UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy!
*~*~*

I didn’t have any notes for what I wanted to talk about today. I sat at my desk, turned to my computer, and opened an empty “page” for the blog. Then, I clicked on a few news/gossip sites because I can’t be still for a second on line.

Still no ideas, so I turned to my desktop which is littered with open paint palettes, a basket of paint pens, dried paper towels with dabs of dried paint, which make them very pretty, my planner, which I’ve been underutilizing lately, and my cups and pots full of pens. Not to mention the plants that line the back of my desk that are waiting for me to take them back outside since we’re done with freezes. It’s a very messy desk.

I left the palettes open last night so the paint would fully dry. This is the messiest and most used.

It’s also the first watercolor palette I ever purchased. It’s a Van Gogh travel palette–a kind of medium, student-grade palette. The Azo Yellow and Madder Lake Deep (that dark red) in the lower left corner are almost gone. I started to close the palette, but all that lovely messiness reminded me about how far I’ve come.

When I first purchased this, I was so careful not to get different colors mixed in their paint pans, and I’d CLEAN the mixing wells at the top after every use. I loved the pristine look of the palette and wasn’t comfortable with the messiness that comes from paint. Now, look at it. The white has yellow in it. The Azo has green in it. The ochre has more green in it. And those wells haven’t been cleaned in forever because that’s where the color magic happens after you mix and forget what you mixed and then mix some more…

And there aren’t enough wells for color mixing, so I use the logo space at the top to mix more colors. I love this palette. I love getting a wet brush and working the water into the dried paint until it’s buttery, and then stroking it across paper. That sounded almost sexual, didn’t it? Hmm. I need to write a story about an artist…

And off I go again. “Squirrel!”

Do you have anything you let get really, really messy because it works best that way? Comment for your choice of a download from my backlist!

And I’ll love this Friday about midday. By then, I should be through with the last book I have to edit this week, and I can take a much-needed break!

What will I do with my time? I’ve neglected housework—but to hell with that. I don’t want to do ANYTHING productive. Maybe, I’ll just head back into season three of Fringe and watch some episodes back-to-back. It’s not a perfect Sci-Fi show, but I’ve been enjoying it. I think there are five seasons, so it should keep me going until next month. Then I’ll either start Picard or Strange New Worlds. (I don’t want to run out of Star Trek shows, because that will be just too sad, so I’ve been pacing myself.)

But anyway, I can’t stay here long. I have pages to read and kids to get out the door to school. I hope you have a GREAT Friday. Have you made any weekend plans?

Open Contests

1. Revisiting Conquests!—Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Hollow Beasts kept me glued! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. 3 Quick Reminders & the Saturday Puzzle-Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Briar Boleyn: Fantasy Heroes to Swoon For! — Win FREE books!
5. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: A Pioneer on the Entrepreneurial, Literary, and Astral Planes — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. A Quick Note & A Word Search: Male Stars I’ll Drop Everything to Watch — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner of the contest is…BN!
*~*~*

I’m late getting started at work today.

And it’s all Alisa Lynn Valdes’s fault.

I’m embarrassed to admit that between being a full-time writer and editor, it’s hard for me to find time to read for pleasure. I do read plenty—mostly news articles and magazines, things about climate change, world politics—stuff that makes me crazy, so I often wonder why I do it. I’m sure the stress is shortening my life, but my addiction is news-porn. Plus, it’s rare for me to pick up a book by someone I’ve never read. When I read fiction, it’s usually something I read years ago, a guilty-pleasure read, because I don’t have to pay close attention to it, and I can relax. For me, these days if I have downtime, I’m usually pulling out my paints and paper.

For a writer, that’s sacrilege, right?

Well, I was doom-scrolling through Twitter yesterday morning over my first cup of coffee and saw a short video from an author named Alisa Lynn Valdes. It wasn’t a slick presentation, which would turn me off. It was natural, just her filming while driving down a gravel road, talking about one of the places that inspired her latest book, Hollow Beasts. She read something from the opening pages, and I was instantly struck. Hooked. I hit the link to her book, discovered to my delight that it was FREE in KU, and loaded it to my Kindle, where books that intrigue me usually go to die. I rarely open them after I load them, but yesterday, when I was done with work, and before I brought out my paints, I opened my Kindle app and began to read.

I finished just a few minutes ago. I haven’t been that engrossed in years. The characterization of the characters was sooooo good. Everyone who had pages devoted to their POV was distinct from the other—sometimes, with very opposing viewpoints. The main underlying topic was timely (no spoilers), and the suspense had me on the edge of my seat.

I’m going to check out her backlist as soon as I upload this post.

So, my question to you is what have you read lately that kept you glued to your phone/Kindle/book? Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card.

Real quick, before I share my pics and have you entering contests here, I want to tell you about a couple of contests going on right now over on my Delilah’s Collections website. There are two at the moment, and more coming soon. Just follow the links then come back here!
Link One. Link Two.

I shared some pictures of our newest farm animals a little while ago and couldn’t resist sharing some more recent photos. These first three are of our bunny, Oreo, getting some playtime with the teenage chickens.

Here, he looks a little nervous.

But he settled down and ignored them.

Here, he seemed to get over his fear and his curiosity got the better of him.

Chicken tending is a family affair. The 9-year-old didn’t mind the rooster perching on her leg.

And meet our latest addition, Duckster.

Duckster came to us via my step-grandson’s college fraternity. The pledges had to get farm fowl and take care of them for a week. After that? I shudder to think if J hadn’t known we’d take their baby chicks, guineas, and ducks. The duck is getting along fine in the hen house.

Open Contests & Giveaways!

1. Gabbi Powell: Turning rejection into triumph! (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Puzzle-Contest! New babies down on the farm! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. Another collection… Quotes? (Contest) — Win a FREE book!
4. Gabbi Powell: When Characters Make Demands of Their Own (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. March Into April (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Saturday Puzzle-Contest — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Gabbi Powell: Why give something away for free? (Contest & FREE Book!) — Win an Amazon gift card and claim your FREE book!
8. Dahlia T. Drake: The Genesis of CRIMSON MORTE and My New PNR Series! (FREE Book!) — Claim your FREE book!

UPDATE: The winner is…Gail S!
*~*~*

This is the last day of March! Where does the time go? Without any further ado, I’ll dive right into my recap…

March

Work-related:

1. I completed work on my latest Montana Bounty Hunter story, Mica! And I published it!!!
2. I’ve been doing minimal work on the Silver Soldiers anthology, which comes out May 9th! Mostly, working on a promotional calendar with the authors in the anthology.
3. I completed only 3 editing projects for other authors in March. The injury to my hand severely impacted my ability to work at my usual pace, at least for the first half of the month.

Health-related:

1. I continued wearing the brace on my hand until March 17th. The break is healed, but now I have to work on physical therapy to improve my hand’s function. My hand aches after I use it for a while, and my fingers get numb when I hold a paintbrush or pen for very long.
2. I had a visit with a cardiologist this month. He has me wearing a monitor stuck to my chest for a week to see how it functions day to day. It’s beating a little slowly and has a slight arrhythmia. My blood pressure is still way too high, but the cardiologist adjusted my meds, and we’ll see how that goes.
3. I haven’t been dieting like I should, what with my heart and blood pressure issues, and I haven’t been great about cutting my salt intake. My weight loss is stagnant! I think I was a little depressed by my hand injury. I could tell because I wanted to sleep way too much and didn’t want to go out at all. I don’t like to wallow in negativity, but it has been hard to motivate myself to move forward.
4. As for physical activity, I’m not doing enough. Again, I’m feeling tired all the time. Which I know has to do with my weight, meds, and inactivity. All my issues are interrelated. I just need to get my fat ass off this chair and move more often.

Happiness-related: 

1. I’m back participating with my local art guild or humanities council. We had some planning meetings for upcoming exhibits and programs. It felt good to get out and mingle again.
2. I am still participating in the #the100dayproject art online art challenge. As of today, I’m on Day 38. Here are a few of my March pieces…

April

 

1. To complete my short story for the Silver Soldiers anthology.
2. To compile all the Silver Soldiers stories into the anthology and get it formatted for release on May 9th.
3. To begin work on Cold Hard Cash, the first of the We Are Dead Horse series.
4. To complete 4 editing projects in April!

For health related, I plan:

1. To restart counting those points for my Weight Watchers diet (I hate that word) and hopefully shed at least another 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
2. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas, red wine).
3. To get the pool cleaned up—as soon as the weather cooperates—so that the minute the water is warm enough, I’m swimming (hopefully by end of April).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps.
5. I’ll re-dedicate myself to doing more housework, too, because my art room is a disaster. And cleaning is exercise, right?

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To continue producing some small piece of art every day as part of #the100dayproject. I’m volunteering several times a month to sit in the Art Center to keep it open. I use those quiet days away from my computer just to paint!
2. Try to complete one of the many already paid-for online art classes I’ve lined up to do.
3. To blog about art (on my Emerald Casket site) just to keep myself honest!
4. To work toward re-opening my Etsy store!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read in April…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Liz!
*~*~*

It’s Sunday. The day I review my plans for the week, and I always start by first drawing a card from my favorite Tarot deck.

This morning’s card is the Four of Swords. Not pentacles for once. Something changed, hmm? Well, I’ll start by examining the card and trying to figure out some personal message the card has for me. I don’t recognize this mythological character, so that’s not helpful.  He is sitting on a flat desert plain. Sitting cross-legged, like he’s meditating. His swords are lying on the ground. The meaning I pull from the image is that he may be tired of the battle and in need of some introspection. The sky is blue and the overall ambiance restful but lonely. So, I’m thinking this card is telling me I need to take time this week, away from my usual frenetic pace of work and family, to contemplate where I am and what I want. Let’s see what my little book says…

This is Orestes. I don’t know who he is, so I’m going to Google him. Orestes is the son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon (of Trojan War fame). There’s a long story about his father returning home after the war with Cassandra, the seer, as his concubine. His mother conspires with her lover to murder Agamemnon, and Orestes, along with his sister, Electra, flee. He ends up living in exile (this desert plain) until he returns to avenge his father’s murder by killing his mom and her lover. He goes mad after that and is tried by the gods for the crime of killing his mother, but is acquitted. That’s who Orestes was. A son avenging his father and who goes mad. But this card depicts him when he was in exile, awaiting his chance to exact revenge. Interesting.

Back to the book (The Mythic Tarot), it says simply, that this is a time for “quiet recuperation and introversion” while I “build up strength in preparation for further efforts.” So, am I supposed to stay off the Internet? Keep my door closed to family while I contemplate my life? The recuperation of my hand continues. That fits. Keeping my head down, focusing on what I need to do while ignoring the “noise” around me? I can make that fit. The meditation and contemplation? Well, I do kind of go inside myself when I’m writing, so I can make that work, too.

For a chance to win your choice of one of my downloadable stories, tell me whether you ever take time away from “the noise” and what that looks like for you.

UPDATE: The winner is…ButtonsMom2003!
*~*~*

I haven’t done a recap in a while, and I think I need to reinstitute the habit! It keeps me honest about what I’ve accomplished, and if you’re paying attention, it gives you something to nag me about!

February

Work-related:

1. I began the month working on my next Montana Bounty Hunter story, Mica, but halted work abruptly due to an injury I’ll talk about below.
2. I did complete editing all the Silver Soldiers stories, and my sister and I worked on a cover for Silver Soldiers! Plus, it’s up for pre-order!
3. I completed only 2 editing projects for other authors in January. Again, the injury severely impacted my ability to place my hands on my keyboard.

Health-related:

1. On February 10th, I fell down the basement stairs and broke a bone in my right hand. I spent the rest of the month wearing a splint (thank goodness the doctor gave me the option of a splint rather than a hard cast!). After that, I had limited use of my hand. I could edit, but writing wasn’t an option. I was just too slow.
2. After the fall, I also experienced more issues with my blood pressure. It’s been spiking horribly. To the point, I have to keep Clonidine in my medicine cabinet when it does get above a certain level. I was also given a higher dose of my hypertension medicine. Since then, I’ve gone back on Weight Watchers and cut salt dramatically. So far, I’ve lost 5 pounds, and I’m beginning to see my BP come down. Not enough, but it isn’t scaring me now!
3. As for physical activity, I’m not doing enough. I’m feeling tired all the time. Which I know has to do with my weight, meds, a little depression due to my hand injury. I’m trying not to nap during the day, and that need has waned.

Happiness-related: 

1. I haven’t been to local art guild or humanities council meetings. So, no mingling with real people. I use the excuse that I can’t do my hair right, or I’m grumpy because of my splint, or that work takes me longer to accomplish each day because I’m in splint. All excuses.
2. I did decide to participate in the #the100dayproject art online art challenge despite my injury. Art has been the only highlight of the month. Here are a few of my February pieces…

 

 

March

For work-related, I plan:

1. To complete Mica! It will release March 28th come hell or high water!
2. To complete a short story for the Silver Soldiers anthology. And to prod my sister into finishing hers!
3. To complete 3 editing projects in March!

For health related, I plan:

1. To keep counting those points for my Weight Watchers diet (I hate that word) and hopefully shed at least another 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
2. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas, red wine).
3. To get the pool cleaned up so that the minute the water is warm enough, I’ll be swimming (hopefully by mid-April).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps.
5. I’ll re-dedicate myself to doing more housework, too, because my art room is a disaster. And cleaning is exercise, right?

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To continue producing some small piece of art every day as part of #the100dayproject.
2. Try to complete one of the many already paid-for online art classes I’ve lined up to do.
3. To blog about art (on my Emerald Casket site) just to keep myself honest!
4. To work toward re-opening my Etsy store!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!