The Life and Times of Rona Shively...Iss. 2

The Life and Times of Rona Shively
<-----Fiesty, Fearless and Fabulous----->
Vol. 1, Iss. 2 November 1, 2007
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In this issue...
What's new!
Upcoming Events
Fun Facts
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What's new!

I’m back on tour…or at least, trying to be. So far, I have a couple of dates scheduled for November and December. I was unfortunately sidelined by a terrible case of bronchitis during the last couple weeks of October. This illness caused me to miss my first appearance at the Midwest Kentucky Book Expo on October 27th. My apologies to the organizers of this event.

My next appearance is set for the Joseph Beth Bookstore in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 7th at 7 p.m. I’ll be there as part of an Author Night event. If you’re in the area, please stop in and say hello!

In December, I’m headed back to Columbus, Ohio to the Waldenbooks store in the Polaris mall. I’ll be there on Sunday, December 9th from 2 to 4 p.m.

Although this is non-Rona news, I have an exciting announcement! I recently submitted a horror story for inclusion in a horror anthology with Triad Publishing. The anthology is due to be published in February of 2008 and they will be including my story. The story is called Eleven and it is about a teenage girl who finds herself in hot water as she learns that she is on the list to be sacrificed by a local cult. This one’s creepy!

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After months of deliberation, I have decided on a title for the next Rona Shively book. I’ll be releasing the book’s trailer within the next few weeks, so be sure to stop by my website at www.theronashivelystories.com to check it out! The title will be revealed in the new trailer! For now, there is a wonderful new Rona Shively Stories trailer up on my website! I’ve made some changes to the site, so please stop by when you have a minute!
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Don't forget to visit my blog at www.wordsiview.blogspot.com. From time to time, I post contest announcements, news and other items on there. Stop by when you can!
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50 States by 2008-I'm hoping to get the Rona Shively Stories into libraries and bookstores in every state by this time next year. Please tell your friends to request my books from their local libraries! Let's get Rona on the shelves!
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No Takers!

Our Fall reading contest had no winners because…nobody entered! I was a little surprised that nobody wanted a $50 gift card, but I guess that’s the way things go sometimes. I will be holding another contest soon, this one won’t be for the faint of heart. I’m going to be looking for lots of creativity and the best interpretation of the Rona Shively Stories! More details will follow, so put on your thinking caps now!

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Upcoming Events

As I shared earlier, the big news for now is that I have some appearances scheduled. After taking a break for a couple of months, I’m excited at the prospect of getting back out there. Keep watching for more dates! I’ll be adding more soon.

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Fun Facts

In every issue of this newsletter, I'm going to include some bit of trivia about Rona Shively and/or some of the characters in her book. Pay attention to these tidbits because they will be on the test later! Actually, a few months down the line, I'll be giving away a big prize to the person who can plug the correct answers into a Pop Quiz!

This month's tidbit-Rona Shively’s sister, Jane is married to one of the executives at the local auto manufacturer in Clarkston, OH. The name of this company is not important, but there is an important connection between one of the church board members, Carl Freeman and this company.

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As always, I appreciate your support and hope you will continue to enjoy the Rona Shively Stories!

Until next time...

Rebecca Benston

My 50th post...

What to say? What to say? Well, I guess I will go with more of the same. I'm still reading several books that I think you might find interesting. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin is still holding my interest. It's not that long of a book, but I tend to have limited pockets of time during which I can sit and read. Browsing through non-fiction books seems to work better for me than trying to read through the latest book by my favorite fiction writers. Luckily, there are audiobooks. Without these, I might never get to hear the latest Lisa Scottoline or Janet Evanovich stories.

Right now, I have several "browsing" books on hand. The first is called, Never Shower in a Thunderstorm: Surprising Facts and Misleading Myths About Our Health and the World We Live In by Anahad O'Connor. O'Connor is the "Really?" columnist for The New York Times. If that prompts you to ask "Really?" then you've got bigger issues than I can help you with. Anyway, this book is about dispelling myths such as "Does the Spanish Fly really exist?" or "Does grilled meat cause cancer?" or the title question of "Do you risk electrocution if you shower during a thunderstorm?" Intriguing? Yes. I picked a few at random and here's what I found:
The explanations given in this book are too involved for me to share here. I was going to dispell a few choice myths for you, but then decided that it really wouldn't be cool for me to spill the beans. Sorry if I got your hopes up on this one. My advice would be that if you are really interested in things like this, it wouldn't hurt to pick this one up. The book has tons of great statistics and so forth and would probably make a great gift for the inquisitive types on your Christmas list.

The second book I am looking at right now is called The Wish List by Barbara Ann Kipfer. I like this one because I am always looking for interesting things to want to do. Not necessarily to do, but just to want to do. It doesn't hurt to keep your dreams fresh. For example, I know that I am not likely to find myself in a situation where I am swimming with dolphins. For one thing, I'm terrified of deep water and big fish. For another, I don't trust them. Although they are built up to be this wonderful mammal (I guess) that wouldn't harm a human being, I don't trust any animal that can do the things that dolphins can do. Hell, I'm not even sure what they can do, but they kind of creep me out. In any case, this didn't stop me from putting "swim with dolphins" on my list of things I might like to do at some point during my life. Kipfer's list includes this and other crazy things like visiting all of the Major League Baseball stadiums in the U.S., tasting the native foods of every region on earth, and even flirting with Paul Newman. The book makes for interesting conversation with those around you and it gives you something to think about other than the usual lists of things you have to do to keep your household running. My new list, for example, includes learn how to read music, truly understand football instead of just watching in hopes of seeing a fight break out, and having dinner with three of my favorite men, Bob Barker, Richard Dawson and William Shatner. Can you imagine the conversation at this table? What a dream come true this would be! I might have to add James Garner to this list, too. After all, that's what wish lists are for. If you get a chance, pick this little book up and carry it around with you. Wishing is good for the soul.

In my never-ending quest for knowledge, I have also stumbled upon several good books about organizing your home. I have so much crap that I work with on a daily basis that it is sometimes difficult for me to keep everything tidy. I found 1000 Best Quick and Easy Organizing Secrets by Jamie Novak to be very helpful. Novak is the founder of Clutterproofing products. This is trademarked, but I couldn't figure out how to put the little symbol beside it, so I'll just have to spell it out. In any case, the book gives an itemized list of things you can do to make each area of your home and your life a little more organized. I have been using some of these and I have to say, I'm impressed. Several of these have been very helpful and I'm only halfway through the list. If you are into organizing, check this one out!

As usual, I'm always looking for inspiration and I have a few standard passages that I like to read from time to time to keep me grounded. Cynthia Kersey's book, Unstoppable has been a motivating force in my life since I found it years ago. I often pick this one up and read through it until I find the one that fits where I am in my journey. For today, I will share this poem:

Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do...
Often the road will be rugged
and the hills insurmountable, too...

But always remember, the hills ahead
are never as steep as they seem.
and with faith in your heart start upward
and climb 'til you reach your dream.

For nothing in life that is worthy
is ever too hard to achieve
if you have the faith to try it
and you have the faith to believe

For faith is a force that is greater
than knowledge or power or skill
and many defeats turn to triumph
if you trust in god's wisdom and will...

For faith is a mover of mountains.
There's nothing that god cannot do.
So start out today with faith in your heart
and climb 'til your dream comes true!

Helen Steiner Rice
Climb 'Til Your Dream Comes True

If that doesn't motivate you, try a couple more cups of coffee and check back with me later. Try to have a good day and possibly, a good week. Until next time...