Holy Crap!

 Holy crap, it's been a year since I blogged. A ton has happened in my life that about tore me down all the way.

Last September I was admitted to the hospital because I couldn't breathe. With asthma and the beginnings of COPD I thought I just smoked too much that day. Well, now that my doctors looked at my x-rays last month they believe I had a mild case of covid-19. I stayed two nights in the hospital and have nebulizer treatments every four hours, massive IV antibiotics and pain killers. Right now I am down from 30-40 cigarettes a day to maybe 3 a week. I have been taking Chantix. I started in the middle of July. I can breathe better and I don't pant climbing the stairs (unless it's an anxiety attack).

Last August my son turned 22 and we had a wonderful dinner together. This is one of the few pictures I have with both my kids in it since 2014.

Austin & Alexia 8-27-2019

In December my baby girl turned 18 and got her 1st tattoo. Since she's afraid of needles I thought she wouldn't go through with it but she did and it turned out great.

Then in February I had an MRI and biopsy on my breasts. I also took the DNA test for all the hereditary cancers they can screen for. Lymph node had no sign of cancer and my DNA tests came back negative for all of them!

In June my baby girl graduated from High School! I am so proud of her. She made it even with her life falling apart (her words) from boy issues and loss of prom. If you notice the score board says 2020 all over. Thanks Voss Studio for the ceremony pictures.

July 7th my newest grandbaby was born healthy. Zaiden is so precious and he looks so much like his daddy did. I'm proud of the father my son has become. He has no problems with changing diapers.

Now it's almost October and I'm doing good, well good for me. I have been a bit depressed and my anxiety is high when I have to leave my apartment. I don't want to get sick and mask wearers around here, well not many. I don't care if they wear them or not but if they don't why do they have to brush up against me to grab something off the shelf?

My shrink and I have played with my medications a bit. I have stopped two of them and haven't seen a change in my rage or me throwing stuff (or not throwing stuff).

In the next month I'll be planning out my story for NaNoWriMo in November. I will be writing the 1st book in a new series that will be called "Theragrot Security". Yes it'll be shifters like the current series I'm working on but different. There will be no ancient ones. The oldest will be 500 years old if that.

I had to take a break from my current series because my characters want to bring someone back from the dead  (there were just hiding).

There you go, all caught up on my strange and crazy life.

How Mental Health Effect My Days!

WARNING! This post may trigger those who have been abused.

This post will be totally scrambled due to a mini manic episode.

Depression- I can just sit in my chair ad stare at the computer screen, watching Hulu or Netflix. I can want to sleep all day (20hrs a day). I don't write, read or clean. I feel like a failure for not acting like an adult.
TRIGGERS- Seeing my place dirty, trouble paying bills, someone telling me I'm lazy and a few I can't remember what.

Anxiety- This is a tough one to explain. I shake, have trouble breathing, my heart-rate jumps, I have cold & clammy sweats, and afterwards I want to sleep for hours.
TRIGGERS- People, shopping, paying bills, kids screaming and leaving my apartment. Basically anything that means leaving, even getting the mail.

Manic States- I have 2 different kinds. First, massive cleaning spree without stopping. Second, I watch a series on Hulu or Netflix non-stop, read entire book series, write for hours (10-15).
TRIGGERS- The 1st manic state is triggered by unknown reasons. I have found that if I take Trazodone the next day I clean non-stop. The 2nd is caused by a long depression (2 weeks to 1 month) and some triggers I haven't found yet.

PTSD- I know it causes my night-terrors, jumpiness to doors slamming, and fear of someone breaking in. This is caused by the physical, sexual, mental and psychological abuse I endured from my mother's 1st husband.

I'll now explain what causes my PTSD...
My mom married her 1st husband when I was 6. They had dated since I was 3. The earliest thing that I now known is signs of abuse was being scared to be left alone with him. I remember one time my mom was taking my babysitter to the store and I had a temper tantrum, and hid in the car. I still had to stay home. Another is I could get out of being grounded by giving him a back-rub. Department of Human Services investigated the abuse but since mom didn't see it and he lied they dismissed the case. They were called in because I knew how to masturbate. Then it became him calling me all kinds of names (bitch, slut, cunt, stupid, idiot). I blocked out the sexual abuse until after I was 25 years old. He threw me through a double pane window when I was 13.
Now you're asking where my mom was. Well,  she thought that no man would want her since she had me out of wedlock. She was 18 when she had me and was raised Roman Catholic. In here mind my step-father was her only choice and she defended him at every turn.

I am the opposite, I refuse to NEED a man for anything, maybe not all the time. My boyfriend offers to help with bills and stuff but I refuse and ask for a massage instead.

This post is the first time I have told my story to more than a few friends and my mental health providers.

Indie Author of the Week

Elizabeth York

Surviving Brooklyn (Brooklyn Series Book 1)
Synopsis:
Brooklyn Montgomery, daughter of a well-known criminal, just moved into a new apartment. She needed to be closer to downtown because she landed her dream job of becoming an Assistant District Attorney. Little does she know that the reason for her new job is because a killer is raining down on New York City. The killer is taking out anyone who looks like her, including the last A.D.A., and covering their bodies with thousands of forget-me-nots. Is this a clue to catching the killer or does the killer want to lead Brooklyn to her demise?


Mark Stone, Brooklyn's childhood friend, is the lead detective in the city. He has been handed the case, but has a limited window until the FBI takes over. While he hunts the killer he guards Brooklyn with his life. He knows she has feelings for him, but can the past be overlooked so they can be together after they catch the killer? What happens if they can't stop the killer in time? Will he catch the killer and capture her heart, or will the final victim be the one he wanted all along, Brooklyn?

Website

Follow Andrew on social media
Goodreads
Twitter
Instagram

Purchase Links
B-n-N
Amazon

*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

Indie Author of the Week

Julie Bailes

***Mature Audience Only***
Shattered and Shaken (Shaken Series Book 1)

Synopsis:
If someone asked me to describe myself using only one word, I’d tell them damaged. I’m completely broken, irreparable. On the outside, I appear beautiful and bright, but on the inside, my soul is black and empty. I haven’t always been this fragile, scared, and heartbroken woman. Nope. I had the life my peers envied; happily married parents, captain of the volleyball team, and a dangerously sexy and loving boyfriend. Then, faster than I could blink, my life went to hell in a gasoline-soaked hand basket.

Cancer struck. The sting of death pierced my heart, and my so-called ‘loving’ boyfriend left me. Wyatt shattered my heart into a million pieces when he left, but little did he know, it wasn’t just me he walked away from. Four years later, Blake changes everything. Unlike Wyatt, Blake treasures my heart. Blake claims I’m beautifully broken, and that he can fix me, but I know differently.

How can you put something together without all its pieces? You can’t. When Wyatt left, he took most of my heart away with him. You see, hearts are like broken glass; you can put it back together again, but it will never be the same. While I’m undeserving of Blake’s love, he deserves every bit of mine. My biggest fear is that I’ll crush his heart, just as Wyatt did mine.



Website: https://authorjbailes.wordpress.com/books/

Follow Julie on social media
Twitter
Goodreads
Instagram

Purchase
B-n-N
Amazon


*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

Indie Author of the Week

Leigh M. Lorien

The Haunting of Killian McKay

Synopsis:
"In an effort to reinvigorate the paranormal investigation genre -- and  his career -- Killian McKay makes the decision to livestream a ghost  hunt in the house where he had his first supernatural encounter as a  kid. To make sure things get interesting, he hires a witch to stir up  the spirits in the house.

When the witch, Lady Ivana, turns out  to be a handsome, muscular, genderfluid man named Ivan, Killian quickly  realizes he underestimated just how interesting things can get.

Ivan  is the real deal, a witch with herbs and spells and magic, and he knows  more about ghosts than Killian ever hoped to learn. Killian wants to  know everything Ivan knows, and he wants to know everything about Ivan  ... but first, they have to survive the night."


Purchase:
Amazon
Publisher
(Authors get a bigger cut when you buy directly from the publisher.)

Follow Leigh on social media
Website
Twitter
Goodreads


*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

Indie Author of the Week

Gwyn McNamee 

Savage Collision: A Hawke Family Novel (The Hawke Family Book 1)

Synopsis:
The last thing I expect when I walk into The Hawkeye Club is to fall head over heels in lust. It’s supposed to be a rescue mission. I have to get my baby sister off the pole, into some clothes, and out of the grasp of the pussy peddler who somehow manipulated her into stripping. But the moment I see Savage Hawke and verbally spar with him, my ability to remain rational flies out the window and my libido takes center stage. I’ve never wanted a relationship—my time is better spent focusing on taking down the scum running this city—but what I want and what I need are apparently two different things.

Danika Eriksson storms into my office in her high heels and on her high horse. Her holier-than-thou attitude and accusations should offend me, but instead, I can’t get her out of my head or my heart. Her incomparable drive, take-no-prisoners attitude, and blatant honesty captivate me and hold me prisoner. I should steer clear, but my self-preservation instinct is apparently dead—which is exactly what our relationship will be once she knows everything. It’s only a matter of time.

Website
Twitter: @GwynMcnamee 

Purchase
Amazon


*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

Indie Author of the Week

Andrew Mowere

Tales of Grimea (Fantasy/Short Story Collection)


Synopsis:
Set in the realm of Grimea:
Tales of Grimea (Fantasy/Short Story Collection): This is a chronological collection of stories, legends, myths, and half-whispers salvaged from forgotten journals across the four continents. These seven records have been collected and archived in Indellekt’s Greenstar Library, left there in case an outsider ever wishes to learn of our realm, Grimea. You are that outsider.



Website
Follow Andrew on social media
Goodreads
Twitter


Purchase Links
Smash words

*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

Indie Author of the Week

Mike Aaron

Cuteness Overloard


Synopsis:
Carl Shan is an underappreciated scientist who is absolutely sick and tired of it all.
His research ideas are illegal. He's been fired. The twenty-nine year old is dumped and has been reduced to living with his parents in stupid Barnley. Furious with the way the world treats him and knowing that he should always believe in himself, Carl decides to leave it all behind. He builds a time machine to the year 2117. When he arrives, he is surprised to find his workshop a mess.
Why are the buildings in ruins and the streets empty? Also... since when did baby animals have such sharp claws?

Website: associationofmerrymakers.Wordpress.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35104776-cuteness-overlord

Follow Mike on social media
Twitter
Facebook

Purchase Links
Amazon

*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

Is It Still January?

I am amazed it is still January. For some reason it feels like this month is going fast when it's not. It could be because I have had a week of good days.

MEDICAL:
I found out I have to take an extra inhaler so I can keep the bronchitis and pneumonia away. Then they added prednisone to the mix. I now take 11 pills in the morning and 8 at night. I really wanted to get off more meds but I guess it'll take longer to do that.
Kiddo-2 came home last weekend and cleaned the house. Yes, the whole house. I have kept up with the cleaning too. I cooked homemade chicken-n-dumplings and chicken-noodle soup.  That fed us for 5 days all together and you can't even tell I cooked when looking at my kitchen. Everything is cleaned up. PREDNISONE at it's best. I also have had to return to the chiropractor due to the pain in my shoulders and hips. I lasted 8 months without going. I think the weather change has caused it. By Tuesday I'll be back to normal, I hope.

WEATHER:
With a "white shit that falls from the sky" storm coming into my area tomorrow I had to stock up on a few things to make it with less anxiety. I grabbed soda, milk, eggs, bread, a steak, veggies, salad stuff, ice cream, snacks, fish and a frozen pizza.

 Frig is completely full, freezer is almost full. hen I have all my writing snacks ready to go for my marathon writing days. Should be about 2 full days of words. For me this shopping trip was not normal. I usually don't buy snacks or frozen food stuff. I bet you are wondering what meals I'll be making... Beef fajitas, tacos, steak, salads, pizza and ice cream.

WRITING:
With 4-8 inches of white crap supposedly going to fall, staying warm, munching and writing is what I really need to do. I really want to get beyond 65k words on CoT2. If I can do that I can finish it before CampNaNoWriMo April.
UPDATE: CoT-1 has been handed over to a few friends to read. Then I should only have 2 round of edits left.

I have all of January's Indie Author of the Week posts done. One for February is also done. Now you just have to wait until Saturdays.


*Happy Writing & Happy Reading*

Indie Author of the Week

Diane Morrison

Once Upon a Time in the Wyrd West


Synopsis:In a post-apocalyptic Saskatchewan, the Gunslingers are a holy order of Law, empowered to keep the peace and protect the common people. They have supernatural powers to back it up. The Walsh siblings are about to find themselves entangled in the nefarious schemes of a necromancer. But they're not Gunslingers -- not yet. Graeme and Piper will need all their training and courage, and all the support of their newfound companions, to put a stop to the villain's plans. But Graeme has an ace up his sleeve. Nobody but his family, and the shaman who trained him, knows that he's a sorcerer.


Website
Follow Diane Morrison on social media.
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

Purchase Links
Amazon

Diane also writes under Sable Arcadia.

*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

Indie Author of the Week

David Ranshaw

Gryphon’s Heir

Synopsis:
 Six years after the end of the Great War, schoolmaster Rhissan Griffith believes himself just another young man struggling to find success at a private school in rural England. An idle wish for a little magic in the midst of his frustrating, unfulfilling life catapults Rhiss into a situation that winds up being far more than he ever imagined possible... or desirable.
After school one dismal and rainy afternoon, an extraordinary door to perilous adventure unexpectedly opens in his life. It promises to thrust Rhiss into unimaginable realms of wonder and terror, encounters with beings fantastical and mythological, and answers to questions regarding a past — and a future — he has never before even contemplated. Leaving his old life behind, Rhiss accepts the challenge and walks unsuspectingly into a desperate and deadly conflict that shakes his faith and everything he ever knew or believed about himself. But how could an ordinary man help to shape the course of a world locked in battle against an ancient evil?

Website
Follow David on Social Media
Twitter
Facebook

Purchase Links
Amazon
iBooks
Goggle Play
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

*This is a promotion I gain no compensation for.

News Years Day 2019!

2018 has ended and 2019 has begun. Many of us are looking back at what we accomplished in 2018 and what we want to accomplish in 2019. I'm no different, I have been looking back and to the future.

In 2018 I accomplished more than I thought I would with my writing. I finished CoT-1 and CoT-1.5. Two rounds of edits on CoT-1 and have several people reading it now. Letting others read my work was scary and I'm still very anxious to get their feedback. My shrink has read both I completed and she loves them, but she may just be telling me that to make me feel good. I have found a permanent title to my series, it will be Chronicles of Thamesonville. I have won both CampNaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo 2018. My 13 year old neighbor girl won her NaNoWriMo through the Young Writers Program with encouragement from me. I think her winning made me feel more proud of her than myself.
I also completed my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2018. 85 books in 365 days was more than I thought I'd get read with my mental acting up again.

I have found a way to connect with my daughter and she has opened up about everything. Being 17 now, it is not something I expected.

In 2019 I hope to complete the following:
1. Publish CoT-1
2. Write CoT-2 (started at 12:15am 1-1-2019) & CoT-4
3. Draw a map for CoT
4. Start a new series
5. Continue fighting for disability
6. Eat healthier-though salads every day already
7. Keep up with blog posts. Will talk about that later in this post.
8. Try and get outside more
9. Win NaNoWriMo 2019 & CampNaNo 2019 (both)
It doesn't seem like much to most people but you have to remember writing can take forever. CoT-1 took 6 years to get it to where it is. Add in the pressure of both CampNaNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo itself, writing is stressful.

New blog posts coming every week: 
"Indie Author of the Week"
I will be choosing independent (indie) authors who self publish or publish through a small company to promote. I will not receive compensation or free swag from any of them.
After Cockygate I found many new indie authors and I now wish to spread the word of others. I shall not be reading ALL of the books but using their websites, Goodreads and sale sites to gather information to pass along to you. Many of these authors have been recommended to me by friends and fellow authors. If you have any indie authors you wish to be featured post links to author website in the comments.

The Cocky Story

I was not going to post about this but I feel I need to. If you haven't heard of #cockygate here is a rundown.

An indie author, Faleena Hopkins, has published many books (19 if I read Amazon correctly) in a series. Which was originally named "The Cocker Brothers of Georgia" and "The Cocker Brothers of Atlanta". As you can see below. You can find the original here.  Every book TITLE has the word "cocky" in it, not the series name. These are the 1st eight books in the series.

Ms. Hopkins has had the "Cocker Brothers" series out to read since June 16th 2016 when she released "Cocky Roomie". The last one in the "Cocker Brothers" is book 19, "Cocky Mother's Day: A Holiday Novella". That was released on May 12th, 2018. If you compare the covers from the above photo to the following, you will see that the title hasn't changed on the cover just the listing.

On April 17th 2018 the Trademark office granted Ms.Hopkins a trademark for the single word

"cocky", in a romance title, romance series and the stylized or font of the word as well. As it has been mentioned on Twitter the font is owned by Set Sail Studios. In the purchase contract (as far as I understand) states you can not trademark it.

Why is this all important?

Trademarking a single word that is a descriptive word will set a precedence for all future trademarks. Lets say I trademark the word "and" in the any genre of books, that would mean no one could use it. Soon, there would be no words left to title a book. It would not have been a big deal if Ms.Hopkins only trademarked "The Cocker Brothers" as a whole. A three word series title probably would not have stirred up so much trouble.
If the trademark does hold soon movies and songs and even names would be up for trade marks. Someone posted on Twitter (I'm paraphrasing) "If the word Star had been trademarked then we wouldn't have "Star Wars" Add to the, "Stargate", "Stargate SG1", excreta.
The precedence would begin to eliminate every word that is in the dictionary. The word "cocky" has been around since 1800 circa.  No one can forbid someone else from using a word that has been used for centuries. Now if it's a completely made-up word then MAYBE. I repeat MAYBE.

Next...

A few authors received cease and desist letter though e-mail. Jamila Jasper (Twitter @JamilaJasper ) shared hers on Twitter. Here's what it looked like.

If you read it you can see there is no way any lawyer would suggest or allow their client to send something like this out. My favorite part is "win all the monies" Do you know how much it would cost to re-brand, re-cover and order all new swag? It's a lot. Just think, one book cover could cost $200-$2000 depending on the quality. Indie authors don't make tons of money. Many have full time jobs and families to care for and writing is a hobby.
On May 7th Tara Crescent received a notice from Amazon telling her that her "Cocky" books were being pulled due to the trademark that Ms.Hopkins was given.

RWA (Romance Writers of America) got involved and Amazon decided to wait until the trademark issue was resolved to pull books. Tara's books were back up in a few days.
Meanwhile, Kevin Kneupper (Twitter @kneupperwriter) a retired lawyer now author came out of retirement. He filed a Petition of Cancellation for the "cocky" trademarks on May 7th 2018. You can read the entire petition thanks to Kevin. READ PETITION NOW

Shortly after that Ms.Hokpins decided it would be a good idea to Facebook live a 1:42:00 video. In it she plays the victim. You can watch it here, The Rant. Shortly after she pulled it from Facebook, then proceeded to have youtube to remove all copies of it. Did she not understand that once you post something on the internet it is there forever? If you watch it be prepared for long dramatic pauses throughout.
After the rant many authors posted their own thoughts on youtube. Here are a few I personal watched. YES, there are many links here.

Bianca Sommerland:
Cocky Copyright by Faleena Hopkins
Cocky Continued
Trademark Trolls and the Cocky Rebellion (And yes, I'll comment on the rant)
#COCKYGATE NEW LOW-Faleena Hopkins

Jessica Fry

Response and Open Letter to Faleena Hopkins #CockyGate

Elizabeth York

Let's Talk

Hanleigh Bradley

Thoughts On COCKYGATE

Sasha White

Trademark Cocky, and more

#CockyGate Update

More Cockyness from Faleena Hopkins, and news on the #CockyGate battle

Cocky bits, and Kindle Worlds :(Rumour has It)

#CockyGate author pisses off everyone with a new low

Some of those links are on topics I'll get to next. 

Ms.Hopkins reasons for filing the trademarks were"to protect her brand & so her readers don't continue to buy books with similar titles" (paraphrased that). 

Now in the last 14 days Ms. Hopkins filed a SLAPP temporary restraining order(TRO) on Kevin Kneupper to get him to stop the trademark challenge, Tara Crescent to take down her books to re-title them and Jennifer Watson on infringement of trademark "cocky" having to do with the "Cocktale Anthology"

Kevin Kneupper's part was dismissed and allowed to continue with the trademark challenge. Watson and Crescent still have a long road ahead. Though the TRO has been denied. You can read the court record of the hearing on June 1st 2018 thanks to Courtney Milan who paid for it. Court Doc.
After reading through the court record I looked around to see what else Ms.Hopkins has not put "cocky" in her series title. This is something that she said was easy to change yet she hasn't done it herself.

LOOK! "The Cocker Brothers"







My take on all this as an unpublished author that plans to help-publish is this is a cry for attention. The majority of readers had no clue who she was when this all started. I read all kinds of romance and I never even came across her name. So, it's a publicity stunt or not. I'd say probably. Once #cockygate quieted down she took people to court. Yep, once again I think she needed more attention, or at least she thought she did.


This has been a rough post for me. Too much information to fact check, which I did. I would like to state that in no way shape or form is the title of my post about a prowess male or even female. All pictures were published publicly and I claim no rights to them. All "The Cocker Brothers" photos are from Faleena Hokins' own sites. In no way do I wish to harass or harm anyone with this post.

Thanks for bearing with me in all that I stated. In the next few days I'll be posting all the wonderful authors I have found and met because of #cockygate.

It's February!

As we enter into the second month of 2018, I'm looking at what is to be done. Being bipolar with anxiety and arthritis this month sucks. January I completed only a few tasks out of 25. I managed to read A book, cook meals, kept up with dishes and folded laundry when it was brought home. Things I didn't get done that NEEDED to be done: read 5 books, write every day, lose 2 pounds, cut back on soda, drink more water, cut down on smoking and staying calm when kiddo-2 acts out.

I know what you are thinking, I wanted to do more than I should have. Though I think all were reasonable. I'm not too upset I didn't complete January's to do list. This month will be better I hope.

Mental Issues
1. I went to therapy and just bitched about kiddo-2's behavior. Mainly the fact that when I try to remove myself from the situation she follows me, even outside. Therapist had no ideas for me, as usual.
2. I saw my shrink. We decided that I could go 2 months between visits rather than 1. I was also given the go ahead to wean myself off the primidone. That means dropping from every night to every other night for 2 weeks then off them completely. As I have said before my shrink has the confidence in me to control my meds myself. I tried to go off  keppra, but that didn't work well. That means I am staying on it. So far the primidone cut hasn't given me trouble.
3. I managed to socialize with my neighbor, lets call her P. P had an incident that I know will effect her forever. I went through it a long time ago. We hadn't talked much other than the hello in passing. Now we talk 4-5 times a week. She has bipolar, OCD and anxiety too.
4. I made several healthy dinners and made sure there was leftovers to take to my other neighbor, the shut-in. Lets call him S. S doesn't like being around anyone and he doesn't cook other than toss it in the oven crap. I just knock, he answers and I hand him the container. That's it. I go home... walk 3 steps to my door.

Writing
I didn't even come close to me writing goals. I started Midnight Whispers over and am stuck. I tried to edit Dalara and just couldn't get into it. I had hoped to have at least 10,000 words done. Though with everything going on I understand why. When I'm stressed I can't focus and I'm trying something new with Midnight Whispers. Oh, and I've been sick for 2 months or more. Now that I'm better focus should come soon.
Here is my February goals:
1. Re-setup Scrivener for Midnight Whispers
2. Write 15,000 words of Midnight Whispers.
3. Edit at least 2 chapters of Dalara.
4. Get Inevitable Destinyz off to a beta reader & editor.
5. Research self-publishing again
6. Get Aeon Timeline set up for Midnight Whispers


Reading
I finished "When Darkness Comes"  by Alexandra Ivy. It's the 1st in her Guardians of Eternity series. I have read it several times and I love it more each time. This month I plan on reading the next 4 in the series.

Other Goals
1. Make freezer meals (Feb. 2nd & 3rd)
2. Cut down o soda
3. Drink more water
4. Keep the living room clean
5. Crochet a bit

That seems a lot but it really isn't. I know if I set my mind to them all I can get them all done. Remember, when setting goals make them small and simple. Even 1 small thing completed will make you feel better.

The New Year

Today is the first day of the new year. Many are planning on making changes in 2018 & hoping for things to change n the world. No matter what we do 2018 can be a start of something different. I have never done a New Years Resolution but this year I'm going to try.



Writing/Reading

• Write 150 words daily (2017- 250 words)
• CampNaNoWriMo - April & July 25k words each (2017 completed)
• NaNoWriMo- November 50k words (2017 completed)
• Blog at least twice a month
• Goodreads Reading Challenge 100 books (50-100 yearly & make it)

Eating Habits

• Eat healthy with more home-cooked meals (2017- too much pizza & chips)
• Cooking- Make crock-pot freezer meals every month (2017- Only 2 months)
• Drink more homemade fruit infused water (2017- drank too much soda)

Hygiene/ Mental Health

• Take showers every other day (2017- bathed every night but washed hair once a week)
• Take medication every day (2012-2017 completed) Medisafe app helps
• Keep all therapy & shrink appointments (2015-2017 completed)

Cleaning

• Do dishes every day (2017- once or twice a week)
• Vacuum once a week (2017- twice a month)
• Fold laundry when it's done (2017- folded once a month)

As you can see my goals are not to hard for normal people. I'm not normal at all. With bipolar I have a hard time doing things like housework and cleaning. Add to it that when I don't clean for a day I get anxious and have no idea where to start or I start something (like dishes) and never finish them.

Only a few days left until CampNaNoWriMo July Edition starts and I'm almost bouncing out of my chair every day. So many thoughts running through my mind. I can't wait to start writing. With things mostly settled here at home with the kiddo I'm all ready. I just have to get everything set up and I'm on my way....
Started setting up Scrivener....

Next up will be putting in character bios from my notebook. This will be unusual cause I almost put it all in Scrivener as I think of it.


So, here is what I have so far.........
Nya is 18 and just of age for mating. She has been kept in isolation once the Triad learned she was to mate an Alpha.
Elyan an Alpha of many centuries of age has to learn to deal with a little scared mate and try to keep control over his territory from 2 fronts.
What will happen is not yet known but it should be exciting to get to the end.

Now, as for the home front. Kiddo-2 has returned home and we found out that her brother and my father had her scared to come home because they said I was going to kill her for not being home. We have worked things out and for the most part things are back to normal.

Okay so this post is really short.

Getting Ready for April

April....
This is the month that I'm busy as hell. First I'll be 42 on the 7th. The rest are annual physicals, dental visits, therapy, med checks, CampNaNoWriMo and of course 'Spring Cleaning'.

On the 1st I will start working on my WIP-9 (aka Love of Nessa) for CampNaNo. Camp is a bit different than November's NaNo. Camp you get tossed into 'cabins' where you meet new writers and encourage each other. Also, you can set your own word count goal. This year mine is 35,000 words. That should finish Love of Nessa.
Nessa is a frightened young female. She has been sheltered and told she is nothing all her life. As her 19th birthday approaches she is handed over to an Alpha to be his mate. Dante, the Alpha, is ancient, though his heritage makes him look only 30. They have to find a way to live with each other, not to mention the war that is brewing. 
Usually Camp Cabins are quiet, last Camp I had a very active group and loved it. Sign up (campnanowrimo.org) and have fun...

My birthday will just like any other day...
I will sleep, take meds, eat and write. Maybe some Netflix in there too. I won't get presents just left alone for the weekend. Which is preferred. I'll cook slow cooker meals and wait til the Sunday for kiddo-2 to do the dishes.

Spring Cleaning will consist of washing windows, wiping baseboards, hand scrubbing the floors, vacuuming furniture & beds, and of course cleaning out pantry, frig and freezer.
The frig & freezer should be fairly easy since I keep up on it every month. The pantry however is only done in the spring. That might take hours. Good thing I can set up a card table to pull everything out, check dates, pitch old stuff and wipe shelves down.

My reading selection will probably be Jacquelyn Frank's Nightwalkers series and Katie Reus's Red Stone Security series.
Nightwalkers is a series about earth based demons that really aren't demons the way most think.
Red Stone Security is not my normal because it is not paranormal. It's a mystery romance.
Both will be re-reads. I re-read many of my favorite series a lot. Look to the right column for a list of the favorite ones I can read a hundred times over. You might like some of them.

August & September Sucked!

I thought all my problems had been lessened, but NO! I've had more stress, rage & anxiety in the past 4 weeks than I have all year.
My son's grandmother got all pissed off because wanted to take a trip to Ohio from Christmas/Solstice. I was called every name you can think of, told I ruined my kids' lives and never to contact 'MY SON'. My son, the good man he is now, confronted her and she kicked him out. The next day after leaving me tons of nasty messages, she went to his work. Yep his work. Begged him to come back. He did but put a deposit down on an apartment before he did. She is now leaving messages saying that I ruined his life and he can't live on his own... Ha! He's 19 for crying out loud.
It took me weeks to realize that nothing was my fault and I raised a responsible, respectful young man.With that all settled, I will be changing my phone number when my son moves into his apartment the 1st of October. I have no need to contact her or vise versa.
My therapist told me I am doing the right thing. My shrink added another medication to help me sleep more since the one I was on wasn't helping.

That was all of August... now for September

My daughter came home last Sunday, didn't say one word to me the entire night. Monday she came home from school early because she was so depressed she couldn't stand it. After an hour she finally opened up and told me what happened. Her father told her & her sister that he was doing meth. Yeppers, meth. My 1st thought was why the hell did he tell a 18 and 14 year old this. Then the rage set in. I wanted to kick his ass into next year. I held it together until I was alone. My daughter and I talked about it all, how she was feeling, what options she had and what she wanted me to do.
I told her that if she and her sister wanted I would call the police, they still haven't decided. Though they agreed to have no contact with him. I called my daughter's therapist and she saw her Friday. Her therapist said I did everything and more than a mother should do. Since I had felt helpless all week this made my week. My daughter doesn't need medication right now and she talked about it.  I have to admit, I spoiled her most of the week. Made her favorite foods, cuddled with her and kept telling her that what her father was doing was NOT her fault.
The weekend got better because a guy I have been crushing on since I was younger came over and we had a great weekend.
This next week should be awesome, it's homecoming week here and my daughter is excited. They have different silly dress-up days all week and the dance on Saturday. It's her first year in high school so it's a big deal. I asked her if she was going with a boy. Her answer was, 'Why? I don't need one to go to a dance. I'm going alone so I can show them all what they are missing and will never have.' That's my girl.