Category:

Losing Track

8/19/2014

I had no idea that school started back up this week! Oops! Well, it didn't take me long to figure it out, between Rick informing me that the most stressful time of the year was upon him, and I hit bumper to bumper traffic on my commute these past couple of days. I guess I tuned out all the back to school stuff because frankly, when you're in the workforce, one season is much the same as the rest. It's Monday - Friday, winter, spring, summer, and fall.

See what you kids have to look forward to?

Really, where did the summer go? I suppose I did lose track of it with everything going on these past few months. It's understandable, but still shocking. You hate to take a look around and say "whoa, what's happening?" but there are times when it happens to us all. It seems I'm still working on the getting back on track thing. It's alright. We all live one day at a time, and the world keeps turning.

In other news, I have the first couple of chapters of Fracture written, and it's got a pretty good foundation going. The situation is set and now it's time to watch it unfold. This is a big project, and I'm trying to remember to have fun with it and to enjoy the whole process of writing it, from start to finish. While I always enjoy my writing, it seems that each novel and/or project is a unique experience. Now that I've done one sci-fi novel (Splinter) and a novella (Incursion), I do feel more comfortable and confident writing in this genre - so I'm having more fun with planning and plotting now, and I'm not so nervous about "pulling it off." I know I can do it, because I've done it twice already. Now I really get to find myself in the sci-fi genre through this project.

I'm also getting back into exercising. My parents gave us their stationary bicycle last weekend, because they decided to go back to using a treadmill and our treadmill was on it's last legs. We've been using a treadmill and walking for years, and I think we got slack with it because we were bored and needed a change. So far, it's working out, but wow my legs are sort. It's definitely a different kind of workout! But it's good to be exercising again. I want to make that a regular part of my life again.

So that's life here. I hope you're doing well. Take care, and have a great week.

Bye!

Strange Symptoms, Stranger Ideas

6/24/2014

I'm happy to report that my sinus infection is clearing up, and I've even managed to resist the red meat binge. One strange thing about getting sick isn't the obvious symptoms, but the strange symptoms that let you know without a shadow of a doubt that you're sick. It's the overwhelming desire for red meat that usually tips me off. Don't get me wrong - I love red meat - but when the entire rack at the grocery store starts to look really good, I know the bacteria is winning. Another is the desire to watch entire seasons of my favorite TV shows. Binging seems to be one of the strange symptoms I get when I'm sick.

One good thing about all of this rest is that I have an idea for my next writing project. You know the alien invasion that I'm always joking about on social media? Well, I saw Edge of Tomorrow over the weekend and thought heck, why not write my own version of the alien invasion? It's a big idea but heck, why not? So I'm going sci-fi next time, much to the relief of everybody getting jittery of my paranormal mysteries. I'll finish Obsidian first, but I can brainstorm and research this and be ready to go with it later this year, or early next year. We'll see how it goes.I love sci-fi, and the concept of writing a trilogy makes me very happy.

So did you hear that Queen Elizabeth II visited the set of Game of Thrones? Oh, how I wish she would have had her picture in the Iron Throne. That would have been awesome. But she respectfully declined. I bet that was a great visit.

And in closing, we're celebrating an "invisible birthday." 4 years ago today, Rick brought home an adorable green and yellow parakeet with a gift of song that lit up our lives. We thought we'd have 15 years with him; instead, we had three and a half. Life's like that, I guess, but we can still celebrate him today. So Happy Birthday, Oliver! We hope you're having a great birthday in Heaven. Here's a song that always inspired you to song.

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

Bye!

Paradigm Shifts

8/26/2013

On this, my 38th birthday, I find my self pondering the progress of the past year. I suppose this is a natural thing to do on a birthday. On first glance it could seem disappointing, as there are no "major" changes to report, but that's actually deceptive. There have been changes in the past year, but they've been more in the way of "shifts" instead of what could be clearly defined as "changed." I suppose this sounds somewhat elusive, so of course I'm going to explain.

The progress of the past year has actually been more in the way of building on things that have already been in motion. While it doesn't seem that much has changed - after all, life is progressing along very much the same today as it was a year ago - I can't say that I think about or feel the way that I did about life as I did one, two, or five years ago. In fact, as I ponder it, I notice that my paradigm has shifted quite a bit in the last 4 years. I suppose this is natural. My job changed and I finally broke into publication with my writing in 2010 - 2011, and while these things are "the norm" in my life right now, I see how incorporating those changes into my life has changed my view of life and the world. My basic morals haven't changed. That's not something that's likely to change. But the way you see the world around you and apply those morals can change, and I'm starting to see the evidence that it's happened. When you walk in faith long enough, you delve deeper into things, and that's certainly what's happened to me.

So how have I changed? For one, I'm seeing a whole new application of the concept of "reaping and sowing," as described in Galatians 6:7. You all know that this is one thing that my grandfather was a big believer in, and I took it to heart. But this verse applies to more than just relationships with other people and how you treat them - it also applies to progress and purpose in life. In fact, if you shift two more verses you'll read that "in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:9) After several years of hard work to re-establish myself professionally in my current workplace and to get my writing established, I see the value of patience in all that we do. If life really is a series of ups and downs, reaping and sowing, then that has big implications for all of life. If we choose to only allow ourselves to be happy on the mountaintop, when we're reaping the rewards of our labors, then we're guaranteed to be miserable (or at least, withholding our own happiness) at least 50% of our life. Folks, that just isn't acceptable to me. That's not going to do it. Sure, there are some people that enjoy being miserable and whining and complaining to get attention, but that's not the way I choose.

I know from experience that there are blessings in every day because I've been through the major life changes when I looked back and realized that there were little blessings that I took for granted, and I was sorry for it. An example: before my writing was published, I used to do counted cross stitching and wrote short stories. Much to my surprise, I find that I have very little time for that now, between promoting my published works and creating new ones. I love my writing and pray daily that it will continue to grow and reach more people - in fact, I'm prayerfully striving to make a break into science fiction with Splinter this fall - but there are some days when I miss having the time to cross stitch, or to goof off on Writing.com with short story contests. I didn't realize how much time these things filled in my life until my writing grew to the point where I had to make decisions about what stayed and what went. I still stitch occasionally, but large projects are out now. And as for short stories, they take me longer to write, prepare, and complete than they once did. And ditto for the work move. I was glad to make it and still believe it was the best, but I didn't realize the little things I took for granted, like talking to a couple of my friends when things got slow, the great walking paths on the State House grounds, a covered parking spot or those outstanding subs for a great price on Tuesdays and Fridays. Yes, I've gained a lot through both changes. I wouldn't undo either of them or the world because I gained a lot more than I lost. But I did learn to not despise the small things, and to appreciate the small blessings that go with each day as well as the big things we work so hard to cultivate and grow in our lives.

Some people say this means to "enjoy the journey on the way to where you go," but I think there's a deeper meaning than that. A devotion I read recently said, "God doesn't want you to be happy. He wants you to do what's right." That really hit me and helped me to get a grasp on my own paradigm shift. I used to think that the point was about being happy, and I actually worried for a little while, wondering if I'd ever be happy like I was before. I see now that I won't, because happy is a side effect. The purpose of life is not to serve our feelings, but to do what we're supposed to be doing and work hard to do what's right for our purpose in life. If you are faithful in well doing and obedient to the spirit, there's a contentment to your life that nothing - situations, circumstances, or other people and their attitudes (because that really reflects on them more than anything else, but that's a pondering for another entry) - can affect. You can rest in knowing that you're doing all you can, and that allows you to enjoy the blessings of every day, large or small. And contentment is better than happiness. It's more stable, because you can still see the blessing in what you have even if a thousand aggravations are bleeding out of them. It's built on a firmer foundation that gives you the patience to hold out for the "bigger picture" even if you don't understand what the point is (as is often the case). It's built on a trust between you and the Lord and nobody else can put their hands on it. And that can give you the courage to do what's right, even in the face of ridicule, opposition, or doubt. Happiness is transient and comes and goes with circumstances. Contentment is faith in action.

No, the earth hasn't moved in the last year. Things look much the same today as they do every other day. But I know they aren't. I see how the work at the everyday levels is building to something new and better. I might not know what yet, but when it is revealed then I'll reap a reward in due season, and be glad I didn't lose heart.

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

Bye!

Evolution of Character

8/15/2013

An interesting thing happened the past few days as I've worked on edits to prepare Splinter for publication. I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but I modeled the protagonist, Leigh Lorene Lybrand, after my maternal grandmother, Lorene Shull Lybrand. She passed away when I was 12 years old, and was a huge influence on me growing up. Lybrand was a very common name in our area, but thanks to too many generations of girls and, to put it tactfully, decreasing reproduction, the name is dying out (along with Shull, and some others that were quite common around these parts "back in the day"). I thought it would be a good thing to keep the Lybrand's alive, at least through my writing. Plus, it's not like she's going to sue me.

But in doing these edits, I realized it's not likely that she would even if she were alive because I realized, to my utter shock, that she's not Leigh Lybrand. She's not even like me. I don't know WHO that geophysicist is that I shot off to the moons of Jupiter on the eve of Earth's destruction but one things for certain - it's not who I planned for it to be.

At first I tried to say well, it's faulty memory. Nana died 25 years ago this year, and I'm sure that the natural degradation of memory has taken it's toll on my own grey matter. But the truth is that I wasn't satisfied with that explanation, and the reason came to be in a bolt of realization at 1 a.m. I realized: I changed the setting. I don't have that character in 20th century Earth, where she spent her entire life. I projected her 1,000 years into the future, into a 31st century reality that I created. There's no way that the grandmother I knew could be the same person in the future I envision. People change over time. We learn more about the world and the reality surrounding us, and it reshapes us. Think about it: vampires were born in the Middle Ages where disease was a mystery and royality in "darker places" in the world had strange fetishes. Now, they're glittery twerps trying to fit in a world that has explained the truth behind their origin and purged their purpose in the human mind. We've learned; we've grown; we've lost our fears. Or rather, I'd say we've replaced our fears with other things we don't understand. I think more people fear the mysteries that motivate government than communicable disease these days. It's consipiracy theories, mysteries, and how we plot against one another. And if that isn't your thing, then there's the increasing popularity of sci-fi, because we still don't know what's "out there," and can use our noodle to ponder the possibilities, if not in this day and time then in the future.

Nothing stays the same and as a result, people don't stay the same. I think Nana could have been a geophysicists in the Jovan system, had she been born 10 centuries later. Perhaps I could have been one of the engineers on her team, if I were there too. As it is, we are a product of the world we live in. Nana would turn in her grave if she knew I had been on an airplane and flown cross country twice. She's have turned again if she knew that Mom and Dad actually got on the plane with me one time - of their own free will! Yes, my grandparents generation had a number of fears that seem silly to us, and the superstitions of my great-grandparents generation makes me laugh from time to time. But then again, I suppose my own cares and concerns would strike them as odd, if they were here to see it. Or maybe they'd share them. Who knows? We're put on this Earth at the time and place where we fit, and that's it.

Hmm, so maybe I did hit the mark. Maybe Leigh Lorene Lybrand is a perfect manifestation of the evolution of character that Nana would be in my envisioned future. You can decide for yourself when Splinter is released through Whiskey Creek Press in November. Stay tuned!

That's all today. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Bye!

Progress With My Writing

8/22/2012

Many people have asked me recently about how things are going with my writing, so I thought I'd update you through a blog entry. I've stay very busy with it between promoting work that's already published and writing new work. Here's a rundown of where things are at:

As you probably know, I'm in the middle of an Author Feature Week on The Edible Bookshelf. DelSheree Gladden read my young adult novel, Blurry, and is doing a feature on me that's focused on this book on Monday - Friday of this week. Today's entry is the best so far with an author interview on Blurry. You can check it out at http://www.theediblebookshelf.blogspot.com/2012/08/interview-with-sherri-fulmer-moorer.html . Be sure to drop by http://www.theediblebookshelf.blogspot.com tomorrow and Friday too to see the remaining entries in the feature week. I'd like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to DelSheree Gladden for reading Blurry and giving me this wonderful opportunity to reach readers through her outstanding blog!

I was also surprised to get a very flattering review of Anywhere But Here today. It was so encouraging to see that this story touched someone and that they recommended it because they believed that others could relate to it too - even with the twist ending! (Folks, this book has a BIG twist in the end!). Dealing with personal setbacks and depression are the major themes of this fictionalized novel about a young woman whose life falls apart in the weeks after college graduation, and it was my hope that others would read this tale and find hope to face their own challenges. I'm glad people are relating to this story. That is, after all, why writers do write in the first place - so their stories can entertain and inspire others. I'd like to thank Goodreads for their support of indie authors and for helping people to find me and my work. If you love reading, this is a great site! You can check them out at www.goodreads.com .

I have several book reviews for Blurry and Anywhere But Here pending, and I have my fingers crossed that they continue to get good reviews! I'm also planning to pick up promotion for Quarantine, my mystery novella, and Resonance, my horror long story, in September and October. Both of these stories take place in October. In fact, Resonance is a Halloween tale. I believe these are good, quick reads that people will find interesting as a fall read. Plus, they're cheap - only a dollar!

On the publication front, I signed a contract with Whiskey Creek Press to publish Splinter, my sci-fi novel that I wrote for National Novel Writing Month in 2010, in late May. I should get more information from them on a publication schedule in October or November, and it should be out sometime in mid to late 2013. I'll let you know when I get a timeline for publication. In the meantime, here's a synopsis:

The end of the world is just the beginning.

Dr. Leigh Lorene Lybrand, a thirty-three year old geophysicist, is content with her humble life on Earth.  She has good work studying the reversal of Earth’s magnetosphere, a loving fiancé, and a supportative family. It’s a life most people would be happy with, until she’s offered a chance to make history. Developing interstellar habitats in the Jovan system will make her famous and financially secure for the rest of her life. She’s willing to put aside life on Earth for two years to have a chance to establish humanity in outer space.


History takes a critical turn when Earth is destroyed by a solar flare, and the crew of Jovan I are responsible for the survival of humanity. As they explore ways to survive in space, dark matter starts to rip open the fabric of
space and time, allowing Leigh and one of her colleagues to see parallel universes. When the visions take a sinister turn to reveal that a radical religious group planned Earth’s destruction, Leigh must make a choice: Accept her fate or use what she’s learned to save humanity; even if it means sacrificing herself in this universe.

I obviously need to clean that up into a more intriguing back cover blurb, but I beleive you get the point. And let me tell you, I'm super excited about this book! It's the most work I've ever done to write a novel - it's my longest book to date at 50 chapters and took over six months of research just to plan the plot! But the work was worth it, because I believe this is my best book so far.

On the writing front, I have two books in progress right now. That's right, two! The first is a mystery novel titled Move. The tagline - be careful what you wish for. I don't nave a formal synopsis for it because it isn't complete, but it's about a woman that's stuck in a rut that unknowingly makes a deal with a djinn to help her with people that are getting in the way of her progress. Unfortunately, the djinn isn't really good with the whole wish-granting thing, and he makes a bigger mess of things than she ever imagined. And I'll be honest with you - I love working on this book. This is the most fun I've had writing a book since Blurry! It's just a good, intriguing story and I love the characters I work with. Well, except one of the villians, but I'm having fun helping things bite her in the butt. These are the experiences writers live for - to get absorbed in our work and fall into the world we've created. This is why I love writing. To create new work and share it with the world. I think the only thing better than reading a great story is writing one. Well, one that you think is great anyway.

The other book is a short non-fiction book titled Feathered Frenzy! A Quick Guide to Adapting Birds Into Your Life. I'm writing this book as a way to share what I've learned from over twenty five years of bird ownership with others that have birds for pets. I might not have advanced degrees, but I believe that a lifetime of having birds for pets gives me plenty of advice to share, and I have picked up quite a few tips, tricks and lessons throughout the years that I beleive will be helpful to other bird owners. When I say this is a short book, I'm not kidding - I started it last week, and I've written 8 of the 10 chapters already. Hopefully, I'll complete the rough draft in the next couple of days. I plan to self publish this book. In the meantime, I posted a sample chapter in this blog last week, and I've posted another snippet on the bird blog over at Conure Corner at http://conurecorner.weebly.com tonight.

So that's what's going on with my writing. Thanks to all of you for your continued support and interest in it! I'll return to my usual musings and shenanagins next time. Until then, I hope the end of your week goes well.

Bye!

Losing Track

Strange Symptoms, Stranger Ideas

Paradigm Shifts

Evolution of Character

Progress With My Writing

Escape Reality

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