Author of the Month for May 2021

The Editorial Team of Spillwords Press just sent me an email (tonight) stating that I’m one of several contributors to their literary journal nominated for Author of the Month for this May.

How to Vote

Would you like to vote or me, or one of the other nominees? You may cast your vote starting on May 26th through May 29th.

1. 1. Select the link below to go to the Vote page on Spillwords Press.
   2. Then, click on Jenise Cook or the author’s name to cast your vote.

VOTE: Author of the Month – Spillwords Press – May 2021

Spillwords will announce the Winner soon after the voting has been completed.

Continue reading “I’m Nominated for Author of the Month!”

New Year Wishes

Dear Subscribers, Friends, and Visitors:

It’s January 1, 2021, and I hesitated to put the word “Happy” in the title of this blog post. For many people, 2020 was not a happy year, it was a year filled with losses and grief. If that was your 2020, know that you have my heart and my hugs, and I acknowledge your sadness.

For me, 2020 gave me the gifts of additional wisdom, guidance, and friendship, no matter what each month threw at all of us.

For 2021, I’m not making resolutions; I rarely do. Instead, I’m celebrating the little things, and focusing on areas of growth and improvement. Why?

Continue reading “Happy New Year 2021”

Why Care About Filter Words?

This was my question when members of my online writing community Scribophile first called me on the carpet in their critiques of my WIPs for using way too many Filter Words. (WIPs = works-in-progress)

And, I still do….use too many….

What Are Filter Words?

And why should I care? I had to learn more. Why?

When I wrote communications and training content in the corporate world, I never heard that phrase. It seems to matter It matters a great deal in the creative writing world. Or, so said the Scribophile “critters” (slang term for members who critique my WIPs).

The “critters” feedback on my stories created an itch, and I scratched it. Thanks to the almighty World Wide Web, my research on the keywords “Filter Words” rewarded me with gems of information.

Who woulda thunk?

And, I felt a bit sheepish my brain’s mental light bulb flashed once I saw examples of Filter Words illuminated my thoughts.

Continue reading “Filter Words”

Filter Words eBook

Update: The Filter Words eBook is now free to anyone.
Visit this page to download the eBook (PDF file format).

26 June 2020

Download this free eBook (PDF file format) to learn how to improve anything you write by focusing on, and avoiding, “filter words”.

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Image credit: Jenise Cook

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Jenise Cook Copy-Editor

8 June 2020

Published today, Dyane Forde posted a new page for the volunteer editorial team for Lost Pen Magazine. Yours truly included!

I’ve been copy editing and proofreading for LPM since Issue No. 1 (2019). As the publication grows, so does the team, and I’m excited!

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Update 1: Effective 20 October 2020, I am on a sabbatical from the team as Copy -editor, to dedicate time to my husband’s and my projects. I still love and support Dyane and Lost Pen Magazine.

Update 2: Effective after the publication of LPM Issue 4 (I did copy-edit this issue), Dyane has transitioned the literary journal from a PDF file format to the Lost Pen Blog. This change will allow readers to Like and to Comment on each published work. It’s a wonderful new life for Lost Pen Pub!

Update 3: Lost Pen Pub (blog) is RIP. Observed December 7, 2022. However, the PDF files of the issues are available here (Issue 1 is on Issuu.com):

Issue 1   |   Issue 2   |

Issue 3   |   Issue 4   |

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Image credit: Dyane Forde, Lost Pen Publishing

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When Something I Made Is in Someone’s Home

What an awesome feeling that is!

Update: Lost Pen Pub (blog) is RIP. Observed December 7, 2022.

13 May 2020

I woke up to a wonderful surprise in my email Inbox that brought a few tears to my eyes. Tears of gratitude! My sister in the faith and Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Lost Pen Magazine, Dyane Forde, wrote a blog post about my new Easter greeting card.

Read Dyane’s story on her blog. (Link is RIP.)

I had sent the card to her as a gift. COVID-19 affected international mail deliveries, and it arrived after Easter. Still, she was thrilled, and I teared up as I read her post and saw the photos she captured of the card.

It warmed this creative maker’s heart… to see my greeting card in her home. Thank you, Dyane!

My first greeting card’s design contains one of my photos plus a poetic verse I wrote for Lost Pen Magazine.

To learn more about this card (pricing, ordering, etc.), visit my Greeting Cards page.

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Image credit: Dyane Forde

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New Online Literary Journal for Christians and All People

My Photo and My Poem in the Inaugural Issue

On 3 June 2019, my poem Lifesaver was published in Lost Pen Magazine, by the Founder and Editor, Dyane Forde. She also selected one of my photos to accompany my poem, an image she featured on her legacy blog in March 2018.

Update: 7 December 2022, the journal is closed and archived. You can view information here.

Continue reading “Lifesaver”

Short Story on CommuterLit.com

I’m grateful to announce that one of my flash (short-short) stories that I had posted for critiques by my fellow Scribophile members was published today on CommuterLit.com!

The Story Behind This Story

I wrote this story in an email-thread format, an unusual format for either print or online journals. What does that mean? I tell a story through various email messages between two “senders”. I wanted to experiment with the email format for a short-short story. My thoughts? The jury’s still out; I’m not sure how I feel about writing a story entirely of email message exchanges (or text messages as well). But, it’s a good story with a happy ending, so please select the link above and read it on CommuterLit.

I submitted this email-format story to various journals. Over a dozen rejected my submission. They encouraged me, but the format caused them pause, meaning they didn’t feel comfortable with this novel story structure.

Not for CommuterLit.

My thanks to editor Nancy Kay for her support of emerging authors and for her openness to unique story formats.

 

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© Copyright 2019—Present, Jenise Cook, All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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Thank you for reading. Come along on my adventures.

Select the image to join Jenise’s Journey!

Happy New Year 2018!

You made it. Yes, you experienced 2017 and you’ve woken up to 2018, so Happy New Year to you! I’m delighted to “see” you here on this post. To celebrate, feel free to leave a Comment below. Let’s spread the holiday cheer!

About New Years Resolutions

Many years ago, I stopped making New Years resolutions. It was fun to create a list when I was younger. Age is not the reason why I discontinued listing resolutions to keep in the new year. Life is the reason. “We make plans and God laughs.” Or, as Scottish poet Robert Burns lamented: “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, / Gang aft agley.” (often go awry).

Continue reading “New Year Resolutions for 2018”