Blog Archives
Welcome!
Hey everyone! I’m happy to see you here. Have some of this wonderful pie I made just for you. It’s delish, I promise. There’s also coffee and tea if you want it, so just make yourself at home and let’s get out of this heat for a bit.
Several of you wanted to see a pic of my tatt. Originally, I posted a pic just after I had it done, before the scabs came off. (That sounds gross, huh?) Anyway, when it finally healed, I was disappointed to find that there were spaces with no ink and other areas where the shading was much lighter.
I recently found a wonderful artist and she fixed it all up. Yay! So, here’s what it looks like now….
I don’t know why my phone is taking such fuzzy shots; I tried several different places with different lighting, but this was the best I could get. Sorry about the poor quality. But, as you can see, it’s all one shade, dark, and no empty spaces. I couldn’t be happier. Now, I can plan my next one, squee!!!
Since Honey had the week off (woohoo!), I’ve been terribly lazy about writing. However, Tangi and I stumbled upon a new idea that may help propel her story forward and eliminate even more of the knotty tangles that keep cropping up. So that’s something, right?
Well, I’m off. Gotta do my Saturday stuff and I want to get back before the heat really cranks up. Lots of terrible stuff happening around the world this week. Lots of people in my thoughts and prayers.
I’m really glad you stopped by ๐
Stay safe out there!
>News, Updates, And Stuff
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Wow, what a summer, huh? I hope everyone is surviving the terrible heat wave we’ve been having. Although, yesterday and today have been dreamy. For me, anyway.
I have all kinds of news. First, I gotta say-I’m not too sure about the new blogger. The dashboard is weird and creating this post is interesting. By the time I finish this, I’ll now more about whether I like it or not. Anyway….some news.
When I got my tattoo, I was disappointed when the scabs came off. There were spaces with no ink, and parts were lighter than others. Everyone told me that the guy who did it doesn’t do touch-ups for free. His online reviews said the same thing. Sorry. I’m not paying someone to fix their mistakes.
I recently found someone else and had it redone. Guess what? I have ink in all the right places! And no weird shading, either. Yay! Know what else? She said that if there were still spaces or shades, she would fix it. For free. Um hmm. She will get all my business in the future. (Yes, NOW I can plan for my next one *happy face!*)
In other news, my former teacher GOT ME INTO THE CLASS!!!! Yes, Friends, I will be graduating in December. Finally!
Now for writing news. My intended goals have been shelved and that’s okay. I’m not good at forcing creativity. The new shiny I mentioned before is patiently waiting and I really hope to begin working on it again before the summer is over.
To date, I’ve written 4 short stories and I have 2 more that I really want to get completed. I’ve learned a few things during this process. For example, I can’t write humor. My hat is off to those of you who can.
Fortunately, my Muse knows this and steers my path into other directions. Basically meaning that the ideas I’ve started with have consistently morphed into something else. I’ve also discovered how difficult it is to keep short stories short. William found several magazines who want stories between 3 and 6K, and a few more that want them up to 8k. I’m averaging 4+ to just over 6k.
The weird thing is, just like during nano, I’m finding naptime at work to be extremely conducive to writing. Yay for sleeping children ๐
Speaking of weirdness, I’m ready for this:
Yep, the rainy, cloudy weather we’ve had the last 2 days has put me in the mood for fall and all its accouterments. Part of it may be my desire to leave summer behind and get on with cooler weather. (Okay, a lot of it!)
Mostly, though, it’s because I like to decorate the house in fall and winter. I don’t really do much decorating in spring and summer….
Lastly, has anyone seen the new Harry Potter movie? If you’re planning to go, a word of advice. Take Kleenex. Especially if you’ve read the books, because you’ll be able to appreciate what’s happening on a deeper level. Yes, there are changes and differences, but it’s still a wonderful ending to the series. I want to go back.
One of the things I really liked about it was these guys finally got their due in the movies…..
That’s it for now. I hope you’re home, cause I’m dropping by for a visit!
>HEY!!!!!
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Well, more like a quick visit to say hello and see what’s going on with everyone.
It’s been a little crazy the last several weeks. Initially, I took time off to work on my two wip’s. Part of the way in, I realized that Tangi had backed off again, though I did manage to get several scenes written and a few others sketched out. Hopefully, they can be used. ***update: as I was writing this, she showed me something!***
With the nano book, I rewrote the beginning (I learned that agents won’t read anything beginning with someone waking from a nightmare.) The new intro is actually much better than the original, so that’s a plus. Then, I found myself rewriting the whole thing, not something I have time for and it was loosing something in the retelling. So I decided that I would try and just rewrite pages at a time.
Finding how difficult and time consuming that was becoming, I decided to put both wip’s on hold and follow another idea. (Can you spot the ADHD coming into play here?) One that I’m keeping under wraps for right now. But the neat thing was that it would be quicker and aimed at a wider target. Cool, right? Well, it was cool, for about a week. I was 10,653 words into the new project when the A/C went out. During the hottest week in May. (Director’s father said his porch read 103 degrees F.) And the prednisone was still coursing wildly through my system. Yep, a total meltdown occurred. At one point, I simply started crying and was unable to stop. *Sigh*
Since about the age of 14, I’ve been unable to abide extreme heat. I’m told it’s probably a hormonal thing. I’m no better than a wrung out dish rag. So all writing/blogging/and facebooking came to a screeching halt. Eight days later, we had air again *silent prayer of thanksgiving* but the damage was done. I’d lost all my motivation. The writing train had derailed. Three weeks passed. Not one word written.
Till William came back to the Center for the summer! He’s my only face-to-face friend that writes and understands/gets excited about all things writerly. He’d done some research about short stories and where to submit them. Since we’re both pushed for time, we decided to concentrate on shorts, working on the wip’s when time allowed or the muses insisted. We’re both writing like crazy and I’m finding it fun and challenging. I’m finding he’s also quite the crit buddy!
Since this is a longer weekend, I hope to get a few more written, (I’ve sketched out ideas for several!) then concentrate on polishing them up. I also want to resume work on the new shiny, finishing it if I can. Ambitious, but the summer is passing quickly and I want as much to show for my time off as possible.
That’s pretty much what’s been going on as far as writing goes. During the A/C – prednisone drama, I reverted to my bad emotional eating habits and paid for it in spades. Consuming an estimated 3 to 4 thousand mg’s of sodium caused the wicked-bad migraines to return. Lesson learned. I’ve had my tatt redone (when it healed, there were blank spaces) and Honey finally had time to do some landscaping in the front of the house (I looks a lot better).
Work has been almost non-stop activities/happenings/events, but this week was really mellow. Lots of families on vacay, so I got to come home early yesterday (Friday). A couple of our kiddos are having some serious health issues and could use some positive thoughts and prayers, please. (I can’t mention names or conditions, sorry.)
Right now, I’m going to get some of my Saturday stuff done and then I’ll see if the Muse is with me. If she is, I’ll be writing for most of the afternoon and early evening. Then, I’ll be around to visit. I’ve missed you guys!!!! If Ms. Muse is absent, I’ll visit sooner!
My weekend plans? To see Transformers! And I’m sooooooo looking forward to HP7 part II. The last trailer makes me cry.
So, how have ya’ll been?
>Fun And Games Blogfest
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or to just help get me out of my head when I need it…..
>Lenny-Lee Fest!!!
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Well, minus the claws!
>Awards: I’ve Been Hoarding!!!!!
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So here’s what I’m doing. I’m posting the awards, who gave them to me, a link to their blog, and the rules for giving them out. (I’ve actually been working on this post a couple weeks-all the info has been saved in various drafts) Then, I’m asking you to simply take them. Especially the ones you don’t already have. I’m justifying this in my head by thinking about the Tinkerbell post. All of you matter to me. You’ve all been there for me. And if I could give each of you an Oscar, I would. Cause you deserve it.
And I’m asking you to let me be terribly lazy this time.
If you’ve not met one of these fantastic bloggers, I highly recommend you check them out. They’re funny, witty, clever, sweet, and worth your while!
In no particular order, here they are:
Very festive and sparkly, like Carol ๐
She regularly interviews authors and posts interesting writerly stuff on her blog.
Definitely pay her a visit!
I’ll catch up with you sometime late tonight or tomorrow……..
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>My Tinkerbell Theory (Long-ish, But With A Surprise At The End)
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So, for all of you who regularly come by and visit, sharing wisdom and laughter and commiseration, this is for you. No rules. Just a thank you. I really, really mean it. It’s yours. Share it with whomever you choose.
BTW, image gotten from imagebase.davidniblack.com. a free image source. Way cool site.
>Caution: Evil Lurking Ahead!!!!!
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Have you ever had the pleasure of taking a significant round of Prednisone? Well, let me tell you. See this kitty on the left? That’s pretty much how it makes me feel on the inside.
All sorts of evil and mean things run through my mind and try to come out of my mouth, but I believe I do a pretty good job keeping them behind my teeth. At least no one has ever told me otherwise. And I’m sure it’s not because they’re afraid of me or anything like that.
See, I was nine days into my antibiotic (for the previously mentioned severe congestion, sinus and ear infections). Nine days. The first antibiotic was omnicef. Not sure I spelled that right. Don’t really care. The point is that one gave me a wicked migraine and, um….tummy issues. So the good doctor gives me a sulfur based one. I took it for nine days. Just one more day to go and I would be free!
Thursday night, I’m getting ready to take a shower and go to bed. A little TMI coming up……I take off my capris and said a couple blue words. I was covered in red, mean looking dots. Holy crap, Batman! They’re all over me, literally, from scalp to feet. And suddenly, I’m aware of them. They itch and burn.
I call Director and we both believe it’s a reaction to the med. Friday at the Center is gonna be a hectic one-one teacher out and another substituting in the lunchroom. Plus, it’s our Mother’s Day celebration in which moms, grandmoms, aunts, and pretty much anyone else is invited to join us for breakfast, lunch, and/or snack. So I can’t be out. Director would never tell me that. I just knew how much she needed everyone to be there.
However, as soon as she sees me, she tells me to stay as long as I feel like it then go to the doctor. Evangeline strongly encouraged me to get an appointment asap (thanks!) and I left as soon as her break was over. The good doc was worried. He said it could be a serious thing to react to a sulfur based drug so he gave me a shot and a big ol’ round of evil making pills.
Except for Saturday, so far, I’ve not been too bad emotionally. Well……I could be wrong. My Mother’s Day post was kind of dark. And this feels a bit whiny. Hmmmm. Maybe I’m not being as vigilant as I thought I was. Sorry. And as I reread this, I think my verb tenses are all over the place, dang! Ah well….
Anyway, all that to explain where I’ve been the last several days, and likely for several more. Plus, I’ve actually been slowly plugging away at the two wips. I’ve added 4k to Tangi’s story and there’s more to put on the ‘puter. I’m doing a lot of longhand writing during nap time (when I can). I have another scene to add to Tangi and I’m sort of rewriting the nano, ugh.
So, that’s what I’ve been up to and where I’ll likely be. I’ll pop in unexpectedly when I can. Till then, take care and be safe! Have a great week ๐
OH, PS!!! Guess what my bp was? Well, in spite of the painful condition I was in, as well as the anxiety attacks brought on by the benedryl I was taking (antihistamines do it to me) it was 130 over 80, wow! Yay!!!! Now, I just have to incorporate regular exercise into my new-ish diet and it will be even better *happy dance* ‘K, just wanted to share something good. TTFN ๐
>BOLO: Be On The Lookout – For These Fantastic Tales!!!!!
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I made a new lol. You like it? *cheesy grin*
Well, lolcats may have minions to do all their proofreading and editing and revising, but the rest of us don’t. For a lot of us, just getting a basic rough draft completed is a miraculous cause for celebration.
At this point in my writing, I have one rough draft in surgery, and another in the birthing room. Whew! No wonder I’m dizzy and absent minded lately :))
I feel fortunate to have many of you as blogging friends because I learn from you. You inspire me because you don’t give up. Your determination in the face of countless rejections, your faith in what you’re creating, and, mostly, your openness about the whole journey – is what keeps me going. You provide stepping stones, handholds, and candles to light up the dark and murky places.
Where am I going with this? Right here. Many of you have announced upcoming releases of your books and short stories. Others of you have announced that particular books or stories have generated great interest and that the outlook is promising. And I know of at least one sequel in the works that’s going to be a definite ‘must have’ for me…..so without further ado, here is a list you may be interested in – in no particular order:
Nicole Zoltack of Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight just announced the May 1st release of Champion of Valor, the third book in her Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy. She is currently organizing a blog tour with prizes at each stop. Read here for more details.
Alex J. Cavanaugh has sent his as yet untitled sequel to CassaStar to his crit partners. The next installment takes place 20 years after we first meet Byron, our hero. I’m told that Byron will meet his match on an alien planet – a woman! Alex hopes to have the sequel to his publisher by the end of June, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed! For more info about CassaStar, and to watch the incredible book trailer, click here!
E. Elle at The Writer’s Funhouse is hosting a unique and fun blog contest. Here are the rules (copied and pasted):
So, here are the rules for A Song in the Words:
1) Be a follower of the Writer’s Funhouse. You know how to do this. Just click that follow button over on the left. Come on, you know you want to.
2) Pick a song. Any song. Seriously, any song in the whole wide world.
3) Write a scene in 750 words or less, inspired by the song you chose.
4) Email the title of your song (along with the artist) and your scene to me atthewritersfunhouse(at)yahoo(dot)com by 6:00 PM Eastern time on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. If the song you chose is kind of obscure, please provide a link to a place where I can hear it (i.e. YouTube or MySpace [is MySpace still around?]). If attaching the file, please attach as a .doc, not .docx. I still operate with Word 2003, lame-o that I am.
That’s it! It’s that easy! I’ll take a few days to read the entries, then announce the winner on Wednesday, May 25, right here at the Funhouse. The winner receives a $30 gift card to Barnes & Noble. Wouldn’t you like a $30 gift card to Barnes & Noble? I would like a $30 gift card to Barnes & Noble.
Any and all promotion would be appreciated. So feel free to grab the button and post it on your blog. The more entries, the greater the competition, the sweeter the victory.
What are you waiting for? Dig into your playlist, get your writing groove on, and enter!
Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting a fun blogfest, too. Again, here are the rules, copied and pasted:
Itโs All Fun & Games Blogfest, June 6, 2011 – list your three most favorite games and why. Board games, card games, RPG, video games, physical games, drinking games – even mind games! If itโs a game you enjoy playing, itโs worth sharing.
Well, that’s all the news I have time for right now. I hope you all have had a great week. Just as an update, I do feel much better. Thank you for all your well wishes!!!
And for the hopeful releases, let’s all keep our fingers crossed!!! Much congratulations to all the e-book releases and paper/hardback releases, GO WRITERS!!!
Lydia Kang from The Word is My Oyster is co-hosting this blogfest. Copied and pasted rules right here:
Rules are pretty lax. This is fun, after all!
1. Post a joke that pokes fun at yourself, or writing, or your job (including parenting, of course!), or anything personal. Or if that’s too much work, any joke that you think is funny will do.
The point is to laugh a little. And the posts ought to be quick and fun, so you can hop from post to post and lower your stress level a little.
All I can say is, you’ve been warned. ๐