Guest Blogger: Pam Asberry

Thank you, Carol, for inviting me be Under the Tiki Hut today. When I left my hometown of Dacula, (pronounced Da-CUE-la), Georgia – a suburb of Atlanta – summer was drawing its last breath. It’s hard to believe that Friday will be the first day of autumn; scarecrows, pumpkins and caramel apples seem a world away away as I sit here watching the ocean gently lapping on the warm, white sand under a cloudless blue sky. I spent the morning stretched out on a chaise lounge with a stack of beach reads and bottomless mimosas; now, fortified by a lunch of fish tacos, chips and salsa, I am happy to be in the shade, laptop in front of me, a big basket of chips and salsa by side and a frosty mug of local beer within reach. Finally, I am ready to get back to my work-in-progress after a several-week hiatus.

Peace and quiet reigns – it’s the perfect atmosphere for writing. Long minutes pass; I am interrupted only by the hunky bartender, who keeps both my basket and my mug filled. I wonder if he’s single, like me? Focus, Pam. There, that’s better. Again, the words are flowing; ah, if only life could be like this every day…

My reverie is interrupted by the roaring engine of a small plane overhead. I look up and can just barely make out the words on the aerial banner: “KARAOKE TONIGHT. CRAZY ED’S.” Karaoke, eh? There’s an experience that’s been on my bucket list forever. On my last birthday, I vowed to try something new every day and blog about it. Click HERE to see what I have done so far. I wonder where Crazy Ed’s is? I’ll find out later. That might be the perfect reward at the end of the day – I do a mean rendition of I Will Survive – but only IF I make my word count. Which I’m not going to do if I sit here daydreaming about karaoke. Time to get back to work.

Author: Pam Asberry
http://pamasberry.blogspot.com
http://betweenbirthdays.blogspot.com
http://writerslipp.blogspot.com
http://petitfoursandhottamales.com

Comments

Joanne said…
I can't believe Fall is right around the corner too ... Where did summer go? It's nice to linger with it here, Pam, isn't it?
Linda Kage said…
Hi Pam, nice to meetcha!

Thanks for pronouncing your hometown. Love it. My hometown is McCune, and I think only the people that live there pronounce it Mic-cue-un, which is wrong, but we're not exactly right in the mind, so it works out fine!!

Enjoy the tiki hut!
LR said…
Oh man, now I want some chips and salsa and a frosty mug...
Linda G. said…
Must be hard not to mentally add an "r" to your hometown whenever you see it in print. ;)

Fall under the Tiki Hut is nice, too, huh?

Happy writing!
Pam Asberry said…
Joanne, I will do whatever it takes to suck every last drop out of summer. I cannot abide being cold. I wish I could stay here Under the Tiki Hut forever!
Pam Asberry said…
It's great to meet you too, Linda! I keep meaning to look up the etymology of Dacula, but I'm not sure anyone actually knows where the name came from...
Pam Asberry said…
Help yourself, L.R.! :-)
Pam Asberry said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pam Asberry said…
Linda, when people ask me the name of my city, I say "Dracula without the R." It's easier that way. ;-)
Mason Canyon said…
Pam, so nice to meet another Georgian. I'm in northwest Georgia where the leaves are already beginning to turn a bit. I love the idea of trying something new everyday. Good luck with your writing.

Carol, thanks for the introduction.
WritersLiPP said…
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Janet, said…
That is a neat idea, doing something new every day and blogging about it. Good luck with your WIP.
I hope you make your word count, Pam, so you can sing your heart out tonight. :)

Wish I was there with you. I so love the beach...and drinks, and beach reads and... Oh, what's not to like about the Tiki Hut world?
Pam Asberry said…
I love the north Georgia mountains, Mason. I was up at Vogel State Park for the Mountain Music Festival a couple of weeks ago. It was gorgeous. Thank you so much for visiting my blog and for commenting here. I hope our paths will cross again soon!
Pam Asberry said…
Thanks, Janet! It feels great to be back to work! :-)
Pam Asberry said…
Do-mi-sol-mi-do. There, I'm warmed up and ready! I wish you were here too, Carol. There won't be a beach, but we can do the drinks and the beach reads at M&M next weekend. Can't wait to see you!
J.L. Campbell said…
Oh yeah, it pays to stay focused, despite all the distractions the bartender and karaoke throw at you. :)
Pam Asberry said…
I can forget about the karaoke, J.L. But the bartender is hard to ignore... sigh...
Elspeth Futcher said…
There is not enough liquor in the world to make me think doing karaoke would be a good idea. No. No. No.
Talli Roland said…
For some reason, I read that hometown as Dracula! I had to blink several times. :)

I do love karaoke!
Arlee Bird said…
Sounds like you're having a wonderful time under the Tiki Hut. I'm sure the town name of Dacula gets more than enough jokes made about it.

Lee
Tossing It Out
Hope you made your word count!
Pam Asberry said…
You are probably right, Elspeth. But I can't be any worse than some of the folks I've heard sing karaoke. So I've got to give it a try. At least once.
Pam Asberry said…
You're not alone, Talli. Wanna come to Crazy Ed's with me?
Pam Asberry said…
Arlee, situated as it is near Cumming and Hog Mountain, Dacula almost pales by comparison, LOL!
Pam Asberry said…
Alex, I'm still working... ;-)
Unknown said…
Thanks for sharing and lol @ Karaoke, hope u have a great time :)

Leanne
Julee J. Adams said…
As my role of enabler since our high school years--I think you should do it!

Glad you're back taking another look at your mss. I've made a major decision on my fiction to and it's busted my writing wide open.

And maybe you should "do" a certain him too...? LOL Be safe, Pam
Pam Asberry said…
If you could hear me sing, Leanne, you would DEFINITELY be lol-ing! It's all in good fun, right?
Pam Asberry said…
Everyone needs an enabler, Julee. Thank you for being mine! Waiter! Oh, waiter!...
Hi Pam,
Great photo to go with the guest blog interview.
I love the idea of doing something different every day and blogging about it.
Donna
Anonymous said…
Its great to meet you Pam. I'll take one of whatever you're drinking, please.
Romily Bernard said…
I'm so very HAPPY to hear you're back to writing, Pam!! Hope to see you next weekend!!
Lydia Kang said…
Hope you did Karaoke--I haven't done that in ages, but it's something everyone should do once.

Nice to see you Pam!
Pam Asberry said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pam Asberry said…
Hi Donna! That photo was taken on my last cruise, as I prepared to enjoy my welcome-aboard drink. I am really enjoying my "Between Birthdays" blog. I hope you will visit often!
Pam Asberry said…
Hi Stephen! Let's make it a double! ;-)
Pam Asberry said…
Thanks, Romily! Oh, yes, I will be there - with bells on!
Pam Asberry said…
Hi Lydia! I'm headed over to Crazy Ed's soon. I just hope I don't scare the rest of the customers away! Nice to meet you, too!
Claudia Zurc said…
Hi Pam,
Hmmm, I've had one of those several-week hiatus (chips and salsa, too!). But once I get back to writing, I get in a writing mode and it feels good. Love autumn, good season to get inspired ;)
Good luck with your WIP!
Pam Asberry said…
Claudia, I definitely needed a break, but it feels great to be writing again. I am hoping to finish my WIP before NaNoWriMo; I am super excited about this year's project. Thank you for your good wishes!
Carol Kilgore said…
It's almost 10:30. I wonder if Pam has made it to Crazy Ed's yet? Good to see everyone here. And welcome to the new folks who've dropped by. Come back again!
LynNerdKelley said…
Nice to meet you, Pam. I hope you made it to Crazy Ed's and are singing your karaoke heart out! It's been hot, hot, hot here in the High Desert of So. Calif. this week, so Fall still seems far, far away.
Anonymous said…
That does sound like a wonderful goal. I hope you make your word count so that you make it to Crazy Ed's.

I love the imagery of a chaise lounge and a stack of books.
Tami Brothers said…
Love this Pam! Never done the Karaoke thing, but I have been envious of those who do. May have to add that to my bucket list just for the experience.

I'm glad you are getting back into the writing mode. The longer you allow yourself to sit outside, the harder it is to get in. Take this advice from someone struggling to find her way back in. :)

Tami
Pam Asberry said…
Carol, it was a late night at Crazy Ed's, but I sure had fun. Now I'm back Under the Tiki Hut, sipping a mimosa and looking forward to a repeat of yesterday. Maybe tonight I will reward myself with the waiter, LOL!
Pam Asberry said…
Hi, Lyn. I have always wondered what it would be like to live in the desert. I used to think I would miss the four seasons, but now I suffer so much from the cold that I'm not so sure. Maybe an apple crisp or a pumpkin spice latte would make fall seem closer. Thank you for stopping by!
Pam Asberry said…
HI Medeia. The chaise lounge on the deck is my favorite spot for reading, even at home. And I always reward myself with SOMETHING when I make my daily word count goal, even if it's just a Nonni Biscotti. Thank you for visiting!
Pam Asberry said…
Hi Tami! Maybe we should suggest karaoke for the M&M conference next year, LOL! I am sorry you are struggling with writing right now; you have so much on your plate without it. I know you have heard it all before, but maybe try setting yourself a teeny tiny goal, like 250 words a day. We can talk about this more in person. Thank you so much for visiting me here!
Emily R. King said…
Karaoke! That sounds like a good reward for writing quietly.
Ciara said…
*waves* I'm from Kennesaw. :) It's nice to meet ya.
Jayne said…
Peace and quiet reigns, indeed. And sometimes, so does karaoke. ;)

Fun guest blog!
Pam Asberry said…
Yes, E.R. And everyone else in the karaoke bar is potential material, LOL!
Pam Asberry said…
Thanks, Jayne! I try to have fun wherever I go, be it the library, the karaoke bar, or Under the Tiki Hut! :-)
Pam Asberry said…
Hi, Ciara! I had to take a minute to check out your blogger profile before responding. I see you are a writer, too. Have you ever visited the Georgia Romance Writers? If not, I hope you will soon - so that we can meet face to face! Thank you so much for stopping by!
Unknown said…
What a place to write! Distractions aside, it's still peaceful, even though summer is ending.
Pam Asberry said…
Indeed it is, Clarissa! I wish I could stay here forever!
Carol Kilgore said…
Thanks for being the last guest blogger for the summer, Pam. I think everyone now wants to go to Crazy Ed's!
WritersLiPP said…
It was my pleasure, Carol. Come one, come all! :-)
Jennifer Shirk said…
I don't want summer to end! But I guess it just did. :-)

Hmm...I have sudden craving for fish tacos...
Pam Asberry said…
It's still not too late, Jennifer...

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