Health, Loss, and Fascism

It's been a rough week. Watching the disintegration of the American legal system while fighting a severe bacterial infection has not been fun.

I swore oaths to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America three times in my life: when I was sworn in as an attorney in Texas, when I was sworn in as an attorney in Ohio, and when I was sworn as an attorney in to the Eastern District of Texas Federal Court.

To watch the total disregard of our rule of law by the clown circus in D.C. is heartbreaking and rage-inducing at the same time.

Maybe the chaos is why I started writing more stories in The Enchanted Bakery series.  I needed something humorous in my soul to get through this week.

But what happens after Easter?

There are already men on the streets snatching people in broad daylight for saying the things we are all thinking. Unmarked planes are carrying people to other countries.

"But those are illegals!" I hear some of you cry.

Are you absolutely sure about this? There's rarely any evidence. Even fewer court records. So the talking heads are spinning these people's stories any way they see fit. This is exactly why the current adminstration is denying independent reporters access to government briefings. Heaven forbid anyone question the god-king!

The American legal system isn't perfect by any means. But it stood as a beacon of the possibilities of a fair system. There was a time I truly believed total fairness could be achieved.

Not any more.

While I was on my road trip at the end of March, a friend asked if I thought the U.S. was becoming fascist. My answer was "We already are."

I'm just not sure how we can stop it without a tons of blood shed in the process. But I do know hate isn't the answer. That's how we ended up here in the first place.

Monday Movie Mania - A Working Man

Hey, if a movie stars Jason Statham, I'll drag DH kicking and screaming to see it. Not that I have to drag DH. Nor does he kick and scream. Jason always delivers on everybody's fantasies.


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SPOILERS!

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PROS
1) Actually, there's not a lot to spoil here. This is a standard Statham action flick. Violence, mayhem, and the bad guys getting what they deserve.

2) The stand out is Arianna Rivas as Jenny. She's the victim Statham's character is trying to rescue. However, Jenny is no damsel in distress. She delivers her own abuse to her captors and nearly escapes on her own except for a bit of bad luck.


CONS
1) Michael Pena as Statham's boss and David Harbour as Statham's blind friend were horribly under-used in this film. They could have provided some needed humor in this film.

2) The editing was a little weird in the action scenes. Jason is two years younger than me, and I think the editors were trying to disguise that Jason, like me, no longer has the sharpness and range of motion he used to.


Overall, A Working Man is a fun weekend B-flick. I give it 8 stars out of 10.

Wednesday Got Away from Me

I hate upgrading to a new computer, but upgrading my solid state drive has been been a royal pain in my butt.

For the record, I get the idea of the IMAP protocol. It's nice to have all your devices seeing the same e-mails. However, I rely on having an e-mail on a second device if I accidentally delete something important.

Even if I didn't have that option, having my devices syncing by copying my thousands of old e-mails that I HAVE TO KEEP FOR THE IRS back to my e-mail service providers is NOT A GOOD THING!

Seriously, one of my business e-mail accounts has less space on that provider's servers than other business and personal accounts. So, IMAP kept copying everything back to that particular server and maxing out my allocated space.

To the point, I couldn't send or receive any e-mails. ARGH!

This is the account I use to keep in touch with my cover artists and formatter. It was a very necessary account to keep up and running.

Unfortunately, I wasted the last two days figuring out how to stop IMAP from doing this. Unfortunately, I can't turn off the copying function of IMAP. Nor would Outlook recognize my old PST file as a valid e-mail data file. The issue meant creating a brand-new POP account on Outlook and copying everything from the old PST file to the new PST file.

But after the hair-pulling and chocolate-eating, everything's sorted. I can now send my files for April releases to my formatter. And I was able to retrieve the e-mails with cover art attached from my cover artists.

I still need to go through and unlock the rest of my files because apparently my backup software couldn't handle copying subfolders. When I did a manual copy, both my backup hard drive and Microsoft thought I was stealing from myself so there's a ton of files and folders with permissions stripped from them.

 ARGH!

But that's a bitch session for another day.

It's Definitely a Monday!

Things are getting back into their normal groove at Casa Harden. My body's recovering from the two-week road trip. The pups and husband aren't quite so needy, though they all come check to make sure I'm still here every couple of hours or so. And I'm slowly catching up on work related things.

However, everyone but the Grandpuppy has medical appointments this week. Today was Princess Bella's annual check-up. Everything's fine, just typical middle-age crap. We both have arthritis in our knees.

Over night, the dang robins built a dang nest in my Ostara/Easter wreath on the front door. This year, DH didn't trim down the freakin' bush you prefer, you mini-dinosaurs. Stay out of my wreaths! Thankfully, no eggs had been layed yet, so I didn't feel bad about removing the next.

Saws have been humming or growling through the area as homeowners and cleaning crews are dealing with the fallen branches and downed trees from last Wednesday's extreme storms. However, the neighbors directly behind us are not one of those dealing with the wreckage. I'm thankful none of the debris landed on our side of the fence, but I miss privacy provided by the downed or damaged trees.

And now, I'll head over to Starbucks to get some actual drafting done. Tonight, I'll be editing the stories that are scheduled for release next week, plus March's release that wasn't finished in time.

I may be a turtle, but I'm still running this race!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

A little more Ms. Swift for you!

Home Again

The last two days have not been the best for my mental and physical health despite the Beckster and some lovely South Carolinian medical personnel taking care of me.

Tuesday morning, I woke up at 3AM with a UTI. I get them when I'm super-stressed. It doesn't matter if the stress is bad or good. Yeah, I know those are relative terms. But the last time I had a UTI was the day after my father-in-law's funeral. And I was having fun on my Tour of the Carolinas until everything caught up with me on the last full day in the South.

As I said above, the ladies at the urgent care clinic I went to were absolute dolls. I got in and taken care of. The PA assigned to me checked in regularly, especially when they discovered the testing machine had malfunctioned. They got a machine from another facility lickity-split because they couldn't prescribe antibiotics without confirmation.

While I waited for the prescriptions to be filled, I grabbed breakfast and gassed up the car. By the time I headed back to Becky's, less than two hours had passed.

Despite my plans to write and the antibiotics kicking in, I still felt like crap, so I took a good three-hour nap and a shower before she got home from her spin class. I had to skip the evening's martinis, but we got take-out from a delightful little family own restaurant.

On Wednesday morning, I woke feeling reasonable better. The drive from from Columbia, SC, to Northwest Ohio would only take nine hours, depending on the number of pit stops I made. Most of it is a straight shot up I-77.

Or it should have been.

A tractor-trailer crash brought down power lines across the interstate near Exit 124. I-77 was backed up for miles in both directions. The alternate routes were also backed up. You can't take three lanes of interstate traffic down to a couple of two-lane roads and not have delays.

Or in this case, a four-hour delay.

I didn't get home until after 11PM.

Just ahead of a major thunderstorm system that peeled shingles off the roof of our shed, overturned the decorative cistern next to our patio, and knocked over several neighbors trees. The official weather report says we had a 70 mph straight-line gust, but a neighbor and I speculated we may have had an F0 pass through from the sounds and the amount of damage.

But I'm home now. Two puppies are very pleased to have extra pets and cuddles again. And DH is happy that he no longer has to eat his own cooking!

Last Stop of My Carolina Tour

I'm currently in Columbia, South Carolina, the last stop of my two week trip. My friend Becky is currently running errands, and I'm ensconced at her dining room table. Yes! I'm actually working!

But then the Beckster doesn't feel the need to drag me around her latest landing place. She had frozen pizza in the oven and a martini waiting for me when I arrived. We're getting Greek take-out tonight for dinner. There's just some friends who get you, and they are a royal treasure beyond measure.

Wednesday, I head home, but I think the break to visit family and friends has done me a world of good.

A New Experience

With music, I'm not addicted to a particular genre. I threw people off in the old days when one could look at a person's vinyl/cassette/CD collection and get a feel for someone's tastes. Mine was literally all over the place.

Dolly Parton, Madonna, Barry Manilow, Mozart, Prince, The Statler Brothers, Genesis, Elvis Presley, Metallica, ABC.

I've realized the commonality is the honest emotions in the song writing and the performance.

Last night, my friends took me all over Wilmington, NC, to see the sights. However, the highlight was a concert at UNCW by the Chatham Rabbits.And those qualities of honest emotion in their lyrics and performance makes me love their work.

The Chatham Rabbits are currently on tour if you want to check them out..

Here's a taste. . .

Travel Week One Completed

Week 1 of the Great East Coast Tour is done and I'm exhausted. Actually, I'm peopled out.

If you're an introvert, you understand what I'm talking about. If you're an extrovert, you probably won't. All I ask is you give us introverts some grace and kindness.

It's not that we don't like socializing. But the more people involved, the more strength we use to keep up. It's. . .exhausting.

At two of the four stops so far, the people I saw wanted me to meet their friends. The other two wanted to got out to eat at fancy restaurants in major cities. I just wanted to see the people I love. And I would have been perfectly happy to catch up over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Right now, I'm ensconced in my room at a Charlotte Holiday Inn. Thankfully, check-out isn't until noon. It's only a three-hour drive to my next stop. So, I have roughly 18 hours of me time.

I need it. I mean I REALLY need it because my next friend is taking me out to dinner with her friends and then to a concert.

And the friend at my last stop just texted me about making reservations for dinner when I get to her house. I texted back, "Please don't make me go out! We order in or I'll cook." And she replied that was no problem

I'm glad I bookended my entire trip with people I've lived with at one time or another. They understand me.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

I've been on a Taylor Swift kick while on the first leg of my Carolina Tour.

Late Monday Movie Mania - The Last Breath

The Last Breath is based on the true story of Chris Lemons, a saturated diver working in the North Sea when his umbilical was accidentally snapped during a dive.

This is one of those movies that should have gotten a lot more press. It's tense and riveting even when you know how it ends. DH and I left the theater wasted on our own adrenaline.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) I usually don't give kudos to the setting, but let's face it. The North Sea is not a place you want to be in the best of times, much less when things go wrong. It's a cold, harsh, unforgiving environent.

2) The action focuses on the three saturation divers who have just descended to work on a North Sea pipeline. Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole give wonderful, understated performances as three men who know they're in deep sh*t and try to focus on their jobs.

3) Cliff Curtis also does fabulous work in his supporting role as the captain of the ship, who's juggling the lives of three of his men against his duty to the world at large.


CONS
1) I don't know if this is really a CON. It's not a short movie, but tension permeated me to the point where I was shocked it was over.


Overall, this was a superb tale about a real-life event. There's no fakeness, no overwhelming CGI. The only special effects necessary were the simulations of a dive-sea dive. Don't look up the actual incident before you see this movie. Afterwards, judge for yourself how close the film makers came to recreating the events.

The Last Breath gets a strong 10 out of 10 stars for being a good solid thriller.

Upgrade Woes

The inevitable necessary hard drive replacement has happened. However, everything from the operating system to my folders have so many extra protections on them it's been a royal bitch to restore all the programs and files.

Not to mention the innate fear that I'll accidentally erase something I need.

Hell, even the free tools to correct PDFs and EPUBs have given me headaches while I try to reinstall them.

It doesn't help that the temperatures have plunged after a storm system rolled through Saturday night. Even with bright sunshine today, my space heater can't keep up in my office. The only way you can tell it's three days from Spring are from the buds on the trees and the squirrels chasing each other across the back yard.

While I wait for items to copy to this computer from my external backup drive (yeah, I have a ton of books, partial books, ideas, my music for inspiration, and various pictures for covers), I'm going to try to write up all the random thoughts about the publishing industry and work/life balance that have been rumbling through my head over the last few months.

Also, if you want some tidbits to read, I've started posting chapters for Sapphire (War of the Witches #1). This series won't be out until next year. I've got to finish Justice and The Books of Apep first. But I've been dabbling on Sapphire for a few minutes most nights before bedtime. When readers are expecting something in particular, I sometimes let the pressure to mess with my head. Writing on a private project of the heart makes a nice relief valve.

Or in the case of Justice, I don't want the adventure to end. I've had that problem with past books. I unconsciously slowed my writing because I love the characters so much, and I don't want to let go.

It's time to get more coffee and warm up my hands as I wait for files to finish copying.

Have a great Monday!

The Ecomonic Slowdown

I don't normally talk politics on my blog. Unfortunately, many of my writing colleagues are starting to see the ramifications of the current administration's policies in regards to the economy. Book sales are down. Period.

It's not just us. Everyone's losing business because of the current round of inflation. One of my fantasy cover artists had a full 2025 schedule on January 1st. Now, she's got authors canceling their slots left and right. My romance cover artist closed her website because it had become too expensive and rarely takes new clients for custom covers. My other fantasy cover artist and I had a long e-mail discussion about the change in the industry.

DH's employer had a round of layoffs. If Medicare is trashed, neither of us will be able to retire any time soon.

My friends who've already retired fear losing their Social Security on top of watching their 401Ks in free fall.

And to top things off, the entire world economy is still recovering from the chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments are killing sick chickens in mass in an effort to keep the mutating avian flu from turning into another health disaster.

Which is why a carton of 18 eggs is now more expensive than a pound of ground beef in our town.

How the hell can we expect people to buy our books when they can't afford nutritious food? I say that as someone who has health issues and is making that very same cost/benefit analysis.

And then there are the tariffs against our allies, which is prompting boycotts and other retaliatory measures.

So here's what I'm thinking--

To my fellow Americans, if you like my stories, but can't afford my books or feel in good conscience you can't buy them from a mega corporation, I get it. I'm looking into opening my own store so I can give you discounts, and I'm not getting overcharged by certain companies. Also, contact your local libraries about carrying my books so you can read them for free. If it's a question of your library's budget, I'm more than happy to donate both e-books and print books to your library. Have your librarian contact me.

To my readers outside of the United States, I understand why you might be boycotting any U.S. vendors, including me. I didn't vote for the current administration, but everyone's suffering under his idiotic policies. Frankly, you've got to look out for yourselves. Hopefully, both I and my books will still be around once the current chaos is done.

 Until then, remember this quote from The Last of the Mohicans (1992):

You're strong! You survive! You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you! No matter how long it takes, no matter how far. I will find you!

Monday Movie Mania - Love Hurts

Both DH and I were super busy with work, so we took the weekend to relax. Which, of course, meant going to the local theater and catching a couple of movies. That includes Love Hurts before it leaves general release.

The reviews may not be great, but as I told a friend, the movies the critics hate are usually the ones I love. And this one is no exception.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) It's nice to see Ke Huy Quan get a leading man role as Marv Gable, a top realator who's a former mob enforcer for his broth. It feels like his image is being crafted for him to be the next Jackie Chan. But Ke showed awesome comedic talent as a child, and he still does as an adult.

2) Marshawn Lynch displayed a nice twist on the Magic Negro trope by helping his fellow mob enforcer rekindle his marriage on Valentine's Day.

3) Ke's fellow child actor Sean Astin did an incredible job with his few on-screen minutes as Cliff, Marv's boss and mentor. Cliff's not stupid. He knows he's about to die for not giving up Marv. He accepts his fate calmly, defending a man he calls his brother, instead of crying and begging for his life.

4) Lio Tipton was freaking awesome as Marv's clinically depressed assistant Ashley who falls for the poetry-spouting Raven (Mustafa Shakir), another hitman after Marv.

5) And the reason everyone is after Marv? The marvelous Ariana DeBose is Rose, a mob lawyer framed for stealing from Marv's brother. Marv was ordered to kill her. Instead, he let her go because he secretly is in love with her. However, she returns to exact revenge on the men who framed her, which triggers Marv's brother to believe Marv was in on the original theft.

CONS
1) Please, Ke, PLEASE! No moustaches! You have a handsome face. Don't hide it!


Overall, I loved this movie! I love how it twists so many movie tropes into something warm and hilarious. I give Love Hurts 10 out of 10 stars!

Snow and Danger in March

Yep, it's Friday afternoon and it's snowing as I type this post. I can't really blame this on climate change. It's not unusual for the Midwest to get snow into March and April. However, these aren't flakes, but clumps, which usually means the falling snow won't last long.

The danger part is unusual. I'll be heading down to West Virginia to check on my cousin at the end of the month. From there, I'll drive down to DC to see my sister, then spend a week in North Carolina visiting friends.

That's where it gets weird. Nearly every friend has extolled me to be super careful driving through NC. They worry about me driving through the state as a woman alone.

I've done countless roadtrips by my lonesome. I've been to NC by myself before, and never worried.

But this time? Yeah, I'm taking their warnings seriously.

It's nothing personally against NC.  It's because of my last trip back in October to see my cousin.

Depending on the route I take, I drive through small sections of Pennsylvania and Maryland in addition to Ohio and WV. In October, I had just passed through Delaware, Ohio, on my way home. But that time I was driving GK's Challenger because my car was in the shop for repairs (I had been sideswiped by a teenager in town).

Anyway, a couple of guys in a pickup swerved into my lane. No biggie, right? Except they tried to run me off the road two more times. I looked over, and the men were laughing. At me. And the sun was setting.

There's a long stretch of fairly straight road before we reached the U.S. 30 interchange. No one else was around us except for some traffic a mile behind us. The pickup started to swerve again. So, I punched the accelerator.

Now, I'm usually very careful about my speed between Delaware and home because Ohio state troopers patrol pretty heavily along this highway.

I could hear the pickup's engine above the growl of the Challenger. These guys were actually trying to chase me. Any ticket would be worth getting away from these jerks.

Except the chase lasted less than 30 seconds. A horrendous noise came from the pickup. If you've ever heard an engine throw a rod, you know what I'm talking about.

I kept going, glancing in my rearview mirror until they were out of sight. Only then did I feel safe enough to slow down. I look at the speedometer. I was going well over a hundred. I took my foot off the accelerator until I reached the speed limit.

I'm thankful I was okay. I'm thankful no one else was on that stretch of highway who might have been hurt. And I believe karma stepped in that night.

So, yeah, it's not just the people in NC I need to watch out for. I honestly don't get why people get their kicks from terrorizing, or attempting to terrorize total strangers.

However, DH installed a dashcam on my car in case I run into more careless or crazy drivers. The video is automatically sent to DH's phone, so no matter what happens, he'll know about it.

Cameras are everywhere these days, kids. You can't get away with stuff anymore unless you're a billionaire asshole.

Smashwords' Read an Ebook Week Sale!

Smashwords' Read an Ebook Week Sale is happening now until Saturday, March 9th. All of my novels and novellas are half-price, along with sales on lots of other books. Check it out!

Suzan Harden's books on Smashwords!

An Oldie But Goodie

I first posted this video nearly fifteen years ago. (Goddess! How time flies!) But it still tickles my fancy.

A Late Monday Movie Mania - Captain America: Brave New World

DH and I went to see Captain America: Brave New World over President's Day Weekend. I wanted to go see it when it came out on Valentine's Day, but we had a series of ice storms. As much as I love the MCU, I'm not risking my life because other people won't treat ice with respect.

Now here's my lecture:

Okay, kids. You can't tell me the latest Captain America isn't being sunk by the current fascists in our country because he's Black, one of his sidekicks is Jewish, and the other is Mexican-American. I've been a comics reader for nearly sixty years. Sam Wilson has been Captain America off and on for a few decades, mainly on for the last ten years. Just like at various times Storm and Rogue, along with Jane Porter, have been the official Asgardian God of Thunder. The douchebros telling you otherwise are lying.

I was hoping Sam would take over as Cap in the MCU, too. When Anthony Mackie first appeared on screen in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I knew he'd make an awesome Falcon, and an even more awesome Captain America. It was even more special when Steve handed over the mantle, ur, rather the shield, to Sam at the end of Avengers:Endgame because he lived by the same values espoused by the Greatest Generation.

So here's the rest of my thoughts on Captain America: Brave New World:


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SPOILERS!!

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PROS
1) I'll say this again, Anthony Mackie is the perfect guy to play Sam Wilson/Captain America. He conveys that Sam has the same resolute sense of right and wrong as Steve, but he's got communication skills that Steve didn't quite master, which is why I loved this movie. He used his non-superhero counseling skills on two fellow service members in bad situations which makes Sam even more of a hero in my book.

2) My first point segues into this: There's more than one way to "win". Sometimes, saving the "bad guy" from himself is more important than beating the crap out of him.

3) Harrison Ford did a nice job of replacing General, now President, Thaddeus Ross. While I miss William Hurt in the role, Ford's version actually showed regret for what Ross did to his daughter in The Incredible Hulk. Even more tragic, Ross doesn't turn into the Red Hulk by his own volition as in the comics. He's slowly being poisoned by The Leader in revenge for keeping him enslaved for nearly two decades.

4) Point 3 leads to the delightful return of Tim Blake Nelson. Marvel teased that Nelson's character Samuel Sterns would become The Leader shortly before the climatic battle in The Incredible Hulk. Although he's never addressed as The Leader here, Sterns' revenge plot to turn Ross into exactly what he hates the most makes an appropriate twist on the original stories.

5) The first appearance of Sabra! Instead of being a former Mossad agent, the movie execs made the character a former Widow. I understand the change considering the current Gaza War, but that didn't stop anti-semites from blasting her appearance. Personally, I would have rather seen a story where she and Cap are working together against a global threat with her actual comic power set. However, that would have been difficult under the current storylines since Ruth Bat-Seraph (Sabra) is a mutant (and the MCU just introduced adamantium). I still think Shira Haas did a wonderful job, and I hope we see her again!

6) This flick also introduces the new Falcon. (Sorry, folks! We ain't going backward!) Joaquin Torres is simply adorable as the gung-ho Air Force Lt. Danny Ramirez who is dying to become the new Falcon. He reminds me of the new recruits my own son taught at one of the bases where he was posted.

7) My favorite part was  Liv Taylor back as Betty Ross. I wish they hadn't cut so many of her scenes. I think it would have added to poignancy to Ford's performance. However it was nice they've tied up the ends to The Incredible Hulk original storyline.


CONS
1) My only gripe is that a superb actor like Giancarlo Esposito was wasted in this movie. Giancarlo has excelled as a baddie in so many different projects. His Sidewinder and the Serpent Society would have been better as a solo antagonist(s) to Captain America.


Overall, this is my favorite Captain America movie. I give it 10 stars out of 10.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

One more 2CELLOS video for February!

A Sunny, Bright Monday!

Except it's VERY cold! I wore jeans over my leggings while driving to yoga class this morning. But the sun is reflecting nicely off the four inches of snow we got yesterday.

Ironically, this meant I was wide awake at 8:30 a.m. as opposed to the oversleeping I've been doing thanks to the ice, rain, and snow we've had over the last five days. DH has the holiday off, so he already made plans for us.

The releases on last Friday went smoothly. I think I'm finally getting used to such a thing. I didn't lose any sleep fretting over everything that could possibly go wrong the night before the books dropped.

And I'm already working on the two books I need to finish. Plus, I need to carve out a little time to edit the first draft of Death Goddess Walking.

All in all, the first month and a half of 2025 is going pretty well!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

A little more awesome cello music from Luka and Stjepan!

New Releases Start This Week

I feel much better and much more productive this year, and it's good to feel relatively normal again.

On Friday, Feline Navidad (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #4) will finally be hitting retail stores. Yep,  Christmas story on Valentine's Day. That's assuming everybody goes live at that time. I'm still uploading to the files to the other retailers, but Amazon has been on pre-order for a bit.

I'm also getting Alter Ego's books reissued on Amazon, again FINALLY. I made the mistake early in my career by releasing my books under my personal account rather than a business account. Same with a couple of other retailers. I started switching titles over to the business account back in 2016, but I didn't get everything moved before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. So, while I update the back matter, I'm updating the covers before I upload them. It's been years since I looked any of them over, it's been interesting how my style has changed.

Plus, I'm assigning the copyrights to the company, so when I pass, the administrator of my estate won't have to do much paperwork for the company to change hands.

83 books takes some time to update and move. So, I'm glad I'm glad to finishing up that portion of the business changes.

After nearly two years, I also glad to release Feline Navidad into the wild.

BLURB

After a horrible, traumatizing autumn, the Wilson family panics when a holiday tree mysteriously appears in their living room. As the twins search for their benefactor or foe, neither Kaley or Kristen bothers to ask their familiars. And Teller and Penn know who the real culprits are.

Enjoy this light-hearted tale of friends trying to make the holidays special for the people they care about, the cats who face a major translation problem, and the fae-blessed man in a red suit who can fix anything.

Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Kobo
Smashwords

Computers, Ice, and Naps

Time got away from me over the last couple of days.

First, the hard drive caddy for Baby Blue 2.0 arrived. I bought a replacement for Baby Blue because I can no longer update her. Baby Blue 2.0 is a rebuilt, higher end version of the same computer model from Dell. Even though a decent solid state drive ("SSD")and a new battery had been installed, it was missing the caddy and some essential screws, which meant the SSD kept sliding out of its socket. So, Tuesday morning was spent installing the caddy and screws. I now have a working travel laptop again!

Tuesday afternoon was dedicated to fixing the cover and a typo on the interior of the paperback version of Magick and Murder (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #3). I didn't leave enough dead space next to the edge, so the trimmer at the printer was whacking off part of the three. I'm waiting on the author's copy to double check the spacing. I'm waiting for my formatter to return from a trip before the typo in the ebook is fixed.

(Hey, I know my limitations with tech.)

On Tuesday evening, I sprinted with writing buddies in Boise, so I got a couple of pages written on Death Goddess Fighting (The Books of Apep #2).

Wednesday morning, I went to yoga class, and...

...fell asleep in my recliner while I was going through email. *sigh*

I woke up shortly after 5 PM. DH and I had ordered new phones because several of our apps on our old phones were no longer working. We both rely on our phones for business. A fully functioning phone is necessary.

Anyway, both phones had arrived, and we went over to the AT&T store for assistance in setting them up and transferring our data from the old device to the new.

(Even DH admits to his limitations with some of the newer tech.)

We picked up dinner and spent the rest of the evening installing the necessary apps, syncing with our other devices and accounts, etc.

After DH went to bed, I started writing the first chapter of Divination and Distribution (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #5) to include it as a sample on Feline Navidad (Millersburg Magick Mysteries #4).

As for today? Well, it depends on whether the ice from last night's storm has melted sufficiently for me to safely pick up my drugs and the Grandpuppy's.

And for the rest of the day, I need to finish that first chapter for Divination and Distribution and edit Feline Navidad since my formatter should be back by tomorrow.

I'm making progress on my stories, just not as fast as I would like at times.

It's Been a Busy Monday and I Can't Shut Off My Mind

I know, I know. Monday is usually Movie Mania Day, but DH and I haven't gone to the theater in a while. That will probably change after the Super Bowl. We're cutting out a streaming service.(We've already axed Apple+.) Plus, we've got the monthly deal at our local AMC theater. The subscription pays for itself in just two movies, and there's a few new flicks coming out this month I absolutely want to see. (Hint: Captain America 4 starts to lay the groundwork for the X-men to join the MCU.)

Our 2024 returns were electronically filed tonight. Seriously, this is the earliest I've ever had my taxes done, but dammit, I want my refund before a certain douche bro raids the IRS.

After I dropped off the check for out new CPA, I finish the first draft of Feline Navidad this afternoon in a rush of mad typing at Starbucks.

Tonight, I worked on Death Goddess Fighting while sprinting with gal pals in Idaho.

So, tomorrow will be my breather day. A day between writing and editing where I work on some other creative things. I sorted through dolls and came across some original Jem & the Holograms dolls.

These figures were the reason I started into repainting and rerooting dolls. These poor toys were ones I'd stripped for clothing and accessories I was missing from my collection. I couldn't throw them away or resell them. The animated show meant too much to me.

As I was working, I got to thinking. It's been ten years since the disastrous Jon Chu big screen adaption failed on its first week in theaters. Seriously, when DH and I walked out of Wicked two and a half months ago, he asked me what I thought.

The first thing out of my mouth: "At least, Jon Chu didn't fuck up this one."

I can't blame everything on Mr. Chu. Hasbro threw an easy nine figures to do decent versions of Transformers and G.I. Joe, but only threw a measly $5M into the Jem production.

Anyway, Jem & the Hologram's fortieth anniversary is this year. I think it's time to give the girls a makeover.

And that, gentlefolk, is the hamster wheel of my mind.

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

Yes, I've been on a 2CELLOS kick. Here's another awesome video.

Disappointment

After a lot of thought and consideration, I've pulled the link to Neil Gaiman's blog from my reading list.

To say I'm disappointed in his behavior is an understatement. I'm not against kink. However, I do believe in safe, sane, and consensual protocols. There's some big questions on all three parts in his relationships with women.

To me, here's the bigger problem. As a former attorney, it's been drummed into my head that public servants not only can't do anything improper, but we need to avoid the APPEARANCE of impropriety as well.

Granted, Gaiman isn't a public servant. No non-government celebrity is.

However, there's one thing in this whole mess that bothers me--why did Gaiman abruptly leave New Zealand at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic?

If he and his wife had a simple fight, and with the amount of friends Gaiman has, why not make other arrangements in New Zealand rather than flying halfway around the world and possibly contract or spread a deadly disease? Why leave your child alone like that?

To me, this is a HUGE appearance of impropriety on his part. Worse, it was damn irresponsible given conditions around the world at that time.

It's bad enough all these women are telling the same tales about him. It also saddens me that his actions have affected a large number of people that had nothing to with any sexual behavior on his part.

The current adaptions of his writing are being cancelled thanks to the current controversy. Hundreds of people are employed to make a television series. Now, all those people will also be out of work because of Gaiman's stigma and lack of foresight.

Today, I received an e-mail notice from a Kickstarter I supported nearly two years ago--a graphic novel of Good Omens. There were a ton of people working on this project, including Terry Pratchett's estate. Now, some backers (I don't know how many) have asked for there orders to be cancelled and want refunds.

In the notice, the Pratchett Estate said Gaiman would not be getting any funds from this Kickstarter. I hope Colleen Doran, the artist for the project is paid in full because her artwork I've seen so far is absolutely stunning.

None the less, I'm sad to say the Good Omens graphic novel will be the last Gaiman-related product I will purchase. I've loved his work since I picked up my first copy of the Sandman comic in 1988. There's been a lot of talk among fans regarding equating the artist with the art. Gaiman is a great writer, but when someone fucks up, they need to make things right with those they fucked over. Reading his so-called apology on his blog makes it sound like he's only sorry he got caught.

I don't think I'm holding Gaiman to some unachievable standard. We're all human. We all fuck up. But he does need to fix his problems--to his family and to those he wronged.

Writing and Editing

I opened a new post for this blog yesterday, and...

Totally forgot to write it. LOL

The check engine light came on in our everyday vehicle while DH drove up to Detroit to pick me up at the airport eleven days ago. Yesterday was the first opening our mechanic had. So, I needed to be up early. I followed DH over to the mechanic. Thankfully, it was not a worse case scenario when they called later in the afternoon.

However, I skipped yoga class because I had a massive to-do list. I got some breakfast, started on my list, and...

Yep, I fell asleep on my recliner.

I woke up in a bit of a panic because I needed to run two errands before the facilities closed at five p.m. After I got those done, I went to Starbucks for some serious writing. I'm closing in on finishing Feline Navidad in another day or two.

When I got home, I made dinner, watched some Jeopardy, wrote some more on Feline Navidad and edited a Alter Ego story that needed a new cover before I republish it. Basically, I worked until the Princess Pup nagged me into going to bed.

Never did look at this blog again until this morning.

Well, part of the massive to-do list is running and verifying reports before I take the mass of data to the meeting with our new CPA on Friday.

 Thankfully, there's four more days to get stuff done! I'm not underwater yet!

Music I've Been Listening to Lately

I've got the soundtrack for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. It was great to listen to while I wrote A Measure of Knowledge. However, I took great delight in seeing a new video by 2CELLOS.

Here Comes the Sun

Despite the busyness of the Space Opera class last week, I got plenty of sun. Even when the temps were below zero this week, there was lots of sun.

All that lovely light definitely improved my mood. I've had a rough time dealing with my Seasonal Affective Disorder, aka SAD, this winter. The political climate and growing sense of fear have not helped.

Plus my week in Vegas recharged certain batteries, I really don't have anyone to talk business with here in town. Most of my friends live two hours or more away. Yes, we communicate by various means, but there's a certain energy you get when you talk with someone in person. I definitely got that during breakfast, lunch, and breaks during the class.

So this week, I've put that excitement into my work, and I got a bit accomplished--even though something I though would be a one-day project has turned into three days. LOL

Things are finally moving in the right direction. Even if I did have to take a nap after this morning's yoga class. But that's part of taking care of the word-producing machine.

Tax Time and Sadness

We've started getting our W-2s and 1099s here at Chez Harden. Unfortunately, we also needed to find a CPA here in Ohio. Ed, our long-time CPA in Houston, sold his practice last summer when his Stage 4 cancer stopped responding to treatment. He passed away the week before Christmas.

Ed was our CPA for nearly thirty years. He's been with DH and me through house-buying, children (both human and furbabies), and our various businesses. Most of all, he was a cheerleader for me when I started my publishing company in 2011. He always believed I would be successful when lots of other people called me a fool.

The best thing about Ed was he didn't have the dry, dull manner of a lot of other CPAs I've met. He was genuinely enthusiastic about the tax code and helping his clients save every penny they could from Uncle Sam.

The last time I spoke to Ed was over the phone a year before his passing. He truly believed that one of my series would be picked up for a movie deal or a television series. And he was still enthusiastic despite his illness and the rough sound of his voice.

Rest in peace, Ed. I like to imagine you on a beach, relaxing, but I know you'll be helping the angels with their own accounting problems.

Still Recovering from Space Opera

Last week, I flew to Las Vegas to take a Space Opera class with Kristine Kathryn Rusch. She's an award-winning writer and editor who knows her shit.The class was super intense, like taking a master's class in four-days. It was so intense that I spent the long holiday weekend sleeping and writing.

Since the class was held at the WMG Publishing offices in downtown Vegas, I got a room at The Golden Nugget on Fremont Street. I've been to Vegas enough times I have frequent guest offers from the Nugget, so I got a decent price for the week. Since the hotel is only a few blocks from the offices, I got plenty of steps in during my stay.

The Nugget is what I call retro chic. The main part of the hotel looks very similar to what it did when it opened in 1946. The beds are comfortable, and the rooms are clean. Best of all the Carson Tower is totally nonsmoking rooms. Unfortunately, that has become a primary criteria while traveling thanks to my allergies.

The in-person class was totally awesome. my classmates are all working writers like me, who are looking to take their writing to the next level. Kris doesn't take newbies in her classes. I've been dabbling in science fiction, but I feel I'm not quite getting it right. Kris's lessons made me realize the uneasy feeling I've been having was Subconscious trying to kick Conscious out of the way because she knows how to write the story.

For those of you waiting for the next Justice novel, no, I'm not jumping tracks in 2025. This year's writing and publishing has already been planned out, though I haven't posted everything on the public Release Schedule yet. After falling off the proverbial writing wagon last year, I'm doing my damnedest to stay on it for this year.

So, that's why I've been silent the last ten days. Now to get back to my regularly scheduled work-in-progress...

Repeat of a Favorite

I love 2CELLOS! Sulic and Hauser are enthusiastic performers. However, this video is dedicated to Darling Husband who is a huge AC/DC fan.

Music from the Lockdown

Out of all the things we artists did to keep our sanity during the COVID lockdowns, this is one of my favorites!

Monday Movie Mania a Day Late - Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

I know Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is out of the theaters, but DH and I went to see it while it was still playing at our local cinema. It was part of his "get Suzan out of her funk" plan. I'd like to say my funk colored my perception of the movie, but I'm afraid it didn't.

We did watch the original before we bought tickets for the sequel. And the sequel was . . . okay. It didn't stick in my mind for very long. Frankly, I had to read the film's Wikipedia article to remember the plot when I first tried to write my review.


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SPOILERS


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PROS
1) I was amazed how easily Winona Rider slipped back into the role of Lydia Deetz. She was the Queen of Goth in the 80's and 90's, and she clearly has a grasp on the fears and trials of an older Gen X.

2) Jenna Ortega is the prime successor to Winona's acting legacy. She's very believable as Lydia's daughter Astrid.

3) Michael Keaton hasn't changed one bit from the original movie. If I hadn't seen his other movies over the last forty years, I would have thought he lived in his Beetlejuice costume 24/7.


CONS
1) The Maitlands (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin) were given short shrift in the sequel. It would have been nice to learn how they managed to get to the Afterlife.

2) With Jeffrey Jones' legal problems, I understand why the producers did not want him back. I would have rather seen his character given the short-shrift that was handed to the Maitlands.

3) I love Monica Belucci, but the talented Italian actress was totally wasted as Beetlejuice's ex-wife on a rampage for revenge.


Overall, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is a pretty forgettable sequel to a movie I loved in the 80's. It's not bad, but it's not good either. However, it's a serviceable reason for Gen X's children and grandchildren to laugh at us. I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

New Year, New Video, Old Music

Here's the Supernatual folks' antics set to "Shut Up and Dance".

Getting Back into the Writing Groove

I took time off from writing over the last two weeks of 2024. I felt like I was flogging the proverbial dead horse, and I needed some time to refill the creative well.

In that vein, I've watched new-to-me movies, some Christmas favorites, and an action thriller that will be added to the holiday canon. I've read a lot lot of space opera in preparation for a writing class I will be attending this month.

So, I felt refreshed when I started writing on New Year's day. I haven't made my target word-count numbers the first two days, but I'm doing better than I did most of 2024.

My only problem is I really want to start on the War of the Witches series. New projects always make the Subconscious rub her hands with glee. However, I've got other books planned and promised that need to be finished first. Therefore, I'm splitting my time in order to please my readers and my inner child.

I'm working damn hard to keep a positive mindset. Part is my desire to break out of the cocoon depression had me wrapped in since October. Part is the need to be strong for what comes next in our society. The hate flows strongly in the U.S. and around the world, and the next four years aren't going to be pretty.

I just hope my stories keep me and my readers going through the oncoming storm.

Happy New Year!!

Just a reminder! The sale at Smashwords ends tonight!