Where’s the bus stop….

because I’m ready to get off this ride.  It has made me nothing but dizzy, tired, and downright ornery.

It has been a most intense month I can be certain.  Without delving too deep I can say that internal and external conflict have made things rather difficult to focus on my main agenda.  Not a day went by that it wasn’t filled with one extreme or another and everybody had a say in things whether I was a part of it or not.  So a damned if I did or damned if I didn’t kind of thing.  What makes it worse is that its hard to pull yourself out of something you tried to stay away from in the first place.  I’m the chosen lightning bolt apparently.  Family and friends have fallen ill, some have become better; some have unfortunately taken a turn for the worse, a friend of mine got engaged (woohoo!!!!!), and solemn anniversaries have passed (September 11th was also my deceased mother’s birthday), and all in total there are just good days and bad.  With the good ones I spread the energy into my writing and enjoying a day just as beautiful as this one.  With the bad, the bed calls, the mellow music plays and I can only hope I can pour some of it into my work.

Bad news in me geek world, I missed DragonCon once again.  One of these years, I swear I’m going to make it.

Some good news, for sure since i seem to have not kept those up to date like I should have, is that I had finally collected the funding needed to have Ares tested and they came out well enough, although we are keeping watch on certain levels. Considering he will be 11 in a few months he is doing well.  

Some other good news, my promotional days went off well and am getting some wonderful messages telling me their thoughts.  If those turned into reviews I would go through the roof!

As life keeps shooting its arrows in my direction, some even full of vile poison, I dodge the best I can.  So no fear.  I will sleep better once that nice new king size bed comes to my door tomorrow.  Oh I am so looking forward to some  great comfortable sleep.  It is definitely needed.

Back to the Normal Way of Things

The marketing & promotional machine has run out of steam.  It has been a great couple of days. The free book promotion has passed and we’re back to normal. So now my book is in quite a few people’s hands and hopefully those people will enjoy it. Thank you for taking your time out for an Indie I look forward to further interactions and to hear your thoughts and read your reviews.  I love to talk to don’t be shy.

Another thing back to normal? Blogging and being just me.

For those new to my blog will find out I ramble. Sometimes its just a bunch a words and random thoughts, sometimes its something deep and meaningful. No matter what, I try to keep up with it quite a bit. I have made plenty of friends and I think I’ve almost infiltrated a wonderful group of blogging people (and writers, artists, motivators, similar ramblers) and might be able to blend in 😉 On top of that, the interaction with people is phenomenal. I spend a lot of time staring onto notebook paper then deciphering what I have to just stare into a screen.   

I do have to admit, when I can’t seem get those words flowing in the middle of the night I end up being a bit lazy and watch Netflix movies (watched Tai Chi Zero followed by Tai Chi Hero. If you don’t mind subtitles, I highly recommend) or play horror/survival video games. I’m quite a geek you see and very proud of it. I was quite sad that I couldn’t go to DragonCon again this year, but one day this will happen, I promise you that. I grew up standing the line between Star Trek and Star Wars never choosing a side. I have been a devoted Doctor Who fan since I was a child, I love vampires and zombies unless they come with a sappy love story then I run and hide. Yeah, we won’t go into me too much, you’ll learn 🙂

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I have a horrid time with social media, although I have gotten better. I still don’t utilize what is all out there and cannot seem to find my way out of the paper sack of marketing, wishing someone would be lovely enough to do all of that for me for free 😀 since my money is being saved to take care of my sick little Ares, my adorably Miniature Pinscher. The whole time trying to keep the other furrling, River, occupied (or occupying me depending on the boredom factor).

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Maybe something amazing will happen today and I will get the right motivation to write chapter upon chapter, but I will be satisfied with a few thousand words for now. More coffee though, definitely more coffee.

For Love of Beta Readers

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Since we all know new ventures on the rise and book two is getting closer to completion (hold on, we know editing is next, that’s the pain in the butt to add extra pain me thinks) I want to thank my Beta readers.  I love them dearly with all my heart and am glad I have people looking out for me.  As the information keeps piling in I get to gather and work on those when I am at a blocked moment from writing.  That and its easier to make changes and watch a movie at the same time.  Score 1 for the hermit!!!!

With the world of traditional publishing, I have heard quite a lot.  As a person is presented an editor, you get the same process.  I’m still trying to figure out the big differences, but top notch editors and shelf space in many more physical places.  From what I’m understanding anyway, that’s even hard for them as bookstores keep closing.  So it comes back to us.  The writers.  The marketers (us, although I’m still waiting for a taker on that one), the publishers, the final editors, designers, practically the whole thing we pull out of a rabbits hat, although its better than the behind of a bunny I suppose.

The Beta readers, or even early readers after launch, are the KEY.  I mean the KEY and they need to be loved.  So give a reader a big hug when you see them.  If they’re helping in any way but giving help or writing reviews then they deserve a big hug.

Oh, and as excited as I am I may have found an interesting use for Twitter after all.  Aside from my blog heading that way, I’ve met some great fans that have become friends and heck I get to talk about my zombie, gaming, Doctor Who stuff 😀  I waved at people today.  Go me.

Social media = headache = owwwwwww.

New addition and a hint ;)

I have added a new feed onto my page.  The No-Ship network.  It’s not a demand that you read kind of thing, but we all know how I’m a massive geek and love action/history/mythology and the sort.  So I am happy to announce someone I know has their podcast going and if you are interested at all in Spartacus, whether to relive its awesomeness or to catch up, feel free to check it out.  I’d recommend it.

Now the hint (ok more of a tease) Book 2 of mine is going to involve some Thrace history and mythology and *gasp* can actually fill in a question mark from book 1!!!!! But hey, you have to read book 1 first to get what I’m talking about.

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