tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81297158341146852802024-03-05T01:50:27.357-08:00Nonsensical Essentials (and other such gibberish)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-35680910456659466492016-11-17T22:37:00.001-08:002016-11-17T22:37:35.314-08:00True Confessions of a Jack of all TradesI will never be Michelangelo. Or Tolkien. Or Picasso.<br />
<br />
It's no secret how much I love to pursue new interests. I'm always looking for something shiny and new to wake up my mind. It's what I love. It's what makes me tick. It makes me happy to be alive.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately it also has drawbacks. Each interest stops being new at some point and begins to be old and tiresome. It becomes work and my ADHD mind no longer classifies it as as a priority. Thus I always tend to cycle out of an interest at some point and start looking for the next shiny thing.<br />
<br />
I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. I have a list of skills as long as my arm. People tell me that they're amazed at the number of different things I know how to do. I don't say this to brag. I'm quite competent at many things, but I will never be Michelangelo.<br />
<br />
Here is some painful honesty. I cycled out of writing a year and a half ago.<br />
<br />
The more I denied this fact and the harder I clung to it the more miserable I became. Miserable, depressed, and frustrated with myself for not being stronger. For not having the passion I see in others who have found their calling and have laid their souls on the alter. I'm am in awe of you, and a little jealous. While you are becoming Tolkien I will still be chasing after the next shiny thing and becoming merely competent.<br />
<br />
There is good news in all this. I always tend to cycle back to my greatest passions. Sometimes it takes months, sometimes years or even decades, but I always come back. Perhaps over the course of several cycles I will grow past competence and become good or even great. I don't know yet.<br />
<br />
And just for the record, this doesn't mean I'm swearing off writing completely and shunning friends and the community I grown to love. It just means I'm giving myself a break. I am, as of this moment, giving myself permission to be passionate about something else and stop trying to force myself into a box that doesn't fit right now.<br />
<br />
I may never be Michelangelo, but I am Christauna, and today that is enough.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-74260970196100624382016-09-25T18:28:00.000-07:002016-09-25T18:28:01.614-07:00Back in the LightIt's amazing how bright the light is when coming out of the dark.<br />
<br />
Years of darkness. Deep depression, medium depression, and even slightly blue is no way to live. In fact you don't live during those times, you survive.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to say that I'm back among the living.<br />
<br />
Since I've been open about mental illnesses up to this point, it's only fair I finish the story. A few months ago I found myself at a point of medium depression that I felt I would never be able to shake. I wasn't lost in the black hole, but I wasn't living either. Everything was gray. It was a time of "no" for me. No, I don't want to go to that activity. No, I don't want to write. No, I don't want to read. No, I don't want to do much of anything other than eat, sleep, work, and the occasional date night with my man. Unrelenting medium depression is a blah existence.<br />
<br />
One morning during yoga (yes, yoga every Monday morning at six for the past 3 years...which I didn't want to go to) I found myself praying. I was tired of my gray existence. I knew God could heal me, and I pleaded, with tears dripping onto my mat, that he would do so. And I got an immediate answer.<br />
<br />
"Be thou healed."<br />
<br />
Be thou healed. A gift from my Heavenly Father. Healed? Me? After all this time, all I needed to do was ask? Maybe. Maybe I hadn't prayed in earnest before. Maybe there were things I needed to learn in the dark years. Maybe it was just time. Whatever it was, I believed that God could and had healed me. I just needed faith and action to accept this gift.<br />
<br />
With great faith, and not a little trepidation, I took action.<br />
<br />
I went off my antidepressants...<br />
<br />
No one panic. This story has a happy ending. Or beginning, however you want to look at it. Over the next couple of months I slowly weaned myself off the drugs. And very slowly over the next couple of months the gray fog bank evaporated, leaving nothing but bright sunshine in a cloudless sky.<br />
<br />
It's been well over a month since I kicked my antidepressants to the curb and I'm having a tremendous time rejoining my life. It's taking effort, but all the No's in my life are becoming potential Yes's once again.<br />
<br />
Thank you to my sweet family and dear friends who have hung in there with me through my black and gray years. And thank you to my Heavenly Father for giving me back my life. It's still going to take some time to rebuild myself, but for now I'm just happy to be able to turn my face to the warm sun and smile again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-91517844956975828252015-11-09T20:35:00.000-08:002015-11-09T20:35:48.496-08:00I Fight<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkClr2Kz-tgXd1lkpfu9WZEohrjGXPxtOrtcP-cE3XeBhDasU1F-U7_U2aY8tBZYo8sfiqawhnvOtIJjBj9WyU4OfX3p7XusGDsz-PhVc1sfsaddisk4LGSNPftYz7PbjWSE8eCInV1iM/s1600/Ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkClr2Kz-tgXd1lkpfu9WZEohrjGXPxtOrtcP-cE3XeBhDasU1F-U7_U2aY8tBZYo8sfiqawhnvOtIJjBj9WyU4OfX3p7XusGDsz-PhVc1sfsaddisk4LGSNPftYz7PbjWSE8eCInV1iM/s640/Ghost.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who am I? I used to know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was a daughter, an adventurer, a mother.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who am I?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was a writer, an artist, a woodworker, a painter, a gardener, a housekeeper, a chef?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finding, learning, discovering.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dedicated, productive, determined, happy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was. I was…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All was’s. All were’s.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who am I?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A ghost.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Detachment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Disconnect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cocooned. Trapped.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want light. I want darkness. I want happiness. I want nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Light. I see you. I’m reaching.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sludge. Enfolded in the dark embrace. Tears forced from my eyes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I lose.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I win.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I desire.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fight...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That is who I am.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-2213406209001668132015-05-12T18:15:00.000-07:002015-05-12T18:15:40.861-07:00The Silent, Dream-Stealing Monster<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Depression is a funny thing. And when I say funny, I mean
the furthest thing from. For me it presents as a silent, vile, soul-sucking,
dream-stealing demon that I’m unable to see until it’s devoured everything that
makes me happy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know those profile details you put on every social media
account that lists your interests. Think of your top three. Do they make you
smile? Mine do. They are reading, writing, and art. Not always in that order,
but always in the top three. Now imagine if every time you thought about one of
those top three things, instead of a smile it brought out feelings of anger,
hatred, disgust, sadness, and guilt.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s the true face of depression for me. It snuck up on me
gradually, disguising itself as stress, exhaustion, sickness, and boredom. For
months it crawled through my inner joy and took little bites with venomous
teeth until one day I found myself staring out the window for hours,
floundering in the realization that there was nothing in the world I wanted to
do. Had I ever liked to do anything? I didn’t want to read. The very thought
made me exhausted. I didn’t want to paint, draw, refinish furniture, or
crochet. Worst of all, I didn’t want to write. I hated the idea of putting
words down. I even despised the characters in my manuscripts that I had once
loved so much. Writing? No. Never again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I confessed this to a friend, thinking that perhaps my
interest in writing had just waned. Perhaps I never was a writer and this
passing fad was now done. “Do you mean, like, forever?!” she asked. And I
really believed this was the case.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Motivational memes and happy writers on Facebook and Twitter
only made me feel worse. “Have you written today?” “4000 words and counting!”
And worst of all, “Writers write even when they don’t want to!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well I didn’t want to. I wasn’t even sure how I ever had! I
hated it! Hated them all! Those annoying, prolific, happy writers, so cocky and
confident that their loves and talents would always be there. Didn’t they know
that talent was fleeting? That at any moment it could be ripped away, trampled
on the ground. Unbearable jerks, all of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve suffered with depression before. Written through it.
Infused the dark feelings and sadness into my manuscripts to great effect. This
round of depression socked me so hard I was certain I never see light again. I
would never read. I would never write. And I would never again create beautiful
art. That part of my life was over. All I could do was survive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You’ll be happy to note the word “was” in the previous
paragraph. Today I feel better. The sun is shining the rich scent of cut grass
and a first cutting of alfalfa is in the air, and I got to take my doggies to
the dog park. I was able to smile even when they annoyed me, and I felt
lightness on my shoulders for the first time in months. Perhaps I could write
again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My marker for how well I’m feeling has been my writing, and
obviously I’m once again putting words to the page. It’s been a long, slow,
uphill battle. I have had many small victories and large steps backward. I’ve
had to come to some surprising realizations about depression and who I am as a
person.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Present me with a physical enemy and I’ll slice and dice the
bastard with a great deal of bloodthirsty delight rather than let him take one inch.
But this subtle monster, this thing called depression, <i>knows me. </i>It knows what to target that will cause me the most pain.
It knows where to stab, what to whisper, and how to settle deep into my mind
without me suspecting a thing until it’s almost too late.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not writing this post to teach about depression, preach
about mental health, or ask for sympathy. I am simply putting words to a page
in an all out assault against the monster who tried to steal my life. I see you
now. I know who you are and I’ll be damned before I let you take one more inch.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-84731580905647837152015-02-03T08:15:00.000-08:002015-02-15T18:28:09.816-08:00Tips for Creating Characters in Short Fiction<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In honor of the release of Secrets and Doors, I'm offering a few tips for creating characters in short fiction... like the title suggests...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Characters. That’s why I read. I want to meet interesting
people and see them doing interesting things. I like to be in their heads. How
do they think? Why do they feel the need to act this way?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a novel an author can use pages and pages to create a character.
Using the character’s past and present experiences, and internal dialogue, the
reader slowly learns who this person is and they get very attached to them as
they live through sorrow, trials, trauma, and joy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what does that mean for the short story? The author
doesn’t get pages to set up a character. How can an author, make sure his/her
characters are fully developed within a couple of sentences? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Essentially, in a short story, the reader is being dropped
into the middle of a dramatic moment of the character’s life. Their backstory
is a mystery and you don’t have the luxury of a prologue or cute anecdotes into
their past except on a minute level. Here’s a couple of tips to help you create
that fully formed characters in a matter of sentences.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Make sure you know your character and their backstory in all its sordid
detail. Know them as well as you know yourself. Know what makes them tick, what trials they've had in their life that makes them soft spoken, or gruff, or funny. Having these kind of details in your mind will help to color every thought, word spoken, or motivation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Now assuming this character is now fully fleshed out in
your mind, add in tidbits of their backstory through your character's actions, reactions, and dialogue as though the reader already knows their backstory. This will give the impression of a real, incredibly interesting person the reader just
hasn’t gotten to know yet. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Reflection,</i>
by Terra Luft, she artfully does this by giving her character an intense
emotional response to something we would consider mundane: a sweeper on the
street scattering a puddle of water. Make the reader curious.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Use dialogue and stereotypes to your advantage. We all
speak in different tones, languages, and dialects, which help to pinpoint the place we grew
up and possible experiences we endured as a child (aka backstory). You know a Texan is going to
say what’s on their mind and probably try to shoot you at some point. A
southern belle will speak sweetly and yet somehow make you feel small. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t try to go too far outside a stereotype.
Use those kind of twists for a novel, unless the twist is vital to the plot of
your short story. In Johnny Worthen’s piece, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Thousand Secret Doors</i>, from the first section of dialogue you can
glimpse a backstory and two distinct personalities simply through the phrases they use.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In short, (pun absolutely intended!) drop your readers into
the middle of the story. Make sure your characters have a distinct personality
from their first line. Keep backstory brief and relevant and above all don’t
try to do too much. This is a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">short</i>
story, for crying out loud! The reader of a short story just wants a glimpse, they don't want your character's entire life story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTWWj6VV1VZHntXLu93XO6AcsWXE7e5Yv-1aMdvDSxLeJ33NAijU7-o0ycQml5GzBwOAaWFnn4wTHOiwuUqrPQO_9MqmVVE-sd08YWHtA9FdzPE8H1QDg78QrliE3ccP2ZBQ9UxdD2sTT/s1600/SDSebookCover+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTWWj6VV1VZHntXLu93XO6AcsWXE7e5Yv-1aMdvDSxLeJ33NAijU7-o0ycQml5GzBwOAaWFnn4wTHOiwuUqrPQO_9MqmVVE-sd08YWHtA9FdzPE8H1QDg78QrliE3ccP2ZBQ9UxdD2sTT/s1600/SDSebookCover+copy.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a><br />
<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SNUZYGE" target="_blank">Secrets and Doors</a></b></div>
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<o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Open the door and unlock the secrets in eleven short stories
from The Secret Door Society, an organization of fantasy and science fiction
authors dedicated to charitable work. All proceeds from this anthology benefit
the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in their quest to cure Type One
Diabetes (T1D).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In these pages you’ll discover a modern woman trapped in an old
fashioned dreamscape, a futuristic temp worker who fights against her
programming, a beautiful vampire’s secret mission disrupted by betrayal, a sorcerer’s
epic battle against a water dragon, the source of magical mirrors—and more. There
are tales for every science fiction and fantasy taste, including new works from
award-winning authors Johnny Worthen, Lehua Parker, Christine Haggerty, and
Adrienne Monson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"></span><br />
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Join
us in the fight against T1D as you peek into a world of magical and mysterious
doorways—if you dare.</span><!--EndFragment-->
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<br />
So today I'm going to give a brief tutorial of military acronyms used in the book as well as other possibly confusing military terms and relevant rank structure. Rank is super important in any military book so pay attention! Remember, this is <i>Army</i> rank, which is almost completely different from the other branches of the service.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Military terms:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Civilian: Anyone who is not military. Sort of like a Muggle. A lot of you reading this are civilians. Clothing that is not a uniform is referred to as "civvi's."<br />
<br />
Armory: Traditionally used to store weapons and ammo. Nowadays the "armory" often refers to the building that is the headquarters for certain unit. This includes a CTA (see below), offices, classrooms, latrines, storage space, and, yes, even an actual armory.<br />
<br />
CTA: Company Training Area. Large area where the company can gather for formation (ie: standing in neat rows of squads and platoons) in order to take care of formal company business and ceremonies. Also used to gather gear, clean weapons, eat, and whatever else a functioning company wants to use it for.<br />
<br />
HMMV: High Mobility Muti-terrain Vehicle. Also known as a Humvee or a Hummer. Different from the shiny, civilian-type Hummers, these are slow, practical, powerful and can even drive partially underwater and be fine. Very reliable and sturdy.<br />
<br />
Deuce: A Deuce and a Half, or affectionately known as a Deuce, is a large military transport truck. They usually have two long, splintery benches in the back for sitting and are covered by a pioneer-wagon-style canvas tarp.<br />
<br />
Round: For lack of a better word, this is a bullet, except that it is actually a combination of the bullet (think metal projectile that shoots from the gun), and the brass casing that holds the "bullet", and the gunpowder. All together it is called a round. These are the things you load into a magazine (see below).<br />
<br />
Tracer round: Basically it is a bullet that glows brightly when shot, making if visible to the naked eye. They are very cool. The round Rose carries around is a Tracer. I pulled this information off of Wikipedia because it explained it better than I could.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracer_ammunition" target="_blank">Tracer </a>ammunition</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> (</span><b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">tracers</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">) are </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Bullet">bullets</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannon" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Cannon">cannon caliber</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> projectiles that are built with a small </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrotechnic" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Pyrotechnic">pyrotechnic</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> charge in their base. Ignited by the burning powder, the pyrotechnic composition burns very brightly, making the projectile visible to the naked eye. This enables the shooter to follow the projectile </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajectory" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Trajectory">trajectory</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> to make aiming corrections.</span></div>
<br />
Magazine: This is not something that has home decorating tips or celebrity gossip. It is the square-ish metal thing you load your rounds into so that you can snap the whole thing into your weapon and be able to fire constantly until the ammo runs out. I would carry a half a dozen of these in my utility belt when we were out training so I wouldn't have to bother loading them.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>Weapons: </b>(note: soldiers know to call these things <i>weapons</i>, not guns. A rifle is a rifle, while a pistol is a pistol. Calling them all weapons is easiest. I mean, just try to call your rifle a <i>gun</i> when a Drill Sergeant is nearby... You'll only do it once.)<br />
<br />
M-16: Big ol' awesome rifle, although surprisingly light and has very little kick. It is wickedly accurate, especially in the hands of a pro. I used the M-16 A2 (which is the 2nd version of the rifle) when I was in basic training. It can fire a single shot at a time (one trigger pull, one shot) or has a function where you can fire a 3 round burst (one trigger pull, three shots). The M-4 is what is used most in the military now. This is the weapon we switched to when I joined my Special Forces group. It's very similar to the M-16 and the civilian version (AR-15), but has a retractable butt. I could go on and on. There are books written about these things. If you want more information check out Wikipedia's page<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle" target="_blank"> here.</a><br />
<br />
M-249 SAW: Light machine gun. Used by a single gunner. When I was in the service we were still using the M-60, also known as the "pig". It's similar to that. It can mount on top of a Humvee, or be carried. You can shoot it from your shoulder, but I wouldn't recommend it, despite what Rambo does. And I dare you to fire it with the ammo belt wrapped around your shoulder. Ouch! Learn more about the SAW from Wikipedia <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M249_light_machine_gun" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
<br />
9mm: Small, reliable handgun. A pistol (which means is uses a magazine). Standard army issue.<br />
<br />
.50 caliber machine gun: Big, freakin' heavy machine gun. Has to be fired from a vehicle mount or from the ground on a tripod. Butterfly trigger (meaning you use both your thumbs to fire it), and has rounds as long as your hand. I have a pen made from a .50 cal brass casing. It's totally wicked. I sign books with it sometimes. Learn more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M2_Browning" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOKGYH0ERPGSqabRaPWhyESIi4HFLfHJuWw-qhbLHP4G7aOX4Jo_CNJkdj7kMftljusEc3dBk6qf82T-O3de5HQmuf2tO1h50OIYGViyCqquWH1z7dNRHs9bM00ZVrHI6vmJcru0kZe7Q/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDOKGYH0ERPGSqabRaPWhyESIi4HFLfHJuWw-qhbLHP4G7aOX4Jo_CNJkdj7kMftljusEc3dBk6qf82T-O3de5HQmuf2tO1h50OIYGViyCqquWH1z7dNRHs9bM00ZVrHI6vmJcru0kZe7Q/s1600/images.jpeg" height="286" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An <i>M-16</i> A2 hard at work. The blocky thing sticking out of the bottom near his hand is the <i>magazine</i>. It is filled with <i>rounds</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Rank:</b><br />
<br />
There are rank names for the pay grades. For enlisted personell this is their E-grade (E stands for enlisted), or pay grade (how much they get paid compared to others). For officers it is an O-grade (O for officer). Officers always outrank enlisted no matter how high the enlisted person or how low the officer.<br />
<br />
NCO: Noncommissioned Officer. These enlisted soldiers have gone through an intensive Leadership Training course and are fit to lead soldiers under their command. They are smart and hard-working, but always need to answer to the officers over them. They are made up of Corporals and Sergeants. (Learn more about enlisted rank structure below.)<br />
<br />
Officer: Trained separately from enlisted soldiers and are taught to lead while enlistees are trained to follow. They always outrank an enlistee, even a high ranking NCO. (Learn more about Officer rank structure below.)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Enlistees:</b><br />
Private (PVT): Very lowest in the military. E1-E3 Private E1 is the lowest of the low. They don't even wear a rank insignia on their uniform. Private E2 is just above that, and then Private First Class(PFC) is an E-3. Luginbeel is a Private E-2, just out of basic training. Poor, little peon... He probably just got his mosquito wings (see rank insignia below).<br />
<br />
Specialist (SPC): E4, just above Private First Class. Kris Rose is a Specialist. It sounds special but it's really just the name of a rank, and not a very high one at that.<br />
<br />
Corporal (CPL): Also an E4. However a Corporal is considered an NCO(see above). Therefore, he outranks a Specialist even though they have the same pay-grade. Thurmond is a Corporal. I like that it almost makes him and Rose equals.<br />
<br />
Sergeant: Sergeants come in all shapes and sizes. They make up the rest of the "enlisted" soldiers. The first is your average Sergeant (E5-SGT), or "Buck Sergeant". Sergeant Sanderford is an E5. Then is a Staff Sergeant (E6-SSG). Wichman is a Staff Sergeant. Then Sergeant First Class (E7-SFC), Master Sergeant (MSG) and First Sergeant (E8-1SG), and then the highest of the enlisted Sergeant Major (SGM), Command Sergeant Major(CSM) and Sergeant Major of the Army (E9-SMA).<br />
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<b>Officers:</b><br />
I don't deal with a whole lot of Officers in <i>Heart of Annihilation</i>, but the ones I do are important. Check out where Justet and the commander fit. It might surprise you.<br />
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Lieutenant: 2nd Lieutenant (O1-2LT) is the lowest of the officer rank. Often referred to as a Butter Bar (see rank insignia below). 1st Lieutenant (O2-1LT) is just above that. Justet is a 2nd Lieutenant. He's bottom of the barrel, probably just out of a college ROTC program and knows very little about what an enlisted soldier goes through for training. Technically, however, he still outranks any of the enlisted soldiers, although a wise 2nd Lieutenant will always defer to the advice of his NCOs. You can also see why Sanderford refers to him as "LT". It's subtly disrespectful.<br />
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Captain(CPT): O3.<br />
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Major(MAJ): O4. The commander (Major Jaimie Kuntz) holds this rank. "The commander" is an unofficial title used for the officer who is commanding a particular unit. Any officer could hold that title, not just a Major.<br />
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Lieutenant Colonel(LTC): O5.<br />
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Colonel(COL): Full bird Colonel. O6.<br />
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Brigadier General(BG): O7.<br />
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Major General(MG): O8.<br />
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Lieutenant General(LTG): O9.<br />
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General(GEN): O10.<br />
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General of the Army(GA): We'd call him a 5 star. No O-grade. There is only one of these in the Army. The lower Generals are also extremely limited.<br />
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Then there are Chief Warrant Officers (CWO) O1-5. I'm not going to get into those because I know little about them and they are not relevant in my books. If they ever become relevant I will do the necessary research. Although I did know a guy once who went from being a Master Sergeant to a CWO....<br />
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So there you have it. By no means a comprehensive list (you'd have to go through Boot Camp to learn all that). If there are any in the book that I missed, or that you're simply curious about, let me know and I'll add them to my list.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-77365699484235411352014-09-23T07:52:00.002-07:002014-09-23T07:52:44.182-07:00Memory WarToday I'm hosting the talented Paul Anthony Shortt, a fellow WiDo author. He just released the third book in his trilogy, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Memory-War-Wars-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00MN1K0FY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1411483203&sr=8-4&keywords=paul+anthony+shortt" target="_blank">Memory War</a></i>, and agreed to sit for an interview, electronically speaking.<br />
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<span class="s1">Christauna: </span>Hi there, Paul, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from?</div>
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Paul: Hi Christauna, thanks for having me.</div>
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I live in Ireland, with my family. We've got three little girls and a pair of very energetic dogs so it's a busy household. Sometimes it can be tricky finding time to write. </div>
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C: Boy do I understand that! So this is the third book in your trilogy?</div>
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P: Yes. Originally the series was going to be 6 books, but it came to getting the second book ready, I realised that the series would be much stronger and more focused if I reduced the length.</div>
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C: How is writing the conclusion of a series different than writing a first novel or even a second one? I only ask because I'm plowing through revisions on the second book in my series currently and have only just started writing the third. So spill. I'm dying to know.</div>
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P: Endings are a big deal. For me, there's no more important part of a story. I've seen a lot of series, whether they be books, tv shows, or movies, where the series ended on a flat note, and it's so disappointing. I wanted to make sure this book did everything I've always wanted to see in an ending. I had to bring everything I'd learned in my time working on the trilogy; pull out all the stops and make it as exciting as possible, while still keeping the story grounded in what had come before, and making sure the end was satisfying and didn't leave too many loose strings.</div>
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C: I couldn't agree more. Now I'm even more worried about concluding my series the right way. Anyhoo... tell us about <i>Memory War</i>.</div>
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<i>P: Memory War</i> sees the conclusion of Nathan Shepherd's story, something that's been brewing in my head for years now. After realising his past as a reincarnated champion of good, and giving hope back to New York, Nathan now has to face his greatest challenge. His relationship with Elena, his former lover, is strained to breaking point because of his betrayal in a past life, and his nemesis, Athamar, returns to New York to wage war. Nathan has to rally his allies, come to terms with his mistakes, and accept the possibility that this lifetime may well end with blood and pain.</div>
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C: What inspired this story?</div>
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P: That's kind of hard to say for certain. As a whole, the idea for the series came from wondering what would happen if, in a world of the supernatural, ordinary humans had an edge of their own against monsters? I was tired of seeing vampires and wizards as the primary heroes, with regular people relegated to supporting roles. That's where the reborn came from, the idea that everyday people can remember past lives, and if they practice, can draw strength and knowledge from the memories. <i>Memory War</i>, itself, came from simply wanting to present the most explosive, satisfying conclusion I could offer. </div>
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C: What is your favorite thing about being an author?</div>
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P: Getting to lose myself in a story, and indulge my childish side as I soak up lessons in story structure, character development, and narrative from as many sources as I can, from mythology to video games to the latest animated kids' movie.</div>
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<span class="s1">C: </span>Tell us about your writing process.</div>
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P: I'm a reluctant plotter. I usually like to dive into a story and see what ideas come to me, picking and choosing the ones I like. Of course for sequels this becomes trickier, as I have to take into account what's gone before. I get my best ideas while listening to music. I'll imagine scenes happening along with the music, most often coming up with the ending first, and then craft the story and characters around that. When I get to around the halfway point in a draft, I then start to determine how to bring the story to a finish.</div>
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C: Last question. Have you ever patterned a character after a person in order to honor that person... or perhaps to get revenge? No, don't answer that... hee hee...</div>
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P: Definitely not to get revenge. That's a risky proposition for any author. But I did base Nathan's father, Mike Shepherd, off my own dad. While the two have different backgrounds and traits, they both have the same level-headed, pragmatic idealism. Both wanted their sons to be the best men they could be, and passed on valuable lessons about how to approach life. Both would fiercely protect their loved ones from a threat.</div>
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C: Anything else you’d like to add?</div>
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P: Thank you again for having me. I hope you, and everyone else, enjoy the new book!</div>
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C: It was a pleasure! Thanks for being here.</div>
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You're going to want to get the first two in the series first, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Locked-Within-Memory-Wars-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B009GL6XAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411483203&sr=8-1&keywords=paul+anthony+shortt" target="_blank">Locked Within </a></i>(book 1), <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Oath-Memory-Wars-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00F8KAVIS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411483203&sr=8-2&keywords=paul+anthony+shortt" target="_blank">Silent Oath</a></i> (book 2). Oh and don't forget the prequel to <i>Silent Oath, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Sides-Cynthia-prequel-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00EWLJXTM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1411483203&sr=8-3&keywords=paul+anthony+shortt" target="_blank">Taking Sides</a></i>. All are available on Amazon or wherever books are sold.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">War is coming to New York. Nathan Shepherd’s growing band of followers is dedicated to protecting the city, but they now face their greatest threat. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Athamar returns, plunging the city into chaos. Uniting the forces of darkness against Nathan and his allies, Athamar strives to discover a secret hidden for thousands of years. A secret lost to Nathan’s memories. Something so dangerous, even the gods themselves fear it. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Nathan and Elena were once the greatest of heroes, champions against evil. Now, haunted by Nathan’s past-life betrayal, they must work together and brave the pain of long-buried lifetimes. Somewhere, locked within their former incarnations, lies the key to stopping Athamar, an enemy who has hunted them from one incarnation to the next. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As the city burns and innocents suffer, as heroes fall and hope dies, Nathan and Elena face their final battle, a battle where legends will be reborn.</span></div>
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Biography</h3>
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A child at heart who turned to writing and roleplaying games when there simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted, Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life.<br /><br />Growing up surrounded by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular meet-ups with his gaming group.<br /><br />He lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper. Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th, 2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into their lives and those of their friends.<br /><br />The following year, Jen gave birth to twins, Amy and Erica. Their fourth child, Olivia, was born in January, 2014.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-46242455077164215982014-08-04T11:07:00.004-07:002014-08-04T15:48:20.880-07:00Realignment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've been wondering why I've been unavailable for the past week it's because I've been out of town. Well, more like out of the country. Like in Mexico... helping orphans.... Are you impressed?<br />
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When I agreed to attend the 2014 Asay family reunion last year, I had no idea that it would land a week before my book release and send us far off the grid. As I realized that the dates were so close, I balked. How could I step away from my home, my book-related work and....and....<i>wi-fi</i> for a whole week just before <i>Heart of Annihilation</i> hit the shelves?! Even to help Mexican orphans.<br />
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I whined, complained, stressed and probably even cried a little until my husband gave me the option to back out of the trip. It was then that I realized that I really did want to go. I wanted to spend time with my children and help those in need. Honestly I think I really needed to get away from my life. So I contacted my publisher and, being the fantastic company that they are, they suggested that I go on the trip. The book was in good hands and would be here when I got back. So I packed my small children off to my parents house and my larger children in the car and we headed to Mexico.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We roughed it in little adobe bunk houses near the orphanage</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I worked on a massive mural and helped build a rock wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went took the orphans to the beach...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...played with kids...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOF15mdaypsBocupthjt96d9oq6C4WhO88TbtVSoT65I_wBirL3AqXacJnla4_fAx7OgjbfElMuyJuilWTlB9eliv3P04M1K6IwcoSGsMWW8bfJ0OIKdo1obVY-2bLJtGnXdtZdKpNcpM9/s1600/2014-08-01+09.14.24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOF15mdaypsBocupthjt96d9oq6C4WhO88TbtVSoT65I_wBirL3AqXacJnla4_fAx7OgjbfElMuyJuilWTlB9eliv3P04M1K6IwcoSGsMWW8bfJ0OIKdo1obVY-2bLJtGnXdtZdKpNcpM9/s1600/2014-08-01+09.14.24.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...ate with kids...<br />
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...fed the homeless, learned some spanish, tried some great food, sweated a whole lot, killed a ton of bugs, shared two toilets and three showers among fifty people, and fell into bed each night exhausted. </div>
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Publishing this book has been an all encompassing task. I've slept, ate and drank it. I've obsessed over every detail and let it take over my life. Going to Mexico really pulled me out of my rut. I couldn't work on anything book related, so I didn't. I was able to look outside myself. I was able to separate the things of most importance and prioritize. I'm still tired from the week and thrilled to be back in the states. I'm so grateful for my life and the opportunities I have in this country.</div>
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I'm ready to get down to the nitty gritty publishing related work and get this book released tomorrow. But I will be doing it from a different perspective.</div>
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Realignment complete. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-91501272934744039442014-07-27T12:47:00.002-07:002014-07-27T12:47:41.554-07:00Life will never be the same<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s been 6-7 years since I typed the first words to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heart of Annihilation</i>. That’s right,
more than half a decade of work and expectations. Sort of like being pregnant for an
insanely long time….but I digress…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every year that has gone by has brought me closer to my
goal. Every revision, query letter, rejection, revision, contract, failed
contract, new contract, edit, and final revision has brought me to the doorstep
where I can finally deliver my baby. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fine….let’s just run with the pregnancy metaphor, shall we?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coming up to the birth of your child a thousand thoughts and
emotions encircle you. Will others love this child I’ve created? Will she be good, interesting, wonderful, exciting and
worthy of love? What does the future hold for this her?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Words cannot describe the thrill it will be for me to hold
this little creation of mine in just over a week. Perhaps no one will adore <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heart of Annihilation</i> as much as I do,
but my sincere hope is that these characters that have grown over the years
will become as dear to you as they are to me. I hope that you will enjoy their
journey, weep at their misfortune and failures and bask in their success as I
have done. I hope that you will take them into your heart and want to share
them with others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Because honestly, folks, 6-7 years of pregnancy deserves acknowledgement. It actually deserves a freakin’
standing ovation....but I suppose simply reading the book or leaving a review will suffice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Welcome to the world, <i>Heart of Annihilation</i>! It’s going to be a fantastic run!</span><!--EndFragment-->
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-17129470896219717482014-06-14T08:46:00.000-07:002014-06-14T08:46:53.145-07:00Guest Post by Angela Hartley: Seven Gates, seven Books.<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Today I have Angela Hartley here, telling us about her newly released novel Copper Descent and her writing journey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Seven Gates, Seven Books</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When I first
began my career, I was a novice who believed I controlled my work. I thought
I’d write happy children’s books, and everything would be hearts and rainbows.
I never set out to write horror, but the genre chose me. Whenever I’d sit down
to write, it turned ugly. The worst aspect of humanity would fill my pages with
terrible nightmares. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I wondered
if there was something fundamentally wrong with me. I also noticed a pattern
emerging. The same dark figure appeared in each piece, and he was always the
driving force behind the mayhem. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The granddaddy of all antagonists was in my
head and I wanted to lay him to rest once and for all, which meant I either
needed to find an exorcist or create someone who was just as powerful to take
him on (Don’t worry too much about my mental health. All writers do this. It’s
just that few would actually admit it out loud).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My first
novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Copper Descent</i> really started
out as an exploration of the monster, and his weaknesses. I say monster, not
man, because even in the beginning I knew he wasn’t human. Sinclair Devereux
didn’t actually announce himself as being Lucifer though until his story landed
on paper, but once he started talking he wouldn’t stop, and my single novel
suddenly became a seven book project. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes, seven
books, the first three following different sets of characters that all come
together in the fourth. The interesting part is I decided this before I even
began my research. I knew my heroine carried an amulet that was also a key, but
a key to what, I didn’t know. Around this time I stumbled upon the book of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enoch.</i> What a stroke of plot hole luck!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Reading Ezekiel
wasn’t the easiest of tasks. When he would go into his tangents of knowledge
causing death, all I could think was he’s out of his mind! But I kept going
because the man also knew more than any person of his time should have. He
spoke of the gateways to heaven, seven by land and four by sea. The people of
this age weren’t even aware that the earth was round, let alone be conscious of
how many continents and oceans existed, yet this crazy old man somehow
documented exactly that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This premise
was a perfect building block for what I’d already created. I coupled this
concept with Paradise Lost as well as legends and folklore from around the world,
and found I had a unique twist on an old story. Each book is represented by a
metal—a different gate to open and aspect of human nature to overcome. Lucifer
goes through his own evolution, and eventually returns to the angel city. The
journey is equally heart-wrenching and rewarding, and I hope it will inspire
all to look deeper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Mongolian Baiti"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Mongolian Baiti";">Angela Hartley, Author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sentient Chronicles</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Angela Hartley spent much of her childhood being
shuffled from house to house with only a book for companionship. The magic she
found in the written word saved her in many ways, transporting her into worlds
far more enjoyable than the one she resided in. Literature became a passion and
the idea of writing carried her through years of uncertainty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">After high
school, she met and married her own Prince Charming. They rode off into the
sunset in his blue Toyota and a whole new world full of hope and happiness
opened up. He claimed they could move mountains together, and they did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">While facing the
painful realization that sometimes there are no tomorrows following her
father’s tragic death in 2005, she decided it was time to follow her dreams.
With the love and support of her family, she dove into another world, full of
procreating angels and demon rock stars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"> Her debut new adult horror novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Copper Descent</i> will be released on
Amazon May 2014. Angela currently resides in Midway, Utah with her three
children and husband. </span><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.angelahartley.blogspot.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">www.angelahartley.blogspot.com</b></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook:</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></b></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angela-Hartley/267442633281341"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">www.facebook.com/pages/Angela-Hartley/267442633281341</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Publisher: </span></span><a href="http://www.foxhollowpublications.com/"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">www.foxhollowpublications.com</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The tale of Sinauf was a secret nineteen-year-old
Nina Douglas’ ancestors kept hidden for eighteen generations. But the truth has
been brought into light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The dark god of legend <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> real. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Caught in an ancient war still raging
strong in the modern world, Nina is confronted with Sinauf—the embodiment of all
she fears and desires. Like a moth drawn to a deadly flame, Nina must resist
the seductive charm of a beautiful monster, or prepare to lose everything she
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-48632258565423017812014-05-27T08:18:00.001-07:002014-05-27T09:57:45.752-07:00What is that Author thinking....?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02-5esb_yctiKi2hw5rXLp6B9jycaPjkPXE5VnwKx4HeehXKgiG5m4exsKVoY66BawiTTy2FrYeLYtGyW8b8f_TtLEf7OqQWXv7OC2eoEuYlcFzMloD7VI_Qb2QND5lR0eRHGtH6Mq8xs/s1600/funfave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02-5esb_yctiKi2hw5rXLp6B9jycaPjkPXE5VnwKx4HeehXKgiG5m4exsKVoY66BawiTTy2FrYeLYtGyW8b8f_TtLEf7OqQWXv7OC2eoEuYlcFzMloD7VI_Qb2QND5lR0eRHGtH6Mq8xs/s1600/funfave.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The expression you get when your friend asks you how you feel about your publisher changing the title of your book right as she snaps the photo.</td></tr>
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When you're gearing up for a book launch a lot of things go through your head. And I mean a LOT!<br />
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You are so excited that you gush at every opportunity. Sometimes this annoys people. I mean, why can't this soon-to-be-published author talk about anything but their book? Well let me lay it out for you, hopefully so you can stop being annoyed. Since, really, the last thing I want to do is annoy anyone.<br />
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Years have gone by since I opened that word document and put the first word on the page. And they were rough years. Forget about the health problems in 2011, or the challenges of getting a special needs kid diagnosed, or any of the other brilliant, bland and memorable happenings of life over those years. Let's just discuss this silly book that I can't seem to stop talking about.<br />
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Imagine the cycle of writing, editing, revising, learning, rewriting and then doing all over again with only the small hope that this story and characters I had grown to love would ever be loved by anyone else. Imagine the excitement of thinking my humble manuscript was ready to send to agents and editors. Then the mountains of rejections that sent me back to step one. The thrill of my first contract. The devastation of years wasted on a publishing house. Of having my dreams of publication crushed when I had to leave. Then imagine, miracle of all miracles, the fruits of my relentless labors being realized with a shiny new publishing contract and a book about to make it to the shelves in just a couple of months.<br />
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Blood, sweat and tears went into this manuscript. Demons grown from the years of toil, heartache, passion, disability and love have made their way onto the pages of this little book of mine.<br />
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So I hope you will forgive me over the next couple of months when my excitement over every tiny bit of the publishing process overflows onto your newfeeds or in your ear when I'm anywhere in the vicinity. The realization of a dream is a moment that I'm unable to keep to myself.<br />
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And isn't a creation born from one's soul something to celebrate?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-54222040910443710252014-05-02T13:01:00.000-07:002014-05-02T13:01:03.812-07:00Cover Reveal<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Without further ado, the title and cover to my forthcoming novel.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-qAT8dNYY53bKRehtmJ7MrisQEScZF-QphRH881tN6JDHZ3Dq3kf98PUmDldxxgSQQSoS84Nr9ke_Qp6w0JaGe21vE7xIOMacFyfdMP80qNoNBqhT77i5apYsGMqFFSk1tSaHHHKyC3U/s1600/HeartOfAnni_CVR_LRG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-qAT8dNYY53bKRehtmJ7MrisQEScZF-QphRH881tN6JDHZ3Dq3kf98PUmDldxxgSQQSoS84Nr9ke_Qp6w0JaGe21vE7xIOMacFyfdMP80qNoNBqhT77i5apYsGMqFFSk1tSaHHHKyC3U/s1600/HeartOfAnni_CVR_LRG.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Covers are tricky things. We're told from childhood not to judge a book by its cover...but we do. So when WiDo said they were ready to commission by cover I spent a good two weeks fretting. And praying. And worrying some more. How can one image capture the depth of the story I've put my heart and soul into for over five years?<br />
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In fact I'd worked myself up so much that when the email finally came in with the glorious attachment I'd been anticipating, I simply couldn't look. I ran to find my husband and made him look while I covered my eyes. When he said, "I think you'll like it," I braved a glance and then couldn't look away. I mean, isn't it glorious?! And beautifully accurate. With so much awesome sci-fi-ness, and promises of a thrilling read.<br />
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What does this cover promise you as a reader? (You are also welcome to gush as well. I won't mind.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-41622369787903988132014-02-24T14:21:00.002-08:002014-02-24T15:05:57.436-08:00Observations from LTUESo there was this one time when I blogged frequently... then I got a publishing contract...<br />
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Well, it's true. Way back when I was hunting for my second unicorn (aka publishing contract #2) I blogged a lot more. I had all sorts of things to say about writing, and life, and editing, and life, and publishing, and life. Then I was hit with the cold hard reality of publishing: Work.<br />
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A lot of it. Interspaced with periods and waiting. A lot of waiting. The perfect time to keep up on my blog. Or my TV shows. Or my reading. Or my housework. Or my many, many many projects (you can read all about this particular passion <a href="http://nonsensicalessentials.blogspot.com/2013/04/projects-and-confession.html" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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So that's what I did (all except the blogging part for which you will forgive me because I'm here now, aren't I?) Until I went to my first writing conference in, like, forever.<br />
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Last week (or was it the week before), my writing group and I attended Life the Universe and Everything (LTUE). We went all out. We booked a room in the same hotel as the conference, showed up early, went to as many classes as possible until our brains wanted to explode, and even stayed for the Gala Banquet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcz0a1jp_nvocP26AL8tWql-cLT-995JJ5xF_Wiyj6PA401yqxlk4X0bl_Cg9ge3tM4mn6mbr4hM4E08SNOi9TTY6xK2uMg9cC7hs_n4Q8WNZl0udQ1UeJSatkM1CRHQ4HixTjwnhkcG5/s1600/IMG_28961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcz0a1jp_nvocP26AL8tWql-cLT-995JJ5xF_Wiyj6PA401yqxlk4X0bl_Cg9ge3tM4mn6mbr4hM4E08SNOi9TTY6xK2uMg9cC7hs_n4Q8WNZl0udQ1UeJSatkM1CRHQ4HixTjwnhkcG5/s1600/IMG_28961.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was our one and only 'from author to fan-girl' moment of the weekend. Once Upon A Keyboard (minus Meghan who couldn't make it (sniff)) at the Gala Banquet. Mistcloaks made by Callie and photo taken with their creator Brandon Sanderson. (For understanding as to why this is so cool please go hither and read his Mistborn trilogy this instant. You won't regret it.)</td></tr>
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LTUE proved to be a wealth of information. My purpose there was a little more complex than the last writing conference I'd gone to. At that time (LDS Storymakers 2010), I wanted to know everything there was to know about the craft of writing. This time, so many years later, I was pleased to discover that a lot of the information I garnered from the different panels on writing were things I already knew. Hallelujah, I've grown as a writer.<br />
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That isn't to say I didn't leave there without a jam-packed brain, but just full of information of another sort. This time around I wanted to know more about marketing, and what attracted readers to an author's books. The answer surprised me.<br />
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Marketing a book these days is done in a large part online. People read your cover blurb, see your gorgeous cover, read the reviews and make an assessment as to whether or not they want to read your book. However, when it comes to face to face conversation with potential readers, the rules change significantly.<br />
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During the panels, no matter what the topic, I found myself studying the panelists themselves. Were they smart, engaging, funny, humble, enlightening? Or were they narcissists who cared only about talking about their book, their characters and themselves?<br />
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Since the conference I have bought several books by authors on the panels and my decision for picking up which one of the many, many, many, many novels written by the presenting panelists was clear cut. I picked up the books by the smartest, friendliest, most knowledgable authors I met. I did not pick up a single book that had been pitched during a panel. I didn't even look at an author's novel if they couldn't interest me while speaking. I mean, if they can't interest me with their verbal words, I'm worried they won't be able to with their written ones either.<br />
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I know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the truth is we do. And that goes for their personal cover as well. When the conference was over, I took my very limited book-buying funds and put them behind authors whom I thought would give me the most entertaining book. I figured their real-life voice couldn't be that different from their writing voice, and so far I have discovered that is true.<br />
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To all the writing introverts out there who are fantastic authors but may have a hard time putting that across in person, I'm so sorry. There are so many books flooding the marketplace these days that an author can no longer afford to write in solitude and hope their written words speak for themselves. You can, of course, still have a successful writing career but your battle will be uphill. An author needs the entire package. Even authors whose books I've read and enjoyed, if I meet them in person and am turned off by their personality or attitude, I am unlikely to pick up another of their books.<br />
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Take what you want from my nonsensical ramblings. These are just my personal observations of what I learned during LTUE. This is by no means all I learned there. I learned that I love reading and writing horror (lightbulb moment). I learned a ton about the craft that I had never before considered and honed some that I thought I already understood. I learned that I can meet and speak to new people without finding myself rocking in a dark corner an hour later hoping they'll all go away. I can't even put all I learned into one blog post.<br />
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So tell me, what do you expect/like from an author when you meet him/her?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-86576669794464650632013-09-30T13:07:00.000-07:002013-09-30T13:07:20.589-07:00News From the R.A.G.E. Publishing FrontPeople are always surprised when I announce I have a book coming out but that not for 9-12 months. "Really?!" They say. "Haven't you finished writing it yet?"<br />
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I have to laugh and other authors will get the humor. What a non-writer, authorly type doesn't understand is that finishing the actual writing of the book is just the beginning.<br />
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Let's go back 5-6 years ago when I "finished" writing R.A.G.E. Yes, really, that far in the past the book was finished, complete. I'd written THE END and was excited to let people read it. Way back then I didn't even yet understand the massive venture I was setting myself on.<br />
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So, okay, I finished writing my book. Then what took another 5-6 years to get it to this nearly-published point? Editing. Yes, that pesky little word that seems like a side note to the exciting world of writing. And yet without it these shiny books we pick up in the store would barely make sense. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who writes crappy first drafts that need lots of editing.<br />
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Not that editing should take half a decade to accomplish, but since R.A.G.E. was my first novel and thereby my training novel, I also had to go through a massive education about everything from commas and adverbs to query letters and submissions.<br />
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Well, fine, having to learn the industry is one thing, but what about now? I have a publisher, I have a nice edited manuscript, why then is it still about 9-12 months before this "completed" book can be held in your excited, little hands?<br />
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Editing......again.......and again......until it's freakin' perfect.........<br />
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........well, that and the cover design, formatting, requests for blurbs, printing, and lots and lots of marketing. Suddenly that small 9-12 month window to get all my ducks in a row to give my book baby the best chance of success seems almost miniscule. I only have 9-12 months?!?!<br />
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For those of you having to anxiously wait your way through my months of hard work, let me tell you what's happening with R.A.G.E. right now.<br />
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Nothing. At least not in my house. R.A.G.E. is in the hands of my very capable editor who is picking through it as we speak with a bloody-red pen. Eeeek!<br />
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Not to worry, I know she only wants to best for my precious book baby. The good news is, she contacted me the other day and said that my book was, "too good. LOL," meaning that since it's been edited to the brink of death so many times before, she was struggling to find any developmental errors and she just wanted to go straight to line editing. Love!<br />
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And yet, while R.A.G.E. sits in edits, I still sit at home on my computer, sometimes working on marketing, budgeting and all those other non-creative, soul-sucking activities that an author needs to do these days to make a go of it, and sometimes pulling out book 2 and 3 in my 12th Dimension series. That is much more fun. See, even 2-3 years before these books will ever see print, they are already well under way. Book 2 is "finished" and book 3 is under heavy construction.<br />
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Take a look at that wonderful book you're plowing delightfully through right now, yes the one on your bedside table that you can't put down and will have finished within a day or two. That world and those characters that you've grown to love are a result of the toil and love an author put YEARS into, not for the money but because they wanted to tell you a story that you will think about for years to come.<br />
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That is the magic of a book.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-80392081190111418232013-08-19T12:15:00.000-07:002013-08-19T16:22:16.997-07:00The Announcement!Yep, the very one I've been hinting at in the last few posts. About a month ago I was offered a contract with <a href="http://widopublishing.com/" target="_blank">WiDo publishing</a>! As it's been my dream for many years to get this book in print, I won't regale you with the drama or embarrassing displays of emotion when that acceptance email came in. Just know that it is and will forever be one of the high points in my life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z2cPA-aBXFbtHiqebS9GXN2_5to4ZaFUj85NlStw_0rgnduHRAIgxJybIz_xNaR5fDATpJVmIzO6r0pdO4m8al2K8E8U5RWb1wspwEEeucctlOL0K2V7zk5OR8PDs74tN88wphADeB4p/s1600/2013-08-14+09.12.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z2cPA-aBXFbtHiqebS9GXN2_5to4ZaFUj85NlStw_0rgnduHRAIgxJybIz_xNaR5fDATpJVmIzO6r0pdO4m8al2K8E8U5RWb1wspwEEeucctlOL0K2V7zk5OR8PDs74tN88wphADeB4p/s640/2013-08-14+09.12.46.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the very action-packed shot of me signing the actual contract.</td></tr>
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You can read more about my journey in the press release on WiDo's website <a href="http://widopublishing.com/sci-fi-novel-by-c-r-asay-finds-a-home-with-wido-publishing/#more-3763" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Watch for R.A.G.E. summer 2014. It's going to be epic!!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-42927712058112698102013-08-05T14:42:00.001-07:002013-08-05T14:42:59.465-07:00The Unreliable NarratorBlast from the past post from <a href="http://www.artnwritin.blogspot.comhttp//artnwritin.blogspot.com/2012/04/unreliable-narrator.html">www.artnwritin.blogspot.com</a><br />
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So you’ve got this great story in the works. Excitement, tension, wonderful characters. But someone has to tell the story. Which of these characters should it be? Let’s pick one. The villain? The hero? The secondary character?<br />
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Ah, I have it. Let’s call our narrator Ezra. Now Ezra has been misunderstood and victimized his whole life. He’s ready to make a change, and not just for himself, but for poor, misunderstood victims the world over. So he gathers his courage. He plans. He collects resources. He sacrifices everything he has for the greater good. He is a hero, or will be when it’s all over.<br />
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The day arrives. Ezra kisses his cat farewell, grabs his bag of tools. He gets into his car, drives to the nearby police precinct and bravely blows the entire building sky high with everyone inside.<br />
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Ah hah! So not the hero then. But he sounded like the hero. Courage, sacrifice, greater good. Aren’t these words we usually use when speaking of a hero? Of course. To Ezra, he’s a hero. To the mass population he’s a monster.<br />
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Ezra speaks from his experience and his tainted view of the world. He sees the police as an evil entity, destroying his freedom and that of others. He sees himself as the champion, saving all those other misjudged victims(criminals)from having to answer for their unorthodox activities(crimes).<br />
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You can’t believe anything he says because chances are he’s not seeing the world as it actually is. He is completely unreliable.<br />
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This isn’t bad writing, or even bad characterization. Unreliable narrators are some of my all-time favorites. They lead you along. They make you believe in their world. They give you the gift of walking in another's shoes and understanding them no matter how misguided they may be.<br />
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Now this doesn’t only apply to villains. Your hero can also have a very tainted view of the world. They may see everything too rosy or too dark. Too black and white or too grey.<br />
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The trick is to allow the true world to be visible to the reader. You must allow the reader to be able to read between the lines or see past the narrator’s blinders. This takes the reactions of other characters to your narrator and using the world’s standard moral code to do your work for you among other things.<br />
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Sometimes you don’t even know the narrator is unreliable until you find yourself questioning their thoughts or actions. Hey, you totally thought Ezra was a good guy. Right? Right!!??<br />
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If done with skill and subtlety, the unreliable narrator makes a wonderful character filled with depth and interest. If used to your greatest advantage, the unreliable narrator can give you the greatest twists and surprise endings of all time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-79611461355849898032013-07-25T13:40:00.000-07:002013-08-05T14:47:10.906-07:00R.A.G.E. Original Artwork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Way back a few years ago, I ran the query gambit with R.A.G.E., and while I'd had a few hopeful moments, it was clear I was getting no where with traditional publishing. While it was depressing at the time, I realize now that it was because the manuscript wasn't ready yet. Not by a long shot. There was still just so much I needed to learn.</div>
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But in true ADD-Stauna fashion, that wasn't good enough. I had a darn good story that deserved to be read and by golly I was going to make it happen. So I set about to self-publish. I sent my manuscript off on a final edit with my writing buddies, I did all the legwork on Amazon's Create Space, and (not knowing much about computer graphics but a whole lot about oil painting) I painted the picture below to use as my cover art.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>R.A.G.E. </b> Oil on canvas with metallic silver highlights. 2011</td></tr>
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A few days after I got my proof copy from Amazon, I was picked up by a small publisher and would spend the next two years feeling like I'd never be good enough to warrant print. Now years later, I've learned what I needed to attract the attention of another publisher. (Announcement coming soon, no really.)<br />
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Now while this painting will never be used for the cover art of my book, I'm still really fond of it. It conveys the feel and energy of the novel.<br />
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And hey, who doesn't like a gal in uniform with electricity coming from one hand, while holding an M-16?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-50799847987824579632013-07-22T14:21:00.001-07:002013-07-22T14:21:27.701-07:00The Importance of Invisible WritingI'm dragging some of my writing posts from my <a href="http://artnwritin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">old blog</a> over here, ya'know, to consolidate any blog-stalking you might be doing. ;-)<br />
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So you've just finished your novel. No, not just any novel, the Great American Novel. No, your magnum opus! This novel has been designed to make people perk up and listen. You had a theme and you stuck to it and now everyone will be talking about it. The word will go out and awareness will be raised for those trees in the Amazon rain forest, those civil rights issues in the south, the sea turtles off the Eastern seaboard facing extinction, the sexism across the country.<br />
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Well, I hate to tell you this but if you've just finished writing a novel under this mindset, you have a problem. Notice I said novel, not nonfiction. The trouble is people read novels to be entertained. They want to be taken away with a cast of characters. They want to see what they see and feel what they feel. They want to be brought into the emotions of another person and learn their story and savor the conclusion. No one wants to be preached to. That’s what textbooks and scriptures are for.<br />
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We've heard it time and time again: <span style="font-style: italic;">The story must be king.</span><br />
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When anything in your novel bounces the reader out of the story and takes them away from the vividness of those characters and settings, I’m afraid to tell you that your writing is showing through. You worked hard on those words but really, no one wants to actually see them. They just want a story.<br />
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Now unfortunately this doesn't just apply to those larger themes mentioned above. This applies on a much smaller scale. You may have that novel where nothing is more important that the conflict and the characters. And yet your readers are constantly being pulled out of the story for some reason or another and forced to examine the actual words you've put on the page.<br />
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I’m talking of course about the technicalities of writing. I recently read two books back to back. One, an absolutely fantastic work where the only thing that took me out of the book was the use of OK vs. okay (okay, I admit, I really like “okay” better. OK looks like it’s being shouted). Is that OK with you!!<br />
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On the other hand, the other book was so full of passive writing, telling vs. showing, adverbs and other bothersome things you may think are not so important, that there were times where I would go for pages only seeing the words and never being drawn into the story at all. I spent more time mentally editing sentences than I did actually reading the stupid thing.<br />
<br />
I’m sure someone is yelling at me at this point that not all readers see or even know about these silly writing rules. I agree. Most readers don’t know about them. They simply read the book with a vague sense of annoyance. They’re never drawn fully into the story and they probably don’t even know why.<br />
<br />
Writing rules are in place for a reason. They allow us to smooth down those sharp edges into a silky piece of work. People will read it and walk away talking about your characters as though they are real people. They’ll make fan pages for the fantasy world you've created and sport t-shirts with your brilliant magic system brought to life.<br />
<br />
The only people who appreciate purple prose are the ones who write it. You will never be able to sell the importance of your theme to a group of people if they can’t get into your novel. People will never get to know your characters unless you can make them seem like something other than words on a page.<br />
<br />
So here’s the kicker. You know your characters better than anyone. You can go to any page of your Work in Progress and see their faces and feel their emotions and see their thoughts. To you they are real because you created them. You saw them before they were those words on the page. So how do you know if you've actually made your writing invisible?<br />
<br />
1. Alpha readers. Beta readers. Writing groups. Editors. I can’t stress enough how you need an outside opinion on your work. Someone honest who won’t tell you what you want to hear. Allow them to tell you when they can’t stay connected to parts of the story. Or when that same freakin' word keeps jumping out at them. Or when they've had to read that sentence five times in order to discern the meaning.<br />
<br />
2. Learn those all-important rules. Active vs. passive writing. Limited adverbs. Varying word choice, point of view, etc, etc, etc. Don’t just learn them, embrace them. Make them become as natural as typing. The rules are in place for a reason. They are formulaic devices honed over the years by people much more brilliant than ourselves to pull the story forward and make the words sink quietly into the background.<br />
<br />
3. You know if you've themed your writing. It’s good to have a theme. It’s better to have a story where readers feel for the characters plight and worry about said characters surviving in that doomed rain forest in the Amazon.<br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Make the story the King.</span><br />
<br />
So let’s be honest here. Is your writing invisible?<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-24575845936943686402013-07-19T13:18:00.000-07:002013-07-19T13:37:51.727-07:00Sometimes when your manuscript is on submission........So when I parted ways with Shelfstealers late last year, I spent a good 5-6 months doing some heavy duty editing, revising and major rewriting of <i>R.A.G.E.</i> in an attempt to get it submission-worthy again. When I felt it was as good as it was going to get without the help of a professional editor, I sent it out once again into the big, bad world in the hopes that a publisher out there somewhere would love <i>R.A.G.E.</i> as much as I.<br />
<br />
Normally after I've sent my baby out on submission I spend my time checking my email obsessively, desperately hoping that <i>R.A.G.E</i>. is being read at this very moment and X publisher has to contact me immediately just to tell me how much they adore and want to publish my book. In between the email-checking, I would continue on with my writing, firm in the belief that <i>R.A.G.E.</i> will be such a rip-roaring success that fans the world over will be clamoring for a sequel.<br />
<br />
Well, I'd already written the sequel and gotten a darn good start on the 3rd book in the series and let's face it, I was exhausted after 6+ years of constant writing and editing. So instead of twiddling my thumbs and thinking dark thoughts directed at the publishing industry as well as inward at my compulsion to write, I focused my energies elsewhere.<br />
<br />
I learned how to crochet (courtesy of YouTube) hats, booties and blankets.<br />
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<br />
And flowers....<br />
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<br />
Lots and lots of flowers.<br />
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<br />
I faced my fear of tall ladders and painted the family room with the 20 foot ceilings<br />
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<br />
I turned the old Rex Jet wagon from my childhood that I'd found rusting in the field behind my parents house from this.....<br />
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<br />
...to this.<br />
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<br />
And in having success with the wagon I begged the old Schwinn Tandem bike off of my parents as well, turning it from this....<br />
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<br />
....into this. It's still incomplete, needing seats, the chain put on and probably a professional adjustment from a bike shop before it's ride-able.<br />
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<br />
Now here we are in the middle of the summer and I'm running out of projects.<br />
<br />
But that's okay because there is excellent news on the horizon publishing-wise. Stay tuned for an announcement in the next month or so.<br />
<br />
I may even open up a word document and start writing something new to calm my underfed, compulsive writing demon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-12327991521138618052013-04-24T13:21:00.000-07:002013-04-24T13:21:45.152-07:00Projects!! And a confession......<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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There may be a deeper reason that my newest Work in Progress
(WIP) is entitled <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Project Specter</b>. I
LOVE projects! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ready for a moment of honesty? A confession of sorts?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Well,
more like ADD. I’m not a hyperactive person but apparently it’s no longer
classified without the H, so there we have it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve had it my whole life but was only officially diagnosed
with it last year. It’s not something I like to talk about as a general rule.
For a long time I was ashamed of this disability, as though I was broken or
mentally ill and people should keep their small children away from me. But
remember that honesty I was talking about? How’s this for honesty?</div>
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<br /></div>
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For many the term ADHD brings to mind the worst kid in their
elementary school class. You all know who I’m talking about. The one who could
never sit still, the one who would make you lose class points toward your
popcorn party, the one who got the bad grades because they weren’t listening,
or were lazy etc.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Well, that wasn’t me, but I’d own it if I could. I was more
the quiet type. I’d sit in my chair, listen to the teacher with my eyes glazed
over and proceed to fail in a lot of subjects because they just weren’t
interesting to me. I was also the kid who would hyperfocus on English, reading
and art projects. And you know why? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Because for those moments, the very real
disconnect in my brain that refused to allow me to focus on the mundane,
boring, or just not-in-my-interest-zone, would go into overdrive. This is when
I would wake up, see the world in Technicolor and really come alive.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Well, it didn’t get better when I became an adult. Now
instead of failing in math, I was failing in things like laundry, dinner dishes
and toilet cleaning. I say WAS because since my diagnoses, I’ve found new ways
to cope and turn on that other side of my brain that simply refuses to work
right.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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That doesn’t mean my ADD has gone away. No, it’s still
there, determined to make me finish my book rather than the mounds of laundry
piling up around the house. It can often be a dreary place. On one hand I know
that not wearing smelly clothes is important to the entire family, on the other
hand I can’t help craving that feeling of being awake and alive in all its Technicolor
detail. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is why I love projects. Writing projects, art projects,
home improvement projects, yard projects. Ya’know, just projects! And as a
bonus, I find when I have a project, some of that alertness, wakefulness,
whatever you want to call it, bleeds over into the more mundane parts of my
life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve heard it said before that many brilliant artists of our
time had ADHD. I would agree with that statement wholeheartedly. ADHD may be
considered a disability, but at least for me, it contributes more than its fair
share to my art, writing, and other brightly-colored projects. And those, my
friends, make the world a more beautiful place for everyone.</div>
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">And if that means I have to suffer through the
dreariness when my brain is not turned on, it’s a small price to pay for even
small moments of Technicolor brilliance.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-19179152167892185342013-04-02T13:12:00.001-07:002013-04-02T13:19:39.546-07:00Being Honest, Mostly with Myself<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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I consider myself a pretty moral person. I don’t steal,
cheat, murder…..or lie. At least not much….on the lying part that is. Did I
just admit to the blogging world that I’m a big fat liar? Erm, yes. There. That
was at least a bit more honest than I’ve been in a long time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now don’t panic and wonder if you really know me at all. It’s
not that I’m a bald face liar. I won’t lie to get out of things, I won’t lie to
get what I want, I won’t lie to your face (unless it’s a courtesy to spare your
feeling.) What I will do is omit the truth. A LOT. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is (yes the TRUTH!) that I’m an excellent faker.
I’ll be having the worst day of my life and yet you’ll see me and I’ll smile
sweetly, ask you how you’re doing, tell you I’m fine and leave it at that. Now
that’s not such a bad thing in my mind. Who want to be burdened with everyone’s
problems on a daily basis? We all have our own traumas that we’re going through
and if we had to shoulder everyone else’s, we’d crack.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The danger (for me, at least) comes when I don’t think I’ll
be able to fake my way through the day… or week or month. Then what? Well, I stop
going out in public where I may need to fake it. I tend to go silent and become
absent from my favorite social situations and social networking sites. If you
cared to hunt me down during one of these times when I’m suddenly just missing
from online and elsewhere, you’d probably find me curled into a little ball in
my bedroom, watching episode after episode of ANGEL or FIREFLY or DR. WHO.
Really, there’s no shortage of my favorite shows on Netflix to keep me in
self-imposed exile indefinitely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what does all this have to do with honesty? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has everything to do with it. The reason I fall into
these bouts of depression (well there are many) but one of the reasons is
because I’m not being honest with myself. Just like when I smile sweetly to
your face and tell you I’m fine, I do the same thing to myself. You’re fine,
Christauna. Everything is fine. Now pass me the cheetoes and a leaded Dr.
Pepper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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In the past couple of months I have had to face myself, look
myself in the eye and become brutally honest. I may not have to shoulder
everyone else’s burdens but I for darn sure need to shoulder my own.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Yes, I do have issues with depression and have for many
years. I’m beginning understand exactly what that means and how to deal with
it. This involves being honest with myself and confiding in a trusted few when
I find myself curled in my room with my Dr. Pepper and remote.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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It’s no longer good enough to lie to myself, survive and be
an excellent faker.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Which is why in conjunction with the reboot of my writing
career and this new blog, I’ll tell you right now, I will be totally honest
here. If you’d rather not shoulder a particular burden of mine, you’re welcome
not to read the blogpost.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That being said, I will not generally pour out my darkest
secrets and desires here. I enjoy a certain amount of privacy, but for things
that are relevant to this blog, you may get an earful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today is a beautiful, sunshiny day and I am happy and fine.
And that is the honest truth.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-1771221092066994002013-03-07T15:44:00.000-08:002013-03-07T16:07:46.518-08:00Unicorn in the Morning MistIn an attempt to be a more rounded blogger (and because sometimes I don't have a lot to say) I will be posting my artwork from time to time. A lot of it will be old stuff that's collecting dust on the walls of my home, or on other people's walls. Sometimes it will be new stuff, because what artist doesn't want to show off their blood, sweat and tears?<br />
<br />
Today's offering is a painting I did way back in 1999, several months after I was first married and while I was pregnant with my first child. Even after all these years, and all I've learned about oil painting since, this is still one of my favorites. I love the contrast between the soothing lavender mist and the bright red sky. Originally the unicorn started out as a white horse, but back in those days I could never get excited about a painting unless it had some fantasy element in it (which you will notice in later artsy posts). The fairy hovering before her nose was put in over a year later as an afterthought. This particular painting is framed in a gorgeous gold and red frame (not shown here), as a birthday gift from my Mother-in-Law. It is hanging in my formal living room which was decorated to match.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Wi0MlUvfClHj1tZ8Syj7apNaYvOEFGeRCIuqPFEQ_J0SFwsVuMW60GHDTjYhInxzYdck82X2_iCjea-OdvI6prbU1xWFnfPGgX90ozlt1Y-4XR55FCxI8JpDZVF4df5PvvTR57qjhDj_/s1600/unicorn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Wi0MlUvfClHj1tZ8Syj7apNaYvOEFGeRCIuqPFEQ_J0SFwsVuMW60GHDTjYhInxzYdck82X2_iCjea-OdvI6prbU1xWFnfPGgX90ozlt1Y-4XR55FCxI8JpDZVF4df5PvvTR57qjhDj_/s640/unicorn.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Unicorn in the Morning Mist </b> oil on canvas 1999Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8129715834114685280.post-75329424233978897212013-03-06T09:11:00.002-08:002013-03-06T09:11:43.368-08:00New BeginningsIn an effort to reboot my writing career, I thought it was a sign of change to start with a new blog. As many of you know (or don't know, or possibly don't care) my dream for being published was dealt a pretty heavy setback a few months ago. Everything had been going well, I'd landed a small publisher and was all excited for my debut novel <b>R.A.G.E.</b> to finally see print. I won't bore ya'll with the details, but after nearly two years in the holding tank, (and, as Seinfeld would say, yada yada yada) I decided to part ways with my publisher.<br />
<br />
Not that my long journey with my previous publisher was a waste of time by
any means. Before they picked me up I was on the verge of
self-publishing. Looking back and the enormous faults of the manuscript
at that time...well you can imagine what a disaster that would have
been. I learned so much in the last few years writing-wise, and <b>R.A.G.E.</b>
has grown in leaps and bounds.<br />
<br />
Now, even though this was my own choice to leave my publisher, it was still a painful time. Depressing would be a good word. Combine that with the winter blues and I sometimes wondered if I would ever pull out of it. A lot of authors would decide this is a good time for a writing hiatus, or perhaps a walkabout.<br />
<br />
It's been a steep uphill climb the past few months.<b> </b>My confidence in my writing had been shattered. My imagination and creativity was at an all time low. However, by golly, when it came right down to it, I knew I couldn't give up writing, even if not a single one of my books ever saw print.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to report that <b>R.A.G.E.</b> is now in the last round of edits before it's off to some new publishers for review and (finger and toe crossies) possibly publication. I'm also working on another manuscript that I'm quickly falling in love with. It's a sci-fi horror novel entitled <b>Project Specter </b>which includes a haunted house, a crazy lady, a suburban neighborhood and an entity from another world.<br />
<br />
So here is the beginning of my reboot with Nonsensical Essentials. I'd love if you followers of Art n' Writin' (which is going into the dusty archives of my past) would come on over here and hear all the super important gibberish that I have to say.<br />
<br />
Until then, a big thank you to Spring for showing up early and setting the scene for a new beginning. 2013 is going to be a wonderful year!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01387326618086304570noreply@blogger.com7