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Archive for 2013

Fitness Friday…And Other Stuff

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on June 21, 2013| 14 Comments »

Weight loss can be so frustrating. I’m continuing to work out with weights four days a week. I added an extra five lbs. to some of the machines yesterday, so that was cool. I’ve been walking on the treadmill for 15 minutes in the mornings. I WAS walking about 45 minutes in the evenings, too, but my foot has been acting up again. It’s usually better in the mornings, but by the afternoon, it’s hurting too much to walk. This is a chronic problem and usually goes away on it’s own in about three days. I’m also eating less and TRYING to eat better, although eating better is a slow going thing. But I’m STILL not losing weight, even with all these changes I’m making. I sticking right at the 172 mark. The scale goes up and down all week, only to settle at 172 on Fridays. Maybe I’ve just hit a natural plateau since I lost so steadily for the first 21 lbs. I saw this happen a lot at Weight Watchers when I worked there. I’m not giving up. I know it has to come off eventually. If you expend more calories than you take it, you have to lose weight, right? I just need to make sure I’m eating ENOUGH. If you don’t eat enough calories, you body thinks you’re starving it and hangs on to fat. I’ve seen this happen, so I know it’s true.

Some pretty good news. Most of you know I was upset because hubby got disqualified from a great paying position in the company he works for due to some *#&$*&#$’s who have a beef with him. And then they put him on second shift on an entry level job with low pay. Well, apparently, human resources (I expect there was some help from the union) said they couldn’t do that. So, even though he couldn’t have the premium job back, they had to let him choose from three different jobs in the plant. Now here’s where I can show you what a decent human being my husband is. There was one day shift job he could have taken, but he would have bumped several people out of their jobs into other jobs, which would have made them unhappy. So my husband took a job where there was actually an opening. He’s going to be back on third shift (YAY!) and making about the same as he was before he got that better job. Thanks to all of you who sent good thoughts and prayers our way. 🙂

I actually wrote on my WIP last night…the first time in over a month.

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Final ROW80 Update 6/20/13

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on June 20, 2013| 17 Comments »

Well, this has been an interesting round. Life has dealt my family and me a few blows, but we keep coming back fighting. How has this affected my writing? It’s really made it hard to write, to be honest. I’ve felt so emotionally drained for the past few months, which also makes me feel drained physically. But I keep trudging on with most things. Just not so much the writing. It doesn’t help that I have a complicated plot, and I’m trying to figure out how to tell the back story. Which is really a story within itself.

I’m not going to take time off from writing between rounds. I’ve had enough time off. And due to the financial situation we’re facing with my husband’s pay dropping, I’ve got to produce more work. Book sales are in the toilet right now (I’m lucky to make $100 a month lately), and I know I’ve got to produce LOTS of work to make any decent money. I know I can’t make enough to live on right now because the market is glutted with self-published books, but I would like to make enough to have a good supplement to our income. So it’s time to stop whining about my plot or how little time I have and start getting to work like this is a real job. You know, like I USED to.

How was YOUR round this time?

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Life Keeps Knocking Us Down

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on June 19, 2013| 23 Comments »

As if we haven’t been through enough. After my husband recovered enough to go back to work, he was assigned to a new position at his work. It was a $3 an hour pay raise working on the only machine like it in the country. He has been doing fine on the job, but his supervisor, as well as the next boss up the command chain, told him today that he wasn’t cutting it at the job. This is not true. Their shift is producing better than any other. The supervisor has had it in for him for awhile, and the other boss is a real jerk (all the people in the plant feel this way). The boss wanted my husband to use his vacation days for while he was out of work instead of actually taking vacation. But he was on sick leave. He NEEDED a vacation. Now the boss is getting back at him. So he got bumped down to the job that people just starting in the company get hired to do. But here’s the worst part of all. They put him on second shift. He’s always worked thirds (except for a short stint on day shift). When he’s on thirds, I get home from work, he is either up or will be up soon, and we spend the evening together until he goes to work about 10. Now that he’s on seconds, he will be gone before I get home from work, and he will come in after I’ve already gone to bed. I won’t see him much at all except on weekends. This is a big deal for me. We’re going to have to tighten our budget even more (it’s already squeezed to the limit), but that’s a minor thing compared to the horrible work hours.

There’s no chance of him getting back on the other job because the two bosses are determined to make his life miserable. Now he’s going to have to be careful or he could actually lose his job. But, there is a chance that at some point he MIGHT get back on third shift. Please send good thoughts and/or prayers that he will soon be back on third shift. I can’t stand the thought of being away from him that much. And he will miss church every Wednesday night as long as he’s on second shift. They KNEW he hated second shift, and that’s why they put him there. The only bright side to this whole thing is that the second shift supervisor on this particular job really likes him and has wanted him on his shift anyway. At least work will be easier for him there. The bad thing is that he’s considered a “utility” person now, so they can move him around anywhere and on any shift at any time. As a Christian, I’ve always tried to keep my faith strong and believe things work out like they are supposed to. This is really hard for me right now. I feel like we’re being kicked just as we’re getting up from the floor. I’m trying to stay strong. I’m trying not to cry. I know life isn’t all rosy all the time. I KNOW there are people who are struggling with much bigger and more serious issues. I feel selfish even feeling this way. But I can’t help it. I’ll miss my sweetie while he’s on second shift. 😦

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WIP-So Far, So Good

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 18, 2013| 6 Comments »

Well, so far, my plan for the week has been adhered to. EVEN with obstacles. I had everything all planned out, workout, supper, cleaning the kitchen, reading my WIP and making notes. Then hubby comes up with “We need to watch something on the DVR”. (It’s getting full.) With an exasperated sigh, I acquiesced, stating that I had my evening all planned out, but that I would adjust things and just work a little later. Then, during an episode of Falling Skies, he FELL ASLEEP. Yeah, he really wanted to watch this with me.

Anyway, I did read my WIP and DID take notes. I wrote up a character list, which I should have already done, but I usually end up introducing characters as the story goes on, and it’s easier for me to add them to the list later. I wrote up some notes, which really means, I wrote up a list of questions, some I could answer, some I couldn’t yet.

Okay, so tonight I planned to do some rough outlining. Then I remembered I was supposed to work late tonight, trying to fix our computers. The last time I tried this, I was here until after 8:00. *head desk*
Oh well, if this doesn’t go smoothly tonight, I’m not staying that late. I hope not, anyway. Grrrrr.

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Writing Plans for This Week

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 17, 2013| 8 Comments »

Well, it’s time to jump back in the saddle and start treating writing like a job again. My plan for this week is Monday – reread what I’ve written so far on my WIP and take notes. Tuesday – outline a little (I’m a pantser, but this story is so complicated, it needs a little outlining). Thursday-Saturday – write!

Do you all ever plan your week, or do you just fly by the seat of your pants and try to wedge in some writing time between everything else?

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Sunday Update 6/16/13 and Words of Thanks

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on June 16, 2013| 14 Comments »

Finally, Vacation Bible School is over! Whew, I was exhausted every night. It’s amazing how dealing with 6 and 7 year old boys can wear you out. But it was also a very rewarding time. I was the “cool” teacher who let them sit ON the table instead of AT the table. Except the last night, which was punishment for being rowdy the night before. I know, I’m so mean. Imagine punishing first and second graders by NOT letting them sit on the table. LOL. It was a fun week, but I’m glad it’s over.

Now it’s time to get back to writing. I have NO excuses not to do it now. Hubby is back at work and doing well. VBS is over. Work is slowing down, and I’m caught up from being on vacation. NO excuses. Plus, the two good reviews I posted about yesterday has upped my motivation a bit. So I look forward to start back on my WIP. It’s a complicated plot, and it’s going to be hard and slow going, but I can DO this.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who contributed to the fund for me that Kait set up when my husband was in the hospital and then out of work. I keep trying to find words that are adequate to express my feelings, but they all just fall flat. Many of you contributed. Some of you bought my books. And so many of you sent me prayers and/or good wishes, and that means so much to me. I just can’t say enough. I don’t know HOW to say enough. Hospital bills have started coming in, and the $1800+ that was raised really helped. The writing community is made up of good-hearted people. And the readers are awesome, too. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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Reviews for Haunted Lake

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , on June 15, 2013| 10 Comments »

I had someone message me on Facebook today and tell me they enjoyed Haunted Lake and that they were going to write a review. I was so happy that I had to hop on over to see it. Well, when I got there, it hadn’t come through yet, but I saw a review that was written yesterday. A review that made my heart feel good. Then the other review came through. I’m not going to quote the two reviews in their entirety because they are both long. And that sounds kind of, I don’t know, bragging or something. And I don’t usually list my reviews anywhere like many authors do. But I just wanted to share a little bit of what was said, simply because I’m SO deliriously happy about the reviews. This is what can sometimes jump start us as writers if we’re struggling.

The review by B.J. Robinson (the person who contacted me) says this: “I loved the characters John and Daniel and the heroine, Rachel.” and ” I loved the way the author wove in the theme of friendship and how powerful friendship is.” and ” If you want to be scared and love ghost stories and mystery, check out Haunted Lake. You might learn how to brave a few demons of your own.”

And the review, by Genevieve, that I didn’t know about that surprised me. See, I’ve often wondered whether or not readers could relate to my characters. I’ve had a couple of bad reviews that say they couldn’t relate. But when I read this…well, you can see why I feel good about the characters in Haunted Lake. “It had me in tears from the emotion that poured from the pages. Emotion is this author’s strongest quality in her writing. She conveys emotion so clearly and realistically that it is almost impossible to not act like an Empath and feel the emotions at the same time as the characters. Her writing, like a lot of great writers, makes you feel like you ARE the characters, but at the same time aren’t.”

/end of squee

I know we shouldn’t, as a general rule, read reviews. I used to get depressed over bad ones, but I know that reading tastes are subjective, and not everyone will like all books. I just hate the reviews that are kind of nasty. But when I know for sure I’m getting a good review because someone contacts me, I can’t help but go look. And what a surprise to find I got two good reviews two days in a row. So here’s a question for my fellow authors. Do you read your reviews and do you let them affect you?

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Fitness Friday – Still Working Things Out

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on June 14, 2013| 2 Comments »

This week has been so hectic with Vacation Bible School. My usual schedule is to work out during lunch 4 days a week at the gym, alternating arm work and leg work. Today is arm day. I HATE arm day. I feel like such a wimp. I LOVE leg day. I feel more powerful on leg day. Anyway, I usually walk on the treadmill at home in the evenings for about 45 minutes (long enough to watch a show on Netflix). With this hectic week, I’ve skipped two days of walking. By the time I get home, and get stuff done, it’s 9:30, and that’s way too late to walk if I plan on getting any sleep. So I’ve been walking about 10 minutes in the mornings to make up a little of it. I actually RAN for one minute of the 10 this morning. My legs didn’t like it. LOL

I mentioned last week that I had gained 6 lbs. My weight has gone up and down all week long. I learned in my 15 years experience at Weight Watchers, that it’s not good to weigh every day while losing weight. Once a week is best. But I just had to know what was going on with my weight. This morning, I was back down to within 1/2 lb. of my lowest weight, so I’m back on track. I would REALLY like to get down into the 160’s next week. *crosses fingers*

Okay…time to go work out those arms! Ugh.

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Film Review: Cabin in the Woods

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on June 12, 2013| 11 Comments »

For another review of this film, you might want to check out Emma Meade’s post HERE. Emma mentions that Joss Whedon is loyal to his former staff, using other Whedon actors, but she fails to mention Tom Lenk, who played Andrew in Buffy. 🙂

I won’t go into too much detail about this film because I want you to read Emma’s review…she reviews so much better than I do. But I didn’t really like the film as much as she did. My son loved it, so I was expecting something spectacular. These friends go to this cabin, and you think it’s going to be a typical slasher movie, but then you see that they are being watched and everything that happens is being controlled by those who are watching. That part is weird enough, but kind of a cool premise. That’s nothing, though, compared to the REAL reason this is all going on. I can’t tell you that part because it’s a major spoiler and one of the strangest twists I’ve ever seen in a movie. And that’s when it gets really bloody and gory.

The thing I liked least about this film is the darkness of the scenes. There were times when things were happening in and around the cabin, and I simply could not see anything. Total blackness. All I could do was listen. I have a real problem with this in modern day films. Older movies are easier to see AND to hear, but these days, not so much. I got so frustrated trying to figure out what was happening. This kind of turned me off for the whole film. The film was also too gory for my taste. There was a reason it kind of had to be, but things just happened too fast with not enough suspense.

What I liked the most about the movie was the instances of humor. Even amid the blood and gore, there were things that were funny. A twisted kind of humor. Would I watch this movie again? No, I don’t think so. Am I glad I watched it? Meh…I guess so. But it just didn’t do it for me as a good horror movie.

What do YOU think? Did you watch it? Did you like it?

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One Tiny Secret by Adam Kunz

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on June 11, 2013| 10 Comments »

This book was recommended on a Facebook post by J.L. Bryan. I often get ideas for books to read on FB, Twitter, blogs, etc. Since J.L. Bryan is such an awesome writer himself, I figured a suggestion by him would be worth taking.

Oh, man. This book was beyond awesome. I don’t read a lot of YA, but this one is REALLY good. It’s basically about a girl who’s a senior in high school and is getting texts from an unknown number, and people are dying after the texts. Her father, the sheriff, doesn’t believe her, because the texts disappear from her phone shortly after they are sent. I thought I would be annoyed by the present tense writing (I usually hate that), but after the first page or two, I didn’t even notice. Because the story drew me in immediately. All through this book, I switched who I thought the killer was. I know who I hoped it WASN’T, but I kept waffling. I will say this book kept me guessing “whodunit” until the very end. The actual killer was someone I had suspected, but later thought it COULDN’T be. I can’t tell you why because it’s a spoiler.

If you like murder mysteries, you need to check this one out. It’s ONLY .99! You can find it on Amazon HERE.

Adam is the “A” in the mother/son writing duo known as C.A. Kunz.

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