NEW NAVIGATION PAGE

The Awesome Posts page is up. Click on it to find the posts you're interested in reading. 

Since I have a diverse audience, I thought it was about time to organize this blog. All of the posts have labels, but the cloud is a bit difficult to navigate. So, if you want to read reviews on my favorite K-drama and Anime series, all of the posts are linked. The same with Sharing Our Voices, 40 Weeks Of Me, and the ever thrilling, Cover Reveals posts. 

Want to follow my wonderful journey as an aspiring writer. Links are there for each and every step as I learn about writing and editing. 

Hope it helps. And thanks for stopping by. 

40 WEEKS OF ME- WEEK 16- Blossoming

This week has be extremely unproductive. The first half I spent in bed recovering from a cold. This last half has been spent trying to get caught up. I’m behind in my NaNo goals. I’m okay with that. I was having a hard time connecting with the characters, which I find is odd since I know them so well.

For some reason, the story wasn’t blossoming (Isn't this is a weird looking word, blossoming?).

I’m going to try and explain how story blossoming feels for me. There comes a moment in the story when my conscious mind disconnects and the subconscious takes over. It’s the moment when the characters become real. They take control and I simply transcribe what they tell me.

Heck, half the time I’m astonished by the places the story goes. It’s like magic. What I mean is this particular writing stage feels magical—trance-like.

I’m guessing it feels similar to what one experiences when meditating, but I’ve never meditated so I don’t know. Anyone?

Anyway, I haven’t had that spark with this story. I think it’s because I broke my usual process. I tried to write it straight through without going back and editing. In my first drafts I have a lot of narrative. My characters are talkers. They’re all—blah, blah, blah.

When I go back through after writing the chapter, I flesh it out. I add description. Fix plot holes. This leads to a deeper awareness of where I want the story to go, and I’m able to foreshadow later twists. The story solidifies in my mind and isn’t as nebulous.

I’ve spent this week editing. My word count hasn’t moved much, but I have a better sense of the story now. Hopefully, I’ll be writing new material this weekend. Plus, we have a super holiday next week and I don’t have to work. I should have some uninterrupted writing time after coming out of my tryptophan coma.

40 WEEKS, WEEK 15- CHAIN LETTERS and BLOG AWARDS

The first letter I ever received was a huge deal for me. I was ten. I had just moved from Kansas to Maryland, and I didn’t know anyone. So holding an envelope with my name on it felt like a big deal.

Little did I know it would spawn a lifetime of hate!

My hands shook as I opened it up to find this …

… okay, maybe not exactly this, but something similar. Only a whole lot worse. At the end of the one I received it said if I didn’t pass it on I WOULD DIE!

Yes, the exclamation point is warranted.

Needless to say, ten-year-old Angie almost pissed her pants in her rush to grab the phone book and pass the on the chain letter to 10 random strangers. Whew, it was a close call, but I survived.

I grew up.

Chain letters evolved. Now they come by email. They still end with the similar doom and gloom prediction. I delete them. I’m pretty sure God will forgive me and won’t send me to hell.

When I started blogging, I found another form of chain letter. The Blog Awards. I’ve “won” a few. I appreciate my friends for thinking of me when they need 5 people to pass it on to. However, I’ve kept my policy so far by not participating.

Only next week, I’ll make an exception. Why? NaNo screwed with my mind. Kidding. I agreed because I said I’d be more open to new experiences this year and this looks like fun. I also promised the person linking to me.

If anyone is interested in watching me squirm my way through it, I’ll be answering questions in THE NEXT BIG THING (Week 24) on November 14th.

Will I pass it on? Only if someone agrees to play in advance. I promise I won’t spring this on anyone. My friend asked for my permission before he linked to me. He didn’t just announce I’m the “winner” on his blog as if I’m his meat puppet. Thanks, DC Rich.

So, if you’re interested, please leave a comment below and you’ll be one of my five.

 

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 14, FALL

You may be wondering why I'm showing pictures as a 40 weeks post. Well, I'm sharing my love of nature and my love for photography. Autumn is my favorite season. I took these pictures last Sunday during my bike ride. My father-in-law later complained to my hubby that I stopped to take a picture of every tree in the park. Not true.

As you can see, fall has taken its sweet time arriving in Northern California. Not that I'm complaining. That would be foolish.

5 Mile

This is one of the stops on my bike ride where I get some water and stare out over the creek. Today the Tai Chi group were already gone, so I was able to get a picture. Peaceful.



This is one of the many redwood groves in the park. The branches brush the ground so when you're beneath its cover you're in a secluded hideaway that is infested with mosquitos. Enter at your own risk or spray on insect repellant. Pretty though, so in my opinion a little itchiness is worth it.

The last three pictures I have returned to my favorite Teichert Ponds. I took pictures of the area in July. I wanted to show it to you in the fall. Next week will probably be prettier, but who knows what the weather will be like at that time.

Aren't the colors beautiful? I think this last picture is my favorite.

With this being NaNo month, I won't have time for in-depth posts. I'm pretty determined to get my 50k this year. I'll try to keep up with my blog posting since I'm getting better at not going MIA. If I do disappear for a while, it's because I'm lost in my wip. I apologize in advance.

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 13, Movies

Do you remember Video Home System (VHS)?

The day my dad brought home our VCR changed my life. We had two recorders set up in the living room. One would play the rental, and the other taped the movie. Each tape held four to five movies, and my job consisted of pressing the record button. Which meant I had to sit through a lot of movies. 

I had unusual taste, I guess. Campy, cheesy...movies I'm sorta embarassed to mention. Here is my top five favorite list of childhood movies.
 

Source

1. The Pirate Movie- not expecting this one, huh? It was a remake of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirate's of Penzance. I can still sing these songs and recite the dialogue from memory. This movie came out in 1982, and it starred Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol. I had a crush on the Pirate King.







2. The Neverending Story- this movie came out in 1984. Whenever I hear the title the theme song goes through my head. Do you remember? The Neverending storyyyyy, ah ah ah ah.  It starred Noah Hathaway as Atreyu and Barret Oliver as Bastian. I love this movie. Love it so much I showed it to my kids, forgetting how dark it is. There are some scary scenes, like when the horse dies. Or, when the darkness attacks. Mega creepy.



SOURCE

3. Princess Bride- yeah, 'nuff said. If you don't know this show... Cary Elwes (pure hotness) as Westly, Robin Wright as Princess Buttercup. Some of the most iconic lines ever written are in this movie. I admit I liked the movie better than the book. Maybe if I had read the book first it would've been a different story.


SOURCE

4. The Goonies- this movie came out in 1985. My son loves it. I liked the book more than the movie, which is saying something since I adore the movie. Chunk, Data, Sloth. Best nicknames, ever.

SOURCE

5. Barbarians - in 1987, twin body builders Pete and Ron Paul played Kutchek and Gore (I had a crush on Gore) barbarian brothers who used the curse holy Isis, a lot. I knew this movie my heart. Don't hate me.






There are you go. My five favorite childhood movies. I could add: Dragonslayer, Krull, Conan the Barbarian, Mad Max Beyond Thunder Dome (two man enta. One man leave), Willow, Time Bandits, Roots, The Color Purple, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark...the list goes on and on.

What were your favorite movies as a child? I'm curious about the not so famous ones. The ones you may be a little ashamed to admit to watching. Sure this is a 40 Weeks post, and I'm obligated to divulge embarrassing information about myself, but if you have the courage, please share so I'm not alone. 

40 WEEKS OF ME-Week 12, Title Trauma

As you can tell by my oh so inspired blog post titles, especially the aptly named 40 Weeks of Me, I have difficulty coming up with titles. I'm always in awe of those books where the title perfectly reflects the content of the book making it unforgettable.

I don't have this particular skill...title maker.

I thought it would be fun to share some of my amazing sparks of creativity. A little background first. I told you about my first writing endeavor. My horror story HOUSE. After horror I moved into the romance novel phase. This was the 80's... Bodice rippers and Fabio.

I spent my teens lusting over any book which had Fabio on the cover because I knew the best authors had him for a model. LaVyrle Spencer, Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsey were my favorite authors in high school because they knew how to make me laugh. Each book had an element of funny that made reading these books an escape from the daily grind. I still have my collection in storage, and I'll never give them up.

I LOVE HISTORICAL ROMANCE!

These authors inspired my historical romance writing phase. I didn't have titles for those books. I just named them after the characters. Mara and Kiwani, Mac and Eliza, Gabriella and Jace. I wrote these in high school. Nobody read them but my mom. My biggest fan, lol.

I have those stories in hard copy form because my computer died in 1994. I thought I'd transferred them onto floppy disk, but I can't find it. Remember kids, always back up your work.

The next few stories, I wrote in college. I never actually finished. They're in various stages. Some are a couple of chapters and others are upwards of 120,000 words, but incomplete: 5149 and a half, Death, Equal, Jericho David.

Psychic Journey- this title was a play on words because the main character was psychic and her name is Jurnee, ha! I talk about how I came up with this idea in an earlier post if you're interested.

Emerald Ocean- this is a fantasy. No elves, but I have a magic sword and a psychic creature which may or may not be a dragon. Since I never finished the book, I haven't had to decide. I want to add a scifi twist to this one, and I'm still working on it off and on. The world building got a bit too info dumpy. I need to streamline and condense it.

Stink- horror, which has a toilet facilitated suicide. It is everything the title implies. I will finish this one after I revise the beginning chapters because I love the cast of characters. Unfortunately, I had a head-hopping habit with this story. I didn't know better back in the day.

Psyche's Redemption, I went back to my romance roots with this one, and I finished it, ha! I later changed the title to Dying For A Kiss. I know, I know ...

I have many more, but they're even more ridiculous so I'll end it here. So, how do you come up with a kick ass title? Is there a trick to it? If so, please share. I'm desperate for help.

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 11, UPDATE

I’m back. I say this with relief. My descent into funky town last Friday morning was a precursor to a weekend spent in bed with a cold. Achy, tired, sinus headache, yuck! No bike riding for me at all this week.

Oh, I guess I should update you on my progress. As those of you who have been following my 40 weeks posts know, I started this series on my 40^th birthday. I gave myself certain goals that I wanted to accomplish.

1. Quit smoking.
2. Start exercising
3. Be more open

I have now been cigarette free for 11 weeks. I had tried three or four times over the last seven years to quit, but I couldn’t. I think the difference this time is that I mentally prepared myself to quit. I set up a plan for myself to follow. I researched how nicotine withdrawal affects the body so I knew what symptoms to look for during each stage. This helped me to find ways to counter the psychological and physical aspects of quitting, like depression and cold symptoms.

I used the patch for three days, then went cold turkey. I had the mega pack of spearmint gum to help with the oral craving. I still have days where I really wish I could smoke a cigarette, but I know if I have one cigarette, I’ll convince myself it’s okay to have another. Then I’m stuck again.

I also started biking again the same weekend. I had five days off of work so each morning my father-in-law and I hit the road. For those who are bike riders you know that in the beginning it’s not so much the actual distance that is difficult. It’s that each day, you have to contend with the bruises on your posterior. Padded bike shorts are a life saver.

 

I am now riding three days a week. We rotate from fast days where we do the 8 miles through the park as fast as we can. Long days are where we try to go at least 15 miles. Speed isn’t a factor. I’m a huge fan of the “lets stop and take pictures of the wildflowers” portion of this ride. Hill days are brutal. ‘Nuff said.

Being open. Well, I’ve definitely done that. My rant last week was proof of this. I’m still having a hard time coming up with topics to write about for the blog. This may have to do with my having two stories in my head that are wanting to come out. I’m trying to decide which to go with for National Novel Writing Month (NaNo). I haven’t fallen in love with one idea over the other yet.

I have finished up most of my editing projects for my critique partners. They’re such talented people and their stories are so much fun. This last project, well, I honestly don’t want it to end. I’m so entertained by this world I’ve been sucked into. I even dream about it. Thanks, Joyce.

So, is anyone else gearing up for National Novel Writing Month? Have you made any goals for yourself for this year? How are you progressing on them?

40 WEEKS OF ME- WHAT WEEK AM I ON?

I skipped out last week. So this is week 10.

One thing you'll learn about me is I like to come up with fun projects. I’ll be all gung ho. Storm the castle! Then halfway through the project, all the fun dribbles out. I’m left with a project, not so much fun anymore.

 

Things like painting the kitchen cabinets, alphabetically organizing my eff'd up bookshelf. Writing about myself for forty freaking weeks = boring.

Yes, I said boring. I'm totally mind-blasted from talking about myself. I don't find myself that interesting. At least not to talk about for 40 weeks.

I wish I could've gone back in time to warn myself how this would be destined to go down in history as one of my more impulsive, not well thought out ideas.

I'm private for a reason, for goodness sakes.

Rant over.

Call me a cry baby if you want. I deserve it.

I’m not a quitter so I’ll still do these posts, but occasionally I’ll feel the need to vent.

I guess I should share why I’m so very cranky.

Last week, I got a streak of gray in my hair from the insanity. The day job, whew! I would’ve thought it was a full moon, but I think that’s this week. I went home every night totally exhausted. Then I had edits to work on. Lots and lots of edits.

My own edits.

My four critique partner’s full manuscript edits (I swear we’re all psychically linked).


My daughter’s thirteenth birthday party with eight wonderful teen girls (so much fun and that wasn’t sarcasm. I really enjoyed watching them do teenage-y things). 

In the grand scheme of my life priorities, blog posts are way on the list. I’m feeling a wee bit burnt out. So, here are some some pictures that make me feel refreshed.

 

Burney Falls

 

Yosemite National Park

 

 

 

 

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 8, #GUTGAA 1st Round Judge

As many of you are aware, I participated in GEARING UP TO GET AN AGENT as a first round judge this week. I admit this is something that would typically be outside my comfort zone, but in the spirit of breaking free of my shell, I jumped in feet first. Notice I didn't say I dived in?

I didn't know what to expect. So I dipped my toes in the water before fully immersing myself in the GUTGAA experience. I've met some really amazing people. Deana Barnhart, I don't know how you managed to organize this opportunity. Thank you for being such an inspiration. You are truly one of a kind.

I also want to give a shout to my fellow judges and blog hosts for donating their time. To the contestants, thank you for having the courage to participate. I wish you all the best of luck as you query widely and confidently knowing that your query rocks! And if it doesn't quite yet, well, keep revising. 

You can never have too many books. Yeah, right.

Some of you may be wondering how I made my choices. Let me tell you...so hard. Since I was voting for Adult, I had a variety of genres: Dystopian, Women's Fiction, Steam Punk, Paranormal Romance, Mainstream, Mystery, Fantasy, Thriller, Memoir, Historical and Science Fiction.

Luckily, I read all these genres. Don't believe me? Check out my overflowing, needs to be organized bookshelf.

Initially, I read through the 43 entries without looking at any comments. I don't like to be influenced by other people's opinions. I documented my initial impression. Was the query tight/polished? Did it hold my attention? Did I finish reading and want more or was I confused? Then I moved to the first 150, and asked the same questions.

I labeled each entry with a rating of 1-5. By the end, I had 1 (F'ing Awesome 5+++), 6 (5's) and 11 (4's). These were all books I would buy if I read the blurb in the bookstore and had a fat gift card with enough money to indulge myself.

Since I have never bought 18 books at one time (five at the most, maybe one a week if I'm feeling splurgey) I went with my rating system. All the 5's were automatic entries. Then I had to choose three 4's. Since they they were all equal in awesomeness in my eyes, I went with genre as the deciding factor.

I had 4's and 5's in every genre, except two which were 3's. So I made sure my last three picks did not come from genres already represented by my 5's, because I wanted to make sure as many of the genres I enjoy reading would be represented next week. Only 6 of my first pick choices will be going forward, but all of the winning entries fell within my 4's and 5's. I have faith all of these books will be on my overflowing bookshelf someday so I can finally read them And I want to read them so bad, drool.

Well, there you go. Apple's convoluted query picking system. 

Since this is a 40 Weeks post, I still have to share something personal about myself. Given all the contestants were brave enough to share their query babies, I thought I would share one of mine. You've seen the query letter for JUJU'S CHILD which landed my agent. But, nobody except the agents I had the temerity to query saw and rejected my very first horrible query letter (602 words).

Look, laugh, learn what NOT to do.

12/24/09

 

Dear Agent,

 

I am seeking representation for my paranormal romance novel, Psychic Journey.  I have 103,000 words completed from an estimated 120-150,000.    

 

Consulting Archeologist Jurnee Fontaine is a woman dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge to the sublimation of her interpersonal relationships.  She values logic and the crispness of the science inherent to her work.  Because Jurnee tends to avoid engaging in displays of emotional weakness, she finds she is routinely confounded by her fairy loving, tarot card reading mother, who constantly encourages her to cultivate her innate psychic ability. 

 

 

Jurnee’s stance on the matter is that foreknowledge never provided her with the ability to alter the future she saw in her visions and trying just left her with a blinding headache, and another aching hole in her heart. 

 

Despite her efforts to focus her attention on her current contract to excavate the site of a ranch built by Steven Durant, in the hills outside of Folsom, CA. in 1868, Jurnee develops an illogical obsession over the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of Durant’s wife and young son.  But it is with the discovery of Willa Durant’s diary and subsequent frenetic drive home from the dig site that Jurnee’s life takes an unexpected turn from the norm.   

 

It begins with torrential rain, a bedraggled woman with her daughter standing in the middle of the road, and Jurnee so distracted she fails to see them.  Instead of running them over, Jurnee swerves her truck into an embankment.  The woman’s heartbreaking story of fleeing her abusive husband, added to the guilt of almost pulverizing them, causes Jurnee to take on the responsibility of protecting this woman and child from the danger she senses threatening them. 

 

This triggers a series of uncharacteristic actions by the normally level-headed Jurnee.   She breaks up with her fiancé, falls in lust with a dead man, and is accidently transported by… gasp, magic into the past.  She wakes in the year 1878, tied to the bed of sexy Stephen Durant, who incidentally thinks she’s stark raving mad and hates her with a passion, to discover to her horror that her consciousness has switched bodies with that of his doomed wife, walking Barbie doll, Willa Durant. 

 

Now Jurnee, who despises all things mystical; must figure out a way to survive an unexpected pregnancy by thwarting the bruja trying to steal Willa’s husband, Stephen by murdering her, keep from falling in love with the same husband and return to her own time, all the while, hoping that Willa doesn’t ruin her own life in the future.

 

I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology, specializing in Native American Studies from California State University, Sacramento.  I realized my dream of working for a consulting archeologist after college. 

 

The site I helped excavate was the inspiration for this novel.  I also discovered that due to seasonal allergies, I would not be the next female Indiana Jones. The stories I write are in the genres that I enjoy reading such as, paranormal romance, fantasy and tend to have a supernatural element.  

 

 

My favorite authors are Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton, Rachel Caine, Kim Harrison, David Eddings, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen King, and so many others that my bookshelves are overflowing. 

 

 

Thank you for your consideration of this proposal.  I look forward to hearing from you. 

 

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 7, BULLYING

I guess you could describe me as being the epitome of a nerd (still am) as a kid. I rocked the stereotype. I couldn't find a picture where I'm wearing my glasses. I'm probably sitting on them. 

Picture round, coke bottle thick lenses. When I smiled, I had a gap and crooked teeth. I was also so thin my rib bones stuck out (kinda wishing that hadn't changed, shrug). 

I was a tomboy so I wore patched, bell bottoms. Even though in the 80's the Jordache jeans were in style. Oh, no. It was Sears Surplus for me because I was too hard on my clothes. I climbed trees, caught minnows, ran through the woods like a wild child. I still have PTSD symptoms from those hideous pants.

Kidding. I didn't really care until about 5th grade. Up until then my friends were boys. My best friend was my sister, who rocked the same pants. None of them really cared about my appearance. 

Then, I moved to Guam. I was enrolled in the public intermediate school--6th through 8th graders.

Man, were those 8th grade girls huge in comparison. Huge and mean.

I was the shortest girl in my class. I didn't own a Members Only Jacket or parachute pants (I may be mixing up my era's now). I didn't own a Cabbage Patch doll, but I got a generic one from Korea. One of the ginormous eighth graders took a hate on for me. I don't remember why. I only remember how she caught me in the girls locker room and pinched my nipples. All you ladies out there, remember how sensitive you were at that age? She also kept stealing my lunch, so I starved all day. 

Source

When my mom found about, she almost broke the school admin. My mom's scary tough. She also pulled me out of this school and enrolled me into Trinity Christian School. I got to wear a cute little uniform. My parents also refused to sign the form allowing the school to paddle me if I misbehaved. Thank you very much, Mama and Daddy.

They also put me into karate, Shōrin-ryū, and in college, Tai Kwon Do. I also went from being the shortest girl in my class to the tallest by my eighth grade year.

Needless to say, the bullying stopped. I think it's because I wasn't afraid of the bullies any more. I knew if they messed with me, I'd take them down. Hard. Knowing I would fight if pushed, I found I no longer had to fight. I also learned not to care what random people thought or said about me. It's only the people who you respect whose opinions matter.

The times I've had difficulty holding onto this philosophy have been when someone messed with someone who couldn't protect themselves. That's when I couldn't stay quiet. That's when I got in trouble, and I didn't care if it was in defense of someone else. That's who I am. Who I will always be.

On Monday, I'm bring back Sharing Our Voices (SOV). I met a nice author on Facebook, who wrote about injustice. She's the one who inspired this post. You'll get to meet her and learn about her source of inspiration.

Also, if you would like to participate in SOV by sharing your source of inspiration, please leave a comment.

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 6, Tattoo

I've always loved tattoo's. I love the artistry and beauty of some tattoos. The meanings behind a particular etching on a person's skin can give insight into their life.

My sister bought me a tattoo for my 22nd birthday. I'd been thinking of getting one for years, but if she hadn't talked me into it I probably wouldn't have one now.

I put a lot of thought into what I would get. It had to hold a deeper meaning for me. I knew what it would be almost immediately. The Sunburst Pictograph from Robert Jordan's WHEEL OF TIME series. 

This symbol signifies the Children of Light. I was really into Mr. Jordan's world at the time. I found the Sunburst to be so compelling and unforgettable. I still do eighteen years later.

To see pictures of original chapter icons click HERE

 

“The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again.”
― Robert Jordan

    


 

The decision of where to place the tattoo was fairly simple. I didn't want it someplace I couldn't show off without acute embarrassment, but I also had to hide it from my parents (Sis and I kept the tats secret for many years before confessing to the folks). I went with my outer right ankle. Bad choice.

Ever have a needle stabbing bone? Holy Isis, the excruciating agony is the reason why this is my only tattoo.

My brother wants Sis and I to get family tattoos. I think it's a great idea, but this means three people have to agree on the tattoo. So far nothing has sparked the same desire that the sunburst filled me with. 

I'll post the picture if I ever go under the needle again.

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 5, Language

I wish I was a polyglot.

I keep hoping that my parents are right and that if I try real hard I'll finally become fluent in another language. Then I remind myself that if it hasn't sunk in after 40 years, chances are good (not impossible) that the most I can aspire to reach is  bi, possibly trilingual status before I leave this world.

So where does this leave me. I am a mini polyglot. Micro, minuscule, barely worthy of whispering the name. I know how to say thank you in seven languages. It's always good to be polite, especially if you're lost in Mexico (spring break in San Felipe was a little crazy during my college days). I can get by with rudimentary Spanish. Enough so I wouldn't starve and could find el bano if I had to pee.

Okay, I speak Spanish a little better than that, but most native speakers find my attempts hilarious. I am stubborn, so I keep trying even in the face of abject humiliation.

Because of my Creole roots, you'd think my father would've taught me French so I could at least communicate with the family elders, but he didn't. I think this is fairly common in many families. Unfortunately, this is the reason Louisiana French Creole is in danger of dying out.

My dad is fluent in French, Spanish, and Korean from when he was stationed in S. Korea. He spoke Creole to coomunicate with French military officers when they were stationed together in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. So, French Creole is my second language to work on getting fluent in

To be considered a polyglot, you have to be fluent in four languages. Sticking with a romance languages would be the smartest move to achieve success. Italian should come next; however, I'm more fluent in Korean.

Let me clarify that by saying that I understand quite a bit of Korean now (all of my K-dramas are paying off). I'm also learning to read it. It's easy to memorize Hangul, the Korean alphabet if you put it to song. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star works for memorizing the consonants. Unfortunately, my  ability to wrap my tongue around pronouncing the words correctly is sadly pathetic. 

I am leaving Japanese fluency to my daughter. If anyone in my family has the ability to take after my father's innate language skills, it is her. At least she knows the difference between Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji without having to Google it. 

40 WEEKS OF ME- WEEK 4, Ghosts

Once upon a time, when I was five and my sister only two, our parents rented an old apartment in downtown Madrid, Spain. It was a fairly tall building because it had a balcony which sloped downward. I was terrified I would fall through the iron bars to the brick courtyard so far below.

My fear of falling stemmed from this time. Funny. I thought it came from falling off of the cliff, but it appears the roots were buried in my psyche a lot earlier.

The apartment had an aura to it. Some of you may understand what I mean.

It's as if the walls breathed.

The spirit which haunted us seemed to spend a lot of time in me and my sister's bedroom. I never felt any malignant intentions from it, but I'm pretty likeable.

My sister on the other hand told me a different story last night.

See, I was thinking about ghosts. This week has been dedicated to them...an impromptu GHOST WEEK on my blog inspired by Terri Bruce's HEREAFTER. I mentioned the ghost to my sister...she ended up describing the entity who still won't leave my mind after all these years. A tall man. Gaunt. Shadowed. Wearing a felt hat. He didn’t like her and tried to hit her with a broom. He would sit in the rocking chair. And the chair would rock, back and forth. It seemed more than just a drafty room or the tilt of the floor.

Then she said she saw this spirit in her house a few years ago.

What? Spain…U.S.A?

Oh, yeah. She said the spirit walked past her bed as she tried to fall asleep. It saw her watching and lunged at her. Arms outstretched.

She said she screamed and closed her eyes. She began to pray, terrified. And the spirit vanished.

To my sister, this wasn't a peaceful entity. It frightened her.

Was he real or a figment of our shared experiences? I don't know for sure. I do know this man exists in our memories, and now, in the memories of those who read and share this post. He will continue to exist each time his story is told long after the tellers leave this earth. Too bad he has to be such a jerk in the afterlife.

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 3, Dreams

I have extremely vivid dreams. They feel like I've been dropped onto a movie set. They're full color, and typically, involve lots of action. It's rare for me to have a nightmare. As in years. If I read a book or watch a television series that really draws me in, I'll probably dream about it.

This is an example of a typical dream. I’m telling you about it because it is one of my favorite dreams. I woke up feeling super proud of myself for handling this situation in this manner, even though, wow totally bizarre.

It was a combination Game of Thrones and Walking Dead dream. I was fighting zombies with my zombie fighting crew. I had a really large sword which I used to decapitate zombies with one swing. There was a bunch of running from zombie hordes.

In the fateful battle, I saved my crew but took a bite to the shoulder in the process. I knew the risks. I knew the result. I handed my partner my sword and gave a rousing speech about struggle and perseverance.

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come." ―Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly recite the Night's Watch oath, by George R.R. Martin

Then, I knelt in front of a stump and laid my head across it (think when Ned Stark executed the deserter from the Night's Watch).

I closed my eyes. The wind blew back my hair as the sword stuck. My breath caught as the edge of the blade sliced through my neck.

And I woke up.

So, to answer the question a lot people have wondered about—no, you don’t die in real life if you die in your dream.



 

40 WEEKS OF ME- Week 2, Writing

My birthday resolution involved a few goals. I vowed to work on squashing my reserve by being more open, which lead to me deciding to share something new about myself every week, for 40 weeks.

Little known fact about me is that I've always wanted to be a writer. I wrote my first book in fifth grade (1983), THE HOUSE. It was a tale go a demon possessed House. I don't really recall the plot. My little sister does, vividly (29 years later). She can recite the entire plot, plus character names.
Apparently it made a lasting impression on her (terrified her).

I took the story to school and my classmates passed it around, taking turns reading it. Someone took it home and I never saw it again.



SOURCE

Three years later, the movie, HOUSE came out.

Oh, I was horrified. My fourteen-year-old self thought that one of my old classmates had stolen my story.

I didn't realize then that this would happen numerous times over the years. That I would read a book or watch a movie, and then moan about the fact that someone had thought of the same idea I had.

Only they'd written it better.



MICHELLE HAUCK'S GOOD NEWS

Howdy, I wanted to give a heads up to my awesome critique partner, Michelle Hauck. She has some good news to share on her blog, Michelle4Laughs-It's in the Details. Michelle isn't new to this blog. She was also gracious enough to write a Sharing Our Voices post. So please, pop over to her blog and wish her congrats.  

I also promised to share something about myself today. Since I don't really want to take away from Michelle's big news. I will share how much I appreciate Michelle (and all my critique partners fall into this category of awesomeness).

Michelle has a unique superpower. She can find plotholes like nobody else. If Don, DMCWILD is the King of Echoes, Michelle is Princess Plothole. She found plotholes hidden within my plotholes. She's is that good. And she's blunt. No sugar coating. Not that any of my crit partners put on rose colored glasses when it comes to my work, and I wouldn't want them to. The only way to grow is to have a blunt assessment of my story. It's strengths and weaknesses.

Michelle has been there for me through my last two books. I hope she will be there for many more to come.  I want to wish Michelle much love and success with her novel, KINDAR's CURE. I loved this story, and I can't wait to own my very own copy.

I'VE SET SOME GOALS

Well, I turned 40 last Thursday. Thank you to all those who wished me a Happy Birthday, you did indeed made if full of awesome. The one thing I promised myself was that my 40s would be a healthier decade.

So I made some goals:

1. Quit smoking
2. Exercise so I don’t gain weight from quitting smoking. Also, exercise to improve my health.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetable.
4. Work on being more open.

Okay, I think that’s about enough goals for the first month. Don’t need to be all unrealistic about my abilities and set myself up for failure right?

I used to have a regular biking schedule, but I kind of let it lapse over the last year for various reasons. None which are valid…so I won’t share….oh, right, that was one of my goals. Being more open.

Crud, fine. I was lazy. Happy now?

For the last four mornings, my father-in-law and I have gone bike riding. My rear end is currently a mass of bruises. That’s the hard part about getting back on the bike after so long. Even with padded bike shorts it takes a while to build up your seat.

I got on the nicotine patch and had really vivid, lucid dreams. Totally found the plot of my next book from one of those dreams. Today is day five without smoking a cigarette and the second day without a patch. No real nicotine withdrawal symptoms so far today. I think exercise helped with that.

Went to the farmers market and Trader Joe's and stocked up on fruits and veggies. Yum!

I bought a lot of spinach. Maybe subconsciously my body is craving something, but I have frozen spinach and salad making spinach. Weird.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I’ve lost five pounds. I’m pretty happy about that.

On to the last goal.

This is a hard one for me. I’m a really private person and opening up just isn’t my style. But it is a goal, and I’m on a role. Starting on Friday, I plan to post one thing about me that most people probably don’t know for 40 weeks. We’ll see how deep I can go. Most people have things they would never in a million years share. I doubt I’ll be sharing any of those kinds of things either.

But, I’ll try.