I Love the 90's!

Madonna had a baby and a brand-new album!

Spanish Dogs for the Win!

I woke up to thunder this morning. Mother Nature gave us a week of sunshine, so I'm not going to complain. In fact, the rain has cooled things off a bit, but not too much. Hopefully, I don't give myself another sunburn when the sun comes back.

Our apartment manager is keeping the pool closed this year.

I'm jamming on Hero De Jure. It's weird that being allowed to go places makes me feel better even though I'm not going to many.

However, I did pick up prescriptions for DH and me during lunch. And the root beer stand was open!

There's this little place in town that years ago was an A&W franchise. After A&W shut down, the franchisee decided to keep the place open. They signed an agreement for Coca-Cola's Barq's root beer, and it simply became known locally as the root beer stand. It's been through a few ownership changes. The awning was damaged by a storm a few years ago that officially was called straight line winds, but locals are pretty sure was a tornado.

And then there's the fucking pandemic.

But according to the local news and social media, the root beer stand opened early this year--carry-out only like every other restaurant in the state. DH and I have been trying to go to the root beer stand for the past week. They closed for the entire Memorial Day weekend. They had an equipment problem Tuesday night when we stopped and were in the process of closing up shop.

But this afternoon? When I passed it on the way to the pharmacy, I saw cars there! So after I raced through the pharmacy, I raced back to the root beer stand.

Two Spanish dogs and an order of cheese balls later, I'm in a food coma, laying in front of the TV. This place has the ultimate junk food.

For clarification, a Spanish dog is what other places would call a chili dog, but instead of chili, it's sloppy joe mix. And the cheese balls are deep-fried pepper jack.

Now, it's time to grab some iced tea and get back to Aisha who's been kidnapped along with her baby.

Writing in the Age of Corona

I was awake at 6:00 this morning after only sleeping a couple of hours. At 8:15, I gave up on trying to get some more sleep, got dressed, and drove to McDonald's to pick up breakfast. It's kind of sad they have the freshest tea in town out of all the take-out restaurants.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I would have gone to Panera for their bacon and spinach soufflé. That will be the signal that things are back to normal--soufflés will be available again at Panera.

But tea? For me, tea is essential for writing. That, my earbuds, and my Amazon Music subscription. As much as I love my husband, it's hard for both of us to work in our tiny apartment.

Let me amend that. It's hard for me to write original words while he's on the phone with clients and his team members. DH is normally a soft talker.

Until he gets on the phone.

With the pandemic, I've got nowhere to go with my laptop that's safe. Not when I'm in the high-risk group of croaking from COVID-19. The McDonald's drive-thru this morning? Less than five minutes and minimal contact. Sitting in a restaurant for two hours? High probability of contamination even if I were allowed to sit for that long. Which I'm not for anyplace that serves breakfast.

I know other writers who need absolute quiet. Apartment living, along with a spouse who works from home would drive them bonkers. But I learned long ago that music provides white noise and allows me to get into the writing zone. It was simply a matter of training myself. And training others because I learned folks don't bug you in cafés and restaurants when you have wires trailing out of your ears.

So writing at home in the age of corona means earbuds and cranking up the music to provide enough white noise I can't consciously hear DH talking about general ledgers or downed servers. And it helps that temperatures are warming up. The A/C is already chugging along, providing its own white noise.

Coronavirus Pandemic Day 75 - Remember the Dead

Over 98,000 dead in the U.S. alone on this Memorial Day, and yet there's no public mourning. The federal government's reaction is atrocious. Even worse, many officials say the dead are simply a price to be paid for our way of life.. What does that say about us as a nation?

This week most states have lifted the last restrictions regarding businesses. Many people are gathering for the long holiday weekend.

Except COVID-19 is not gone. People are still infected, still spreading the infection, and they are gathering in greater numbers than they have in the last two and a half months. With an incubation period of two to fourteen days, what's going to happen in the middle of June?

Stay safe, everyone!

I Love the 90's!

The 90's saw some really great female artists rise to the top.

A Long Holiday Weekend

I didn't post this morning. I'd stayed up until 4 a.m. getting words in on Hero De Jure. By the time I got up, DH and I needed to get some errands run. By the time we got everything done, it was almost time for Jeopardy.

Not that we're obsessed or anything with that show. LOL

One of the stops today was Hallmark. Stores reopened this weekend in Ohio. Normally, I'm buying graduation and birthday cards this time of the year, and I did buy one of each. The rest...the rest were condolence cards.

That's the problem. Death happens, but so many of these were preventable. And a lot of the people also running errands today think they're immune or that COVID-19 is a hoax. I have too many grieving friends to think it's a hoax or that anyone is immune.

So DH and I are tucked back in our apartment for the weekend, cleaning, playing games, and watching TV and movies. Trying to keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy and alive.

I hope everyone has a safe and healthy holiday weekend.

Naked Puppy Pics

Things have opened enough that the groomer at our vet was able to take appointments. Baby Bella went in yesterday morning. I told the groomer to shave her down.

You see, Bella is a Morkie (a Maltese-Yorkshire hybrid). Their hair, and make no mistake, it IS hair not fur, DOES NOT stop growing. When we adopted her, I thought, no problem. I can take her to a groomer every other month.

*sigh* The last time Baby had a haircut was December. I expected her to join the protests at the State Capitol Building in Columbus, but she couldn't see past the hair covering her eyes to get there.

Even better yesterday, I was able to hit a Starbucks while Bella was getting shaved. I love Starbucks' bacon, gouda and egg sandwiches. I haven't had one since March 12th, four days before the shutdown in our state started. It was worth the risk.

And to make the shaving up to Bella, I got her one, too. Then she got one of her rawhide chew sticks.

That doesn't mean everything's over. I didn't take my safety for granted. I still wore my mask, I was careful about what I touched, and I washed my hands thoroughly--several times.

So, now, Bella and I are ready for another couple months of isolation.

Because I can do my own damn roots!

Coronavirus Pandemic Day 68 - Off Sale

I've temporarily removed the three Millersburg Magick Mysteries from sale on Amazon.

I could fill several blogs with the reasons, but it comes down to COVID-19. This was supposed to be a light-hearted series, a la Scooby-Doo but with real magick. The final results are not what I hoped to accomplish with this series. Add in some mistakes because my head's not in the game. Top it off with supporting friends who've lost loved ones in the pandemic. It all equals to an emotionally fried mind and soul.

I'm planning to re-do this series. It's not normally what I would do as a writer. But y'all deserve my best efforts, and I don't think I delivered. Millersburg Magick Mysteries will be re-released later this summer.

In the meantime, I'll finish Hero De Jure because this story puts me in a much better headspace. Well, superheroes and lemon Oreos do.

I Love the 90's!

Janet Jackson is one of my heroes.

Batteries Recharging

I took the last couple of days off. Got some sleep. Read a little. Watched TV. And I feel better than I have after the last two and a half months.

Three months ago, I was packing for Las Vegas, a combined work/vacation trip. It was educational and productive, but I was on my way home and had a short layover in St. Louis when the first death from COVID-19 was announced.

With 87,000 dead across the U.S. now, we are starting to accept the new normal. Well, most of us are. It means masks and hand washing. It means keeping physical distance. It means new procedures just for going to the doctor and grocery shopping.

In a very selfish way, I'm excited that Starbucks is open again. I may not be able to sit at a table to write, but I can pick up a tea or coffee to take home and write.

Plus, DH and I are cleaning the apartment this weekend. In addition to clean sheets, I plan to reclaim my desk from the pile of paperwork and dust bunnies.

It's easy to say you have to be kind to yourself, but sometimes, it's a lot harder to actually do it.

When You Screw Up the Launch of a New Series

Things haven't gone as well with this spring's launch of the new Millersburg Magick Mysteries series. I admit that 100% of the problem is me.

I normally don't have trouble getting the writing done, but the pandemic has been a huge distraction. I found myself unable to concentrate on the story itself. I would write a couple hundred words, then I'd go check the news. To top off the problems, I didn't set up any advertising in a timely manner. Nor did I account for my anxiety over my medical tests.

*sigh*

I also got a lecture from DH about not taking any down time over the last three months. The sad part is he's right. First thing I did was relax with a little TV and got a good night's sleep.

Yesterday, I didn't write (too much). I took a step back yesterday and looked at resetting the schedule for the second half of 2020 and 2021. I'll slow things down a bit. Don't worry the novels already schedule for release will be out, but the other slots in the fall will be shorter works that I've already written, and a special bundle for Christmas in December.

I'm also planning on listing some of my first in series as freebies for those hit economically by the pandemic.

And I'm going to pull the Millersburg Magick Mysteries from Amazon next week, rework the parts I feel I didn't do properly, and re-release them. For those of you who bought copies already, you'll be able to download the revised editions free of charge.

I don't like feeling I didn't do my best on a project, and that's exactly how the first half of 2020 kind of feels. You readers spend your hard-earned money on my stories, and I need to write the best damn stories I can.

Much love to you all. Take care and stay safe.

Coronavirus Pandemic Day 61 - The Insanity Side Effect

Maybe its a Midwestern thing, but customers politely and quietly lined up around the building of our local doughnut shop yesterday morning. It was Mother's Day, and DH popped over to get me my favorite doughnuts, chocolate long johns, for my present. Everyone was staying six feet apart and wearing masks.

But just a four hours up the road in Flint, a security guard was shot and killed because (a) he was black, and (b) he was doing his fucking job.

After two months of quarantine, people's anxieties and fear have turned to rage and fury.

And more death.

I've had people complain that my characters are too emotional. However, they face death, worldwide destruction, and demons without losing their basic humanity. However, real life people are losing their shit, shooting people because they can't sit down at an Oklahoma McDonald's, and shooting the staff. But MY characters are too emotional?

I hate to tell you this, but things are going to get worse before they get better. And the longer people act like assholes, the longer its going to take. But the people acting like assholes aren't my readers (as shown by some weird reviews I gotten over the 888-555-HERO series).

So, to my readers, please, PLEASE stay safe. I'll see what I can do about throwing a few freebies your way over the rest of this year. But for now, hold your children as much as possible and call the loved ones you can't visit.

We'll get through this. Together.

I Love the 90's!

My favorite boy band!

More Learning Opportunities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

MasterClass is having a BOGO annual membership drive right now. The membership gives you access to ALL the classes they have available, not just the writing classes, but cooking, painting, music, etc.

Personally, I'd pay that for the Neil Gaiman class alone.

You could split the cost with a friend. The deal ends Sunday, May 10th.

Take Advantage of Learning Opportunities

With everyone's restricted movement during the lock-downs, now's the time to pick up some learning tools.

Currently, WMG Publishing (i.e. Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch) are running a half-price sale for all their courses, including the big lifetime courses!

Just a little tip, their website doesn't have a shopping cart so you need to buy the courses one at a time if you want all of them.

When you hit purchase, make sure you enter the code, SummerLearning2020, at the top of the page in order to get the discount!

This sale expires on Friday, May 8th.  The sale has been extended until Sunday, May 10th!

Coronavirus Pandemic Day 54 - I Forgot My Cancerversary

DH pointed out there may be another reason for my insomnia. My second cancerversary was on April 19th.

With all my medical appointments getting canceled with the state shut-down and my own worry over friends who've caught the damn virus, I actually forgot. But my Subconcious didn't.

Now that the governor is easing certain restrictions, my health care providers are rescheduling my appointments. So, of course, I start my first Monday in May with a mammogram.

Maybe that's where a boatload of my constant anger is coming from. I did everything right to deal with one disease, only to face another one that could be just as deadly. One of the reasons I got through the cancer shit was reading and researching. Talking to my healthcare providers about options and percentages. Feeling like I had some control over my care and my future.

And then, like a sneaky little bastard, COVID-19 races around the world, doing weird shit. You have no idea when it's going to hit. Your only preventatives are hand-washing and face masks. And those aren't 100% effective because half the Goddess-damned country thinks it's a hoax or that it won't affect them.

*sigh*

So I'll handle what I can and post naughty pictures to let off steam. I hope the rest of you have a much better Monday.

I Love the 90's!

How can anyone not love these guys?

It Does't Feel Like Spring

Happy Beltane!

I can't blame all of my feeling of being in solitary confinement on COVID-19. Our so-called spring has been so wet and the pollen so thick, it's uncomfortable as hell for me to step outside. And it's difficult to blow your nose with a damp tissue.

My sneezing also alarms the neighbors.

Yesterday, I was able to make an appointment to visit a gift shop. I'm terribly late sending a friend a birthday present. They were selling face masks made by a local craftswoman, and I bought one with ladybugs on it because I needed something summer-y to brighten my day.

Alas, that is my only excursion that was remotely fun I will have any time soon.

My medical appointments are starting up again as providers have figured out procedures to keep both patients and staff safe. I can't say I've missed being poked, prodded and stabbed over the last two months.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that reopening the nation doesn't result in a jump in COVID-19 infections, but I'm well aware that's highly wishful thinking on my part. But just as my oncologist will be continuing my appointments because he has to presume I still have cancer until proven otherwise, I will have to continue to quarantine.

It means a very long summer.