A Winner, A Visitor & A Breakfast Smoothie

*Giveaway Winner
*A Visit from Author Jude Urbanski
*Recipe: Breakfast Juice Smoothie

*Giveaway Winner
Congrats to Jasmine A. for winning this month's giveaway of a collection of autographed pens and postcards. Thanks for visiting and commenting at The Balanced Writer, Jasmine!

*A Visit from Author Jude Urbanski

"A Balanced Writer" under the Microscope

The very lovely, Jude Urbanski

So, friends, here is what a writer looks like under close scrutiny.  Here is what a writer does to try to have a balanced life. Give me a little editorial liberty, please. 

Serious writers have made a decision to write. For whatever reason, they are committed. They learn everything they can about the field. They buy needed books, or they use the library. They devote time each day or each week to this quest. They do as much as their lives and circumstances allow (If they’re  young mothers or fathers with heavy responsibilities as well as embracing writing, I say, there is a special place in writer’s heaven for them!), but they desire to write. Quickly, they glean the point is not just to write, but to rewrite.

A writer never looks at a film or book in the same way again. Their mind studies not just films and books, but seizes every life encounter with expectant eyes for writing snippets. One writer said she saw her hero at Wal-Mart.  Love this! Writers always carry pen and paper. Writers even sleep close to said pen and paper. Writers’ spirits resonate with one another.

Writers quit comparing their skills to others and write their best. They intuitively know comparison is deadly. They accept rejections as part of the game and learn all they can from them, knowing rejections mean activity and no rejections mean they aren’t doing much.

 This is not to say writers can’t or don’t suffer self- doubt. They all do, but press forward anyway. They all get writers' block, but press forward anyway. They know publication doesn’t validate who they are as a person, but press forward anyway.

In a writer’s perfect world, everyone’s success is celebrated. They believe the next shout out may be for them, knowing it is not their time, but also knowing joy shared is joy doubled.

I balanced a writer’s life with career, marriage and family, but only with retirement (What’s that?) have I been able to give writing chunks of time. I honed my first novel a long time before finding a publisher, but what a sweet moment that was. I own every one of the joys, angsts and excitements above and sometimes I ask why myself, but I know I will continue until my inner muse gives me leave. How about you?

Jude Urbanski

Books by Jude:

Joy Restored is book one in my series called The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing. The series is a blend of women’s fiction with inspirational romance, set in my ancestral home of rural Tennessee, and follows Vietnam widow Kate Davidson’s courageous quest from despair to faith and love again. In book two, Nurtured in Purple, Kate and new husband Seth are threatened by past romantic rivals bent on personal vendettas.

Both books are available at the following as well as major online bookstores:

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/brands/Jude-Urbanski.html

http://www.amazon.com/Jude-Urbanski/e/B006HMJ2D6/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Bio:

Jude loves Greek yogurt! Daisy bouquets are her favs. She is an award-winning author published in both fiction and non-fiction. She was columnist for Gannett’s Maximum Living Magazine for five years, does online copy editing when she’s not writing books. Find her at www.judeurbanski.com or judeurbanski.blogspot.com   

 *Recipe: Breakfast Juice Smoothie

I happen to love the Fruit Fusion smoothie at Smoothie King, but they're a little pricey to have every day. This past month I took the list of ingredients and came up with a copycat recipe that is delicious and refreshing. I've had one almost every day the past couple weeks! My kids like them, too. So, if you love orange juice in the morning, consider ramping up the nutrition and flavors and try my Breakfast Juice Smoothie recipe today.

Breakfast Juice Smoothie

1/2 cup of orange juice

1/2 cup of apple juice

1/2 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt

2 ounces of mango sorbet or a third of a mango popsicle

1 handful of ice

Optional: Add an additional handful of frozen blueberries to go blue!

Stay Balanced!

~Danielle Thorne