THE STIGMA OF HIGH FASHION AND HOW IT AFFECTS Y/A and TEENS ...

As most of you all know I try to keep things light and positive on my blog. BUT, on Monday, I had stopped by my blogger pal, Sheri Larson at Writer's Alley... Well, her post FLOORED ME.  "How Social Attitudes Affect Y/A Literature ..." Please hop over and see what Sheri has to say, it's an eye opener!

Basically she states about that Abercrombie and Fitch stated they don't want "model-type" kids to buy their clothing. A ban?! As a former fashion model, I am APPALLED! I never did agree with fashion's INSANE quest for anorexic proportions for young girls, especially since ALL PHOTOS are altered. In my day it was airbrushing, today it's photoshoping... but the bottom line is THESE PEOPLE DON"T look like that in person. EVERYTHING is altered. Kids and ANYONE who has kids, need to understand this. STAGE mom's, IN PARTICULAR, need to know this. But that is ANOTHER post.

Back to Abercrombie ... Imagine, originally an affluent, sports clothing line created for the middle-aged elite, altering their views to THIS?! When they reformatted "their look" a decade or so ago, I was like WHOA.. Okay. But then again, their sloping sales needed a boost somewhere, so why not splash half naked ripped boys. It worked.

But to BAN teens that are not on the A-list... That is WRONG on SO MANY levels.

Sheri also points out a faux pas from Starbucks as well. Admitting they wish traditionally married people need to stay home.... WHAT?! ARE you al bugging out?! I know I did. How ridiculous is this statement. I am ALL FOR appreciation for alternative lifestyles acceptance, but targeting ANY group is just plain WRONG ... AGAIN.

How does this affect Y/A or even m/g? Think about it ... of course it does! How many y/a books have you read with two ripped boys hot at after the sexy teen girl? Uh, like 99%. I mean, that's what sells. Right?  But is it right? Are we compromising our values and "selling out?"

Okay, I myself an a bit guilty in my second novel... an edgy contemporary. Yes, my teen is ripped. BUT he is average height and is beyond flawed. The second male is blind... so you still can put some of these elements in your writing, but it is more important to have a STORY.

Sheri gives some AMAZING examples of the non, a-list kids/teens. They are WONDERFUL Here are just a few ...

"

• the teen boy, who wears hammy-downs from his cousin because he works two jobs to help his family buy oil for the winter?
• or what about the sophomore girl, whose eyeglasses are too big for her face but her parents can't afford to buy her more expensive ones?
• maybe it's the high school senior unable to afford college or simply feels that school is not his/her thing?
• could it be the teenage cashier or bus-boy, or babysitter? "

Lord only knows how often I have battled with my weight. And it wasn't until I slimmed down at sixteen did I get discovered to model. And it happened again when I had gained over fifty pounds when I began writing four years ago. Talk about being invisible. NO company should EVER discriminate against ANYONE. 

According to Sheri, A&F is only making clothing up to a certain size, only wanting a "certain type" to sport their clothing. (Shaking head at this one). An overweight person has ENOUGH prejudice to deal with on so many other levels, why add insult to injury. A person should have the opportunity to wear whatever they wish. This is a free country. 

I know we have all see fashion No No's, but do we really have the right to judge anyone? I know I have been guilty of it in the past, but I would never hurt anyone's feelings. With me it's more of an aesthetic thing. Something else would look more appealing on that person. And please don't get me started on the hanging pants thing... How many more years do we have to put up with that? Not only does it look ridiculous but these boys can barely walk right.  Low hung jeans are hot ... below the butt is NOT.

Getting back to writing. How many y/a books have been banned with dealing with "heated' issues? Too many... I am curious to see how fast my novel gets banned when the time comes for it to be published. (Soon... I hope. Lol)

Sheri is so passionate about this subject and frankly, I think all y/a authors should be... So what do you think? 

Here are the links to the article and video.... Let me know. After viewing, Please leave a comment.

Certainly something to muddle over on this HUMP day....  

Video

Article

Here's an article I just came across from another blogger. (Opposing Views) "Plus-size Blogger creates Mock Abercrombie and Fitch Ad," by Sarah Rae Fruchtnict. (Cudos Sarah!)


                                    

A POSITIVE NOTE ....

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL BE POSITIVE DAY, EVERYONE!

That's right today is a very special day. My blogger pals, Sharon Mayhew and Robyn Campbell are hosting this wonderful event!

How often we fret about life's stressful moments. Work, family, failing health, losing our loved ones, jobs, and friends. But even though we experience many of this traumas on a daily basis, there is so much beauty in this world that many of us overlook.

I spend much of my time as an observer and many of my most treasured memories are as simple as watching a father playing with his son on the beach. The care, the PATIENCE, and the beaming of his face as he watches his little one building a castle in the sand.

An elderly couple. Hand-in-hand sharing a private moment, and the oh-so-sublte loving smile that melts the wrinkles away, revealing for a brief moment, a young couple in love.

Or, shiny green leaves popping through a frigid, muddy earth. The rebirth of nature is by far one of the most inspiring, miraculous, and magical wonders to experience.

What about ducklings following their mother, skirting across a blue-green pond. The way they glide in unison is mesmerizing. Nature is the ultimate high. THE ULTIMATE INSPIRATION.

Take the time to take a breath and watch. Become one with your surroundings and you'll find yourself grinning ear-to-ear.

My past few months in Florida had so many positive moments. Now that spring in amongst all of us now, go out and enjoy it!

ENJOY this wonderful celebration of LIFE!

Imagine ... Flowers growing on a beach! BUT, you don't have to imagine ...

BLOGGER SIGHTING ....

Good morning, all.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend. Chicago's kicked into spring BIG TIME. Brightly colored flowers are popping out all over the city. Warm breezes and bright light caressed our fair city this weekend. As for today a good start, but storms plan on rolling in later today...

BUT that will not stop me from meeting up with one of my FAVORITE blogger friends and 80's Guru, Nicki Elson. Once a year we meet to celebrate our birthdays! How cool is that! We are only a few days and few years apart. LOL. But we are both Taurus' and today is the official LAST DAY of this amazing celestial sign. So the bulls will be ruling in Chicago today.

I'll be sporting my ORIGINAL 80's Rayban sunglasses as a special surprise for her. Let's see if she notices. LOL.

Wishing you all as fun an afternoon as I plan to have.

On a special note, I had just visited The Writer's Alley and Sheri Larson posted on an extremely important issue faced with m/g and y/a writers. Drop by and read her post, my jaw dropped.  There are also links to articles WE ALL NEED to be aware of, so please click here and read this post.

I plan to post more about this subject matter on Wednesday, so please pop back over here if you can.

I will probably have a few pics of my meeting with Nicki as well....

Have a great day everyone!

ANOTHER KIND OF REVEAL ....

HI, EVERYONE,


How are all of you doing? Today Chicago is a beautiful sun-drenched day. Yes, I finally made it home. I arrived on Monday afternoon and the cool temps (only 50) certainly chilled me to the bone. But today it is in the 70's and just lovely.

Before heading out to run a bazillion errands, I'd like to share with you some pics of a new REVEAL. No, you WON'T have to buy another book, so don't cringe. LOL. I was thrilled to be able to visit the NEW FANTASYLAND in Disney World.

Of course, with Disney I had expected something pretty awesome. Disney has been looking very dated lately and with the FABULOUS Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal, Disney certainly needed to create something wonderful.

You let me know what you think after you see the pics. But before I reveal them, I did have a fun birthday at Epcot before it had poured rain later in the day. This time of year they feature the garden and flower show, which is always STUNNING. But what really thrilled me there was the butterfly pavilion. Thousands of these miracles of grace and beauty fluttered all around me. I did manage to capture one sun bathing for a brief second.

Isn't she beautiful?!

There were so many fluttering around, I would have liked to have taken pics all day, but one must move on to the next experience. Right?

Now are you ready for the reveal? Okay, calm down. First I'd like to introduce you to an old favorite. The many turrets of Cinderella's castle still glisten in the sunlight. With so much rain all week, the grass and flowers burst with color. 

As I wove between the thousands of visitors, the clouds did start to role in and by the time I traveled my long distance to Fantasyland, the skies grayed. I journeyed all the way to  Rupunzel's tower. She seemed to be out and about today, sadly. So no visible locks of gold draped down the tower for me to climb and enjoy a refreshing afternoon latte with her. Bummer.

Tired, I strolled through the village, looking for a cafe' ...

Such a charming village, but where's the coffee? And perhaps a sweet ...

Pinocchio? I had no idea, he lived in the same village as Rupunzel.  I guess he does, because over yonder is her tower.

Geez, no cafe' in sight. I guess I need to trudge along this cobblestone street to the next village. Oh, look... It's Belle's village about a thousand stones' throw away....

Phew! I finally made it. And there's Gaston's. Did he have a pub? Well, he does know. That works for me! I could certainly use something cold and frothy. Xnay on the latte.

What a great place to spend a few happy moments with friends. But it's time to go and continue on ...

WHOA! The sun is setting over the village. How long have I been at Gaston's?! I need to get back to Cindy's place before I miss the electrical parade.

Now that's what I call a STUNNING VIEW! I'll Just about make it back In Time ....

I certainly hope you liked the tour of the new Fantasyland. As you can see from my cheezy grin below, I sure did!

Two days later, I was on the road again, but this time motoring home to Chicago. BUT, I did have a little detour. I exited off in Indianapolis to visit the WONDERFUL, MARVELOUS, TALENTED, SWEETEST, CHEERIEST, AND TREASURED BLOGGER BUDDY, LEIGH MOORE!!!!! Yes, you may cheer and squeal with delight ... I know, I did. LOL.

Well, we had an awesome visit at a local trendy, Indy restaurant. It was truly magical.  The sun shone brightly, although it was only 60 degrees. But, we didn't care  ...

Sorry about the distortion, it was a quick impromptu and the sun was in my eyes. LOL. As Leigh had said ... I almost cut myself out of the pic. LOL.

HAVE AN AWESOME DAY EVERYONE!!!

WHAT SPARKLES WITH BRILLIANCE? ...

During this week it's Laura Eno's ...

Talk about a dramatic and seductive cover. Metal reflects. A ruby lizard glitters. And, the flickering smoke licks at them with the skill and passion of an expert lover.

Now that I have your attention, here is what's behind this intriguing cover ...

Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all.

Convinced his father may still be alive, David begins a treacherous journey to find him and discover a way home. Along the way, he encounters a few unlikely friends. A Dreean warrior, a beautiful thief and a satyr join him as he searches.

David's arrival into this new world sets off an explosive chain reaction of events. Faced with powerful adversaries and few clues, he may not get the chance to rescue his father before disaster strikes, condemning both of them to death. Or worse.

Links:

Read Excerpt:

Purchase at:

KindleUS   

 
KindleUK

Nook

Smashwords

Kobo

Trade Paperback

Add to your Goodreads

You can find Laura here:

Website - Blog - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

PLEASE drop by Laura's blog to WISH HER WELL... ALL THE BEST, LAURA!

Have a great day everyone!

And as you guys area reading this I am having coffee with the amazing Leigh Talbort Moore!

REFLECTIONS ... LET'S HOPE WE LIKE WHAT WE SEE ....

Hi, Everyone...

I know I've been quiet for a whole week. I just couldn't bring myself to post until now. I needed to reflect...  And not just on the A-Z.

This year's Challenge was an eye opener for me. I learned something about myself and my fellow writers/bloggers ....

We truly are a special group. As I wrote my intros, I realized the degree of talent in our blogosphere is ASTOUNDING. So many intriguing subjects and stories. SO many of you cursing me for introducing you to yet another book you HAD TO HAVE and added to your TBR list. Hey, my TBR is endless too! So you guys aren't the only ones. LOL. But seriously, your support and inspiring comments for these authors honestly thrilled me, especially knowing that in some small way I had helped get the word out.

I had also discovered that I really enjoyed writing in so many different voices and genres. It goes to show you what I have always believed, a writer can write ANYTHING as long as they are having fun and they are passionate about it.

Last year I had connected with several bloggers who have become "family" to me. This year, the magic continued to a few others. What's so nice about this challenge is you don't have to drive yourself crazy visiting over a thousand people, who in all honesty, you will never REALLY get to know. So concentrating on a special few and continuing to bond with your "family" is the way to go, at least it works for me.

I enjoyed this year's challenge, even though I had to overcome obstacles. I had to do MORE PLANNING as opposed to "winging it" like I normally do. I am proud of myself because I wrote well. Not just anything. I was inspired by my fellow writers and their incredible talents.

I know many writers are overwhelmed by published and famous authors... not me. I am striving to become one of them. WE must all learn from one another and continue to grow and learn. Stagnation will destroy your creativity. Never let this happen. Never fear to learn.

With only a few more days of the Florida sunshine left, I plan to soak up as much as I can before heading back to Chicago. Two days driving will certainly give me time to think for my next step in my journey.

Knowing that all of you are behind me, enables me to move on with less fear and anxiety of what is to become of my journey. Only time will tell. In the meantime, I will keep my eyes open and my fingers tapping on my keyboard and hope to create words that will inspire all of you.

Have a Wonderful rest of week, and I hope to have some pics to show you on Friday's post. I plan to get to the new Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom on Saturday. I have already been there, but I was rained out twice and I want to take pics with glorious blue sky and sunshine. Those I hope to post on Monday. If I get a chance. I will be on the road all day.

Until then.... Pleasant BLOGGING!

CAN WE BREATHE YET? ....


HI, Everyone.

HAPPY MAY 1st! CONGRATULATIONS to ALL the A-Zers... You ALL deserve a round of applause! Do you hear it? IT'S DEFINING!!!!!

I would like to THANK all of you who have made this challenge SO SUCCESSFUL. A special thanks to you for supporting my 26 featured authors... I know it was an added monthly expense, but imaging the HOURS of pleasure you will have from 26 different reads. And the VARIETY. From love stories to ZOMBIE DOGS... AND EVERYTHING in BETWEEN.

Today is also the FIRST Wednesday of the month. Talk about BAD TIMING. 28 posts... EEK!

I would like to share with you a bit about how, at times, I felt overwhelmed with the challenge. For several weeks I had VERY limited wifi access and this HUGE challenge to write and POST. At times I honestly think I wouldn't be able to do it. BUT for the first time, this pantser actually plotted. Yes, I wrote my post before the actual day they were due. AMAZING for me. For the first two years I did this challenge, I wrote the posts the day before. This year I had to plan around my wifi. It worked.

I stayed ahead throughout and had almost all my intros written by the 22nd. The last two I took a few days off, and yet I still had them done before 26th.

As many of you know I had a difficult and challenging theme. I wanted to help my fellow bloggers introduce their fantastic creations. I am happy to say I pleased my author friends and their admirers. So my point is, when you do something from the heart, you will succeed. Our writing comes from our hearts and souls. I may take time, but we will succeed! So don't give up that writing dream. I certainly won't. With each new day, post, comment, I take another step in my journey. I am proud and honored to have all of you for company. At times we may feel lonely and abandoned, but ALWAYS remember, you have a friend just a step away.

Today I also have an announcement. I was asked by Steven Tremp to help host a fantastic and much needed blog hop about HEALTH! You know I have had several health and fitness posts in the past, well now Steven Tremp, Alex J. Cavanaugh, L. Diane Wolfe, and myself are your hosts on Wednesday, May 29th.

As you know, many writers have very little spare time to take care of themselves. With work, family, and stressed of writing, fitness and eating right is not on the list.... Well I am here to tell you IT SHOULD BE! And this hop will help motivate you. We will offer tips, advice, and inspiration to get you started AND to keep you going. So why not join the hop and add your name to the linky. All you have to do is tell us how you keep in shape. And if you don't ... YET ... now is the time to start.

I was a very unhealthy writer. For the first two years I wrote I had gained over fifty pounds. Three years ago I took my life back and lost the fifty plus another thirty-five ... and I am happy to say I have KEPT IT OFF. IT's NOT easy, but we must find the time to MOVE AWAY FROM the COMPUTER.

And my illustrious co-hosts, the Ninja Captain AND L. Diane Wolfe have guest posted on my blog on this actual subject... so we do practice what we preach... LOL.

Now that the temps are rising... so should you ... get out and smell the flowers with a brisk walk. It clears your head and you will feel GREAT!

Why not take a bike ride this weekend? Pack a healthy picnic and after your six to ten mile ride, find a picturesque setting and enjoy.

Have a great weekend everyone!