Coronavirus Pandemic Day 321 - Surviving the WInter Blues

We're closing in on the end of the first month of 2021. 25,374,301 known cases of COVID-19. 423,611 known dead from the disease. The thing that sticks out to me? California had to temporarily lift EPA emissions standards on all their crematoriums because of the sheer volume of bodies they are dealing with.

Think about that for a minute.

It's been almost a year since the lockdowns in the U.S. began. The fact that it's the middle of winter is not helping. A lot of people like me suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, aka SAD. Being trapped in your home is bad enough. Adding a huge layer of depression on top of things is not helping.

What do I do to cope? Here's a list of what helps me. This is not medical advice. If you're having seriously issues dealing, please, PLEASE talk to your doctor!

1) If you've got a fireplace, light the fire. The warmth and flames gives me a cheery feeling. Candles work in a pinch.

2) Chocolate, especially dark chocolate. A little treat will lift my mood because it contains the same chemicals the body produces when we are in love.

3) A humorous book, movie, or TV show. My go-to's are Irresistible? by Stephanie Bond, The Wedding Singer, and The Big Bang Theory or Friends.

Just remember to wear your mask and socially distance, even if you've gotten your vaccination. We CAN get through this if we look out for each other!

I Love the '00's!

How can you not tap your toes to this club song?

A New Hope

Yep, I used that title deliberately. And like the movie subtitle from which it's drawn, it means one step has been taken, but we still have a long way to go.

Two weeks ago, I fielded calls and messages from friends and family in the D.C. Metro Area. All of them have kids. All of them were terrified. I offered safe haven at our house if they decided to bug out, and for a time I thought I would need to call DH's family for additional beds. In the end, everyone decided to stay put for the night, waiting to see if the situation spread from the Mall to the rest of the city.

It's been a difficult first three weeks to the new year. The tension has eased a bit with the lack of violence today, but my shoulders are still sore.

But it snowed last night, and a fresh blanket of white is a new tapestry to the day. The pup and I are curled up on my recliner, and I'm ready to put fresh words on the screen.

Peace be with you all!

I Love the '00's!

I have a serious girl crush on this woman and her voice.

New Release!

Despite her exuberant nature and outgoing personality, Justice Thalia is still a bit of a mystery to me. Unlike her granddaughter, she doles out her background in tiny chunks.

The latest bite-size fun bar is available today. The Sweetest Poison dropped at Amazon in the wee hours of the morning for $0.99. I'll post links to the other retailers as they go live.

Enjoy! 

Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
Kobo
Smashwords

The Preamble Song

Schoolhouse Rock was a large part of my childhood education. Some people definitely need a refresher.

I Love the '00's!

Say what you will about Marshall Mathers. He knows his music.

The Second Civil War

Last century, I took an oath three times to uphold the United States Constitution: 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 in to the U.S. Federal Court system.

Wednesday afternoon, it really did feel like last century.

I got out of bed and did a few miscellaneous admin tasks, like writing a post for this blog. An hour and a half later, armed terrorists broke into the U.S. Capitol in an attempted coup of our duly elected government.

Make no mistake. That's exactly what it was. Five people died, including a police officer who passed away from injuries inflicted by these terrorists four hours before I started typing this.

What happened yesterday is no different that what Al Qaeda and the Taliban do--rule through fear and threats.

This is not what America is about. I'm not saying we're perfect. Goddess knows, there's a ton of crap we can improve on. But killing people and threatening others is not the way.

And despite these terrorists attempts to subvert our government, the U.S. flag still flies over the Capitol. Congress did its job by counting the electoral votes, and they confirmed the duly elected president.

Invariably, there will be someone who thinks an entertainer, like myself, shouldn't talk about politics. But this is no longer political. This is about the soul of our country and who we want to be.

Personally, I want to vote and speak my mind, rather than live in a Third-world banana republic were thugs make the decisions. What do you want?

NOTE: I'll leave comments on for now, but the first one that supports terrorism will be deleted, and comments section will be shut down.

Half-Price Classes

If you're a writer and want to expand a particular skill set, now's the time to take an online class. WMG Publishing is once again offering 1/2 price classes, online workshops, and challenges on Teachable.

WMG Publishing is owned by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Between the two of them, they've amassed nearly 100 years of experience in the publishing industry as writers, editors, and publishers.

You can take more than one offering at half-off, but you need to buy each one separately because Teachable doesn't have a shopping cart. The coupon code for this deal is

RESOLUTION

The sale ends in approximately 48-hours. For more info, or if you have any questions, go to Dean Wesley Smith's post.

I've taken both online and in-person classes, and I'm currently doing the Publishing Challenge. I've always learned something from these classes.

And with COVD-19 still raging across the country, this is a safe way to improve your skills as a writer or a publisher.

Just remember the deal ends on Friday!

Starting Over

That's what 2021 feels like. Staring over after an awful trauma. I had that feeling in 2019 after spending 2018 as a cancer patient and my career as a writer once again getting kicked to the curb.

2020 started off so good for me. I was healthy enough to travel again. I was writing on a regular basis. I even had some writer workshops lined up.

However, the first workshop ended right around the time COVID-19 was recognized as a major problem in the U.S. The news announced the first known COVID-related death when I was laid over in St. Louis on my way home from Vegas.

I haven't done a Monday Movie Mania post for almost a year now. DH and I simply can't take the risk of going to a theater. So, this year will be like some previous years when I couldn't go to movies for other reasons. I'll be catching movies on streaming services, like Wonder Woman 84.

Also, I refuse to put the fucking pandemic in my stories. We're already living it. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want an escape. From the news. From the stupidity of the denialists. From the worry about relatives and friends older than myself. So if you want that type of "reality" in your stories, then please look elsewhere.

Things change, and I'm patiently waiting for the circle to come around again.

In the meantime, I'm planning out my publishing schedule for the new year. I'm also giving myself a little more time between novels by publishing a bunch of short stories sitting on my hard drive. I like writing shorter pieces to explore ideas, characters, and new genres. Stretching my writing wings feels pretty damn good.

I hope y'all survived your first Monday of the new year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the other 360 days.