What I’m Reading

Hello all-

Right now, I’m reading a book for continuing education. It’s not for college credit, but it’s for a Storytelling Certificate issued by the Midcontinent Public Library, Woodneath branch. It’s an amazing free program offered by The Story Center.

For the certificate, I have to complete several tasks. One of them is to read a book from a list about the craft of writing,, and write a 500-word review of it. I asked the head of the Story Center, and I’m reading the book, Simple and Direct by Jacques Barzan.

It is helpful for me, but it’s a bit dry for me. I am going slowly, one chapter at a time. It is as it says, how to write using simple and direct language. Would I recommend it? YES!!

 

now back to my scheduled duties!
until next time
me

All Around Me

Hello all-

I know I’m posting twice in one week.

Last night, we had a round of severe weather. Today is another unseasonably warm day here in the Flint Hills. This warm weather often leads to unstable weather and severe storms.

Tornadoes are a part of life. I’ve spent many hours sheltered in various places to wait out the storm. Last night, I was fortunate and only had to watch the radar.

A cluster of thunderstorms moved across Kansas, dropping rain. The unstable air mass was conducive to spawning severe weather.

I knew something was brewing because the air became still and heavy. It’s Kansas and when there is NO WIND or any air moving of any kind, that means something is going to happen weatherwise. Last evening was no exception.

My warm, gentle east breeze stopped. Lex, our couch potato dog, started to get anxious. He was whining, grumbling, wanting outside only to go back in again immediately. In preparation for the severe weather, I closed most of my windows, turned on the local weather, and made sure the animals inside and out, had their water bowls and tanks FULL. (If we lose electricity, we lose our water pump.)

A large thunderstorm developed to the west and north of me, growing into a bank of ominous clouds. This swirling mass of energy dumped some wind-tossed rain over my farm. The unstable energy held together enough to give me winds, pea-sized hail, and rain all while the sun tried to shine through from the west.

The storms moved off to the north and east of me. Throughout the evening, the storms damaged trees and buildings, dumped rain, and flung hail. Thankfully, no one was severely injured.

We had a smattering of hail on the ground. There was no tornado in my area, so I captured a few moments of the storm on video. For the rest of the evening, I kept the local TV station on, and one eye on the map and crawl on the corner of the screen.

I know I will spend many more evenings like this in the coming spring and summer. Having lived all of my life here in Kansas, it’s all I know. I’m thankful this series of storms was not as nasty as it could have been.

until next time.

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Always Busy

Hello all-

So often in my life people comment, “You’re always busy”. I guess I am. I don’t have a full-time job, I don’t turn down work if it’s offered, I have a small indie publishing imprint, and I’m trying to build my brand as an author. My mornings start with getting up and changing the “baby”. (She is my cat with Manx syndrome and is a perfectly normal yellow cat- except her back legs don’t work.)

Farm chores come next. Barn cats to feed, chickens to care for, and Dad’s two elderly horses he left to me need to be tended. Back inside, I feed the baby and her adopted siblings, including a wonderful fluffy Great Pyrenees, and fix my breakfast. While we are eating, I check my emails and messages. If anything needs tending to, I do it. After that, I work on editing other people’s books, editing mine, or getting in some household chores. Job hunting falls in with the computer time. During the week, I shoehorn in time for taking an online dance class, hosting a writer’s meeting, and taking online classes.

around 1 p.m., I fix lunch. My husband gets up (he works nights) and we eat together. He puts the dishes in the dishwasher and the leftovers in the fridge, while I either wash the pans or go back to work.

Right now, I am seriously behind on MY work. I have at least three blog posts, getting the large print versions of at least 7 books up at two places, getting ready for two dance performances, finishing up the stuff needed for the website, and finishing two book covers.

I feel like I don’t get much accomplished in the way of housecleaning, but there are only so many hours in a day. Most people think I work TOO hard. I think I’m not getting enough done. Until my body reminds me I do have a mild but chronic condition (or two).

This week so far, I have managed to get the book Red River Crossing Part 2 up for a young author, Ron Richardson. My kitchen is tidy. My laundry is caught up. I hosted a writer’s meeting yesterday, helped a friend repair her basement window covering, and loaded and unloaded a few chunks of stumps for firewood.

I finished my online work for my client. I think it’s time for me to open the windows, take a short walk and let the chickens out to play, gather the mail, and maybe take a few minutes for me. After all, I did get one blog post done.

until next time-
angel

Lost Aardvarks in Kansas

Hello all!

I am participating in the 52-week blog challenge, and I am a little behind. Consistency in this sort of thing is not one of my strengths. The subject of this post is something that happened to me.

A few years ago I went to a writing group in Topeka, Kansas called The Write Stuff. It was (and is) a varied group of writers who meet on Tuesday mornings. On one particular morning, I gathered my courage and read some of my work out loud.

I received encouragement and some gentle critique, along with an invitation to lunch with a bunch of writers. The weekly lunch meeting evolved into a gab session, friendly pool game, exchange of work-in-progress pages, and sometimes dueling marginalia.

Our lunch bunch sessions were interrupted for a couple of years during the pandemic. When we were easing back into our routines, the favored lunch spot moved, remodeled, and removed the pool tables. We bounced around for a bit until we found our current place.

A few weeks ago, my writer pal had a health scare. Without any close family, he began to think about some things.

In Charlotte, North Carolina in the 1980s, a group of writer friends decided to start publishing their short stories. When asked what they wanted to name the new publishing imprint, one suggested aardvark. Why Aardvark Press? Because aa is first in the phone book and who doesn’t want to be first?

Fast forward a few books, a few years, and a move to Kansas, and Aardvarks Press became Lost Aardvarks Press. A few more years, a few more books, and a health scare brought Lost Aardvarks Press to a turning point. Should it die out or could the torch be passed on?

I received an email one day asking me if I was interested in taking over the tiny operation. When the shock of someone offering to give me a chance at such a precious enterprise lessened, I thought about it for a few days. I knew in my heart I couldn’t let this fall. I swallowed my doubts that I could do it and said yes.

I am now in the process of moving all of my books under the Lost Aardvarks Press umbrella. The first official act as editor-in-chief of Lost Aardvarks Press was to publish a paranormal mystery, Baddington’s Tomb by Dennis E Smirl. I am uploading my books under the Lost Aardvarks Press umbrella. It will take me a few weeks to get them all up, but I will get it done. I will be publishing the next book in the Sandeen mystery series, Blood Kin (also by Dennis Smirl).

Will Lost Aardvarks Press become a force in publishing in the future? I don’t know. Some people think it’s possible. I’m determined to do my best and keep writing and publishing! Currently, the website is under construction so please be patient as we get the books up with purchase links and MORE!!

Until next time

me

52 Week Blogging Challenge- Shed Your Stress

Hello all!

I am participating in the blogging challenge. I know I’m not consistent on my presence, and I need to do better. This (last) week’s topic was Shed the Stress.

How do I shed the stress? I fix myself a cup of dark roast coffee, sit down somewhere comfortable with my favorite sidekick Zsuzsa the mermaid cat, and gather my thoughts.

I imagine pushing the outside world away from me and inside my bubble is just me, the computer, and my kitty kid. A few deep breaths, release the tension in my shoulders (and everywhere else), and let the ideas flow. If that doesn’t work, I take my floofy dog, Lex for a walk. I let my mind wander. Enjoy the weather and nature. Or if that doesn’t work, I put on some music and dance. Sometimes, I get ideas and solutions when I’m doing the dishes or folding laundry, or even when I’m in the car listening to music and driving.

I guess my secret is there is no big secret. I put it to the back of my mind and keep trying.
until next time
angel

It’s a writing November!

Good morning!

This year I did the National Novel Writing Month challenge for November! I did manage to write 50,000+ words in less than 30 Days. Before any of you jump on me about the moderator of the NaNo forum grooming children- I am aware. I joined the challenge to maybe motivate myself. I’ve participated 11 times now and won the challenge 7 times, and finished one project after the challenged ended.

The author day I attended at Pomona, KS was AMAZING!! For a tiny library, they are motivated! they are doing so many good things!

We had almost 11 inches of snow on Saturday. My life mate was home for this storm- this is not the norm. I didn’t have to struggle through it alone and he saw how I handled things. He was suitably impressed. However the weekend was not without its problems.
my dryer of 14 years decided to quit me. I have two bathrooms, three shower curtain rods, hangars, and in imagination. Thankuflly the laundry was all dried except for one load, which i hung to dry. We made split pea soup with ham hocks, carrots,and onions, creamy chicken and rice, and a potato, corn, and ham soup. I made herbed bread for him and gluten free cornbread for myself.

This morning I have been catching up on emails and such. I will take the day off from writing, and let the draft sit for a while. I will need a LOT of editing!

I have two projects where I am working with another author. If you haven’t heard of Dennis Earl Smirl or his characters Sandeen or Frank Battelle, then you are missing out. Sandeen is a writer who solves mysteries. His first appearance was in Ebony Continental, while his final book soon to be released is Blood Ties. (spring 2024). Frank Batelle is a psychic with a healthy dose of skepticism helping to solve murders in Baddington’s Tomb, (Spring 2024)

Yes, I am still working on the next book in the Kansas Vampire Series. I have a poetry book in the works as well.I appreciate each and every one of you who read my books and my blogs!

I hear my husband getting up for work. Time to go fix lunch! It will be saffron rice with beef and vegetables.
Stay warm and safe!

angel

Opportunities

Hello all!

For a week with only a couple of days of the day job, it has been a busy week. I applied to an author event in the lovely town of Pomona, Kansas at their beautiful library. And I was accepted!! On November 11, 2023 I will be there with several other amazing authors with my books. I am soooo excited! It’s just a little way down the road from where I live and it’s a sweet drive. The only traffic is the occasional farmer.

Then I was tagged in a post on social media, It’s an opportunity for me to be one of a few select authors to have their photos in the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in conjunction with the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge. Writers are invited to write 50,000 words in the month of November. I have participated in it several times and I am planning on doing it again this year. IF you go to the official NaNoWriMo website, there are resources, meetups, and more there. If I am accepted to be a featured author, I will have my picture in the hallway, with some info about me and my work. I am happy and grateful for the chance. (I will keep everyone updated as I know anything.)

I have to work in the morning, so i need to get to sleep. Thank you each and every one of you for your support.

thank you again

angel e

Book Playlist for Night Moves

Hello all!

I have heard about authors posting playlists they used when they were writing the book. I decided to try doing it. If anyone is interested, I listen to a rather eclectic range of music. With this particular book and these characters, these songs fit.

If you’ve read the book, then you will be able to put the songs in order. Simeon is a bit of a bad boy, and Elise is well… Elise. The song that defines their relationship is Hey Ho. Simeon and Cati- well it ends up being more like Use Me.

Cati and Kristos are quite another thing. From Kristos’s point of view, it’s Heaven Sent.
The full listing is (in no particular order)-
Use Me
Hey Ho
Lips of an Angel
Loaded and Alone
Heaven Sent
Up All Night
Take it to the Limit

Still Here!!

Hello my dark ones!!
I’m still here. Been a busy couple of years. I know I haven’t been updating you like I should.
Right now I’m a full-time writer and part-time Jill of all trades. But the good news is JADED MOON is PUBLISHED!!!
I managed to get it edited and published this summer while attending three different area farmer’s markets, book events, and the Kansas Book Festival!! I am working hard on Down Time- the next book in the Kansas Vampire Series, a sequel to my poetry book Light Shards and Shadow Dances, and a sequel to the short story book Paranormal Bites.

I have two stories, Back to Zero and Second Chance at Life, ready to go. However, Back to Zero is a short story with Justus, Stormy, and a new vampire. Second Chance at Life has Tessa, Nathaniel, and Niku returning!
I need to get a couple more short stories done to fill out these two short story books!!

I finally figured out how to get back into my site, and how NOT to manage to lock myself out! I promise I will be doing more posting!
Thank you for your patience and belief!

angel e

Post-Convention Letdown

Hello all!

What a weekend! I was a vendor at Crypticon Kansas City this past weekend. I had an awesome time!

My next door neighbors were a small business called Haunted Nozzle. They have 3D printed objects. One of the coolest products they have is a Kitty ‘Nip Rake. It’s a rake about the size of your hand, with a hollow handle filled with catnip. That way you can scratch kitty’s itches and groom while they enjoy the catnip, dispensed from a small hole in the handle, with just a shake! Zsuzsanna loves it and I only have one prissy kitty kid who isn’t so sure about it.

As for me, I’m tired. It was work. It rained off and on all weekend. I have three damaged books because of a downpour while I was moving my inventory into the building. Next time, I will wrap my books in plastic THEN put them into the cases. I had decent sales and ran out of business cards. By the end, people were snapping photos of the last remaining card I had. I am unpacked for the most part. I worked the day job and spent the rest of the afternoon dozing in spite of my wanting to do some work to the website. I must say I did enjoy my time and being encouraged by other vendors, may try again next year.

I did have an opportunity to speak to one of my childhood crushes in passing. I can’t say enough kind things about the soft-spoken Vinnie Appice. And NO I did NOT confess my teenage infatuation to him!

I will be adding photos soon of the convention. Stay safe. Until next time

Angel