Monday, November 23, 2015

VLO

Three years ago today, I was in Celebration, FL. Unfortunately, our reason for being there was not in keeping with the name of the town. We were in Celebration Hospital with my mom who had suffered a stroke the day before Thanksgiving and hadn't regained consciousness. I had ridden from Decatur, AL to Celebration with my sister -- I specify ridden as this was still within my six-month driving restriction following the seizures i had had in September of that year. Shortly after we arrived, the day after Thanksgiving that year - joining my dad, brother, and sister-in-law, and had been instructed to say our goodbyes, the nurse informed us she was gone. I looked at the clock at that moment: 7:12 a.m. Sticks in the memory quite clearly since my birthday is July 12th.

And such began the process of adjusting to a new "normal" -- living life without my mom. There have been so many times where after cooking something new I've wanted to call and tell her about it, something I often did "before," and it hits me all over again. And then this past May was rough during Jacob's 8th grade graduation, knowing she wouldn't be there for the milestones. Mother's Day since has been bittersweet in that it's been nice celebrating being a mother, but hard not having mine. And Thanksgiving has become rather melancholy. I have many things to be thankful for, and I am, but it's hard with the details of her passing around the holiday.

For some reason, it’s hitting me extra hard this year. In some ways, it feels longer than three years that she’s been gone… in some ways, it feels like it was much more recent. But time marches on and all I can do is try to carry on in a way to make her proud and honor her memory. One such way is continuing to raise money and awareness for the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Society, a disease she was diagnosed with before I was born. One that I watched her struggle with all through my life and one that, while not the cause of her death, definitely took a huge toll on her body. I love you, Mom. I miss you.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

November Goals

Hello and Happy November, Dear Readers! If you're like me, you're probably not quite sure how we're already in November, but might as well make the best of it! For those in the writing world, you're likely already familiar with NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month, 30 days of writing, with a 1,667 word count goal, which gives you 50,000 words written at the end of the month. For those not familiar, that's a very basic rundown, but you can learn much more at the site. I was going to say how many years I've participated, but checking my stats on the site, it doesn't have all the years... This is at least my sixth year. I've yet to "win." I've yet to even come close, but for me, as it should be, it's less about "winning" and more about getting words on the page.

So, writing daily, or at least getting 50K words written by the end of the month is my first November goal. My second goal is to exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. I've been struggling with weight loss for a while now. And I've really seen that the main component for making a difference with that is exercise. So, in theory, as long as I keep my daily calorie intake reasonable for the day and I up my exercise, I should kickstart my weight loss. So, wish me luck!  I'm going to put up "counters" for both my daily word count and the amount of time I've exercised here on my blog to find as many ways as possible to keep myself accountable this month!  Hope Day One of November is going well for you so far!



[UPDATE: Well, I'd like to put up a counter for daily exercise, but so far I'm striking out on finding a good widget/counter/whatever to do so. Anybody know of the easiest way to do that? I have my NaNoWriMo word count tracker over to the left on the sidebar, but I can't seem to figure out a good "counter" for my daily exercise. I'm thinking a small calendar that allows me to update how many minutes I exercised that day... Anyone know something like that I could use? Would love your input! Will keep searching otherwise]

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell REVIEW and GIVEAWAY!


TheBanishedCraft_Banner
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for The Banished Craft by E.D.E. Bell!  The tour runs August 18 - September 1 with reviews, interviews, guest posts, excerpts and giveaways.  The Banished Craft is a fantasy novel and is written for adults but is appropriate for mature young adult readers.   This is the first book of the Shkode series and releases on September 1, 2015.

 About the Book:
front_cover_forweb
The Banished Craft is a genre-bending fantasy saga that follows the adventures of Cor, a woman caught in a dying world that does not accept her, and Atesh, a dragon scientist who's been asked to violate his own ethics or put the lives of his family at risk. Follow their trials as they deal with a shattered world, mired in political upheaval, while they try to rediscover a lost magic. The Banished Craft begins the Shkode trilogy: a quirky and modern take on dragons and wizards, exploring themes of identity, prejudice, violence, compassion, and the ways we are all connected.

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"A wonderfully delightful and deeply imaginative tale of struggle and the quest for knowledge, set in a well-developed and complex high fantasy setting."

--G. S. Jennsen, author of Science-Fiction saga Aurora Rhapsody


"I love Bell's sensitive and insightful exploration of compassion, connection, and relationships. The Banished Craft provides layers of thought-provoking ideas as well as good old-fashioned escapism."

--Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, bestselling author of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge


Website | Facebook | Twitter @edebellauthor | Pinterest | Instagram |  Wattpad

Bell will be releasing her first Wattpad story on 1 Sept to coincide with the release of The Banished Craft.

Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Sept. 9th
Prizing is provided by the publisher and hosts are not responsible in any way.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


My Review:

4 out of 5 stars

This was a really fun and interesting book. I'm very glad I got a chance to read it. It's a story that's split between two worlds: one where there are humans and one where there are dragons. Even though it goes back and forth, it doesn't feel disjointed. There is great character development and it is a very well-written book. The only downside for me is that it started off a little slow. If I had been reading it for pleasure, I don't know that I would have kept with it. But since I was reading it to review, I did keep with it and I'm glad. (I've had a couple books like that and on the one hand, it almost makes me rethink my "the book has to immediately hook me or I move on" policy, but on the other hand -- there are just so many books I want to read that if I'm not hooked, it's hard to keep with it!) If it weren't for taking a while to get into the story, it'd probably be a 4.5. I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series!


This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Nightscape Press

As an avid reader, running a publishing company is a dream come true -- mostly!  There are downsides in having to send out rejections and trying to make sure the amazing books you are publishing get attention with the plethora of other amazing books being released, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I have met so many amazing people since we started this company and I am truly proud of every book we have put out -- and really excited about the ones that are on the horizon!  I would love it if you'd check out our current titles and let me know what you think of them!


Monday, August 3, 2015

Network Series by Katie Cross Review & Giveaway!

TheNetworkSeriesBanner

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for The Network Series by Katie Cross!  The Network Series is a young adult fantasy and the tour runs July 27 – August 7 with reviews only. Check out the tour page for more information.

About Miss Mabel's School for Girls:
MMSFG 2 for NookNever Underestimate the Power of a Determined Witch. Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.
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About Antebellum Awakening:
Antebellum_FC_FNL_72Never underestimate the power of a volatile witch.Still reeling in the wake of her mother’s death, sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe is forced to move to Chatham Castle. Not even the sudden appearance of ancient dragons in haunted Letum Wood nor her two best friends can distract her from the strength of her deep, dark rage.Her grief puts her magical powers into chaos, endangering any witch around her. She has six months left to destroy the curse that will kill her and fulfill her contract with the most cunning enemy of all: her former teacher Miss Mabel.Bianca must make a choice: learn to control her restless powers, or let the powers control her.Antebellum Awakening is the second book in the thrilling new fantasy collection The Network Series. It’s a haunting tale about tragedy, loss, and the power of moving on.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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The Isadora Interviews blurb:
TII 2 for Amazon (1)Isadora is a quiet, old witch living alone in the fog-strewn forest of Letum Wood. Her magical power is great, but her foresight is even greater.As a Watcher, Isadora has the ability to see into the heart of every witch she meets, a talent that makes her the perfect guardian of the prestigious Miss Mabel’s School for Girls.Any witch that wants to enter the school must first pass an interview with Isadora. No secret insecurity or sinister motivation can be hidden from a Watcher, as four teenage girls will soon find out.Join Leda, Camille, Michelle, and Priscilla, as they each encounter Isadora in their quest to join Miss Mabel’s School for Girls. It’s a collection of short stories that fans of Miss Mabel’s School for Girls can’t afford to miss.

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About the Author: 
KatieCross
Katie Cross grew up in the mountains of Idaho, where she still loves to play when she gets the chance.If she’s not writing, you can find her traveling, working as a pediatric nurse, trail running with her husband and two dogs, or curled up with a book and a cup of chai.
 

Author links: 


For this blog tour, I read Miss Mabel's School for Girls and Antebellum Awakening, books one and two in the Network Series.

Miss Mabel's School for Girls: 3.75 out of 5 stars (I love that this is my blog and I can go with partial stars -- some books just don't fit into 3 or 4 or 5 stars, and I really feel this is one of them). There were some really, really good aspects to this book, and a couple things that left a bit to be desired, in my opinion. Overall, I really like the plot and overall world building. It's all a very interesting concept, but that leads us to the downsides: execution -- I felt it was a great concept, but the writing was a little heavy handed for my tastes. A lot of adjectives thrown in that muddied up the story a little bit, when it could have had a simple elegance. The main character, Bianca, was well-developed, but I feel she was a bit too haughty for my liking. She on an admirable journey, but certain ways she behaves are just a little far-fetched.  Some of the supporting characters, if given just a little more depth, would have really added to the story as well. But overall, I'm glad I stuck this one out because it was a fun read, just had a few flaws.

Antebellum Awakening: 3.5 out of 5 stars. After the tragedy that befalls Bianca in the first book, this book does a good job of showing what it's like to deal with loss and still have to carry on. However, had I not been reading these books for review on my blog, I wouldn't have finished them -- that said, I am glad that I was reviewing them, because they were a fun read. While there were some downsides, the overall plot of this one, like the first, was really interesting.  Still had some issues with feeling like the books were "overwritten," and that the prose was a bit heavy handed, but definitely interesting concepts nonetheless. If you're a fan of YA fantasy books with magical elements, I think you'll enjoy this series. I have grown a liking to many of the characters and I definitely will check out some of the other stories. But I do wish there had been a bit of refinement on these to let the really interesting plots shine through.



Giveaway:

$30 Visa Gift Card
INT
Ends Aug. 12th
Prizing provided by the author, hosts are in no way responsible

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.


Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Traveler by Dennis W. Green Blog Tour with Review and Giveaway!


Hello, dear readers, and welcome to my tour stop for Traveler by Dennis W. Green! Traveler is an adult science fiction novel. The tour runs July 6 – July 17 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for the full schedule. Read on to learn more about the book, the author, and my review! Be sure to enter to win a copy of the book (see the Rafflecopter below)

About the Book:

Blending mystery, police procedural and sci-fi, Traveler is a thriller in the tradition of Daniel Suarez and Dean Koontz, with just a dash of Jim Butcher.

Police detective Trav Becker can travel between parallel realities. So can other versions of him. And one is systematically killing every Trav he can find.

Trav must fight to keep the very fabric of time itself from unwinding as he hunts the most dangerous quarry of all… himself.





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About the author:
Specialization is for insects.

Ask someone how they know Dennis Green and you might get any one of the following: Writer, DJ, actor, MC, swimmer, teacher, reporter, tech geek, husband, or dad. So it’s little wonder his favorite expression is the above quote by Robert Heinlein’s spacefaring immortal, Lazarus Long.A popular radio personality in his native Iowa, Dennis’s adventures as a DJ were covered by newspapers from Anchorage to Los Angeles. He has also worked on the stage, TV, and independent film. He is one of the Midwest’s most popular MC’s, hosting dozens of events each year.

Dennis’s first novel, the sci-fi detective thriller, Traveler, ranked in the Top Ten in the 2014 Ben Franklin Independent Publishing awards, and has a 4.9 review average on Amazon.. Prisoner is the second volume of the Traveler Chronicles, and will be out in the summer of 2015. Trav Becker’s saga concludes in the final volume of the trilogy, Hunter, which is due in 2016.

Dennis’s writing has appeared in the anthology Sadistic Shorts, magazines including Grift and Romance and Beyond, as well as his own blog at denniswgreen.com. He also writes for and edits the triathlon news site heartofamericatri.com.

By day, he is the general manager of Iowa’s only jazz radio station, KCCK-FM. And if it’s 5:30 am, you can probably find him in the pool, working out with the Milky Way Masters swim club.


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Review:
This was a really interesting concept that I felt lost a little in the execution. I'll be the first to admit, I love sci-fi and can go either way on time-travel stories, but this concept definitely caught my attention. It's not often that you really delve into stories that break the paradigm of "not running into yourself" and pull it off in a way that works. This book definitely was able to accomplish that. I would recommend this book, but I did feel that there was one major drawback, at least for me, in that the author tended to "tell" instead of "show" a lot of the things that were happening. You would have a character "over explain" concepts that would have been more powerful if you were able to experience them. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book, I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars just because it was a little hard to stay immersed in the story due to all the "telling," but it was a strong concept and was pulled off in such a way that kept me reading.
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Giveaway:
$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends 7/21
prizing is provided by the author, bloggers are not responsible

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.


Saturday, June 27, 2015

Day 1,000

The reason this blog post is titled "Day 1,000" is because that is how many days I have had a headache, in a row.  Not the same headache, thankfully. But each and every day of the past 1,000 days, I have had at least one headache (I go through cycles of waking up with a headache daily and then occasionally having at least one other throughout the day - every now and then I don't wake up with a headache, but that is rare). Some of you know, some of you do not, but I had four seizures back in late September of 2012. (Never had had them before. Thankfully haven't had any since.) The last thing I remember is the wee hours of the morning Thursday going into Friday. And then, the next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital on Saturday, which was October 1st. Every day since then, I've had daily headaches. And on top of that, they are migraines. Every day. It feels like a steel rod from the front of my head to the back of my head just right of center. Sometimes I get auras. Sometimes they're unbearable. Sometimes they're tolerable and don't affect my day too much. But collectively, they are exhausting. I'll have the occasional tension headache still as well (a tight band at the base of my skull/top of my neck). (The ultimate "cause" of my seizures was just determined to be I had run myself down to the point of exhaustion and my body/brain said, "Enough!"  No tumors. No physical reason has shown up on any of the multitude of tests I had at the time and since from three different neurologists. The second one I saw told me she thinks the additional electrical impulses of the seizures "triggered" something that is causing the headaches, but have never gotten a clear-cut explanation beyond that.) I've tried various preventative medicine regimens, to no effect, and I have medicines for when they happen, which takes care of them more times than not. But I keep having them every. single. day. Granted, by my own admission, I haven't been back to the neurologist in a couple months and did not try all treatment options that the most recent one had on her "list," but to be honest, I kind of got to a point where I was fed up with feeling like I was not getting anywhere. I know it is not going to change on its own, but after CranioSacral massages and a number of medicines that are not effective as preventatives, it's been rather discouraging.  I'm thankful that I don't have a tumor. I'm thankful that I don't have a worse medical condition, but I am frustrated that my quality of life is being affected by this. Most days, I would rate my level of pain around a 4 out of a 10-point scale. But the days where I have a headache that is around a 7 out of 10, those are harder to take. Thankfully, those don't happen all that often. I think I'm back to a point now where I'm ready to set up an appointment and see what's next on the "list" to see if I can get some relief. It's just been hard trying things and having them not work. It gets to be tiring and discouraging hoping that the next thing will be "it," and having it not be the case. But, as I said, it's not going to change with doing nothing, unfortunately. Wish me luck that the cycle is broken soon. I would love to have a day without a headache!

[Sorry if this is jumbled... started writing and this is what came out.]

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

(Nearly the) End of May Update

Hello, dear readers! I apologize for taking nearly a month to chat with you. The job that I referred to in my last post had me feeling like I was stuck in a cave for its entirety. It wasn't "bad," per se, but there were a lot of things that I wish had been different throughout the process. At the very least, I made a really good friend out of it -- so, I'll count that as win.  Totally worth it for that!

Otherwise, have started with a new transcription company, and things seem to be going along swimmingly with that! I've not quite found the rhythm with it that I would like, but I'll get there! Now, the test will be to see how project availability fits into everything.

Things have gotten a little bit behind with Nightscape Press, but we're about to turn the corner there. We have five titles all slated for release, in various stages of being complete. Some amazing, amazing books that I'm really excited to share with the world. And we have some projects in the background that I'm equally excited for!   (Shameless promotion: if you haven't yet checked out our books or there's a title you've not yet read, they're all available at our Amazon Nightscape Press Store!)

Other than that, been trying to get back to reading more often. Have definitely let work and life get in the way of time spent with books. I've only completed six books so far since the beginning of the year.  Have a goal of 30 for my Goodreads Challenge.  Going to have to definitely step it up.  I have a few titles that are in the works for upcoming reviews.  So, that will definitely help.

And the other big thing that's going on is we're hoping to move by the end of the summer. Want to get back to Smyrna. Have been keeping an eye on properties and hoping to find one that will be a good fit. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Anyway, now that I've managed to update most of what's been going on since last we talked, I should really get back to the rest of everything I *should* be doing. Hope this finds you well & look forward to our next chat!  If you feel so inclined, leave me a comment with what's been going on for you lately, what book you're currently reading, and plans for the summer!

Friday, April 10, 2015

Life Moves Quickly While You're Busy Doing Other Things

Not quite the John Lennon lyric, "Life is just what happens to you, While you're busy making other plans" but similar sentiment...  Hard to believe it was January 30th when I last posted. At that time, I was waiting for a training class of what was supposed to be a part-time job, which turned out to be a full-time position. At this point, I don't know how much I want to go into that. What I will say is that there were several misrepresentations about it.  It wasn't all bad, but it definitely wasn't what I thought it was going to be...

I'm kind of in a holding pattern to see what will ultimately happen with said job... but transitioning in some form or fashion.  We'll see how that ultimately turns out.

Friday, January 30, 2015

Short Bus Hero by Shannon Giglio Blog Tour



"Twenty-three year-old Ally Forman, a $350 million dollar lottery winner with Down syndrome, is either cursed or blessed, depending on how you look at things. When professional wrestler Stryker Nash loses his job, Ally, his biggest fan, wants nothing more than to put him back in the ring. And she will spare no expense. Her mother, however, has other plans for Ally’s winnings and her life. SHORT BUS HERO is a darkly humorous look at life with Down syndrome, the rise of a wrestling empire... and angels. Yes, angels."






The blog tour for Short Bus Hero by Shannon Giglio is drawing to a close but you can still check out all the stops along the way!

January 29 - Author Candy O'Donnell - Excerpt
February 1 - Indie Authors You Want to Read - Excerpt
February 2 - Readsalot - Excerpt
February 2 -  RABT Reviews - Wrap Up

Friday, January 9, 2015

Nightscape Press 2014 Releases

We put out some phenomenal new books over at Nightscape Press in 2014 and we have several on deck for 2015. In case you missed what came out last year, here's a brief recap:

In this beautiful and chilling tale, Rick Hautala moves us with a coming of age story like no other. It's 1960. A young boy and his friends spend most of their time in the treehouse they built in The Big Tree in front of Old Lady Wayrenen’s front yard. But when Hurricane Donna comes, it leaves more than just a trail of property damage. A chain of events pushes the natural and supernatural worlds at odds with one another and a young girl's life hangs in the balance. But is she even real? Combined with the words and artwork of some of Mr. Hautala's dearest friends: Christopher Golden (Foreword), Thomas F. Monteleone (Afterword), and Glenn Chadbourne (cover art); The Big Tree is one of Rick's most autobiographical and personal stories from the heart.



The launch of our Young Adult Imprint, Pask Curfew Press, with:

It began with a drawing. High-school student Sarah Pennington is in art class one day when her desk mate, Ben Phelps, shows her a drawing he’s done of a sinister knife-wielding figure he calls Shrike. Then came the dreams. Sarah begins having strange dreams of Shrike in which he commits disturbing acts of vandalism. When she awakens, she discovers her dreams have come true. The destruction is real – and so is Shrike. Now Shrike’s alive. As Shrike grows stronger, his actions become increasingly violent, escalating to stalking, terrorizing, and ultimately, murder. And he must be stopped. Sarah must help Ben stop the monster he created. But how can they fight a being that was born from anger and shaped by imagination? A creature that lives halfway between dream and reality? They have to find a way – before it’s too late for them both. They say art imitates life. Sometimes, it imitates death. 



From Sword and Sorcery to Paranormal Romance, from Weird Fiction to Fairy Tales, Fantasy For Good presents a wide range of exciting short fiction to accommodate every taste. In this collection of thirty stories, legendary authors (including NYT Bestsellers and World Fantasy Award winners) and great new up-and-comers in the genre spin tales of magic and mayhem.
Featuring brand new fiction from Piers Anthony, Michael Moorcock, Carrie Vaughn, Kelley Armstrong, Alan Dean Foster, Katharine Kerr, David Farland, Jane Lindskold, Nnedi Okorafor, Todd McCaffrey and many more, alongside classic tales from George R.R. Martin, Jay Lake, Kevin J Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, and Neil Gaiman.
Fantasy For Good also includes a classic tale by master novelist, Roger Zelazny, author of the Nine Princes in Amber, who passed away in 1995 after a battle with colorectal cancer. His son, Trent, provides a moving introduction.
All proceeds from the sale of this anthology go directly to The Colon Cancer Alliance, a charity dedicated to the prevention of this deadly disease, as well as funding research and supporting patients who suffer from it.


How do you escape an entity who can manipulate time itself? Accompanied by his American girlfriend Beth, British ex-pat James Randal has come home to assess his father’s latest real estate venture. The house at Binsham Park is an enigma of patchwork architecture from various eras, nestled in the remote Herefordshire countryside. And it is haunted. The ghosts of Binsham Park have never harmed anyone before, and the chance to stay the weekend in a real life haunted house is too great to pass up. Having invited James’s old school friend Derek and his wife Chloe to join them, both couples prepare for two days of ghostly adventure and excitement. But something is waiting for them inside The Patchwork House. Something so powerful it can move pieces of the house back and forth through time at will. Something so malicious it will tear apart reality to isolate and torment its victims. Something so terrifying it will push James and his friends beyond the limits of sanity. When time yields to the will of something truly evil, you’re in for the longest night of your life…



Twenty-three year-old Ally Forman, a $350 million dollar lottery winner with Down syndrome, is either cursed or blessed, depending on how you look at things. When professional wrestler Stryker Nash loses his job, Ally, his biggest fan, wants nothing more than to put him back in the ring. And she will spare no expense. Her mother, however, has other plans for Ally’s winnings and her life. SHORT BUS HERO is a darkly humorous look at life with Down syndrome, the rise of a wrestling empire... and angels. Yes, angels.



This post has information about the rest of our titles.

All our books can be purchased at our Amazon Store or on our Webstore!

Monday, January 5, 2015

If you'd be so inclined...

As some of you may know, in addition to running Nightscape Press with me, my husband, Robert S. Wilson is also an author.  He's written some really amazing books including the Empire of Blood series, the Ray Garrett Lifeline books, and more.

He's trying something new with the third Empire of Blood book, Rising From Ashes, as well as some future projects (including some of his music projects).  If you'd be so inclined, would love for you to hop over to his Patreon page and consider being a patron of his works.



Patreon is a really neat site that, if you're familiar with the term "patron", you can figure out what it is all about: being a funder for creative ventures.  


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Happy 2015!

Hello, all, and welcome to the future -- or at least that's how 2015 feels to me! I'm not setting "New Year's resolutions" as such, but there are a few things that I would like to do this year and make a focus. I think if I have that mindset, I may be much more successful in sticking with them than the traditional resolution route.  Here are the things I'd like to focus on for 2015:
  • Eating better
  • Exercising more
  • Blogging more
  • Reading (for pleasure) more
  • Spending more quality time with family
  • Saving more money

All easily obtainable goals and things that will make sure I do everything in my power to have 2015 go down as a "Good Year" in the books!  2014 was a rough year.  2013 had its rough points. 2012 was a very rough year. And I'm ready to start marking years back in the good column! (Yes, there were good things that happened over the past few years, but there were certainly some trials and far too many ups and downs for my liking -- that's part of life, but I think having a better attitude and doing more to be proactive willl help offset at least the things I have control over!)

So there's my first focuses (foci? ;-) ) for 2015. Do you have any resolutions or plans for how to make this the best year you possibly can?  I am thankful for all of you and hope to have more interactions!  Please feel free to comment on this and/or any other posts you find interesting!