Tag Archives: life

Oct 6 2012

Stupid Sinus Infection…

Okay so I tried, really, I did.  But I ended up with a sinus infection that turned into me laying in bed for three days, so this week..no spiffy new blog…sorry. I’m barely able to keep up with normal everyday life as the oldest of the Prankster Duo is out on break and the other’s still plodding his way through school.  However I will let you know that yes, I’m doing Nano this year, yes I swear I will write every day…once I can breathe again…but right now, October is kicking my butt.  To be honest, October is that steroid Hummer thing Arnold Schwarzenegger was driving in that 60 Minutes interview on Sunday and I’m some poor little creature creeping through the cross walk. It hits me, stops, backs up and does it again.  And I’m left doing a painful imitation of that mosquito I flattened last week.

My goal, to drag my sack of bones back into the whirlwind of real life.  Unfortunately, I’m just not sure how successful I’m going to be.

Check back in next week, hopefully I’ll have some witty commentary to share!

Jun 16 2012

Missing the Blog Train…

Sincerest apologies! Totally dropped the dagger on the blog post for last week–and honestly, I have no excuse.  Even the fact that the Prankster Duo have revved up their antics, the Hellhound has decided to start experimenting with strange growths near his butt, the Knight in slightly muddy armor has been fending off the dragons single handedly, and me…I don’t think I’ve slowed down since the week prior.

Summer is when the temps rise, so you laze around a body of water (hopefully flying kola free), drink something cold and fruity (maybe a new blush from the Werewolf Monastery), and watch the days pass on by while Swamp Thing’s new and decidedly more colorful garden blooms.  Right?

Wrong.

Summer is when you realize that although every other Swamp resident may get to sleep in, you’re SOL.  Because as soon the sun starts to burn off the miasma of Zombie stench, you should have already:

  • hunted down breakfast for the Hellhound and presented it to him, making sure your presentation is up to Gordon Ramsay levels, because if it’s not you and the entire neighborhood will be forced to listen to his displeasure.
  • made sure Knight’s armor is still slightly muddy, plus make sure he was able to find not only his lunch, but his assorted weaponry before he takes the loyal steed out for his next adventure.
  • confirmed that Eerie’s Zombies did not breach the perimeter security during the night and invite Grandpa and Grandma Wizard to participate as snacks (‘Let’s eat grandma & grandpa!’ takes on a whole new meaning when it’s moaned!).
  • yell at the computer as it slowly decides to find an electronic signal in North Timbuktu so I can do my quick pop in/pop out to all the overwhelming social venues I am now indentured to for the next eternity.
  • straighten up the shack, including but not limited to, putting away the stack of dishes that have re-populated during the evening hours (I so don’t want to know what those dishes are really up to in the wee hours!), push/pull the Prankster Duo from their nesting spots with minimum of cursing, try to find the other boot that disappeared between taking it off and getting up (damn poltergeists!), shoving the detritus that is determined to conquer the entire cabin behind the boys’ doors, and then…
  • discuss, rationally, the pros and cons of sugar coated sugared versus fruit and oats as a nutritional requirement for growing males.

And that’s just the first 30 minutes.  It growing like a snowball of doom after that.

So the fact that I’ve been buried under the avalanche of “responsibilities” has put some serious hurdles into getting Shadow’s Moon some alone time.  I’ve managed to re-write the first couple of chapters three (or is it four?) times now, but think Xander’s finally decided to settle down a bit and share.  Considering the annual trip of the Evil 7 (we’re currently at 8, but unlike Snowhite and the Huntsman, we haven’t decided which one gets to take the arrow yet!), is quickly descending, I CAN NOT WAIT!

Think about it…4 blissful days of no internet (except for research, of course!), no phones (did you know cell phones have off buttons?), no TV (no hardship there, it’s why DVR’s were invented) and no outside responsibilities to pull me away from my fantasy world and the nightmares that inhabit it!  Plus, there is enough food to feed a small garrisson of trolls, witty humor with others who understand the necessity of demonstrating the proper techinques behind breaking necks and can intellecutally debate the merits of various herbal poisons and sharp, pointy weapons.  Ah…nirvana!

Plus, the cherry on top?  Shadow’s Soul is set to hit shelves on JUNE 23rd!

All of this is what will get me through the next week…then I’ll be back and we’ll chat again!

Mar 25 2012

Vacay is over…

As you noticed, my last post hung around for a whopping two weeks.  Yep, it was deliberate, not a technological malfunction.  I know, I know, normally the tech gremlins are to fault, but this time I just couldn’t hang it on them.  It was all me.  The Prankster Duo escaped from their learning institution and embarked on a week-long pester fest some call “Spring Break”.  Since the knight in slightly muddy armor and I thought we might be pushed to send them out into the Swamp on a Snipe hunting trip (if you don’t know what that is, go ask your parents!), we thought it would be best to pack up and head over to Grandma’s which is over the hill and under dale up north.  North being where white stuff falls from the sky and sticks to the ground in gritty, gray patches.  Luckily, the white stuff was only on the ground and not in the air and where we were enjoying the beautiful sun drenched days of 80 degree weather, we weren’t disappointed with  the 20 degree temperature drop since the sun was out in all its shining glory.

I also decided that maybe, this year, I’d actually make those days off from the job-that-pays-the-bills actual days off.  Shocking, I know, but it’s been a whirlwind the first couple of months this year.  If I didn’t cut myself some slack soon, I might find myself all alone on my own Snipe hunt in the Swamp.

So no blog posts last week, I was MIA from Twitter and barely showed up on Facebook.  And boy howdy, did I realize just how much time all of that took up. The first few days at Grandma’s I had to field a few forest fires from the job-that-pays-the-bills, but it soon died off.  Once we made it back into the Valley of the Sun, and blazed our way home through the Swamp, I was able to conqueror Jack’s nasty beanstalks in my back yard, appease those pesky due collectors, catch-up on entering some fab-u writing contests, make my offering to the cover artist goddesses, and then found out I’m all set for a blog tour in April.  Yep, April which is what? Two weeks away? So after hyperventilating on how soon that was bearing down on me, I needed to make sure I made every minute of my “vacay” worth it.

Once back from Grandma’s I slept in and ignored the hellhound who really didn’t like having his breakfast delayed past dawn.  Tried to make in roads on the leaning tower of to-be-read-a’s books on my night stand while knight was off saving the galaxy from being overtaken by Sith Imperials, or when that got to be too boring, the Reapers who were wreaking a massive hellstorm on Earth.  We even managed to wrangle the Prankster Duo to the Renaissance Festival.  Oh yes, the land of giant turkey legs and over flowing…..bodices of ale!

So now that my vacay is over, it’s back to the keyboard.  Tomorrow Xander, Vidis and I have a meeting…however I’m not so sure how well that will go.  Then I’ll tackle the posts for the upcoming blog tour.  So stay tuned, I’ll have those dates and places up next week!

Until then…don’t get lost on your twisted paths!

Jan 30 2011

The Great Hike

This past week I hit a milestone on my climb through life.  I turned the big four oh.  Yep, the half-way point in my mortal journey woke me up bright and early Thursday morning for a little chat.  I, however, was not so thrilled, and would have preferred being able to keep my head under my pillow, eyes closed, feigning sleep.  Did it get the point and leave me alone or at least bring an offering of passion tea lemonade? Oh no, it just kept pestering me until I finally rolled over and gave it a hairy eyeball!  (I picked one up from Eerie’s swamp on my last visit!)

After meticulously wiping  it’s hands on a handkerchief (I know, who really carries those anymore, massive germ catchers!), it set the hairy marble on the nightstand.

“Seriously, Wicked.  It’s time to face some facts here. You’ve been slacking this week.”

“Oh for Pete’s sake! Did Snarky send you over?” Scooting up in bed so the headboard can keep me upright. “Look, I haven’t given up on carving out an hour a day for writing, but did you see my week?  First I got sucked into another dimension where they actually give you this thing called ‘money’ if you do things for them.  Of course, they’re pretty cheap over there–making you do things for 12 to 14 hours  while only giving you enough of this ‘money’ thing for 8 hours. Seriously, where is the justice in that?”

“Stop making excuses.  You gave your word.”  Wow! It’s amazing how much pretentious-ness  you can get into seven words.

Utilizing the universal hand language for “stop right there!”, I glared back.  “I know, thank you very much.  However, once I managed to fight my way back out of that black hole, then I was tackled by the furies of the flu.  I managed to fight them off just fine, in case you were wondering, but they turned their vicious attention to my youngest.”  I paused for a breath.  “Once I figured out how to get them off of him and out of my house, I forgot and left the door open.”

Raised eyebrow.

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I ducked my head and mumbled. “Look, sometimes when it rains, it pours.”

“Are you done yet?”

“Nope.” Flashing cheeky smile.  “I did finally finish bailing out the house, so hopefully I’ll be ready to get back on track this week.”

Why is it giving me such a disbelieving look?  I swear, some people just can’t find the bright side of things.

“Sooooo….” I arch an eyebrow. “Besides Snarky’s royal command, what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

A long suffering sigh.  “I wanted to make sure that for the next part of your hike up Mortal Mountain, you use a bit more sense than you’ve shown in the past.”

I cover a snort with a delicate cough.  “Is this something you tell everyone? Because it doesn’t sound as if you know me very well.”

“Look,” It begins patiently, “you started out on this hike in bare feet and a diaper.  Then you figured out how to run and took on off the trail.  You didn’t listen to anyone when they kept telling you to take your time, not to be in such a rush.”

“There was so much to do.”

“Don’t interrupt me!” A pause.  “Then around your twenties you managed to get some sandals on and do some exploring.  What was with those? Birkenstocks?” A shake of the head.  “Never-mind.  The point is you took a few twists and turns, stumbled over some obstacles, turn a few ankles, and skin some knees, but eventually you made it back out.”

“A little worse for wear, but it was totally worth it.” I muttered.

“Then came your thirties.” It continued on as if I hadn’t said anything worthwhile. “You’ve been a bit more sensible. I see you manage to find some hiking boots and great walking stick for support.”

“So, I think we can call that progress.” This time I make sure I’m loud enough to be heard.

It gave me a considering look. “Yes, definitely progress.  However, do you have a map on how you’re going to make it up the next part of the mountain?”

Seriously, a map? Where’s the fun in following directions if you can’t take a few turns to check out the scenery.  Did think It would appreciate that.  “Kind of.”

“So in other words, you’re going to forge ahead with little preparation.”

“Now, don’t get all righteous on me. Not only are my hiking boots some of the best, but my walking stick, he’s a keeper.  Plus I’ve made some connections with some of the wildlife out there and I have my own two personal wood sprites who keep my on track.  And let’s not forget the other hikers out there.” I narrowed my eyes at It. “I’ve seen them just ahead of me.  Who do you think helped me pick out my boots and got me over where the really great walking sticks are?  Plus some of them are still out there trekking barefoot, taking the scenic route and are perfectly happy.”

“hmmm…”

“See,” I cross my arms triumphantly.  “I like my route.  I’ll make changes where needed, okay?  ‘Sides I can’t go as fast anymore, one too many twisted ankles and skinned knees, y’know?  For now, you go on out there and help someone else.  Me, my walking stick, two sprites, and assorted wildlife, we’re all enjoying the trip!” I gave it a beatific smile, “Next time, bring a passion tea lemonade!”

It got up with a huff and waltzed out of my room.

“Closed the door behind you, I have to get some writing done!”

Oct 17 2010

Light in the Dark…

When I was just out of high school and starting off on the road to college and being an “adult”, I read a book that has stuck with me through the years.  Truly, I’ve rarely had such a deep impact made by the written word. Which sounds strange as I read almost everything that comes into my hands, and I write to breathe.  I believe the reason this particular book and author hit home so hard was because I picked it up during one of the more turbulent times in my life.  I won’t bore you with details, but from about 18 to 24  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly where I needed to be to be true to me. I know, not much different than every other college aged student, but considering my earlier childhood made a soap opera look like a fairytale, you’d think I’d be cut some slack and maybe get a pass for all that “self enlightenment” journey crap.  No such luck.

One day I picked up this book, ‘One’ by Richard Bach, which led me to ‘Bridge Across Forever’ and then to his ever so popular ‘Jonathan Livingston Seagull’.  I found a plethora of statements that made me think, and think hard.  It was therapy in a book for me.

I’m going to share a few of my favorites from Mr. Bach, just because I’m hoping maybe someone else out there could use the encouragement.

The first one hit home as I grew up in a very, very diverse family.  Through the years, this one has become clearer and clearer as people come and go in my life.

“Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof.”

I was adopted at an older age, and I’m here to tell you, this statement, is oh so true.  Not only do I count some of my step-siblings as some of my best friends, but I have found a few best friends who should have been siblings.  It also goes towards familial titles.  I have an Aunt, that if I had chosen to, I would’ve called ‘mom’.  Yet, today, I’m grateful I picked another ‘mom’, because my aunt should have been my twin, regardless of the 20 plus year difference in age.  I have sisters who do double duty as best friends, and a couple of best friends that double up as sisters. So remember, family is who make of it, and isn’t always defined by blood.

Writing, whether I share it or not, has always been a need for me.  So when I saw the following, it rang through loud and clear.

“A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”

Think about it.  Every published author out there would probably give this one two thumbs up.  It’s not about how fast you found an agent/editor, or how many books in print you have.  It’s about sticking with it, telling the stories in your heart even when it seems no one wants to read them.  You don’t write to get published,  you eventually get published because you write.

This next one, I find myself muttering under my breath many times as encouragement.

“There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn;

whatever steps we take, they’re necessary to reach the places we’ve chosen to go.”

This one speaks for itself.  Seriously, I can not regret my past decisions because without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.  And I really like where I am today.  Every mistake is a learning experience, the more you the learn, the stronger you are.

And the last quote is for everyone, no matter your age or circumstances.  I hope your answer brings you peace.

“I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?”

Aug 8 2010

The Real World Intercedes

This week won’t be all that exciting.  Unfortunately I was dragged from my warm home in Arizona to the humidity of the Northwest for work last week.  This, of course, takes a huge chunk out of my week.

However I did promise a weekly blog so I’m still posting.

The good news, my munchkins are going back to school this week! HOORAY!  As most parents can attest to, while the beginning of school may cause drooping heads on your little ones,  parents are doing a jig down the street.  You know that Staples commercial from years back where the kids are dragging their feet and the parents are throwing a party?  Yeah, it’s like that!

Now I will only have to contend with my 110 pound lab trying to comment on my teleconferences instead of missing the mute button on the phone so your professional compatriots hear, “No, you can not stick that fork into the outlet.  I have enough issues getting your hair to stay down.”

Ah, school…such a lovely thing!