Adventures in Sleep Apnea

As many of you know, I've been working on getting my Commercial Driver's License. Mr. Janney has already obtained his and starts his new job on Monday. Because I've had difficulties passing my road test, I had to file for an extension. Minor technicalities.

One requirement to even get a CDL permit, is a DOT physical. Because I met enough requirements for sleep apnea, I had/have six months to get tested and if diagnosed with it to get treatment. Once I got our medical coverage reinstated, I was able to get tested fairly quickly. The diagnosis was positive, I have 'mild sleep apnea'. My mother asked if that was like being 'borderline diabetic' to which I answered, 'probably'.

Many of the symptoms I live with could be attributed to my underactive thyroid. But since the sleep study said I have it, if I want to get my CDL then I had to get a C-PAP machine and use it at leat 70% of the time. So, once again, after I got my medical assistance straightened out, I had the new machine pretty quickly. I picked it up yesterday afternoon and began using it last night.

It's going to take some getting used to. It wasn't so much the air being pushed into my nose, but the mask itself. It just felt - funny. I'll give it a few more nights to see if it's something I can get used to or if I need to change masks. Mr. Janney wanted to know how I'd slept...'ok, I guess. I still woke up a few times.  I dreamt a lot...' He just laughed at that. And then laughed harder as I described some of the weirdness I'd dreamt.

sounds a bit Darth Vader-ish

He said he woke up once himself and couldn't get back to sleep because of the noise of either the machine or my breathing. The few times I woke up, it felt like my nose had slipped out of where it was supposed to be because I had air blowing straight up in my eyes.  So tonight when I go to put my astronaut mask on, I'll see if the straps needs tweaking. Like hubby reminded me, I don't want to get it too tight because that'll make the nose bone hurt and who wants that to happen??

The kind lady at Med Depot who set me up with everything, looked at my face to determine mask size - and tilted her head and said, "Everything's perfect." No one has ever looked at my face and said that before! It was a bit of an ego boost, even though it's just for a face mask fitting.

I'm only going to post this here, because my co-blogger on Broads was able to post over there again. If she continues, I will strive to make separate blog posts again. Until I can pass my road test and I head out on the road too...but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I'm signing off now, because I'm thirsty and need to get back to my edits. Everyone have a great day!

When Days Blend

Normally this is a slow time for our work. Last year we were lucky if we made it 6 hours a night. This year has not been slow. Mr. Janney and I have been working 40+ hours since...I really don't know how long it's been. Since before the holidays even.

I'm not complaining, the paychecks enabled us to be generous at Christmas and to go on a trip over the week we had off between Christmas and New Years. But it does get tiresome. Especially when they have you work both days of the weekend. That 12 day stretch causes the days to blend into together, especially when there are 12 hours shifts mixed in there.

I'm Batman....AND Robin
I'm special like that! Lol

What I have complained about to hubby, has been the frustration I've faced when it comes to writing. Both blogging and my novel. I'll have all sorts of great ideas at work, during transit, but when I get home...well, we're hungry, we're tired, there's always something to do - laundry, dishes, etc. and all too often all I want to do after is just sit in my recliner and veg. I don't get on my laptop to play Clash of Clans, and both hubby and I are huge clashers! We love to war, but we've only just recently started putting ourselves back into war.

By vegging, I mean I'm either reading - In Death or Star Trek novels, or watching tv...usually Law and Order SVU or Criminal Minds or NCIS. I have caught some original CSI episodes recently! Miss those shows so much! If there's nothing 'good' on, which isn't unusual at  midnight, I'll go to On Demand and watch a movie. The last one I watched was Cloud Atlas. I mean, you can't really go wrong with Tom Hanks - and the more the merrier (Polar Express!!). I'd read enough about it before hand that it wasn't too hard to follow, though I know I still missed tons. I mean hey, I was tired and was competing with Mr. Janney's music.

We had to order some things off Amazon recently, and for whatever reason it ended up being two orders. The first order I was a bit short for the free shipping, so I threw in a few books I've been wanting (Star Trek #71 Crossroad and Immortal In Death). No big deal, right? But then Mr. Janney wanted something else, so naturally I had to throw in a few more books right? I got what I thought was the sequel to a book I already, but alas --- I accidentally ordered book 3 of the Elvenbane series instead!! I can't read book 3 without reading book 2 first, at least to refresh my memory because it's been YEARS since I read it. Long story there, same with the other book I ordered - The Dragonbone Chair. I won't tell it today, but will think about sharing it later this year. After I've gotten back on track with the blogs and shared my adventure over our winter break. I have to get that written and posted soon -- I mean, it's February already for crying out loud!

Wish me luck this year! There's more to tell, but it's bedtime.

As Time Goes By...

Bare among the clothed

Man oh man.

I haven't been ignoring this site, honest.  There are about 6 posts sitting in drafts...where I got started and then something distracted me (either the phone rang, or it was time to go to therapy or the neighbors were fighting.) and when I came back to the post...all the inspiration had drained out of me and I'd just sit there looking at the screen thinking "Meh".

I feel kind of like the tree in the picture I posted to the left.  Dry and colorless even though I am surrounded by beauty.  Like words are at the end of my leafless tips and I can't quite grasp them.  No matter how I reach and stretch towards the sky, my fingers come back empty.

I seem to be doing ok right now, to which I'll credit the wine I'm drinking.  Maybe about 10 ounces worth.  Although my hubby just mentioned getting of Halo Wars and watching movies so I'm bound to be interrupted soon.  Keeping my fingers crossed. (Update, I started this one two weeks ago and am only now getting back to finishing it!)

I was even late posting at my shared blog the past two weeks, and I'm usually right on top of that.  But it does give me an idea how to get back on track here.

One thing we all notice as we age, is how much smaller the world around us looks.  Some of it is a natural change in size.  As we grow in stature, the world just doesn't look as big as it used to.  It hasn't changed in size, we have.

But sometimes it shrinks just because we've realized that our corner of the world it exactly that - a corner.  Last November I stood in the middle of New York City and it is pretty big compared to the little acre I grew up on.  I mean, my height hasn't changed in years.  I've been almost 5' 7" for years.  This stretch of road I've posted, has pretty much remained unchanged over the years as well.  It's always been this dirt road; it even retained its name when the county did it's 911 address update.  The leaves change color each year, and I usually take a picture now that picture taking has become easier with digital cameras being common on cellphones.  As I stood in the middle of the road taking various shots, I once again realized how small everything has come to look.  Not insignificant, just not huge or all encompassing.  My world is no longer limited to the home of my childhood.

Which brings to mind my reoccurring nightmare from when I was a child.  I would dream that I lost my home...I would take a short walk somewhere, like to the bend in the road in the middle of the picture where home couldn't be seen through the trees anymore and then I would turn around and run back, suddenly filled with terror only to find that our house and everything we had was simply...gone.  Nothing but an empty clearing to meet my frightened child eyes.  This was of course, many years ago and I no longer have the dream, or even think of it often.

Not the "Big" Hole I remember...

Of course, other times the change doesn't have anything to do with our perspective but is due to a change in the environment.  Case in point, the Big Hole.

A small crick runs by my mother's property and goes under the road via a sluice pipe, and the resulting spill creates a "hole".  Well, back in the flood of 2011, the water became high enough that this small crick ran over the road and was washed out enough that it was impassable.  As if the flood alone wasn't enough to change the "face" of the environment, the township dropped all these huge rocks around the new pipe, I assume for reinforcement.  Of course, the Big Hole I had growing up wasn't even the same one that my older siblings had when they were young.  Time and nature changes us all.

Photo 1

2nd Photo of the same sunset

And sometimes, it all depends on where you stand...because a few feet one way or the other can drastically change your perspective.  Not even the sunset will look the same.  Although in the case of the sunset, it was a bit more than a few feet.  The first photo (creatively captioned "Photo 1") I took at the bottom of mother's driveway.  The second photo, was taken maybe 10-15 minutes later probably about 2 miles away.  Because of the different angles, there's more light and color in the second photo.  At least I think so.

I haven't been slacking while I've been off here, not completely.  I have finished the first phase of proofing my second novel.  I have even revised the ending, which for some reason always unlocks new creativity in me.  Which is cool.  I've ordered the paperback proof from CreaeSpace and should have it in about a week.  I'll probably take some selfies with it like I did with the first novel, cuz that's just how I roll!  LOL

Once I get read through it and hopefully catch the last of the typos and OMG's, I'll be releasing it for purchase.  It's frustrating work, but worth it.

Have a great weekend everyone.  :)


2014 - Drawing Closer to its End

Impulse Blogging: Not For Every Post!

In some things, I am a perfectionist.

You'd never know this by how I keep house, I have spiderwebs in the corners and dust on my figurines.  But then, the spiders and I do have this agreement - as long as they stay out of my reach, they get to live!

But when it comes to writing, I pull out the magnifying glass.  It doesn't matter whether it's a novel, a poem or a blog post...deep down I never feel like it's finished or good enough.

While I've been blogging in one form or another since 2005, I am still learning. Especially since I began to blog as part of my online platform as an Indie Author. There are a lot of things I am still trying to "define" or consciously remember as I type.  Like writing for my target audience instead of everyone.

Rebekah Radice, my favorite social media guru, shared some of her advice from her own blogging experience in this GooglePlus Hangout recently.  I've heard and read a lot of it before, but that doesn't always mean I've actually thought about the topic.  You can watch it here if you're a fellow blogger just getting started, or if like me you've been blogging for years and need to make changes.

One thing I've never given too much thought about has been the color of my blog.  I have the color scheme that I do pretty much just because I like it.  I like purple.  It's says "pretty" to me.  I may end up looking into color psychology, but whether I'll ever change the color - I don't know.  It depends on whether that's the message I decide I want to send!  I do wonder what a yellow based blog would look like, because yellow says Happy!! to me.  We'll have to see about that one.

The list never really ends, does it?  lol :)

Another thing that came up in the video was which blogging platform was best.  +Rebekah Radice is a WordPress fan, because it gives you ownership of your own content.  Which apparently not true of Blogger.  Say What???  I've used Blogger since day one.  Never gave much thought to who 'owned' what I post.  I may have to look into that.  But there's no hurry at this moment.  Just one more thing on my To Do List!

I started out with a pretty frilly font, but I like what I have now better.  There weren't any complaints, but since I kept wondering if anyone had any trouble reading it, I decided I'd better change it.  Because if it was frilly enough that I was wondering, odds are there were people out there going, "I wish she'd write in a different font."

One thing I really need to get cracking on is formulating some kind of blog schedule.  Most of the time I have no idea what I'm going to be writing about.  Even this post came as a surprise to me, after I watched the video interview.  Even if I end up breaking it, I ought to plan ahead a bit better.  Especially since I went a few looooooooong weeks without internet in my home and wasn't able to get into my account on outside computers (thanks to two-step verification!!)  If I had been smart, I would have had posts written and scheduled for publication.  I mean, I knew it was going to happen!

There is nothing wrong with being spontaneous and blogging about something off the cuff.  Or even looking at your scheduled topics and changing your mind.  But if you don't have that list to look at, each time you...uhm, I...sit down to write a post - you're starting from scratch and sometimes you...uhm, I...just draw this blank.  All too often I am an Impulse Blogger - and while that can be a strength, like today's post, it's not something I should rely on for every post!  Tweet it!

Now if I will just be able to decipher all my shorthand...

Likewise, there's nothing wrong with just writing a short post updating readers on what's going on in your life.  My life.  I say YOU, when I really mean ME because it's easier to preach if I can pretend I'm not talking to myself!  All too often recently there hasn't been anything interesting to report!  "Yup, another blah day - did physical therapy, got hubby to work, hung out with friends."  People will get tired of those kind of posts pretty darn quick!  I know I do!

Now, I do have a great story to relate about an awesome anniversary gift from my in-laws...but I have to take pictures first.  Trust me on that one!

I did take notes while I watched the video, of things I know I need to pay attention to.  A lot of great things to ponder and consider.  I even hit pause a time or two because my fingers just weren't cooperating and I couldn't write fast enough!  Because this isn't even the only blog I have to think about!  I have to apply this to the blog I co-author with C.P. Stringham, Broads of a Feather.  At least when it comes to my own posts.

Speaking of which, I need to switch gears.  This week is my week to post...and well, yeah I need a schedule of some kind for that blog too because...I don't know what I'm writing about yet!  I'd better do some brain storming!  (And some laundry...)

2014 ~ A year of more changes...

Being Real vs. Being Fake

No "Blue Roses" here...

I read a blog post a while back, one of many, about how to be a better blogger.  No matter how long I've been at this, I always want to learn more so that I can be better at what I do.

It was a fairly straightforward post about five things you should never do on your blog.

The only problem is I'm not sure if I agree with him on all his points.  I'm not saying it was a bad post or anything like that.  It was pretty good actually.

His first point was about how bloggers aren't supposed to let you the reader know or even think that we're just a beginner.  I'm not sure what is wrong with that in certain areas.  I have no problem letting people know that although I've been writing since the fourth grade, I'm new at being a published author.  What better way to encourage others that making mistakes early in the game is okay and not a death sentence? Maybe some young/new author will read my posts and learn from my mistakes.  Who knows?

His second point was that bloggers shouldn't be negative in their blog posts.  If every blog post was negative, I'd understand that.  If there was even a pattern of negativity, I'd be worried.  But I don't see how an occasional negative blog post could hurt you in the long run.  Let's be honest, even the most positive/optimistic people have bad days.  Sometimes that will leak through to a blog post.  While I am one of the happiest depressed people I know, there are some days I struggle greatly with being positive and hopeful.  While I would never just vent here on this site, his post made me feel like I had to hide my struggles from my readers.  But - it's part of my journey!

The only thought I had about his third point, not posting negative reviews of other author's books, was that is was mostly common sense not to do that.  Well, I also thought that any review you post ought to be honest and not just positive for the sake of being positive in order to get a good review in return.  But since I don't really write reviews of books on here, I figure I'm safe.

(But on that note, here is a plug for my author friend C.P. Stringham's latest romance Rest in Peace.  It's the third in the series though, so be forewarned!)

I completely agreed with his last two points, about not ignoring comments and making sure you don't react negatively to a negative comment and to not be constantly talking about your own books.  So there's not really much to say there.  I have comment moderation turned on just so I'll never miss a comment.

And then there is this CreateSpace blog about branding yourself that I just read the other day.  It made me feel a little better about disagreeing with the previous blogger on some of his points.  Richard Ridley's short post can be summed up in one of his own sentences: "Just be yourself."  His advice tells us that if we as writers and bloggers stay true to who we are, and are comfortable with who we are, it will draw people to us and our books.

Like everything else I've ever read on being a success at writing and blogging, he does say that it takes time and consistency.  Two things I have obviously struggled with recently.  As can be seen by how long it has been since I posted.  I won't bore you will all the details, but I have had a lot going on in the real world and instead of finding solace in words on a screen I have been letting the resulting depression run its course.  I've never been able to write when I'm at the worst, it's only on the way back out that the creative muse kicks in.  Some of the best poems I've ever written were on the way back out of a depressive episode.  Two of my favorites are companion poems The Secret Me and I Can See You even though they are both almost 14 years old.

We all have rainy days...

So at the end of the day, so to speak, each of us bloggers have to find our own way.  No matter how many different articles we read giving us advice on how to attract readers, it's always going to come back to US...as in who we are.  Each of us who blogs/writes has our own unique Voice.  Along with our different opinions and ideas.  Some of us are going to be Roses, others Lilacs, and others Violets.  Some of us are going to clash like thunder and lightning, while others are going to be like Forrest and Jenny - peas and carrots.  But even then, what is thunder without lightning?

I won't stop reading articles, but no matter what I have to be true to myself.  Who I am as a writer and as a person.

I can only be me.





2014 ~ Aren't we done with this year yet???

Silence from the Peanut Gallery

It's like that moment when the comedian delivers the punch line and the audience doesn't make a peep.  Not even a chuckle.  And all the comedian can hear aside from the sound of his own heart hammering in his chest, is the sound of one single cricket.

Okay, so I asked you all questions in the hopes that I could get a better idea of how I can meet your blog reading needs...and no one answered.  Either I'm doing fine, or nobody read it which would indicate that I'm doing terrible!

I can handle this.

After all, it isn't like this is my first time blogging.  I used to be quite the avid blogger, back in the old days before I had a husband and full time job.  And as I remember, it took a while to build a following, even though I wasn't looking for that back then.  I just wanted to write and have someone somewhere read what I was writing even if it was mundane commentaries on my life at the time.  I dropped that blog to start this new one because I wanted to appear more professional in my 'new line' as a published author.  And I figured it would be just as easy to start over fresh than it would be to revive the old blog which I had let fall into total anonymity.

The other day when I was chatting during a schedule phone call with +Rebekah Radice (who totally rocks, by the way) one of the things we went over was who my target audience is.  So I've been thinking, who do I want to connect with through my blog?

I hope it is okay to have more than one 'target' audience in mind.

First, I want to connect with readers.  Specifically people who like to read fiction novels.  People who like mixed genre novels.  I say that because if I'm honest, I tend to blend genres rather than write in just one.  Farmer's Daughter is mostly Contemporary Romance, but there is also Fantasy in it (which will increase as the series progresses) and Suspense...which given that I did that one unconsciously, that'll probably increase as well.  People who aren't afraid of a long book - I write what I like to read, and I love long books!  Granted, it's not for everyone.  I had a coworker comment on the length just yesterday.  I get that.  Ring of Fire is probably not going to be as long, but I can make no promises.

Farmer's Daughter.  Lost childhood innocence.

And of course, I most especially want to connect with readers who've read my own book.  I'd love to hear new thoughts and opinions.  I'd love to dialogue about favorite characters and favorite scenes.  Or scenes that were absolutely hated.  Or scenes that you hate to love.

Secondly, I would like to connect with other writers.  For the camaraderie.  If a reader isn't a writer themselves, they can't fully appreciate the madness that a writer goes through during the process of writing a book or short story.  C.P. Stringham is one of my most favorite people in the world, because she's someone who lives close that totally gets it.  We'll talk and one of us will eventually say, "Me too!  I know exactly what you're talking about!"

Because it's good to have people along for the journey.  We each have a different perspective on life.  It's how we are able to help one another along.  I want my journey to encourage others.  Not just to read, but to write their own stories.  And to publish them!  Our stories are meant to be shared!

So many choices...

So I stand at a crossroads of sorts.  Do I change how I've been blogging, or try a different tact?  At this moment, I don't have an answer.  Not really.  Since I began this entire adventure, I've been feeling my way in the dark and flying by the seat of my pants.  But I must be doing something right somewhere because I've given one presentation at a local library with C.P. Stringham, been featured in our local paper, and have been invited to speak at a book club meeting in June (how exciting is that!!)

At the moment, I am getting ready to work on Ring of Fire.  I'd really like to have it finished and polished for an end of summer release.  I plan on going with my mother tomorrow to a family affair, so writing has to be done today.  I have no idea what will be going on Monday, except for no work which is becoming our norm.  Not good in the paycheck (which may be why I'm behind in the light bill)  Ah well, this too shall pass.

On the bright side, I've got most of my weekend chores already done.  Laundry? Check (ok, so the last load is still in the dryer...close enough!)  Grocery Shopping? Check (I hate feeling guilty for buying our needs)  Dishes...uhm, nevermind.  We're good, so I can write with a clean conscience.  ;)



2014 ~ One Day at a Time

Easier to be Social in an Imaginary World

Or is it?

For me it is.

Today I read a short article by +Jeff Roach about how to be social online when being social doesn't come naturally to a person. It was good; his advice in a nutshell was that if you don't have a lot to say, then share what means something to you.  Like articles.

My window into a larger world.

My thing is that I have an easier time "talking" here online than in person.  In person I trip over my tongue, sputter, and oddly enough I suck at telling stories.  The written word is my best way to speak.  I can edit and delete (if I'm smart enough to) and get my sentences "just right".  This sentence can go 'here' - or wait, would it make more sense down 'here'?

And when it comes to talking to people, the same applies.  There is something about removing the face to face eye contact that makes it easier for me to decide what is best to say.  There's less pressure.  Unless I know them quite well, and even then - well, if I say what I'm really thinking, would they still want to be my friend?

I love being online.  I love "meeting" people that I ordinarily wouldn't.  My computer and my iPhone are a window into a larger world.  Where in the real world I am probably far too timid, here on the internet I get to be a bold lion.  And it has gotten me in trouble a time or two!  But the lessons I've learned by my mistakes have been invaluable!



2014 ~ Full Speed Ahead - just watch out for those bumps in the road!

Realizing I Might Not Be Clear

Sometimes I forget that you all can't see through your computer screen and see what I'm trying to say.  I realized this today.

I know that I've commented and maybe complained quite a bit about my husband's noisy gaming - but failed

Does this do funny things to your eyes?  This is how I feel!

to mention that this is in the same room as our computer.  Maybe this is self explanatory to some, but that doesn't mean it is to everyone and really I ought to be more clear.  We are probably maybe six feet apart from each other.

It is cramped quarters to be sure.  It would be worse had he not knocked the wall out a few years ago.  One of many projects he has started but never finished.  I sit almost in the spot where the old closet used to be!  I did give much thought today about rearranging our rooms, but if I do that it won't be until the weekend.  If we don't work on Saturday.  There were ????'s on the schedule today - ugh!

He's not always noisy when he plays; it's when he's in an Xbox Live party and they're all chatting and planning and squabbling like the children they tend to act like.  Most of his friends are over eighteen, but not all.  There are a few teens in the group.  But that doesn't mean anything!  I swear, when I drove school bus seven some years ago, those kids were better behaved than some of this crew!

I have a few things in mind for tomorrow's post on Broads of a Feather.  Just a reminder that I won't be posting here tomorrow.  I might even write it out by hand tonight, so all I have to do is copy it over.  It's a little easier that way.  I actually printed off a few pages of my story and took them into work with me today to work on during breaks.  I didn't get anything new written yet, but I did do some editing and reworded a few sentences.  There's a possibility that I'll just be signing off the computer in a few minutes and just take my papers down to the bedroom and write there.  Heck, most of the first book was written in notebooks on break at the Manor when I worked as a nurse's aide!

Whatever it takes, right?

2014 ~ Full Speed Ahead

Two Authors Join to Unite Indie Authors of NE PA Through "Broads of a Feather"

Birds of a feather flock together.  So do writers!

This morning I had a friend of mine message me on Facebook with an idea.  C. P. Stringham has this idea to join forces with a Facebook page named Broads of a Feather for local indie authors in northeast Pennsylvania where we live.  I liked that idea a lot, and while I was at work she got the ball rolling.

She also mentioned a blog and twitter account.  The Blog I just got done setting up, also named Broads of a Feather.  She would like us to each post to the blog once weekly, and promote it etc. and our writings and so on and so forth.  I'll probably not post on this blog on the same day that I post on that one, aside from today of course.

I still have a lot of work to do, connecting accounts, sharing links - and it's almost my bedtime and I haven't gotten a single word written in my story yet.  Which is regretful because I've had some ideas bouncing around in my head today at work.  I'll have to get to it tomorrow.

This was our temp at 2:15 when I got out of work.

On the bright side, we finally got all our water pipes thawed out.  For some reason the cold water side in the bathtub didn't want to thaw out, which put a damper on my plans to shower last night.  But tonight when I came home from work, and our heat wave of 19F didn't do the trick, I began to get a little worried.  How would we get to it?  What if a pipe had burst?

Thankfully not.

Apparently our hot water pipe runs close enough to the cold that just running the hot water while cleaning the tub for a bath was enough to loosen things up!  I feel sooooo much better now!

Off to finish a few tidbits up!



2014 ~ Full Speed Ahead

Learning New Things Brings Happiness

I'm always up for learning new things.  Over the weekend, creating Mr. Janney's GTA5 crew I learned how to use their website's program to create emblems.  It's a pretty simple program, but it was still very satisfying.  It was also satisfying to be working on something with my husband, even if I don't see it as important.  His input created a pretty cool emblem for his team to use.  The first one I made didn't translate to the Xbox very well.  This one apparently has!  I guess we're even happier now!

Right now, I'm working on learning how to provide you, my readers, a tweetable quote.  If it works...awesome.  If not...you may never know as I'll have pulled my failed attempts from the internet to save you all from my embarrassment!

Of course, that means I'm going to have to start thinking harder to come up with quotes worth tweeting.  I may drop back down to posting only a few times a week; I'm not sure at the moment.

I myself don't have a big Twitter following yet, but I've been slowly increasing.  It's another one of those social tools that I thought was a waste of time, but it turns out that it's something I enjoy just as much as Pinterest.  I enjoy the short tweets that offer me inspiring quotes, or articles to read, or just snapshots into someone's crazy day.

So to see if this works, I think I said something lame like: Always be learning something new!. Tweetable

My test was successful, although I'm not sure it's any kind of brilliance!  lol!

Keeping it short tonight, as it's getting late and I have things to do yet.  Hope everyone had a pleasant enough Monday!




2014 ~ Full Speed Ahead!

A Cozy Snow Day

Winter didn't just come knocking here in Northeast PA, it came right in and made itself at home!  It was snowing when I rolled out of bed this morning at 7:30 - which was a delightful 'sleeping in' for me.  And now as I write this at 4pm, it is still snowing.  I've heard reports of anywhere between 2 and 7 inches across my county, and figure I myself have something in between.  So far - it's far from over.

Needless to say, but I'm going to say it anyway, my mother decided to reschedule her doctors appointments.  One for the beginning of February and one in March.  She also has one next Thursday, when another storm is supposed to blow through.  Given how this winter is shaping up in our area, I'm not sure we'll make the one in February - or March for that matter!

They are kind of important doctors appointments, but a delay won't hurt her too much.  She's been diagnosed with stage three kidney disease, and also has a partial blockage somewhere between a kidney and her bladder.  As of right now, I have no idea what that actually means except that she will be having some kind of surgery at some point.  Probably for a stint.  And maybe a net around her bladder as well; but that's for something else.

I would have expected to have gotten more writing done by this point of the day.  Mr. Janney came to bed about 6:30 this morning and I thought he would have slept past 11.  And he's been playing his game ever since.  Normally not a problem as I can ignore him with earplugs if I have to.  But he's interrupted me a few times asking me questions, or wanting me to do something on the computer for him (the GTA 5 cheat codes are not as easy as they were for 4!)  Not a big deal, just disruptive.  So I've been doing more social media things rather than actual writing.  Google+, Pinterest, a bit of Facebook (why did the post on my page about the #selfie I took do so well?  Seen by over 100 people?).  I ought to hit Twitter up again here soon.  I'm also trying to figure out Instagram.

Of course, it still doesn't help that I'm stuck in the same spot.  I've made progress though because I got the doctor in the room.  Then decided I better do the research I needed so my doctor doesn't sound like a hack.  And then there is Veronica Moore.  Her character is one that is tripping me up.  As a main antagonist, she can't be a caricature.  She needs to have depth and, well, for lack of a better term:  character.  Her stepson is still leery of her in the second book of my series, with good reason, and I have to overcome his hangup so I can get to know her better.  Even if he doesn't.  I'm just not sure I'm ready to face that darkness.

I just can't do "light and fluffy" romance.  Because none of my life has been "light and fluffy".  That's part of why I've added the touch of fantasy to the series.  Fantasy can be dark.  There is little of Craig and Angela's trauma that is autobiographical.  I never lost a brother as a child, and I was never sexually abused by my parents.  What I had was a sick father, a low self esteem, my own set of regular bullies at school, was overweight - which I still am.  In many ways, I've taken my 'raw deal' and did what any good author does...magnifies it and twists it until it no longer has any resemblance to the reality they know.  It's the only way I myself have been able to find any sort of healing from my childhood 'problems', not all of which I shared.  You don't need to know everything lol!

But it's the truth.  And I will overcome my own fear of Veronica Moore.  Just maybe not today.  In the mean time, I'm going to let you go for now.  I've gone on long enough.  I'll sign off with a picture I took of the rocks behind my home, and the neighbors chimney!



2014 ~ Full Speed Ahead!

#winter #writing #blogging

My 'Cheesy' Happiness Jar!

The Happiness Jar is not a new idea to me.  I've heard of it a few different times over the years.  But this year I've decided to actually do it.  I've picked out a jar - an empty cheeseball container!  It's more serviceable than pretty, but I might decorate it over the year.  I think that would be fun.  I know I've got stickers somewhere!  I'll post another pic at a later date.

You can read about the Happiness Jar here where +Peg Fitzpatrick blogged about it.  She is a constant source of inspiration and encouragement for me, even when there is no interaction between her and I on her Google+ posts.  It's just who she is, and I am glad for it.  She is always positive and upbeat, a much needed combination in today's world.  If she is ever down, it never appears on line.

As you can see from my photo, I've already added today's piece of paper.  I've decided to use up some old 'fancy' stationary, as I seldom use it for actual letter writing.  For that I tend to use ruled notebook paper because I can't write a straight line without guides or I totally cheat and write it on the computer.  For the time being I'll keep it on top of the refrigerator.  Today's happy moment was quite simple, we spent about $30 at Kmart today but between gift cards and Kmart points, we only paid about $3 out of pocket.  AND ~ I got to spend time with my husband away from his Xbox!  That's always nice.

Happiness doesn't always have to be something big and grand.  Often times, it's the smallest simple things that make a person happy.  Like blueberry muffins for tomorrow's breakfast.  Knowing that I have enough Tide for laundry.  An over abundance of bread, bought not because of the impending snow storm but because neither one of us was sure how much we had in the freezer.  With all the unknowns in life that can weigh on us, these little things are needed.

I doubt Mr. Janney will participate with me by adding anything over the year, although he has surprised me before.  But he did say that next New Years Eve he would read them off with me.  I consider that a date!  :)

Thinking it's time to get some writing done.  I've just had so much trouble concentrating the past few weeks.  I'm not sure if it's his constant chatter with his Xbox buddies, or just the holidays and the normal money pinch.  Either way, I will keep pegging away at it until my novel is done enough to rest.  It's not quite writer's block, been there done that!  But it is irritating.  I let writer's block keep me down for too many years to succumb to this minor irritation of being in a mental slump.  Even if I only write a few new words a day, I won't consider that a failure.  I will be happy for those few words.  Because I've seen how they can explode into whole chapters at any moment!

I just hope using a cheeseball container for my Happiness Jar doesn't mean that it's going to be a cheesy year!

2014 ~ Full Speed Ahead

Why I Love Google+

One of the reasons why I love Google+ is that in my opinion it is far cleaner is appearance than Facebook. It's more to the point with it's news feed and to be honest, I've found less "drama".

I read a great article today, shared by +Sociallogical.  I'm trying to put myself out there, trying to sell my novel and in a sense create a community of people who like to read in general, and maybe even those who like to write like me.  I'll be honest, a lot of the time I feel like I've jumped in over my head just to see if I could swim and fins myself holding onto a tree limb while the waves crash over me!

Since one of the ways I'm trying to do this is obviously through this blog, I'm constantly trying to rate myself to see how I'm doing and this article about blogger mistakes really struck home because I know I'm guilty of a lot of them.  I used to blog a lot, on a different site, but it was mainly just an online diary.  And this blog is meant to be something different.

And I am determined to succeed in this venture.

Because I plan on publishing more novels.  I plan on being something more than what others have told me I could be.  So I plan on learning whatever I can so that I can write better posts, write better books, and be a better friend to those of you out there who need one.  I'll be honest enough to say I'm counting on your guys' patience while I figure this stuff out.  Because like my blog says below the title, this blog is all about my venturing into self publishing.  So mistakes are going to happen, they're to be expected in any venture.  But I will always do my best to fix that mistake once I realize it.

If any of you out there reading have any comments, don't ever be afraid to leave them!  I need your feedback to know if I'm on the right track or not.