A word to the wise, part 12

December 1, 2015December 31, 20142 Comments

And I really wouldn’t mind having a sparkly tiara to match!

All I want is peace on Earth and a really cute pair of shoes. –Suzy Toronto

The Seventh Question

November 30, 2015Leave a comment

Today was definitely a Monday. Luckily, the good outweighed the bad, and on balance, I’d have to say today was a good day, despite the rocky start this morning. I got to celebrate my niece’s birthday with pizza and brownies, and when I got home tonight, I found a package of pogs waiting for me in my mailbox, and I was featured on Simon Goodson’s blog! Pretty fantastico, don’t you think? 🙂

Simon has a new interview feature called The Seventh Question, and I’m thrilled to have been asked to take part. Head on over and check it out, and then catch up on the rest of the series to learn more about Mark R. Hunter and Joleene Naylor. You’ll be glad you did. 🙂

I’m neat!

November 29, 2015November 30, 20152 Comments

real-neat-blog-award It’s the season of giving, and once again, someone has given me a pretty, pretty blog award! 🙂

Mama Monkey from the Monkeys’ Jungle nominated me for the Real Neat Blog Award. This is one I hadn’t seen before, and I’m happy to take part! 🙂

Ze rules (because there are always rules, aren’t there?):

Thank and link the blogger who nominated you.
Answer the questions the person who nominated you provided.
Nominate other bloggers. Try to nominate 7 if possible.
Create new questions for the people you nominate
Display the logo somewhere on your blog – only if you want to. It’s an award!

As for the questions I was asked? You’ll find them behind the cut!

Today I…

November 28, 2015November 29, 20154 Comments

…ate an omelet for breakfast, courtesy of Seymour, who is home. (Yay!)

…worked on revising The Lokana Chronicles some more.

…watched a little Dual Survival with the fam.

…played my flute for the first time in a long time. Played for a good two hours.

…paid bills. Ugh.

…reconciled my checking account. Double ugh.

…fixed supper.

…brushed up on my Spanish.

…unloaded most of the pictures on my phone to make room for new pictures.

…organized my iTunes playlists.

…loaded up my Christmas playlist on my iPod.

…scanned manuscript pages for easier transcription.

…caught up on reading blogs.

…cleaned up my email inbox.

…messed around on Facebook.

…hung out on Twitter.

…drank way too much pop.

…finally recovered from a week-long headache.

…felt very productive. 🙂

How did you spend the day?

How I got (back) to the Brook

November 24, 2015November 24, 20155 Comments

These are very, very, VERY general directions, you understand. Also, this trip will take years. Decades, even. But it’s totally worth it – even the bad parts. And oddly enough, this is something I’d been thinking a little bit about already, as one of the many people I spoke with last night at my book signing asked if I’d been anywhere else, aside from my hometown and my adopted hometown.

So, kind woman, if you’re reading this, I hope you enjoy the book you bought from me and I hope this answers your question. 🙂

1. Start at the Grundy Hospital. Cry, scream, bawl, but also be cute enough to make those two big people take you home with them. They look nice.

2. Follow the big people to Reinbeck. Grow up a little, gain a sister, make some friends.

3. Refuse to leave home when the rest of the family wants you to go with them after the woman dies. Insist on staying with the man who brought you home from the hospital. Make more friends, who help you out when things get tough (and they get tough a lot). Never give up.

map

4. Go
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Deep thoughts

November 20, 201510 Comments

Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake. -Unknown source, from a fortune cookie

Is this real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality… -Freddie Mercury, “Bohemian Rhapsody”

The first quote sparked my interest. The second is what popped into my head as I sat thinking about the first. 🙂

Yes, I’m a dork. I know it. It’s okay.

But in all seriousness – how do we know what’s real? Is real life just a dream? Is fiction truth? Is the truth a lie? Are we actually living our true lives in our dreams while we’re sleeping, making what we think is the waking world one great big fantastic communal dream?

I’d say that would make for an interesting story, but wasn’t that the basic plot of The Matrix? Aw, the heck with it – it would still make a pretty good story. Maybe that’s what I’ll work on next…

What about you – what kinds of deep thoughts do you think when nothing else is occupying your gray matter?

If we were having coffee…

November 16, 20156 Comments

coffee …I’d tell you how much I’m looking forward to having a day off. Not that it will happen any time in the near future, but hey – a girl can dream.

…I’d tell you that I’ve only got twenty pages left of The Price of Mercy to rewrite. I can’t believe I’m so close to being done with this draft. Now if only I weren’t taking half-hour lunch breaks the next two weeks… 🙂

…I’d tell you that it truly boggles my mind to think that Thanksgiving is only a week and a half away. Wasn’t it just January last week? Where has 2015 gone?

…I’d tell you that I need a nap. Badly. Anyone know where I can get the time for that? 😀

…I’d ask how things are going with you. After all, it’s probably been way too long since the last time we caught up.

What about you – if we were having coffee, what would you have to talk about? Tell me below!

If I had more time…

November 12, 201516 Comments

…I would actually get some writing done. 🙂

…I would even get those bookmarks designed that I need for next week.

…I would probably get my office completely organised.

…I would train myself to stop spelling things the British way.

…I would perfect my photography skills.

…I would brush up on the flute.

…I would learn to speak Spanish fluently (cuz I’ve forgotten most of what I knew).

…I would read all the books I own from cover to cover at least once (but probably more).

…I would travel.

…I would finish that degree I started thirteen years ago.

…I would take up piano.

And if I sat here thinking for long enough, I’m sure I could double the length of this list. 🙂 How about you – what would you do, if only you had the time?