Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Latest Release and a Kickstarter You Might Want to Back

I didn't do a whole lot of fanfare for my latest release. Practical Witches: A Practical Anthology of Magical Ladies is a collection of three previously published stories and two new ones, all dealing with ladies of power and how they use their magic to get them out of very silly or very serious jams.

So far, it's only up on Amazon, but it will be available on the other platforms soonish.

In the meantime, today is the last day for Kris Rusch's Kickstarter The Return of the Fey. If you're a reader, there's lots of good books including Kris's new Fey novella.

But if you're a writer and you want to delve into epic fantasy, WMG are offering a lot of classes from a three week workshop to seven pop-ups.

The Kickstarter ends at 10:00 p.m. EDT so check it out before it ends!

Saturday, March 27, 2021

I Love the '00's!

Confessions from the Dance Floor showed Madonna was still a force to be reckoned with!


Friday, March 26, 2021

Kickstarter and the Weirdness of a Mid-range Career

I'm in the odd position of not being a beginning professional writer. After releasing fifty books, I hardly qualify. Yet most classes or courses are aimed at newbies. It's a bit frustrating.

Because I know there are things missing from my repertoire. Lots of things. Like some aspects of marketing. I just don't know enough yet to ask all the right questions.

So I've been experimenting with some advanced courses. The big one lately involves learning how to run a Kickstarter.

Why Kickstarter? Because I want to experiment with issuing hardcovers, and Kickstarter seems to be a way to kill the proverbial birds with one stone. It would *hopefully* increase my readership through a new avenue while evaluating the interest in my tiny little publishing company issuing a new medium.

Ironically, there's a Kickstarter about running a Kickstarter right now. Crowdfunding Your Fiction: Best Practices seems to be a good starting point. Why? I was at the writer's workshop where Loren Coleman asked his initial questions.

Frankly, a crowd-funded book wasn't something I'd considered before. I didn't think I had the audience for it to be a worthwhile endeavor. But I'm reconsidering the idea. I've already purchased the covers for a new fantasy trilogy that won't be written until late this year at the soonest, and I planned for a 2022 release.

So I've got some learning to do if I want to use that trilogy as a Kickstarter.

This will be so much fun. *rubs hands gleefully*

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Haircuts and Paperbacks

I seriously overslept on Monday, so I didn't get much done. Yesterday, I was up at 7:30 to take Bella to her appointment to have her hair and nails done. You'd think I would have gotten more done.

But no, I was making phone calls, answering texts, and sending e-mail. The family grapevine was working overtime now that Genius Kid and Significant Other are officially producing Adorable Spawn in July. Maybe.

S.O.'s doctors keep changing the due date because of A.S.'s size. He's going to be a big boy according to the ultrasound.

Before

In preparation, everyone at Casa Harden is getting haircuts. Because we know how babies like grabbing things. Things like hair and fur and dangling earrings.

I'm the only one that has to worry about that last one. However, DH's haircut from last Thursday was so radical it caused commentary among the young gentlemen sacking our groceries. Bella looks like an entirely different dog after yesterday's grooming (see photos for comparison).

After

And today, I'll be heading in to the salon to whack off a few inches. Then with DH's help, I'll turn into a little old blue-haired granny. Specifically, Midnight Indigo from Splat.

DH suggested we be called Gramps and Grams. I kind of like that. "Grams" is what the Halliwell sisters on Charmed called their grandmother.

But in the meantime, I've got a lot of writing to write and paperbacks to publish before Adorable Spawn makes his debut.

 

Saturday, March 20, 2021

I Love the '00's!

 People tried to cancel the Chicks, but they were having none of the bullshit.

Friday, March 19, 2021

Bebopping Along with the Words and Vaccines

It's been interesting to observe the psychological effects of getting the COVID-19 vaccine. I've probably gotten more done over the last four days than I have the last four weeks. I've enjoyed the feeling that we may actually be near the end.

I know we aren't though. The same people who refuse to wear masks to slow the spread are refusing to get vaccinated. And worse, most of these people are my age or older, i,e, one of the most vulnerable populations. This virus goes beyond politics, beyond borders, beyond any fucking space rock headed in Earth's direction.

This pandemic could have been much worse. And more could have been done to prevent its spread.

As I said on Monday, DH, some of the in-laws, and I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. I haven't had any side effects. DH complained about a sore arm for four days. One in-law had the fever and chills for a couple of days.

But I'm still masking and social distancing. The last thing I want is to spread any germs to vulnerable people, especially those who can't take the vaccine right now like GK's Significant Other.

In the meantime, I'm getting caught up on all the things I'm behind on publishing-wise. That work will keep my mind occupied while things become the new normal and some of our favorite activities return.


Monday, March 15, 2021

Coronavirus Pandemic 370 - A Year in Review

It's been a year since Governor Dewine essentially shut down the State of  Ohio in a desperate effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19. We're at 29,676,645 known cases of the disease and 540,452 known dead.

That's more U.S. citizens dead than World Wars I and II combined. One out of every three Americans have lost a family member. And even as more than a thousand people die every day, there are still those that deny the disease is real. The whole situation  kicks me in the heart.

But I'm starting to feel hope again. DH and I got vaccinated Saturday. That mean in a couple of weeks we can be around Significant Other. We'll still take precautions being around her and the grandson-in-utero, but we've lowered the risk.

For those who are worried about types of vaccines and side effects, we both had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. DH has been complaining of a sore arm. On the other hand, I've been fine. Seriously, I had worse side effects from my flu and pneumonia shots last year.

I'm holding onto that hope. Things will never be the same after COVID-19. It's nice to think they will, but I fear that's a pipe dream.

However, if we can simply be with our families again, that will be more than enough for me.

Saturday, March 13, 2021

I Love the '00's!

 I first heard this song when we took GK to see Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I fell in love!


Friday, March 12, 2021

Vaccine Party!


I was on the phone starting at 8 a.m. yesterday morning with the county health office. It took about twenty minutes to get through, but DH and I have appointments for our first shots on Saturday!

It's important because our first grandchild is on the way. Yep, Genius Kid and Significant Other are expecting. And there is a certain delicious symmetry in that an Army brat baby will make his appearance around the Fourth of July.

The stimulus package will also help with the purchasing of important infant safety and waste disposal equipment.

And my whining about getting a haircut on Wednesday? Well, it is a necessity. I've been around babies. Long hair, dangly earrings, and newborns do not mix. Also, I need to dye my hair because I'm going to be the geek grandma.

The appointments took such a load off my mind that I wrote more yesterday than I did the entire rest of the week. I guess I needed that little glimpse light in the darkness.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Struggling with the New Shiny

I've got three projects to finish over the course of the next couple of months, but I don't want to do any of them. No, I want to work on the new shiny project that's, well, a little more humorous.

COVID-19 fatigue has gotten to me big time despite the marvelous spring weather we've had for the last three days. No, I haven't had the disease. This is the same malaise that's affecting every one who's been trapped in their homes for the last year in an effort NOT to contract the damn coronavirus.

It doesn't help that my hair is now long enough to be annoying. The last time I got it cut was the day before my father's funeral in May of 2019. I meant to get it trimmed before I went to Vegas last year, but I ran out of time before I had to catch my flight. Messy bun and ponytails it was for the workshop.

I got home after spending two glorious weeks in Sin City only for the nationwide lockdown to happen. No haircut. Even when the salons and barbershops reopened, I feared contagion because I'm immuno-compromised.

I just need to hang on a little bit longer. My age group is allowed to get the vaccine starting tomorrow. Then the hair is coming off.

Maybe a little change in weight will help the hamsters in my brain get on the wheel to help me finish these three projects.