Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Everybody’s Talking About…Surprises!!!

How do you feel about surprises? Do you get all tingly and excited when you hear the word or do you become concerned and fill with dread at the notion?

Surprises can be a double-edged sword. For the most part surprises are fun and happy. They bring good things and many wishes are granted when surprises are revealed. Surprises, I think, should bring unexpected pleasure and joy. An example of this type surprise can be seen in the face of a person when a loved one returns home from service unannounced. That’s a wonderful surprise.

But then, surprises can also bring heartache and pain. There’s that surprise when you find out the one you love really loves someone else. There’s that surprise pink slip you receive from work. What about the surprise Mother Nature can unleash at a moment’s notice?

When I think of surprises, I like to think about the envelopes that are delivered to my home containing books. Sometimes I know what the books will be. Other times, it’s a wonderful surprise because a publisher or an author has sent me a book unexpectedly.

As I noted, surprises can be good and bad. But today I want to pass along some information that hopefully will lead to a fun and happy surprise.

I wrote today's post as part of the WOW-Women on Writing
Blanket Tour for LETTERS FROM HOME by Kristina McMorris (www.kristinamcmorris.com). This debut novel is the story of three young women during World War II and the identity misunderstandings they and the men in their lives have. Ask yourself: Can a soldier fall in love with a woman through letters? and What happens if the woman writing the letters is different from the woman he met the might before he shipped out, the woman he thought was writing the letters? Is it still love or just a lie?

Like many authors, Kristina has had a wild selection of "real jobs"
everything from wedding planner to actress to publicist. She finally added novelist to the list after  Kristina got a peek at the letters her grandfather wrote to his sweetheart (a.k.a. Grandma Jean) while he was serving in the Navy during World War II. That got her wondering how much two people could truly know each other just from letter writing and became the nugget of her novel.

In honor of her grandparents, and all the other families kept apart by

military service, Kristina is donating a portion of her book's profits to United Through Reading, a nonprofit organization that video records deployed U.S. military personnel reading bedtime stories to their children. You can learn more about the program at http://www.unitedthroughreading.org/

If you comment on today's post on this blog or any of the others
participating in “Everybody's Talking About Surprises,” you'll be entered to win a special surprise prize! It includes an personalized copy of LETTERS FROM HOME, a Big Band CD, Victory Garden seeds, and more. To read Kristina's post about surprises and a list of other blogs participating in “Everybody's Talking about Surprises,” visit The Muffin

What are your thoughts on surprises? Have you gotten a good surprise recently or have all your surprises been the bad kind? Do you enjoy surprising other people?



21 comments:

  1. Oh man, heartbreak. The letters are from someone different than he imagines...sounds like a real roller coaster.

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  2. I love surprises! I always associate them with positive things.

    I receive them quite often, I think you have to be open to SEEING them!

    I also love to give them!
    Have a great day!

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  3. I like happy surprises, especially those that involve coffee and chocolate. Then, it's all good :)

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  4. I'm one of those people who would LIKE to love surprises, but who approaches them warily. :)

    Sound like an interesting book! Thanks, Mason.

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  5. My family seems to love those keeping-a-secret types of surprises like the surprise visit. I get a little annoyed with these sometimes and I usually end up being the one who spoils the surprise, which in reality I don't think any of us liked anyway.

    Sounds like an interesting book.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  6. Surprises tend to terrify me - but sometimes they can be wonderful! :)

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  7. oh oh oh - I adore surprises! Getting them and giving them. Treating life as a constant surprise can be pretty rewarding.

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  8. I love giving people happy surprises but for some reason I'm not that crazy about getting surprised. If it's something good, I prefer to enjoy the anticipation. If it's something bad, well, no one likes those.

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  9. I love surprises and I associate them with positive things. Since I'm a wife/mother/grandmother, I give more surprises than I get. But that's fine. Watching the faces of those you love just blossom in pleasure is better than almost anything! Thanks for a fun column.

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  10. Have you got a good surprise recently you ask me - as if YOU don´t know that someone gave me a wonderfully, generous & far too positive Smashwords review today ;D

    Thank you; it really made my day!

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  11. Like you say it depends on the surprise. The book sound interesting and it parallels today’s society of online-never-met-friends.

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  12. I like surprises, and I like to surprise others. And the book sounds wonderful!

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  13. I like surprises... sometimes. When it's a good surprise like a contest or visiting family, I like that. I don't like to be surprised in the morning with bad news (like earthquakes) or that I'm traveling without advanced warning.

    I love the cover of that book!

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  14. I like surprises but most of all I like surprising people with goodies, treats and unexpected surprises. It gives me great pleasure. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. I think surprises is what life is made up of. Some wonderful, others not as good but I love surprises.

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  16. Let's just say I'm not very fond of surprises.

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  17. I like happy surprises. Any luck they involve chocolate!

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  18. I'd rather be the surpriser rather than the suprisee.... This book is definitely on my TBR list.

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  19. Mason, I'd have to say that on the surprise scale, a box of books beats out a pink slip any day, lol. Thanks so much for participating in my tour! Warm wishes. :)

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  20. I like surprises. I think the last surprise I had was (even though it was what we hoped for) that my hubby was cancer free!

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's post. Thanks for dropping by.