A 50/50 Chance

I want to show you guys something. Here is my first ever self-designed cover for Legacy.

I was so proud of this when I first made it. I was on my way out of the “I’m going to hit it big!” way of thinking when I made this. Really, I just wanted a cover to see a finished product...book + cover = pretty pretty dreams in my hand.

And then reality slapped me in the face. Of course it usually does when I get a high happy point when I’m daydreaming about my future. That’s not to say I’m going to fail or never get to that publishing point.

I will get there. Motivation is a little lacking sometimes, but I’ll get there.

After weeks and weeks of research I knew the cover up there wasn’t gonna cut it. It might be enough to get people to look at it, but it is a huge risk. The quality is poor, the silhouette is blurry. The three colors all pop and it is clearly read (Haha, I made a pun), but what exacly draws the reader in to take a look at the description?

It doesn’t fit in the genre, there is very little you can gain about the story from this cover. Then again....it really is a toss up. I’ve got a 50/50 chance of winning or failing with this cover. But I got to say, this will be on my wall one day.

It’s a testament to how much I’ve changed in the past two years. 

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Time For Some Ketchup...I Mean Catch-Up

It’s been a few weeks since I last posted, but I have been writing and I have not forgotten you. Today I’m just going to post some of the notes and ‘letters’ I’ve written over time to you guys. They’re just notes, things that have resonated with me. Some are funny and ridiculous, others I have no idea how to classify them.

So read on for a look inside my mind.

5/31/2016

Everyone has little cheats they use when writing, abbreviations, symbols, etc. Thanks to Jim Carrey in the movie God Almighty, I always spell out ‘beautiful’ as b-e-a-utiful. In the voice Jim uses. Always.

That’s not the only trick the media, television and movies in particular, have taught me when spelling.

Remember that episode of Family Guy where Stewie pronounces the H in coolwhip? Yeah, whenever I hear the word coolwhip now, there is Stewie Griffin calling out coolWHip. And it’s not just that one word. It’s any word that carries a silent H. I realized this when I was editing Legacy and needed to write overwhelming. I couldn’t remember where exactly the H went. Then Family Guy came on the tv and I remembered Coolwhip...botta-bing, I knew just where that H went.

So it got me thinking, what other tricks, besides the obvious, can be used for writing tricks? The mind is wonderous thing, isn’t it? What tricks do you use?

6/06/2016

Indie Author. DIY...that means we do it all by ourselves. We write, edit, and create all on our own. The best books have aspects hired out, hard edits and covers. That is, if you have the budget.

Most career paths have classes you can take, sometimes even online, or schools you can attend to obtain a degree in what you want to do in life. Writers and authors don't have that. Sure we can take business classes, creative writing classes, graphic design classes...which all adds up to thousands of dollars spent and hundreds of hours devoted to learning. We have workshops and webinars to teach us. But as with music and art, you either have it or you don’t.

Anyone can be a writer...but not everyone can be a good writer. On top of that, indie authors have to wear many hats, not just that of writer. We have to do research, write our stories, edit those stories, design covers, edit some more, find beta readers, create author platforms, create an online profile through social media and author websites...on top of creating more than one book or project.

The world of publishing is ever-changing, and yo have to stay on top of every news article and change in the industry. It’s hard work and time consuming.

If you are like me, just etting out there, you probably are signed up for newsletters from other indie authors who figured this stuff out a long time ago. My inbox is filled with emails containing news, tips, and tricks to get out there and make the most of my chosen career.

But those emails...they have me in information overload. I see what to do, what not to do, try this complany, stay away from these kinds of publishers, use this software, use whats free, write what you know, go learn something new and write about that.

It is exhausting. Sometimes I just want to write and hit ‘publish.’ But I need to make a life out of this. To do that I have to have an income to support not just my career, but also my life. I need to produce a good product, which comes from hard work and diligence.

Diligence produces research I can use to make it in this fast moving world. I know I need the advice. I know what I need to do but sometimes….

*face meet desk*

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On this day, we give our thanks...

"Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was initiated to honor the soldiers for the Union and Confederate armies who died during the American Civil War.

Celebrations honoring Civil War heroes started the year after the war ended. The establishment of a public holiday was meant to unify the celebration as a national day of remembrance instead of a holiday celebrated separately by the Union and Confederate states. By the late 19th century, the holiday became known as Memorial Day and was expanded to include the deceased veterans of all the wars fought by American forces. In 1971, Memorial Day became a federal holiday.

The original national celebration of Decoration Day took place on 30 May 1868. When Memorial Day became a federal holiday, it was given the floating date of the last Monday in May." Via publicholidays.us

Today is a day for remembrance of all those soldiers who have fought for their beliefs,  their country, their family and friends, their countrymen and women, and effectively, for you.

These men and women gave their lives so that we, people who take what these good people do for granted, can live free lives. Too many have lost their lives. Men and women have been made widows, children have lost mothers and fathers. Parents have lost children. Some one some where, has lost someone.

Every day, people die. Some for no reason, others for war and peace, protection. There are those who condemn soldiers for fighting. They forget that it is those very same men and women who fought and died to protect the protesters' right to protest.

My father, my brothers, my grandfathers and uncles are military They have come home. I didn't loose my chance to have a life with them. I don't pray as much as I should, but I thank god, every day, that they are home.

I cannot imagine the pain the others who are not as lucky must feel. My heart goes out to them.

Despite how you feel about war, fighting, your religious beliefs: our man and women fight for us. They fight for your right to own a home, go to school, walk the streets wearing what you want to wear, reading the books you want to read, marry who you want to marry. They fight for our constitution, our rights, our freedoms.

If you see a veteran today, shake their hand and thank them. Thank them for giving up so much for you, a stranger.  If you see a soldier's widow, tell them they are strong, and are not alone, and you appreciate their spouse's sacrifice.

Every day is memorial today, because we still have today.

We still have today because they fought to give us today.


Know a veteran or a soldier who didn't make it home? Or do you know someone who is still fighting? Post their name below so they will never be forgotten and so they will know how much they are appreciated.

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I've Never Done That Before

Unfortunately for you guys, you'll never know what I did. Ok, maybe a little.

I did something hard. I did something that hurt a lot of people. I tore my life in a hundred pieces and am now slowly piecing them back together.

My whole life I have worked for other people, taken care of other people, sacrificed for other people. I have been pissed off, pissed on, and sitting on limbo in regards to myself since I was 12 years old.

I didn't do what I did to hurt anyone. I wanted, needed, to figure myself out instead of just being a part of something. I needed to know who I am.

I have to learn to stand on my own two feet with no one holding me up. I need to learn to stand up for myself and my Lil Miss. I lost sight of that because I was afraid. Afraid to be alone, afraid I would fail. Afraid of hurting the people I care I care about.

Will it take a while? Yes. But is it worth it? On so many different sides.

I don't know where I'll end up, but I'm going to get there on my own.

So yes, I abandoned you guys for a while week, but it is not without a good reason. I will be posting regular scheduled posts next week, with updates on life, book reviews, and other little tidbits.

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Well, This Week Didn't Go As Planned

Once in a while I like to write a To-Do list. I didn't do a single darn thing on my list this week. But!

We did go to the library again this week. Lil Miss got new books and played on the train table. I got books on homeschooling (got a few good ideas from those), some books to review, and was terribly disappointed when a JR Ward I was looking for was only available at a different branch. Poo.

I got a new review done, Joanna Rock's Secret Baby Scandal. Look for that next Wednesday.

Oh! I got some writing done. Not much, but I'm just over 5K words closer to my goal of 25K words by the end of this month. The validation period of Camp Nanowrimo has begun and there's just one week left of the event. I'm excited and jittery at the same time. Because I don't know if I'll make it, but with such a small word count in front of me how can I not pass it? It feels like when you get closer to the end you lose focus and that's when you mess up.

I'm scared I'll mess up before I cross the finish line.

But I can't let that stop me. I will channel the Little Train That Could and get this done. And keep going, until all the words are on paper, and the story is alive. 

And that's it. My week was slow, and I got a lot done in some respects, and very little in others. But hey, at least I'm not sitting on the butt all day, huh? 

It's a nice change of pace. 

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Just a Regular Day in the Life

I've been online now, officially, for a little while now, just a few weeks, months. I've shared with you my day to day life, even though it's mundane, and my writing adventures, no matter how singular they may seem.

But what I haven't told you is what I really want to do. I want to write. (Duh)

I want to write books, I want to get them published and share my stories with the world. And how do I do that? How can you do that?


Write. Write. Write.

You can find it everywhere: advice on how to write, what to do & what not to do, tips and tricks. "Write what you know." "The hardest part of writing is the first sentence."

Trust me, I've seen it, done it, dove head first into it. I'm going to be swimming in this business for the rest of my life as it changes everyday. And I am so happy to be doing it.

The best way to learn how to write IS to write. And I will be writing what I know. I'll be working on my projects. I'll be writing these blog posts so you can follow along with me. And I'll be doing something I've been doing in my head for years: book reviewing.

Sure, there are hundreds of reviewers all over the world. Genre specialists, the eclectic reader, etc., etc. I would be categorized as the eclectic reader. I'll read anything from Patricia C. Wrede's Dealing with Dragons to JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Seriously, my library is filled with books I read and loved in the sixth grade to books I've read picked up for free through Bookperk.

I've read books to enjoy them and get out of my own head, I've read books because they are everywhere on my Tumblr feed. I've read books because no one has heard of them or because everyone has heard of them. There are a few I could only skim, and even less that I couldn't even finish, but I have always, always read books and shared them with friends and family. And they usually trust my opinions.

So to help with my writing, as well as to keep up with my writing, I will be doing book reviews, whether published or unpublished, I don't care. I want you, my readers to see what I like. Maybe I can persuade you to read a book you never thought you'd like, but will give it a chance based on what I have to say.

That's how it's done, right? You like a book and tell a friend, then they share it with a friend, and so on & so on.

If you like what I have to say, maybe you'll keep coming back?

So, we have a new schedule. Same days, different posts.

Based on this, I see there will be a book review, my very first official, this Wednesday. Come on back for my take on Beth Barany's Henrietta The Dragon Slayer.

What do you think? What are your thoughts? I really want to know, so comment below or email me!
If you have a book you would like for me to review, shoot me an email through
the contact form on your right.

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I Know, I know, I'm late

But I have a good excuse.

Lil Miss, Hubby, and I went to the library Wednesday. And we got a stack of books. Lil Miss has a stack and I have stack. On top of that I have book review copies coming in.



Ever since Wednesday night when we got home, I've had my nose stuck in a book. So far I've read JR Ward's Bourbon Kings, The Winner's Curse, and am working on Shatter Me. When that is done I'll move onto my review project for the weekend and I'll have that up for you on Monday!

And that's it. I have literally done nothing but read since Wednesday night. My house is not happy with me.

Oh well.

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The life of a stay-at-home mom is never dull. Lil Miss here has her own learning computer games, homeschooling, and playtime. But what happens when I need to get some work done and she wants to play?

She'll get most of my day and then want more. I love her, gods know I do, but sometimes I'd like to be able to have a few moments to myself.

When I need to get some work done, we have what can be called proximal bonding. This is something I used to do with my daddy. 

When he was always on the computer and I wanted to hang out with him, we'd watch a movie together. Actually, I would watch a movie that he liked, and I ultimately liked, while he was on the computer playing World of Warcraft, or working on a program, or doing some other computer related thing. We didn't talk. We didn't interact except to talk about the movie when I needed some clarification or some such other detail. But we were together. Daddy was there. To a kid who didn't get any affection from her adoptive parents and felt threatened by her new step-family, this little time alone with Daddy was treasured. 

Don't get me wrong, I couldn't imagine my life without my step-family, or my adoptive father and brother, I love them all so much. But I've already lost my biological mother. I needed my daddy, especially in my teen years. 

That proximal bonding was enough for me at that time. So now, when Lil Miss wants my attention 24/7 I can make her feel like she's getting my attention while still getting my own work done. 

Lil Miss plays with her toys within five feet of my desk and we can interact with each other while still doing what I need to do. Multitasking has become a much needed skill. 

I know there are alot of parents out there, so how do you deal with kids wanting your attention all the time? 

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Scattered Thoughts

So far, all of my posts have been scattered, disjointed thoughts.

A broken road-map from point A to point B where I visit points C-Z first.

My mind works in a scattered way. I will have a thought or idea and to vocalize that thought I feel like I'm jumping down the rabbit hole just to get it out. Most of the time I end up not getting to the point. I'll have completely forgotten the point by the time I've finished typing.

Instead of taking the red line straight to X, I'm on the orange line, hitting every mark except the one I really need. 

Writing a book feels different. I can play each and every word on a movie reel in my head. Transcription from brain to document is as easy as breathing. So why is it so hard to write a clear and concise blog post? Technically, this place is an online journal that I'm sharing with anyone on the internet. It should be easy to write out all my thoughts. 

But its not. Maybe treating this thing like a journal is why this is so hard. I'm trying to share my real-life with you. And it's not as easy as I'd like to think. 

I can say one thing and do another. But I'd like to say one thing and actually do it. 

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