It's in the mail

Friday I was feeling alittle on top of the world

and thought I'd share something with my

facebook buddies...

This was my facebook status from Friday!  

*when/win

(oh boy at how my mind works)

Well one of my readers guessed it right...

Styrofoam

If you've read Daddy's Briefcase chances

are you already knew that but

just didn't get a chance

at

guessing!

Well be on the look out for future

give aways. Not sure when they

will be but maybe when

the moment

is feeling just

right!

I

heart

feeling

lead to do

something!

This painting was inspired by  

Chris August's song Starry Night

I wanted to share with you a little behind

the scenes of just how I came up

with this painting.

This is my original sketch....

me working it out of my head

on to paper.

Listen to the words of the song...

these are the words that

stuck with me while painting....

birds that sing

tallest trees

desert sand

He is everything

painted sky

moon reflects the sun

starry night

autumn leaves

Repin Daddy's Briefcase

With the holidays and all can you believe
I haven't been on Pinterest much!?

If you have time repin Daddy's Briefcase, in books, for me!

Click her to see Daddy's Briefcase on Pinterest for repining

Want to know more about Pinterest, you might like
my post Pinterest!

Thank you so much!!!

One thing I am hoping for in 2012

To gain more outlets for book sales
on Daddy's Briefcase!!! I have a few
local ideas. If anyone has any ideas,
if your a book reviewer or if your a fellow
blogger looking for a guest, let me know!

I am happy to have so many
readers so far, but please remember if you have read
Daddy's Briefcase and would like to share a review do so
over at Amazon.com-click on here.  This helps others
as well as helps me in more than one way,
one being with more outlet sales. Meaning,
if someone sees there is an interest in me,
in my book they will be more willing to help
out with the additional outlets. Whether it be a magazine,
another bookstore, etc....thanks so much! Yall are
a BIG key to this success TOO!!!

I am not sure just how many sales will
ever be enough, it's really not about the
"sales" it's about me reaching out to others,
who are looking for some ray of light, hope!

Other ways you can help:
-by clicking the like but at the top
of the Amazon page-posted above.
-Also on that same amazon page you can scroll to the bottom
where it says, Tags Customers Associate with This Product
click on the ones that apply and/or you can create
your own words as tags, where it says create your first tag!

Pieces

For those of you who have read Daddy's Briefcase

may remember Banee. Banee, who was 13 at the time was my back seat DJ

back in the day -highschool- when my car only had am radio.

Banee recently requested a painting, "animal print" she said!

Hmmm, animal print "can you show me" something

to go by, an idea!? She mailed me this print out:

Awesome, awesome big bold leopard print, to work

I went. I shaped, I molded each piece...days would come

days would go. I told her it was summer, that it might take

longer. She waited patiently. The further I got with all the shaping

and molding, I begin to think about my life. Each day has been shaped

and molded, so that in the end I can say I did my very best. I have

to remind myself, I didn't just wake up this way!

i attached this on the back of the painting

starting process

see the texture-i heart texture

each textured piece was hand molded

if i was gonna do it, it was gonna be done right-my style

i have to say this is one picture that took me the longest time out of anything else i have painted

my hardest part when i paint a picture is being able to turn loose of it

i so usually can see all my work in my home some where

i usually run from room to room placing it in different places

i wrote this special little letter on the back of the pieces card

attached on the back

A few days after she recieved the painting, I recieved the

sweetest text message. Having the leopard paint in her living area

allows her to have a piece of me in her home. That's sweet stuff there!

Banee will always be my back seat DJ!

I smile, you cry...

One of the hardest
things for me throughout
the writing of Daddy's Briefcase
was how to end the book.

The first twenty chapters,
after long intense all night writing,
came almost like a piece of cake.
My photographic memory just laid
everything out so easy for me.

It was the ending that held me so close to
how I thought others should/would see
my story, take it, be touched by it.

After a further intense thought process,
it came to me. Me sharing my story
was just that, me sharing my story.
It's not my job to determine how others
will be touched by it. What was up to me,
was to fully share my story to the best
of my ability.

And God will do the rest!

It was like taking a paper cutter
and cutting the back end of the book
off!

The Friday after the big announcement
Daddy's Briefcase was now available,
I got a text from my best friend...

that read,

"Got my book in the mail
today!!! Now I have tears
running down my face!! So much
for my makeup job!!! LOL"

Just days before, I already
warned her that the actual book
was so much different than the
loose leaf pages she read months/years
before print.

Getting her text was just one of the
many messages I have already received.
It has been so humbling to watch
and hear how Daddy's Briefcase
has already touched so many people.

I know God promises to use our suffering,
if we let Him, for our good and His glory.

Dear friends, do not be surprised
at the painful trial you are suffering,
as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice that you participate in Christ's sufferings,
so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
1 Peter 4:12, 13 NIV

Keeping in mind, she wasn't crying
because of reading it. She was simply
crying because of all I have been through
and I am able to tell about it!

That's kinda how my life goes,
I smile, you cry...

If you already read Daddy's Briefcase,
please leave a review over at Amazon.com.
under the customer review. If you haven't read
it you can still help. Just simply click the
like button at the top of page or one of the tags
at the bottom of the page-all at Amazon.com.

Daddy's Briefcase

  Being the center of a prayer is powerful!
  But very indescribable...

  Eleven years ago, this time of year,
  I was the center of a gigantic-
  statewide/nationwide- prayer while
  fighting for my life battling LIVER CANCER.

  During that time not only was my life
 touched, but all those around me-family and friends,
 even people I didn't know.

So, you know how you hear people say,
 "I feel it's my calling" to do such-in-such...
well guess what!? I am here to tell you it has been
"my calling" to fully share my story with everyone!

Yikes!!!

Just for me that's scary, I am a very private person!

After five long years of trying to talk
myself out of writing the details down
in a book, it's finally finished.

You can order it here!

Thanks to everyone for your support and happy readings...
ashley :)

An astonishing journey straight from the heart of a young cancer survivor...

At the young age of twenty-three, Ashley Murphy, already a wife and mother, struggled to find her way in the working world. When finally her dream job was offered! She gave a two-week notice immediately. Only it was cut short to one week, due to being diagnosed with cancer. No time for illness, Ashley thought there must have been a mistake. As she grasped for strength from those rallied around her, she quickly realized the one she really wanted was not there, her Daddy. Just three years prior, Ashley stood beside him as he took his last breath. Then the next day, while planning his funeral, more unsettling news arrived.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Daddy's Briefcase will be donated each year to a Cancer Foundation of the authors choice.

Please, please once you have read Daddy's Briefcase  post a review over at amazon.com under customer reviews, thanks!

I can't keep my hands off of it...

Once the excitement of Daddy's Briefcase proof
wore off, I could not keep my
hands off of it!

I began immediately proofing, starting from the
back cover to the front cover. In a strange manner, I
work better back to front, than front to back.

I have always been like that, whether its reading
a magazine, newspaper etc.

Checking for story flow once again, I told myself
if I could understand it backwards,
then surely everyone else could understand
it forwards.

Since then, I am waiting on my third proof now.

The second proof, after minor changes on the inside and out,
color was slightly different. I am hoping the
third proof will point me in which direction I need to go
from here.

Day's, weeks have gone by so fast and it's near a month since
I recieved the first proof. Everyone was so excited, wanting
a copy of the book asap!

Proof in my hands

Guess what I got today?

I had no clue it would be here this soon.

My youngest daughter, who is 7, was around
when I realized there was a package waiting
for me. She has been so encouraging through
this entire process. To see the light in a child's
eyes her age as she says, "mom you can sell this book",
is absolutely priceless.

We called my other daughter in the room,
hubby wasn't home yet. The thought of waiting
on him to open the box did cross my mind, but
a little voice told me go ahead.

I grabbed for a knife, cutting the box open.

My eyes pounced with proudness!

Finally, in my hands a finished product.

Both girls ran, dancing with a copy in their hand.

I really could not believe my eyes, how awesome
the finished product turned out. Although, it is
not really finshed. I have to proof it, right, that is why
it's called a proof.

As goofy as they look, my littlest one made me take a picture, like so!
And she took them, priceless...

Proof

A week after finishing my book cover design,
I fought myself but finally ordered
a proof of Daddy's Briefcase
today!

After talking with other authors,
I realize this is completely normal
to have the jitters, but man.

So, I must wait patiently.

I hear it can take a week, two weeks
or longer to receive your proof.

I will keep you posted!

Book Cover Design

WoW! I have a book cover!

My heart melts looking at this.
Oh, at how real it makes it.
After five long years,
it's finally coming all together.

I created a template in Photoshop for my
book size 5.06 x 7.81

Generated by this formula:

Bleed + Back Cover Trim Size + Spine Width + Front Cover Trim Size +
Bleed =Cover Width

Bleed + Book Height Trim Size + Bleed
=Cover Height

.125 + 5.06 + 0.535976(238 x .002252) + 5.06 + .125 =

10.905976 width

.125 + 7.81 + .125=

8.06 height

The spine width is figured by the number of pages
multiplied 0.002252. My book will be 238 pages.
See above the 238 x .002252
= 0.535976.

Photo Shoot

I am really used to being on the other side off the lens!

In order to have a photo for the back of Daddy's Briefcase,

I simply had to go for it. My sweet, sweet teenage daughter

graciously photographed me.

Thank you so much from the

bottom of my heart. I am diffently
seeing photography in your future.

Thes are only a few she took,

I know really how many must one take!?

Out of this group they look

a lot alike to me, but one perfectly fits

for the back cover.

Can you see the one I picked?