Perseverance

I was just sitting by the computer right now. Searching the App Store over for a good journaling app – which means a journaling app review/rundown is probably in the near future. But the point is, I’m not actually doing anything that I’m supposed to be doing. It’s November. November means NaNoWriMo time (see nanowrimo.org for details). I ‘m supposed to be writing.

I’m supposed to have written 13,333 words by now. I’ve written just over 2,000. In fact, this blog post is likely to be almost as long as my entire novel at the moment.

This is my 4th year taking part in NaNoWriMo, make no mistake, this isn’t the first time I’ve very much on purpose procrastinated. There is no other excuse for it, I have been genuinely procrastinating this first week of NaNo. I haven’t had much else besides the occasional class here and there, but nothing to have a genuine excuse for not reaching my daily word count goal. No real reason why I shouldn’t have 13,333 words right now.

The point of all this? It’s perfectly possible to catch up all those words. It’s perfectly possible to still reach 50,000 words by the end of the month. Procrastination is okay… to a point. It’s perfectly normal to procrastinate – especially on things that our minds make harder than the task actually is. There’s nothing wrong with it, on one condition – you do not give up.

The more you procrastinate, likely the more work you’ll have to do, and the more perseverance you’ll need to achieve your goal. It just means that at one point, you’re going to have to be doubly focused on what you need or want to get done.

So if you’re taking part in NaNo – don’t give up. After procrastinating in NaNo in years past, I have written 5,000 words in a hour in order to catch up. So if you get down to the last day and found you haven’t written a word, with enough perseverance, you can actually finish that novel in one day.

Of course, that would be master Yoda writer mind level, and I really, really don’t recommend it. But it’s 2% staying on schedule, 98% perseverance that will get you through. So keep going!

Geek Food

Every time I use the term “Geek Food” (also known as “Gamer Food”), I get laughs. But that seriously should be a more widely recognized category – and that is the reason for my blog post. I’ve asked several people if they actually know what geek food is, but very few people know if they aren’t geeks themselves. Let me break it down.

Geek food – eh-hem – is food that does not get your fingers greasy, goopy, cheesy, sticky, or crummy. It is food that is easily consumed and in no way will harm the electronic devices that are generally such a large part of our lives.

Food like M&Ms, Hershey’s Pieces, Reese’s Pieces, and the Pizza and PB&J flavored Gamer Grub are all good examples of geek food – and to be honest, all I can come up with at the top of my mind.

Are you a gamer/geek? What’s your favorite geek food?

“If every beginning had an end,

we would have found the end of the internet by now.”

To Be or Not to Be?

A few weeks ago, I went to see The Hunger Games in theatres, I thought it was great, so naturally, I started reading the series and is now my new obsession. I just finished reading The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and started reading The Mockingjay. I’m fond of both the books and the movie because the storyline is like nothing I’ve read before. Sure, there are plenty of post-apocalyptical novels around, but unlike the others, this one didn’t have an aliens and what-not. It’s utterly realistic and believable – and that thoroughly appeals to me.

If you’ve read or seen The Hunger Games you know it’s all about life and death… or in other words: war. *SPOILER, HIGHLIGHT TO READ* –> As I was reading, it was obvious that Katniss Everdeen wasn’t going to die because she’s the main character, but all of the other characters are up in the air. It was simultaneously comforting and annoying. <- So I got to thinking with my author mind: What if the main character died at the end of the book? Or the middle of the book? It’s very, very rare to find a fictional book where the main character dies at the end.

My question to you is: Would you keep reading a book if the character died at the end? Would you prefer the character to die at the end? Would you prefer they live? Does it depend on the book?

Different Types of Criticism: Post-Publication

A few weeks ago, I explained the different types of criticism you’ll run across as a writer pre-publication. Today, I’m explaining what you’ll face after publishing. I’m going to break it down a differently than I did last time, as you still receive bad and good criticism, I just want to elaborate on how to deal with it, and also the different kinds of places you’ll deal with it.

Post-Publication -

This is when the book has been published and is available either as an eBook, Audiobook, or Print book – after rounds of editing has been complete and it’s up for sale everywhere.

Reviews -

Bad Reviews: You’ll probably receive negative reviews from professional reviewers, unskilled readers, and everything in between. The absolute most important thing to remember post-publication is to not comment. Don’t comment on it at all. You’ll just make yourself look bad.

If you receive the review from a friend, co-worker, or just someone who has done the review for you and they are speaking directly with you via email or some other form of communication, thank them for their honest opinion. No matter what they’ve said or done or how bad the review – thank them.

Good Reviews: Pretty much the same rules apply no matter if the review is good or bad. Indirect review (i.e. Amazon or Goodreads review section, etc.) – don’t comment. Direct review – give thanks.

Regardless of if the readers liked the book or are just slandering your work or name (which doesn’t happen all that often), they put time into reading it and should be thanked for their time.

In Person – So let’s say we’re at a book signing or some other public event and a person who has read your book comes up to you.

Bad critic: They say it was a bad book or they didn’t enjoy it (I’ve only ever heard about this happening once, never experienced it myself, so it’s a rarity). Since it’s face-to-face you can’t actually ignore them… well, you could, but it would be almost as rude as saying something you might regret later. Just bite your tongue and say “I’m sorry” or “I’ll take that into consideration” or something to that effect.

Good critic: They say they enjoyed reading your work or similarly something positive. Thank them. Thank them for reading. Maybe even feel free to tell them about some of your other books.

You can begin to see a bit of a pattern in how to deal with things. If you’re a new writer, you can save these rules and use it as a cheat sheet that way you can stop and take a breath the next time you’re faced with criticism.

The Different Kinds of Criticism: Pre-Publication

When you’re an author, you’ll be getting plenty of criticism at every stage in writing. For a lot of aspiring authors, that’s a big part of what’s holding them back from getting their work off the back burner and out in the world. To cut to the chase, there are two main areas of criticism with books, and I’m going to explain them, and how to deal with them. This week, I’m going to explore pre-publication and in the next two weeks, I’m going to explore post-publication.

Pre-Publication -
This is when the book is freshly written and you might post it somewhere online for feedback (places like writing.com) or a writing group.

Bad Criticism: This is where people comment saying things like “This is bad. This is wonderful! I don’t like it. The characters are weak. The plot is choppy. The descriptions are wonderful!”
Why is it bad? It isn’t a helpful comment. It doesn’t point out what exactly it is that makes the character weak or why they think the plot is choppy. I’ve seen the “why” missing very often in a lot of criticisms, and good or bad, it just doesn’t give you anything to go on or prove that they even read your work.
How to deal with it: There are two different ways to deal with this, first, you can ask the commenter to elaborate on the “whys”. Secondly, you can just ignore it. Usually, if it’s a trusted commenter in my writing group, I’ll ask them to elaborate. If it’s a commenter online, I’ll probably just ignore it.

Good Criticism: Also called “constructive criticism”. This is where, good or bad, you have information about what you did right – and why – and what you did wrong – and why. "
“The character was weak because of all of the “telling” in the work, and also, you use a lot of crutch words.” This is the bare minimum for a good criticism.
Why is it good? It tells what’s wrong and gives you an idea of how you might fix it. It also is clear that the commenter is familiar with what they’re talking about, making them a valid source.
How to deal with it: This might sound like a no-brainer at first, but it’s a little more complex than how to deal with bad criticism. First of all, it’s a rule for me to not apply what I’ve learned with the new criticism unless I strongly agree with it or at least one other commenter says the same. This is because everyone has their own opinions, but if more than one person says that same, it’s more likely that others will also agree. So you may hold off on applying it to your work.
In terms of what you’re doing right, it will probably be a good idea to take note for future reference. It can be helpful in revisions and in your future writings to know what to add more of and what to do minimally.
Constructive criticisms can help you to learn about your habits, your weaknesses, and your strength. They’re really a necessary part of the writing process and – new writers especially keep in mind – NOT a bashing of your work. If you understand what kind of criticism you’re getting, then you’re better equipped to handle it.
Lastly, I would like to make sure you never bash someone for commenting on your work whether it’s good or bad criticism you’ve received, or even just an outright bashing. Never. Ever. Make a big deal of it. Best thing to do is ignore it.
Good luck in your writings! Any questions, leave them in the comments.

Books Everywhere!

Last year, my books weren’t a large focus for me. However, I my spare moments planning out the books I have swirling around in my mind, but I didn’t actually get to do much writing or taking action. I was able to participate in a wonderful event at my local zoo – Summer Safari Nights. I hope to be able to do the same this upcoming summer. And other events as well.
This year, I have a lot in the works as far as new novels go. Besides for the anthologies, you haven’t seen anything from me since 2009, which has been way too long. But this year, we’re looking at the release of Howl. It will be released exclusively on March 12th and I’ll be signing off the first copies at the Tucson Festival of Books.

Howl is part of what has kept me so busy! After I begin this semester at college, there’s no doubt I’ll be busier, so I’m attempting to get this thing as ready as I can get it before then.
Also, here’s something I haven’t mentioned in awhile – The Jewel of Onsolot, the first book in my Artifact Series, I’ve just been assigned an editor and will be working on getting this gem (pun intended) out, hopefully by the end of this year.

Both of these novels are different from anything you’ve read from me before. A Gift from Above was a bit of a young-adult, contemporary, fictional, novel-ish…thing.

The Artifact Series is a fantasy about witches and wizards and… pretty much every single magical element I’ve ever heard of – dragons, unicorns, vampires, ghosts – you name it, it’s in there.

Howl is a paranormal… fantasy… thing… it focuses on werewolves – and only werewolves – and it’s my first novel that has a bit more romance than any of my other novels. The romance has a bit of a written-in-the-stars vibe, so those who are into that type of thing, should look out for it.

Okay, I’m done taking up your time! Get back to work!

It’s a New Year!

Hello readers,

This blog post is long overdue. Every time I’ve sat down to write the post, something else has captured my attention. And after you read this post, you’ll have a good idea of what has captured my attention. This is going to be a longer blog post, so grab your cup of coffee or tea and settle down – it’ll be worth it!

First, over my holiday break, I was able to finally get my YouTube channel started. I actually have two tutorials posted, and some other random videos on there. I’m really looking for input about what you’d like to see me do on the channel next. So either head over to my channel or post in the comments with suggestions.

I’m working on getting some of my cover songs uploaded and do some new tutorials as well. My goal for the new year, is to just try a wide variety of everything… Within reason!

I’m getting ready to upload the final video in a series of my own painting DIY thing that I decided to film with my brother. So, go check that out.

Now, here’s the part where I stop talking about me, and start talking about stuff that you can do that I’ve put together. A big event that is going on right now is the “Happy” New Year Challenge. You can get all of the details on the page, but the basic idea is I’m challenging everyone to post something online that is “Happy” and positive every day for a month.

For every participant who completes the challenge, I will be donating $1 to the American Heart Association. And I’m also bribing participants with prizes too. Also, if you’re participating or not – you can sign up for the official daily newsletter. It only goes until the 15th of February, and it’s chock full of happiness – and also short – so you aren’t bothered to read a long email. Every day, it features a “happiness” tip – like hanging out in the sun, and playing with charities and other things that I do that make me happy. As well as daily song suggestions and a quote of the day.

Finally, today my eCourse launched – How to Create Indepth Characters - If you’re a fellow writer, trying to get inspiration to start a story, or just interested in improving your writing skills, check out my course. The first 10 people to enter the code – CHARACTER – get in free, after that it’s $5. So get over there and check it out!

There’s a bit more babbling I have to do about my writings and some great stuff coming up in the future, but I’ll save that post for later this week.

Happy New Year!

So, in honor of New Years, I’m sitting down and writing a quick blog post. It’s probably crazy of me, but I did actually make some resolutions before the clock struck twelve. This year, instead of making a resolution to lose X pounds, I’ve gone for something a little bit easier.

First – and most importantly – I’m not going to make a resolution to do anything that I wouldn’t normally do, instead, for everything I shall do, I shall do it with the utmost passion and to the best of my ability. Whatever I do, I shall do it my best – and then some. It shall be a year of over-the-top performance.

Second, I shall explore hobbies. Because after this holiday break, I’ve realized that I really need to find some hobbies. I need something to do in my off-work hours besides work.

These past few weeks, I’ve been completely lost trying to do something – anything – that didn’t have something to do with work. Very difficult since apparently all of my hobbies are my work.

So, I shall be testing out new hobbies. Going to start with dancing, see if I can get into that… Take some YouTube lessons… Have a hobby that you enjoy? I want to hear about it.

In light of the New Year, I’ve put together a challenge for you all based on my observances. I think it’s a great idea, and I’m even bribing you all to do it – for every successful participant, I’m donating 1 (one) dollar to the American Heart Association. So, head over here to check it out, and get your friends to join in - http://hcpaye.webs.com/partypage.htm

I have so much going on right now, and will be doing a post in the next few days attempting to cover it all. For now, I’ll end it here.

Recommended New Years song – Good Life, by OneRepublic

Happy Thanksgiving!

I soon realized that I couldn’t possibly fit all of the things that I’m thankful for into 140 characters, so I decided to post here. *stretches* Ah, plenty of space…
So, to make it more epic, I’m going to put it in poetry form… To make it interesting, I’m putting it into Acrostic poetry form. For those of you who don’t know what an acrostic poem is, it is basically a poem that spells out a word with each letter in a line. For instance, my poem is going to be Thankful, the first line is going to start with the letter T, the next line H, the line after, A, ect. Yay! Okay, here goes.

Thankful

Thankful for the parents

Having them there for me.

And also for the presents

Next month, I’ll find them under the tree.

Kindness in my life, I’m thankful for

Forward moving is what I’ve been given

Ultimately for blowing all these doors.

Lastly, for keeping me goal driven.

Of course, this isn’t all that I’m thankful for, but this poem covers the main things that I am the most thankful for. On a side note, I’d also like to include a list of the ten things that I am thankful for:

1. My parents

2. My opportunities

3. My family

4. My friends (literally all of them, even my crazy, stalker friends)

5. My fans

6. Music

7. My voice

8. Paint

9. That seven eight nine… (I’m sorry, I had to!)

10. That cheesecake that wants me to eat it…

What are you thankful for? Leave a comment below and let me know!

There really isn’t anything to be ungrateful for, at the least, the annoying stuff provides emotions you wouldn’t feel without it. Be grateful for that.

Mother Nature

Hello readers! It’s starting to finally feel like autumn over here in Arizona. I’ve heard the weather is changing in many areas - whether it be turning into a frosty winter or a nice, hot summer - the weather is definitely changing.

Just in time for this spectacular weather, Renee Sherkness brings you her second book, The Day Mother Nature Decided to Paint Her House. This fascinating tale for young readers features classical characters such as Mother Nature herself, and Father Time. It teaches - in a subtle way – about all of the different seasons while captivating readers with a thought-provoking story.

I pulled Renee Sherkness away from her wonderful writing long enough to ask her a few questions:

Heather: When did you first realize you wanted to start writing for publication?

Renee: First thank you, Heather, for allowing me to be interviewed on your blog. I greatly appreciate all you have done to help make my books come to fruition!

Heather: Thank you for allowing me the honor of helping you with your great books!

Renee: As an educator I always saw a need for children’s stories to be educational, fun and also informative while sparking an interest in our world. My view is that society has put our environment on the back burner for quite a while and wanting to do something to raise awareness to the connection we all share with nature was the main reason I began to write. My grandchildren and my husband were somewhat inspirational in my decision to publish my writings. They enjoyed my writings and encouraged me through the joy I saw in them from reading my stories. This encouraged me to begin the journey of publishing to share my message of connecting ‘with care’ to our world with others.

Heather: It’s amazing how an idea can turn into something great! How do you deal with writer’s block?

Renee: Good question. I’ve learned not to fight the writer’s block I sometimes have but embrace it as a message to slow down, walk away from my writing for a bit and take a break. Unfortunately by doing this I also have had times when I have had to embrace when the inspiration to write as well even at times that were less than convenient.. like 1:00 am in the morning!!

Heather: I can relate to that. When inspiration happens, you’ve gotta embrace it! What do you usually do while writing?

Renee: I try to put myself in my characters shoes. I think about what my characters would say, how I want them to be perceived in my story and I also try to stay focused on my message I am trying to convey. Also sipping coffee and water while writing helps.

Heather: Ah, having a drink sure does refresh the mind! What do you use to write with (i.e. keyboard, pen, pencil)?

Renee: When I first started to write I’d use a pen and notebook. But as I began to write more I opted for a keyboard to write my stories. But I still jot down ideas as they come to me with a pen and notebook I carry all the time - especially on my walks in the park.

Heather: One thing is for sure, you just can’t carry your keyboard around absolutely everywhere. What if they outlawed writing?

Renee: My passion would be stilled and I think I would have to find some other way to get my stories out there.

Heather: What is your favorite character (of your books)?

Renee: That is a hard question because when I am writing a story the character in that story becomes my favorite at that time!

If I had to choose I would say he would be Winston in my next book coming out Winston The Whale And The Blanket Of Darkness. He has an inner strength in him I admire.

Heather: Winston sounds like an epic character! Who is your hero?

Renee: Such a thought provoking question! A tough one to answer.. I think when we are little it is so much easier to name our heroes. I am sure my Grandson would quickly state “Buzz Light year” when asked with no hesitation. Yet as we get older it is a little harder to identify. I think we all have heroism in us and display it when needed. Look at the after math of 911 and the everyday heroes who helped strangers in horrific circumstances. Most of these people would not be identified as heroes in normal circumstances. Yet they were heroes when tested. So who can say who is or isn’t a hero? For me I guess I see heroism happen every day in the young and the old in simple ways. My daughter has come through some daunting challenges as she was growing into womanhood and I’ve watched her maneuver through each obstacle, overcome them and not let them engulf her. I say she has shown heroism in a way to me. My husband has often times been my hero with an encouraging word even when he didn’t even know he was doing it! My parents, my friends all have been heroes at one time or another. But I think I have come to the conclusion that to find a hero in my life I will always need to look “up” to a higher power and hope he allows the hero in all of us to be revealed when called upon.

Heather: Very thought provoking answer! Where did you find the inspiration to write The Day Mother Nature Decided to Paint Her House?

Renee: I have to take an excerpt from my book’s dedication to answer that question:

From The Day Mother Nature Decided to Paint Her House:

Dedication

During rush hour, I was driving my granddaughter, Kyla, back home from a movie

(Where the Wild Things Are) we had just seen.

As you can imagine, my five-year-old granddaughter was not happy

with the traffic delay we were facing, and neither was I, for that matter.

Since it was fall, I tried passing the time by pointing out the different colors of the leaves.

Then my granddaughter asked me, “Nana, how do the leaves change their colors?”

And that’s how this story came to life!

Therefore I dedicate this story to my granddaughter, Kyla, and my grandson, Chase, for all the questions I have answered and for those they will continue to ask, which constantly remind me how magical life can be.

Heather: It is wonderful what can inspire! Do you have any books in the works?

Renee: Yes I do:

Coming in the spring 2012: Winston The Whale And The Blanket Of Darkness

It tells the tale of Winston, a humpback whale and the perils he must face because of the pollution contaminating his home.

Other stories I hope to publish in the future include: Malachi. The Caterpillar Who Was Always Late about the monarch butterflies and their journey and one little butterfly’s lesson learned from slowing down and enjoying life.

Xzavier and China. A Story Of Care And Cooperation about two very different creatures learning to exist and get along with care and cooperation.

Book already released: Stories That Come Alive Through Yoga a fun instructional book on yoga and practicing yoga through fun kid friendly stories for children, families and yoga instructors.

All stories are from the Nurturing Nature Collection: connecting “with care” to our world. These books are a collection of fun, educational and entertaining stories that teach ways to create a healthier “us” and a healthier” world”.

All stories include a summary filled with educational information on the stories topic as well as a glossary and educational resources and web sites to educate and help our environment.

They can be purchased in print and e book on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Borders.com, and apple I pad. Visit web site for more information: http://reneesherkness.webs.com/

Heather: Thank you for allowing me the honor of interviewing you, Renee! I know I look forward to watching your stories come to life and put on bookshelves!

Readers! It’s prime time for holiday shopping (or soon will be… I know I’ve all ready started my Christmas shopping), and if you have a young reader, check out Renee’s website and consider grabbing a copy of her books. They make great gifts!

NaNo is a Go

Hello readers! I feel like a zombie - just in time for Halloween too. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m going to be… unless I can find a fake wound so I can be a vampire victim, so I’m still between costume ideas. Still, I’ll be one of the two. But this is all absolutely and completely irrelevant!

So, I have a lot of things in the works, I’m setting up online classes, getting ready for a big Halloween party, and two big things are going on this November.

First, is NaNoWriMo (if you haven’t heard of it, click it). I wasn’t sure that I was going to have time to participate this year because of school and work, but I’ve decided to give it a go. Hopefully with a few cheerleaders (I’m adopting NaNo cheerleaders, by the way) I’ll be able to pull through to get my 50,000 words.

What am I going to write this year? Well, I’m cheating - a bit - because I’m not starting a book from the beginning, I’m going to be continuing two novels that I started a few years ago. One is a genuine NaNo novel that I started last year Howl, and the other is the second book in The Artifact Series. Both require about 25k more words to be called complete, give or take. So it seems kind of perfect to do… okay, you can flog me now for not starting entirely fresh this year.

Oho, and you’ll also be able to read Howl and keep up with my progress on Smashwords, I’ll be uploading what I write everyday for your viewing pleasure (and to hopefully cheer me on, because I’ll need it)!

The other thing that is going on in November is Adopt an Indie Month. I’m an indie, and I’m still waiting to be adopted.

*Presses nose against window and looks awfully adorable*  

From what I hear, those who adopt an indie have the chance to win a big, professional, blog makeover. So, if you’re interested, you could adopt me… I don’t chew rugs or shoes and I’m housetrained.

For this last bit of info, I wanted to let you all know that I just updated my Facebook author page – http://www.facebook.com/HCPaye – if you want to keep up with me (and cheer me on for NaNo) this is the place to do it.

This really isn’t a big deal, you’re just opening up a can of worms and turning it into Texas. (Howl quote)

A Few Formatting Basics

Hola readers!

I just finished my school work (for the most part) for this week and now am able to do my work while I listen to Christina Grimmie’s new album (links for her work is at the end of this post).

Before I get to my work, I decided to drop in and give you all a short lesson in book formatting, which doesn’t just apply to book formatters but writers as well.

So, when you’re writing a fictional story, here’s some simple things to remember:

1. Don’t use Bold! I mean, ever. Don’t. Use. It. When you want to convey something with power, we don’t use bold. It’s annoying. We use exclamation points and italics. No bold.
2. Don’t use ALL CAPS! Don’t do it. I have seen this used – rarely – in some books – but only single words, NEVER FULL SENTENCES or PHRASES. ONE word only, if you MUST.
3. When indenting your paragraphs, don’t use tabs and don’t use the space bar! You will enrage your formatter. If you don’t know how to set the indent spacing on your word processor (i.e. Microsoft Word, Word Perfect), then don’t use indents at all. Just double space your paragraphs. It’s so much easier than having to go through and remove all of the tabs (by hand!) or spaces. So either learn how to indent your paragraphs (if you don’t know how and you want to learn, you can message/email/contact me and I’ll give you a hand) or just don’t indent.

What I just did above… don’t do it. That’s why I did it. I’m hoping you’re the learn-from-others’-mistakes type of person.
The difference between formatting fiction and nonfiction is that the rules that I mentioned above, don’t necessarily apply to nonfiction:

1. You can use bold. You should use it sparingly still. I mean, if you can’t convey your message powerfully without the help of bold, italics, or underlining and all that, then you should be rewriting that message, not covering it up. Can you use bold in nonfiction? Yes.
2. You can underline words. Again, use it sparingly. Only when you really need it. I once formatted a nonfiction book where each numbered paragraph started like this one. With the underlines. It was scary and I couldn’t actually focus on what I was reading.
3. The ALL CAPS rule for nonfiction is the same for nonfiction. It isn’t exactly a good idea, but you can let one slide rarely. By rarely I mean, once per 500 page novel.
4. If you are using Bold, Italics, AND Underline in one article or chapter – you seriously need to reconsider. Take out everything you can. Replace it with the classic exclamation point when you want to make – well – a point.

Right now, I’m reading a great nonfiction book for my theatre class: Theatre Arts: Fundamental Theory & Practice by Frank Pickard. There are some severe formatting issues with it… I mean some things that really bugged me. But one thing that is extremely right in the book is the *lack* of bold italic and underline usage. It has more of a continuous read feel to it.
There’s some bold and plenty of italics, but everything that I’ve just discussed in this blog post is very right in that book. So, take a peek at that if you want an example of how to do it right.

(Who the heck is Christina Grimmie? Latest YouTube singing sensation, her new album was released last June.)

If all the world were to form one human, he would be perfect, because there is at least one thing that each person does perfectly.

What a Weekend!

So, for all of you who haven’t heard (meaning those of you who aren’t following me on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere else), this week my laptop died… last week my flash drive disappeared. So, that would conclude everything that I’ve ever saved anything to… nice.
Last night, I had a big adventure going out at midnight to Walmart to get me a laptop. Walmart was out of laptops, so I had to drive all the way across town – where I did get the last one of this kind in stock. It was a three hour endeavor, but it was successful.
Oh yeah, I got a kick out of the clerks in both stores. The first clerk at the first store says to my mom: “I understand how kids are.” Insinuating me. It’s a little more than a back-to-school, I’m-being-picky-and-annoying thing. But okay. The next clerk says to me: “Now that you have this, go home, take a nap, and then you can open this up and check it out.” It was a little weird, I hadn’t been spoken to in quite awhile like that. But it’s refreshing to be treated like my age for once.
Anyways, I am attempting to install all my programs. I have a bit of an M.I.A Microsoft Office issue. So, I’ll be having to get me that and get it installed. Until then, I’ll be doing my work that requires that on the “Main” computer, which will be a pain and will slightly slow me down. It’s so much easier having everything in one place (yes, I’m spoiled).
On the bright side, there is hope that I will be able to retrieve all my info off my laptop. So, all is not lost… entirely… just massive portions of it.
The point of the post? Oh, yeah, there are a few. First: I’ll be a little bit slow in getting my work out (Sorry!). Second: Sometimes backing up your flash drive to your computer isn’t the safest option. Pretty much everything I have left is what I posted online. Third: My Twitter followers, Facebook stalkers, and blog subscribers (you) are really great and epic people and I love them!

Computers eat lives.

New Book Covers

Hello readers!

So today - one of my only days off (of school. School is the new work now, haven't you heard?) - I got back to work, and discovered that I really, absolutely love my work. I'm only able to do it on Saturday and Monday now, and I really miss it. Being a graphic designer is amazing, and I can't imagine having any other job... well, that's not entirely true. But the point is, it's an job. And, way easier than school... kills less brain cells than school.

Oh, anyways, on to the point! Today, I finished a new book cover for Elysabeth Eldering's first young adult mystery novel, Finally Home. It's scheduled for release this October. So be on the look out for that - it will be in both eBook format (for you fellow techies) and print.

Anyways, that is the latest and greatest book cover... over there... above this paragraph... Thoughts on it?

So, about two weeks ago, I finished another gem. Water by Terra Harmony. It's the first book in a series of five. It was supposed to be released as an eBook on the 17th of September, but I don't actually have the links for that - sorry!

I am working on more covers, and will be posting them as soon as they're completed.

Another note: I'm starting to get into the whole YouTube thing, and will be posting some videos on there in the near future. So, remember to subscribe - http://youtube.com/kittynadem - and like my blog, I'll be posting random things. Just whatever I'm into at the time.

Remember to stay creative!

Monsters of Fantasy



Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Recently, I've been getting into the books about zombies. I haven't actually read any zombie books yet, but they're definitely grabbing my interest, and as soon as I clear out my reading list a bit, I'll be reading one of these things... of course, I'll probably give myself nightmares, but it sounds fun anyways. I hear Amanda Hocking has some zombie books, maybe I'll read those (I'm open to suggestions, so feel free to do some shameless promotion in the comments section if you're a zombie author).
This isn't the point of the post, so don't get lost. This just got me thinking about the other monsters of the fantasy genre. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones that are so popular that they can pretty much be in their own category - vampires, werewolves, zombies, shape shifters, etc.
Obviously, vampires are the most popular, but what do you think will be next for this evermore popular fantasy genre? Maybe paranormal romances with ghosts? Or a more extreme lochness monster trilogy?

But those are my ideas. I want to know what you think. What monster of fantasy will be next to rise to popularity?

Zombies aren't THAT different from vampires. I mean, they were both human, and now they're dead and have an uncontrollable hunger.

The newest song on my playlist and what's playing in my ears right now is Colbie Caillat's "Brighter Than the Sun". 

So Now, Apparently, I'm Destined to be a Millionaire

I thought it was about time I'd update you on why I haven't been posting to my blog so often. Now that I have broadband - amazing, I know - I thought I'd be posting to my blog more often; however, I also just started my first semester of college... some... few weeks ago. I don't recall how many. My brain is a little bit mushy.

So what have I been doing, while you have been awaiting my next post (I mean, assuming you were waiting for my next post...)? I have been embedding another language into my brain, learning what's under the hood of a computer (everything still looks like green and lines and boxes to me with the occasional shiny thing), and learning what being a leader means (and the possibility of big event planning).

Which takes up an insane amount of time. A little more than I was expecting, but I'm really enjoying every bit of it. And no, it's not just because my class took a vote today on how long it would take for me to become a millionaire. Last time I checked, I wasn't a superhero. I can recall, off hand, over 30 people who do more than I do.

What started all this? I mentioned that I'm an author. Oh, the common misconceptions. As a reminder to people, I'd like to point out that most authors aren't celebrities.

Anyways, over the next few weeks, I'll still be getting familiarized with my classes. Still, I'll be attempting to make regular blog posts, hopefully, at least, one a week. So stay subscribed and be on the lookout for more soon!

For those interested in the "Millionaire" poll results, the majority voted by the time I'm 20. A few votes for by the time I'm 18. And one vote for by the end of the semester.

Taco Bell

It took a lot of effort on my part to not write the title of this blog post in all caps with many, many repeated letters followed by many, many exclamation points. Why? I'm a Taco Bell obsessive. That's why. I admit my problem.

My family is glad the nearest Taco Bell is 25 miles away (times like these, I hate my small town). If I lived closer, I'd have myself a fourth meal every night. Never. Ever. Ask me what I want to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever. Never. I may bust your ear drums. I may highly annoy you. You may even wish real life had a "Block" button. Since I first stepped foot into a Taco Bell, I never have suggested anything else for any meal.

When I pass by a Taco Bell in the car (when I'm not driving), I feel compelled to break through the glass or strangle the driver. Kind of like a rabid vampire visiting a blood drive. Or Alice Bonham in Flutter (My Blood Approves Series), when she takes a visit to the JFK airport. And it's not fair that there's a Taco Bell on every corner, but none near my house.

For this reason, I believe that Taco Bell should deliver. But they don't. And despite the pleas I've seen from other Taco Bell obsessives on Twitter, they are still a walk-in only restaurant. But that's okay. I still love Taco Bell, and I have this theory, that one day Amazon will actually sell Taco Bell's Beefy 5-layer Burritos, and I will be able to choose 2-day shipping at the checkout. Hey, it could happen!

I could go on forever, and to be honest, this blog post is really quite pointless compared to a lot of posts I've done in the past. So, I'm reigning myself in. I'm stopping here, and just going to casually mention that I just created my very first ringtone, and... I'm sure you can guess it's theme.


The Insane Taco Bell ringtone will soon be available for download free at - http://www.phonezoo.com/ringtone/234083415/insane-taco-bell-heather-paye.htm

And you can listen to it on my Tumblr page here - http://kittynadem.tumblr.com/post/8859023190/insanetacobell

Also pending a YouTube version of this ringtone - with video.

Signing off for tonight. May your obsessions run deep!

Old Things

Have you ever walked through a swapmeet or yard sale and noticed things from way back when, or other unidentifiable objects that are obviously not from your time?

Recently, I've noticed quite a few old things cross my path lately. For one, an old coffee maker, which - get this - has no buttons! This amused me to no end, and still does. I've no idea how old it actually is, I'm guessing it may be a 1960-80 model, but it still works quite well. I couldn't figure out how to make it work, but I've seen it in action. It has a switch on it, and a little mini-clock to set the timer.

Today, I noticed wall clocks, and I realized oddly, that there are a lot of inventions created in the 1900s that we don't really need anymore. Who needs wall clocks to tell the time when we have cell phones constantly at our side with the correct time? The same with digital clocks. It seems every piece of electronic device now has a clock, and I don't remember the last time I had to search around just to find out what time it was.

Rendering clocks, unnecessary.

I was watching my brother shread cheese today as well, and something about that made it seem incredibly old fashioned. Cheese is preshreaded now. We but it in bags, not blocks... well, unless you enjoy slaving away in the kitchen. I almost rendered blocks of cheese unnecessary, then I thought of my favored encheladas and marked that off my list of "Too Old". Shreaders/graters could be made invalid though, as we have all those nifty electronic gadgets to shread and gunk for us. So I added them to the list.

I had a laugh about those old dial-phones earlier with a friend of mine. Here's my post from Facebook - "Oh no, don't start on the old phones! I look at my shiny, touchscreen phone now and can't even begin to comtemplate how slow texting would be on one of them dial things!" Who, in the 1930s, would have thought there would be a such thing as a "Smartphone"?

How about the days when a TV was a TV, no HD (High Definition) or SD (Standard Definition) labling? SD TVs - and the SD movies that rode in with them are on the "Too Old" list.

Cameras that have film in them - like the kind my grandmother still uses (how amazed she must have been when she found out it was a waterproof camera!) - has also been added to my list. We use digital cameras now...

What's next? I'm quite eager to get rid of snail mail. The world isn't quite ready for that yet, but we recieve all our letters from family and friends, our bills, everything really, via email - for free nonetheless. I'll be happy to get rid of this form of communication from the castle ages. Get rid of the USPS blue boxes on the street corners. It's weird.

No books in print. This does bring a touch of sadness to me. But this is something that definitely will happen, and is fast approaching. It is in the interest to the environment - and saves on the bookshelf space issues as well. eReaders are here, and they're not leaving, the creation from B.C. is - print books.

What is ready to go now?

What can't you wait to see go extinct in the future?

Beat the Heat with a Baseball Bat

Growing up in Arizona, if there's one thing I know, it's how cruel and unusual the desert can be. Right now, the summer is getting into full swing - and not just in the southwest.

So, pretty much everyone I talk to claims that the humidity kills 'back east' and is nothing compared to AZ's heat - even my father who was born and raised back there. And yes, admittedly, we are lucky 80% of the year with horribly dry weather, which makes frying more of a possibility than melting. BUT! With monsoon season approaching in little over a week, I do feel the need to clear up that it isn't this way for the other 20% of the year. I'm talking about an average of 109 degree temperatures plus enough humidity to melt a turtle.

I did some research a few hours ago, and did find that the average humidity percentage for Arizona is 56% - that's the average for the whole year. So, it isn't quite 70% humidity or even 60% as I previously guessed, but it's probably more than most people would think.

But let's combine those infamous 112 degree temperatures with that 56% humidity.

Now how about that 'back east' weather? Their average temperature in summer is 80 degrees. Their average humidity percentage is 80%.
So, by looking at the statistics, both pretty much average out to being equally horrid and filled with a bunch of ick. The difference is 30 degrees more or 30% more humidity.

Now, the question is which is worse? What you can handle?

The heat or the humidity?

*Note: My vote is to move to Alaska during summer seasons... btw... so I'm like... Switzerland.

Do You Use Morals?

Do You Use Morals?

By Stephen Tremp

Do you use morals, ethics, and social matters in your stories that manifest in a lesson learned at the conclusion?

This is a topic I love to discuss. As a writer, I think it is vital to weave into the plot concepts of morals and ethics that challenge the characters to do things they normally would not do. They will need to somehow find a way to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. The result will be some kind of lesson learned. Many great authors and poets do this, some to a larger degree than others. Often (not always, example is the movie Se7en) we witness good triumphing over evil. However, a suspense thriller or a fantasy adventure should incorporate more than merely a battle of good vs. evil, where good ultimately triumphs in the end. Yawn.

There are a plethora of issues a writer can use, such as economic, ethical, human, legal, moral, religious, rights, and social matters that can question the core values of your character(s). These can be fantastic opportunities to introduce conflict, and conflict is necessary to drive the plot forward.

Question: as we address one or more of these matters, do we subtly incorporate some kind of lesson or question our present value system? And if so, what happens when we approach the end of our story? Do you tend to forget about your threaded morals and ethics, or are there consequences to your characters’ actions? Think back on what they did, conspired, and manipulated. What did they sow? Will they reap the whirlwind? If not, then you may be making your ending anti-climatic. It could be boring. Predictable (the worse scenario). Nothing special.

I note everything my bad guys think, say, and do. Ultimately, they will have to pay for their sins. They will need to be held accountable for their actions, either in this life or the next (think the ending of the movie Ghost where the bad guys are killed and their souls drug off to hell by dark evil spirits). So think about what you weave into your writings. Will they manifest at the end of your story in the form of judgment? If not, then what good is introducing morals and ethics in the first place?

Question: Do you use morals and ethics to achieve a lesson learned? Do you think about the consequences for your characters actions at the conclusion? Do you mete out justice and judgment, such as a guilty verdict in a court of law, the bad guy being killed by a cop, or the antagonist ending up dead and ultimately in a place of eternal torment?

Or do you feel lessons learned are too preachy and the lines of ethics and morals are too blurred to come to definitive conclusions? Or perhaps life’s not fair, so why try to tie a nice pretty red ribbon around the ending.

Stephen Tremp is author of the action thriller Breakthrough. You can visit Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs.