Three Things

I wanted to touch on three things that have been playing on repeat through my mind today.

Andy Griffith passed away this morning in North Carolina. He was 86 years old. He was an icon to millions, and was my dad's hero. He has watched The Andy Griffith Show every time he could find it on, sometimes bypassing A Christmas Story if he could find reruns of AGS running instead. In our family, that is huge. With his discovery of Netflix, he has watched AGS every day for the past year or more. To put it mildly, my dad is upset and mourning his childhood idol and hero. RIP Andy.

Nora Ephron passed away last week of complications due to leukemia. She was 71. Her name might not be as brightly illuminated to some as Mr. Griffith's, but her passing has left many in mourning too. Many remember her for her big movies Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You've Got Mail. I remember her for All I Wanna Do, a young adult film starring many of the big names of my age group (Kirsten Dunst, Vincent Kartheiser, Matthew Lawrence, Rachel Leah Cook, Gabby Hoffman, Monica Keena, Hayden Christensen, and Shawn Ashmore) that failed to reach beyond a 6 digit gross. I fully admit that I originally watched it solely because of Danny Smith, a remarkably comedic actor playing in a campy Canadian teen show called Big Wolf On Campus at the time. But I fell in love with Nora's talent (she produced AIWD) and went on to spend several years in college attempting to watch every project she was associated with. To date, I have seen everything except Julie & Julia, My Blue Heaven, and her stuff prior the the 1990's which is a lot harder to find. RIP Nora.

John Irving's 13th book, In One Person, explores the BT part of LGBT, a hot button topic right now. He gave this fantastic interview (here) that made me do a "Wait. John Irving is gay? Anderson Cooper is gay... sure, no surprise there. But John Cider House Rules Irving? Damn!" A quick cross reference with some web sources confirmed that Irving is in fact... straight. I was pretty ashamed of myself when it occurred to me that a straight man could write openly and honestly about a bisexual youth exploring his sexuality while growing up in rural Vermont without sounding trite and put-on. I get pissed at people for being judgmental and relying on stereotypes and yet, I did the exact thing that I despise. I gave myself a stern talking to and resolved to work on mending the error of my ways.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Things You Love Don't Owe You

I ran across an article about writing a book that made me stop and ponder for a while. Agent extraordinaire Janet Reid posted about the article yesterday. This article, by Corinne Purtill for Salon, was titled "My book was a bad idea" and went on about the trials and tribulations of writing a novel for the author. Please, go read the article before you click the jump. I'll wait... it really isn't that long.

Smashwords Sale!

For the month of July, Smashwords is running a special sale for the summer (and winter for those south of the equator). As part of the sale, Journey of Shadows will be available for a 50% off discount from 12:01am on July 1st until 11:59pm on July 31st. That means you can pick up my debut novel for a whole $1.50 over the next 31 days! How cool is that? Simply enter the promo code SSW50 when you go through with the purchase. Not ready to drop that much cash just yet? Head over to the link above and download the first 15% of my novel for FREE.

Remember the sale does not start until 12:01am Pacific Time on July 1st. They will have a complete listing of participating titles from Smashwords authors for you to browse while you are there. Don't miss out on this chance!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Friday Five: 4th of July Celebrations

The 4th is quickly coming for us and I already have a list of things planned to do while I am off of work for 10 (count them with me... 1, 2, 3...) days.

1. Family cookout that includes burgers and cheesy mets, grilled veggies, homemade desserts, relaxation in the pool, sparklers (no fireworks allowed in our neighborhood), and s'mores at the bonfire. Yes, we can have a bonfire, but no fireworks. Makes total sense, no?
2. Lots of yard work to make up for the past month of my complete inability to cope with work exhaustion. Need to mow, weed the garden, clean the patio, and probably clean out the gutters. Seriously, there are 2 and 3 feet tall trees growing on top of the house.
3. Give the cats baths. There are 4 of them if you count the April Fool's Day kitten we received unexpectedly this year. None of them are going to cooperate. It is going to be a blood bath. I'm already predicting at least one of us will require first aid, if not stitches, after the fact.
4. Go to the cemetery to decorate my aunt's grave, as July 4th is her birthday and I haven't went to pay my respects since the funeral 9.5 years ago. Also, my cousin passed this weekend and I was unable to attend the funeral because of work. They are both buried in the same cemetery. Yellow mini roses for my cousin and red, white, and blue daylillies for my aunt. All grow here at the house.
5. Write. A lot. Not on my trilogy though. Book 2 is ready for the 1st revision (maybe that will happen during this time since I have time to kill). Book 3 will not be started until NaNo 2012 season as is my custom. During my internet hiatus, I have been working through the idea stage of a new story to start once Immortalis is completed. I will continue with the background work while using it as a reason to finally learn how to use Liquid Story Binder to its full potential. I have a lot of work to do.

What is going on this coming week for you?

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

How You Doin'?

Okay that was a stupid joke. I've been away from the internets for so long that I feel like I have forgotten how to "do it" as they say. My last post was over a month ago. It was a Mother's Day post. Since then, a lot of stuff has happened. Not in a OMGUGOTGOODNEWS!!!! kind of way. Just lots of stuff happening. So here is a little update:

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Tuesday Treat: Pita Chips

Okay, so today's Tuesday Treat is not a recipe. But I do want to recommend the pita chips found at the Dollar Store. There are tons of flavors and they are yummy! I'm sure they are available elsewhere if there are no Dollar Generals or Family Dollars or whatever near you. My favorite right now is Bacon and Cheddar. Yum!

Friday Five: 5 Questions with Elizabeth

... about teaching reading!

Elizabeth is a dear friend of mine, though we haven't seen each other in a long time. I got the chance to chat with her over the weekend about teaching reading to elementary students. Just so you know, Elizabeth hates all things computer related. So much so that she doesn't even own a home computer or a cell phone. I know... how crazy is that in this day and age? I try to convince her to join the technological era every time we speak, but so far she has been resistant to my common sense arguments. This was a phone conversation, where I tried to scribble notes and she tried to speak slow and keep things short, which she failed of course. Answers may not be 100% verbatim, but I read this to her and she agrees that I got it pretty much right. haha

Thursday Thought: Tradition

W. Somerset Maugham, one of the highest paid writers of his time, said this about traditions:

"Tradition is a guide and not a jailer."

I'm a fan of traditions so long as it doesn't become an extreme view on life. Unfortunately, many people keep hurtful traditions over helpful traditions. Maybe that will change one day. It is a work in progress, I think. :)

A View From the Margins

I found an awesome thing from the New York Times this weekend. A Year in Reading is an interactive look at a snippet from 12 different reading materials that literary critic Sam Anderson read over the past year. Included is an audio of Sam speaking about the selection and an interactive photo of his "notations" in the margins of the selection. For every piece, Sam has written something, sometimes funny, sometimes serious, and underlined the specific lines that produced his reactions. Roll your mouse around each photo to see it up close, or just read the caption below each photo to see what he wrote. Selections include A Pale King by David Foster Wallace; Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert; John McFee: The Art of Nonfiction, No. 3, an interview with writer John McFee by the Paris Review; and Bleak House by Charles Dickens. Good stuff here! The commentary is short in each section and well worth the listen! Also, I don't know Sam Anderson, but he sounds like a hottie. :D

Tuesday Treat: Favorite Snacks of the Great Scribblers

I ran across this awesome article/cartoon this weekend. Illustrator Wendy McNaughton, writer and illustrator of Meanwhile, pondered the snack foods that inspired some of the greatest writers. The article itself is very short. A single paragraph. The cartoon is the biggest draw of course. Did you know that Walt Whitman started every day with oysters and meat for breakfast? Um... yum? I guess. Check it out!

My newest snack inspiration is bacon and cheddar chips that I found at the Dollar Store. Oh such deliciousness! I still keep pretzel rods and Goldfish snack crackers on my desk (which is now in a bedroom instead of the den and/or dining room!!!). Baby Cat had a kitten on April 1st (what a terrible April Fools Day joke on us lol) and I've been doing my darnedest to keep Baby Cat out of my bacon and cheddar chips while she is "under house arrest" until the kitten is weaned. Huge struggle!

Do you have any new/old favorite snacks that help you focus on your work?

Short Story vs. Novel

In recent weeks, I have been asked by a few folks about writing. I suppose this is because my first novel, Journey of Shadows, came out in March through Smashwords. My co-workers have especially been curious, and a few of them have asked some really good questions. The most reoccurring question though has been this: "Why did you decide to write a novel instead of a short story?" The usual comment that follows is something along the lines of "A short story is so much easier, right?"

My answer? Well, yes and no. A short story is less words... a whole lot less in fact. But in my opinion, it is much more difficult to write. Why? For many, many reasons.

Hey there! Yes, You...

Sorry for being absent this week. Our Internet hasn't been the most reliable thanks to some scattered storms and utility "repairs" down the street. I gave up after they flipped our electric off for the 4th time in an hour and decided not to attempt to blog until they were finished. That was on Monday. They aren't there today so I'm crossing my fingers that they completed their project, and not just gone for the weekend. Just in case, I'm working on some blogs for this coming week and will be scheduling them throughout the week.

Coming this week:
Monday- Short Story vs. Novel
Tuesday- Tuesday Treat: Favorite Snacks of the Great Scribblers
Wednesday- A View From the Margins
Thursday- Thursday Thought: Tradition
Friday- Friday Five: 5 Questions with a Reading Teacher

Stay tuned!

Friday Five: 5 Questions with Rene part 2

Continuing my 5 Questions series with Rene, we switched gears to talk about her political activism through Political Commentary. Rene is very intelligent woman and knows her stuff when it comes to politics. She keeps herself informed and abreast of current events. She is also very tolerant of different views/opinions, which I have rarely found in others in the realm of political activism. Even when others do not give her the same courtesy. I respect her so much for that, which is why I decided to interview her on this subject.

Q: You keep a blog about current events. Why did you decide to blog about politics?

A: In any endeavor, if you feel passionate about something, you have to give voice to it. Some stories or issues, it's either write or explode. [I wouldn't have a clue what you mean by that. :P]

Q: What issues are the closest to your heart?

A: Because of my background, I have a real issue with bullies and abuse. Thus, I tend to care most about groups that are abused or disenfranchised like women, minorities, the working poor, etc.

Q: Do you get your political news from any particular sources other than mainstream media?
A: In the morning I start with Google News which gives a spread on everything. I then check the International News sites such as BBC, le Monde and Al Jazeera. Then I check sites like Huffington Post and finally I check news blogs. If I'm looking for news on a specific bill, I'll check Congress.gov, or the Congressional Record. If it's a specific speech, I check YouTube and C-Span. In this way, you get the overview from several angles. [I tried to include the links to these particular places, but forgive me if the links are wrong.]

Q: Do you claim a political party?

A: As my hero, Will Rogers once said, "I belong to no organized political party, I am a Democrat." I go one step further, I am a Progressive Democrat.

Q: How do you feel about political satirist like Jon Daley and theonion.com? Do they hurt or help people understand the current political climate?

A: Humor has always been used to teach and shine a light on politics. I was weaned on Will Rogers and Molly Ivens and love Colbert, the Daily Show, etc.

Have any questions or comments? Post them below!

Thursday Thought: Live Life...

There are some amazing quotes about life. I have had such things on my mind for a couple reasons. One, a woman I went to high school with many years ago lost her younger brother last week in a car wreck. He was 25. And the second is that the school district where my little sisters attend have had 2 student deaths this school year, one due to a wreck and one a suicide. Life is precious. Goodreads has a great collection of quotes. Following are a few of my favorite.

"You gotta dance like there's nobody is watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's Heaven on Earth." William W. Purkey

"In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: it goes on." Robert Frost

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." George Bernard Shaw

"Get busy living, or get busy dying." Stephen King, Shawshank Redemption

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You got to go out and kick ass." Maya Angelou

"There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be." John Lennon

Go out there and live life to the fullest. Remember we aren't promised tomorrow so live like today is your last and you'll be okay.

Tuesday Treat: Marinades

It is getting to that time of year... grilling season! I'm so excited. I love a good steak, especially after it has been marinated for a while. I found this awesome list of Cheap, Healthy Marinades from 2008. I hope all the links work. I haven't made my way through all of them yet. Check out the list to see if any tickle your fancy.

Marinades can be used to tenderize meat and to flavor it in the process. It can also be used to flavor vegetables too if you are feeling creative. All recipes are different but I'll tell you what I have been told about marinades. Keep in mind that I'm no expert, this is just what I have learned over the years.

First of all, you need to let whatever you are marinading age a bit before you use it. Fresh cuts are not always the best... but makes sure they aren't spoiled too. There is a fine line between aged and spoiled. You can use your normal tenderizing methods. The hammer and tenderizing salt are a go-to in my house. Take your frustrations out on a steak for a couple minutes. It is very liberating! After that, toss your cuts into a lined pan, completely covered with the marinade, wrap it up, and refrigerate it for anywhere from 4 hours to 48 hours. The longer it sits, the more time the marinade has to break down the tissue of the cut. Dispose of any used marinade once you drain it off of your cut (used raw meat sauce = bad).

The best steak I have ever had (seriously) was back in 2003 at a wedding in Alabama. My neighbor got a 5 gallon bucket, dropped a large amount of top sirloin cuts in, and covered it to the top with cheap, off-brand beer. That is literally all he did. He stuck the lid on it and put it in his cellar for the two days before the wedding and then fired the grill up right after his niece said "I do" to a goofy looking guy in a Hawaiian shirt. The food was incredible.

Do you have a favorite marinade? My mom is a fan of bbq sauce type marinades. I like Dale's myself. Or a crap ton of Soy Sauce. Lots of salt but yum.

Friday Five: 5 Questions with Rene Thompson

...about Fan Fiction!

In the 3rd installment of 5 Questions, I interviewed Rene, Steven's wife, about her foray into writing. Rene writes Star Trek fan fiction. I've read tons of fan fiction so I'm somewhat familiar with the lingo (such as the term "ship") but Star Trek was before my generation so I'm not that familiar with it.

As a reminder, my questions are in bold font, the answer is prefaced with A:, and my comments are in [red brackets] to try to make things a little more organized and easier to read.

Q: What kind of fan fiction do you write and why?

Star Trek and occasionally James Bond but the vast majority is Star Trek. I wanted to deal with questions and situation that weren't covered by the writers of the show. What was happening after this scene, how did they react after the conclusion, why were they the way they were, how did they react with other characters in the show that they didn't normally deal with. And, of course, shipping. [A definition of shipping can be found here.]

Q: When did you get into fan fiction?

A: When I was about 13 or 14.

Q: What are some good resources for writers interested in fan fiction?

A: For Star Trek there are some magnificent sites, Memory Alpha and Vulcan Language Dictionary come to mind. If the show has a wiki with detailed background, that will definitely help.

And good grammar book and spell checker.

Also, read a lot of fan fiction of your subject so you can see the problems before you write them yourself. Mary Sue's/Marty Stu's (writing in a perfect character for one of the regulars to fall for) can be well done or it can be total tripe. If you create a "super perfect" person, you don't even have to ask, it's tripe. If you have your regular character doing or saying things that are totally out of character, then it's tripe. [If you can't tell if you have written a Mary Sue or Marty Stu, go here and take the test.]

Q: Are there any rules of etiquette concerning fan fiction that a writer of regular fiction might not know?

A: You MUST acknowledge that this is based on other's work and that the rights to the show are held by someone. You also need to, if your work is more adult, acknowledge that below the title and acknowledgments and credits. In that way, the reader has been warned. Some people, if there is any shipping in the story give the code for the shipping. For Kirk and Uhura it would be K/U, for Spock and Chapel it's S/Ch, you get the idea.

Q: In your opinion, what is the most popular subject of fan fiction?

A: Star Trek, then maybe Harry Potter and Star Wars. [I have read some pretty crazy Harry Potter fan fics! ;)]


Do you have any questions or comments for Rene? Post them in the comments below and I'll pass them along!

Thursday Thought: Patience

Patience is something my family falls short on sometimes. With so many people and animals in the house, we are constantly in the way of someone else. Until last week, we shared 1 bathroom between 4 adults and 2 little girls. That was a nightmare. My dad has become very accustomed to peeing outside, even in bad weather. My grandmother moved into her own place now that she is able to get around and so the holdup at the bathroom is a little better. But the kids still want food the second they realize they are hungry (same for the critters), my dad wants the puppies to be potty trained 6 months ago, and Mom wants to be able to snap her fingers and have a clean house.

I am a patient person. At least I try to be. My job requires an inordinate amount of patience. My family requires it as well. lol Here is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson about patience to keep in mind: Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience. How appropriate is that?! That really resonated with me this morning.

And now I am off to work and am going to try to patiently await the weekend. Which is when I will patiently sleep for about 12 hours at a time between naps. :D

Tuesday Treat: Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I love peanut butter cups. Even the cheap off-brand ones. I like to freeze them and eat them real cold with milk. Maybe that is weird. Anyways, I made these for this past weekend events (yes, I got my deviled eggs... delish!). They were oh so yummy.

Here is the link.

Pretty easy to make. Flour, salt, baking soda, butter, white sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, and mini chocolate chips mix to make one of my favorite desserts. Give them a try!

Friday Five: 5 Questions with Steven part 2

...about blogging.

It is Friday, Friday, Friday. Gotta get dow-... Okay, I'll stop, that was pretty lame, I know. But, Friday is a wonderful day, rain or shine. Today's Friday Five continues my 5 Questions series with the second installment of questions with editor and blogger Steven Thompson. Steven runs 12 very popular comic/pop culture blogs and writes a regular column on a 13th. He has been recognized around the world due to his blogs. Check out Booksteve's Library here and find the links to his multiple blogs!

Q: When did you start blogging?

A: I had enjoyed reading blogs for a few years. Kate Worley, a comics writer who had befriended my wife an I back in 1990, died in 2004. I was searching for information on her passing and found a blog by Reed Waller, her ex-partner both in life and in comics. Although they had long since broken up, Waller wrote eloquently of his friend and I thought, "I wish I had a forum like this." Then I realized how easy it was to get just such a thing.


Q: Why do you blog?

A: All I've ever really wanted to be was a writer. My wife has always said that, with all my arcane knowledge of trivia and minutiae, I should be a teacher. I decided that blogging was the best way I could write and at the same time teach people about some of the weird things I've enjoyed over the years.

Q: Why do you have so many different blogs instead of putting it all together in a single location?

A: Well, my first try at a blog didn't take. It was aimless and abandoned after only 3-4 posts. Eventually I deleted it entirely and figured I was through with blogging.Then I came up with the idea for a new blog centered on sharing books, movies, etc from my own personal library. It slowly became quite successful and was my only blog for the first three years. Then I found myself a victim of the economy, depressed and with time on my hands. So I started a second blog specifically aimed at a different audience. In time, some ideas hit me that just wouldn't fit in on my regular, all-purpose blog--my high school journal for example--so I gave them each their own blogs! I currently have 12 (and write a more-or-less daily column for another) but there have also been four more that I created, abandoned and eventually deleted along the way.

Also, it doesn't hurt that more blogs, appealing to somewhat different readers, tends to elicit more ad-clicks and thus more money for me.


Q: Do you have a few favorite blogs of your own or others you'd like to share?

A: Oh, I have scores of them. Other than yours [You are so freaking sweet!] , a few of my favorites:

http://martingrams.blogspot.com/

http://www.bionicdisco.com/

http://www.newsfromme.com/

http://my-retrospace.blogspot.com/

Q: What advice do you have for a newbie blogger or someone that is thinking about starting a blog?

A: It's the simplest thing in the world nowadays, even more so than when I started blogging six years back. Everyone has a voice and blogging is a unique and simple way to get yours heard. Blog about politics, family, life, death, books, movies, dental work, Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber [please no], the history of the telephone, how to bake lasagna. There is quiet literally no limit to the subjects you can choose. Maybe only two people will read your posts but on the other hand, there could be thousands. But you aren't writing for them anyway. You're writing for yourself. Now, go. BLOG! [Yes sir!]

Have any other questions for Steven about blogging? Post them in the comments section and I will forward them to him. Or, since he is over here pretty often, maybe he'll answer them himself! It is always nice to hear it straight from the source rather than a 3rd party don't you think?

Thursday Thought: Humor

This week saw the passing of another April Fool's Day. With that in mind, today's Thursday Thought is about humor.

Laughter is the best medicine. It really is.

Laughter has many benefits. Here is an article from WebMD that list some of the benefits of laughter:

• Increased blood flow throughout the body.
• Boosted immune system.
• Lowering/regulating blood sugar levels.
• Helps relax the body and increases the likelihood of a more peaceful sleep.

I don't know about you but the last one is a huge benefit to me. I don't sleep enough as it is and I certainly never feel like I can relax. The article suggests watching a comedy of some kind for 30 minutes a day will provide incredible laughter related benefits. So as much as I hate to say it (because I hate television), maybe try watching a 30 minute sitcom. Or kick back and check out a comedy movie or some late night stand-up. Read a funny memoir or a kid's joke book. Go to a comedy club or find local shows in your area for amateur nights. Try to find humor in your day however you can. A little silliness is apparently good for you! I'm off to go catch up on Season 3 of Glee since I haven't been able to watch all season long. Hey, it is a sitcom... at least it is to me. ;)

Tuesday Treat: Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Easter is coming up and I hate holiday get-togethers. Drama, messes, and a house full of people. My anxiety levels go up just thinking about it. But what I do enjoy is the food. Well, some of it anyways.

One of my favorite family dinner staples is deviled eggs. I can't make them worth a damn (I fail at peeling the hard-cooked eggs) but my mom and my grandma can make deviled eggs that are out of this world. I found a recipe for bacon cheddar ones that I'm going to beg someone to make this year.

International Children's Book Day

Today is International Children's Book Day and it is celebrated world wide.

A little background on ICBD: Started in 1967 by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), ICBD is celebrated on or around Hans Christian Anderson's birthday, April 2nd. You may remember Anderson as the writer of stories like The Little Mermaid, The Emperor's New Clothes, and The Princess and the Pea. ICBD celebrates the love of reading and its purpose is to call attention to children's literature.

My favorite children's book is Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel, an ABC book featuring Bad Kitty, a mischievous black and white kitty that has all kinds of adventures. The series has continued with Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, Happy Birthday Bad Kitty, Bad Kitty vs. Uncle Murray: The Uproar at the Front Door, Bad Kitty for President, Poor Puppy, and Bad Kitty Meets the Baby. From the ABC's and counting, civics lessons, cat facts, and more, this series has never disappointed me. I have continued to be impressed with the compelling stories, the humor, the fun illustrations, the information, and the growth of the stories. Bad Kitty and Poor Puppy are picture books with very little text and a LOT of pictures. The others go up and up in reading skill until you find Bad Kitty Gets a Bath as a chapter book. What a way to bridge reading skills!

So I shared my pick. It is now your turn! What is your favorite children's book and why?

Applying Feedback to Your Writing

So now you know how to give appropriate feedback. Now, let's switch gears and talk about what to do with feedback you receive. Yeah, yeah, you are probably not a writer. But what if you are? Or want to be? Consider this a "the more you know" instance.

How to give Feedback That is Helpful

I know you may not be a writer, but everyone must give feedback at one time or another. If you have had to call customer service for anything lately, "remain on the line for a short survey after your call" should be familiar. Or the cards left at the tables at restaurants. Whatever it is, everyone is asked to give some form of feedback for something in their lifetime.

But many people look at the chance to improve something in their life like a chore. Like the place? All 10's! Had a single bad experience after years of fantastic service? All 1's! For the love of all that is holy, don't do that. Just don't. It is lazy, dishonest, and stupid. If you aren't inclined to make the effort, then just decline the request. You hurt no one by doing that.

So what if you want to give constructive feedback, but aren't really sure how? Well, now I can help you out there! Here are some guidelines to follow.

Friday Five: 5 Questions with Steven

...about editing.

The next few weeks of Friday Fives are going to consist of mini-interviews with my friends and extended family of people within my industry. I am hoping for a variety of interview subjects. Since my group of friends/family is somewhat small, expect some people to reappear within the Friday Fives speaking about different subjects. This should be a quick interesting glimpse into the realm of all-things-writing.

My questions are in bold font to make it easier to see. Answers follow the bold A: and my comments follow in red brackets.

My friend and fantastic editor Steven Thompson agreed to be the first Friday Five subject.

Q: How do you approach a project?

A: First, I avoid approaching it at all for as long as possible. [lol] Then. once I make the decision to do so, I jump in wholeheartedly and just get right to work.

Q: What kind of enjoyment do you get out of editing?


A: Honestly, I'm not some great expert on the right way to do things and I know that. But I do tend to recognize the WRONG way when I see it and it makes me feel good being able to steer someone away from that at least.

Q: What advice do you have for your writers that would make your job easier?

A: It's not the writers' job to make my job easier. It's the writers' job to be creative and that's all I ask of them. My job is to take that rampant creativity and clean up after it.

Q: What is the most difficult thing to deal with as an editor?


A: The writer…present company excepted. [D'awww. Thank you!]

Q: In your opinion, do/should all writers make good editors?


A: Well, there's no need for it, I suppose…but I think it's inevitable in most cases. A writer is rarely the best editor for their own work but I think the simple process of writing itself makes one acutely sensitive to mistakes in grammar, spelling, continuity and other issues, in essence making them a good editor whether or not they realize it. [I think that goes along with a writer should always take the opportunity to read anything they can get their hands on, especially works outside of their genre. We learn just as much by observing the mistakes of others as we do by making the mistakes ourselves.]

Have any questions for Steven about editing? Post them in the comments section below and I'll try to badger him into answering them when he gets some free time to do so!

Stay tuned for next week's Friday Five when Steven talks about blogging. And yes, he is qualified to talk about blogging since he runs/writes a baker's dozen.

Thursday Thought: I Need Sleep

As of the writing of this blog (hello from the past- Saturday, that is), I am dead tired. I've been working a lot lately and spinning my wheels trying to fit everything into my schedule. Obviously I have not quite been able to keep up with everything. So today's Thursday Thought is this: Sleep is the most important part of the day!

You hear the advice from doctors all the time. You need X hours of sleep nightly, X cups of water daily, and X amount of this food group and that vitamin and those minerals and these fats. Yeah, obviously I missed the exact numbers somewhere along the way. But I can honestly say that sleep makes my world go around.

When I miss just an hour of sleep at night, the next few days are in trouble. I just can't get it together. And those (normal) nights where I miss about 3 or 4 hours of sleep... yeah, I might as well turn off the alarm and keep on sleeping because my next week is screwed. And trying to catch up on the weekend is pointless. If I sleep more than 8 hours, I feel hung over because I'm dehydrated, my muscles are sore from laying for so long, and my brain is mush.

So today, try to remind yourself of the importance of sleep. Is that rerun of whatever sitcom that just popped up on the television so mesmerizing? Can't that last load of laundry sit in the dryer until you can spin it for a few minutes in the morning? Do you really need to play one more game of solitaire before bedtime? It is worth oversleeping tomorrow to read three more pages when you know its going to turn into thirty? I bet it isn't. Take your health (mental and physical!) in your hands tonight and see if you reap a bounty tomorrow.

Dream Writing Setup

I thought I made post about my ideal writing room back during my October NaNo posts but I can't find it. I don't know if I started it and never finished it or if it is just buried somewhere. Anyways, I'll start over.

If I had my way (c'mon Mega Million jackpot! haha), I would have my office at the back of my home, away from bathrooms, kitchen, bedrooms, etc. It would have thick walls to muffle the sounds in the house even further. I'm easily distracted so any noise reduction is helpful. A private bathroom would be nice too.

The walls would be a mid-green shade (olive maybe?) with a warm brown trim. Maybe one wall brown. On the side opposite the door (and the side with the best view, naturally), I would have installed a bay window trimmed in brown. It would be upholstered in the green and stacked high with squishy brown pillows.
Around the room, I would have several bookshelves of course. In between those, I would have the illustrated prints of my book covers on canvas in poster size. Maybe a few of my own paintings. A large brown leather rolling chair and corner desk to match would set it up pretty nicely.

The desk would sit so that if someone came into my office, they would sit opposite me on the other side of the long end of the L shape, with the short end on my right (I'm a righty). A bouquet of red, pink, and purple flowers would sit on a stand just inside the door where I could see it pop against the green. I wouldn't use a metal filing cabinet. I would use the drawers/cabinets in my desk instead.

My office would be my sanctuary. What does your dream sanctuary (be that a man cave, a makeup room, a kitchen, etc.) look like?

Tuesday Treat: Chocolate Pudding Cake

My editor Steven took on a project promoting an Italian cookbook and I got the chance to taste his cooking on Saturday. Simply put, he is a fantastic cook. We ate herbed chicken in a marinara-wine sauce. /drool Check out Booksteve Presents for his blog about his adventures in Italian slow cooking. While I was there, Steven told me about this amazing recipe in this book for chocolate pudding cake that is made in a slow cooker. Really. The book is Italian Slow Cooking by Ellen Brown.

If you want the recipe, you'll have to find one yourself... or buy the book! It is available in May 2012 and you can pre-order it here.

Best Seller vs Loyal Following

So I have a question for you. Think of it as my version of "Would you rather..." and go with it.

Would you rather have a best seller that makes you a "name" or would you rather have a loyal fan base that follows your progress, cheers your successes (no matter how small) and consoles you in your losses?

I know you may not be a writer so apply this to your life. Think of it as a billion dollar company or a mom-and-pop shop perhaps. You could make a ton of money but you would be so out of touch with your consumers that you aren't part of their world anymore. Or you could just scrape by paycheck to paycheck with the knowledge that you are participating in your community economy. Maybe think of it as the chef of a huge restaurant that never sees the customers enjoy his creations but gets lauded by everyone, or the waitress that provides the service that really does the hardest work but is highly underrated.

I'm curious of your opinion. Since I am a writer, I'll go with the original best seller vs. loyal following.

I want to write something that is engaging. I want my reader to wonder what happens next, to clutch at her heart while swept up in the emotions of her favorite character, and to get him to talk about the story with me and others. I don't want to be the next Anne Rice, J. K. Rowling, or Stephanie Meyer. I want to be Dee Sutter, that writer that wrote those novels. I think that it would be difficult to engage with my reader if I were to reach a "name" status so my initial thought is that I would rather have a loyal following of readers that genuinely want to know more. But, I would take a best seller without complaints too. Just saying.

I Have a Confession...

The past few weeks has been incredibly busy and I have slacked on my blogging. I know I promised that I would be updating this blog with a few posts per week and then didn't. I haven't forgotten about you and this blog. I have been swamped at work and literally come home with absolutely no energy to do anything. I have sat at my computer for a few hours a night and tried to look like I was being productive while in reality, I was just almost sleeping with my eyes open. Yes, I have been that tired.

With Journey of Shadows finally coming out, work deciding that everything must be done before Spring Break, and my stupidly weak immune system trying to recuperate from a week long battle with strep, the past three weeks has been a true FML moment. C'est la vie.

I have 3 blog posts coming this week that are 100% happening (because they are already written and scheduled) and another two that are possibly going to happen. We shall see about those possible ones.

Until then, please accept my apologies for my extended absence. Stay tuned.

Empire History

I promised to keep this part short so I will try my best.

The Empire was once ruled by Kings and Queens and representatives of the magic races that lived throughout the lands. The Northlands and Mid-Forest were united under a child king chosen by the Gods to rule until the child reached adulthood. The Upper Wastes, when it was the forest Bog Nial, grew under the watchful eyes of fae troupes and their court. The Lower Wastes, once grazing lands for cattle, and Cofway Woods were less dark and more wonderful during these times under the rule of a peaceful King and Queen. The Southlands also paid homage to a King and Queen. The middle lands, the forest surrounding Nostal and the Wild Woods, were protected by a council of nymphs and humans equally responsible for the lands. The Lunal Isles were ruled by the Shadows, a race of shape shifters that largely kept to themselves. Caless Island, land and sky, were the property of the dragons. The mountain ranges were home to the dwarves to the west and human sorcerers to the east. The Immortalis, the only magic creatures able to also use magic, wandered the world telling stories, healing the injured, and blessing babies and sacred unions.

All this changed during the Great Battle.

Empire Geography

I was at work today when I thought I should share a little about Journey of Shadows since I'm so dang proud of it. I thought at first that I should post the prologue but it dawned on me that the first 15% of the book is available for a free download already so that would be almost like cheating. If you'd like to read that first 15% before making the jump to purchase, click here. Scroll to the bottom and select your preferred reading format.

So after several hours, I decided to give an introduction to the world and main characters.

I'm Sick!

I am home sick today. It started yesterday with a slightly sore throat before lunch and an aching back after lunch. Neither gave me much concern at first. I hadn't drank much water which I attributed to the sore throat. My work  requires some lifting, pushing, pulling, etc. so I figured that was why my back hurt. But it just kept on. By 2pm, my ears started hurting and feeling full (which was so weird to me... I've never had an ear infection or anything). By 3pm, I was chilling really bad and the back ache became a full body ache. When it was time to go home, my brain started feeling fuzzy... at least, that's what I call it. My reaction speed was slowed down, my vision was more blurred than usual, and I felt like if I closed my eyes, I'd sleep immediately. I had the nurse take my temperature before I left work. It was 99.6. Less than 30 minutes later when I got home, it was already at 101.2. At bedtime, it was 103.6. And that was after taking Motrin! I got up at 5am and took more Motrin. An hour later, we checked my temperature to see if I could go to work or if I needed to call in and it was 102.2. So I'm stuck home today. I'm going to try to get some sleep but I went to bed at freaking 7:30pm and slept through until 5am. I'm not that tired right now but I need to *try* at least.

Just an update, Journey of Shadows is selling a lot better than I expected. I've already sold 6 copies and have had 10 previews downloaded. That rocks! I opted in to Smashword's Read an Ebook Week promotion, so right now you can find my book in the REW catalogue for 25% off the listed price. Pretty cool!

I'll hopefully feel better soon. I'm going to try to call my doctor this afternoon to see if he will call me some antibiotics in without making me get out today. I really hope the fever goes away soon!

Journey of Shadows, Available Now!

My long awaited novel, Journey of Shadows, is finally available! Check the book page for more information or go here to view it directly from Smashwords. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Steven wrote a wonderful blog entry about Journey of Shadows and added some fantastic background on how we ended up teaming up for this project. Check his post here and then scroll to the bottom of the page to find his  Bookstore Plus for old books and collectibles! If you buy something from his store, email me and I'll send you a coupon for 50% off the purchase of my novel. How's that for a deal? This coupon will only be good until April 6, 2012 so act fast!

Immo1 Update

I am very happy to announce that my first novel, Journey of Shadows, the first book in The Immortalis Trilogy, is finished. At least, my transcription is finished. If you recall, I printed my last draft out (draft #8 I think) and edited it by hand. I retyped the entire file since I made so many changes. The paper was a sea of red ink. In the middle of my transcription... or well, probably 1/3 of the way through more likely, my computer crashed. It took several agonizingly long weeks for me to get my files back. Anyways, I finished the transcription and it is now in the very capable hands of my editor, Steven. He has a lot of work to do, as I am notoriously impatient and tend to miss a lot of suffixes and/or make up words.

We are all very excited about the upcoming release of my novel, affectionately called Immo1 if you have read any other posts about it. A little background on Immo1... Immo1 started as a single line of thought while I lounged in the bathtub in September, 2009. That single line became a very rough story beginning. It was headed to my unfinished story pile when I shared it with Steven later that month. With his encouragement, I developed it a little more and it became the first draft of my prologue. That November, I finally did what I had said for years I wanted to do: I wrote a novel for National Novel Writing Month using the prologue as a stepping stone.

Since November 2009, Immo1 has undergone an incredible transformation through the love and dedication of Steven, his wife Rene, and my beta readers Raven and Philip. I fit in there somewhere but seriously, I know I would never have finished it without any of them. They all hate when I try to give them credit for Immo1 but it really didn't come alive to me until they read the early drafts and encouraged me to keep working on it. The best part was none of them gushed about how amazing it was and how it would win a Hugo some day. Okay, well, maybe Steven did... but he is biased. They gave real feedback: constructive criticism, suggestions, research information, etc. So they really are a huge part of this.

Since then, I have been fortunate enough to find an amazing artist to do the cover for Journey of Shadows and I was astonished with this man's professionalism and artistic vision. Alberto Ramirez Jr. is an incredibly talented man with a fantastic ability to take a text description and make it come alive in art. Here is the finished cover:

To me, it reminds me of the original Nancy Drew covers. I freaking love it. It is 100% what I envisioned when I told him "a Wizard of Oz-type dog with a human shadow sitting by a fire in the woods" and then some. Alberto is a professional and he takes pride in his work. I can only hope my novel is good enough to be represented by such an amazing piece of art.

Stay tuned to find out the exact date of release for Journey of Shadows. It is coming very soon! Yay! for a March release... quite a birthday present for me indeed. What do you think of the cover?!

Friday Five: Coming Movies

I'm not a big movie watcher but there are some great ones coming out soon. In no particular order, here are my 5 upcoming movies that I plan to check out.

A Thousands Words (March 9): Jack is a literary agent known for being able to make any deal, even if that means stepping on some toes. Jack's life is turned up side down when a Bohdi tree appears in his backyard and leaves fall with every word he says. Now he has to find some new ways to communicate or he is going to die with the tree.

The Decoy Bride (March 9): A movie star and a famous writer (David freaking Tennant) want to get married without the papparazzi interrupting their big day, so they go to a remote location. The location is discovered so they find a fake bride to try to keep the photogs busy. Only, the fake bride and the famous writer have chemistry. Could the movie star be left at the alter?

Detachment (March 16): Henry Barth is a talented educator but has chosen to keep that fact to himself. As a substitute, he is bounced from school to school, unable to form any bonds to anyone, and he likes it like that just fine. Until he gets to a school where the teachers are so awful that he becomes the role model teacher, takes in a kid from the street, and starts to connect to his students.

Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1): I posted about this movie a while back here. It looks fantastic as a spin on the Snow White story. Snow White is trained by the Huntsman to triumph over the evil queen! Can't wait.

Brave (Summer): I've been waiting for this movie since the first teaser pictures came out. Pixar's first princess movie looks to be amazing. Merida does all the right things at all the right things. One problem: she's not a boy. So she sets out to change her destiny and inadvertently sets off a curse in the process. Interesting. :)

Thursday Thought: Creativity

Open your mind to what your imagination can create. ~Dee Sutter

Yea, that is one of my quotes. At least I think it is. It struck me as I drove home yesterday and I had to pull over to put it in my phone before I forgot it. I hope it means something to someone because it was certainly weighing heavily on my mind.

Tuesday Treat: Buffalo Shrimp

I am in a shrimp mood today. Probably because half a dozen people asked me about Alabama while at work today and it made me miss my old home a bit. The best place to eat was a restaurant called "Jefferson's" and their Shrimp Jammers are the frigging best. Ever.

Now, shrimp jammers are butterfly shrimp stuffed with cheese and deep fried. They are served with cocktail sauce or shrimp sauce usually, but I actually got a side of their medium buffalo sauce and some ranch. Wonderful. I'm drooling right now thinking about them. Ugh!

Anyways, I found this recipe today for Buffalo Shrimp. It is pretty long so I'll just link to the website instead of retyping it all today. Judging by the comments, even folks that enjoy spicy foods thought this recipe had a good bit too much spice so if you are leery of it, cut back on the spices by a little (or a lot) to suit your tastes. I wouldn't leave any out, just maybe 1/2 the amount suggested in the recipe. Also, make sure you have tons of ranch available. Mmmm ranch. I wonder if we have any celery...

Friday Five: Child Friendly Crafts

Last weekend, the girls and I created a really neat crayon art project and I was inspired to search for other projects for the girls to do over long breaks. Spring break is coming up soon-ish so I like to be prepared. Today's Friday Five is a list of those crafts with links, pictures, and/or videos (including the project from last weekend).

Thursday Thought: Kindness

Last week was Kindness to Strangers week. This post was written for Thursday last week but another post ended up being more important at that exact moment. So, even though it isn't RAK week anymore, this is still a good Thursday Thought.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Aesop, The Lion and the Mouse

You know the tale of the lion and the mouse right? The mouse woke the lion one day while playing and the angry lion nearly ate it. The mouse begged for its life and offered to be the lion's friend for life in exchange, on the premise that the mouse might one day save the lion's life. Because it's idea was so funny, the lion let the mouse go even though he knew the mouse would never save his life. Days later, the proud lion fell in a hunter's snare and the mouse did indeed save his life by gnawing through the ropes. The lion admitted that the mouse was useful and all was well again.

The moral of the story is that anyone, great or small, can be helpful and that kindness will bring its own rewards. I really like this story and think it illustrates the today's Thursday Thought very well. Can you think of any recent events of someone being kind for kindness sake?

Tuesday Treat: Crayon Cake

I hope you enjoyed President's Day, working or on holiday. We had a lot of fun around here. Since the kids had a four day weekend from school, we started an art project using wax crayons, poster boards, and a hair dryer. It was a lot of fun. I got some video of it and the finished pictures. I will post at least the pictures later this week.

Today's Treat celebrates the fun that we had this weekend with a patriotic flare.

Crayon Cake!
So here are the directions (I assume you can figure the ingredients out on your own).

1.  Get a cake mix of your choice. We used a yellow cake mix. Let it cool completely. And I do mean completely. Otherwise it will crumble to pieces and will not work for this.
2. While your cake cools, mix 1 can of vanilla frosting between 3 bowls and tint two bowls with red and blue, giving you a bowl of red, white, and blue icing. Trim one end of 5 ho-hos to a point (to look like a crayon!) and set them on a wire rack one at a time. Microwave a bowl of icing for 5-10 seconds to make it slightly like whipped cream and then spread over the ho-ho. Make 5 blue crayons or 2 red 3 blue crayons, or 2 red 2 blue 1 white crayons, or 3 white 1 red 1 blue crayons... you get the idea. However you want to work it. Let those sit so they can harden on the wire rack.
3. While the ho-hos set, return to your cake. Make sure it is level first. Then, at one of the short ends, score out a half circle (give it a decent diameter, about 4") so that it looks like the open end of a crayon box. Using a sharp knife, cut out the half circle at a depth of about 1" and discard the half circle (or use it for some other mini-treat). Frost the cake in the white vanilla icing, including the inside of the half circle. Another can of vanilla frosting will probably be needed.
4. Place the "crayons" in the opening of the "box" and trim them to fit the curvature of the opening. Using a combination of the three colors, line the opening of the box and the bottom corners of the box (don't use white on white... you want it to be visual), the markings on the crayons which are the lines around the top and the crayon circles, and any kind of message you want to put on the cake where the brand would usually be at.

You can use candy strips (like licorice strips) to make the lines on the box instead of frosting if you'd like. Or you can skip the patriotic colors and go for a more traditional look. I got the original idea here and they used yellows, oranges, and greens. They also made a suggestion of using disposal zip lock bags as icing tubes, which I had never thought of before. Just put the frosting in, squeeze it into a corner and seal the bag, then snip the corner and voila, instant icing tube. We used real ones but that is only because we happened to have them. Not everyone has those just laying around the house.

Since we didn't take a picture, I'll describe our cake as best as I can. We used a yellow cake mix and made 3 red crayons and 2 blue crayons. We iced the cake in white frosting and then lined the open end with blue. The bottom corners were also blue with an additional blue line around the inside edge. We used white icing for the lines and circles on the crayons. We drizzled red candy stars into the blue corners and then throughout the white box portion of the cake. In the middle, we chose to leave it blank rather than write on it. It looked really cute and the kids loved it. They started eating it before I could get a picture. Or, I should say, our father started eating the cake before I could get a picture. Ha!

Friday Five: Showing Kindness

Today is "Random Acts of Kindness" Day! Check out RAK, a website built around a week of Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) for all kinds of ways to jump on in. I try to be kind to folks whenever I can, but RAK week is pretty important to me. I started a tradition of "celebrating" RAK week back in my last year of college when I volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Check out today's Friday Five for my list of RAK week activities, organized by day.

• Monday: Let a senior lady go ahead of me in line at the grocery store. Thanked a soldier for his service.
• Tuesday: Donated used books to the local library. Left a large tip for a waitress. 
• Wednesday: Picked up trash outside my office building. 
• Thursday: Offered positive encouragement to a struggling coworker. Spent a few minutes with a neighbor's child so her mom could run an errand.
• Friday: Today I will smile at everyone I see. I will hold doors open each time I go in and out. I will wish everyone a safe and enjoyable weekend.

None of these things took (or will take) much effort on my part. Yes, letting the old lady go ahead of me in line ended up making me wait another 20 minutes to be checked out. Oh the horror. No, I didn't want to pick up other people's cigarette butts off the ground when the wind blew our ButtKeeper over. I had gloves and the time so why not? The things for today are easy enough, since I try to do all that anyways. What RAK have you made into a habit? My habit is smiling and saying hello to people (even strangers) and leaving decent tips on the rare occasion that I eat out.

RAK week ends Sunday night so you have plenty of time to do kind things that you don't ordinarily take upon yourself. You don't have to spend a penny to smile at someone, let someone go ahead of you in a line, or to donate used items to others. Try it out!

Thursday Thought: Positive Thinking

Good evening folks! I had a different Thursday Thought planned out but the events of today have forced me to change my line of thought. Check next week for a Thursday Thought about Kindness to Strangers. It complements tomorrow's Friday Five but oh well.

It is no secret that life sucks right now for pretty much everyone. The economy has really taken its toll on people and it is wearing folks down fast. Without jobs, people are losing hope very quickly. And I can't blame them when they are losing their homes, their vehicles, and their utilities just so they can make sure they eat more than a few times a week. I just started a new job... one that I am incredibly thankful to have after being unable to find work for almost 2 years. Yet, I'm now surrounded by people that hate their job. They come in for a paycheck. And this is a field where 1) you will never become rich from it and 2) you really need to be driven by a passion for the work, not a paycheck. Otherwise, burnout is the only possible route. It may take 25 years for them to realize they are burnt out and not fit for this line of work... or it may take just a matter of weeks. But I hear people every day say something negative about our jobs.

• I hate this place.
• I can't wait to get out of here.
• They are driving me crazy today.
• If I could find better paying job, I'd take it immediately.
• Is it Friday evening yet?

These are all things I hear my co-workers say. It is disheartening. Mostly because I love my job. Not just the fact that I have a job, but I am in a field that is so fulfilling. I honestly look forward to work on Mondays and enjoy my 40 hours a week on the clock. Nothing I do is particularly difficult. The job requires patience, attention to detail, structured record keeping, and some grunt work. Yes, I have issues getting up in the morning. I'm not exactly a teenager anymore so I don't spring out of bed, ready to start my day. I dislike having to go to bed by 9pm so that I can make myself wake up on time, no later than 6am. But its not because of my job. I'm just not a morning person anymore. I'm in my prime from about 8am until about 4pm. Anywhere outside of those hours and I'm tired, likely in need of coffee, and probably a little grumpy. I can admit that.

I had a conversation with a coworker today. I probably pissed her off but I get so tired of hearing her bitch and moan about how awful her job is and how no one else pulls their weight. I told her to try to think of the positives of her job:

• she stays busy so the time passes by quickly
• she doesn't work a monotonous job like a line in a factory anymore
• she has a pretty awesome schedule (it never changes and we're always off before 4pm)
• she provides a great service to people

She just kind of stared at me like I grew two extra heads. I know, I'm probably the annoying coworker that is always smiling, upbeat, and ready for more now. I used to hate those coworkers. But I finally understand them. In the jobs I used to have (fast food, gas station cashier, retail, etc.), I was miserable with my work. It sucked and I counted the seconds from the time I clocked in until the moment I clocked out just so I could get a paycheck. Those crazy "happy" people... they didn't do that. And since they didn't do that, they were much better off for it. I don't always walk in the door with the sun shining out my rear, but I fake it until my grumpiness wears off and I am my normal bright self. It makes my day so much better. And I would like to think that it probably makes others around me feel like their day is better too. Maybe not everyone, but at least a few of them.

So today's Thursday Thought is this: Positive thinking can make a difference. Bad and/or annoying things happen all the time. But you don't have to make it happen every day. Find the good things, even if you have to really read between the lines, and make sure you focus on those. It isn't easy, but you will get better at it over time and your life will benefit from it in major ways. For me, positive thinking is the difference between needing anxiety medication to face my co-workers and their "rain on everyone's parade" attitude everyday and making the decision of what to have for lunch my toughest choice. Give it a try for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference!

The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
Author Unknown

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.
Herm Albright

Tuesday Treat: Chocolate Trifle

Happy Valentines Day! Not that I celebrate V-day as it is intended usually. Ha!

Today's Tuesday Treat is for Chocolate Trifle, an easy to make, yummy chocolate treat. Make one for your loved ones tonight! It is that easy.

Ingredients:


1 package brownie mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup water
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8oz. container frozen whipped topping (thawed)
1 12oz. container frozen whipped topping (thawed)
1 bar chocolate candy

Directions:

1. Prepare brownie mix per box directions and cool immediately. Cut into 1 inch sections.
2. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth then fold in 8 ounces of whipped topping until no streaks remain.
3. In a glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture, and half of the 12oz. whipped topping. Repeat layers. Shave chocolate on top as a garnish. Refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.

Ideas:

• Not a fan of chocolate? No problem, substitute caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, etc.
• Add mint for a seasonal/wintery flare.
• You can drastically reduce the sugar content of this by getting all sugar free ingredients but it also will reduce the yumminess.
• Make for your hunny and include a handmade card with a window box planter to get spring flowers started!

Friday Five: New Computer Stuff

Any time I get a new computer or a less technologically inclined friend or family member gets one, I have a specific list of things I immediately download for the computer. That list is today's Friday Five.

1. Firefox & Chrome Browsers
2. Malware Bytes, Ad-Aware, and Spybot SE
3. Open Office
4. Paint.Net (like Photoshop but freeware)
5. Technically not a download but I delete any all all references to Norton and McAfee.  

Do you have any go-to programs that you always have on your computer?

Thursday Thought: Frustration

The best word to describe the past couple weeks is frustration. I started a new job so my sleep schedule has completely changed. I'm tired all the time and can't get enough rest. Frustration. The day before I started working, my computer crashed. And it is still broken. Frustration. There has been so much to do: taxes, shopping for a new (and affordable) computer, science fair projects, girl scouts, puppy potty training and leash training, never ending laundry and dishes. Frustration!

All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail.
Dorthea Brande

Well, I'm trying. Really trying and I hope it works out. So my mantra for the next week is "I can do it. I will do it." Do you have an affirmative mantra you use?

Maybe Good News?

I just got off the phone with a computer guy that is going to attempt to transfer all my stuff off my hard drive this weekend. He is going to check to see if it is my power supply first though since we couldn't find one that was the right size. The good news is that I should be back on track come Monday or Tuesday. Even better, he said that it does not sound like the hard drive crashed. That makes me so very happy!

Charles Dicken's on Google

Today is Charles Dickens birthday. You know, the author of Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, and A Tale of Two Cities. He would have been 200 years old. In case you either live under a rock and don't use Google, or just didn't pay attention, the artists at Google made an homage to Dickens in today's Google logo art.

Edit: 8/15/2012 Image removed. I don't want to be sued. Go here to see the doodle.

Doesn't that look amazing? A Christmas Carol is one of my favorite holiday reads and I read it every December. It only takes a couple hours of reading to get through the whole thing but I always enjoy it.

Happy Birthday Charles!

Author Biographies

While I am unable to access my final Immo1 file (see this post for an explanation), I have been working on a few of the other things that have been on my to-do list. The most time consuming has surprisingly been my author biography for the back of my novel. You don't really understand how difficult writing a bio is until you sit down to do it yourself. Why is it so freaking hard? We talk about ourselves all the time. Some more than others...

Anyways, I've been trolling through the interwebs for information on how everyone else approaches bios. The advice is pretty consistent.

5000 Views

It seems I came back online just in time to see my blog hit 5000 views. Very awesome indeed. My highest view month was last month (even while I was gone for 2 weeks!) with 965 views, while this month is probably going to be close. It is the 6th and I'm already at 145 views. So I may surpass 1k in a month this time around. That would be freaking awesome!

To all the readers that stop by for a single time, hello and thanks for stopping by. For those that read daily, thanks for coming back. I enjoy writing for you and sharing my randomness.

Operation New Computer is a Go!

I am finally back with a new computer! It only took 2 weeks... I think. So did I miss anything?

While my computer was borked, I managed to borrow my mom's laptop for a few minutes each day. I think I got one daily done in that time... good thing it had already been written the week before. haha Between starting a new job (where my sleep schedule has completely changed) and using a borrowed laptop that is shared between everyone else in the house, I didn't get more than 20 minutes at a time on the computer. Frustrating but couldn't be helped.

Plus, her laptop is old as the hills, slow, and very annoying to try to use with any proficiency. Nothing is set up how I like it to be used. It basically makes me hate using the computer when I can't use mine.


So, I have a new computer now. My bookmarks are probably lost, as I'm not sure if I can find my code for FireFox Sync. And I'm not even sure it updates as I add new bookmarks or if I was supposed to do that manually. I'll give it a try if I find my list of computer stuff. It is around here somewhere. I'm still crossing my fingers hoping that all my files are still intact on the desktop hard drive. I haven't gotten it to my computer guy yet for him to look. It will SUCK if the hard drive is gone. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

So the new computer is nice. I'm happy with it even though it cost more than I planned to shell out at the moment. It is a Toshiba Satellite P755D laptop. 6GB of RAM and 640GB hard drive. Apparently the processor is decent but I don't know squat about computers. I just know that my desk top was a 3.2 on the Windows Experience Index with fairly consistent scores from 3.2 to 3.6. This new one is a 5.9. If you know what the numbers mean, lucky you. I just know that higher numbers is supposedly better. This new computer got a 5.9 for the graphics and primary hard disk. It has a 6.5 for gaming graphics, a 6.8 processor, and a 7.3 for RAM. Good yes?

I'm working on naming the new computer. I don't know why... someone told me during my first NaNo that all electronics should have a name. I think that is where I got it. Anyways, so I had to come up with names. The name of my desktop and my netbook change frequently though. The netbook has been Pipsqueak, Thumbalina, and Purple Polly. The last name it held was Peaches... not because it is orange-ish but because of the baby from Ice Age. It is my favorite movie series after all. The desktop was named Grumpy for the longest time as it had some issues. It was 8 years old, so it fit. Lately, I had been calling it Gramps though... might be why it decided to give up the ghost finally. So for this new one, Harvey is jumping out at me. On the bottom right of the screen edge, the words harmon/kardon is printed and I immediately thought "Har-don" for a name. Of course, I can't use that. So Harvey is probably going to be it for a while at least.

So, now that Harvey has been introduced, on to other business. My daily posts are going to be limited now that I am working, especially since I am still working on the transcription of my final Immo1 edit. Even more so if my file is gone. Let's hope not but I'll let you know about Immo1 when I find out. So as for daily posts, they aren't going away 100%. I'm going to keep a few of them, namely Tuesday Treat, Thursday Thought, and Friday Five. I'll add more in as I figured out a good schedule that optimizes my free time. I hate that I have to cut out over half of my dailies but I love having a job and I love having time for sleep... something has to be limited until I find a balance. Other posts will continue as they come along... one good thing about limiting the dailies is that I will be able to write more writing posts. Since this is a writing blog after all. :)

So stay tuned for Immo1 updates, new semi-daily posts, and actual writing stuff. I'm very glad to be back online!