I'm starting another new writing project, and you get to see it from start to finish right here at my blog. It's titled Shatterpoint - Smashing the Christian Stereotype, and I plan to post it here as I write it. That's right - I'm making it available for free, with a chapter an entry. Once it's complete, I'll do the appropriate revisions and offer it as a free ebook through Smashwords. 

This is a short book - it's only 5 chapters, plus an introduction and a conclusion. Bear in mind that this is my first foray into Christian/Inspirational writing in 10 years, and this is an early draft. And now, without further ado, I bring you the introduction to Shatterpoint:

Battleground Earth might not have caught on, but that wasn’t the end. I didn’t achieved my dream of traditional publishing success, but experience and the ebook revolution have granted me the new dream of being an independent author – something that wasn’t possible ten years ago when Battleground Earth was published. I’ve expanded my horizons and found joy in writing mystery and science fiction. I also branched into writing non-fiction articles, and am now an editor for several genres at Readwave.com . I believe these first steps into the world of editing are what caused me to reflect on my roots, and to return to them to address an issue that has plagued me since Battleground Earth was published – the stereotypes of the boring, Bible-thumping Christian with the sole purpose of converting the world. As a lifelong Christian, that stereotype really makes my blood boil. I won’t mince words with you: when people ask if I’m “born again,” I have a hard-to-resist urge to reach for my stun gun. Hard-line evangelism has always aggravated me, and what’s worse is when they keep pushing that “you aren’t the right kind of Christian.” Says who?

No, I don’t have credentials. I’m not a doctor, or a pastor, or even a motivational speaker. My “churchy” activities are being an usher once a month (yes, an usher, not a greeter – I don’t do the “stand around and look pretty” thing well), serving on the Information Technology Committee, and helping with “Share Our Stuff,” a spring and fall event where we collect clothes, toys, and household items from the congregation and give them to the low-income families in our community for free. I am no leader; I’m a servant, and I’m one that’s sick and tired of being gawked at because I don’t fit the image of the “God bless you,” scripture-quoting sheep that people think I should be.

This novella is my opinion on the stereotypes that I’ve faced as a Christian. It’s not scientific, nor is it official, self-help advice. No official inspirational speaker, preacher, station or bookstore would ever endorse this, nor should they. The only thing that makes me qualified to write this is the fact that I’m a lifelong Christian, an independent author, and that I have the audacity to not only do it, but self publish it and make it available to readers for free. That’s right, free. This novella will be released chapter by chapter on my personal blog at www.sherrithewriter.com and then in ebook format through Smashwords and their affiliated retailers once it’s combined, revised, proofread, and been through the appropriate amount of scrutiny to make it “ebook worthy.” I don’t want to sell God. I have a day job and mystery and science-fiction books to sell. This one’s on me.

That being said, this is all advice given in good fun, and as with all advice, you can take it or leave it. I’m just a failed inspirational writer – but that failure has led me to other discoveries that I’d like to share with you now. Like every writer, I hope this will provide you with things to think about and inspiration for your own journey.

Are you still here? Great! Then let’s go!

Move, my latest urban fantasy/mystery novel, is on a virtual tour with a giveaway through Fire and Ice Book Tours this week, and I’d like to dedicate this entry to talking about the interesting paradox in the theme of this book.

The protagonist of this book, Ruby Josen, has a problem. She’s worn out of the same old job she’s had for the past eleven years, but she lives in a small town where opportunities are limited. Her family is gone, there is no potential for romantic relationships, few advancement opportunities, and her only friend is her sometimes outlandish/sometimes reclusive next door neighbor. When she’s turned down for the only job promotion available, she slides into despair.

I already hear the one question you asked about halfway through that paragraph: why is Ruby staying in a dead end life in a dead end town with no prospects? It seems obvious that she has no life left there. Ah yes, but that’s the thing, and in the way of an answer, let me turn the question back on you: how willing are you to not only embrace change, but pursue it? I don’t mean things like a new haircut or a new car, things that seem like big decisions until you settle in and see the change was nothing but a drag-and-drop from there to here. I mean huge, life altering changes that take an anvil to everything you know and leave you with a zillion little pieces to pick up and put together into a brand new life that you no longer recognize?

I think you get my point – Ruby’s quandary isn’t unique. It is, in fact, more common than we realize, because people don’t know how comfortable they are in the stagnation of their life ruts until they’re ripped from them and put on unfamiliar ground. They may hate it. There may be things about their life that they absolutely detest and would be willing to anything to change – to a point. And that’s exactly the thing that Ruby faces when she crosses paths with a mysterious stranger that promises that he can take these things away if only she asks, and asks for nothing in return. She faces the question that so many of us face when life gets stale and we feel restless with what is and apprehensive of what could be if only we got up and made a move – which is worse; the devil you know, or the devil you don’t?

Ruby finds out that the devil she knows has sides she’s never seen when the wish granting has catastrophic consequences. Her rut is starting to cave in on her. She realizes that if she spent as much energy taking a chance on a new life as she did clinging to her old one, then things could be a lot better. She learns that change is the path to a better life. She discovers that standing up to the dragon of fear is less fatal than running from it, because you can’t outrun that fire. You have to steal it’s thunder and make it work for you. That’s the only way to win.

I believe that fear controls people more than anything else. It’s basic psychology that all human beings are motivated by one of two things – rewards or consequences – and it seems that people spend more time running from consequences than working towards rewards. We have it all backwards, and it’s a shame, because you can’t build a good life if you’re too busy running from things to lay a foundation for it.

I have first hand experience with major, life altering change. My job was transferred to a different department and let me tell you, a job change IS a life change. I’ve discussed the many facets of this adventure in this blog many times and won’t bore you with a recap, but I will tell you that it was a tough journey. More than a few people thought I absolutely lost my mind for supporting this move. They thought that I, like Ruby, should fight the battle until it ended in blood or a blaze of glory, but I knew it was useless and shortsighted. I and the others working with me saw great potential and benefits now and in the future. Of course, it was harder than I expected. There were times when I wondered if I made a terrible mistake, or if I was a fool to not put up a fight. It isn’t always easy to take the long view and keep the end goal in mind when right now is being a pain in your butt, but it was well worth it. I wouldn’t go back. In fact, it’s a shame this wasn’t done sooner.

You learn during these times, about yourself and others, and one thing that struck me was how scared people are of change. Most people won’t pursue change. They’ll accept it if it’s imposed on them, as I did, but they won’t actively pursue it “just because.” Change is a lot of hard work, and usually three times more than you see from the beginning (I can attest to that too!). Change has a chance of failure – it might not work out the way you expected, or things might be worse. Then again, failure isn’t fatal. But I think the scariest thing is the one that we hesitate to admit to ourselves: change forces us to become a different person, and we don’t know who that person will be. I can say that I’m not the same person I was four years ago, but I feel better about the person I am. This is a theme I deal with in the sequel to Move that I’m working on now – stay tuned for Obsidian in late 2014 to see how all of this has changed, well, everything!

No, Ruby’s dilemma isn’t all that uncommon. In fact, I believe all of us could see a bit of ourselves in her. Stagnation and change are uncomfortable things to work with, and like all beasts, they have a way of spring up when you least expect it.

Feel free to drop in on the blog stops for Move through July 21, and be sure to pick up your own copy. It’s on sale for $1.50 at Smashwords in all ebook formats through August 1 with coupon code WW75A, so add another summer read to your ereader app. If you don’t do Smashwords, it’s available for $2.99 through Amazon and Barnes and Noble as well. And, of course, if you like it, review it! There. That’s my humble, indie-author groveling for feedback. 

That’s all today. Take care and enjoy the rest of your week.

Bye!

Last year, I wrote several blog entries on my list of “must read” books in each genre I enjoy. Well, readers are always reading, and today I’d like to share my additions to this list. Unlike the original entries, this isn’t separated by genre – it’s an overall list of books I’ve read in the past 12-18 months that I loved. And now without further ado, get ready to load up your ereader or bookshelf with:

The One Year Chronological Bible NIV – this is the study Bible I’m using this year, and it’s amazing. The New International Bible is my favorite because it’s easy to understand, and having the books organized in chronological order of events as they actually happened and were written makes understanding The Bible so much easier. Plus, the readings are short and only take 10-15 minutes per day (or less in some cases). I not only highly recommend this version of The Bible, but say it’s a must have for those of us that do daily Bible readings. Definitely add this version to your shelf!

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne – this book doesn’t just extol the power of positive thinking, it tells how it works and how to make it work for you. Although this isn’t a religious book, I’ve read many Christian titles that talk about the exact same principles in a Biblical context, and I’ve even had Christian therapists give me some of the exact same advice that’s in this book. Plus, it’s a short, quick read, and if you don’t like to read then there’s a DVD version that says the exact same things as the book does. I’ve often said that changing your thinking can change your life, and this book and/or DVD tell you how to do that. It can change your life in great ways, so go get it. Now.

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin – if you’re a fantasy fan, this book series is a must read. There are currently five books in the series, but do yourself a favor and buy the entire series, because you’re going to be hooked quick. This is the book series that the HBO series Game of Thrones is based on, and the TV series follows the books well. I’ll warn you that it’s not for the faint of heart, but if you like fantasy then you aren’t the faint of heart type anyway. Reading this book series is an amazing endeavor and you’re going to love it. My only gripe is that The Winds of Winter isn’t out yet, because I want to know what happens next!

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – this book should be a must read for everybody in the workforce, especially people in management positions or above. Yes, it’s an older book, but the principles in it are timeless and still stand up to modern psychology and human relationships. If people took even a quarter of the advice in this book, the whole world would be a better place, and definitely more pleasant. Don’t let the title make you shy away, because it’s a great book that more people definitely need to read.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk – every writer needs to brush up on grammer and style rules on a regular basis, and this brief guide is the perfect thing. Plus, it was updated last year, so you know it  has the most relevant and current information available. A must have on every author’s shelf!


How to Write a Short Story that Works by Michael Allen – if you write short stories, this is the only book you need. I’ve read a lot of guides on writing better short stories, but this is the most comprehensive and has the best advice of how to write a good, solid short story. It’s a bit more expensive for an ebook (about $10) but its well worth it.

I’m always reading, so of course my list of “must reads” is in a state of constant growth. If you’re interested in following the books I read, feel free to connect with me on Goodreads.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

Hi everybody, and welcome to Yakkity Yack. Basically, this means that I have nothing specific to blog about, so this entry will be a scatter shot of musings on this and that. I did an entry like this over at Conure Corner a few weeks ago called “Chatter With Chloe” and it seemed to go over well, so we’ll see if I can be as entertaining as my female sun conure is.

Spring fever has hit in the Southeast. Everything is turning green again, if you can see it beyond the yellow pollen haze. I’ll take some sinus drainage to see the world come alive again. Problem is, people don’t seem to be doing so well on the “paying attention” front. They’re driving as badly as they do over the holidays, and I’ve noticed a general decline in attending to and following instructions. I know you guys have better things to do than work and stuff, but that’s being an adult, folks. We don’t get spring break, summer break, and chances to shut the brain off. That’s called retirement, and if you aren’t there yet, then you’re SOL. Suck it up and keep at it. You’ll be glad you did later when you don’t have to correct or redo everything that should already be done. Or when you’re insurance is still nice and low because you didn’t have that wreck from pulling out in front of traffic like you usually do. Yea, you saw that car coming. You just thought you were bigger and/or faster. That’s as dangerous as putting money in the vending machines at work. It’s like playing the slot machines. Sometimes you win and get something out, sometimes you don’t and bam! Crash. Your money’s gone and you’re standing there saying “what the hell?”

So pay attention, follow the directions, and you’ll do well. You can use the time and money you save on buying a tablet or combination tablet/laptop device, and figuring out how the heck it works. That seems to be all the craze these days. Truth be told, I still use my laptop more than my tablet, because of my writing. The tablet is great for checking email and reading books, and it’s also good if you just need to get on the Internet or want to play games. Problem is, you can’t create and modify documents on a tablet, which drives me to the laptop a lot. I did look at the combination devices at Best Buy a few weeks ago, but  I’m not impressed. Not that I can afford one anyway, but they need to upgrade and do some work on those before I’m in. Ditto on the SmartWatches. Rick has his eye on these, but I’m not interested. Frankly, my phone is the smallest screen I can handle. And I really wonder if those are going to get people wearing watches again. Maybe. We’ll see.

I’m not one to jump on trends. I like to keep my eye on things to see how/if they last and what improvements are made. Any first version of tech has bugs to work out, and later versions are generally better and faster. I know my Nexus 7 is faster than Rick’s iPad. All of us Generation X and older should remember the VHS and Beta thing, you know. Or  8-track tapes and cassette tapes. We learned early that what’s popular may or may not work out long term. Let’s remember that lesson.

Two things that have impressed me are ebooks and streaming video. Thank God for those, because I’m already running out of storage space for books and DVD’s, and the house is only six and a half years old. Digital anything makes me happy. The only thing is that sometimes, paperbacks and DVD’s can be cheaper than the digital versions. You really have to watch out for that one, especially when buying TV series or new books by traditionally published authors. So the bookshelves will stay in our home, but hopefully we won’t be filling them up as fast as we once did. I tell you, Cloud storage is probably the best thing to happen since antibiotics and the Internet.

So, Easter is upon us again. You know, I have a pretty big problem with Easter. The problem is that the holiday is more pagan than religious. Even as a child, I couldn’t understand what eggs and bunnies had to do with Christ’s resurrection – and then I grew up and realized that they had nothing at all to do with Him and are symbols of old pagan fertility rituals. Even the word “easter” is a translation of the original name of Austron (or Eostre), a fertility goddess with roots at least back to Babylon and perhaps even Sodom and Gomorrah.  Well, no wonder that creepy bunny freaked me out! I know, it’s kind of like my objection to Christmas angels not being true depictions of angels because they’re really warriors and don’t have time to sit on top of your Christmas trees (which are also pagan symbols). You think I’m being ridiculous and don’t want to hear it. Well, fine. Have your egg hunts. And when the easter demon comes for us , he’ll find you first. Cause I know what that bunny really is. Cadberry, my butt! I’ve got a devil’s trap for that darn rabbit!

OK, rant over. I refer to it as “The Resurrection” and will refrain from my complaints. Until next Easter, at least. And if you’re still with me, let’s move on.

Let’s get back to the sinus and allergy problems. I’ve been pretty lucky, but others haven’t. There’s been a lot of sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy-head, fever, runny nose, watery eyes, why-can’t-I-have-bird-sinuses- instead going around (really, birds have a much more effective respiratory system – I envy Zack and Chloe that!).  They say it was the brutally cold winter that caused excessive pollination. Too bad the meth heads inspired the politicians to make antihistamine/decongestants neigh on impossible to obtain. I swear, it’s harder to get Claritin-D (or anything-D) than it was with a prescription. Not only do you get treated like a criminal at the pharmacy for having sinus woes, but they never restock, especially Allegra-D. It’s a constant source of irritation for Rick, because that’s what really helps him. And yet we suffer while meth labs are still running. If the people in charge didn’t learn from Breaking Bad that the criminals will find other ways to make it, they’re as dumb as bricks. Lift the restrictions. They’ll just rob a train or something. And us law-abiding citizens will still be sneezing all over you.

I think most of us do the best we can, and that can work out alright. In the end, it’s best to know what is and isn’t your business, and tend to what’s yours. It might not be glamorous or fascinating. It may even be boring. But if you pray and do what’s right, you’ll be fine, both on the journey and in the end. You never go wrong by doing right. Turning tricks, laying traps, and weaving webs of deception are how so many people get and stay in trouble. Manipulation and deceit make for entertaining fiction, but in reality nobody’s got time for that. Webs tangle, obscure, separate, and destroy, but shooting straight keeps everything clear, whether you’re in the desert, the valley, or the mountaintop. 

Well, I think that’s enough yakking for today. If you want to know what’s going on in my head, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed it, because I’ll be back in my own little world doing rewrites on Rearview Mirror next week (and trying to find a better title for it, too). Yea, we’re going back there again. It’s great fun for me, at least.

Take care, and have a great weekend.

Bye!

Hi all, I'm here to tell you about an exciting event taking place this week. March 2-8 is Read an Ebook Week, and to celebrate many Smashwords authors are offering deep discounts on their books. I'm participating, and you can join in the fun! Here are my titles enrolled in the offer:

Incursion, a sci-fi novella, is available for free at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/406060 with Coupon Code RW100.

Move, a mystery novel, is available for 50% off at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/286425 with Coupon Code REW50.

Quarantine, a mystery novella, is available for 50% off at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/88323 with Coupon Code REW50.

Feathered Frenzy - A Quick Guide to Adapting Birds into Your Life is available for free at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/280462 with Coupon Code RW100.

Smashwords is having a sitewide promotion with many titles available for discounts of 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% today through midnight Pacific Time on March 8, so swing by www.smashwords.com to check out the great offers. Signing up for an account at Smashwords is easy, and they offer a great variety of books. The best part is, you can get them in any ebook format you wish - even in PDF! So whatever format you prefer, they have it. Their offers frequently have special offers outside of promotions as well, so it's a great site to check out.

No e-reader? No problem! You can download free apps to tablets, smartphones, or even an iPod touch and start reading right away. If you've never tried ebooks, this is a great opportunity to start. I know many people like the "feel" of a real book in their hands - I do too - but ebooks are great in their own way. You don't have to store or carry them around, because they're on devices you usually have with you anyway. They're usually cheaper, and there's a great selection of titles (in fact, most public domain works are available for free, so if you like the classics, you can get them for nothing). And no worrying about availability or making it to the store, because you can click and download in less than a minute in many cases.

I'm not asking you to give up hardbacks and paperbacks. Goodness knows, I like my paperbacks too. I'm just asking you to give ebooks a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised, like I was.

So join in the fun this week by reading an ebook! Who knows? You might have a library built by week's end.

That's all today. Take care and have a great week.

Bye!

Hi all; I thought I'd give you a general update on what's happening in my corner of the world.

First, Splinter is coming out next week! I'm excited, of course, and will update you with buy links for the book as soon as they're available. It's only going to be available in ebook format. Lots of people ask me why, and the reason is that I have to pay to make it available in paperback, and frankly I never recup the costs of it. Almost all of my books sales are ebooks and the paperbacks just don't move, so I invest that money in promotion of the electronic version instead. If you'd like a sneak peek at Splinter, you can check out the short story I posted on ReadWave yesterday titled "Fractured". It's told from the point of view of Amelia Eaton, the doctor on Jovan I and Leigh Lybrand's best friend, and it gives a great setup to the novel because it hints at something important that happens about 18 months before Splinter opens. Go check it out - the story is only 800 words, and you can read it in less than 5 minutes.

If you were on social media Thursday, then you know my car broke down when I went out to lunch that day. What a story! I actually went out to pick up a Christmas gift I ordered for Rick. They tried to deliver it to the house, but unbeknownst to me, they sent it with a signature required, so when it arrived Wednesday and I wasn't there, they left a nice little card in the mailbox. So I already had to explain to Rick why the post office was trying to deliver a parcel to me, because he gets home before I do. I had to go to the post office Thursday to pick it up, or they were going to return it to the sender, which I didn't want, of course. I made it all the way to the post office (I didn't realize how far out in the boondocks the post office serving our zip code was!) and the car started smoking when I pulled back in the parking lot at work. I went in to tell my co-workers what was happening, and took it straight to a mechanic that set up shop about 2/10 of a mile from my house. The car started overheating on that ride, and I had to stop twice to rest the engine before it shut off. (Thank goodness my office is only about 3 miles from home). But thanks be to God, I made it. I walked home carrying my purse, work bag, and Rick's gift (which was bigger than I expected, but thank goodness not heavy). And also thankfully, nobody saw me walking  home, as it's a dirt road with little traffic from my house to that mechanic. It turns out that a valve in my radiator had a hole in it, and all of the antifreeze leaked out. They fixed it the same day, which was amazing, and I picked it up before work yesterday (they wanted it to sit overnight to make sure it didn't leak any more antifreeze). The car's doing fine now, but it relieved me of $281. To replace a $8 part, I might add.

Speaking of Rick, he did recover from the tissue infection in his cheek. It was a painful ordeal, and we're glad it's over. We still aren't sure how he got it. I surmise it has something to do with working in a middle school and handling all of those student and teacher iPads. People can be pretty nasty sometimes. We actually had a good weekend last weekend, because he felt better and we had a chance to have a "date day" for the first time in about a month. We went to the gun show, out to lunch, and to see Thor: The Dark World. We enjoyed it and it was great to have a chance to go out and do something fun together. But now he's down again, because he got a flu shot yesterday, and it has him feeling run down today. He hasn't had a flu shot in a few years, and it seems to have knocked him out this time. He can't seem to win. This should pass by tomorrow or Monday according to the paperwork they gave him.

Ollie is over his kidney infection, but it left him with nerve inflammation in his leg. Some days are better than others. I've bugged the vet about it several time and even took Ollie back because of it. The vet said it will get better in time, but inflammation takes a while to go down, and little Ollie seems to be a slow healer. Some days are better than others. I hate it because I can tell the leg is really bothering him sometimes. But he still sings, and plays, and he's eating very well. The vet said to try to get him to work that leg - a kind of "physical therapy" - and we're trying but again, some days are better than others. We all know that the changing weather isn't helping matters either, because I can tell it bugs him more when it's cold. Poor little fellow.

Christmas shopping is 80% done. I  know I won't finish before Thanksgiving, but that's okay because I think I can finish in early December with this rate of progress. I have to, because the workload at my job peaks in December. Along with a December 16th exam deadline, we also have everybody wanting to get licensed before the end of the year so they can start on projects at the beginning of the new year. It's insanity, and I've learned that I have to plan ahead to handle "the crush" if I want to keep from drowning. It can get overwhelming, between a heavy workload and your family and social life picking up for the holidays. Why every place I've worked seems to hit a "crunch time" between Thanksgiving and Christmas is beyond me - I guess it must be a trend no matter where you work. Things just get more active all around during the holidays. But thank God, I hope that planning ahead will keep me sane. I was so stressed and overwhelmed last holiday season that I was miserable and couldn't enjoy the holidays even when I was finally away from all the madness. I just couldn't seem to "wind down" from everything pounding on me, and I don't ever want to be in that place again. I'll err on the side of wisdom and take people snickering and calling me "anal" if it means I can keep an even keel once it all busts loose in a few weeks and actually be able to enjoy the season like we're supposed to.

And that reminds me to give you a follow up that I should have done a while ago. I know I said in July that I was having problems with being angry all the time and at so many people and situations because of the crazy amount of change since last  December. I wanted to let you know that I am feeling better and I think I'm making progress in this area. It's not easy to deal with anger. Of course, you have every right to be angry when people are making decisions that you have to pay the price for, but that doesn't give you justification to stay angry. That's putting yourself in a prison and, as I said in July, that's not the kind of person I want to be. I see now that sometimes people just make bad decisions, and whatever consequences you suffer for it, they suffer much more because they're in the middle of it. Periphery problems, as I was struggling with at the time, pass much faster than being in the dead center of the chaos. But another issue is that I also realize that I'm not the only one that was overwhelmed. Many people were, and some still are, but everybody is trying to get settled in a better place. I see intent to make progress and it's paid off in some ways already, so I'm content to hang in there and keep things moving in a right direction. Forgiveness is one of the hardest things we're called to do, but it's possible through prayer. Moving on can be hard too, but again it's possible if you're willing to learn from the past and gain wisdom from all that you experience. I have heard that  more change may be on the way for me in the new year, and that's okay as well. I see some benefits to it and while I realize that a learning curve and adjustments might be on the horizon (again), I prayed over it and feel this is for ultimate good for me and many others. Nothing is definite, but I'll pass along more if and when it comes to pass.

I think the greatest thing I've come to learn over these past months as I worked through the anger issue is that I had an error in my own perception. I was in a rut for so many years at my old workplace, that I thought the "normal" state of being was just that - being in a groove. But that's not right. I've come to see that the constant change and state of flux I've seen over the past 3 years is actually the norm, and that 6 year rut was the exception. I've been working so long and hard to "get settled down," and now I realize that the proper state of life is actually change and constant motion. "Normal" is constant work and striving toward something better, to making the next steps and to moving ahead, not settling in a groove of the "same old same old" that slowly kills your soul. The happiness I thought I had in those days was nothing more than comfort of routine and fear of change, and I really had to be jolted to get out of that deceptive trap. Although I wouldn't relive that adjustment phase again for any amount of money or reward, I will say that I'm glad it happened, because my life is in a much better place, and the happiness I have now is based not on "comfort," but on faith and gratitude for a life that I finally realize is filled to overflowing with blessings. I had it backwards, and that's been part of my anger and adjustment problems to this big life change since 2010. That was a major revelation to me, and it helped me to start making steps in a positive direction in my own attitude and expectations of life.

So am I still going through with the big life evaluation and purge I planned for January 1? It doesn't look like I need to. I see where things fit now, and I also see the progress and change on the horizon that I was  hoping for.

Well, I think that's quite enough for one day. I hope you're all doing well. Take care, and have a great weekend.

Bye!

In this final installment of "must read" books, I'd like to offer suggestions that have helped me in my own writing and publishing experiences. There are a lot of books out there to tell you how to write better and get published, and a lot of the information is redundant. Save yourself some time and start with these suggestions to give you the basics that you need to get going:

Writing: Grammar, Usage, and Style (Jean Eggenschwiler, M.A. and Emily Dotson Biggs). The first and foremost thing you must know as a writer is proper grammar and spelling. If your writing is mechanically correct, you don't stand a chance. I know that reading should be about the overall enjoyment of the story, but improper use of the English language mars even the best of prose. This quick guide is a great refresher on the basics that will tighten up your writing and keep the "grammar police" quiet.

The First Five Pages - A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile (Noah Lukeman). This is the best treasure I picked out of the Barnes & Noble discount bin ever. Written by a literary agent, Lukeman tells you what it takes to write a manuscript that hooks readers from the start and won't let them go until they finish the manuscript. No, it won't guarantee that you capture a publisher or agent, but it will greatly increase your chances of being read and getting your foot in the door. It's good, sound, solid advice that will improve your storytelling exponentially.

The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published (Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry). Skip the other "how to get published" guides and get this one, because it has all you need. They tell you This book is a treasure trove of information on the publishing process and even includes the field of e-publishing, which is growing (and you would be wise to get up on) and using social media. It's a comprehensive guide that gives you all of the information you need on the publishing process, publicity, marketing, and book sales. In fact, I credit this book with helping me break into e-publishing. It's that good.

The Author's Guide to Building an Online Platform - Leveraging the Internet to Sell More Books (Stephanie Chandler). And I credit this book with helping me to build my online presence for my writing. This short guide gives you great pointers for getting set up online to sell more books and finding opportunities to promote yourself. It's valuable advice, because more books are sold online than in stores, and the Internet is always open, so it can always be working for you.  

Writer's Market (Robert Lee Brewer). This annual guide is a master list of all book publishers and tells you everything you need to know about them: what they publish, how to submit, where to find them, and their requirements and guidelines. Of course, you still need to check the websites, as this information can change (and publishers frequently open and close to submissions), but this is a great index. If you find this master guide too overwhelming, you can also buy shorter versions that are broken down by specific genres. For example, I write fiction, so I find the Novel & Short Story Market Guide most helpful. The guides are updated annually and they also have a companion website to keep up with updated throughout the year (if you have a subscription). But the book alone is very helpful and can save you hours of research in finding places to submit your work.

In addition to these books, I'd also suggest that you read a book on how to write in the area that you specialize in. For example, if you write novels, then find a guide on writing better novels. If you prefer short stories or poetry, look for a guide on writing better short stories or poetry. There are many out there and a good reference guide on how to structure your writing for the particular type that you prefer helps greatly in creating a great story and becoming a better writer.

So there you have it - my "must read list." I hope you've enjoyed this short series of blog entries on what I think are "must haves" for your library.

Take care all, and have a great week.

Bye!

First, I’d like to announce that tomorrow is my husband, Rick’s, birthday. Have a great day, Rick! The birds and I love you! We’re one happy flock!

And now on to the regularly scheduled entry:

I’m a radical non-conformist. That’s one thing about me that hasn’t changed in the 16 years since college graduation (or the 20 years from high school graduation). Ask anybody, and they’ll tell you that they don’t know what beat I march to, but it’s not any drum they can hear. Make the opinion a “popular” one, and I’m more likely to reject it – or at least put it under fierce scrutiny to see if it’s logical or makes sense. If there’s one thing I’ve always been proud of, it’s my authenticity. For example:
 
·        When I was buying a new car in 2006, I immediately dismissed the Toyota Camry as an option based on a commercial. It was store security store camera where the announcer said “attention shoppers, a Toyota Camry has it’s lights on in the parking
lot” and everybody left the store. They prided themselves on having the most popular car in America. And I said hell no, I don’t want to drive the same car that everybody else drives. I refused to even stop to look at a Toyota lot because of that stupid commercial. 

·      Everybody loves San Francisco, and I’ll agree that it’s an intriguing place. I’d love to take Rick there someday. But frankly, it was too cold for my liking. 55 degrees in early September darn near sent me into shock. My sinuses didn’t care for it too much either, as I got the worse nosebleed I’ve ever had the day after I arrived. A lot of people tell me that’s their favorite place in the world. To each their own. It was interesting, but frankly it was a city that was a bit too crowded for me. I was more impressed with the nature, sunshine, and wide, open spaces of Arizona. 

·       I don’t care for high heel shoes. At 5’1” I could wear stilts and still not fool anyone. It won’t help, so why bother with the sore legs and achy knees. No thanks. In fact, I refuse to wear shoes with more than a 2 inch heel. It’s a compromise (but not one I make often). 

·        I refuse to color my hair (at this point in my life). People keep telling me I should get my hair highlighted, but I like my hair darker. I used to get natural highlights when I was in marching band in high school and college and I hated it. It might
have looked good to others, but it was dried out and frizzy, and I fought it and hated the color every day. Until I go grey, no color. And then, no blonde. I accept what the Lord gave me, so the rest of the world can darn well get over it. 

·     I don’t own a flat iron. I don’t need one. My hair is straighter than pine straw. And it won’t hold a curl either, so I gave up on that too.

 ·        I don’t like the telephone. Frankly, I think it’s the most abused invention ever. People pick it up to ask stupid questions that they could answer themselves if they put their brain on it for 2 minutes. Or worse yet, to jabber about pointless things and waste inordinate amounts of time. Seriously, people use the telephone as a “surrogate brain.” Progress, my butt. That invention has kicked us down a couple of notches on the evolutionary scale. I pray computers and the Internet can pull us back up by the bootstraps before too much deterioration sets in. 
 
·        I don’t think that print media will ever die. And believe it or not, it’s not because of the absurd “paper holdouts” that gripe about the evils of technology. Rather, there’s just too much already out there in the way of books, magazines and newspapers. The world can go more digital, but I don’t see a day where we’ll do away with all paper forever. Frankly, I think we’d already be there if that were a real trend. I believe digital print will take over a majority market share, and will certainly transition to the preferred method of print media. But no, books, magazines and newspapers won’t go away. They might go the way of cassette
tapes – rare, but not extinct.

 ·        Dogs might be man’s best friend, but this woman’s best friends have always been birds. I’ve never had a dog. It’s always been birds for me, because they’re more sociable, they’re happy, and they live longer. Much longer. Case in point: our oldest sun conure, Zack, is 13 years old, and he’s outlived 3 of my parents’ cats.  

·        My laptop is pink. So is the mouse. And my phone case. And my work ID is on a lanyard with pink beads. Hey, everybody else has black, white or silver everything. There’s no question which stuff is mine!

I could go on for quite a while but I think one thing is already clear – I make up my own mind about what I like and appreciate in life. And if it’s contrary to popular opinion, so much the better. I don’t have a problem with being unique. In fact, I prefer it that way. How can you be authentic if you’re just like everybody else? 

That’s all today. Take care and have a great rest of the week. 
 
Bye!

Last night, I took a rare break to watch TV and watched American Haunting with Rick. The episode was about a guy that bought a haunted car. Problem was, the spirit attached to him. The wife insisted on destroying the car, which they did (amongst much drama) but the haunting continued. Nobody could figure out what the problem was. Turns out, he saved some parts from the car and hid them in the garage. I thought, you total and complete idiot. Getting rid of that spirit is like the clearance sale at K-Mart: everything must go. You've gotta crunch the spare parts too. And when a "cleanser" gave him a Circle of Solomon to wear to ward off more spirits (because he became a target through his "spare parts") I thought yea, forget that thing one day and you're back at square one. Crunch the spare parts and get some rock salt, since you seem to be a "Welcome" sign for demons.

How do I know so much about spirits and hauntings? From writing Anywhere But Here and Resonance. Both of those stories included enchanted objects, so I had to research how it happened, and how to get rid of it. Or, in the case of Resonance, how to make it somebody elses' problem.

It's amazing what you learn from writing. You pick up all kinds of fun facts that are only good for your writing. Well, in the case of writing mystery with urban fantasy and sci-fi, you hope it's only good for your writing. I hope I don't have to lay any demon traps anytime soon, although I'll admit that I've had to deal with some people that make me wonder if I need to run for the spray paint or amulets. I've thought it. Haven't done it, but thought it, definitely.

And one more thing: if you think, well they just need to find Jesus - you're right; and you're wrong. People of faith have the biggest targets on their head. If you're faith isn't true or iron clad, you're no better off than anybody else. And if you just use faith as "fire insurance" (as my Sunday School teacher likes to put it), you're the bullseye. Good goobly goo, people stay away from you for a reason. We don't want to be in the line of fire of that. Which reminds me, I had a devil's trap that some friends gave me from Salem, Massachusetts and I need to find that thing. I lost it during our last move.

But demons aren't all that I've researched. Did you know that genies are actually based on an Islamic spirit called the djinn? There are many theories of where they came from. Some sourses said they're the "fallen third" that went down with the devil during pre-creation times. Others say they were created before humans and were banished to what I can best call a "parallel universe" because God thought humans and djinn couldn't play well together. Turns out, not all of the djinn likes humanity. Some did and wanted to help and others didn't and wanted to cause problems. Now they slip through the cracks of the worlds, granting wishes at the price of your soul. Oh no, genies aren't the cutsie things you saw on Aladdin. The djinn episode of Supernatural is more on target. They grant your wish at a horrible price. Think the story The Monkey's Paw, by W.W. Jacobs. Move mixes the good with the bad, and adds the ignorance of the protagonist and the deception of the antagonist in the mix, but I'll leave it to the reader as to whether I went more or less sinister than Jacobs with this work. I'll say this much - it ended differently than I expected. But the ending, in a sick and sad sort of way, worked.  

All of my research isn't about the supernatural, though. I thought I was fairly up on technology, until I wrote Blurry. Boy, did I learn a lot. For example, there's no way to keep up with it. I believe memory capacity is actually required to increase to a certain degree every year or two. I also knew that cell phones weren't secure long before the NSA leak scandal broke. Anybody can track you anywhere through cell phones. And as for my knowledge of firearms, this is where it started: I had to research guns for a scene in this novel. Did you  know that most "amateurs" with guns usually go for handguns, but shotguns actually have better accuracy? 9 mm is pretty common, and it's generally easier for everybody to handle. Don't believe that the smaller millimeter is easier to handle, either, because a .32 or a .380 can blow your hand off. And a revolver of any caliber has a heck of a recoil. Semi-automatics are generally easier on the hands because they absorb some of the recoil from the shots.

Sci-fi can teach you a thing or two as well. For example, many of you know that I wrote my upcoming sci-fi novel, Splinter, a few years ago when I was going through a spell where I was disgusted with pretty much all of life. I was so angry that I wanted to destroy the world, so I did it through writing Splinter during National Novel Writing Month in November 2010. Well, it turns out that destroying the world isn't quite so easy. I'm glad I started planning that novel well ahead of time, because it took me 6 months and a doomsday plot to pull it off. I had to move Heaven and Earth to, well, destroy Earth. For all of you that think the planet is fragile, that's total crap. This is a tough old rock. For all of our problems, I think we're more likely to destroy humanity than we are to destroy the planet. We could all be gone and this world would keep on going. Honestly, we're studying the Book of Revelation in Sunday School right now, and I think that's exactly what it's going to take to take the world down. It's going to require supernatural intervention in systemically breaking us from the top down. The only natural thing that could scorch the planet is the sun going nova. That's how much it's going to take. Yes, we need to take care of the planet, but destroying it? I'm skeptical. We can break it, but we can't annihilate it. Not by our hand. Splinter is coming through Whiskey Creek Press in November.

Yes, it's amazing what you can learn from writing. Sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction - and sometimes it isn't.

That's all today. I hope you have a great week.

Bye!

I'm going to be taking a brief break from social media and blogging this week. It's been a very tough week, and the weekend offered absolutely no relief. In reflecting on how things went so crazy, I realized that I need to draw in and give some things my undivided attention to set them back in order.

This isn't anything serious. Actually, it's not uncommon for me to decide to "unplug" when things fly out of control so I can get a handle on situations and bring life back into balance. I also want you to know that it has nothing to do with family, friends or relationships. Frankly, it's random aggravations that I think can be dealt with swiftly and efficiently, given an intensive dose of handling and attention. Sometimes you have to lay everything aside and take assertive action to put things back in order, and that's the task I've set for myself this week.

I will continue to check my email and to keep up with promotion for my published novels, but I am taking my online time down a notch. I should be back on Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook late in the week (Thursday or Friday), and resume blogging over the weekend or early next week. Until then, I welcome you to enjoy my works that are already published. Just click on the tabs on this website to see what's "out there" for you to enjoy. And if you enjoy it, I ask that you leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads so others can know too.

Thanks for understanding and take care. I hope you have a good week.

Bye!