’re using those pesky repetitive words, such as always, like, and very. Here’s How it Works Once you finish your manuscript, open the website and click create. Import your text where it says “words” and scan through the list. The program automatically eliminates apostrophes so you’ll have to manually delete all the …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <h4 class="wp-block-heading">How to Turn Your Books Into Art</h4> <p class="has-normal-font-size">I’ve had a lot of fun playing with word clouds on a website called <a href="https://tagul.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tagul</a>. It’s pretty easy to turn your book into art for your readers, and it doubles as an editing tool by letting you see how many times you’re using those pesky repetitive words, such as always, like, and very.</p> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Here’s How it Works</h4> <p class="has-normal-font-size">Once you finish your manuscript, open the website and click create. Import your text where it says “words” and scan through the list. The program automatically eliminates apostrophes so you’ll have to manually delete all the words like isn’t and didn’t and so forth which won’t be too fun anyway.</p> <p class="has-normal-font-size">Next, just for fun, I type in the title of the book and assign it to the top number so it appears in the art to identify the book. <a href="https://stopsharpeningyourknives.co.uk">go and check this</a> for mote information about art.You also have the option to use capital letters or lowercase or capitalize just the first letter. This is a good time to delete small words you don’t care too much about keeping in there like all, they, go, etc. The program should do most of that for you but just in case there’s something you think needs to go, this is your chance to make a change.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Choose a Shape That Ties in With Your Novel</h3> <p class="has-normal-font-size">Once you’ve settled on the words, it’s time to select the shape your art will take. Tagul provides many choices for you, but you also have the option to add your own shape or you can even add text, such as the title of the book, or your author name, for example, and the words will fill in that shape instead of one of theirs. If you look at my samples below, you’ll see I select a shape that matches the theme of each book, a tiger paw for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Curse-Book/dp/1454902493/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=tigers+curse&qid=1584105663&sr=8-3">TIGER’S CURSE</a>, a witch’s cauldron for, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lanterns-Ember-Colleen-Houck/dp/0399555722/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VXOEY3HZDJWH&dchild=1&keywords=the+lanterns+ember&qid=1584105699&sprefix=the+lantern%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1">THE LANTERN’S EMBER</a>, and so on.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Select a Font That Fits Your Book</h3> <p>After a shape, you pick your font. Bold shows up best. You can use one Tagul provides on their website <a href="https://wordart.com/">wordart.com</a> or import your own font if you like. Ask your publisher if they can either tell you the name of the font they used on the jacket cover or send you a link to download it and you can add it to the program and use it when you create marketing materials.</p> <p>On a side note: If you haven’t had to make your own marketing materials yet, trust me, you <em>will</em> have to at some point. Every author has to become skilled at that trick of the trade. I love using <a href="https://www.picmonkey.com/home">PicMonkey</a> but there are many other programs you can use. These are things no one ever tells you when you start up in this business.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Layout of Your Words</h3> <p>Next is the layout. That one is pretty simple. You choose how you want the words to look. I tend to let the program randomize it and let it auto-fill the amount of words but you can also play with it a bit and define just which words you want to appear and how you want them to look as well as how densely you want the words populated within your shape. If you don’t care that much, you can let the system work its magic on its own.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Style and Colors</h3> <p>Last is the style and colors. I tend to do with the colors that match the book cover. Bold colors usually work best. You have the option of selecting a transparent background or a color. Make sure your word color choices appear vibrantly on the background you choose. For clarity, I’ve discovered that three different color choices for the words are the max you should probably select. It’s up to you, of course, but that’s my recommendation.</p> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Visualize Your Word Art</h3> <p>Once you’re finished, click visualize, keeping the style box open. Clicking the CUSTOM button will switch up the word colors to give you more options. You can go back and play with the font or the shape or colors and it won’t affect your words, they just move around inside the shape. When you’re satisfied, download the image to your computer.</p> <p>You have the option to create an account and save it on their website if you wish, but it’s just as easy to save it on your computer and head back there again when you have a new book to promote.</p> <p>You can scroll down through my books below if you’d like to see some examples, just keep in mind I’m not the most artistic sort. I’m certain you will be much more creative! They will be in order from most recent to my oldest.</p> <p>I also added a paragraph to each piece where I describe what I noticed when I finished the art so I can stir more interest from my readers when posting.</p> <p>If you have any other ideas or thoughts about how to create quick promotional pieces for your books or if you’ve created any book art of your own and would like to share, please attach a link or comment below!</p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Word Art For Colleen Houck Books</h2> <hr /> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitled.jpeg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9275" src="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitled.jpeg" alt="" width="859" height="581" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitled.jpeg 859w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitled-300x203.jpeg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Untitled-768x519.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 859px) 100vw, 859px" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="color: #cc99ff;">TIGER’S TALE</span></strong></span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">I was more than thrilled to have not one, not two, but, count them, four very interesting young men in this series. I expected all their names to appear in this royal crown shape and they do. If you look, you’ll find Zakhar, Danik, Iriko and then front and center is Nik. It surprised me how prominent a character this young man is in my story. I wouldn’t be at all shocked to the trend continue in the series. Color me equally amazed to see Veru mentioned much more frequently than her sister, Stacia. They say a parent doesn’t choose favorites but it turns out not to be true. Some new words you might see that I don’t use often are snow, boot, Tsarevna, and Shaman. I hope all of you will enjoy this new tale!</span></p> <p><a href="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tigers-Tale-3.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9269" src="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tigers-Tale-3.png" alt="" width="499" height="538" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tigers-Tale-3.png 499w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tigers-Tale-3-278x300.png 278w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px" /></a></p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Tale-Curse-Colleen-Houck/dp/B0CX665TCY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U3GUYXWZZ6E9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.44GlJzLK8wwR1NZIKM9hvRl7yumMlvv03v6O87lz5mbF05_0hJlGXQKHlqt_7eqnwPwa43qwkfwWA0Wns3Uzi9yVqnKuYirMd8gPG2CQSCLFzuiJe7RerlAPjO_FDCDmSlxMTfNxv-ypJmeLDDPiXY6HZDfkRnTNYuetnwfuwXZaAd6Vo-IWU5QqzvG2FYpUPTfWmyjfoq_H89BSABQtjlnXKNJjRF6s2dQ-zFOusNM.apx5ccmDiOHWLVWhx-A_S8fW0r8tb2-IPv30uIJrLFM&dib_tag=se&keywords=TIGERS+TALE&qid=1725662971&sprefix=tigers+tale%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1">TIGER’S TALE</a></span></p> <p>“Two sisters, desperate to save their mother, refuse a stranger and unwittingly unleash a devastating curse, causing them to flee their home, beginning an adventure unlike anything either of them ever imagined.”</p> <p> </p> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="562" height="888" class="wp-image-8634" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Word-Art-1.jpeg" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, TERRAFORMER" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Word-Art-1.jpeg 562w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Word-Art-1-190x300.jpeg 190w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/terraformer-colleen-houck/1136490726?ean=9781475607116">TERRAFORMER</a></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">There are some obvious words that always show up in my books like kiss and day and head and glance but with TERRAFORMER you’re getting a bunch of new ones. You might notice the word crew, world, plant, air, moon, ship, planet, and colony. All of these are appropriate for space and a terraforming mission, but then there’s murder, harm, body, kill, pain, and death. What’s up with that? My mom said, “Gee there’s a lot of murder going on in this book, Colleen.” I guess I was feeling a bit deadly when I wrote this one. Best prepare yourselves.</p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 48% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9781475607116_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg" alt="TERRAFORMER written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-text-align-center" style="font-size: 25px;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/terraformer-colleen-houck/1136490726?ean=9781475607116">TERRAFORMER</a></p> <p class="has-text-align-center" style="font-size: 21px;"><strong>“As a terraforming colonist on <em>Crillian IV</em>, Astra can’t listen to the whisperings of her heart, especially when someone or something else on the new planet is whispering to her mind even louder.” </strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-vertically-aligned-center" style="grid-template-columns: 47% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="821" height="608" class="wp-image-8011" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Word-Art-5-2.jpeg" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, THE LANTERN'S EMBER" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Word-Art-5-2.jpeg 821w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Word-Art-5-2-300x222.jpeg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Word-Art-5-2-768x569.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 821px) 100vw, 821px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lanterns-Ember-Colleen-Houck/dp/0399555722/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VXOEY3HZDJWH&dchild=1&keywords=the+lanterns+ember&qid=1584105699&sprefix=the+lantern%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1"><strong>THE LANTERN’S EMBER</strong> </a></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">For The Lantern’s Ember, I chose a witch’s cauldron for the shape which makes sense once you read the book. This book is all about Halloween creatures. Frank is on the top rim. You can guess which Halloween monster he represents. Ember is my heroine who just so happens to be a witch. Jack is the Headless Horseman, only in my book he has a head. We also have two vampires, Delia and Dev. Power is always a big theme in my books. Love is in the mix but it’s much smaller for some reason. Can you find Jack’s pumpkin? I wouldn’t be surprised if he was hanging out with Finney. </p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-vertically-aligned-center" style="grid-template-columns: auto 42%;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1I90YHGTfL.jpg" alt="THE LANTERN'S EMBER written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 21px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lanterns-Ember-Colleen-Houck/dp/0399555722/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VXOEY3HZDJWH&dchild=1&keywords=the+lanterns+ember&qid=1584105699&sprefix=the+lantern%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1">THE LANTERN’S EMBER</a></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 22px;"><strong>“Jack, a Lantern, must do everything in his power to get the beguiling witch, Ember, back where she belongs before both the earthly and unearthly worlds descend into chaos.” </strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="707" height="706" class="wp-image-7570" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Word-Art.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, REUNITED" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Word-Art.png 707w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Word-Art-150x150.png 150w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Word-Art-300x300.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reunited-Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/0399555714/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1O2T85VYY7GWJ&dchild=1&keywords=reunited+colleen+houck&qid=1584107140&sprefix=REUNITED%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1">REUNITED</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">With my Reunited word art, I chose the shape of the full moon. This book belongs to the moon god, Ahmose but you can still spot Asten and Amon. Tia is much more of a prominent voice here than Lily or Ashleigh which is interesting. I really like the word ONE being so prominent. It’s a good representation of the book’s theme. What else can you find here that hints of what will happen in the story?</p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 38% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91cV2VAgrkL.jpg" alt="REUNITED written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reunited-Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/0399555714/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1O2T85VYY7GWJ&dchild=1&keywords=reunited+colleen+houck&qid=1584107140&sprefix=REUNITED%2Caps%2C205&sr=8-1"><strong>REUNITED</strong></a></p> <p style="font-size: 25px;"><strong>“It is time for Lily to become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.”</strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="666" height="749" class="wp-image-7193" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Word-Cloud-4.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, REALIGNED" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Word-Cloud-4.png 666w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Word-Cloud-4-267x300.png 267w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reignited-Companion-Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/1539999033/ref=pd_sbs_14_3/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1539999033&pd_rd_r=7b256cc6-92d8-49a5-8051-ee1b770d6eee&pd_rd_w=ijGKb&pd_rd_wg=6zak7&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=W4H1FME3AT6EWG9E54MT&psc=1&refRID=W4H1FME3AT6EWG9E54MT"><strong>REIGNITED</strong> </a></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">For the Reignited word cloud, I chose a tree since Osiris is the god of all growing things and the first kiss he shared with Isis was in a gazebo in his garden. You’ll see my characters prominent on the tree. Other important words are power, star, want, and mortal. You’ll have to read the book to figure out why. Can you find the word sister? That’s a big one in this book as is the word heart.</p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right" style="grid-template-columns: auto 44%;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510cd9joScL.jpg" alt="REIGNITED written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reignited-Companion-Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/1539999033/ref=pd_sbs_14_3/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1539999033&pd_rd_r=7b256cc6-92d8-49a5-8051-ee1b770d6eee&pd_rd_w=ijGKb&pd_rd_wg=6zak7&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=W4H1FME3AT6EWG9E54MT&psc=1&refRID=W4H1FME3AT6EWG9E54MT"><strong> REIGNITED</strong></a></p> <p style="font-size: 27px;"><strong>“In a place of celestial marvels, passion and betrayal are intertwined, and an evil ignites that will reign over humanity forever.”</strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right" style="grid-template-columns: auto 40%;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="286" class="wp-image-6266" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Recreated-300x286.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, RECREATED" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Recreated-300x286.png 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Recreated.png 724w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Recreated-Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/038537660X/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=038537660X&pd_rd_r=ac713538-e40d-461b-a94a-d6a63aafebb3&pd_rd_w=tU8II&pd_rd_wg=ryr33&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=X1APJ4FFWMG5AB7N483P&psc=1&refRID=X1APJ4FFWMG5AB7N483P">RECREATED</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">To turn my book, Recreated, into word art, I chose a star to symbolize the novel. You’ll notice that Asten features as prominently as Amon in this book. Heart and Eye are also very important. Arm and Head are coming up more frequently than Hand this time so not as much hand-holding as I usually do. You’ll also notice Tia is very large. Tia is a new character you’ll be meeting in Recreated. Power is back and Feel is usually a big word for me. If you look close, you might find Horus in there somewhere. Nephthys and Isis make an appearance as well. Amun-Ra and Ma’at were kicked out due to punctuation, it seems but they are important in this book as well. Also there a character called the Devourer. The program only kept the word devour so you might see that but not her name. </p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 39% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1%2BKoy0d9IL.jpg" alt="RECREATED written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Recreated-Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/038537660X/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=038537660X&pd_rd_r=ac713538-e40d-461b-a94a-d6a63aafebb3&pd_rd_w=tU8II&pd_rd_wg=ryr33&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=X1APJ4FFWMG5AB7N483P&psc=1&refRID=X1APJ4FFWMG5AB7N483P"><strong>RECREATED</strong></a></p> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong>“Lily journeys to the Netherworld to free Amon, and their realms from darkness and utter chaos.”</strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 40% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="300" class="wp-image-4744" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Reawakened-300x300.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, REAWAKENED" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Reawakened-300x300.png 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Reawakened-150x150.png 150w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Reawakened.png 998w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/0385376596/ref=pd_sbs_14_2/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0385376596&pd_rd_r=8a6c4eb3-0ae9-4daa-9431-1e59f337ca5a&pd_rd_w=B4OTS&pd_rd_wg=vphDP&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=H0P8FMW100Z9KSQ79904&psc=1&refRID=H0P8FMW100Z9KSQ79904">REAWAKENED</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">For this book, I chose a pyramid for the shape of the art piece and added the word Reawakened so you’d know the title. Right away I noticed dark and light which is a theme in this book. Asten and Amon are pretty equal which surprises me. Ahmose is slightly smaller but that’s to be expected since he doesn’t appear until halfway through. Power shows up a lot which is different from the tiger series. I think Lily is about equal to Kelsey in mentions. This book, like the tiger books, is written in the first person, so Lily and Kelsey are the narrators which means their names aren’t used as often. I never realized before that Hassan and Kadam sound very similar. Interesting. I see hair again. Apparently, I have a thing for hair. </p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right" style="grid-template-columns: auto 44%;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91%2B7ZwLZYtL.jpg" alt="REAWAKENED written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Reawakened-Colleen-Houck/dp/0385376596/ref=pd_sbs_14_2/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0385376596&pd_rd_r=8a6c4eb3-0ae9-4daa-9431-1e59f337ca5a&pd_rd_w=B4OTS&pd_rd_wg=vphDP&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=H0P8FMW100Z9KSQ79904&psc=1&refRID=H0P8FMW100Z9KSQ79904"><strong>REAWAKENED</strong></a></p> <p class="has-medium-font-size">“<strong>Lily and her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.”</strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="265" class="wp-image-4743" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1-300x265.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, TIGER'S PROMISE" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1-300x265.png 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1-1024x906.png 1024w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1.png 1063w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Promise-Curse-Novella/dp/1499104987/ref=pd_sbs_14_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1499104987&pd_rd_r=ef5b2069-1a4f-43be-9b34-990078861132&pd_rd_w=e4ujf&pd_rd_wg=5UAoU&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=8V524EPG6MFW25EE89EH&psc=1&refRID=8V524EPG6MFW25EE89EH">TIGER’S PROMISE</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">I am exceptionally proud of Tiger’s Promise. If you haven’t read it because it’s a novella, you need to ignore that and check it out anyway. I like that Rajaram is so big, as is the word family. This is the first time Dhiren appears instead of Ren. No black or white here since the princes aren’t tigers yet. “Veil” is a big theme in this book since Yesubai veils her emotions and her father hides her beauty behind veils. I like the words home, girl, and mother. Then you’ll see “flower” and the word garden and beautiful. Yesubai loves flowers. Prince is large and seeing that “wish” is a word I emphasized is cool since this book has a lot to do with wishes.</p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 40% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PW1JbrjZL.jpg" alt="TIGER'S PROMISE written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Promise-Curse-Novella/dp/1499104987/ref=pd_sbs_14_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1499104987&pd_rd_r=ef5b2069-1a4f-43be-9b34-990078861132&pd_rd_w=e4ujf&pd_rd_wg=5UAoU&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=8V524EPG6MFW25EE89EH&psc=1&refRID=8V524EPG6MFW25EE89EH"> TIGER’S PROMISE</a></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>“As dark forces gather around her, Yesubai must decide if she’s willing to reveal that somewhere deep within her she has the power to change everything.” </strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="967" height="516" class="wp-image-7750" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Word-Art.jpeg" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, TIGER'S DREAM" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Word-Art.jpeg 967w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Word-Art-300x160.jpeg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Word-Art-768x410.jpeg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 967px) 100vw, 967px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Dream-Curse-5/dp/1979597057/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1979597057&pd_rd_r=036dc21d-a07e-475c-b522-5f76b3706eb4&pd_rd_w=ulXia&pd_rd_wg=tcSIr&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=64F77Z9ARRQ79NNT10HG&psc=1&refRID=64F77Z9ARRQ79NNT10HG">TIGER’S DREAM</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">I finally figured out how to add an image of my own so this time you get to see a tiger for the shape of my book word art. Ana is the most used word in the manuscript which might give you a hint about the book. Of course, you see the word “tiger”, Kelsey, and Ren but a big one is the word man. This also makes a lot of sense when you read the book. The word “hand” is huge here. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s due to the many hands of the goddess. I like blowing up these images and looking at all the tiny words. You’ll get a lot of spoilers that way. </p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right" style="grid-template-columns: auto 43%;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/519lIXirkLL.jpg" alt="TIGER'S DREAM written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Dream-Curse-5/dp/1979597057/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1979597057&pd_rd_r=036dc21d-a07e-475c-b522-5f76b3706eb4&pd_rd_w=ulXia&pd_rd_wg=tcSIr&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=64F77Z9ARRQ79NNT10HG&psc=1&refRID=64F77Z9ARRQ79NNT10HG"><strong>TIGER’S DREAM</strong></a></p> <p style="font-size: 19px;"><strong>” Kishan must sacrifice the unthinkable to fight the dark forces swirling around the woman he’s charged to defend. As he does, he discovers that love and loyalty create their own magic and accepts that he must decide his destiny once and for all.” </strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="152" height="300" class="wp-image-4742" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-2-152x300.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, TIGER'S DESTINY" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-2-152x300.png 152w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-2-519x1024.png 519w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-2.png 712w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 152px) 100vw, 152px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Destiny-Book-Curse/dp/1402798431/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1402798431&pd_rd_r=ebeadf43-88d9-43bc-9f3f-80fee5467d2e&pd_rd_w=0BX1H&pd_rd_wg=foQoK&pf_rd_p=9d05ca86-8760-4334-a147-e5d5836a8859&pf_rd_r=YV5MA9W53CRMDMCEX4JR&psc=1&refRID=YV5MA9W53CRMDMCEX4JR">TIGER’S DESTINY</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">I chose a flame to represent this book but the shape makes it harder to read all the words. Mr. is easy to find but I don’t see Kadam which is strange. Durga and Lokesh are both prominent and for some reason, Li is back in there. Not sure why unless it just needed a short word to fill in. Kiss has been a word that pops up in each cloud which is appropriate. I can’t find Phoenix or Rakshasa. They must be too small for me to see. The green flames don’t seem natural but I wanted to match the colors of the book. </p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 43% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81a7JY4ck3L.jpg" alt="TIGER'S DESTINY written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Destiny-Book-Curse/dp/1402798431/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1402798431&pd_rd_r=ebeadf43-88d9-43bc-9f3f-80fee5467d2e&pd_rd_w=0BX1H&pd_rd_wg=foQoK&pf_rd_p=9d05ca86-8760-4334-a147-e5d5836a8859&pf_rd_r=YV5MA9W53CRMDMCEX4JR&psc=1&refRID=YV5MA9W53CRMDMCEX4JR">TIGER’S DESTINY</a></strong></p> <p style="font-size: 23px;"><strong>“The trio’s final challenge pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers’ true destinies once and for all.”</strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="206" height="300" class="wp-image-4741" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1-1-206x300.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, TIGER'S VOYAGE" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1-1-206x300.png 206w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1-1-704x1024.png 704w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Cloud-1-1.png 829w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Voyage-Book-Curse/dp/1402784058/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="> <strong>TIGER’S VOYAGE</strong> </a></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">For this one, I used a water drop since water is the main feature of the book. There are a lot of words given equal amounts of weight here but what stands out to me are the words ship, boat, Wes, and water. Dragon is right up there which is appropriate and then there’s hand. I must do a lot of hand-holding or touching in my books for the word hand to be so big. Again I added black just so you could see the words better. Oh and I noticed the word golden is easier to find than green or blue or red. The golden dragon is my favorite.</p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right" style="grid-template-columns: auto 46%;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81OW1R5RD6L.jpg" alt="TIGER'S VOYAGE written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Voyage-Book-Curse/dp/1402784058/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><strong>TIGER’S VOYAGE</strong></a></p> <p style="font-size: 25px;"><strong>“Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan challenge five cunning and duplicitous dragons while attempting to break the tiger’s curse.” </strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="293" class="wp-image-4740" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Quest-1-300x293.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, TIGER'S QUEST" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Quest-1-300x293.png 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Quest-1.png 1012w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Quest-Book-Curse/dp/140278404X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=">TIGER’S QUEST</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">Even though I chose a tree shape for this word cloud I had to change the colors to match the book. I think an orange would have matched a bit better but the black is easier to see. I was shocked to see that Li is so much bigger than Artie. Artie has a weight to his character that I feel each time I read about him, but I guess I didn’t showcase him as much as I thought. The word “bird” is big in this one which makes sense and even though I didn’t add Tiger’s Quest on this one, “tiger” is still prominent. The word “date” is bigger than black or white in this book and I like that love is an important word.</p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 40% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71z8fkZxHPL.jpg" alt="TIGER'S QUEST written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Quest-Book-Curse/dp/140278404X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><strong>TIGER’S QUEST</strong></a></p> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>“When her life is threatened, Kelsey is suddenly forced to return to India, where she forges an unexpected bond with Ren’s tiger-brother, Kishan.”</strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="286" height="300" class="wp-image-4739" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Curse-286x300.png" alt="Word Art for Colleen Houck's book, TIGER'S CURSE" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Curse-286x300.png 286w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Curse.png 975w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 286px) 100vw, 286px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Curse-Book/dp/1454902493/ref=pd_sbs_14_2/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1454902493&pd_rd_r=1576d2e3-1df9-45bd-b4f5-1cffef147edc&pd_rd_w=umObY&pd_rd_wg=DCJed&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=AZCHTQKC3AHMZQFV61MK&psc=1&refRID=AZCHTQKC3AHMZQFV61MK">TIGER’S CURSE</a></strong></p> <p class="has-small-font-size">I chose a tiger paw for this word art shape for obvious reasons. What’s interesting to me about this one is the fact that the gada ranked so high and that Phet is almost up there with Kelsey. Incidentally, the gada is the only weapon in the tiger series I’ve been able to find in the cloud. Black is bigger than white though Ren is more used than Kishan. Hair has been a word I’ve used a lot in the tiger series as well. This is the only one where I can find Fanindra and fruit which is interesting.</p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 100px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right" style="grid-template-columns: auto 39%;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gwVUIRJhL.jpg" alt="TIGER'S CURSE written by Colleen Houck" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p style="font-size: 26px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Curse-Book/dp/1454902493/ref=pd_sbs_14_2/147-5885291-4785369?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1454902493&pd_rd_r=1576d2e3-1df9-45bd-b4f5-1cffef147edc&pd_rd_w=umObY&pd_rd_wg=DCJed&pf_rd_p=7cd8f929-4345-4bf2-a554-7d7588b3dd5f&pf_rd_r=AZCHTQKC3AHMZQFV61MK&psc=1&refRID=AZCHTQKC3AHMZQFV61MK"><strong>TIGER’S CURSE</strong></a></p> <p style="font-size: 23px;"><strong>“Packed with magic, action-adventure, and romance, the epic <em>Tiger’s Curse</em> series will keep you breathless and yearning for more.” </strong></p> </div> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <p>For other book marketing ideas, check out my blog post feature titled, <strong><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/?p=8595">A TERRAFORMER Guessing Game</a>! </strong></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Do You Have a Book Art Idea?</h2> <p class="has-normal-font-size">How do you promote or market your new books? What do you put on Instagram? Share links with your ideas or leave a comment below.</p> <p class="has-normal-font-size">Thanks for visiting my blog. Stop by again sometime to see what new Book Art I’ll be adding in the future.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/04/29/word-clouds-how-to-turn-your-books-into-art/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>8</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>French Editions of Colleen Houck’s Books</title> <link>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/04/04/french-editions-of-colleen-houcks-books/</link> <comments>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/04/04/french-editions-of-colleen-houcks-books/#comments</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Colleen Houck]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 04 Apr 2020 17:21:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[International Books]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://colleen.mailpixie.com/?p=407</guid> <description><![CDATA[If you speak French, here are some links to the French Editions of Colleen Houck’s books that are available in that language. Please note that there are likely other places where you might find these editions. You will get different books information at historical blog. Si vous parlez français, voici quelques liens vers mes livres qui sont disponibles dans cette langue. Veuillez noter qu'il existe probablement d'autres endroits où vous pourriez trouver ces éditions. If you don’t live in France or Canada and would like to order a French edition, you might be able to find one of these versions …]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>If you speak French, here are some links to the French Editions of Colleen Houck’s books that are available in that language. Please note that there are likely other places where you might find these editions. You will get different books information at <span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"historical blog"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":12929,"3":{"1":0},"10":2,"12":0,"15":"arial, sans, sans-serif","16":10}"><a href="https://enduranceobituaries.co.uk">historical blog</a>.</span></p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">Si vous parlez français, voici quelques liens vers mes livres qui sont disponibles dans cette langue. Veuillez noter qu'il existe probablement d'autres endroits où vous pourriez trouver ces éditions.</pre> <p>If you don’t live in France or Canada and would like to order a French edition, you might be able to find one of these versions and have it shipped for free from an online store I like to use called <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Book Depository</a>.</p> <pre class="wp-block-preformatted">Si vous ne vivez pas en France ou au Canada et que vous souhaitez commander une édition française, vous pourrez peut-être trouver l'une de ces versions et la faire expédier gratuitement à partir d'une boutique en ligne que j'aime utiliser appelée <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Book Depository</a>.</pre> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Information on my books in Canada. </strong></h2> <p>If you speak French, here are some links to the French Editions of Colleen Houck’s books that are available in <strong>CANADA</strong> in that language. Please note that there are likely other bookstores where you might find these editions. For more information about books <a href="https://vandareadingrooms.co.uk">check this out</a>. You can check <a href="https://mossgreenchildrensbooks.co.uk"><span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Mossgreen Childrens Books"}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":1313341,"3":{"1":0},"5":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"6":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"7":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"8":{"1":[{"1":2,"2":0,"5":{"1":2,"2":0}},{"1":0,"2":0,"3":3},{"1":1,"2":0,"4":1}]},"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":3700253},"21":1,"23":1}">Mossgreen Childrens Books</span></a> to know the information about some books.</p> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="428" class="wp-image-8718" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1347514-gf.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1347514-gf.jpg 300w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1347514-gf-210x300.jpg 210w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=xQwlDwAAQBAJ&gl=us&hl=en-US&source=productsearch&utm_source=HA_Desktop_US&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=PLA&pcampaignid=MKTAD0930BO1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1f_pBRAEEiwApp0JKLvoKYXNNspFENI93Axyg65KgTOxYEA2b2xDq7XDhy6vJmYxef0tSxoCQy8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">Tiger’s Curse</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- May 14, 2013</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="354" height="550" class="wp-image-8717" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1347516-gf.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1347516-gf.jpg 354w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1347516-gf-193x300.jpg 193w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Coleen_Houck_La_saga_du_tigre?id=wQwlDwAAQBAJ&hl=en-US&gl=us">Tiger’s Quest</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- May 14, 2013</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="355" height="549" class="wp-image-8719" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1443302-gf.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1443302-gf.jpg 355w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1443302-gf-194x300.jpg 194w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Coleen_Houck_La_saga_du_tigre?id=SQ0lDwAAQBAJ&hl=en-US&gl=us">Tiger’s Voyage</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- Sep 26, 2013</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="355" height="549" class="wp-image-8722" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1695140-gf.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1695140-gf.jpg 355w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1695140-gf-194x300.jpg 194w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Coleen_Houck_La_saga_du_tigre?id=ixklDwAAQBAJ&hl=en-US&gl=us">Tiger’s Destiny</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- Feb 9, 2015</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.renaud-bray.com/ImagesEditeurs/PG/3022/3022554-gf.jpg" alt="" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.renaud-bray.com/Livres_Produit.aspx?id=3022554&def=R%C3%AAve+du+tigre(Le)+%2305%2CHOUCK%2C+COLLEEN%2C9782898034640">Tiger’s Destiny</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- March 2020</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="356" height="549" class="wp-image-8721" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1862087-gf.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1862087-gf.jpg 356w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1862087-gf-195x300.jpg 195w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Coleen_Houck_La_saga_du_tigre_La_nouvelle?id=YxolDwAAQBAJ&hl=en-US&gl=us">Tiger’s Promise</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- Jan 21, 2016</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="356" height="549" class="wp-image-8724" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2286164-gf.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2286164-gf.jpg 356w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2286164-gf-195x300.jpg 195w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ressusciter-1-Colleen-Houck/dp/2897861177/ref=pd_sim_14_1/132-7430385-8047740?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=2897861177&pd_rd_r=04005139-8b75-4c44-87a7-aae6198ce9ab&pd_rd_w=MVs8y&pd_rd_wg=rTf73&pf_rd_p=29a85b27-a36a-4f8d-94ca-61aa962c5f39&pf_rd_r=AXPQX6A32PCZ0N0Z488K&psc=1&refRID=AXPQX6A32PCZ0N0Z488K">Reawakened</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- Sept. 30, 2017</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide" style="grid-template-columns: 48% auto;"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="325" height="500" class="wp-image-8730" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/61RuatXt1lL.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/61RuatXt1lL.jpg 325w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/61RuatXt1lL-195x300.jpg 195w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Ressusciter-2-Reconstruire-Colleen-Houck/dp/2897861207/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/132-7430385-8047740?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=2897861207&pd_rd_r=b81e6218-f150-4473-9358-d7c31e46b33d&pd_rd_w=M9jvZ&pd_rd_wg=t9klq&pf_rd_p=a62e2918-d998-4bbb-8337-35aac776e851&pf_rd_r=9BCDRAGKP7Q59M3A6S1M&psc=1&refRID=9BCDRAGKP7Q59M3A6S1M">Recreated</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- Sept. 30, 2017</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> <p> </p> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="355" height="548" class="wp-image-8723" src="https://colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/3164958-gf.jpg" alt="" srcset="https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/3164958-gf.jpg 355w, https://www.colleenhouck.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/3164958-gf-194x300.jpg 194w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 355px) 100vw, 355px" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.renaud-bray.com/Livre_Numerique_Produit.aspx?id=3164958&def=R%c3%a9unir+%2303%2cHOUCK%2c+COLLEEN%2c9782898034688">Reunited</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- April 2020</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.renaud-bray.com/ImagesEditeurs/PG/3010/3010630-gf.jpg" alt="" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.renaud-bray.com/Livres_Produit.aspx?id=3010630&def=Lanterne+d%27Ember(La)%2cHOUCK%2c+COLLEEN%2c9782898034701">The Lantern’s Ember</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- March 2020</li> <li>Country-Canada </li> <li>Publishing House- Éditions AdA</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Reignited-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>Terraformer-No immediate plans to publish</li> </ul> <p><strong>Reach out to your local publisher or <a href="http://Éditions AdA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Éditions AdA</a></strong> <strong>to let them know you’re interested!</strong></p> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <hr class="wp-block-separator" /> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Information about my books in France.</h2> <p>If you speak French, here are some links to the French Editions of Colleen Houck’s books that are available in <strong>FRANCE</strong> in that language. Please note that there are likely other bookstores where you might find these editions.</p> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://lisez3.cdnstatics.com/usuaris/libros/fotos/9782266233/m_libros/9782266232210ORI.jpg" alt="" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.lisez.com/livre-grand-format/1-la-malediction-du-tigre/9782266232210">Tiger’s Curse</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- April 3, 2014</li> <li>Country-France </li> <li>Publishing House- POCKET JEUNESSE</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://lisez2.cdnstatics.com/usuaris/libros/fotos/9782823802/m_libros/9782823801460ORI.jpg" alt="" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.lisez.com/ebook/la-malediction-du-tigre-tome-2-la-quete-du-tigre/9782823801460">Tiger’s Quest</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- Nov 6, 2014</li> <li>Country-France </li> <li>Publishing House- POCKET JEUNESSE</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://lisez3.cdnstatics.com/usuaris/libros/fotos/9782266233/m_libros/9782266232234ORI.jpg" alt="" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://lisez3.cdnstatics.com/usuaris/libros/fotos/9782266233/m_libros/9782266232241ORI.jpg">Tiger’s Voyage</a></p> <p> </p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- May 21, 2015</li> <li>Country-France </li> <li>Publishing House- POCKET JEUNESSE</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide"> <figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" src="https://lisez3.cdnstatics.com/usuaris/libros/fotos/9782266233/m_libros/9782266232241ORI.jpg" alt="" /></figure> <div class="wp-block-media-text__content"> <p class="has-drop-cap has-medium-font-size"><a href="https://www.lisez.com/livre-grand-format/4-la-malediction-du-tigre-le-destin-du-tigre/9782266232241">Tiger’s Destiny</a></p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Published- Dec 3, 2015</li> <li>Country-France </li> <li>Publishing House- POCKET JEUNESSE</li> <li>Language- French</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="wp-block-spacer" style="height: 63px;" aria-hidden="true"> </div> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Tiger’s Promise-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>Tiger’s Dream-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>Reawakened-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>Recreated-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>Reignited-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>Reunited-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>The Lantern’s Ember-No immediate plans to publish</li> <li>Terraformer-No immediate plans to publish</li> </ul> <p><strong>Reach out to your local publisher or <a href="http://www.universpoche.com/pocket-jeunesse.php?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">POCKET JEUNESSE</a> to let them know you’re interested!</strong></p> <p>Studying a different language? You can check out my books in several other languages, including…</p> <p><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2014/01/31/spanish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spanish</a></p> <p><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2014/01/31/japanese/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japanese</a></p> <p><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2014/01/31/brazil/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Portuguese</a></p> <p><a href="https://colleenhouck.com/blog/2014/01/31/german/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">And German</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://www.colleenhouck.com/blog/2020/04/04/french-editions-of-colleen-houcks-books/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>23</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss> <!-- Performance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https://www.boldgrid.com/w3-total-cache/ Page Caching using Redis Served from: www.colleenhouck.com @ 2024-11-21 02:28:41 by W3 Total Cache -->