Month: August 2014

Discovery at Nerwolix

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It’s that time again.

No, not Labor Day, although that did sneak up on us, didn’t it? I SWEAR it was Christmas only yesterday.

I’m getting old.

But actually it’s the time for another book release. Hurray! For all you (any of you) fans out there, the third installment in the Arizal Wars series, Discovery at Nerwolix, is now available for purchase. It picks up right where POM ended with Fallon and the others arriving on the tundra ice-planet Larupip, all anxiously waiting to meet Blovid, the last Arizal Leader of Dellapalania. I will say that so far, DAN is my favorite. Favorite. The war is approaching, history (and secrets) are unraveling, and Fallon and Reid are still exploring the depths of their relationship—all things I’m very excited about! At this point, I feel like I’m with my family when I’m writing these characters. I hope you feel like you’re part of it when you’re reading them.

I appreciate any reviews (on blogs, Goodreads, Amazon, your neighbor) that you’re willing to share. Reviews build an audience and as we’re still at the kick-start of campaigning this series, every (and any) little bit helps. So tell your friends, your parents, your arch nemesis and even your pet rock Bob. I’m open for questions AND looking to write some different POV scenes. I know what I’m interested in… but what about you? What scene would you like to see from someone else’s perspective?

Thank you again for taking an interest in Arizal Wars!

Happy reading 🙂

Available on Smashwords here

Available on Amazon here

At Least I Can Write

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I keep going back and forth.

I’m content. I’m fed up. I’m optimistic. I need wine.

And it’s all over the same thing: this writing life.

When I wake up each morning, at some point before I eat breakfast and possibly before I even drag myself into the bathroom for a shower, I stop and think. What kind of writing day will this be? I don’t mean whether or not I’ll write when I get home – that’s a given. That always happens. But what kind of outlook will I have today? Will I be creative on my car ride to work? Dissecting issues, contemplating chapter breaks and character dialogue? Or will I be frustrated that it takes me an HOUR to drive someplace I really don’t want to go, just so I can spend the entire day thinking about being home, and then drive the HOUR back only to squeeze in 1-2 hours of writing if I’m lucky? I know that sounds whiny. I know it does. Because it is. Sometimes I hear myself think these thoughts and I say to myself, “really? You have it that bad? At least you have a car to drive. At least you have a job to go to. At least you’re alive today and not, oh I don’t know, back when you didn’t have a vote or a say in marriage or MAYBE YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A GLADIATOR.  Would you like that better? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN A GLADIATOR!!”

Uh, no thanks.

It’s just a constant pendulum swing – is today going to be positive day or a negative one? Am I grumpy that I have to go to work, or am I at least happy that I can write?

*lightbulb*

At least I can write.

It hit me one day; that obvious truth I was so blind in seeing. The goal is not to be famous. The goal is not to be wealthy. The goal is to do what you love everyday. And I already am. Even if it’s only for a little bit – an hour or two at night – I get to do what I love. How many others can say that?

Everyone struggles. It’s an inevitable, unavoidable part of life. Everyone has their own journey of difficulties and hardship. No one gets what they want right off the bat. EVERYONE has to work for it. And every day that I come home exhausted, fed up, disappointed in myself and teetering on the scale of believing that I’m wasting this life, I sit down and write. Everyday. It doesn’t matter if it’s only for an hour, forty minutes or twenty – I get to do what I love.

And really, how amazing is that?

So now I turn the question around – how many of you are striving to do something full-time but only able to fill a few hours with it now? How many of you actually get to do your thing – whatever it is – at least once a day? How blessed you are. How happy I am for you. Because even if it doesn’t take up the majority of your day, you still have time for it. You still get to do the thing you love.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s still a constant battle: will today be good or bad? Do I need one glass of wine or five? But at least I keep coming back to the epiphany that made it make sense. I’m already doing what I love.

And isn’t that the point?

Oh Captain, My Captain

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I haven’t been blogging as often as I mean to.

It’s not you-it’s me.

BELIEVE ME, I think about you. I really do. All of you out there, glancing over here for some author inspiration or maybe to find out whatever new thing I’ve done to Batman to possibly jeopardize our relationship. I haven’t dropped any food lately, but we have been battling for the remote and possession of the new couch, which, in this household, means war.

The reason for this post (besides my dad reminding me that I haven’t posted anything for a while) is that I wanted to quickly share how this week has been going:

It’s sort of sucked.

Especially Monday.

I’ve never been one to get attached to celebrities. They’re like, good looking people on the big box that sits in the middle of the living room and occasionally, one or two make me laugh. Depending on what’s on. When Michael Jackson passed in 2009 and then Philip Seymour Hoffman just this past year, my first thoughts were selfish. I never got to see the king of pop grab his junk. And WHO’S going to play Plutarch in the last two Hunger Game movies? When I heard about Maya Angelou, I felt a little something because I really enjoyed I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I didn’t know a lot about her, but I believed in her optimism and views on life. This past Monday, when we discovered that Robin Williams was no longer with us… I just… I don’t know.

It really affected me.

Maybe it’s because I grew up with Robin Williams. A kid of the nineties, he was the energetic Genie, the crazed Jumanji jungle-man, a grown up Peter Pan, a cross-dressing nanny and my personal favorite, the English teacher who taught us to stand on the desk to view the world differently; the professor who taught us the value of words and to Carpe Diem. Seize the day. These were all just characters – imaginary people that don’t really exist, that aren’t out there in the world – but to me, and perhaps several others, they’re as real as you and me. They exist because we believe in them, because Robin Williams breathed life into them. And they’re some of our favorite people.

I never knew or met Robin Williams, and I’m saddened by that fact. But what fills me with even more sorrow is how he left this world. It always surprises me when people with the brightest lights are closeted by constant darkness. It’s not the first time (and will probably not be the last) that the seemingly happiest, most optimistic spirits are suffering the most. And I don’t understand it.

I’ve never personally encountered depression but I’ve known some who have. I’ll say it again – I don’t understand it. I guess that makes me lucky. Or blessed, I suppose. I just wish people would realize they’re not alone. There is ALWAYS help available. Suicide hotlines. Counseling groups. Best friends. Ice cream. Whatever. I repeat – there is ALWAYS help. Always. Always. Always.

Always.

I’m really sad about this. Like truly, upset and affected that this happened.I know a lot of you are too. And I know there’s nothing we can do about it now except support all of our loved ones. Hug them. Share a laugh. Tell them how glad you are that they’re in your life. It might just be what they need.

And to Robin, wherever you are, you brought such joy to the world that I know we will feel its absence for a long time to come. Thank you for the countless hours of laughter. Thank you for the inspiration. And thank you for being you, a genuine and magnificent spirit that shared your gift with us.

*stands on desk*

Oh Captain, My Captain.

Oh Captain, My Captain.

Pay it Forward, IWSG

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Check them out here!

Yes, I’m at work.

But I’m not really working because I’m not at home writing, so this doesn’t really count. I only mention this because sometimes you have to find creative times to write… like when your boss says she’s going to be in a half an hour late and since you have a great view by the window and your only cubie neighbor is on vacation this week, you might be able to sneak in your blog post for IWSG (of course this constant head turning to see if anyone is standing over my shoulder will most likely send me to the chiropractor. Oh well, small price to pay for being creatively awesome.)

This is my second post for IWSG and I want to take it to share some wisdom I’ve learned: pay it forward.

I don’t consider myself selfish; I just kind of do my own thing. It comes with this drifting in and out of reality (I’m too busy concentrating on where I put my own feet) that I forget you guys are all out there too, looking to promote yourselves and your books. So, apart from this awesome article about self-publishing that fellow indie author Delia Strange posted on her blog, I wanted to give you guys the opportunity to promote your stuff in the comments. Give me a good book to read, a book for others to read so we can share it via word-of mouth, facebook, twitter, mountaintop shouting, whatever. For real, go crazy. List your stuff. I’m interested. Others are interested.

What’ve you got?

 

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” ~ Ray Bradbury