Hey Everybody,
Just wanted to give you a writing status update. I'm almost done proofing "Blood Moon" and am planning to put it on sale on Amazon soon. My artist Joseph Lee has agreed to do another awesome cover. Most of the preparations should be done sometime in October at the latest, if all goes well. I'm very excited about it. I hope that you enjoyed "Blood Rain." This sequel picks up where the other book left off and follows Mercy through her journey to reach the Northern mountains to form an alliance against the forces behind the blood rain.
I'm also finished with a rough outline for the last novel of the series, "Blood God." The first forty pages are also done but need proofing. "Blood God" should hopefully be available by Christmas, but only if all goes well. Wish me luck and, if you'd like to show your support, please pick up a copy of "Blood Rain" and put a review on Goodreads or the Amazon store.
Right now, I'm concentrating on finishing the "Blood Rain" trilogy, but I still have other novels in the works. I haven't heard from all of the agents I contacted about my young reader horror series, "Junior Investigator's Club." I should've heard one way or another from all of them by the New Year. If the first story doesn't have an agent by then, I'll probably submit the second story and continue to look. I would like for my young reader books to be hard copies since most of the target audience probably won't be reading e-books, but we'll see. I'm keeping an open mind.
I also just wanted to say thank you to those that have purchased a copy of "Blood Rain" and that it feels wonderful to finally see some results. Books are meant to be read, and I have a lot of written books and ideas still in my head that need to find a home. I'm glad to see this series is finally getting to reach a larger audience.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Friday, August 19, 2016
I am a real writer...I am a real writer...I am a real writer
Hey Everyone,
Sorry, I need to write a little bit about my frustrations just to relieve a little stress. In other words, I need to rant. I'm going to touch on some messy topics like women in fiction, the constant search for agents, and my personal ineptitude when it comes to reaching out. While some might not agree with my views, voicing a few things might make me feel a little better.
First of all, I mentioned before that my young reader horror series is currently being viewed by agents, but I found my agent search so far to be fruitless. Most of my rejections have included the phrase "I can't get enthusiastic about this series." I'm really not sure what to do to fix that or even exactly what that means. Several of the rejection letters have said something to the effect of the story is good or the writing is good, but it just isn't "for" them. It's very bittersweet. Compliments do tend to give me hope and keep me going, but I want something concrete to go with them.
I know for a fact, young reader horror is going to become big again very soon. A "Scary Stories to tell in the Dark" movie is coming out soon, a "Goosebumps" movie came out recently, and Netflix has created a show called "Stranger Things" which is a throwback to the many horror TV shows from the eighties. However, I think the problem is that horror hasn't become big yet, so even though the signs are there, no one is willing to take a risk. I know my books are well written, and the timing is almost perfect. My contact with Penguin really liked them and so has most of my test audience. Horror is the genre which I've had the most success in writing, but if no one is willing to give me a chance, all my stories are doing is taking up space in my hard drive. It's frustrating to say the least, especially when financially we aren't doing very well right now.
I would love to send to more agents, but I've run into a snag with that. Namely, it seems that everyone wants me to write from the point of view of a female protagonist in any novel I submit. Granted, the story I sent out does have a female protagonist, but I find this new trend very limiting and it annoys me. I think there is a reason for it. Statistically speaking, I hear that more women read than men, especially in young reader and young adult fiction. However, I believe that some of my novels are better from a male perspective. For some reason, I tend to be more comfortable writing from a male perspective as well. That might seem odd because I am a woman, but I've always had more male friends than female, and I've been told frequently I'm not a "typical woman." (I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not, but it is what it is.)
Anyway, to sum it up, here's what I'm wondering...why do I have to write from a female perspective to get any recognition? Isn't it enough that I'm a female author? Is this to be more "fair" so that women have more female leads to associate with? Can women only associate with a female perspective? I don't think so. I think we're smarter and more imaginative than that.
One of the reasons why I chose to write from a male perspective in my Dark Crystal submission was because Gelfling society is matriarchal. I did it to look at the perspective of someone who is an underdog trying to basically get a job that is traditionally done by a woman. Sometimes, it's fun to write from the perspective of a man as well in young adult romance because sometimes even a female audience likes to read something from the perspective of a man. It makes them (or at least makes me) feel closer to the male character to see what he is thinking, which is kind of important in romance in general. Romance is definitely geared more towards a female audience, but doesn't have to be from a female perspective to be enjoyable.
Finally, now my biggest frustration is that it seems that it isn't what you know or how well you write, it's who you know and the connections you make. This has always been a problem with me specifically. I'm not good at reaching out and making connections other than making a few friends here and there that are also writers. In terms of getting noticed by more than my general friend base, I just don't have common business sense. I have to have people to tell me things like, "join goodreads" and "go to writing workshops," or "enter contests" before I even think to do something like that on my own, especially since I don't really enjoy writing on forums. I've gotten a little better, but am still very limited by my lack of direction. Maybe that's something you can help me with, whoever is reading. If you can think of something specific that might get my books noticed, please tell me. Throw me a bone, need the info...
Anyway, I found myself recently banging my head against the keyboard chanting the mantra, "I am a real writer...I am a real writer...I am a real writer..." And, I am a real writer, but I'm hoping and praying that sometime in the near future, I'll see some results that will help me believe it. In the meantime, the work horse from "Animal Farm" in my head is chanting "I will work harder." We all know how well that worked out for him, let's hope I don't end up in the glue factory in the end. Only time will tell and I've spent enough time ranting. Time to get back to work. Wish me luck.
Sorry, I need to write a little bit about my frustrations just to relieve a little stress. In other words, I need to rant. I'm going to touch on some messy topics like women in fiction, the constant search for agents, and my personal ineptitude when it comes to reaching out. While some might not agree with my views, voicing a few things might make me feel a little better.
First of all, I mentioned before that my young reader horror series is currently being viewed by agents, but I found my agent search so far to be fruitless. Most of my rejections have included the phrase "I can't get enthusiastic about this series." I'm really not sure what to do to fix that or even exactly what that means. Several of the rejection letters have said something to the effect of the story is good or the writing is good, but it just isn't "for" them. It's very bittersweet. Compliments do tend to give me hope and keep me going, but I want something concrete to go with them.
I know for a fact, young reader horror is going to become big again very soon. A "Scary Stories to tell in the Dark" movie is coming out soon, a "Goosebumps" movie came out recently, and Netflix has created a show called "Stranger Things" which is a throwback to the many horror TV shows from the eighties. However, I think the problem is that horror hasn't become big yet, so even though the signs are there, no one is willing to take a risk. I know my books are well written, and the timing is almost perfect. My contact with Penguin really liked them and so has most of my test audience. Horror is the genre which I've had the most success in writing, but if no one is willing to give me a chance, all my stories are doing is taking up space in my hard drive. It's frustrating to say the least, especially when financially we aren't doing very well right now.
I would love to send to more agents, but I've run into a snag with that. Namely, it seems that everyone wants me to write from the point of view of a female protagonist in any novel I submit. Granted, the story I sent out does have a female protagonist, but I find this new trend very limiting and it annoys me. I think there is a reason for it. Statistically speaking, I hear that more women read than men, especially in young reader and young adult fiction. However, I believe that some of my novels are better from a male perspective. For some reason, I tend to be more comfortable writing from a male perspective as well. That might seem odd because I am a woman, but I've always had more male friends than female, and I've been told frequently I'm not a "typical woman." (I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not, but it is what it is.)
Anyway, to sum it up, here's what I'm wondering...why do I have to write from a female perspective to get any recognition? Isn't it enough that I'm a female author? Is this to be more "fair" so that women have more female leads to associate with? Can women only associate with a female perspective? I don't think so. I think we're smarter and more imaginative than that.
One of the reasons why I chose to write from a male perspective in my Dark Crystal submission was because Gelfling society is matriarchal. I did it to look at the perspective of someone who is an underdog trying to basically get a job that is traditionally done by a woman. Sometimes, it's fun to write from the perspective of a man as well in young adult romance because sometimes even a female audience likes to read something from the perspective of a man. It makes them (or at least makes me) feel closer to the male character to see what he is thinking, which is kind of important in romance in general. Romance is definitely geared more towards a female audience, but doesn't have to be from a female perspective to be enjoyable.
Finally, now my biggest frustration is that it seems that it isn't what you know or how well you write, it's who you know and the connections you make. This has always been a problem with me specifically. I'm not good at reaching out and making connections other than making a few friends here and there that are also writers. In terms of getting noticed by more than my general friend base, I just don't have common business sense. I have to have people to tell me things like, "join goodreads" and "go to writing workshops," or "enter contests" before I even think to do something like that on my own, especially since I don't really enjoy writing on forums. I've gotten a little better, but am still very limited by my lack of direction. Maybe that's something you can help me with, whoever is reading. If you can think of something specific that might get my books noticed, please tell me. Throw me a bone, need the info...
Anyway, I found myself recently banging my head against the keyboard chanting the mantra, "I am a real writer...I am a real writer...I am a real writer..." And, I am a real writer, but I'm hoping and praying that sometime in the near future, I'll see some results that will help me believe it. In the meantime, the work horse from "Animal Farm" in my head is chanting "I will work harder." We all know how well that worked out for him, let's hope I don't end up in the glue factory in the end. Only time will tell and I've spent enough time ranting. Time to get back to work. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Shadows of the Dark Crystal Review
Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to post a review of "Shadows of the Dark Crystal" by J.M. Lee. I've just finished reading it, and I must say that I'm very impressed. I figured that I would like it, but it was everything I hoped it would be and then some. I'm going to attempt to write this review without spoilers because I highly recommend that you read this book yourself. You will enjoy it, especially if you enjoyed the movie.
The characters are very likable and have excellent motivations for what they do. Their arguments and bantering flows very naturally. At the end of the book there are even some surprises about the motivations of certain characters that I didn't expect. It was great to see the differences between the various clans of Gelfling. I'm hoping that in future books we'll be introduced to the remaining clans as well. The differences between the cultures fueled many interesting conversations with the characters, and it was wonderful the way they banded together to face something greater than their differences.
I was pleasantly surprised with the dark tone of the book. One of the things that most of us remember about the Dark Crystal was that the movie terrified us as children. I'm pleased that these books can frighten a new generation in the same way. The Skeksis are far scarier than the ones in the movie. This might be because they're younger and stronger, but there is another element that makes them particularly terrifying in that they are the ones capturing the Gelfling themselves. They actually kill some of the main characters by the end of the book. (No, I'm not telling you which ones...) Also, the character of "The Hunter" essentially the bogeyman of all Gelfling, and was written in such a way he lived up to the part.
The descriptions of the various settings are very good, as with the descriptions of the characters. Even without the beautiful pictures (and the pictures are gorgeous), you get a very good idea of what everything looks like and there are very few confusing descriptions, especially for a book based in a fantasy universe. While there is a glossary in the back, it's hardly necessary since most of the analogies the characters make are clear enough to get a good idea of what they're referring too, and the "real world" references are at a minimum which shows Lee's experience as a fantasy writer.
I highly recommend this book. It took me only two days to read it because I couldn't put it down. From those of you who read this blog, you know I have two children, so finding time to read this within two days means it had to be exceptionally good. ;-) Well done, Joey. I'm looking very forward to the next one. I knew they picked the right person to write it.
Go buy this book right now!
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Dark-Crystal-Jim-Hensons/dp/0448482894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470153352&sr=8-1&keywords=Shadow+of+the+Dark+Crystal
I just wanted to post a review of "Shadows of the Dark Crystal" by J.M. Lee. I've just finished reading it, and I must say that I'm very impressed. I figured that I would like it, but it was everything I hoped it would be and then some. I'm going to attempt to write this review without spoilers because I highly recommend that you read this book yourself. You will enjoy it, especially if you enjoyed the movie.
The characters are very likable and have excellent motivations for what they do. Their arguments and bantering flows very naturally. At the end of the book there are even some surprises about the motivations of certain characters that I didn't expect. It was great to see the differences between the various clans of Gelfling. I'm hoping that in future books we'll be introduced to the remaining clans as well. The differences between the cultures fueled many interesting conversations with the characters, and it was wonderful the way they banded together to face something greater than their differences.
I was pleasantly surprised with the dark tone of the book. One of the things that most of us remember about the Dark Crystal was that the movie terrified us as children. I'm pleased that these books can frighten a new generation in the same way. The Skeksis are far scarier than the ones in the movie. This might be because they're younger and stronger, but there is another element that makes them particularly terrifying in that they are the ones capturing the Gelfling themselves. They actually kill some of the main characters by the end of the book. (No, I'm not telling you which ones...) Also, the character of "The Hunter" essentially the bogeyman of all Gelfling, and was written in such a way he lived up to the part.
The descriptions of the various settings are very good, as with the descriptions of the characters. Even without the beautiful pictures (and the pictures are gorgeous), you get a very good idea of what everything looks like and there are very few confusing descriptions, especially for a book based in a fantasy universe. While there is a glossary in the back, it's hardly necessary since most of the analogies the characters make are clear enough to get a good idea of what they're referring too, and the "real world" references are at a minimum which shows Lee's experience as a fantasy writer.
I highly recommend this book. It took me only two days to read it because I couldn't put it down. From those of you who read this blog, you know I have two children, so finding time to read this within two days means it had to be exceptionally good. ;-) Well done, Joey. I'm looking very forward to the next one. I knew they picked the right person to write it.
Go buy this book right now!
https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Dark-Crystal-Jim-Hensons/dp/0448482894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470153352&sr=8-1&keywords=Shadow+of+the+Dark+Crystal
Friday, July 22, 2016
Blood Rain
Hey Everybody,
Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged and awhile since I've had anything new to report. I'm glad to say, that I finally decided to put "Blood Rain" on sale on amazon as an e-book. As those following this blog know, I started this book series a long time ago and it's been though a great deal of editing and reworking over the years. I decided a few days ago, it's finally ready for the public eye. If this goes well, I'll also be selling "Blood Moon" and "Blood God," thus putting the entire trilogy up on amazon. I hope it works out.
It's been very exiting to finally be publishing something. Even if it's something I'm getting off the ground myself, I'm very happy that people will finally have the opportunity to read my books. Even though I wrote "Blood Rain" long ago, I feel like it actually withstood the test of time and got better due to all of my editing instead of getting worse. I don't intend to let anyone see many of my earliest books, but I enjoyed writing "Blood Rain," so I'm glad it was different. I just hope it's good enough for those kind enough to read it.
Many thanks to Joey for the cover art. It's beautiful. He was very kind to work on it for me given that he doesn't have very much time right now, himself. (Good luck at Comic Con, man. I'm very happy for you. Wish I could be there to see you speak.) Also, many thanks to those of you who have read it and critiqued it for me. I took a lot of suggestions on this story and it's better for it.
In other writing news, I'm still working on the young reader horror series. I've sent it to several agents now and am basically waiting to hear something. I really have enjoyed working on the series and am up to book four. Wish me luck. If I don't have any luck finding an agent with this series, I'm definitely going to publish it somehow. I just feel it would do better as a softcover than an e-book, but we'll see. Also, I still feel strongly that horror, especially young reader, is making a comeback right now. There is a definite lack of it in the stores, and I want to be able to help fill that gap.
Well, I'll keep you posted on any new developments or ideas I have. Thank you to everyone who bought my book, and thank you for those who decide to critique it. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There might be a few more e-books in the future, if nothing more than short story compilations. I want some of my homeless stories to at least be seen. Knowing that these are finally out there warms my heart.
Thank you for reading.
Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged and awhile since I've had anything new to report. I'm glad to say, that I finally decided to put "Blood Rain" on sale on amazon as an e-book. As those following this blog know, I started this book series a long time ago and it's been though a great deal of editing and reworking over the years. I decided a few days ago, it's finally ready for the public eye. If this goes well, I'll also be selling "Blood Moon" and "Blood God," thus putting the entire trilogy up on amazon. I hope it works out.
It's been very exiting to finally be publishing something. Even if it's something I'm getting off the ground myself, I'm very happy that people will finally have the opportunity to read my books. Even though I wrote "Blood Rain" long ago, I feel like it actually withstood the test of time and got better due to all of my editing instead of getting worse. I don't intend to let anyone see many of my earliest books, but I enjoyed writing "Blood Rain," so I'm glad it was different. I just hope it's good enough for those kind enough to read it.
Many thanks to Joey for the cover art. It's beautiful. He was very kind to work on it for me given that he doesn't have very much time right now, himself. (Good luck at Comic Con, man. I'm very happy for you. Wish I could be there to see you speak.) Also, many thanks to those of you who have read it and critiqued it for me. I took a lot of suggestions on this story and it's better for it.
In other writing news, I'm still working on the young reader horror series. I've sent it to several agents now and am basically waiting to hear something. I really have enjoyed working on the series and am up to book four. Wish me luck. If I don't have any luck finding an agent with this series, I'm definitely going to publish it somehow. I just feel it would do better as a softcover than an e-book, but we'll see. Also, I still feel strongly that horror, especially young reader, is making a comeback right now. There is a definite lack of it in the stores, and I want to be able to help fill that gap.
Well, I'll keep you posted on any new developments or ideas I have. Thank you to everyone who bought my book, and thank you for those who decide to critique it. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There might be a few more e-books in the future, if nothing more than short story compilations. I want some of my homeless stories to at least be seen. Knowing that these are finally out there warms my heart.
Thank you for reading.
Monday, June 13, 2016
Full Circle
Hey Everyone,
Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote a blog. I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and doing okay, all things considered. There are a few personal things going on that are stressful, but I'm handling it pretty well. (Mostly involving an unstable job situation which we're hoping will be resolved by the end of the month.) The children are doing well, so I'm very grateful for that. Pretty soon Faith will be walking and Eva has started potty training. It feels like time is really flying by.
I've come to terms with my thirty fourth birthday. I know that thirty four isn't that old, but for some reason my birthday really got to me this time. I think it's because I realized my body is more achy than it used to be and, for a short time, I felt as though I was losing who I was to parenting. Don't get me wrong, I love my children, but I don't want to lose sight of what makes me who I am. Thankfully, I a have wonderful and supportive family and good friends that got me through it. My sister, brother in law, and husband took me to Charleston to see Phantom of the Opera while my Mom watched the kids and it was just what I needed.
In writing news, a few months ago my one contact in the publishing industry said that he really liked my mid grade horror series. It seemed like I was finally going to get published, but the editor and chief couldn't get excited about the series. It was the best rejection I ever had. It's hard to explain, but having a "good" rejection is more painful than someone just disliking the story, but at the same time it feels so much better, like there's definitely hope for the future. He said he liked the writing style and the story itself, basically telling me that it was very good and that I should get it published somewhere else.
So, long story short, once again I'm searching for agents. Things are coming pretty much full circle, so I decided to own it. I'm submitting "Scarecrow," the first book of the series, and I've already written two more and started the fourth. In the meantime, while I'm waiting to hear something, I'm revisiting an old YA fantasy story I wrote years ago, "Everburn."
Everburn has a steampunk setting, but is definitely the fantasy genre. It's mostly about a strange race of winged creatures that can summon elemental spirits. There's a heavy romance element to the first book, so I decided to change the protagonist to female and am completely rewriting it. (Don't get me wrong, I know some men enjoy reading books that are fantasy but have some romance as well, but I didn't really like my original main character and, admittedly, more women enjoy that than men, especially in YA.)
If/when I decide that I'm done with Everburn (assuming I have no representation for the mid grade horror series) I'm also going to revisit my "Blood Rain" series as well. I need to finish the last book. However, my husband brought up a good point that I might have to concede. He told me I'm a better writer now than I was when I first started that series and thinks I should re-write the first and second book. I have to admit, I'm more concise than I used to be and the books are probably overwritten, not to mention that there are some scenes I could probably cut and better scenes I could add. Either way, before I revisit the series I need to think about it and decide what I want to do.
I intend to continue writing mid grade horror, but I don't want to burn myself out on that series. So far, I think it's some of my best writing and I want an agent to represent it. If I can get one, that will be the best motivation for me to pick it back up. I do my best work with just one word of encouragement. Please, wish me luck and be praying for me. I could use some good news right now.
Anyway, keep reading and writing. I'll stay in touch.
Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote a blog. I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive and doing okay, all things considered. There are a few personal things going on that are stressful, but I'm handling it pretty well. (Mostly involving an unstable job situation which we're hoping will be resolved by the end of the month.) The children are doing well, so I'm very grateful for that. Pretty soon Faith will be walking and Eva has started potty training. It feels like time is really flying by.
I've come to terms with my thirty fourth birthday. I know that thirty four isn't that old, but for some reason my birthday really got to me this time. I think it's because I realized my body is more achy than it used to be and, for a short time, I felt as though I was losing who I was to parenting. Don't get me wrong, I love my children, but I don't want to lose sight of what makes me who I am. Thankfully, I a have wonderful and supportive family and good friends that got me through it. My sister, brother in law, and husband took me to Charleston to see Phantom of the Opera while my Mom watched the kids and it was just what I needed.
In writing news, a few months ago my one contact in the publishing industry said that he really liked my mid grade horror series. It seemed like I was finally going to get published, but the editor and chief couldn't get excited about the series. It was the best rejection I ever had. It's hard to explain, but having a "good" rejection is more painful than someone just disliking the story, but at the same time it feels so much better, like there's definitely hope for the future. He said he liked the writing style and the story itself, basically telling me that it was very good and that I should get it published somewhere else.
So, long story short, once again I'm searching for agents. Things are coming pretty much full circle, so I decided to own it. I'm submitting "Scarecrow," the first book of the series, and I've already written two more and started the fourth. In the meantime, while I'm waiting to hear something, I'm revisiting an old YA fantasy story I wrote years ago, "Everburn."
Everburn has a steampunk setting, but is definitely the fantasy genre. It's mostly about a strange race of winged creatures that can summon elemental spirits. There's a heavy romance element to the first book, so I decided to change the protagonist to female and am completely rewriting it. (Don't get me wrong, I know some men enjoy reading books that are fantasy but have some romance as well, but I didn't really like my original main character and, admittedly, more women enjoy that than men, especially in YA.)
If/when I decide that I'm done with Everburn (assuming I have no representation for the mid grade horror series) I'm also going to revisit my "Blood Rain" series as well. I need to finish the last book. However, my husband brought up a good point that I might have to concede. He told me I'm a better writer now than I was when I first started that series and thinks I should re-write the first and second book. I have to admit, I'm more concise than I used to be and the books are probably overwritten, not to mention that there are some scenes I could probably cut and better scenes I could add. Either way, before I revisit the series I need to think about it and decide what I want to do.
I intend to continue writing mid grade horror, but I don't want to burn myself out on that series. So far, I think it's some of my best writing and I want an agent to represent it. If I can get one, that will be the best motivation for me to pick it back up. I do my best work with just one word of encouragement. Please, wish me luck and be praying for me. I could use some good news right now.
Anyway, keep reading and writing. I'll stay in touch.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Crimson Peak
Well, I said my next blog would be about the Halloween Party, but that will be my next entry. I actually got to go out with friends and watch a movie (for a change...), and it's been awhile since I've written a movie review on this blog. I went to see Crimson Peak, and let me tell you, it scratched every itch in my brain.
I love Gothic horror as a genre, and even though there are other themes, overall the movie is definitely Gothic horror. The mansion in the movie is perfect, complete with walls that ooze blood red clay. It's also set in the Victorian era, which for some reason is my favorite time period. There are elements of romance and mystery intermixed with ghostly thrills. Also, among other good actors/actresses there is Tom Hiddleston. (I'm quite a fan of Tom Hiddleston, and there are a few love scenes including one where he is almost nude. I was told later by my husband and my friends that I was wearing a stupid grin through most of the romance scenes and most of the movie in general. My husband would occasionally glance at me and laugh...)
I'm not saying this movie changed my life, or that it was high art, but it was a good movie if you like Gothic Horror. If you don't like that genre, you won't like the movie, but it's worth seeing if nothing more than for the elaborate sets, nice costumes, and the occasional jump scare. Also, the main character is a female writer struggling to get noticed in a time period where no one takes her seriously. For those of us who are female writers trying to be taken seriously, this is definitely something we can relate to. I like Guillermo del Toro, and once again he didn't disappoint me. Go see it on the big screen, because I'm not sure if you'll get the overall effect on a normal sized TV. Either way, I'll definitely be getting it on Bluray when it comes out. Beware though, this movie gets pretty gory.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Feeling Good, but Still Sick...
Hey everyone,
Well, I'm finally getting things done again. Between flooding, illness, and children, things have been very busy around here.
As you probably know, the entire state of South Carolina is recovering from severe flooding. My friends have dubbed the event "rainocalypse." I thought it was just going to flood in a few places, but it turned out to be much, much worse than I expected. Thankfully, we live on the top of a hill and in an area that was less affected than most. My family did lose power and clean water for a little while, but they also live on a hill, so they were also lucky. The amount of damage throughout the state is depressing. For at least a week, businesses were shut down all over the state. Even as it is, a lot of places are still closed or still suffering from lack of clean water/supplies. Many of the roads are still closed too. It's getting better, though.
Unrelated to the flooding, I've been sick off and on for about a month now. I've had a constant cold and bronchitis. Currently, I think I might be on my way to a sinus infection. One of the problems with sending your toddler to preschool is that they bring back any illness going around in the classroom. My poor older daughter is suffering from a constant cold as well. For a short time she had croup cough. The cold virus (not croup cough) also made the infant sick, but she's okay. Honestly, she's taking it better than we are. I can't complain too much, though. It could've been a lot worse. I just hope that we all feel better soon. I'm very tired of being sick. Also, being sick makes me exhausted, and that makes me less productive. I get down on myself sometimes when I don't get much done, so I'll be glad to have my energy back.
I'm finally adjusting to having two children. It is a challenge, but so far so good. I love my little girls. They keep me busy, but it's a good kind of busy. We're starting to have normal routines again. My two month old is starting to respond to picture books, so I'm starting to read to both of them. My older child needs to stop watching as many movies, but I'm almost back to one in the evening and mostly books, toys, and learning games during the day (During my bronchitis, I sometimes had to resort to movies so that I could relax a little, so naturally that's what she expects now.). Now that she's in preschool four days out of the week, she gets a good amount of learning games, activity, and books anyway, so getting back into that routine has been a little easier. She's making friends as well, which is exciting to hear.
I've figured out the best times to write again, so I've been more productive lately than I've been in a long time. I've finished reworking my "Grim of Black Pond" story (except for test reading). It's now entitled "The Beast of Black Pond" and I know it's much better for the changes that I made. So, thank you to my contacts at penguin random house for giving me the suggestions. Currently, they're looking over my novella "Scarecrow" right now. I'm hoping for the best. I really want this to work out. I think there's definitely a need for more young reader/middle grade horror. It's a genre lots of children like, and a genre I love to write. While I'm nowhere near arrogant or stupid enough to think I could compete with R. L. Stine, I would love to be even in the same section with him. Wish me luck.
Well, that's about it for now. I'll keep you posted as major things come up (first, the Halloween Party). Talk to you soon. Take care!
Well, I'm finally getting things done again. Between flooding, illness, and children, things have been very busy around here.
As you probably know, the entire state of South Carolina is recovering from severe flooding. My friends have dubbed the event "rainocalypse." I thought it was just going to flood in a few places, but it turned out to be much, much worse than I expected. Thankfully, we live on the top of a hill and in an area that was less affected than most. My family did lose power and clean water for a little while, but they also live on a hill, so they were also lucky. The amount of damage throughout the state is depressing. For at least a week, businesses were shut down all over the state. Even as it is, a lot of places are still closed or still suffering from lack of clean water/supplies. Many of the roads are still closed too. It's getting better, though.
Unrelated to the flooding, I've been sick off and on for about a month now. I've had a constant cold and bronchitis. Currently, I think I might be on my way to a sinus infection. One of the problems with sending your toddler to preschool is that they bring back any illness going around in the classroom. My poor older daughter is suffering from a constant cold as well. For a short time she had croup cough. The cold virus (not croup cough) also made the infant sick, but she's okay. Honestly, she's taking it better than we are. I can't complain too much, though. It could've been a lot worse. I just hope that we all feel better soon. I'm very tired of being sick. Also, being sick makes me exhausted, and that makes me less productive. I get down on myself sometimes when I don't get much done, so I'll be glad to have my energy back.
I'm finally adjusting to having two children. It is a challenge, but so far so good. I love my little girls. They keep me busy, but it's a good kind of busy. We're starting to have normal routines again. My two month old is starting to respond to picture books, so I'm starting to read to both of them. My older child needs to stop watching as many movies, but I'm almost back to one in the evening and mostly books, toys, and learning games during the day (During my bronchitis, I sometimes had to resort to movies so that I could relax a little, so naturally that's what she expects now.). Now that she's in preschool four days out of the week, she gets a good amount of learning games, activity, and books anyway, so getting back into that routine has been a little easier. She's making friends as well, which is exciting to hear.
I've figured out the best times to write again, so I've been more productive lately than I've been in a long time. I've finished reworking my "Grim of Black Pond" story (except for test reading). It's now entitled "The Beast of Black Pond" and I know it's much better for the changes that I made. So, thank you to my contacts at penguin random house for giving me the suggestions. Currently, they're looking over my novella "Scarecrow" right now. I'm hoping for the best. I really want this to work out. I think there's definitely a need for more young reader/middle grade horror. It's a genre lots of children like, and a genre I love to write. While I'm nowhere near arrogant or stupid enough to think I could compete with R. L. Stine, I would love to be even in the same section with him. Wish me luck.
Well, that's about it for now. I'll keep you posted as major things come up (first, the Halloween Party). Talk to you soon. Take care!
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