Folks, I think we can all agree that there are some things in life you can count on. For example, the busier you get, the more people need you. It's true. Let your calendar fill up and I guarantee your phone will start ringing and won't stop. People you haven't heard from in months - or maybe even years - will suddenly remember you and decide they need to see you RIGHT NOW.

You know those days when you say "Dear Lord, please don't let so and so be out today, or such and such happen today?" Yep, that's the day they're gonna call in sick and it's gonna happen.

And better yet, that's the day you get the 4:59 OHMIGOD!!!!!!!!!!! call with a thousand questions from a "miner." In office talk, a "miner" is a caller that can't stop asking questions. Every answer you give them gives rise to three more questions. And then once you get out of the office, there's gonna be a wreck on the say home, quadrupling your commute time.

The day before a big meeting is going to be the day you get five urgent calls and fifteen time sensitive emails - not to mention the "emergency research request" from the head staff. And by the way, that's due in an hour.

The person that told you they'd send you something "really soon" will wait until you're overloaded with other deadlines to finally send it. Then they'll call you every day to follow up, after weeks or perhaps months of silence.

The minute you lose your cell phone signal will be the minute somebody tries to call you, and absolutely freaks out because you didn't answer.

The day you pay off your credit card - or even get close to it - is the day you need a major, unavoidable home or car repair. Did I ever tell you the story about how somebody hit my car and totaled it less than a week after we paid off Rick's last truck? Yea, pay off one thing and stuff like that comes trucking right along.

When you really need rain the sky will close up, and when you wish it would hold off for just a while, you'll get a downpour.

People want to drop by when the house is a mess, but clean it up and nobody has time. 

It's not that I'm a pessimest - it's just that life's like that. Sometimes you can't lose, and sometimes you can't win (it seems like the former is rare and the latter is a bit more frequent). But most of the time, it's the little things like this that try to trip you up. Luck is a fickle friend. That's why I don't trust it. I'm not sure I even believe in it. I'm more of a believer in making the best of things and taking advantage of every opportunity. And you learn how to do that by making your way through these wacky things that life throws at you and rolling along. You can't let it get you down.

Yes, there are some things you can count on, but I think the most important thing you can count on is that if you come to it then you can come through it. Life might not be easy, but we can make our way through it in faith if we take it one day at a time.

That's all today. I hope the rest of your week goes well.

Bye!

Many of you already know that I'm a proud "mommy hen" to 3 birds - Oliver (Ollie) the budgie, Zacchaeus (Zack) the sun conure, and Chloe the sun conure. Heck, they even have their own website and blog over at http://conurecorner.weebly.com and Zack and Chloe are on Twitter as @wazzupzack and @ChloeConure.
 
But these aren't the first birds I've had. In fact, I had 3 birds when I was in middle school - college too (hmm, it seems that having a 3 bird home is becoming something of a pattern with me. Yep, back then it was just 3 budgies: Petesy, Samson (Sammy) and Delilah. Don't laugh, because I started getting these birds with I was 10 years old, and I didn't get to name any of them. Mom named Samson and Delilah, and we adopted Petesy from a great aunt that went in a nursing home with Alzheimers.

My apologies for the poor quality of this photo. It was taken with a Poloroid camera sometime around 1992 - 1993 and I scanned it because it's the only picture I had of all 3 of them.

I will say, too, that bird care has come a long way since I adopted Sammy at the tender age of 10 in 1985. We know so much more about better food, better toys, better cage design, and even how to arrange our homes for birds to have happier, healthier, and longer lives. In fact, the average life expectancy of a budgie back then was 5-7 years. When we got Ollie in 2010, I was told it's now around 15 years. I think that speaks to exponential increases in the lifestyle of our avian companions.

These discoveries are great, but I'm discouraged by the fact that many people don't seem to realize the improvements that have come along in the past couple of decades for bird care. Oh, the people I run across online are savvy and up on things. I believe it's because the Internet and social media is a great tool for spreading the word to other bird owners on our discoveries in this area. But at the local level, I'm still shocked by people that continue to buy crappy seed and shoddy toys at Walmart or the grocery store, and wonder why their bird always seems lethargic and sick. Or that don't provide fresh paper in cages, or use cage skirts, or deep clean at least weekly and wonder why the area around the bird cage is a smelly mess. Or get frustrated with their bird gets noisy, covers then, then wonders why that pissed them off even more. Or worst of all - they do everything right and are loving owners, but they don't clip the bird's wings, then are absolutely dismayed when they walk outside one day and the bird flys away because it saw a predator they didn't, and it's never found.

Yes, there is a lot to learn about bird ownership, and although there are many books on the market to tell you how to care for them, most of them are species specific. You get great information on how to care for that particular bird, but they lack in the good, old fashioned common sense things you need to learn about having a bird in your home. Plus more people have dogs and cats, so naturally most of the "pet book" market is dedicated to them. The information for birds is out there, but it's scattered and has to be gathered.

In perusing my Sun Conures Yahoo Group and Twitter, I started to think "if only there were a book that gave that good, general advice. We recently helped to rehome a green cheek conure that was found at Rick's work, and in  thinking about all the things the new bird owner needed to know, it occured to me. Hey, I'm a writer. And they always say, if you're a writer and the book you want to read isn't out there, then write it yourself.

And so, welcome to the catalyst for my next book project. I'm planning to write a non-fiction book about basic things you need to know about integrating an avian companion in your home. Some of the topics I plan to discuss are:

·         Birds & your lifestyle –  what’s best for you, what’s best for them.


·         Cages – best style, easy cleaning, mess control.

·         Feeding – pellets, seed, and snacks. What foods are good to share.


·         Toys – chew/preening/snuggle – and don’t forget happy huts and mirrors (for keets!).


·        Adapting your home. Cleaning, organization, what you can’t have. Tips & tricks


·        Socialization – establishing a flock and helping them adjust.

·         Training. Yes, you can teach them. No, it’s not 100%. Anything’s better than nothing.


·        Multiple bird homes. Cause birds are like potato chips – you can’t have just 1.


·        General tips to make your life and home happy and less stressful.


·        Fun ending – why birds are the best pets.

So, what do you think? I especially welcome feedback from my avian friends and their human parents. Does this sound like a good idea - and if so, are there any other things you can think of that would be good to cover? This project is on the drawing board, so let me know what you think.

I think this will also be a fun project. I haven't done much non-fiction, and this is an area where I know a lot through experience. Heck, you know I'll share more than a few bird stories along the way too. I'll be sure to let you know when I start, and of course will post excerpts. It's always exciting when you have a new project to start - and I'm doubly excited because I'm also still working on my mystery novel. Move is getting to a halfway point, and this is in the brainstorming phase right now. Since I don't do short stories any more (I only do books and blogging), then I believe I can handle two concurrent projects as long as they're in different stages.

That's all for today. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Bye!

I know you often hear that if something's important then you should make time for it, and I agreed with this philisophy until a couple of years ago. See, that's when my own life took off and I realized that sometimes, you  do have to let things go in your life, and it's not always an issue of not caring anymore. Rather, it's an issue of your life changing and being forced to make hard choices about how you're going to spend the 24 hour time limit you're given in a day.

The thing that made me realize this were changes in my own life. Over the past couple of years, my life has changed drastically. Oh, I used to have time for multiple hobbies. I wrote. I cross stitched. I did plant and veggie gardening. I read books. I watched television and movies. My life was my mid-level administrative job and after that, it was whatever I wanted.

Then we built a bigger house.

Then Rick was elected to a 3 year term on church council and I was asked to help with one committee and then, a few months later, a second committee.

The we bought a second parrot and a month later, adopted a budgie found at Rick's work - bringing us from a 1  bird house to a 3 bird house.

Then my job got transferred, and I was upgraded with more job duties.

Then my writing got published.

And it was at this point that my calendar was suddenly filling up and I found myself having to prioritize and make hard choices about what hobbies would stay and what would go. And sometimes, I find myself having to make those choices on a day to day basis.

It wasn't easy for me, but I came to realize that when you're in your 30's and 40's, your life is growing to maximum capacity. The seeds you sowed in your 20's are bearing fruit, and you have to decide what crops to maintain in order to have maximum growth of what you want most in life. Marriage, home, and family obviously come first. Your job has to come second - it's kind of mandatory, because that's supporting everything else. (And frankly, as much as I talk about a crammed schedule, I don't think I'd be a happy stay-at-home wife. I think the list of hobbies above show that I like to stay active.) After that is where you have to start making choices.

I recently discovered that I'm in a season of life where I'm going to have to pick the things I like best and dedicate what I can to them. My life will inevitably change someday and perhaps that will free me to experience more, but for now I know what I've got and I have to make active choices. Of course, I want my writing to continue to grow, so I'm going to spend most of  my free time on that. And writers need to read to stay up on the craft - reading
and writing go hand in hand. I like volunteering at church and while Rick is in  a leadership position we will be more actively engaged there. As for the rest, it's "at will." I cut back my gardening to just tending my 4 rose bushes, because I love roses and always want to have them around my home. I don't watch near as much TV as I used to - in fact, since I've been writing more novels, I've found that I typically watch 2 television shows a week, plus 1 or 2 movies with Rick. I think I recently figured that on a normal week when new episodes of my shows are on, I probably watch 4-6 hours of TV a week. That's right, a week. (Maybe more during football or baseball season, although I usually substitute the game for a movie.) And I haven't cross stitched in over a year. That was the toughest thing to set aside, because I enjoyed it - but the problem is that cross stitching is time consuming, and I'm more dedicated to growing as a writer than growing as a stitcher. I sincerely hope I'm able to resume this hobby one day. It's definitely one I put on hiatus temporarily, with the intention of taking it back up when that elusive "someday" rolls around that frees up more of my time for another  hobby.

It wasn't easy for me to come to this realization, but I believe it was necessary. And really, I believe this full life is a sign of a life bearing good fruit. I am truly blessed and I hope I am passing the blessing on to others by serving through my work, my writing, and my volunteer work. I'm busier than ever, but I'm also happier and feel I have more life satisfaction than ever, and it's good to see the fruits of my labor finally starting to bloom.

And as for my parked cross stitch needle - well, until we meet again, my friend. I plan to be back when the timing is right. Here's hoping it's sooner rather than later.

That's all today. I hope the rest of your week goes well.

Bye!

So, I see on http://www.examiner.com/article/westboro-church-protestors-head-to-aurora-memorial-thank-god-for-the-shooter that the members of Westboro Baptist Church are planning to picket the memorial for the victims of the theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. They're even taking to social media to say that "God sent the shooter" and basically, the victims got what they deserved. Well, I have a message for them from the rest of us Christians out there.

Shut the hell up, already.
 
It's judgemental hypocrites like you that give the rest of us a bad name, and we're sick of it. You might think you're spreading the Gospel but really all you're doing is making fools of yourselves. So please, stop already, and save yourself more embarassment. Because if you keep on, people like me are going to make a point to piss you off so you'll picket our funeral.

I mean, why not? People say I'm interesting. Well, my funeral might as well be interesting too. So come on over when the day comes. You've probably got quite a wait ahead of you (I certainly hope so), but in the meantime I'm sure I'll do plenty more to tip your radars and make you scream "sinner!" louder than an aviary at feeding time.

I'm Christian too, but I'm no saint and I never pretended to be. I know I have my rough edges and you know what? They're there because the good Lord put them there!

Yes, I drink.

Yes, I listen to rock music.

Yes, I know people think I shouldn't have switched from writing Christian inspirational to fiction.

That I wear too much makeup and flashy jewelry.

That I say more than they deem appropriate online.

That I'm loud.

That I'm an intellectual snob.

That I should calm down and quit with the sci-fi and fantasy and turn myself to things "more pure."

That I use to many big words.

That I'm too bold.

That I'm too opioniated.

That I'm too quick to size up a situation and make a judgement call (a "flaw" that's saved my life once or twice, mind you).

That I shouldn't have a CWP and use it.

That I'm too conservative on some things and too liberal on others.

That I should calm down and be a "proper lady."

And no, I'm not crying, weeping, gnashing my teeth, or losing a minute's sleep over it, because I am what I am by the grace of God. If you think He made a mistake in me, I dare you to approach His throne and take it up with Him. Because I know the path He wants me on, you don't, and I'm not obligated or inclined to share it or justify it with you - not that I would anyway. What's betw

The point is that I'm not perfect but neither did I profess to be. I am what I am boldly and proudly. I'm not perfect, but it's not a sin to be spunky and I won't stop because you have a problem with it. In fact, I'm too busy living my life to be bothered with looking over my shoulder and worrying about what other people think. Sorry folks, but I just don't have the time or mental energy for that crap.

So there. If that makes me evil, then I'm proud to be a villian.

That's all today. Have a great week.

Bye!

Well folks, it happened for the same reason every other massacare happend. Somebody was crazier than Chinese Chicken Salad and we have a system that won't touch crazy with a 100 foot pole until there's a body count.

And that, as they used to say, is the rest of the story.

It's the sad and ugly truth, though. According to FOX news, James Holmes acted on his own and his apartment was booby trapped to the point where 5 surrounding buildings had to be evacuated. Ok everybody, try convincing anybody that nobody saw something odd happening around there. I can't water my lawn without a relative seeing me or somebody from church driving by, and this guy pulled THAT off without anybody noticing?I don't think so. The more likely scenario was that people did see it, but they ignored it for 2 reasons:

1. It made them uncomfortable and they hoped to stay safe by staying out of his way; and
2. It's not like trying to do anything about it would have yielded results anyway, because it's not a crime to be weird.

It's sad, but I've looked into these things, after incidents like this and in a few instances where I suspected I was  dealing with a time bomb fixing to blow. In every case, I was told the same thing: it's all about personal rights. You're head can be "a bag full of cats" (as Bruce Banner put it so eloquently in The Avengers), but unless you break the law, nobody can do anything. At that point, you have personal rights and unless you volunteer to get mental help, then nobody can force you to do it. Situations where people are mentally ill and refuse to seek help usually wind out 1 of 2 ways: In jail for commiting a crime like this, or dead because they tempted fate too hard and The Reaper won. Or worse yet, they killed themselves AFTER a maccacre that left a huge body count before they turned it on themself.

And let's be real, folks. How many mentally ill people look in the mirror and say "I think I'm frigging crazy. I'm going to get help right now" and march straight to their doctor. None, because part of mental illness is failure to recognize that you aren't right. A lack of self awareness is symptomatic of every mental disorder in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM - the bible of mental illness that describes pretty much every mental defect we've found yet, for those that haven't heard of it in a while).

It's a thin line, and unfortunately it puts unsuspecting people like those that innocently went to a movie in Colorado last night at risk. Because you never know where those loose cannons are, and that lack of awareness doesn't allow them to see you as an innocent stranger. To them you're the villian, the boogeyman, big brother, and another cog in the wheel driving reality to hell, as they see it.

This incident is another illustration of how the system is broken. We can't do anything to help others unless they break the law, but by the time they do that, they're so far gone that it's difficult if not impossible to help them. The prime time for treatment has passed, when they were aware enough to help themselves. By that point they're completely in another world, and it's neigh on impossible to bring them back. I'm not sure what the answer is, but clearly there's a need for a better one than we have. I don't want to step on personal rights, and individuality covers a pretty wide latitide - but aren't we able to discern what's eccentric and what's bordering on being a threat to self and others yet? If we aren't, then that's something that the medical and mental health professions need to work on.

So no, it had nothing to do with the movie. It had nothing to do with sci-fi, or fantasy. Crazy comes in all shapes, sizes and genres. This guy might have latched onto the persona of The Joker, but he was no super villian. He's nuts, plain and simple, and once again another one shows the world just how much damage one deranged mind can do.

And sadly, we learn that as much as we love superheroes, they are fiction - and this time ugly reality won.

That's all for today. Happy Friday to you.

Bye!

I got a lesson in humility over the weekend. I had this idea for a writing project - really, it was to update and revamp a book I wrote years ago, but never sought publication for. It seemed like a good idea, and even though I'm not anywhere near done with Move yet, I thought perhaps it would be a good idea to dig it up, take a look at it, and start planning how I'm going to tackle this project. My reasoning was that I could start to develop a plan for this book now, so I'll be ready to start on it when Move is done. So I opened up the file and took a look at it, ready to start brainstorming how to rework it. And it didn't take long for reality to hit me - it hit within the first few words I read.

This piece sucked. No wonder I shelved it. It's awful! In fact, it took me about 5 minutes to determine that this piece was unsalvagable. The only thing that kept me from sentencing that raw piece of garbage to the "delete" key was the hope that perhaps, maybe, there's a remote possibility that there might be some sliver of something useful in there that I can extract from that jumble of madness and make fit somewhere else.

Who knows, but this I do know - my early work sucked. No wonder my inspirational work never took off - it was AWFUL! I cringe when I think of how much of that I sent out for consideration. And some of it got published - even my first book. Oh Lord help me. My consolation there is that some people do prefer non-fiction and inspirational, and perhaps those awkward first steps into writing will speak to someone and convince them to give the rest of my writing a chance. You never know.

This doesn't mean I'm giving up on non-fiction. I realized that some of my rewrite/revamp ideas might be a good catalyst for a new work, and I'm going to explore that. It's just going to take a bit more planning (and time) to get this going.

In the meantime, I had another idea for a short book for bird owners, and that idea has been growing since I chucked the rewrite my horrors of yesteryear idea. I think that might be the next thing on my list instead so now I'm brainstorming for the birds - literally.

That's all for today. Here's hoping you don't find any writing (or other artistic endeavors) from you past that you feel like bludgeoning to death. Havce a great week.

Bye!

Last year, I did a blog entry on "Things More Interesting Than the Royal Wedding" and talked about things I had my eye on in the spring and summer of 2011. That entry seemed to get some interest and I thought, why not do it again? I mean, stuff is happening all the time, right? So how about an update. Here are 5 things coming down the pipeline that I am watching with great interest:

1.    Arrow. I've been hearing talk of a TV series about The Green Arrow for a few years, and I'm glad they weren't just rumors. It's real, and it's coming to The CW on Wednesday nights at 8PM. With Supernatural being moved to Wednesdays at 9PM, I'd say this could be a winning combination - after all, Smallville and Supernatural back to back worked well, and this is something very similar. I'm a sucker for superheros and I'm definitely going to check it out. You can find more, along with a trailer for the promo episode on October 10 at http://www.cwtv.com/shows/arrow .

2.    The Hobbit. I was looking forward to 2 movies in 2012: The Avengers, and this. The Avengers was awesome and this too will be epic. Check out the trailer here:

3.    The 2012 Election. And not just the Presidential election either - even at the State Level, this is going to be pandemonium. I have a feeling that Election Day 2012 is going to be Festivus for the Rest of Us, because a lot of people have a lot of problems with the way things are going, and that's going to be their day you're gonna hear about it. This election is going to be a 3 ring circus. God help us. I have no idea where things are going to end out but it's gonna be interesting.

4.    The iPad Mini. I know it's just rumors, and really it's not specifically about this device. I'm interested to see how the tablet market continues to evolve. It seems to me that everything is drawing off everything else and they're trying to keep developing the "one thing to rule it all." For example, from what I've heard, the concept of the iPad Mini is to make it more like the Kindle Fire.  I have no doubts that laptops, tablets, and ereaders will be one in the same device in the near future, especially from what I've heard about how the upcoming Windows 8 will look more like a tablet than a PC. Yep, it won't be long. The thing with that, though, is pricing. No doubt, a device that's a laptop/ereader/tablet would be exhorbantly expensive, which isn't exactly a way to put it in the power of the people. But who knows what they'll come up with. At any rate, this market is moving fast and I'm interested to see where this train is going.

5.    The Justice League Movie. Again it's rumors, but I've been hearing murmurs of this happening on and off for a little while, and they've reignited with the success of The Avengers. I'd like to see such a thing, but the fact of the matter is that Marvel acted in good faith first, so DC is going to have to pull a hell of a rabbit of their hat to top that. Plus, Marvel is keeping up the momentum with Iron Man 3 coming soon and Thor 2 in the works. With the flop of The Green Lantern (which was a disappointment), DC has a lot  of ground to cover in catching up. They better step up the pace and get in the ring soon, or the "superhero" market is going to play out and they'll be after midnight getting to the ball. In other words, they need to get moving before the next big thing breaks - and while Marvel has the momentum going NOW. When it comes to things like this, timing is everything.

So there you have it - 5 things I'm watching with great interest. Some are certain, some aren't, but I think I can say for sure that you're going to see momentum going on all of these in the coming months.

Happy Friday to you all, and I hope you have a great weekend.

Bye!

I'm not afraid to admit that there are just some things that I don't get. It's not a big deal. I accepted the fact that I don't have all the answers, and it's not my job/business to get them a long time ago. It was actually a huge relief because I felt it was ok to shrug and move on to other things that I do get. But still, there are some things that seem so common sense to me that - I don't know, either I don't get it or other people don't. You be the judge. For example:
1. When people see my birds and say "oh, so I guess these are  your kids then?" No, they're BIRDS. I think the feathers and beaks make an obvious distinction. I never pretend my pets are surrogate children and I don't know why other people assume I do. I mean, take a look at this picture. Chloe is not only obviously a bird, but much better looking than her adopted mommy, don't you think?

2. Why people seem surprised by the weather. It gets hot in July and they say "OMG! It's so HOT!" Um, it's summer. It's supposed to be hot. Granted the 100+ degree weather of the past week has been abnormally above average but still, it is the time of year when it gets hot. Now if it snowed tomorrow I'd get it, but being surprised by seasonal weather is kind of like being surprised by the stink when you drive past the wastewater treatment plant. Especially on a 100 degree day.

3. Why people freak out about things they don't need to worry about. Tomorrow's impending "Internet Blackout" is a perfect example. People are freaking out over losing the Internet tomorrow, but every article I've seen on it has at least 1 link to free antivirus software that you can download and use to clean your machine. I wonder if any of them  have continued to read to the end of the article where those links are located before they had their anxiety attack. My point: If you pay attention, the solution is usually presented right there with the problem. So as I've said so many times before: ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. And as a footnote, don't stop reading toward the end, no matter now high sentence #1 drove up your blood pressure. Because the last sentence in paragraph 5 might bring it back down again.

4. Why antihistimine/decongestants are harder to get now that you DON'T need a prescription any more. Thanks federal government, for slapping so many restrictions on it that you're treated like a criminal at the pharmacy if you need Claritin D. I thought the whole point of making things over the counter was to make them EASIER to get, but it was easier when I had a prescription for it. At least I could get it mail ordered from Medco then!

5. Why religious people act like it's a sin to get frustrated or angry at anything. I've heard a lot of people say "I won't tolerate profanity, violence, anger or unfairness at all!" Well, drop dead because you won't tolerate reality and there's no place in this world you can go to get away from it. Come on!  What's up with this? Folks, I'm Christian but I'm not afraid to admit that reality sucks and things piss me off. In fact, some of my best reviewed writing has been done when somebody has royally pissed me off because I'm in touch with that ugly reality and forced to look within to find the right responses to it. I just don't get why so many people think they can simply reject the ugliness of the world and it will go away at their bidding. Christ died an awful, bloody, gruesome, violent death to secure our salvation. If the world will treat the Son of God like that, then what makes you believe it will treat you any better? To do so is arrogance, plain and simple. I'm just saying, it seems the lambs are outnumbering us lions in the world these days.

6. The fascination with being skinny. It seems to me that we should be more interested in being healthy than skinny. Of course, people hold themselves up to celebrities, but we forget their job is to entertain us and look good while they do it. Our responsibilities are to do all manner of other things to keep the world turning. For example, my job is to license qualified design professionals and (to a lesser degree, and by my own choice) write ebooks that entertain and inspire people. I don't get paid to look good - heck, I could be Jabba the Hut and do this stuff! But entertainers and models are paid to entertain us and make us forget reality for a little while. They are paid to look good and have personal trainers to help them excercise all day. We have other things to do all day. So eat right and excercise so you can stay in good health and keep doing the tasks that are set before you. But if you aren't paid to fit into skinny jeans and you have more booty than will fit in the pants, well, as long as you're healthy don't worry about it!

7. Why people get pissy when people unfollow/unfriend them. I had to pare down my Twitter followers last month due to limits they put on us, and there were 1 or 2 that didn't take it graciously. Then again, I unfollowed them because they weren't following me. So what's up with that?

8. Commercials for pharmaceuticals that say "ask your doctor about ..." Excuse me, I thought it was my doctor's job to know what medication I need, not mine. I'm not a doctor. Heck, half the time I can't even find a Band-Aid when I need one and you want me to ask my doctor about MEDICATION? That's funny.

9. Why does everybody want a piece of you when you're super busy, then once things settle down they disappear. My calendar was jammed pack for nearly 6 months, cumulating with last month when literally EVERYTHING happened. My phone wouldn't stop ringing, emails pouring in - I was so busy that I had to skip doing my mystery newsletter article last month. But go on vacation and then turn the calendar page to July and - nothing. I have 1 meeting mid month and that's it. Praise God things settled, but couldn't the insane activity of the last 6 months have been spread out a little bit better?

10. Gas prices. What's up with that? It's insanity.

Of course there are always things that make you wonder, but these are a few that keep popping up again and again. So if any of you can tell me if I'm missing something here then please, by all means enlighten me. Because on these 10 things, I just don't get it.

That's all for today. Have a great week.

Bye!

I found this sign on Facebook and found it interesting - not only because people have said every one of these things to me, but because if it's on Facebook then a lot of people must be saying it to a lot of writers everywhere!

I'll be the first to tell you there are a lot of misconceptions about writers. People think it's easy. They think you're slightly nutty for wanting to "do the same thing you did in school - isn't it just like writing papers all the time? Ugh!" They think we should be rich and we must be failures if we aren't raking in millions, when the fact is that historically there have always been extremely few people that made a living solely off writing (The 2010 census revealed less than 200 people that listed writing as their sole source of income in the U.S.). Simply put, people degrade it - that is, until you get published, then it's amazing to how quickly it goes from "your cute little hobby" to "I PERSONALLY KNOW A PUBLISHED WRITER." It's scorn to pride in 0.01 seconds.

The irony isn't lost. But in the spirit of spreading some truth, I'd like to offer responses to the 10 things in this sign:

1.    Yes I am. How are your cute little hobbies going? What are they again?
2.    It must be. You'd have to ask a retiree or an unemployed person because I still have a day job. What do you think inspires my writing?
3.    Oh, it's not difficult. You start at the beginning and keep writing until you get to the end. It's the research you have to do for that whole "suspension of disbelief" thing that gets you.
4.    Then go for it, and good luck.
5.    They are a real thing, but I don't have one. My degree is actually in psychology.
6.    Yes I have. Several times and I just signed a contract to publish another book in late May.
7.    Sure, how emotionally resilient are you? Because I'm not merciful to my characters. I was once asked why I never wrote a sequel and I said it's because I put them through so much in one book that they can't take more without risking psychological damage. In fact, the protagonist in my current novel  in progress - well, she's not the same person when the book ends (literally).
8.    Fantastic! Then you write it, since writing isn't that hard.
9.    You should be grateful we are able to limit it to creating works of fiction. I know some people that lie compulsively in the "real world" and trust me, they make messes and create drama that's too strange for fiction. Would you rather have a book or a drama queen in your life every day?
10.    Oh your interested? Great! Go to www.amazon.com/author/sherrimoorer to check out more and get a copy to read for yourself. Be sure to leave a review if you like it. Don't do Amazon? No worries - I'm on Barnes & Noble at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/sherri-fulmer-moorer?keyword=sherri+fulmer+moorer&store=ebook too.

To this I'll add a #11 that I keep hearing these days:

11.    I don't do ebooks. My reply? The whole world's going digital, with or without you. And you could be saving money if you did "do ebooks" because they're cheaper than paperbacks and hardbacks and have a larger selection in many cases. Ereaders pay for themselves quickly for avid readers - and if you don't have one, you can download the Kindle and Nook apps for your Smartphone or iPad for free and still read ebooks that way. I have an entire library on  my iPhone.

There are stereotypes everywhere and I don't think any of us escape them - but somehow, it seems more presonal when it comes to things related to creativity and art, because that comes from the soul. I'm sure that others in the arts - be it performing or visual, or entertainment - find similar misconceptions that seem to degrade the talent and gifts within them. We may feel alone but we really aren't, and thanks to the Internet and social media, we can connect with others that share our goals, dreams, and aspirations better than ever before.

And for that, I say thank God for technology.

That's all today. Take care all and stay safe in your Independence Day festivities and celebrations tomorrow. Don't forget that fireworks scare animals and it's still very hot outside, so please be sure to keep pets inside and safe tomorrow.

Bye!

Ah, I'm back from vacation and just finished a massive house cleaning. So you know what time it is ...

Time to work on rewrites/edits on Move! That's right, the mystery novel-in-progress is, well, progressing again. Here's a peek at the first chapter where you meet the protagonist, Ruby Josen, and learn a bit more about where we're at and what's going on in the small town of Tanger Falls, Tennessee:

Chapter 1
                 
Ruby Josen wound her way around the people crowded at the end of the buffet table, trying to find a seat at one of the picnic tables while balancing a plate of barbeque, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and green beans in one hand and a large cup of sweet tea in the other. It was a bright, clear day and Mr. Goodard, the CEO of the firm where she worked, reserved the best picnic area next to the Smoky Mountain National Forest for the annual company picnic. Then again, beating out completion for the space wasn’t hard. Goodard Graphics did all the graphics and advertisements for every business in the Severville and surrounding areas. Although the company was established in Knoxville, the branch office in Tanger Falls, Tennessee, located just outside of Gatlinburg, brought in almost fifty percent of the company’s revenue. It made sense, considering the tourism in the area around the National Forest. Their workload was consistently high. 
                 
“Hey neighbor, what’s up?” Denise Rockwell said, squeezing in the seat next to Ruby. Denise was a graphic artist and looked every bit the part of an artist with her wild, brown hair, deep blue eyes, and bright clothes. Today she was wearing a bright pink shirt and jeans held up by a white belt with so many metal loops that she would never make it through an airport metal detector. 
                 
“Hi Denise,” Ruby said, brushing her long, blonde hair behind her ear. Denise was Ruby’s best friend and neighbor in the one and only apartment complex in Tanger Falls.
                 
“Why are you sitting out here with the wacky artists by yourself?” Denise asked. She motioned to the tables near the podium with a plastic fork. “Why aren’t you up there with the office folks?” 
                 
Ruby glared at the executive staff with sad, blue eyes. “I’m not comfortable being around them.” 
                 
“Are you still miffed about being passed over for the executive secretary position a couple of months ago?”
                 
Ruby looked down. “No, it’s just,” she poked at her baked beans, “Millie isn’t very nice to me. She’s a bully.”
                 
“Is she still giving you problems?” Denise glared at Millie Banks, chuckling at the head table beside Mr. Goodard. A strand of red hair fell from her loose bun, dangling next to her porcelean skin. “I could snap her in half. She’s a stick.”Denise chuckled. “Five minutes in the sun will probably give her skin cancer. Those redheads burn easy.”
                 
“That’s not nice,” Ruby mumbled. 
                 
“Sorry,”Denise said. “What’s the problem? Is she still trying to say you’re rude to customers and messing up work? Because that’s total crap. All the customers I work with say you’re a ray of sunshine.”
                 
“We didn’t get off to a good start,” Ruby said. “I was late getting the paperwork done for one of the vendors when she first started and they got the payment past the due date, so we got hit with late fees. She tore me apart.”
                 
“Ruby, everybody makes mistakes. That could have happened to anybody. And it was what, once in how many years?”
                 
“Eleven years,” Ruby said. 
                 
“Heck, that’s the best track record I’ve heard of.” Denise paused to stare at Millie.“You know, I’ve heard a few of the graphic artists say she’s trying to change everything. A vendor called me last week and said they got their pre-production package digitally, and it nearly crashed their server because the attachments she sent were too big. I had to come to the office, print it out, and hand deliver it myself. Is she doing that a lot?”
                 
Ruby nodded, glaring at Millie. “All the time. I try to tell her that she needs to talk to Mr. Goodard about these changes, or at least with the vendors, but she goes ahead and does what she wants. She’s always telling me I  need to be more innovative and to fully embrace technology.” She snorted. “She talks to me like I don’t know what I’m doing, but I know more than she does. Heck, I’ve been grinding away as their receptionist for eleven years. I was more than qualified for that job, but they brought her in from out of nowhere.” Ruby sipped her tea. “I don’t get it.  Cheyenne said she’d give me a reference. I sure thought the business manager’s word would have weight, especially since she hired me.”
                 
“Did you ever ask Cheyenne about it?” 
                 
“What, no! I can’t do that. That stuff is confidential. She can’t talk about the hiring process.”
                 
“Ruby, quit being a doormat. She promised you a reference. I think it’s perfectly appropriate to ask if she gave it.”
                 
“I don’t know …”
                 
“Just ask her. I’m sure there’s something she can tell you without violating any sacred policies.” Denise looked around and spotted Cheyenne getting a tea refill. “Come on, I’ll get her for you now.”
                 
“Denise, no!” Ruby said, but before she knew it Denise had jumped from her seat and was chatting with Cheyenne. She saw Cheyenne frown and shake her head. Denise glared at her and grabbed her arm, practically dragging Cheyenne to the table. 
                 
“Come on Cheyenne, we just want to talk to you for a minute. Have a seat.”
                 
“I need to get back. I told Millie …”
                 
“Have a seat,” Denise said again sternly. Cheyenne looked at Denise for a moment, then sat across from Ruby. 
                 
“What’s on your mind?”
                 
Denise poked Ruby in the arm. “Go ahead, ask her.”
                 
Denise sighed. “I was wondering. I mean, I know you hired Millie for the executive secretary position a couple of months ago.”
                 
Cheyenne furrowed her brows. “This isn’t about that bill you paid late, is it? Look, I took care of that …”
                 
“No, it’s not about that,” Ruby said, interrupting Cheyenne. “I was just wondering.”She trailed off and looked around. 
                 
“Ruby, what?” Cheyenne asked, irritated. 
                 
“A while back when you were taking applications for that position, you said I’d be an excellent candidate for that position. You even said you’d give me a reference for the job. I was just wondering, did you?”
                 
Cheyenne set her jaw and glared at Ruby. “I don’t recall saying any such thing.”
                 
Ruby’s jaw dropped. “But you did! It was right after Valentine’s Day. You said Mr. Goodard wanted an executive secretary in this office and that my long history with the company would make me the perfect candidate. And you did promise me a reference. You told me to put your name down as a reference.”
                 
“Oh that,” Cheyenne looked around. “I think you misunderstood me. What I said was that I’d understand if you applied for the job and wished you luck. I never said you were guaranteed the position.”
                 
“No, that’s not what I said…”
                 
“And furthermore,” Cheyenne said, cutting Ruby off, “I couldn’t be a reference because I’m your direct supervisor. That would be a conflict of interest.”
                 
“No it wouldn’t!” Denise said. “It makes perfect sense. Besides, don’t people usually call the current supervisor when they’re interested in hiring someone?”
                 
Cheyenne set her jaw again and looked away. “Perhaps.”
                 
“Well, did Mr. Goodard call you after I interviewed with him?”
                 
Cheyenne started to stand, but Denise grabbed her arm. “There’s a question on the table.”
                 
Cheyenne glared at Denise. “I wasn’t aware that graphic artists were familiar with office terms.”
                 
“Oh, I’m familiar with more than you can imagine. Come on, Cheyenne. It’s  a simple question. Answer it and you can go.” She chuckled and nodded toward the head table. “I don’t think the ‘in crowd’ has missed your presence yet.  Now please, answer the question and we might let you get away before they see you consorting with us losers.”
                 
“Fine,”Cheyenne said, glaring at Ruby. “The truth is that I’m not at lliberty to say whether Brett called me or what I said if he did. That’s confidential information and I’d be violating the law and putting my own job in jeopardy if I answered that question. So I’m completely within my rights to say it’s none of your business.” She stood. “I’m sorry you’re upset about getting passed over for the job. You were a good candidate, but I’m afraid Millie was a better candidate. Reality isn’t always nice and I’m sorry. If you feel you can do better, I certainly won’t begrudge you if you decide to move someplace you feel is more appropriate for your life right now. In fact, I wish you luck.” She glanced at her watch. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some people to speak with before I pick up my son from school.” Cheyenne stormed off. 
                 
“I hope she gets TMJ from clenching her jaw so much,” Denise grumbled. 
                
“That’s not nice,” Ruby mumbled. She looked at Denise. “Thanks.”
                 
“For what? That did no good. All we discovered is that Cheyenne’s a liar.”
                 
“So you believe what I said about her promising me a reference?”
                 
“I’ve never known you to lie before. Now her,” Denise snorted. “Sometimes I think she’s spent the last five years lying to me.” 
                 
“Well, at least it’s not just me.”
                 
“Oh, I think she’s an equal opportunity type of person. She lies to everybody. That’s probably why her husband walked out on her at the beginning of the year. Did you hear about that? I heard he left her a note on New Year’s Day saying he resolved to correct the mistake of marrying her and start a new life. Things are never that abrupt unless something big and nasty happened.”
                 
“Maybe,”Ruby mumbled. She put her head in her hands. “Oh Denise, what am I going to do?”
                 
“I don’t know, but maybe she gave us a clue.” Denise said. “You’ve been here a long time. Maybe it’s time to get out of this rut.”
                 
Ruby threw her fork on her plate. “In this small town, the opportunities to do that are rather limited.”
                 
“Well, you never know what tomorrow might bring. It could be an opportunity for a miracle.”
                 
Ruby snorted. “Or a disaster, like the past five years.”
         
Denise patted Ruby’s hand. “Nothing last forever, friend. Just wait and see. I feel things will change very soon for all of us.”