http://gretch70.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Gretchen Lee Bourquin en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:19:53 GMT 2009-12-29T16:19:53Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977937082   After Thanksgiving something hit me and I decided to go back to Sparkpeople.com. A few months ago I lost about 20 pounds, and despite being haphazard on my efforts I kept most of that off. Now, . . . Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:02:25 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977937082 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-12-08T16:02:25Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977920584 It's been ages since I've really written anything. I've been busy, with work, going back to school, trying to fit in exercise-- just basically trying to get my head on straight. I'm still in school, still . . . Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:35:20 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977920584 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-11-27T20:35:20Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977667268 Early last week as I was working on my new book, Almighty Whispers in Our Souls , the prequel to No Sensible People , I started to get one of those emotional kicks in the stomach from a character I . . . Sat, 02 May 2009 16:26:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977667268 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-05-02T16:26:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977670898 When I was writing my novel, No Sensible People I looked to read fiction that would draw me closer to my own story. I picked Faith Sullivan's The Cape Ann and The Empress of One , Ellen Foster . . . Fri, 01 May 2009 11:28:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977670898 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-05-01T11:28:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977670889 I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to submit press releases, but I finally wrote two of them last night and submitted them. Hopefully they will both be accepted and will actually help sales. It's . . . Fri, 01 May 2009 11:04:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977670889 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-05-01T11:04:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977669397 Think you know Joan Crawford? Think again. I thought I knew Joan. I loved "Mommie Dearest" and "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" so I figured Peter Joseph Swanson's "The Joan . . . Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:28:09 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977669397 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-04-30T02:28:09Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977667057 I had a pretty good writing weekend this weekend. My blog went over pretty well, and I wrote a movie review along with a couple thousand words on my new novel on Sunday afternoon, and successfully got . . . Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:27:35 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977667057 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-04-27T11:27:35Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977666418 Meet Bianca. She's a wonderful girl, pretty brunette, former missionary and nurse, and great with kids. Unfortunately, she's also in a wheelchair and has a few other health problems. But that . . . Sun, 26 Apr 2009 15:53:08 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977666418 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-04-26T15:53:08Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977665647 It turned out that last week, not long after I posted my blog about heading to my college Alma Mater, that the trip was canceled due to a medical emergency in my friend’s family. Since I don’t have . . . Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:34:02 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977665647 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-04-25T14:34:02Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977663169  I have two recent articles that go along with Earth Day -- and green living in general.   How to be Empowered by the Sun  from Associated Content How to Light the World With Solar . . . Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:12:19 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977663169 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-04-22T18:12:19Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977659576 This coming Monday, I will be heading to Marshall, MN to Southwest Minnesota State University to celebrate the life of one of my writing mentors, Bill Holm who passed away in February. I have spent more . . . Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:58:53 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977659576 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-04-18T16:58:53Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977646382 I'm a big baby of a writer by nature. I want to write what I want, when I want, how I want, and then I want everyone to go read what I've written and tell me how brilliant it is -- how . . . Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:44:56 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977646382 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-04-04T15:44:56Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977639986 Last Sunday I decided to put all the pressures of "trying to be a writer" aside and took my mini-laptop to the coffee shop to write away from the distractions of home. There was no reliable . . . Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:13:38 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977639986 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-03-28T20:13:38Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977633006 Okay, I'm in Minnesota so there's still some leftover chill in the air, and the chance of snow rearing it's head sometime in April is still pretty likely, but officially it is spring and . . . Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:43:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977633006 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-03-21T18:43:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977632901 After being a prepay cell phone customer for a few years, my family's needs were changing. My son would be starting college, my daughter needed to be free to talk to her friends when she wanted without . . . Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:14:36 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977632901 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-03-21T15:14:36Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977624437     Last week my book club met. We read The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, which was very good-- although difficult to get through the beginning. The narrator is less than . . . Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:35:59 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977624437 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-03-14T16:35:59Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977616804 So the weekend is here and I find myself with a large laundry list of things to do. Laundry included among them. I also need to go to the pet store to restock guinea pig supplies. Go to the grocery . . . Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:54:50 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977616804 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-03-07T16:54:50Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977613985 Yes, I know. It sounds too good to be true. But if you live in the continental US, you can receive, via mail, a copy of No Sensible People. Once you write a short review on Gather -- and if you're . . . Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:15:59 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977613985 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-03-04T13:15:59Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977515394 I want to send my book on tour and I need your help. I don't currently have the time or resources to go with my book on tour, so my "baby" will be heading out on it's own via . . . Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:12:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977515394 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-03-04T01:12:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977609842   On Wednesday evening, I attended a reading for Elissa Elliott's new book, Eve: A Novel of the First Woman at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis . As with many author readings, . . . Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:53:35 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977609842 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-02-28T15:53:35Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977601837 Yes, I have been elusive in my blogging for a while now, as I've been trying to get a rhythm going with a little more "practical" writing, on eHow and now Associated Content . . . Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:46:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977601837 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-02-21T17:46:11Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977597458 In an effort to diversify and expand my freelance career I am starting to actually use my Associated Content account. I have a recipe currently being reviewed, and the following article is published exclusively . . . Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:04:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977597458 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-02-17T14:04:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977597383 Okay -- so it's nothing like the numbers they pull on The Biggest Loser, but this past week I just stared to pay attention to what I'm eating and track everything, try to get at least a little . . . Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:08:25 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977597383 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-02-17T12:08:25Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977592824 I just got my new mini HP 1000 computer . It's about the size of a book and I'm typing on it right now. The keyboard is only a little smaller than a standard. I can't wait to download books . . . Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:50:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977592824 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-02-13T00:50:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977575005 Besides the fact that I'm still in my jammas. I have been off for the past 9 days, and had all these plans to get a bunch of things done. I wound up sick, barely wrote at all, and I still want to, . . . Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:43:33 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977575005 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-01-26T11:43:33Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977573298 Since I started my weekly blog several months ago it has been my intention to try to keep things positive as much as possible. I make life observations, relate them to my quest to balance the day job, . . . Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:28:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977573298 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-01-24T12:28:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977565905 I am really looking forward to this upcoming week. I'm on vacation from the day job until January 26 - nine whole days, but it doesn't mean I don't have plenty to do. I have articles to write . . . Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:40:09 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977565905 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-01-17T15:40:09Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977564849 Today was supposed to be the day that the deep freeze turned and the temps were supposed to start climbing ABOVE zero. And here I look and it's -21 degrees (this is temp, not windchill.) An hour ago . . . Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:49:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977564849 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-01-16T12:49:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977559163 The thing about writing, or the creative process really, is you can't always create what you want in one sitting, and chances are you don't want to. In the new year I've decided that I want . . . Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:36:00 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977559163 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-01-10T16:36:00Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977555893 "The undiscover'd country, from whose bourn No traveler returns"   It's this quote from Hamlet that begins Lin Enger's novel Undiscovered Country . I found out about . . . Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:06:11 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977555893 Gretchen Lee Bourquin 2009-01-07T12:06:11Z