Missy Kirtley

Why I don’t Pirate Digital or Audio Books — And No Author Should

My first job was working in a cafe.  It was called Johnny’s Java.  It was great.  I used to love that when I was on shift, I’d get amazing, free drinks and when I came in on my days off to visit my friends/coworkers, I’d get discounted, free coffee and pastries. I loved working as a barista so much that I applied to the coffee house on campus when I was in college.  I worked at Jazzland Coffee Co. for…

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A Geeky Saturday Night at AFK Lounge

My husband and I have been together as boyfriend and girlfriend, then engaged couple, then married for just over ten years now. Our “getting together” anniversary is April nineteenth. To celebrate, we left the kids with my mother, and headed out to AFK Gamer Lounge in San Jose. It was perfect timing, too, as I’m neck deep in the audiobook of <u>Ready Player One</u> by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton, so going to a geeky, gamer lounge was the…

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Three Reasons to Support Your Local Girl Scout Troop by Buying Cookies This Year

We’ve all seen them: little girls wearing blue tunics or vests, brown sashes, sometimes green hats and skirts. They stand in front of banks and supermarkets and hardware stores peddling their brightly colored boxes of deliciousness. The price has gone up, again, and though what the girls sell is addictive and only available once a year, it’s hard to justify spending that much on cookies. But we should. Here are three reasons why. 1.) We’re teaching today’s girls to be…

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Top Grossing Disney Animated Features

If you ignore the typos in this article from comicbook.com, the information that you get is somewhat interesting. The top three grossing animated features by Disney are Frozen, The Lion King, and Big Hero 6. I think this is fascinating and important information. These three movies do something that’s incredibly important. Think about what they have in common: Protagonist Loss Spoiler Alert! Each of the protagonists in these films loses someone early on–someone who was there for them. A mentor,…

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5 Ways to Deal With Post-Con Blues #sfwc2015

I just returned home from the San Francisco Writer’s Conference. It was amazing, and I had the time of my life! (Second only to my wedding and the birth of my kids, of course. Just in case my husband reads this.) If you’re anything like me, you love to go to retreats, conventions, conferences, camps, workshops and events where you’re surrounded by like-minded people. Whether it’s a fan convention or a work conference, you can connect with people who share…

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My Writer’s Resolutions for the Year

After the San Francisco Writer’s Conference of 2015, I’ve decided to take my writing more seriously. It’s my career, after all. And I’m convinced now, after the events of the weekend, that I can actually do this. I’m talented, and enthusiastic, and I have the support that I need. I just have to remember to lean on those around me who want to support me, and keep myself motivated, invested, and on task. My first resolution is to finish TWO…

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Mini-Commercial?

It was such an honor and a pleasure to meet Teresa LeYung Ryan at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference yesterday.  She gave me great feedback on my work!  If there are any other writers out there who have a chance to come to the SFWC, I highly recommend it.  I will definitely be here next year.  Such a wonderful experience! Teresa has been supportive and encouraging, enthusiastic, and has pushed me to try things I might not normally do.  Here’s…

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New Blog!

Brand new blog!  Are you excited for me?  I am! 🙂 So, I’m going to be importing all of my old blog posts, but it’ll probably take a little time.  Thank you for your patience while I transition to the new site! Missy

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