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Tuesday, July 7, 2015

A year of trees and other thoughts: guest post with Yasmine Galenorn (Flight From Death book tour) + giveaway

A Year of Trees and Other Thoughts

For the 43 weeks, I’ve been doing a project for my blog. I called it a Year of Trees, and it was the brainchild of my husband. Yes, he’s to blame for the whole thing. I say ‘to blame’ because every Sunday for the past forty-some weeks, I’ve had to remember to go over to this one street I love and take a picture of a string of trees and post it, noting the changes I see as the seasons progress.

In 9 weeks I’ll be free and I keep thinking, what a relief. But, in some ways, I’m going to miss it.

I’ve learned a few things by this weekly ritual.

One: I’m reminded by the sense of satisfaction I get over completing a project. For the first month or two, I wasn’t sure I’d keep going, but there came a tipping point where I realized I really wanted to finish this project.

Two: I’ve learned that viewing the world through a small camera lens is an interesting experiment. I’m giving my readers a look into our world throughout an entire year—but it’s a small and narrow glimpse. One group of trees, through the seasons. Just that. When I’m done I plan to make a slideshow out of it. 52 pictures (well, honestly, a few less—there were a couple weeks I was too sick to go take the picture). 52 moments captured in time at the same place.

Three: The world changes at different rates. There will be week after week where the pictures look almost the same and then BOOM—one week brings a major shift and it’s vivid and noticeable. Nothing is static. Life can change within the blink of an eye.

I’m looking forward to the end of the project, mostly because I will have actually finished it. I always finish my books on time and get them in to my editor. I’ve occasionally had to back out of a smaller project but always before I even began it, when I realized that I wasn’t going to have time for it. But when it comes to my own artistic projects—as in, personal—sometimes I realize I don’t give them the importance I do other things. But now, after this past year, I think I’ve changed on that. Because keeping a promise to myself is as important as keeping a promise to anybody else.

And who knows, maybe I’ll start a new year-of project? But I’ll tell you this: if I do, I’ll be taking pictures of something in my yard where it’s easier to remember to get to. ~smiles~

You can see the project on my blog, along with info on my books and other projects.

OH, not so much an afterthought, but: I have a new book out this week. July 7th sees Flight From Death hit the shelves, the first in my new Fly By Night Series. Dragons and Vampires and Shifters, OH MY! I invite you to open the pages to meet Shimmer, a blue dragon shifter exiled from the Dragon Reaches, and Alex, the Aussie ex-pat vampire who owns the Fly By Night Magical Investigations Agency. They’re out to rumble, so dive in to Flight From Death if you love urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and all good things that are fun and ooo-spooky!

My questions to you, are these: have you ever set yourself up with a long running, unpaid project? Did you manage to follow through? If you were to photograph something over a year’s time, what would it be?

One person who answers my questions will receive a $10 Amazon e-gift card. And check out my new series!



Flight from Death (Fly by Night #1)
by Yasmine Galenorn
Paperback, 336 pages
Published July 7th 2015 by Berkley
From New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn comes an all-new series set in the realm of her Otherworld novels.

I’m Shimmer, a blue dragon shifter. Thanks to a mistake, I was exiled from the Dragon Reaches and sentenced to work for Alex Radcliffe, a vampire who owns the Fly by Night Magical Investigations Agency. Now, not only do I have to adapt to Earthside culture, but every time I turn around, somebody’s trying to kill us. And worse, Alex is as gorgeous as he is exasperating. But you know what they say: All’s fair in love and bounty hunting…

When an old friend of Alex contacts him about a haunting at the High Tide Bed & Breakfast in Port Townsend, Washington, we think we’re on a simple ghost hunt. But our investigation quickly transforms into a deadly fight as we uncover an eighty-year-old murder, a cursed house, and a dark force trapping the spirits within. To stop impending disaster we must break the curse and lay the angry spirits to rest.



About the Author:
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy for Berkley: the Otherworld Series, and the Fly By Night Series and the upcoming Whisper Hollow Series. She will also be finishing the Otherworld Series and writing the Lily Bound Series for Diversion Books. Also known for her Indigo Court Series, her paranormal mysteries, and her nonfiction metaphysical books, Yasmine is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. She lives in Kirkland WA with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her website at www.galenorn.com


GIVEAWAY
Answer Yasmine's question: Have you ever set yourself up with a long running, unpaid project? Did you manage to follow through? If you were to photograph something over a year’s time, what would it be?

Answer in the comments and leave a way to contact you
One person who answers my questions will receive a $10 Amazon e-gift card. And check out my new series!

19 comments:

  1. I have done long term projects and finished them. It is wonderful. If I were to photo something every week, I would pick a stream.
    debby236 at gmail dot com

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  2. I'm not big on long term projects, mainly cuz I fail :) Ummm... the only "project" that I have right now is to read more and finally get through the massive TBR pile! I think that I'd take pics of my dog over a year (I practically do that now anyway). Thanks for sharing!

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  3. I agree with Erin. The only long running project I have is reading all the books I have or get from the library. My pics would be of the ocean.

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  4. I try not to do long term projects because I tend not to follow through. I get too distracted with other things. If I photographed something it would be my daughter :) I love watching her grow up. Thanks for the chance!

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  5. The only long term project I've done is my marriage; every day is a work in progress, sharing your thoughts, feelings and ideas and trying to compromise so both of you will be happy; I've been at ai for 36 years and hopefully another 35 to come...

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  6. I have set myself up for a long term unpaid project if you can consider blogging as a project. I would love to photograph my entire family together in a year's time.
    Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    justjanhvi at gmail dot com

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  7. Yes, I have set myself up with long-term projects that I completed successfully. If I was to photograph something over the course of a year, it would be my grandchildren.

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  8. Honey calls me a professional volunteer. Areas in which I have volunteered include 25 years on our
    district and high school levels and 41 years in our parish on the Pastoral Council, music ministry and
    Ministry of the Word. Also have dabbled in the civic area!

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  9. I do not set myself up for long running, unpaid projects - I do not finish them. I'd take pictures of my grandchildren they grow and change so rapidly

    tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

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  10. I never seem to finish long projects or unpaid projects.

    I should photograph my kids every day over a year

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  11. No, I haven't

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  12. Yes I have. I've been blogging about books for almost 4 years. This year I planned to review all of the books I receive for tours and review at least two books a month that I won or was gifted to review. It's been hectic and fun but I'm still going strong. Congratulations on your newest release. Fabulous cover and sounds so thrilling!

    laurathomas61@att.net

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  13. No, I haven't.
    I would photograph nature.
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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  14. The only long unpaid project that I have undertaken was my Master's thesis in geoarchaeology. It involved a lot of fieldwork and labwork, and I had to pay for a lot of expenses. It took 2 years, including writing, but I finished and got my Master's degree. It was quite an accomplishmment for me. I really like your trees during the year idea. I bet it looks cool, especially when you put all of the pics together in a video!

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  15. having kiddos was a long term project and I'm done with one for the most part. The other is still a work in progress but almost done.

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  16. Oh no! I'm terrible with long term projects. I'd love to plant a seed and photograph all the process of growing!

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  17. Contest closed. Bison61 won. I will be sending your info to Yasmine! Thanks.

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  18. Contest closed. Bison61 won. I will be sending your info to Yasmine! Thanks.

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