Farewell to the Best and Worst Year of My Life: Part 1

I have a confession. In high school, I thought Charles Dickens was full of crap. How could it be the best of times AND the worst of times? I couldn't wrap my pea-sized adolescent brain around that concept. Then again, my problems were miniscule compared to those of a real adult. At that time, I couldn't wait to grow up. If I had the ability to go back in time, I would slap my pimpled face and tell myself that things were so easy now, probably too easy. Being an adult is more difficult than anyone thinks it will be. You struggle to reach a point where you have enough money, time, or sanity to accomplish what you need to do. If you're a parent, everything goes out the window when something traumatic happens.

The year began with my son Zachary becoming very ill. On January 4th, he went home sick and it became readily apparent that it wasn't just the stomach flu. He wasn't improving. Before this debacle, he rarely got sick and recovered quickly when he did. That was not the case with this mystery illness. The abdominal pain was excruciating for him and for us as observers. Going to the hospital didn't help. In fact, it worsened his condition. He developed a rash on his legs that told his pediatrician what it was. Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), A rare autoimmune disorder that we had never heard of was draining his body of everything we take for granted. His joints hurt so much that he couldn't walk. He had to be carried to the ultrasound room. He couldn't eat solid food, so his only nourishment was delivered through the veins. We felt helpless and heartbroken about not being able to do a thing to alleviate his agony. The picture below is the rash that represented broken blood vessels. This condition affects children between the ages of 2 and 11. You can read more about it here.

The hardest part of the diagnosis was that the disease is so rare that very few know how to treat it. The rheumatologist at Texas Children's Hospital provided the most helpful information. He had at least seen enough of it to know that certain foods were forbidden for the time being. Apparently, pizza is the worst possible thing one with this illness can eat. It also happens to be Zachary's all-time favorite food. The doctor instructed us to keep him on bland foods for six weeks and we adhered to that. Plain potatoes, rice, and boiled chicken with Jell-O for dessert. To this day, he shudders at the sight of Jell-O. Anyway, his condition improved and after six weeks, we thought it was alright to allow him pizza. That was a huge mistake that sent us back to the hospital. Ultimately, we overcame the illness by going gluten-free diet during his recovery. Tests proved he was not allergic to anything, but the restricted diet really helped with his recovery.

After a long search, I'd secured a position that I thought was my dream job. I'd been hired as a legal writer in December 2012. It was very challenging, but I enjoyed it. It was intellectually stimulating and lifted me out of the extreme depression I'd been experiencing. When Zachary got sick, I couldn't function and my work suffered as a result. Sleep was impossible. I couldn't take off much because I didn't have the sick leave. Any time I did take was unpaid, which wasn't feasible for me. Each day, I went to work in a daze as my immediate family members took care of my son. It was unbearable. I should have resigned, but I trudged ahead because I thought that I belonged there. Unfortunately, I was let go just inside of 90 days on the job. I know this sounds depressing, but things do get better. I will share more in my next blog post, so stay tuned for part II. There is an upside to all of this despair and heartbreak.

Tis the Season

I feel very guilty because of my infrequent blog posts. This time of year has to be the busiest few weeks in the entire year! If I'm not decorating, I'm baking or doing one of a million other things that have to be done before Christmas. The tree looks great and the mantle looks terrific (see above). An added plus of having a real tree is you get to use leftovers for DIY garland. The smell is amazing. We've always had an artificial tree, so this is a whole new experience for me. The trick is keeping the dog from drinking the tree water and the rabbit from munching on the tree. Christmas cards are mostly done, which is a huge accomplishment. Let's just say that I've always meant to send them out. I'm trying not to spend money on decorations this year, so it's been fun making creative use of existing Christmas junk (see below). That's about all I have time for right now. Merry Christmas to everyone and stay safe during this hectic time.

Why I'm Thankful and Thanks-Giveaway Tuesday

So, my trusty Toyota Corolla decided to choke for me last week. I was subbing and decided to run out for a bite for my lunch break. Turned the key and nothing happened. My first thought is that I left a light on and it drained my battery. No, surprisingly that wasn't the problem. Come to find out it was the battery. Most batteries just die. My battery pretty much imploded, which was bizarre. Anyway, the point is that one unlucky turn of events yielded plenty to be thankful for. First of all, the car died in the parking lot and not in the middle of an intersection. Also, the principal who tried to jumpstart my car gave me a ride to McDonald's so I could get something to eat. I'm also thankful to have a mechanically inclined spouse who took off from work to pick up the new battery and replace it in the parking lot. Lastly, AutoZone was nice enough to give us a discount on the battery even though the warranty had already expired. My car runs perfectly now (as I knock on the biggest piece of wood I can find). The point that I want to reiterate is that as much as setbacks suck, they teach us to appreciate the little things that we probably take for granted.

What are you thankful for? The first person to leave a comment will receive a free copy of my short story Hannah Strong.

Why This Week Was Awesome

My schedule this week has been crazy (in a good way), so I'm running behind on blogging. My goal is to post three times a week. However, with the holiday season looming, I may have to aim lower. Also, I'm changing up my approach to weekly positive energy because it shouldn't be limited to just three things.

First of all, I've had my first Starbucks Peppermint Brownie cake pop of the holiday season. They are definitely one of the things I look forward to the most this time of year. I really don't feel too guilty about having one. I'm sure the Skinny Peppermint Mocha negates the calories anyway.

Secondly, I began subbing this week. It's not exactly steady income yet. After Thanksgiving, I should be able to pick up enough work to earn my keep. I worked at a high school, which I never thought I would be comfortable with. The kids were really great though. It was more of a therapeutic school than academics and the classes were really small. Overall, it was a really positive experience that I hope to repeat soon.

Lastly, I'm up to three positive reviews for Hannah Strong, which can be viewed here. I feel blessed to have secured help from some really fantastic book bloggers. My Goodreads profile is looking a little better, but I'm still working on it. Am I the only one who has a hard time navigating Goodreads? I've never found it very user-friendly.

I hope everyone is taking a much deserved break next week and spending time with family and friends. At the end of the day, that is what is important.

Four Good Things About This Week

My dog is adorable

1. Max (see above) makes me laugh on a regular basis. He really has no rhyme or reason, which makes him the perfect dog for me.
2. I worked a catering gig last night and the guy I worked with thought I was only 29 years old, which brings me to number 3...
3. I got carded for a bottle of Sangria at the grocery store today, which is awesome when you're six months away from forty.
4. Two four-star reviews for Hannah Strong on Amazon. Book bloggers are fantastic people. Treat them well because they deserve it.

Unfortunately, said bottle of Sangria went crashing to the floor today and I spent thirty minutes sweeping up the glass. My father-in-law took pity on me and sent me out for a new bottle, so that cancels out the negative.

I mean every word about book bloggers. If literary agents were the gatekeepers under the old publishing model, book bloggers are their equivalent under the new model. Anyone who wishes to self-publish should approach them with the same methodology as an agent. Study their submission requirements and don't get discouraged if they can't accept anything new. Most of them are swamped with review requests. If one turns you down, don't take it personal. Just move on to the next one. Be kind, courteous, and appreciative.

So now that I've totally highjacked my own blog post, I'm going to call it a night and blame the Sangria.

Hannah Strong is available at Amazon here for download

Reviews are always appreciated. If you are a reviewer, feel free to contact me and I will send you a free copy of the story.

    

Why is Everyone Loco for Loki?

Thor: The Dark World opens this weekend, so it seemed like a good opportunity to discuss disgruntled demigod Loki, one of the most fascinating characters in the Marvel Universe. What makes him so compelling? Why does he have a bigger following than Thor? Why was there a grassroots Internet campaign to convince Marvel to give him his own movie? Why is he so much more charismatic than the Marvel heroes? How does that headpiece not give him migraine scale headaches? Maybe that's why he's always in a bad mood.

I think one of the biggest things Loki has going for him is he is more antihero than villain and antiheroes are a huge commodity right now. From Breaking Bad and Mad Men on AMC to The Blacklist on NBC, they are everywhere. We aren't supposed to root for these people, but we can't help it. We want to see these broken individuals redeemed. It's why Breaking Bad achieved huge ratings in its final season and it's probably what will drive people to see Thor: The Dark World this weekend.

As far as Loki goes, I can't help but feel sorry for him. Daddy issues? Check. Off the charts sibling rivalry? Check. When Thor is your brother, what are you supposed to do to distinguish yourself? You become the god of mischief and you go (Spoiler Alert for a movie that's been out for going on two years now) Vlad the Impaler on Agent Coulson. That act seems like a moot point now if you watch Marvel's Agents of Shield. If the studio is wise, they'll find a way to incorporate Loki into the show's storyline and give Coulson some seriously epic panic attacks.

Loki was one of the best things about The Avengers and all of the credit should go to Tom Hiddleston. How many actors can hijack scenes from Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, two of cinema's greatest scene stealers? The bit when Loki gets smashed into the floor by the Hulk is more memorable because of his reaction. It's clear that Hiddleston has great fun with the character and that is what makes him so entertaining. Seriously, can Tom Hiddleston get any more awesome than he already is? If you haven't already, watch last summer's Comic-Con footage of him as Loki. If it doesn't convince you of Hiddleston's awesomeness, nothing will.

Three Good Things About This Week

1. Zachary's elbow has completely healed. Phenomenal how fast young bones heal!
2. No less than three interviews for the week. One today for a creative freelancing firm, a phone interview tomorrow for a technical writing gig followed by a substitute teaching interview. Good things are bound to happen. I'm optimistic that things will get better.
3. The lovely and amazing Hope Haugstad agreed to read and review Hannah Strong for me.

I've been feeling under the weather since the weekend. A trip to the doctor on Monday and some pretty good prescription meds have helped me feel a little closer to halfway decent. I am a bit behind on everything though. I re-published Hannah Strong on Smashwords and it finally made premium status today. It's available for free download for Thursday and Friday at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/340069.  Starting Saturday November 9, the price will go up to 99 cents at least until I turn 40 on May 29th 2014. Yikes, I can't believe I'm looking at four decades now. No wrinkles yet. Thank God for good genes and moisturizers. 

What do Indiana Jones, Trash Can Punch, and a Bottle of Pepto-Bismol Have in Common?

Image courtesy of Flickr via Creative Commons

They're all in this scene in one way or another.

Below is just a short excerpt from Justin Briggs. Given that it's Halloween, I decided to post a brief scene from a party that goes awry. Dressed as Indiana Jones, the protagonist attends a Halloween party with his fiancee, dressed as Marion from Raiders of the Lost Ark. An argument before going inside sends her running off, so he goes inside to look for her.

Someone made up a barrel of trash can punch for the party.  Despite the abundance of Everclear, the red punch tasted innocent. The pineapples and cherries did not. The fruit soaked in the liquor overnight and swelled up to twice the normal size. 

Justin added the Jack Daniels to his punch and sucked it down with a massive cherry. As he ladled more punch into his cup, a half-thawed ice ring of eyeballs floated to the surface. The knowledge that they were fakes didn’t keep the chill from running up his spine. 

Justin scanned the room for Stacey.  An assortment of witches, werewolves, and mummies bounced around to “Don’t Fear the Reaper.”  He bumped into a redheaded nurse with her cleavage peeking out of her costume. Her drink spilled, but she didn’t seem to care. She touched him on the arm, causing his pulse to accelerate.

“Love the outfit,” she said with a wink.

“Thanks,” he said. “All nurses should look like you. It should be a prerequisite for nursing school.”

She laughed. “You want to get out of here? Go somewhere less crowded?”

He hadn’t been out of practice so long that he didn’t realize what she was getting at.

“Actually, I’m looking for my better half. Have you seen a girl in a white dress with…”

A giant Pepto-Bismol bottle walked right past him him. It had to be his friend Tyler. He’d laid out his costume plan weeks ago. He’d sketched it out and hunted down a white lampshade at a garage sale so he’d have a lid. Justin never thought he’d do it.  He marveled at Tyler’s accomplishment and envied him for not wearing  a boring store-bought costume.

He tipped his hat to the nurse and said, “If you’ll excuse me for just a moment.”

Affordable Editing for Indie Authors

Image courtesy of Flickr via Creative Commons

All writers need editors.  If you’re an indie writer, you probably have to hire your own editor. We all like to think that we write perfect stories with error-free prose. However, the reality is that we are so close to our stories that we can’t always find our mistakes. It’s like thinking you have the perfect child while outsiders may think differently. Editors serve as outsiders. We need their objective eyes to see the flaws that escape us and affect the quality of our manuscripts.

Like everything else, editing can be expensive. If you are as broke as I am, this puts the brakes on your work in progress. If you are lucky, you have a friend who edits manuscripts. If you are incredibly fortunate, they’ll do it for free. Most of us don’t have that luxury. If you’re me, you scour your house for things to sell on eBay.  I really don’t need my bike right? It’s not like I ride it very often.  I think it’s worth enough to get the cash I need.

That’s where Hercules Editing & Consulting comes in. They have a basic editing service that covers spelling and grammar as well as consistency and details. When Dr. Beth Lynne edits your manuscript, she uses her sharp eye to weed out any mistakes with historical details. For example, I described a house as Victorian when it should have been Victorian-style. Such a small detail might have gone unnoticed by someone else.

The basic editing is $1.00 per page. I’ve seen many editors charge a minimum of $10.00 per page.  I once thought that that price was standard. Some might even consider it affordable. It put a big dent in my bank account. Hercules is just as good, if not better and I don’t have to choose between eating and editing. In addition to editing, they offer proofreading, formatting, and beta reading. More information about these services can be found at http://www.bzhercules.com/author_editing_services.html

And yes, I still have my bike. That's not to say I actually ride it though.

Three Good Things About This Week

1. Zachary turned 12 years old yesterday. It was crazy hair day at school. He doesn't always look like he stuck his finger in a light socket.
2. Yesterday, I learned that the gentleman I tutored for the writing portion of the GED passed the re-test. In fact, he boosted his score by 100 points. 
3. Being able to run a decent length without collapsing at the end. Maybe the zombie run is a realistic goal after all.

Hope everyone is having a spectacular week too. Being able to share three things by Wednesday is actually pretty great in and of itself.

Hannah Strong 2.0 (Updated)

Below is an excerpt from the updated version of Hannah Strong, which will be available for free download from Smashwords until noon on Saturday November 9th. After that, it will be 99 cents on Smashwords and Amazon. In addition to the updated story, the preview chapter of Miracle at Santa Anita is also included as bonus material.

Download via Smashwords

Download via Amazon

Hannah breathed in the multifaceted smell of leather, hay, and ointment. Everyone had his or her favorite fragrances. Only two in the world mattered to her: Chanel No. 5 and stables. If there were ever a candle born with either scent, she would have one in each room of the apartment.

As Hannah walked down the long corridor, the residents greeted her with their long faces that ended with velvet muzzles. Their eyes were kind; something that escaped hardened city people. Life happened and took prisoners. Horses were not ones to surrender their spirits to the world. Neither was Hannah.

She stopped in front of a coffee-colored mare that evoked her beloved Hershey. The chocolate mare was sold to a neighbor, just days after her mother’s funeral. A tear crept into her left eye. She blinked it back. Crying was pointless. Her slender fingers stroked the mare’s sculpted visage. The nameplate on the stall read Callie. She was going to ride Callie today. 

How to Get a Professional Quality Ebook Cover on a Ramen Noodle Budget

It goes without saying that most writers are broke and self-publishing isn't exactly cheap. Editing, proofing, layout, and cover design are all of critical importance. Cover design is especially important. It's the visual representation of your hard work and you want to attract your potential readers with an attractive cover.

Aubrey Watt is a writer and cover designer. She's done two covers for me so far and I love both of them. The cover for my new story Justin Briggs cost me just ten bucks. I supplied the stock photo and within twenty-four hours, it was done. According to her website, her turnaround time is 1-5 days.

If you are the DIY type of writer, she has tutorial on creating your own cover with GIMP. I was a bit short on time and truth to told, I'd rather pay her to do a much better job than I could do on my best day. If you look at the gallery on her website, you'll see why.

I really can't speak highly enough about her and recommend her to anyone because of her indie-friendly prices, quick turnaround time, and beautiful work. Visit http://aubreywatt.com/ for more information.

Three Good Things About This Week

1. Remember the movie Wall*E and how excited he was to find a single living plant amid the ruins of what was once Earth?  Well, I'm having a Wall*E moment because just last week, my basil plant was completely dead. After some much needed rain this week, it is making a comeback. Reminds me that no matter how bad it seems, things do improve. 

     2.  Zachary is still healthy. I'm going to ride one that one for awhile.

   

     3.  Job interview tomorrow. It's so much harder to get them these days. 

Justin Briggs

Below is an excerpt from the short story I'm working on now. Thoughts, feedback, or suggestions are appreciated. Is he too unlikeable? I'm a fan of imperfect characters, but I want him to be somewhat appealing so that people will care enough to see if he makes it out of the bottle in the end.

Houston, TX

October 31, 1983

One o’clock in the morning and wide-awake.

Justin Briggs rolled out of his bed and stumbled over his sneakers. Keeping them beside the bed was supposed to encourage him to run in the mornings with his fiancée Stacey.

Stacey’s absence from the bed reminded him of the epic argument they’d had three days ago. No communication since then. She’d gone to stay with her parents and he wasn’t sure how they’d patch things up.

He staggered to the kitchen and prepared himself a drink: rum and Coke, actually rum with a splash of Coke. He consumed it like anyone else would drink water and then he made another one.

Work called to him. The typewriter on the kitchen table appeared to say, “Deadline, you bastard.”  The profile on Tom Delay, an up and coming politician from Sugar Land, wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped. In college, he could crank out a paper the night before it was due, usually aided by a steady supply of No-Doz. His level of give a shit was now at an all time low.

He picked up the phone and dialed. It rang five times before his best friend Travis picked it up and muttered an indecipherable greeting.

“It’s me. Can you come over?”

Travis groaned. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“It’s one-thirty. I really need to talk. Aren’t you off tomorrow?”

“What is so fucking important that it can’t wait until daylight?”

“Stacey’s gone. She’s at her parents.”

“You guys have a fight?”

“What do you think?”

“Alright,” Travis muttered. “You do owe me for this.”

Justin hung up the phone and threw himself on the couch. He’d picked up the phone to call her at least three times since she departed with a door slam that shook the walls and sent their five-year anniversary picture crashing to the floor.

Wine, he thought.  A trip to the wine rack yielded a bottle of Beringer cabernet. He pulled the junk drawer open and cursed himself for not being organized enough to keep up with a corkscrew. He slammed the drawer shut and selected a cheap white zinfandel with a screw on top.

He’d finished off two glasses by the time Travis arrived.

“Damn dude. Things must be really bad if you’re drinking chick wine.”

“Fuck off. I can’t find the corkscrew.”

Travis chuckled. “You drink too much.”

Justin took a sip of the wine. It really was awful, but he wasn’t fazed. “Does Stacey seem much different to you?”

Travis sat down on a barstool and said, “I haven’t really seen her enough lately to know.”

“We fight about everything lately.”

“Give me some examples.”

“If I bring up anything to do with the wedding, she goes ballistic.”

“Girls pull their hair out about shit like that. I wouldn’t worry about that too much.”

“You don’t understand. We can’t have a normal conversation like this without her screaming at me about something. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

“Are you guys going to Craig’s party tomorrow?”

“That’s another problem. We fought about what to dress up as. When I gave my suggestion, she went completely ape-shit.”

“Hugh Hefner and one of his bunnies.”

“What was her idea?”

“Barbie and Ken.”

“I see why you revolted. One gets nothing but ass. The other couldn’t get ass if he tried.”

“What would you suggest?”

“Indiana Jones. She could be Marion. I don’t mean the grungy barfly Marion. Sexy low-cut, white dress Marion.”

“That’s brilliant. I already have a leather jacket and khaki pants. I’m pretty sure I have a shirt that would work. I don’t have a hat or a bullwhip though.”

“Or a horse.”

“He didn’t have a horse.”

“He rode one, remember?”

“Only cause he didn’t have a choice.”

Travis shook his head. No point in arguing with a functional alcoholic who would never seek therapy for his screwed up existence.

“Do you want me to talk to her? I’ll throw the Indiana Jones idea out there and see what she says. She might love it.”

“You’d do that?”

“Sure. I’m off work tomorrow, I mean today.”

“I’m not. Curtis will murder me if I call in but show up at the party.”

“Alright, I’ll take Stacey to the costume shop. We’ll find everything ya’ll need.”

“You are a godsend.”