Switching Gears

One of the most difficult things I have found about writing, aside from marketing because believe me, writing is easier than marketing, is getting my head out of the book I just finished writing and into the next one on the list to be written.

In this case, I'm having to pull my head out of Shelly Barnes's life and put it in her boss, Brooklyn Matthews's life. Not going to be easy, let me tell you. For one, Shelly was a cool character to write, resilient, resourceful, bright, but a bit of a mouse up til the end. Then she comes into her own in a big way. Brooklyn on the other hand, yeah. She's a lawyer, and a really good one at that. She's half of a power couple, her husband being the CFO of a Fortune 500 tech company. She's used to the good life. She's always been daddy's little girl. But now, she's done something he can't forgive her for. What is it? Guess you will have to read the book once it's finished to find out. Hehe

The Things We Do For Love

I hate politics. I really do. It's a money contest, and the ones with money, make more money because they have money. Politics, according to a trusted and dearly loved person close to me, is all about money. It's not about morals or integrity. It's not about rights and liberties. It's all about money. People get into politics to make money. I guess it disgusts me because I don't have money.

Reading about politicians and their antics is, to me, not very entertaining. It's like watching a bunch of ill mannered middle schoolers trying to out-shout each other on the playground, tripping and kicking each other when the coach isn't looking and crying foul if they are caught, because you know, it's not fair they got caught when the other person did the same thing and didn't get caught. It's all so juvenile. It really is. And leaves me with a feeling of disgust that we have elected these chronologically mature adults who have the mental and motional maturity of an amoeba. 

So why spend my precious time reading about politics?

Someone I love very much is very ill. This person LOVES politics. But has been insulated from it by just about everyone else, because most people find politics stressful, and right now, we will call this person A., needs to avoid stress. Thing is, not everyone is stressed by politics. A. thrives on politics. So, in order to give A what A thrives on, I have been reading up on politics, and telling A what this politician or that politician has been doing. It helps that A and I are pretty much on the same page when it comes to politics (other than my complete disgust of it), and I feel like A approves of my 'interest' in politics. I don't know if A realizes yet that the ONLY reason I am expressing an interest at all in politics is because A thrives on it and needs something to keep A's brain active and clicking, so A can recover from current maladies.

Ahh, the things we do for love...

We need more people like Danny Trejo

Just a bright thing to be celebrated today, Danny Trejo, hero. He witnessed a car wreck and immediately moved to help those involved. He rescued a small boy from the car and kept him, I won't say calm, but at least occupied and distracted while the fire department worked to rescue his grandmother from the car. We need people like Mr. Trejo and the unnamed people who helped in the rescue. People who see someone in need and spring to action to help, and ask for no reward in return. Well done, Mr. Trejo, I hope your and the unnamed people that helped actions serve as a beacon of hope for others that all is not lost in this mad world we live in.

Diabetes and Me

So, my doctor has given up on treating me for my diabetes, because apparently I'm too complex a case for him. I keep coming up allergic to medications they try putting me on, Metformin, Glimepiride, Actos. I'm to the point where I have to take Benadryl with my medicine so I don't have a severe reaction. I still have one, but it's not as severe.
I've gone out and tried to pull the ingredient lists for the medicines, to see if I could figure out what I'm reacting to. I've found 3 ingredients in common between Metformin and Glimepiride, but I have no way of checking on my own to see which I'm allergic to so we can find me something that doesn't have whichever one I'm allergic to. I'm frustrated and angry that I'm essentially being told I'm too complicated a case to be treated, and therefore I should just go off somewhere and die because the doctors only want easy cases to treat.
Guess it's a good thing I've let my balls drop and am willing to be my own advocate.

This Crazy Life

Hello all! Sorry I haven't been keeping this up like I should but if you follow me on Facebook or MeWe, you know some of what has been happening in my life lately. To catch up:

I went to England and had a FABULOUS time with my signing event in Blackpool! I consider it a success, even if I DID manage to slip getting out of the hotel pool and fall and skin my knee and sprain my ankle. Kinda put a damper on the whole trip, but it was all good until I got to the ATL airport on the way home and Delta decided I was faking my injury and tried to make me walk on a sprained ankle. Yea, that didn't happen. Took me almost THREE HOURS after landing to just get TO customs. My ride circled the airport at least once waiting on me to get to passenger pickup. It was a nightmare. I will NEVER fly Delta again! I will go back to American Airlines. They may have canceled my connector flight but at least they didn't disrespect me or treat me like a LIAR.

So, moving on. I am now working on book 5 in the #southernfamilyties series. Book 4, Family Secrets (Jerome) launched in April and I think he's doing rather well. Book 5 is about Lynda and her second chance at love. So swoon worthy! In addition, I'm working on the sequel to Blindsided, titled Misty River. I have the cover for it (shocking I know, considering the saga it normally is for me to get a cover I like!), and just today it grew by over 2000 words in the space of two hours! When they start talking, it's speed talking! Had to take a break and come do this so I could recover for the next marathon session I can feel coming on. I'm looking to have it finished and hopefully have it launched in September, just in time for back to school!

That about catches us up, but here are a few pictures from my trip! Enjoy!

On Education and Abortion

Not so long ago, Alabama joined the race to see which state could pass the dumbest anti-abortion law in the country. Thus far, we are the winners of that dubious distinction. In so doing, another disturbing fact came to light. Alabama is ranked LAST in the US in education.

Stop and consider what that means for our future.

• Less tech jobs, because companies will not locate here because they don’t think we have the smarts to do it.
• Less opportunities for our children outside the state, because again, no one will believe we have the smarts it takes.
• Less revenues with which to improve the state of our education, which basically perpetuates our last place standing.
• Lower revenues means more people having to turn to an ever increasingly debt stricken state government for support.
• More people will leave the state for ‘greener pastures’ where a better education can be obtained, which leads to better jobs and a better life for them and their families.

At the same time, I have to wonder about the people in this country. People are screaming about abortion, saying it’s no wonder Alabama doesn’t care about unborn kids, look at their education. But how many of those screaming about the education level in Alabama and its direct correlation to abortion/anti-abortion are actually willing to help us do something about it?

How many people screaming about illegal aliens and our need to take care of them are guilty of not wanting to help take care of our own first? Or at all?

I took some heat a couple years ago for weighing in about immigrants and their need to learn English when they move here. (There exists over 200 years of precedent set that says when you move to the US, you learn English. It is, after all, the ONLY language taught in ALL schools in the US.) I was told rather rudely that I should never travel abroad because my poor education (I hold my MBA) would reflect badly on the US. All because I, as a 17-year-old high school graduate, only took ONE foreign language in high school. Oh, wait, my poor, rural high school had exactly ONE foreign language teacher, and she taught Spanish (which I took for 3 years).

I have to ask, how was I, someone who upon graduation was still too young to vote, supposed to convince the local school board to hire another teacher to teach another foreign language? Can someone tell me that, please? Furthermore, even if I had convinced them, how were we going to pay for it? Because you see, in addition to being dead last in education, Alabama is also last in wealth.

So, I ask this. Who amongst you, those bashing Alabama for its low education status, low income status, and stand on abortion, are willing to come off the funds needed to improve the education in this state? Or are we, as actual citizens of the US, less deserving of an education than the illegals that come across the border, breaking the law as they do so? There are bills going through Congress to grant these illegals, these ‘Dreamers’ financial assistance in going to college. Meanwhile you have an entire state that is failing to meet a high school level education that you are turning a blind, uncaring eye to.

Book Signings

Went to the Capital City Author event today and had a BLAST! Met so many people, both on the reader and production side of writing. Ended up with some new boyfriends, what with my skills at massage and all. Even got invited to a more personal session by one, who was a HUGE flirt. I didn't take him seriously though. It was great, but now I'm exhausted and headed to bed!