365 Photos Day 4

This was the view outside my parents home after the ice storm came through in early December. It had snowed the night before this photo was taken. This was early morning on Dec. 24th.

While I hate the snow and cold, it makes for some awesome photos. My parents have lived here since 1966. I wish I had taken a photo of the burning bush. It was terribly weighted down but looked beautiful.

This is the place I grew up. Other than a couple of hickory trees it was a field when we moved in. Dad planted trees everywhere. He plants anywhere from quarter to half an acre in food every year.

But I hear we have a major snow storm coming in tomorrow. Having stayed away from Michigan for the past three winters, I am finding I dislike winter more than I ever did.

TTFN

365 Photos Day 3

I was not sure how this book would be received. Nor did I know if it would measure up to the first Macy book. The topic is a touchy one. Bullying happens more and more frequently especially since the advent of social media. It's always been around, but the number of children dying or being maimed as a result of bullying is staggering.

Today I saw a young girl who was bullied for having a big nose. She has been home schooled for the past tw years and has few friends. So, they opted for plastic surgery to fix a deviated septum and give balance to her face. What are we becoming?

This book however has exceeded my expectations. It has won Turning Pages 2013 Mystery Book of the Year Award. I am going to be honored at a book signing and awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida this spring.  So, professionally, as a writer, this is a crowning moment.

TTFN

365 photo Day 2

These are three of four very special people in my life. Left to right are my grandchildren, Eric, Megan, and Jason. The fourth is Eric's wife Angelina who is waiting for her husband to arrive in Texas in a couple of weeks. She has just gotten a job in her chosen field of radography. I am so very proud of her. 

Safe journeys Eric as you travel home to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I hope you will find your dream job, too.

Megan, you make me so proud. Outstanding athlete...I wasn't even a mediocre one. Excellent student and soon to be 16. 

Jason, you too make me very proud. Outstanding athlete, excellent student and almost a teenager.

I love you all  more than you will ever know.

TTFN

365 Photo Day 1

I cannot claim this photo as my own, but it represents a good day, a wonderful football season, and a university in Michigan. Not ever going to be the little brother in the Big 10 anymore. Congrats MSU on your Rose Bowl win.

Each day this year I will post a photo which has some meaning for me. If you have a blog I hope you will take the challenge and post a photo a day, too.

TTFN

I'm Shocked!

    Okay, I'm still in shock. I knew the book had been nominated. There were three other books in the same category. So, I had a one in four chance of winning. Evidently more people than I thought took the time to vote. I am so very thankful. I am truly honored. 

   

    As of this moment I know the Award Ceremony and book signing will be in Florida on April 26th. I also know I will find a way to be there. 

   I am truly thankful to Blue Harvest Creative for their book design. I am blessed with a wonderful fan base. 

I am gaining readers all the time. 

   Macy #3 will be out in the spring of 2014, I am hoping in time for the book signing. It will be a wonderful opportunity to grow my fan base. 

   I promise as long as my fans will read, I will write. 

TTFN

Frustrated

It's been a year. I feel like it is two steps forward and six steps back. Since Sept. it has been one catastrophe after another. I'd like them to stop.

This is what I awoke to on Labor Day. The ceiling in my spare bedroom fell in because the person who fixed the leak in my upstairs bathroom had no clue what he was doing. I still have not been able to replace the mattress and box springs which were ruined.

The next thing was my car needed new tires. I found them to be unsafe on a trip to Clio for a funeral. So much for putting money in savings. 

For the first time since 2010 I needed a new prescription in my glasses. Because my are highly sensitive to the sun. I require corrective sun glasses. Total cost for two pair of glasses and my copay was about $800. Hopefully I won't need new ones for another three or four years. 

Just when I was thinking I could go ahead and buy the mattress and box springs, my hot water heater went out and had to be replaced. I still owe $250 on it, but they take monthly payments. Thank you, Lord.

Now I should be good if I can get through Christmas. Wrong again. I am low on propane so I turned the heat down to conserve. I managed to get to payday on Nov. 25th with 2% still in my tank so I went in and bought 200 gallons and prayed it would last me until the next morning. It did. 

As things have been going, I woke with no water. Seems the person doing my plumbing had taken all the insulation out of my well pit and left it in my garage. He also had the heat tape where it would do no good. So, several hours later, (and $240) the insulation has been replaced. The heat tape is on right and there is a heater with a thermostat on it so it runs only when it hits a certain temperature I have water. 

Finally, I can breathe easy....who am I kidding. It doesn't work like that. Went to go to town and run errands today. Pick up my mail, some stamps, a few odds and ends, do some banking and my car will not start. It does nothing but tick. No lights, no sound, just ticking. It is currently hooked to a battery charger however I fear it is the alternator and not the battery. Is that what extended warranties are for???? 

I do believe I am ready  for 2013 to be over. 

TTFN

Book Review

I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this book. Which just means I read it before it went to print. Let me tell you it is riveting.

For Whom the Bells Toll (Dracula Chronicles Book One)

By Shane KP O’Neill

In this Gothic horror book comes the ultimate good vs. evil. You are back in time to 1431 and Vlad Dracul is the king of Transyvania. His half-brother rules Wallachia to his south and was always a threat. He was part of the Order of the Dragons and was sworn to halt the Turkish takeover of Christian lands. Vlad also had a truce with the Turks.

Throughout the book, Vlad Dracul is in conflict with his allies and his faith. He tries to avoid conflict with the Turks by sending his oldest son to battle carrying his standard, in order to spare the lives of his younger sons, held by Turks.

In a final battle, when Dracul sees his imminent death he is called to fight on or choose his faith. Which will he do?

I am not someone who usually reads Gothic horror, but this book held me spellbound. It is well crafted and the scenes come alive with the characters O’Neill has created. He has stayed true to the times he writes about making it all the more authentic. Go grab a copy.

Now Available

Tales by the Tree is now available for Kindle and in print. All proceeds from this book go to a school library charity.

Links are:  Amazon Print Link: http://amzn.to/Iracg8 
Amazon eBook Link: http://amzn.to/1aecyFN

I hope you will find this book enjoyable and add it to your holiday reading.

TTFN

Sneak Peak

This comes out on November 29th. It will be in ebook and print form from Amazon.com. It is a collection of  flash fiction (stories of not more than 1,000 words +/- 50). They have to do with the holidays, fantasy and are written by over 40 authors. 

None of the authors are being paid for this book. All proceeds are going to the Mount Rose Elementary Library fund. The authors donated their time and talents. Blue Harvest Creative donated their time and artistic talent to fill the book with wonderful images and to create the cover. 

Don't miss your chance to donate and get a collection of 75 holiday stories. 

TTFN

Work-in-Progress

I am closing in on finishing Sanctuary. I am lining up my editors. Then it will go to beta readers. I am excited for it to be done. It leads directly into Something Borrowed, Something Blue. The book will tie up all the loose ends in Crossing the Line. 

I am also working on a children's book. It will be titled Of Moonbeams and Fairy Dust. It will be a collection of poems short stories, and flash fiction suitable for bedtime stories. I have two pieces done and am working on the third. No idea when it will be finished. I will work on it when the ideas come to me.

Most days I can keep outside distractions at bay. However, lately I spend my first hours in bed with ideas running around in a million different directions. Makes for a very sleepless night. I was up an hour after turning the other night writing the opening poem for Of  Moonbeams and Fairy Dust. I have since started a short story for the same book. This after writing it in my head last night. Maybe I should nap in the afternoon so my ideas will come them.

For my friends still struggling through NaNo...best of luck you have nine days left to this insanity. I know several who will be finished. To the others don't give up.

TTFN

It's NaNo Time

National Novel Wrting Month or NaNoWrimo or NaNo started on Nov. 1st. It is a month of non-stop writing with the goal of writin a 50,000 word novel. I have completed it twice. The first novel I wrote, Secrets was written in twenty-one days. The second time I did NaNo I did not finish the novel I was working on. I still have not finished. The third time I did NaNo I wrote Target of Vengeance. Last year I attempted to write a novel. I uploaded 13,000  words and did not realize I hit cut and not copy. I lost the entire thing. Luckily, I had a couple chapters saved elsewhere, but had to start over.

I am now over 40,000 words into the novel I lost a year ago. My goal for November is to get it this novel finished so I can get it to the editors. I am ready for it to be done, so I can get to work on production.

I could start work on book four. I have the first chapter done. But I need to finish book three before I can begin book four. I would confuse myself working on two books at once.

I have an idea for a childrens' collection, but I cannot seem to nail down what I want to write. I have too many ideas floating at the moment. I could tackle one or two of those but, it would take time away from my work-in-progress. I think I'll wait a month or so and let those ideas gel for a bit.

To my writer  friends attempting the NaNo challenge, best of luck to you. I hope each and every one of you is successful. It is a great way to start a novel as well as an awesome way to finish one.

TTFN