Mindful Banter

Music Monday 1 – Love is Complicated

March 25, 2013 by ReeseRyan

I’ve been watching on the sidelines for a few weeks and today I was inspired to jump onto the Music Monday Blog Hop hosted by Meg at the Book Asylum. Music Monday is a blog hop that showcases songs which remind us of specific books.

The inspiration for my first Monday Music pick struck when I heard Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” while riding in the car the other day. I still love this song, and haven’t been able to get it out of my head for the past three days.

Complicated – Avril Lavigne

Makes me think of . . .

I love me some Mary J. And while this isn’t my fave Mary J. Blige song, I think she expresses a sentiment with which many can identify in “Mr. Wrong.”

Mr. Wrong – Mary J. Blige

Makes me think of . . .

So Music Monday #1 has revealed my current Jami Alden addiction. The woman has sexy contemporary romance on a string. Seriously.

So What About You?

Do either of these songs make you think of a specific book? Or do any of these books make you think of other songs? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Video of the Week: Hot Soldiers Sing Call Me Maybe

February 22, 2013 by ReeseRyan

A super hot troop of soldiers in Afghanistan does their own rendition of “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson (a song I love unabashedly). Be warned: Belly laughs and fanning oneself will likely ensue.

Been having a rough week? Things will be looking up for the next three minutes, at a bare minimum.

You’re welcome.

Phenomenal Woman – That’s Me

February 21, 2013 by ReeseRyan

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

~ Sam Levenson

I’ll admit with a bowed head that I haven’t given as much attention to poetry, as a genre, as I should. Yet there are a few poems that were so inspiring that they’ve stayed with me and I often draw strength from them. One such poem is the powerful ode to women written by Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman.” It is a gorgeous, lyrical poem that celebrates what makes a woman truly beautiful. When I heard about the Beauty of a Woman Blogfest, via writer Misty Dietz, I knew I had to be part of it.

The Beauty of a Woman Blogfest, hosted by August McLaughlin, is designed to celebrate our vastly diverse definitions of what makes a woman beautiful. The blogfest is inspired by a poem by Sam Levenson of the same name, with which I wasn’t familiar, but is now among my favorites. My focus for this post is Levenson’s words above.

We can all appreciate the outer beauty of a woman who is pleasing to the eye because she meets the “traditional” standard of beauty. However, while people are drawn to a pretty face, it isn’t enough to make them hang around. Rather, it is a beauty that resides much deeper within that draws us to people and makes us want to stick to them, love them, and support them. A beauty of spirit.

I’ve been fortunate to know many amazing women in my life who are truly, and deeply beautiful. Women who offer to hop a plane and support me through an emotional crisis, even when doing so creates a hardship for her. Women who don’t except my dutiful responses to tough questions, and support me even when they don’t like my honest answer. Women who see what is truly amazing about me, even when I’ve lost sight of it myself.

That is what makes a woman–a girlfriend, a sister, a mother, a fellow writer–truly beautiful.

Having such beautiful women in my life makes me a better person, one who wants to support other women in the same way. So thank you to all of the phenomenal women in my life, and to those who support women everywhere.

As for Maya Angelou’s poem, “Phenomenal Woman,” no-one could render her words quite like the woman herself. Enjoy!

Today’s Soundtrack: Lego House by Ed Sheeran

February 13, 2013 by ReeseRyan

One of my biggest discoveries of the 2013 Grammys was Ed Sheeran, who performed with Sir Elton John. I adore the ability of singer/songwriters to pack a powerful, emotional story in the relatively small space of a song. Sheeran is a talented storyteller, though he tends to weave stories that are dark and tragic.

Source: sbtv.co.uk via Reese on Pinterest

Today I am ironing out some kinks in the storyline of my current work-in-progress which features a hero and heroine who have dark, tragic events in their pasts that have shaped their lives and define their relationship. So making Ed Sheeran’s + the soundtrack today just seemed natural.

I often think of my life having a soundtrack. Do you? If so, what’s playing on your soundtrack today, and why?

Missed Last Night’s Big Music Award Show? No worries.

February 11, 2013 by ReeseRyan

So maybe you missed the Grammys last night. I’m a huge music fan, but I nearly bypassed the show myself. With a few notable exceptions, most of the music award shows of late have descended into mega freak shows that make me feel like I’ve wasted three perfectly good hours of my life that I’ll never get back. Truthfully, last night’s show left me disappointed, despite a few highlights.

First let’s address the much talked about ‘wardrobe advisory’ memo on appropriate dress for the Grammys, issued by CBS. The memo had a two-fold effect. It scared some folks into dressing like their great, great grandmothers.

Source: music.msn.com via Reese on Pinterest

A few of the usual suspects considered it a challenge to their creativity as artists.

Source: nydailynews.com via Reese on Pinterest

Source: music.msn.com via Reese on Pinterest

Source: usmagazine.com via Reese on Pinterest

Fortunately, quite a few musicians found a happy medium.

Source: wonderwall.msn.com via Reese on Pinterest

Source: nydailynews.com via Reese on Pinterest

Then there were the performances. Quite a few left me scratching my head, thinking WTF? A very few were simply magic. Everyone else fell somewhere in between. A few of my favorite performances:

Miguel

Miguel Adorn Live at the 2013 grammy’s by f1533382024

Ed Sheeran (my favorite 2013 Grammy discovery) & Elton John

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Ed Sheeran,

Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys

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Alicia Keys,

Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z (yes, I know many people hated it, I’m not one of them).

Video Justin Timberlake feat Jay-Z performs… by dm_5118ca9ddce82

Extra note: Justin is a marketing genius. He was featured in two commercials immediately following his performance; one for his CD at Target, the other for Bud Light Platinum. Well done, Justin.

Did you watch the 2013 Grammys? What were the lowlights and highlights of the show for you?

For the Love of Chocolate

February 7, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Recently I dropped by a wonderful little chocolatiers in Cary, North Carolina–Chocolate Smiles. The chocolate is scrumptious and the folks who run it are delightful. On this trip I snagged the amaretto chocolate swirl fudge, GQ’s (the hubs) favorite. I also picked up milk chocolate-covered cashews, and peppermint bark (theirs is amazing). Every morsel was rich, melt-in-your-mouth, where-you-been-all-my-life, otherworldly deliciousness. But as much as I love their orgasmically-good chocolates, there is something I look forward to even more when I visit–browsing the gift shop.

I love their sense of humor, and the following finds from this week, illustrate why.

Is there a locally-owned shop in your town that always makes you smile?

Because the Longest Journey Begins with the First Step

January 13, 2013 by ReeseRyan

I know what you’re thinking. That’s one of those lame pieces of advice well-meaning friends trot out when we’re bitching and moaning about how hard life is, or why we’ll never obtain some goal. A career change. The ideal relationship. Going back to school.

Our friends mean well, but the truth is, for a moment, even if it’s the tiniest moment, we just want to smack them. To make them understand why our case is the exception to the rule.

But there’s a reason these lameisms continue to rear their unwelcome heads. It’s because they’re true. Plain and simple.

This particular thought–that even the longest journey begins with a single step–came to me while on a journey of my own.

It was sunny and warm, more than 75° in the middle of winter, here in North Carolina.

I set this space up months ago, and I’ve been meaning to post something here for just as long. But every time I intended to post, something else would come up. I’d be overwhelmed with work, or school, or writing my next book. Or maybe the thought of sharing my intimate thoughts and feelings with you was a bit intimidating.

Whatever the real reason, my delay caused me to miss sharing with you all of the wonderful moments I’ve experienced as part of this journey to publication thus far. But no more.

I committed to not only starting the blog, but revealing those earlier experiences.

Is there something you’ve been meaning to do, but just haven’t gotten around to it? What is holding you back?

Starting to Feel Real

September 18, 2012 by ReeseRyan

I’ve been walking around suspended somewhere between joy and disbelief, as if waiting to be awakened from my dream. It’s a bad habit that simply refuses to die.

So whenever someone says, “You must be thrilled about getting published,” I nod and force a smile while holding my breath. But recently, I finally released that breath and grinned. It suddenly became very real. A member of one of my online writing groups forwarded me a copy of the acquisition announcement from Publishers Lunch:

[Reese Ryan’s] TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, in which a woman’s new job means she must return to her Cleveland hometown, where she finds herself torn between the philanthropist whose secret past she may not be able to overcome, and the ex-bad boy from her hometown, who’s newly single and may be her only chance at saving her career, to Angela James of Carina Press, in a two-book deal, for publication in 2013 (world). September 17, 2012.

Then I saw this awesome tweet by Angela James:

[blackbirdpie url=”https://mobile.twitter.com/angelajames/statuses/248151606242197504″]

(RaleighRoxStar is my old Twitter handle.)

Yep, things are starting to feel pretty real. Feels good.