I’ve noticed that as I prepare more and more for NaNo, I’ve been talking a lot less. Normally, my husband can’t shut me up. I’m talking to him, talking to the dog, talking to the cats, yelling at the computer, etc etc etc. Over the last couple of days, though, he has asked me at least eight times, “Are you okay? You’re so quiet! Are you upset? Sad? What’s up?” or some variation of the same. So I’ve figured out that the more words I dispense into... Continue Reading →
I am in love with the weather right now. It’s 9pm, beautifully dark, a light rain falling against concrete, grass, tin roofs, and cars. I have almost every house light off, no television on, just the sound of the rain falling and my furbabies playing. My outdoor Halloween decorations are plugged in, so an orange glow is beautifying our front porch. This really may be the most relaxing environment I’ve been in since lying on a beach in the Caribbean. Read More →
Two weeks to go! Anyone else NaNoing this year? My dog chewed a hole in my Wonder Woman mojo-writing hat, so I’m going to have to find a new “uniform” for this year’s festivities. This year, I’ll actually be able to get my official “NaNo Winner” title, since they’ve decided to allow “scrambled” texts in the word-count verifier. Up until now, you’ve had to copy/paste your work in full on the site, in order to prove your 50,000... Continue Reading →
Did you miss me? The cruise was phenomenal. The ship, magnificent. The waters, breathtaking. The islands, little dollops of heaven. Naturally, I kept a journal while we were traveling (you can take the writer away from the computer, but dang it, most of us remember how to use pens!) and I’ll definitely be bringing some entries here. For now, I’m recovering. Lucky me managed to get sick while on vacation (of course) and am now battling walking pneumonia, sinusitis, bronchitis,... Continue Reading →
Well, tonight is the night! We will be creeping out during the witching hours to make a hellacious drive to the airport, flying around for a while, and then boarding a cruise ship destined for the Caribbean. If preparing for this trip has taught me anything, it’s this: shopping for summery clothes in September is fantastic. Linen pants for $5, countless lovely blouses ranging from $1.50 to $10, shorts for $3.50… I love 75% off sales! Shopping-induced adrenaline high aside, I’m... Continue Reading →
There are few things worse than having a passion for a craft that requires internet access, only to have your router(s) completely fall apart on you. Seriously, it sounds like an upgraded version of “the dog ate my homework” excuse. “I haven’t been shirking my work, I swear. My router just died.” Hrmph. Read More →
I made a post last night and now it’s gone! Gah! Today has been spent in the car. I had to take my little girl cat, Genie, to the vet. Poor thing has dreadful inhalant allergies, and had to have another steroid shot. Ouch! She was rewarded with a small mountain of treats when we got home, though, so I think she’ll manage My good friend Sarah and her lovely husband Brennen helped me design a business card a few weeks ago. Those finally came in, along with refrigerator magnets of... Continue Reading →
Today is Saturday, and in the southern states that means one thing and one thing only: football. More specifically, college football. Even more specifically, SEC college football. The world stops, the housework goes unnoticed, the finger-foods go down the gullet faster than Tom Cruise goes through glib comments, and ardent SEC fans whoop and holler at thousands of television screens in stereo. Armchair coaches, sofa-bound defensive coordinators, and backyard quarterbacks cheer, curse, and... Continue Reading →
Earlier today, I was reminded of something that happened when I was a kid. We lived on an Air Force Base, so it was not at all uncommon for kids to get together and take off playing, not to return home until the streetlights came on. It was safe. We would play hide-and-seek games that spanned two or three blocks, and our parents never worried. One summer evening, the streetlights came on and my parents hadn’t seen me anywhere outside. They started looking for me. They went outside, yelled... Continue Reading →
What with spook-season being just around the corner (not to mention my favorite time of year), I present to thee, Noctem Aeternus: It was a one-off horror magazine published in .PDF format, downloadable and free. Its first, and to my knowledge only, issue was in January 2008, and available here. Far from your typically tame horror tales, the stories told in this magazine really do their job. Goosebumps, prickly skin, staccato heartbeats, and the occasional, “What was that??” jump... Continue Reading →
