Priorities

Y'all know I'm a Mom and Mimi.  The past five days, I've been basically a full-time Mimi.  My middle daughter has the girls in "school."  They are two and four.  But they had a break to switch from the school year to summer, and my daughter didn't have anyone to watch the girls while she worked the past five days.

Take that in. 

If she missed one day, she could be fired.  She could lose her apartment, have utilities cut off, and be at zero.  Because she didn't have anyone to watch her girls.  One of those days was Memorial Day.  No one is going to watch your kids on Memorial Day.???  It's a holiday.  Everybody has a day off.  Except for those who don't.  😑

Some families don't have built-in friends and relatives who will watch the kids.  I didn't have that.  She doesn't have that.  And it's hard to find someone you're going to trust your two small children with.  Great concept.  Terrifying reality.

I had this problem twenty years ago.

Single parents need help in ways that aren't being offered.  And, per usual, programs and guidelines are made by those who have never had to deal with the issue.  

They crunch numbers and nod their heads and plug in calculations that look right on paper.  

Parents and their children deserve better.  We should be doing everything in our power to cultivate young minds and giving parents the opportunity to have better choices.  

Period.

Always advocating for parents and their babies*

I'm tired.

 I feel guilty because I'm tired.

Is that a woman thing? A "me" thing? A both thing? I'm not sure.

When I've particularly gone through it and come out on the other side, this quote resonates in my head: 

“Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great. You have no power over me!”  Attributed to Jim Henson who I love with my soul.  💖

Usually I'll give myself a day or two, at most, and I start again on editing or writing. "Chimera" is off for processing. Publishing through IngramSpark, which was an entirely new experience. I feel as though I've been put through the woodchipper. 😬 It was an entirely new experience, but now I'm adept at submitting and publishing through them. Only took half my mind and most my soul. 😶

I think I'm going to give myself a day or two. Then I'll edit "Canary" and publish. 

Today? 

I think I'm going to make a casserole and vacuum. 😎 

Always writing*

...this blog counts 😁

It's been eight days since my last blog...

 ...forgive me.

I'm not even Catholic, yet I feel as though I should atone somehow. 😄

Currently taste-testing IngramSpark for "Chimera".  To say it's been an adventure would be the understatement of the year, so far.

I purchased ISBNs and barcodes.  It's a complete mind shift from Amazon, believe me.  And when I think I've finally found a toehold?  My foot slips.  

IngramSpark is more hands-on and interactive.  Amazon is plug and play.

It's taken me five days to create the cover I want.  Others could probably whip it out in two or three.  Good news?  Next time it'll take me around three.  The more I do, the easier it will be, and we all have to start somewhere.

I don't have someone who does any writing business things for me.  It's me, myself, and I.  Sometimes I want to light my hair on fire, and other times I'm the proudest heifer on planet earth.  

There are so many more facets to writing a book than tapping out a story, and I want to be proficient in all of them to give myself the best chance for success.  And I want the books I write to touch readers.  That's what I reach for anytime I sit at my computer.  Connection.  

If you want to write, just to write, please do.  And bless you if you have any type of help with any of it.  Writing can be sexy, but it is, after all, still work.  It reminds me of this meme that I love.

  

Always writing*

To infinity...and beyond...

...and probably farther than that. 😬 

I'm editing "Chimera."  Again.  Yesterday I used the "find" option to look for those words I use I don't necessarily need.  And holy shit.  Easy to get real happy with certain words, isn't it?  Not one "very" which I was incredibly pleased about.  But "that"?  Oh, help me.  Half of those I simply deleted without changing any meaning to the sentence.  ARGH  

Crutch word.

A phrase I used ad nauseum.  And the word "started."  Oh, that one is a devil.  Horns and all.

But now it's tighter and leaner.  And it has me wondering.  Is that how I talk?  Going to be paying more attention to that.  

Sometimes I will literally edit what I say before I say it.  Do other writers do that?  

Endlessly fascinating.

Still on vacation.  Sitting in this uncomfortable ass chair and working on the words.  

EDITING

We're almost there, darling.  Almost there.

Always writing*

  

Roll with it

I AM ON VACATION!!!

This was actually postponed from three years ago.  We were definitely overdue.  And while we will enjoy the sauna, grilling, and a different view...I still have editing.  Because of course I do.  😁

I've set up shop in the kitchen.  This place has a decided lack of desks.  It's disturbing.  And I can't type with my laptop on my lap.  Too wibbly wobbly.  

We brought the fur children.  My feline son has ants in his pants.  Can't seem to settle his cute little butt down.  We're staying for a week.  He was running this place Day 2 of the last time we were here.  

But back to the theme.

Roll with it.

I'm a creature of habit.  I like what I like how I like it.  I love my desk, my Sanctuary, and all my regular writing habits.  And I'm not someone who turns a corner easily, so this is a bit challenging.  But here I am.  Sitting at the kitchen table in a rigid wooden chair with my laptop and my special light-up keyboard because I need the familiarity of the clack clack clack of the keys.  My power cord to my laptop is stretched from table to cabinet.  And it's a bit uncomfortable.

But it's no more uncomfortable than sitting around and doing absolutely nothing with my writing.  That's simply unacceptable.  If I have to sit on the floor and put my laptop on a coffee table, I will.  If my ass goes numb, already halfway there now, I will still sit here and finish what I started.

Rarely is there a perfect writing day.  Those are for rich authors who can sequester themselves in a suite or writers' haven and only concentrate on one thing.  The rest of us juggle on the daily.  Squeeze this love in when we can.

Picture of Simba sleeping by my feet.  Obligatory feline son picture.

  

Simply, write when you can, even in not-so-great circumstances.  You'll be glad you did.

Always writing*

...signed numb ass in Oklahoma

Please Come Again Review

I have an author interview and review for Please Come Again available.  All my love and thanks to Lily who did both.  💖  

When I began publishing, I could send a story off to six different review sites and come back with three good reviews I could use on my webpage.  This was circa 2006.  

The game has changed...and then some.

Most of those sites no longer exist.  The ones that do have changed their protocol.  Some are "members only" for authors.  Some no longer review and only advertise.  And some are booked for months for reviews so why bother?

Then there are ads.  They're expensive as hell.  And where do you want to place them?  Twitter?  FB?  Insta?  Amazon?  There are so many sites willing to post one post for you for an exorbitant amount of money in front of their 60,000 followers.  I can't justify that.  Believe me, I've tried.  I have to be smart with my advertising dollars.  

I find my reviewers.  I post my ads.  I scour the damn Internet looking for ways to promote myself I haven't thought of previously.  My hair is always on fire.  I want to give my works the most and best exposure I can find.  I want to blast the ever-loving hell out of them, as a proud parent does.  😊

So go take a look at Lily's site and check out my review.  We'd both appreciate it.  😁

Always writing*

...and working this ass off...😉