Category Archives: Day to Day… and Off the Subject!

I think my computer hates me!

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I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very good with technology. I can turn on my computer and use the programs… most of them… ok, some of them, but much more than that and I’m lost.

My kids are the IT department of my house and will probably run their own technology firm some day, if they don’t secretly have one already. I’m not kidding, my kids know more about my computer and phone than I do!

Blue screen of death… “Kids, mommy needs you!”

Phone screen freezes… “Kids, mommy needs you!”

iPad tells me it hasn’t been backed up in 18 weeks… “Kids, mommy needs you!”

When I was their age, we didn’t have a home computer, much less portable tablets. Phones, well there was no such thing as a cell phone back then. Our phones were still tethered to the wall with a coiled cord. If you wanted privacy you pulled the phone as far from the kitchen as you could, stretching the cord till you could almost hear it cry. More often than not you found yourself sitting in a closet, your head on the floor next to the phone as you tried to whisper loud enough that your friends would still hear you. The day I got my own bedroom phone… a bright yellow Pac-man phone… WAS AMAZING!!! It was like my parents had handed me the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. 

I never dreamed of carrying a pocket-sized phone around with me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my cell phone. Cell phones are cool. I am constantly connected… phone calls, emails, internet searches, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, blah blah blah, INSERT NEXT NEW APP HERE!!! WE ARE ALWAYS CONNECTED…

But seriously, cell phones are great for safety. I love that my kids have them and can reach me whenever they need to… but love it more when they want to. With all that said, I’m sure my next statement is of the unpopular brand… I think cell phones have killed childhood. OK… that’s a topic for another post. 

The whole point of my post ‘I think my computer hates me’ was to say this:

I often feel like my computer deliberately deletes my files! There, I’ve said it. My computer deliverately deletes my files! What is that? What did I do to my computer to make it hate me so much? I backup everything… I have thumb-drives (do people still call them thumb-drives or is it flash-drives now?) for all my work and I keep a downloaded backup (multiple in fact) of everything I do. Yet, the other day, after discovering that 5 of my 7 eBooks had somehow mysteriously disappeared from Amazon, I tried to find the files on my computer and THEY WERE GONE!

Shock!

Fear!!

Terror!!!

To say that I was freaking out would be putting it nicely. Luckily I found a way to get the files… but my computer didn’t make it easy… the files weren’t formatted.

NO FORMATTING AT ALL!

Paragraphs and chapters ran into each other like one long run on. How does something like this happen? I tried everything, but in the end I ended up spending hours re-formatting one book… I have four more to do… FOUR MORE! 

I’ll look on the bright side… I haven’t read those books in a while, so at least I get to reconnect with some of my past characters. I have missed them.

Has something like this ever happened to you? If so, tell me your story and what you did to fix it. Misery loves company, right? 

 

My 2 Cents… Cobra Kai

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Cobra 🐍 Kai – Set thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, the series focuses on Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, which causes his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to be reignited.

Ok, if you liked the Karate Kid movies than you’re going to LOVE Cobra Kai. Believe me, I was skeptical at first but once I started the first episode I was hooked. I binge watched the entire series in just two days and it was a great way to introduce my love for the Karate Kid to my kids.

The writers do a great job bringing back the original characters in a way that you can believe their choices/life paths have brought them to where they are 30 years later. It’s the perfect combination of serious and comedy. If you give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt7221388/?ref=m_nv_sr_5

The Darkest Minds (book 1)

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The Darkest Minds

TITLE: The Darkest Minds
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken

RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★ 1/2
Appearance: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ (4.625)

AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
“Book one in the hit series that’s soon to be a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg and Mandy Moore—now with a stunning new paperback look and an exclusive bonus short story featuring Liam and his brother, Cole. When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control. Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. But when the truth about Ruby’s abilities—the truth she’s hidden from everyone, even the camp authorities—comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. On the run, she joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp: Zu, a young girl haunted by her past; Chubs, a standoffish brainiac; and Liam, their fearless leader, who is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. While they journey to find the one safe haven left for kids like them—East River—they must evade their determined pursuers, including an organization that will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. But as they get closer to grasping the things they’ve dreamed of, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.”

Buy it HERE on Amazon!

THE CRITICAL POINTS

WRITING: Alexandra Bracken is a wonderful writer. She has a natural talent for describing things so perfectly that you can see, smell, hear, and feel everything as if you’re experiencing it firsthand. Her characters are fully developed, believable and relatable. Although there were a handful of typos throughout the book they weren’t distracting. Besides, as an indie author, I love seeing that even the big publishing houses have editing issues and types in the books they put out. We’re all just human and no one is perfect!

STORY: Bracken has taken an often-overused theme of ‘characters with powers’ and fashioned something completely new. The dystopian world she has created is terrifying and unthinkable. The story is gripping, leaving you eager to turn the page and find out what will happen next. With every twist and turn you become more and more invested in the characters and what their destiny’s hold.

As an author, I love a good cliffhanger, and Bracken does not disappoint. The heartbreaking cliffhanger at the end of book 1 will leave you wanting more! From page one to the end this book will keep you guessing and engaged.

CHARACTERS: In the beginning of the book we’re introduced to a number of characters and given just enough time to start feeling emotionally connected before they’re ripped away and out of the spotlight. Although irritated, and left with unanswered questions, the book’s fast pace and intense action doesn’t leave the reader disappointed for long. Ruby, one of the dangerous ones, and the primary character soon finds her tribe unlikely friends; Liam, Chubs, and Zu.

I’m a huge fan of back story, and for the most part The Darkest Minds delivers, but by the end of the book I was still left with unanswered questions and wanted to know more about each of the main characters. You’d think that was a bad thing but because I was able to go straight to the bookstore and buy the next three books in the series, I didn’t mind at all.

APPEARANCE: The cover is beautiful yet ominous. The mysterious glowing symbol on the front makes you wonder what to expect before you even break the spine. When you pull back the cover you’re surprised with a second full-color cover, and a quote from one of the main characters, “Time to carpe the hell out of this diem.” Very well done!

Check out my NEW YouTube CHANNEL and the video review here… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video. 

PS.. I’m new to the YouTube things, so be patient with me while I figure it all out. I promise my videos will get better. lol

Do You Believe In Fairies?

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Fairy… Fata… Fay… Fey…Fae… Fair Folk… Etc. 

(CC0 Creative Commons – Free for commercial use – No attribution required) 

Fairy. … A fairy (also fata, fay, fey, fae, fair folk; from faery, faerie, “realm of the fays”) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature in European folklore, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

If you believe in fairies, you’re not alone.

Stories of the fair folk date back to ancient times. They have been shared throughout most cultures in some form or another. Be they friendly little sprites that flutter around or be they evil flesh-eating demons, the Fae have both delighted young children and scared even the bravest of adults. 

As I do my research… (maybe for a new book ~ maybe not) I find these legendary creatures to be breathtaking and terrifying all at once. 

Tell me… do you believe in fairies and if you do what is your favorite Fae folklore? 

 

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Organization to Increase Productivity for People who Work from Home!

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lets-get-organized

Is your desk/home office messy or clean?

Mine gets messier the more projects I’ve added to my plate – the more I say YES! However, even though I feel creative in piles of stuff… I’ve always found it more difficult to get “work” done when my office is a mess. Actually, the status of my house (messy or clean) can affect my productivity. So, cleaning/straightening my house and home office at the end of every day is a priority. 

I wanted to know more about how clutter vs. organization can affect productivity, and I found some interesting statistics:

  • 25% of people save things in piles instead of files. I do this too, but WHY? Why don’t we just take care of things as they come across our desk instead of piling them up? Sure, I get those things that can’t be taken care of right away, but other things… such as notes that just need to be typed, or documents that need to be filed… why do I – or you – leave those to pile up?
  • 80% of what gets filed away NEVER GETS LOOKED AT AGAIN! WHAT? Why am I even filing it in the first place? Do I really need a paper copy, or would an electric copy work just as well? 

Einstein once said, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?”

HMMM… good question Einstein!

OK, what is my point? I decided that in order to tackle the clutter and get organized to increase my productivity – I needed a plan. I love plans!  I decided to tackle the whole house – not just my office – to prevent the distractions caused by the little messes I notice walking from one room to the next throughout the day.

Get organized and increase your overall productivity in 20 Days! 

  1. Set up a donation station and take detailed before photos
  2. Files cabinets – Toss out old client/project files that are over 7 years old
  3. Office/Desk drawers – You don’t need 50 different pens, pick your 5 favorite and get rid of the rest. The same goes for pencils and highlighters. If your drawers are overloaded with office supplies, consider donating extras to the local school – teachers are always in need, or you can create a cute storage bin just for supplies keeping only what fits.
  4. Closet clothing – Declutter by purging items that have holes or stains, anything you haven’t worn in the previous 12 months and clothing that doesn’t fit properly.
  5. Dresser drawers – Declutter by purging items that have holes or stains, anything you haven’t worn in the previous 12 months and clothing that doesn’t fit properly.
  6. Towels and blankets – Get rid of all towels and blankets with holes or stains. Donate all towels and blankets that don’t match your current room decorations – keeping one or two to use during kids sleepovers.
  7. Laundry Room – Sweep under and around your washer and dryer. Then clear out cabinets and/or shelves of items you no longer use. Still storing old paint cans under your sink or replacement tiles for the 5-year-old flooring? PURGE THEM! If you haven’t used it in the last 12 months – GET RID OF IT!
  8. Shoes/Scarves/hats – You only need one winter scarf and hat per kid – donate the rest. In terms of shoes you can never have to many. lol. No, but seriously, if they don’t fit – toss them. If they are broken – toss them. If they are damaged or scuffed up – toss them. If you haven’t worn them in the last 12 months – toss them. You get the picture, right?
  9. Jackets and Bags – The essentials are simple; 1 winter coat, 1 spring coat and 1 formal coat. When it comes to bags – toss them if they have holes, stains, or have been out of style since the 80s. NO JEAN PURSES ALLOWED! Also, do you need 10 suitcases and 6 overnight bags? Probably not, so donate those too. One suitcase and one overnight bag per person living in the house is usually all you’ll need.
  10. Books/DVDs/Video Games – I hoard books, but I’m trying to get better. DVDs… donate those, everything is going digital anyway. Video games – keep the ones that are age appropriate for your kids and husband lol… anything they don’t play any more, donate.
  11. Cleaning Products – Check the expiration date on all your cleaning products and toss anything that has expired! You’ll also want to toss any empty bottles you find, and any products you haven’t used in the last 4 months.
  12. Toiletries – Do you have a bunch of old skin care products, makeup, half empty toothpaste tubes, etc. cluttering your linen closet and bathroom drawers? TOSS IT ALL! Just kidding… toss everything that is expired first. Then, go through everything and toss what you haven’t used in the last 2 months. Out of everything that is left, make a plan to use those items and replace them only after completely gone! *Side note – if you’ve hoarded lots of cheap and expensive skin care that never worked for you… I can help. I sell the #1 skincare brand in North America. Want to know more? Message me!
  13. Refrigerator (Surface and Interior) – Clutter covering the top, sides, and front of your refrigerator can leave your whole kitchen looking messy. Get rid of it all!!! Now, open it up and toss any expired foods – typically condiments, sauces, and dairy products – but check everything! Then toss last weeks left overs – You never had any intension of eating them anyway. Wipe down shelves and drawers and organize so you can see everything clearly.
  14. Pantry – Purge all expired items, organize like items together, and put kid friendly snacks closer to the bottom where your littles can reach them.
  15. Dishes/cups/Tupperware – You don’t need 50 different water bottles… pick your favorites and purge the rest! This goes for dishes, cups, Tupperware, reusable straws, utensils, etc.
  16. Gadgets and small appliances – Why are you keeping your old iPhone 4 when you just upgraded to the 8? Old phones, computers, gadgets, even appliances can be donated to shelters, and other organizations – just make sure you clear your personal information off first.
  17. Surfaces – clear off and dust all bedroom night stands and dressers, tables, and countertops throughout the house. Don’t just hide things in drawers either.
  18. Kitchen/Bathroom drawers – We all have junk drawers, but do we really need 10 of them? NO! Go through your kitchen and bathroom drawers to reduce clutter. Toss out broken pencils, card decks that are missing cards, and receipts you forgot you even kept, etc.
  19. Floors – Its time to sweep, vacuum, mop, and/or steam clean…
  20. Drop off donations and take after photos

OK, I’ve shared my plan with you… what tips do you have for getting organized and increasing productivity? Comment below with your best organizational tip!

NaNoWriMo 2016

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nanowrimo

Have you joined the craze? Jumped on the bandwagon? Taken the plunge and started writing your novel?

Welcome to NaNoWriMo 2016. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! On November 1st, all us crazy authors, want-to-be writers, and those just excited about getting a story out will set off on a 30-day journey to write a 50,000-word novel.

50,000 WORDS!!!!

If that sounds scary to you, trust me it’s scary to all of us. Besides the fact that it feels virtually impossible every time you sit at the computer and stare at a blank screen.

If you give yourself the full 30 days of November to write your novel, you are looking at needing to produce 1,667 words per day! That might not seem so bad, at first. Then you sit down to type and your ideas start to pour out of you. The first day you make an easy 2500, by the end of day two you’re at 4600 and feeling pretty good. By day ten you’ve slowed down, can’t find the time to write, or don’t know where your story is going. Maybe you’ve got 21,000 words at day fifteen and struggling to keep your excitement going.

Well, don’t worry – it happens to all of us.

It is day five and my story has just taken a strange and unexpected turn…

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I scream at the characters in my head.

But, I’ll take a deep breath, step away from the computer for a break and come back to them with an open mind. I figure they know their story better than I do.

All this just to say good luck. Have fun with NaNoWriMo 2016, and I’d love to hear your experience. Comment below and tell me the title of your novel, if this is your first, second, or fifteenth time participating, and anything else you want to share.

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Want to learn more about NaNoWriMo? Check out the official website HERE!

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Here Comes The Sun-perhaps?

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Book Image

Here comes the sun-perhaps?  is Brian Wilson’s third book of short stories. This collection of 33 short stories based in six very different countries provides for light entertaining – some thought provoking and others humorous. Check out what others have to say in their reviews of this book at:  http://www.amazon.com/Brian-Wilson/e/B001K833VO

Fasten your seatbelts and prepare to journey down the roads of life. Hold on tight and beware of the twists and turns on the way.  Enjoy stories based in New Zealand, England, China, Japan, Fiji, and India.  As one reviewer put it, “do not miss these stories if you like easy reading anecdotes that go very well with a cup of hot chocolate in a warm room on a relaxing Sunday afternoon”.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Wilson has written three books of short stories:

Moments in Time, Bumpy Roads, and Here Comes the Sun –Perhaps?

Brian Wilson is a New Zealander who likes to travel the world and in the past to explore the New Zealand mountains. He has recently returned from a trip to China, Japan and Korea and next month is off for several weeks in Sydney, Australia. Married with three adult children, Brian took early retirement from a job as an investigator to write. He has a Masters of Arts Degree (honours) as well as accounting and management qualifications.

Please visit Brian online:

Website: http://brian-d-wilson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianwilsonauthor

 

Supernatural – Paranormal – Preternatural, OH MY!

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YA Fiction

As a YA Author of novels that contain vampires, shape-shifters, witches, fairies (not the Tinkerbell type), and so many other un-natural beings I have often been asked the following questions:

‘What is the difference between supernatural, paranormal, and preternatural?’ and ‘Which of these categories do you write in?’

Well the simple answer is this: They are pretty much interchangeable! OR ARE THEY?

 

Below are the “official” definitions – followed by some examples of character types I, as an author, would put into each category.

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Supernatural… Attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature

Super: above; over; beyond     |     natural: existing in, or caused by nature

* Angels * Vampires * Werewolves (and other were-animals) * Witches * Warlocks * Wizards *

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Paranormal… Denoting events or phenomena such as telekinesis or clairvoyance that are beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding

Para: beyond     |     normal: usual; typical; standard

* Zombies * Vampires * Necromancers * Time travelers *

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Preternatural… Beyond what is normal or natural – existing outside of nature (very unusual in a way that doesn’t seem natural)

Preter: This is not a prefixe that I could find a definition for, but it seems it means: beyond   |     natural: existing in, or caused by nature

* Zombies * Werewolves (and other were-animals) * Vampires * Witches * Necromancers *

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OK, so maybe that didn’t help sort out the difference after all. A lot of the examples tend to fall into multiple categories, at least for me.

Click here to read a previous post I had re-blogged about a similar topic: Brass Tacks: Supernatural vs Paranormal; Vampire vs Zombie

So, what are your thoughts? Comment below and tell me what you think the differences are and what types of un–natural beings fall into each of the categories!

 

Sector C Book 1 Front 3.25.15 Awaken - Cover Beginnings_-_Cover Revenge_-_ResizeCover

Books – the Cheapest Vacation You Can Buy!

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Books are a special kind of magic!

Books are a special kind of magic!

To me… books are a special kind of magic!

I tend to go through spurts where I read constantly – in the carpool line, making dinner, at karate, at dance, etc… Then I go through spurts where I don’t crack the spine of a book for months. Right now I am smack dab in the middle of three books, well, one play and two books. Basically, I am at the beginning of a regular reading marathon… at least for me.

Every year I set a reading goal for myself… In the past it has always been 12 books! Yeah, I know – that isn’t that many, but come on… I have a full-time job and two kids that do dance, karate, t-ball, cheer leading camp, etc. etc. etc. So, for me to find time to read even just one book a month is often hard. So, I have always set my goal low… one book a month… and hoped that I actually exceed it. In 2013 I exceeded my goal of 12 books by 5 and read a total of 17 books… I WAS EXCITED! In 2014 I raised my goal, just a little, to 20 books and I managed to read 26! Yeah, last year was a big reading year for me. This year 2015… I have decided to increase my goal again – I plan to read 30 books! It is already February 27th and I have only finished 4 books… I’m a bit behind and not getting off to a great start, but I have time. Right?

What I’m currently reading:

What I’ve recently finished reading:

 

So… the whole point of my post, which I never really got to is this… Books are a wonderful escape into a world you never knew existed. They are a vacation for your mind and cost only pennies compared to what most people spend on actual vacations. So, take a stay-cation… grab a good book… and let it take you to places you’ve never been.

There are so many amazing places, real and imaginary, that books can take you if you only let them.

So… where will you go on your next stay-cation?

End Game by Nina Soden Blood Angel Series Cover Poster Sector C Bk 1 - FRONT Private Words Unspoken

 

Nina Soden, Author
SECTOR C ~ The Chosen (book 1 ~ SECTOR C): http://wp.me/p1Ft9W-444

Help… I Need A Tagline!

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OK, for the last few years I have been writing this blog under the appropriate tagline of:

Follow my journey as I write, edit, and publish my first Young Adult series

Although that was great (because I was in fact writing, editing, and publishing my first YA series) it no longer applies. My first series (The Blood Angel Series) has been published (Check it out here) and now I am working on a whole new series. So, I am in need of a new tagline – something that speaks to me, my writing style, and my books.

Please HELP by completing the poll below!