A Simple Kind of Girl

I got this photo in an email from my cousin Connie a way long time ago. It was the picture on my desktop for years; years that is until my computer crashed. What a mess that was! Mostly an emotional mess, that is. I didn't know if all of my files were lost forever or not. And I'm telling you right now, there isn't much else that can get to a writer than to have to wonder if years and years of work is gone!

Not much that is, unless that same writer has to walk away from the friends and life that she knows as her own. That my friends, is tough. I've wandered around this planet trying to find that place of belonging ever since. I've tried to hide myself in my 'secret life'. You know the one... The life of an aspiring writer... The one that burns the midnight oil to get the words out of her mind and onto the page. That life that is supposed to be so lonely. But it's really not a lonely place at all. I guess that's why I love to write. I get to dig deep inside of myself and see what I discover. I also get to make up characters and watch them take on a life of their own. In that life I have companionship and adventure. But to find the time to actually indulge myself in my passion as a writer has been tough here of late. Thus the angst. I want nothing more than to be a writer. Period.

I work hard. I dream big. Is there really no one out there that gives a rip? This opportunity that I have offered to help to make someone's dream of becoming an author isn't chump change that I am putting out there. Even though I have not opened up my deadlines and competition for the writing contest, still I have offered a very good chance for someone to get their foot in the door and to capture my attention and my imagination. I'm going to be a success in the writing community. Anyone got a vision?

I'm just a simple girl enjoying my present state of being just that. Ever heard the saying that you better get while the getting’s good? Here is opportunity. Hear it knocking?

Knock, Knock!!!

California Adventure in Photo... Writing Adventure in Future...
I'm looking for some interest in my Second Annual Rogue Bud Writing Competition in Honor of Joel Muska! I want to have some names and some voices that I can become familiar with in the next couple of months.

I'm changing things up a bit. My contest rules are going to reflect my new mind set. I know that it was no-one's fault that I was never able to publish a book (yet) for Kimi. I also know that it was partly my fault for accepting submissions for work that was not yet completed! That is most definitely one thing that is going to be different this year!!! If you are working on completing a book, then I suggest that you get it done!!! I will only consider completed manuscripts this year, period!!!

I will consider a novel, or a memoir, and possibly something in-between... But first, I'd like to get to know you. I want to know why you write and what are your hopes and dreams. What drives you? What kind of hurdles have you had to overcome to be a writer? Who inspires you? I want to use this pre-contest time to find out who the 'players' are going to be and if I can help to inspire you to get that manuscript completed so that it will qualify to enter my contest when the time comes... So Knock, Knock. Who's there???

Dog Days of Summer, Livin' the Life

Dog Days of Summer is completed and published! What fun was that! Now I have to get back to my current work in progress which is Crooked Places Straight, Straight Talk about Hard Places. It's a massive project, but I have all of the materials that I want to include in the book. It's just a matter of getting all of my ideas in order and in the format that I am working on. At least I don't have to come up with a layout, as I've already got that part in order. Formatting my books and getting my thoughts all in order is pretty challenging, but rewarding. I'm on chapter five and right now I have no idea how many chapters I will have. I have considered stopping my progress and actually doing an outline. I'll have to see how smoothly things go. I haven't had the luxury of working on my own projects for quite a while now as I had to complete my prior commitments. I'm going to make hay while the sun shines as I know that I'll be busy here again soon with my new set of writing hopefuls!

Hopefully I'll be able to clear my own plate of abandoned projects! I've got two novels that beg my completion, and two more that are pestering me to begin! I'll also have to educate myself on the marketing side of publishing one of these days so that I might hopefully be able to actually release my three completed novels! At this point in time I'm no more published than anyone other hopeful on the planet!

Published! Darkest Before the Dawn!

I must extend my congratulations to Cheryl Watts! She is now able to share her dream of becoming an author that has actually become a reality with the world! You can view and purchase her book on Lulu.com if you look up C.L. Watts, or Darkest Before the Dawn on the search line on Lulu's home page.

I wish that I had some kind of announcement on my winner of my First Annual Rogue Bud Writing Competition... Kimi Tozaki has not had the opportunity or time to follow up on her proposed book since winning my contest. We must all keep her and her loved ones in prayer as her homeland is Japan, which we all know has been in a horrible natural diaster, and now the Missippi Delta, which is also Kimi's homeland here in the United States, has been flooded and is in its own state of emergency. Our hearts go out to you Kimi.

I have extended an open invitation to Kimi to publish a book for her if she is ever able to get the materials to me to do so. I will honor my word.

Honoring my word is how my friend Cheryl has now become a published author. She had a story that I felt deserved to be told, and to be delivered out of the box that was in her shed! Her personal memoirs are both moving, and interesting. The first time that I heard her heart-wrenching story of losing her own mother to suicide was the moment that I committed to producing a book for her. Little did I realize what that would cost me in time and effort! I'm very happy for Cheryl, but I am also not in any kind of hurry to commit to anyone's 'dream' quite so freely again.

I strongly believe in honoring my word and keeping promises. I'm getting a little wiser here these days though about even making those open-ended promises!!! I have come to the conclusion that I am not a 'happy' editor. I want to work with projects that are ready to roll, so to say. I am first of all a writer, and if I am working on massive edits on someone else's work then I can't concentrate (or have the time) to work on my own writing, and that tends to make me extremely grumpy!(Just ask Diana Edwards, whom I published, Majesty on Lulu.com for, or Cheryl Watts). That doesn't make me proud, but it is what it is. I have been writing for about thirty years now and I know what works and what doesn't. If you want to work with me then please have enough confidence in my ability of not only a publisher, but as a writer. You must trust that when I say that I am looking for a 'clean' manuscript, then that is exactly what I mean! I will never produce a book from scratch again for someone other than for myself! Expect me to be very selective when it comes to this next writing opportunity in the form of my Second Annual Rogue Bud Writing Competition.

And now that time is coming around once again for my Writing Competition. I will be posting the contest guidelines and the deadlines in Early July, as I did last year. I have to sadly share that it will be in memory of Joel Muska this year, as we lost Joel to illness. He has been missed terribly around the office. I can't even say. He was a wonderful man.

Watch for my next post, which I'm hoping will be this weekend!!! I am currently putting together my 'Dog Days of Summer' book of Inspirational Quotas about life around my job working with Oxygen and related, and sometimes unrelated, DME... Like wheelchairs, (which are always a joy to lug around) and an occassional potty chair! The book will be small, but too funny. I'm putting it together as a going away present for my supervisor who is going to California to manage a bigger (but I bet not better) branch! It's just short quips and lots and lots of clip art. I love searching for clip art! It's so mindless and relaxing for me! So, until that post, I hope that the sun is shining down upon you! It's bright and sunny where I'm at and it makes me feel light and cheery, and glad to be alive!

Work Monkey on My Desk

Some people have a monkey on their back... Not me! This one's on my desk, thanks to my wonderful writing friend and buddy, Carole! I had my pink little monkey over on a shelf along with some other playful collectibles, but I decided that she lives at my house for a reason!!! Dibbles came to live with me to remind me to get busy!!! (And she's cute too!)

I am far to astute at procrastination! I have anyone who has ever gone before beat, Guaranteed!!! And what's even worse is that I have created ingenious ways to work myself silly and still not get my projects completed!!! And then the guilt slips in and I promise myself that I won't touch anything else except for my current work in progress, whether it's my own writing I'm trying to complete or someone else's! I did the same with my friend's collection of prose and poetry. I hammered away at that project until I saw it to completion, regardless of what work of my own I neglected while I was at it!!!

Darkest Before the Dawn has worked its way into that elite status! I must confess, it's by default! I committed to do this book for a friend of mine and my procrastination is causing me to have to give that sole project top priority!

I feel bad that I haven't given my hopeful contestants anything at all of anything from my Rogue Bud Writing Competition. My contest winner has been a very busy Lawyer!!! She went down to the Mississippi Delta to help with some very deserving young women and it's set our schedule back a bit. I am still fully committed to her project, but learning that I am not the only one on the planet that has a backlog of work and commitments! I am hopeful that I make good use of this time of grace that I have been allowed!!!

My "Day Job" has been working me into the ground! We are busy, and that is always a good thing! I'm believing that I will catch a second wind and be able to keep on keeping on! I just don't want anyone to think that I have gotten flaky with my contest! I strongly believe that when a person gives their word then they need to be faithful to do what they have said that they would! As I get older I certainly do see great wisdom of being a person of few words!!! Not that I've got that mastered, but I am more careful about what I commit to, and that's a fact!

I'll keep everyone posted on our progress once Kimi and I launch our collaboration!!!

Current Work in Progress

This is the cover of my current work in progress. I'm still working with Kimi to come up with a cover for her book! Sometimes the progress in this business is slow! I had come up with one cover, but we decided that it wasn't quite right! I'll update as soon as I can!

I can't believe that it's already late January! Where does the time go?

I hope that everyone is keeping warm! There sure has been a lot of snow this year!

My Favorite Things

I can't believe that it's 1/1/11!!! I've been taking myself and life far too seriously, getting all introspective and full of strange thoughts and even a bit of doubts. I wrote a poem yesterday. Here's the poem and a fun video. Still working on my friend's memoirs, Darkest before the Dawn. Watch for a soon-coming announcement concerning my First Annual Rogue Bud Writing Competition...

Rainy Day

Shadows casting over my dreams. Your love, it comforts me. Decisions mounting me high as the morning Reaching as far as the sun. Rainbows of mercy surrounding my soul Moon-beams of hope shining through. A new day has dawned No longer undone With assurrance the depth of the sea. Your love, it comforts me.