Left Wide Open

There are a couple of things on my mind today. First, it is my privilege to announce the winner of Radio Girl by Carol Brendler (published by Holiday House; see last post if you’re completely in the dark). Thanks to a donation by a person who prefers to remain anonymous, there are two winners. That’s right! TWO!!! Woo hoo!!! One will get the hardcover copy of Radio Girl discussed in the post. The second will get a $15 Amazon gift card with the stipulation that you order the book. Excitement she wrote!

The winner of the hardcover copy of Radio Girl is

is . . .

is . . .

is . . .

is . . .

is . . .

Jill Weatherholt!!!!

The winner of the $15 Amazon gift card is

is . . .

is . . .

is . . .

is . . .

is . . .

Lyn Miller-Lachmann!!!!

Please email your information to me at lmarie7b(at)gmail(dot)com ASAP. (Jill, I’ll need your snail mail address.)

Finally, I’ve come to the second thing on my mind—the events of the last few days. What a nightmare, thanks to the gifts that keep on giving: viruses which sadly took their toll on my computer. I couldn’t reload the antivirus software, couldn’t disable the firewall the computer claimed still operated (though the software was long uninstalled), couldn’t download updates of any kind—couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t. I was left wide open to attack, which was very frustrating to say the least.

Me the last three days! Only, I usually go without a collar and a tag.

I’m grateful for a brother who knows computers. But even he couldn’t save the ol’ girl. So for the last few days, while he tried to reinstall software to no avail, I couldn’t visit any of the blogs I’m used to visiting. (I hope to get back to my blog reading in the near future.) My computer was too vulnerable to further viruses, since it could not be protected.

Too vulnerable. We can relate. No one likes feeling vulnerable. We like to be strong, don’t we? We also like to feel secure. All right. I’ll stop speaking for you. I like security. That cocoon-like sensibility often permeates my writing. I usually leave my main character’s left flank well guarded, either through a well placed friend or a would-be ally who pops up out of the woodwork just when needed. He or she does not remain uncomfortable very long. But while a safety net is okay, too much of it, and my character doesn’t experience the grit that leads to growth.

Our characters need to experience setbacks, to have the proverbial rug pulled out from under them. Just like me these last few days.

I typed these words on a laptop so old Moses was in diapers when it was built. But it works. And it has lovely antivirus software. (Look at it. Isn’t it precious? Oh, that’s right. You can’t actually see it.) And it has Spider Solitaire. (Mommy’s coming to play with you in just a minute.)

I lost the battle to save my computer. It hurt. But you win some, you lose some. Would your characters say the same?

Cat from LOL Cats. Congrats image from selectedshorts.org. Snail from theycallmejane.wordpress.com.