Weekend Wrap Up and All of That...

We had a weekend, right? 

I kinda don't feel like we did. Yeah, we got the housework, shopping, meal prep done and I kind of slept in one day. But it went so fast! 

We did have a great time at a friend's pool party on Saturday. The pool was glorious and so was the conversation and shenanigans.

Other than that... meh. I don't know. 

I didn't get any writing time this weekend. Which sucks, but there's nothing I can do it about it. 

It's going to be hot again this week. Yeah, I know it's summer. Yeah, I know it's July. 

That's all I have. 

Behave! 

Redemption: Sector One

Is back up on Amazon! 

Isaac Hawes lost everyone he loved in the government's attempt to take over their lives, but losing his child to their evil drained the last of his mercy. Or so he thought. When he receives one of their soldiers as a debt payment, his last flare of compassion won’t allow the woman to die. When Casey awakens with no memories except her name, he sees good in her he didn’t expect. Through Casey's self-recovery, he learns she’s the soldier that kidnapped his child. He has to decide if he can overcome his anger to trust the woman he healed, not the soldier who hurt him, and decide if it's worth the risk to use her military-induced enhancements to help him rescue other kidnapped children.

Casey used to be a soldier. Now she doesn’t know what or who she is. She doesn't even have a last name. Her slowly returning memories of the things she was forced to do devastate her, and she believes her only route to redemption is to convince Isaac to let her help rescue the children everyone thought were dead. As she learns who she is without the government's control, Casey discovers she's not the monster they forced her to be. She can only hope her newfound sense of self is enough to save her.

Together, they have to fight to figure out what is really going on and how to fix it. Through that, they discover mutual goals and a connection that goes beyond the state of their lives. Neither wants to explore or accept it, but to solve their problems, they have no choice.  

New Cover: 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up...on Monday!

Thank goodness for the cool air that came with the storms. Except the storms were damaging for a lot of people. There are trees down everywhere and many people are still without power. That all sucks. 

The hot water heater has been installed and is working well. We had to make a trip to the hardware store and almost had to go a second time but found what we needed at home after a lengthy search. The whole thing took a lot longer than expected. The basement floor is almost dry now though. 

Redemption is just about ready to go up. Well, it is ready but I haven't had time to get it done yet. Soon. I'll share the cover soon! 

Other than that... I did get writing done this weekend, which was awesome. 

That's it... I don't have much else you'd care about... Ha!

Behave! 

Hotter Than Hades!

Mother of all that's holy, it's freaking HOT!!! 

I know we're all in the same boat and I know you hate it as much as I do. The stupid air conditioners aren't keeping up. Sleeping is impossible. The flowers are wilted and the sun burns your skin within seconds. 

I'm sad we're not camping but at the same time, I'm not. There is no freaking way I would be a nice person if I was sitting out in this heat. And my poor old gal would not have had a good time. She'll go out to do her business but immediately wants back inside. 

In any event, we got the camper taken care of. Tanks have been dumped (it was borrowed last weekend and the place to dump was closed until yesterday) and we dropped it off for inspection. Ran to two stores and now we are home until Sunday unless we decide to run to The Wilds to visit. That will depend on how the installation of the new water heater goes and how hot it is. 

Sunday is K5's Sweet 16 party. She already has her learner's permit, which is awesome. I'm so excited to see where this kid ends up. 

Redemption has been sent for formatting. I hope to have it up in the next few weeks. I'm not sure which one I'm doing next. I need to do some new writing, so we'll see...

That is all. 

Stay cool!

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday?

Holy Hellfire! It's hot! 

So hot that we've decided not to head to The Wilds this weekend. As much as we want to give the old gal one last camp weekend, she would not do well in the scorch and I don't want her in the creek at all. 

It sucks but it is what it is. 

And the new hot water heater is on the back porch waiting to be installed. I'm not sure how we crammed it into our vehicle but we managed. I had to sit in the backseat but it was way better than having to borrow a truck. 

On the writing front...well, it's been non-existent this week. The most I've done in the last two weeks is a critique, and go through Redemption for self publishing. I need to send it to my friend who will format it for me. The cover is ready, too. I've just been slacking this week. 

Well, not really. It's been a rough week in so very many ways that have nothing to do with the heat. 

All I know is I'm tired in every single way you can be tired. 

That is all. 

Behave! 

Oof! Long Time No See...

Or something like that!

Sorry for the silence. 

I don't have a lot to report. 

Just trying to keep my head above water with everything going on. 

And it's going to be HOT going forward. Can't say I appreciate that but I'm glad air conditioning is a thing. 

That's all. 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up...on Wednesday?

Yeah, it's been like that...

I don't have a lot to say even though there's a lot going on...

It was an okay weekend with a lot of stuff and it's been a b*tch of a week so far. 

We had to order a new water heater. I guess I can't complain too much, the old one was installed 20.5 years ago. But still... We also can't pick it up for another 10 days. So far the old one is holding its own even though it's leaking. 

The dog had a really rough day on Monday. We were worried, but she is back to her normal self now. 

This week has sucked for writing. It's been something every evening. Yeah, I know we've only had two so far but...

It's been one thing after another like that. 

But there's a lot to look forward to coming up! I'm especially looking forward to July 4th weekend and camping. And hanging out with K5 to celebrate her turning 16, though that hasn't been planned yet. (I know! 16! Crazy!)

That's all I have...

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday!

What a week! 

I'm very glad it's over! Except it's stupid hot!

Here's the list:

1. Not burning myself when I broke not only one, but two, coffee pots at the day job. And I broke them back to back in super quick succession. I was holding both - one was empty, and one had been full. After the crack, it spewed hot, fresh coffee all over the little kitchenette. But not on me. All I can say is our little kitchen has never been cleaner and the coffee stain on my knee from scrubbing the floor came out in the wash. 

2. Mexican food. 

3. Not getting as much writing done as I wanted this week but getting some. 

4. Plant sales. 

5. Air conditioning. 

That's all I have. It's supposed to be a little cooler this weekend. I hope. Our weekend days are packed with stuff to do and there might be more poison ivy removal in there. Ew. 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up!

What a beautiful weekend! 

Yeah, it's a little hot but we've been pacing ourselves between indoor things and outdoor things. And the thunderstorm last night was completely disappointing. 

The poison ivy, poke berries, and volunteer trees have been removed. Flowers and plants have been planted, transplanted, and moved. 

The oven has been fixed (again). Laundry has been done. Organizing too. 

No socializing happened and no fire was had. Unfortunately. By the time the wind calmed down last night, we were so tired we knew we wouldn't enjoy it much. So we went to bed early. And we did sleep way past alarm time this morning. 

And I've written quite a bit this weekend in addition to getting Redemption out and into the process of getting it ready to go. I've been going through files too. 

Now we're ready to head into another week. Joy. The work week looks the same as usual. Busy with a side of chaos. 

And that is all. 

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday!

Well, we made it! Another long, brutal week in the books. At least that's how the week has been here. 

But through all of the bull and insanity, there is good. 

Here's the list:

1. I have the absolute best friends in the world. They see me and feel me and know just the right things to say and do to make me feel better or just to hold my hand as I travel through some stuff. I am humbled. 

2. The new (again - three times in a year) oven part arriving. 

3. The old gal having more smiley faces than frowny faces this week. (We're tracking good and bad days) And no, I don't want your opinion on what we should do. (not to be rude) We know our girl and we will absolutely not let her suffer no matter how much we don't want to let her go. We're not at decision time yet. We will be soon, but not yet. We do already have a plan for when it is time. Whether or not we'll actually be in control of that remains to be seen. 

4. Despite taking several days off, managing a decent word count this week. It's not enough but it is at the same time. 

5. Air conditioning. 

6. Weekend plans. They are mainly house centered - remove the poison ivy (again), trim the bushes threatening to take over the neighbors house, replant some stuff, clean, blah blah blah. There might be a bit of socializing in there but I'm not sure yet. I am just looking forward to getting some things taken care of and maybe having a nice fire in the firepit with That Man. 

7. Sleeping beyond alarm time. 

8. The gorgeous weather at the beginning of this week. Not so much today and what it's supposed to be like this weekend. 

That's all I have. 

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up on Monday...

It was a chaos filled, exhausting, and productive weekend. 

But then...aren't most of them? We cram as much as we can into those precious forty-eight hours. So much so that we start the week totally exhausted. Then our work week sucks us bone dry, leaving us with very little to get through our evenings. 

It's an awful cycle with no chance of breaking free. 

I don't know what the answer is. 

All I know is I'm tired. 

And maybe a little crabby. Ha! 

That's all I have for now. 

Behave! 

Into the Fire is Available!

 

I'm a little later than intended, but it's out! The paperback will be a little bit longer but should be ready soon!

(This is a republication. The original came out in 2017.)

In Olivia Sanders' world, people like her don't survive very long. Special
abilities are a threat to those in power. Olivia and her friends struggle to
keep their secrets as new laws threaten them daily. But hiding isn't enough
for Olivia. A healer and firestarter, she works with the resistance to
ensure the safety of the people of her sector, toiling in an unforgiving
world without freedom or hope with the goal that someday they will find
both.

Poisoned by someone she should never have trusted, betrayed by her
godfather, the former governor, who is using disturbing methods to control
the population, Olivia is forced to seek help from Luke Jamison, the leader
of the resistance. They join forces with his brother, Matt, and Jillian
Derrick, a hard-as-nails woman leading a band of "undesirables" to safety.
As conditions in the sector deteriorate and the death toll climbs ever
higher, Olivia and Luke, Jillian and Matt, cling to the miracle of found
love while facing the horror of a future without each other.

Behave! 

Thursday Ramblings...

I am in the crappiest mood. 

I'm tired. I know this is a contributing factor. Though I did sleep for most of the night. Mostly. I'll take what I can get. 

I found a long gray hair in my chin yesterday. It wasn't there when I washed my face in the morning. I would have felt it when I put moisturizer on. Then...bam...all of a sudden it's about ninety inches long and just hanging there. Gross. 

Our meal service didn't deliver our box yesterday, which was a frustration that meant we had to go to the store on our way home. I'm going to give them a pass this time though. Two people I know work for the major shipping companies and they both said their days were chaos on Tuesday and things were backed up, which extended into Wednesday.

Other than that...well, there's a lot and I'm not going to get into all of it. 

On the upside, we have a rare weekend at home coming up. I say that like we're going to relax and stuff, but that won't be the case. The weeds are taking over, the oil needs changed, the Jeep needs worked on, and the house needs a deep clean. Surprisingly, I'm okay with all of that as long as we're home. 

That is all...

Behave!  

Holiday Weekend Wrap Up!

It's weird that it's Monday...

Back to the grind tomorrow. I'm not ready. But then I never am...

Let's just hit the list...

1. Grandkid weekend was a blast. So much silliness and chaos. We made pizza, mozzarella sticks, played games, made cookies, tacos, and smoothies. All of the snacks are gone and the house is mostly back in order. I say mostly because the cats got into a huge fight Saturday night and one of them peed on the guest room bed. Luckily it didn't soak in beyond a small blanket on top, but it still created a bit of chaos. And I need to finish washing everything. 

2. The rain was crazy! It rained so much that the regular holiday picnic was cancelled, which is rare. It's been cancelled before but it's been a really long time. We figured it would be though and had put together a taco soup for our dinner instead of the cowboy caviar and pepperoncini chicken we had planned for the picnic. 

3. Then last minute plans with friends. The call came in as we were taking the grandkids home. They were feeling the isolation of the rainy weekend and wanted company. We packaged up our soup and ventured out for some much needed social time. We didn't stay too long. The exhaustion had caught up with us. 

4. Today was lovely sleeping in. (Little B insists he gets up at six am even if its the weekend.) 

5. I also got through Into the Fire and it's ready to go for formatting. I'm hoping to have it up within the next week or so. I still really love this story. I didn't change anything--just double-checked everything and fixed some typos. 

And that is all... 

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday

Whelp...Here we go at the beginning of the rainy long weekend. 

All I can say is that it better rain its butt off! Ha! 

Here's the list: 

1. Early out of the day job today and off Monday. 

2. Grandkid weekend commencing. 

3. Our flexible plan for the weekend. 

4. Writing. I haven't gotten a lot done this week, but I have gotten much done. This weekend will likely be a wash until at least Sunday but it is what it is. 

That's all I have. 

Behave! 

Stupid Scammers...

I have had it with these scammers...

Countless daily phone calls advising me that they received my loan application and just need to go over a few things with me. And it's an automated call so it's not like you can answer and tell them to burn in h*ll. 

Not just once a day. Like fifteen times a day. 

Then there are the texts. Constant. I have unpaid parking tickets, a package that can't be delivered, a job offer with an unreal salary...add the political ones, and yeah.

Add the other random "spam risk" calls where, if I do answer with the expectation of telling someone off, there's no one on the other end.  

There is no peace. 

I'm so sick of it. 

/rant

Behave! 

Mid-Week Mayhem...

This week is dragging. 

And it's supposed to rain all weekend. 

So we're pivoting and will no longer be camping. There is no way I want to be in the camper with three kids and the dog while it's raining. Or deal with the mud with them running around outside. And a wet dog. Plus, there's no way all the kids could sleep inside. 

I'm sad. I was looking forward to being creek side. I was looking forward to the kids doing what they do. And I'm sad the Old Gal isn't going to get to her favorite place. 

Hopefully we can get her up there soon. 

And that's all I have. It's been hot and I haven't been sleeping well. Yeah, air conditioners are in but there's only so much they can do. Thankfully it's cooled down a lot since we got home. 

And that's all I have...

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up

I think I need another weekend to recover from the weekend. Except then I'd need another one... Ha! 

1. Hanging with friends Friday night. It was an impromptu gathering but a much needed one. And a surprise visit from a friend we haven't seen in about fifteen years. There was a lot of laughter, chaos, and frivolity. 

2. Getting some flowers in. I planted our old holey firepit with orange, red, and yellow flowers and then put red lights in. It's pretty during the day and looks like (kinda) a fire pit at night. I also planted the ancient wheelbarrow that was found in someone's trash pile. We have purple and pinks in that. I'll post a picture of both in the near future. Put in a few more flowers in pots but still need more flowers. And we're talking about doing a few veggies. (need to squirrel proof them)

3. The camper is washed. I still need to clean the inside and stock it. We also need to take it for propane and gas. And fill it with groceries once I figure out what the grandkids want to eat. (which will be a lot of whatever it is. Ha!) 

4. Traveling 1.5 hours each way to watch Mr. B play soccer. They lost but it was an intense game. Mr. B scored. It was hot. 

5. Taking care of cooking stuff for dinner tonight so we don't have to turn the stove on. (just bacon for blts)

6. Getting the air conditioners in so we don't die the next few days. 

That's it. Lots going on this week so you might not hear from me until the weekend is over. 

Behave! 

I'm Back & Feel Good Friday!

I'm back, but I don't know for how long yet. 

Social media is absolutely draining. Not just that but the news...and well everything. 

I took off a solid week + from social media/news and I felt ... better. Less pinched, less worried, less angry and more. Now I'm allowing myself to check occasionally but not to doom scroll. 

Anyway. We'll see how long it takes for me to chuck it all again. Ha! 

Here's a list: 

1. Making it to Friday. It was a brutal, brutal week at the day job. Next week is shaping up to be the same, but I'm not thinking about that yet. Brutal doesn't necessarily mean bad though. More like constant, busy, chaotic, challenging. Which is fine. I prefer the chaos to boredom so there's that. 

2. Going back to our meal delivery service. It's really nice to not have to run to the store constantly, plan meals, hope ingredients last and all that jazz. Our meals were excellent and we're enjoying falling back into our previous routine of preparing them together and having the kitchen almost entirely clean before we eat. 

3. Getting words on the page and figuring out some things for the story I'm working on. 

4. Also working on getting Into the Fire up on Amazon. I don't have a timeframe yet but it should be within the next few weeks. I don't know what's going to be next. 

5. Making plans. Some are long term. Some are shorter. But it feels good to feel like I've got a handle on some things and action behind them. 

6. Prepping for our Memorial Day weekend in the Wilds. Figuring out the grandkid stuff is currently underway. We'll get the camper un-winterized and ready this weekend. I'm looking forward to it. 

7. Happy the Old Gal is going to make it to her favorite place. She loves going to camp. I was worried we wouldn't be able to get her there but she's doing okay enough that giving her the joy of being there far outweighs the accommodations we have to make to keep her comfortable. 

And that's all I have for now. 

Behave! 

Taking a Break...

Yep, I have reached the saturation point once more. 

I'm going to be taking a hiatus from social media for an undetermined amount of time. At least a few weeks. Which means I'll let you know when the next book is available and I'll likely be back at that time. 

I will leave you with this...

In The Hobbit when Galadriel asks Gandalf "Why the halfling?"

Gandalf says: "Because small everyday deeds of ordinary folk keep darkness at bay, rather than just great power"

And I think that's something pretty powerful right now. 

Behave!