On Fall, Shakespeare, Life and Death

I love fall. I love the cool temps, the color and the anticipation of change that permeates the cool air.

But three years ago my perception of fall shifted. It was on a beautiful day in October when I got a phone call that my sister had collapsed. Seven weeks later she was gone. I spent most of those seven weeks at her home, helping with her children, and watching the leaves drop one by one.

That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin'd choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In me thou seest the twilight of such day
As after sunset fadeth in the west,
Which by and by black night doth take away,
Death's second self, that seals up all in rest.
In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire
That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,
As the death-bed whereon it must expire
Consumed with that which it was nourish'd by.
   This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,
   To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

Thanks Shakespeare. You really do say it best. I still love the autumn. I still miss my sister.

Haiku Contest Voting

We have a WINNER!


Congratulations to Scott Rhoades who wrote #16-The Hobbit.


He is the proud new owner of a $25 Amazon gift certificate.


Tied for 2nd place: #4-The Inheritance Cycle by Matt Ratto, #6-Keturah and Lord Death by Michelle Ratto, and #20-Swan Song by T.J. Reed.


Thanks everyone for playing. Remember to keep your skills sharp and be ready for next March's annual Limerick Contest.




We have lots a great Haiku to vote on. 

(Special thanks to the Sharks and Pebbles who once again responded generously to my call for entries.)

Read through the list below and then vote on the three you like best. Winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card email.

Here they are, in the order I received them: 


(I was going to put the titles in, but then I decided not to because it's fun to try and guess, and I don't know them all.)

1.
Thanks for the burnt bread.
If you kiss me you get soup.
I'd like to frost you.

2.
I better win this
last time people were cheaters
I'm the best -Brady

3.
They held Max up high
"Let the wild rumpus begin"
They all roared out loud.

4.
Boy and his dragon
Hot elf and four endless books
Beat Galbatorix

5.
You're in Yellowstone?
Hey, watch your step - watch your back
So much freaking death.

6.
death permeates all
life and love in the village
and forces a choice

7.
My name is Cleaver
My mom is a mortician
Am I the killer?

8.
Run, run in a maze
Find the cure for the world
WICKED always lies

9.
I hear the echoes
From the missing and the dead
And the one who killed

10.
She has the arrow
He has the strength, will and love
Together they win

11.
She smells good to him
He glitters in the sunlight
Victim or girlfriend

12.
She dresses in drapes
Rhett loves her and marries her
She's stuck on Ashley

13.
My best friends are dead
My memories are locked away
Am I the killer?

14.
Rich men want a wife
It's a universal law
Mother's want the match

15.
Fearing boogieman
two finches learn tolerance
among injustice

16.
He's number thirteen
with some dwarves and a wizard
What's in his pocket?

17.
The Nac Mac Feegle,
fightin,' drinkin,' and fightin'
rescue Tiff's brother

18.
Kansas behind her,
silver shoes on her feet, she
seeks Em'rald City

19.
Pup is up in cup,
Eats a snack with Brown and Black.
Pop reads TIMBUKTU.

20.
Young girl, heart of gold
Devil roaming happily
Will the world end?

21.
Hazel and Mac's friends
Throw a big party for Doc
Doesn't go so well

22.
Vampires don't sparkle.
I don't care what you girls say.
They don't. They just don't.

23.
Call me Ishmael.
Wait. I did this book last time.
I'll try another.

Please tick the number of the THREE you like best.
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Key: 1-The Hunger Games  2-Original Work  3-Where the Wild Things Are  4-The Inheritance Cycle  5-Death In Yellowstone  6-Keturah and Lord Death  7-I Am Not a Serial Killer  8-The Maze Runner  9-The Body Finder  10-The Hunger Games  11-Twilight  12-Gone with the Wind  13-Original Novel  14-Pride and Prejudice  15-To Kill a Mockingbird  16-The Hobbit  17-?  18-The Wizard of Oz  19-?  20-Swan Song  21-?  22-Twilight  23-Moby Dick

(Scott, help me fill in the blanks!)

Haiku Contest

IT'S FINALLY HERE. I know you've all been waiting for this. I wanted to run this contest in April for poetry month, but with the A to Z Challenge, there wasn't time.

The Details:

Write a Haiku about a book, email it to me so I can post it anonymously, come back on Friday and vote on which Haiku you like best. (julie at juliedaines dot com) Do NOT put your Haiku in the comments.


Anyone can enter. It would be nice if you followed me and/or help spread the word, but it's not a requirement.


The Winner:


Receives an electronic Amazon (US, UK, or Canada) $25 gift card. YAY!


Need a Haiku Refresher? (It's been a long time since 5th grade.)

Haiku is a traditional Japanese form of poetry in three lines, the syllables in each line are 5, 7, 5, respectively. I know that there are other forms of Haiku, but for this contest, let's just stick with the basics.

Example:

from the long hallways

voices of the people rise

in the morning haze

- Oshima Ryot

Your job is to write one about a book. 

Example:

orphaned and alone

she rose to meet her dreams with

imagination

That was my 5 minute attempt at Anne of Green Gables. Ok, so I'm not a poet--that's why I write novels. But anyway, you get the picture. Include the title of the book you're Haiku-ing.

Entry deadline is Thursday, May 17th, midnight my time. : )

Voting will run Friday through Sunday, and the winner will be announced on Monday, May 21. 

Winner!! Limerick Pitch Contest

After a crazy night of voting, we have a winner!

Brooke Emery! Who wrote number 11, the Twilight limerick.

Congratulations!!!
Don't forget to come back and play again next year.

Thanks a million to everyone who entered!

Voting ends on Sunday, March 18th. Winner will be announced Monday, March 19th.

Here they are: Update** I added the names of the books.

#1 (Carrie)
I'll think of something, I will!
Just don't my mama you tell.
She thought I was a spawn
And satan's hideous pawn
All because I sent my friends to a fiery, um, outer darkness.

#2 (original novel)
Dear Agent, I have a cool story,
Sometimes scary and a little bit gory.
This kid meets some Vikings
(could this be to your liking?)
And together they seek fame and glory.

#3 (The Hunger Games)
A fight to the death it must be
For the tributes to gain victory.
Only one can survive
So what a surprise
When both of them won, yippee!

#4 (original novel)
A boy's on the coast with his auntie,
Who keeps him out back in a shanty.
He must find--with his tutor,
And a mouse (what is cuter?)--
A lost will. Can he do it or can't he?

#5 (Gone with the Wind)
Her mammy was all in a dither,
She wouldn't eat a bite of her dinner.
She didn't want to burp,
On Ashley (that jerk!)
And end up an old Southern Spinster.

#6 (Origami Yoda, written by my 10 year old daughter)
I love Origami Yoda
I think he drinks soda
Origami Yoda can tell the future
It's not normal nature
I like reading it on the sofa.

#7 (original novel, sort of)
The police looked far and wide
For the person that could hide
But they could not find
And were in a bind
As the killer laughed from the side

#8 (Lord of the Rings)
Through all the folk and lore
One had to "walk to Mordor"
The ring they had
It was very bad
They had to for the war

#9 (Narcissus)
Narcissus’ heart was in pain
In love with himself again
He could not look away
Until his dying day
And thus the demise of the vain!

#10 (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs)
There’s a place where it rained from the sky
Spaghetti, French toast and pie!
The town was aflutter
‘Till a large mold of butter
Flattened them straight as a tie.

#11 (Twilight Saga)
The writing was mediocre and dry
Still Bella and Edward were fly
Until they had a baby
And it got so dumb crazy
All its readers just wanted to die.

#12 (The Grapes of Wrath)
When the dust storms done ruined their land
And from their home the bank had them banned
The Joads headed for Cali
To pick fruit in the valley
But nothing went as they had planned

#13 (The Odyssey)
Odysseus took off for Troy
Leaving his wife and his boy
Took twenty years to get back
His wife's suitors to hack
Yes, this tale's just loaded with joy.

#14 (Moby Dick)
Dear Agent, please read my tale,
'Bout a guy who was called Ishmael
Sailing on the Pequod
Ahab's leg had been gnawed
So he's seeking revenge on that whale


Voting is closed. We received 40 votes.

Please select the number of your favorite limerick.

1234567891011121314

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All those not labeled original novel are from well known stories. Can you name them? Feel free to add your own limerick to the comments.

Don't forget to come back and play again next year!

Limerick Pitch Contest

Announcing the first annual

Limerick Pitch Contest

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! All you have to do is come up with a pitch for your book in the form of a limerick.

What is a limerick? It's a short poem (usually funny and nonsensical but it doesn't have to be) consisting of 5 lines with the rhyming pattern AABBA and with a definite rhythm of 33223 beats per line, respectively.

Example:

Here's a quick one for Harry Potter:

The Death Eaters seek Harry's demise,

With his wand Harry fights and he tries

To avoid getting hurt,

But then **spoiler alert**

The evil Lord Voldemort dies.

Get the idea? 

Here is your task:

Write a limerick pitch for your book--OR--a limerick for a popular book you've read. (That way you can play even if your not a novelist.)

Email me your limerick--julie[at]juliedaines[dot]com--with the word limerick in the subject line. 

On St. Patrick's Day, March 17, I will post them anonymously for voting. Don't forget to come back and vote!!

The winner will receive a $15 gift certificate to Amazon. YEAH!! That's a free book, people!

Here are a few more examples. On the internet I found this. Recognize it?

A mountain man, steadfast and true,

Was shooting his gun at some food.

He hit oil instead

And moved his homestead

To Beverly Hills, 902'.

And this:

Won't you join me in non-PC fun?
We shall count little male Indians
We will count them to ten
And then count down again
Until we are left with just one.

And does anyone recognize this one?

"Poor Mariner, ruined and wrecked
Are you wiser for taking your trek?"
"Yes, I learned not to cross
Any old albatross
That happens to poop on my deck."

Rules: I don't have a lot, I want this to be fun. It would be nice if you followed me, and it would be awesome if you spread the word since I probably should have started this on Monday. But those are optional.

The cutoff for limerick entries is Friday, March 16 at midnight. I'll leave the voting open over the weekend and announce a winner on Monday, March 19.