What to Expect

Now that The Other Side is published, I thought I'd tell you a little more about it. (Don't worry, I won't tell everything! There are some spoilers here, though, so read on at your own discretion.)

First of all, I have a new cover artist. Her name is Nicole Smith, of Jasper Design Studio. I wanted to try something new for this cover and she was eager to oblige. I think the resulting image captures some of what goes on in this novel.

So what does go on in this novel? Well, first of all, I want to caution you that this one is a little "out there." What I mean by that is that I stretched a bit, I pushed myself a little further than I thought I would.

When I wrote Outsider, I resolved that I would try to avoid certain "cliches" of science fiction. I even had Sean come up with some ideas about space ("purple aliens, flashy spaceships soaring past brilliant planets, glittering asteroid showers") and then I wrote "but he had yet to actually see any of it" because I didn't think any of my characters would. Some writers are able to make the more common aspects of sci-fi work admirably, but I was afraid I didn't have the skill to do so. Because of that, I vowed I'd never have humanoid aliens, gigantic spaceships or a huge evil empire ruling the universe. I mostly managed to avoid those, but I didn't manage to avoid one topic that I didn't think I'd ever approach: alien life.

I guess I should have known better when I had to come up with an explanation for the wormhole construction. Obviously, humans in the near future wouldn't have the capability for such a project, so I just wrote it off as aliens building them. That sealed my fate. I thought I could just ignore the builders, because they were too far away or too ancient, but it didn't work out that way. (Besides, there was the enigmatic Chapter 8 of Another Shot.) After a great deal of struggle, I decided to confront them ... which meant I had to figure out who/what they were.

How many books and movies have been created about aliens? How could I possibly do anything new with the idea? What did I want to do with them? I don't even know if I consciously thought all of these questions, but they were certainly present when I tackled this subject. I can't say I've done anything remarkably different, but I tried to avoid some of the worst cliches. Some of the problems I have with aliens in movies is that they're all humanoid, often cute (or murderous) and easily able to converse with humans. The two species interact with no trouble whatsoever. I realize that this is all creative license and I don't blame the moviemakers because a lot of those movies are entertaining to watch, but I didn't think I could write something like that. I didn't want E.T. or the face-grabbers of "Aliens." I didn't want Superman or little gray beings.

I'll leave it to you, the reader, to decide if I came up with something that works.

I will tell you this: I gave a nod to two of my favorite sci-fi movies in The Other Side, so see if you can find both of the references!

There are a few other things in this novel that I didn't expect when I wrote Outsider, but I'll leave it to you to discover the rest.

I hope you'll enjoy the novel! (If you buy it on Amazon, please be kind enough to leave a review.)

Thanks for reading!

The Other Side

If you scrolled down the page on my blog in the past few days, you might have noticed that there's a new book cover in the lower right. That's right: The Other Side is now published! It's available in paperback on Amazon: The Other Side  I hope to have it available for Kindle by next week.

What a process this one has been! It really tested my patience (which was probably good for me), but I'm so glad I stuck with it.

I want to thank Nicole Smith, the artist who created the cover image, for her patience and willingness to work with me to get the image right. She put up with a lot of emails from me and she was always gracious and helpful in response. Thanks, Nicole.

I also want to thank everyone who put up with my hand-wringing and eye-rolling throughout the long journey that led to this novel. You were all very kind not to tell me to shut up and get control of myself.

Now I hope at least a few people will read it ... and like it! Please spread the word that the fourth novel in the Penumbra series is out: no one will read it if they don't hear about it. (And if you buy the novel from Amazon, please write a review.)

Thanks for your help!

Finally Some Good News

I just returned from Nebraska, where I spent some time with my parents and sister. The weather was spectacular for us, except for one brief downpour that managed to drench me thoroughly. We did a little sightseeing (driving past the Nebraska State Capitol never gets old), watched a little hockey and baseball, and did a lot of talking, which was the most enjoyable.

It's always nice to spend time with people who accept me for who I am and don't seem to mind my company, amazingly enough.

When I got home, there was a brown cardboard package waiting for me in the stack of mail. I knew it was the latest proof copy of The Other Side ... and once again, I was a little afraid to open it. We've had so much trouble with the cover image and I wasn't sure I was ready to go through that again. However, I knew I had to do it, so I opened it.

I think this is the one! The image is much better and I think the artist has fixed the problem. I can't tell you how happy I am to report that to you.

Tomorrow after I get unpacked and do the laundry, I'm going to try to go through the whole book once more (just a run-through, not a complete rereading), and then I'll most likely approve it at CreateSpace.com. When that's done, it won't be long before The Other Side shows up on Amazon!

I must admit that there were times I wondered if that would ever happen, but I was determined to see it through, so we're almost there. You can either watch for the news on my Facebook page DianeMcCallumAuthor on FB, or keep checking Amazon, or check back here next week for the latest news on when it will be available.

Tell all your friends that it's almost time for the fourth novel in the Penumbra series to come out!

And thank you again for your patience.

Perseverance

It sounded like an amazing plan: launch a rocket that deploys its payload and then comes back to land on Earth safely so it can be used again. When SpaceX announced that they were going to do this, I thought it sounded exciting. Not only would it save resources and money, it would be a cool sight to have that rocket settling back down on our planet after its voyage spaceward.

As is so often the case, it didn't quite work that way. The rocket missed the target. The rocket landed perfectly but then tipped over and exploded. I'm sure some people were questioning whether it could ever work correctly.

But SpaceX didn't give up. They kept looking at the problems and trying to solve them. They kept trying, even in the face of embarrassment at the failures. They used each disaster as a learning tool.

And then, one day, it worked. And then it worked again. And then it worked a third time. I have to admit that I think the sight of that rocket gliding down onto the platform is a thing of beauty. Maybe it's the failures that made the success that much more meaningful.

Here's what success looks like from the rocket's point of view:

I congratulate SpaceX for their determination and their success. These are the qualities that will help humanity one day reach the stars.

I'm trying to follow their example: I've just ordered a third proof copy of The Other Side. Let's hope that my third attempt will also be the one that works!

Out of the Habit

Some habits are bad (like that mid-afternoon snack of Pringles chips I just had). Some habits are good (such as using a seatbelt or brushing one's teeth). It seems to be easy to fall into a habit if you don't want it, and hard if you do want it. (For example, regular exercise is difficult for me, although I've been working on that lately with more walking.)

I've had habits come and go throughout my life. Some of them are pretty weird: when I take a carrot stick from the refrigerator, I always tap it twice against the rim of the container and then shake it once over the sink to get the excess water off. At bedtime, I start by lying on my left side and then turn over onto my right side when I'm ready to sleep. I'm sure there are others I'm not even aware of.

Could I break these habits if I wanted to? Yes, if I put my mind to it ... but there seem to be more important things to worry about than these little quirks.

However, I find I've lost one habit that I had for a long time: writing. I think I need to clarify that: writing fiction. For years, it seemed the most natural thing in the world for me to be working on two or three novels at the same time. Short stories also swirled through my brain. I was always scribbling down ideas or daydreaming to bring the ideas into better focus.

Then I got my first novel published. Suddenly I had to concentrate on the details of the novel (fonts, front pages, title, back cover text, etc.). Then I had to worry about book signings, copyright protection, marketing and social media. So I worked feverishly on all of those things.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped writing. I've done plenty of rewriting (enough for a while!), but the ideas have dried up. I'm pretty sure it's just because I got out of the habit. Unfortunately, this isn't a habit that comes easily, at least not this time. I've been trying, but there aren't any ideas in my head yet. It's going to take some practice. I'll have to get into the habit of putting myself in front of a keyboard and forcing myself to find words to put on the page. (I think that short story I wrote last Halloween was a good beginning.)

I know it will come back sooner or later. There are hints of images or considerations in my head. I just need to tease them out and turn them into something resembling a story. I'll probably write some pretty terrible stuff before I get something good.

Don't get me wrong: I'm very glad I published my novels. It's been an exciting ride, and I'm not done yet. It's just that I'm ready to get back to creating more of them!

Update on The Other Side: the artist is working to make the cover image a little lighter. I expect to hear from her in the next few days. After that, I'll submit the new version and order a new proof copy. (I'm getting into the habit of patience, not entirely by choice. Ha!) Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience.

It's a Mystery

Happy Mother's Day!

I've been spending a lot of time in the wooded park north of town and I've discovered something: birding is a lot like reading a mystery novel. You get a bunch of clues and you have to put them together to get the answer. The only drawback is that in birding, you can't always read to the end to get the answer!

Both involve a little investigation and thought. You read the first few chapters of the mystery to get a sense of what the crime is and who the possible perpetrators are. You move around to try to get a better idea of what that bird is and you run through in your head what the possibilities might be.

Here are some things to consider:
1. Where is the bird?
This refers to geographical location, type of surroundings (forest, field, desert, etc.) and where you are seeing the bird: on the ground, in a tree, flying overhead, flitting around in a shrub.
2. What are its distinguishing marks?
Sometimes you get lucky and see a detail that makes it easy to identify the bird, and sometimes you aren't so lucky. Take a look at its head, eye, wings (bars or not), tail (notched or not), chest and legs/feet. I'm very good at looking at everything except the one detail I need to make a firm identification, but I'm getting better at looking at the whole bird, not just one characteristic.
3. What sounds is it making?
4. What time of year is it?
I can expect to see yellow-rumped warblers here in April and May, but not in July. If I think I see one in July, it's obviously something else and I need to look at it again.
5. What is it doing?
If it's wading in water, hopping up the trunk of a tree, running along a trail or pecking at leaves, this behavior can give you a clue to its identity.

Now it's time to go to the book: your trusty bird book, which you should have with you at all times. I know people use apps and websites to identify birds, and I'm okay with that, but I like being able to flip through pages looking for something close to what I just saw. Use whatever works for you. I find this site very helpful when I want to verify my identification of a bird or check how it sounds:  www.allaboutbirds.org

It's also helpful if you know someone who's a good birder. Many times I've emailed my friend Bob to ask him about an identification and sometimes he's pointed out that I made a mistake, which helps me learn. I wouldn't know nearly as much about birds if I didn't know Bob.

I had to do a little sleuthing this weekend to identify a couple of birds, so that's what prompted this post. (By the way, it's my 150th post!) I was able to confirm that I saw a Tennessee warbler using the very steps I mentioned above. Of course, there are always those days when I come home frustrated, because I never did get a good look at that bird and I don't know what it was. It happens. But I know I can always go out and try again.

Happy birding!

(Note: It looks like I might want to try again with the cover of The Other Side, so there's one more delay. I'm sorry about that. Stay tuned for updates.)

Getting Closer

I got the proof copy of The Other Side two days early ... and I was afraid to open the package! I know it's silly, but so much has happened to delay this novel that I didn't think I could stand to see another cover that's too dark. It was Schrodinger's cat! As long as I didn't open the package, the proof copy could be good to go, or not.

I finally opened it. The verdict: the cover is still dark, but not as dark as the first one. My husband thinks it's okay. I'm not sure. The silhouette is now visible, but it's not obvious. The image also seems bluer than the original. I emailed the artist and asked if she wants to look at it before I release the novel. If she does, I'll see what she thinks. If she doesn't (she's quite busy these days), I think I'm going to go with this version.

That leaves a final run-through of proofreading, which I will try to begin in the next day or so. (I confess that I've been a little busy birding: the warblers are coming through SE Kansas so I've been trying to see as many of them as possible. I've also been watching the NHL playoffs. Tomorrow night the Cubs are on ESPN, so forget about me getting anything else done that evening!)

Thanks so much for your patience. We're a lot closer than we were last week!

And Happy May!

Try Again

Things are moving on The Other Side again. As you know, there was a delay because there was a problem with the cover image being too dark, but once again the artist has come through for me and provided me with a revised image. We really hope this one will work!

I made a few tweaks to the story and resubmitted the cover image. After about twelve or so hours, CreateSpace gave me the go-ahead on the files, so I ordered another proof copy today. The ETA is May 2, but I'm hopeful it might arrive a little before that. Then ... cross your fingers that the cover will be okay!

I find it a little hard to believe that it's almost May and my novel isn't out yet. I never would have imagined that it would be delayed this long, but that's how things go. At least you know I'm trying very hard to get it right!

Once I get the proof copy, I'll have to read it one more time, just in case there's one last thing I missed. If nothing horrible jumps out at me and the cover is okay, this novel might finally see the light of day!

Thanks for your patience. While you're waiting, please spread the word about the series and consider writing a review on Amazon for one of the novels. I'd really appreciate it!

Park

I'm afraid I don't have much to report about The Other Side. The cover image continues to be an issue, but I'm hopeful we can get that fixed soon. I'll keep you updated.

In the meantime, the pleasant weather has prompted me to take a few more walks in the wooded park north of town. (This is the one whose skeleton I enjoyed earlier in the year.) I'm happy to report that the yellow-rumped warblers are back! I heard a faint buzzy sound and followed it around with binoculars for a while before I spotted the first warbler. Then I saw several others in the same area. Despite their rather ungainly name, they really are beautiful birds and I was happy to get a chance to see them as they pass through this area. If you want to see a photo or learn more about them, here's a good site: All About Birds-YR Warbler

I also had a rather startling encounter as I was walking toward the parking lot. My mind was wandering but it vaguely noticed a rather long reed or piece of grass that was draped across the path. As I started to step over it, however, I suddenly realized it wasn't a piece of grass, just as it realized I was rather large and close. You would have laughed to see it because we both recoiled, just like in a cartoon. I stepped back and it slid into the nearest patch of grass, where I couldn't see it anymore. My initial look, though, has me convinced that it was a rough green snake. I'm sorry I didn't get a better look because it was a lovely shade of green and I would have liked to admire it. Maybe next time.

Already the leaves are starting to come out in the trees. As much as I like being surrounded by green as I walk, it makes birding a lot more difficult. I had trouble with some unknown bird calls today: the birds easily disappeared amid the canopy ... and then they sang and called just to taunt me, I suspect. "Ha, ha, I'm in here somewhere, but you can't see me!" I suppose birds aren't really that mean-spirited, but it sure seems like they are sometimes.

That's all I have to report for now. I've done a little rewriting on The Other Side and it's mostly ready to go, so once we get the cover problem solved, things should move along. (I'll be able to take it out of park and get it in gear.) Fingers crossed!

Small Setback

I have a proof copy of The Other Side in my hands! (Well, not while I'm typing, but you get the idea.)

It came two days early, so I thank CreateSpace for that. Also, I see exactly why it's important to order a proof copy because there's a small problem with the cover: the image is darker than expected so a silhouette in the image hardly shows at all. Thank goodness I had a chance to see this before the book officially comes out!

I've already notified the artist and she's working on it, so I'm sure we can get this fixed. She's done a great job so far and has always been very patient and willing to make adjustments. (I'll tell you more about her when the novel actually comes out.) Meanwhile, I'm proofreading the text to check for any typos or stray things that need to be fixed.

I have given you some teasers for this novel, but I thought I'd give you a first look at the cover blurb:
       Reggie Hawkins has been in some bad situations ... and being confined to his
     house for weeks has to be in the top five. No appliance is safe when a mechanic
     gets bored.
       Things are about to change, though: a messenger with a warning is on the way
     and gunmen are storming his brother's law firm. Hawkins will have to act quickly
     to rescue his kidnapped brother.
       What he learns about who's behind all this will lead him and the crew of
     Penumbra on a quest to the far reaches of space, where they'll make their
     most stunning discovery yet.

I hope that will pique your interest! It's never too early to start spreading the word about the new novel coming out soon, so we can build interest for it. I'll be sure to keep you updated on its progress.

Closet Spaceship Part 18

(NOTE: This post refers to events from In The Shadows. I hope you've read it!)

Everyone needs a private place, a place to think one’s thoughts and escape the world for a while. For many of us, that’s home … so it’s a place I don’t want to invade.

I’d always visited Reggie aboard the ship, whether it was Outsider or Penumbra, but there was a time, while he was recovering, that he wasn’t there. I didn’t think Cyril was ready to see me, so I avoided him, but that meant avoiding Reggie, too. I wondered if I should just leave him alone.

This left me with another problem, though: as long as Reggie was recovering, the others were living their private lives, too. I didn’t want to drop by their homes unannounced, but I couldn’t hang out with them on the ship, and I didn’t think I should overdo it with Sean.

I missed them.

I was working on the next novel, polishing it mostly, so it shouldn’t have been such a problem, but rewriting is a lonely business. I was dealing with words, not characters, and sometimes words don’t want to be wrangled without an exhausting fight.

I finally broke my own unwritten rule. Let’s face it, I’m sort of making up the rules as I go along, so occasionally there will be adjustments.

There wasn’t any snow, but it was still cold. I walked around a little, flapping my arms and shivering. I eyed the rocks circling one of the trees. I walked around the storage shed in the far corner. I thought maybe I shouldn’t be there.

Then the back door opened.

Reggie backed out and closed the door. When he turned around, I was startled to see him leaning on a cane. He took a few steps toward me, but I darted to join him so he wouldn’t have to go any farther than necessary.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I didn’t know—”

“Forget it,” he said. “I’m bored as hell anyway.”

“Are you supposed to be walking?” I asked. I knew he’d been badly injured, but I’d managed not to think about it. The cane made it impossible to ignore, though.

“Sure,” he said. “Thought I was so smart: I lost the cane so even Cy couldn’t find it. So what’s he do? Buys me another one, damn it.”

I checked his expression to see that he wasn’t angry at his brother.

“It’s mostly for balance,” he said. “So why are you here? Not much to see, is there?”

“Rewriting,” I said, as if that explained everything.

It didn’t. Reggie looked puzzled.

“Take your favorite book,” I said. “Now read it ten times in a row.”

He nodded. “So you’re bored as hell, too.”

“Pretty much.”

He laughed. “We’re just a couple of winners, right? Got it made.”

I smiled. “That’s right. Top of the world.”

“Give it a while,” Reggie said. “I’ll get back, so will you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

And he was right: The Other Side is coming soon. Stay tuned!

Stages

Remember that skeletal park I visited in February? I finally got a chance to go back today ... and it's certainly not skeletal now.

The trees are still mostly bare, but there's an undercurrent of green across the ground. Here and there I caught pale purple flowers or the bright pink of redbud trees. One bush had delicate white blossoms. The park isn't fully dressed yet, but she's starting to put on the initial layers of finery.

The birds are arriving, too. The air was punctuated by titmice calling everywhere I went. Carolina wrens tried to fool me into thinking all that noise couldn't come from such a diminutive bird. A barred owl made me smile with its call of "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for YOU??" Throw in a few cardinals, a fish crow and some goldfinches, and it was almost a symphony.

The bare bones were fascinating, but I have to admit that I like the dressed-up version better.

I'm getting close on The Other Side. I have an ISBN. The interior has been submitted and accepted. However, there's a slight problem with the cover image so I'm working on that with the artist. I'm hoping we can get it figured out quickly so I can move on and get to the proof copy stage. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks for reading my blog! Please spread the word about the Penumbra series and leave a comment if the mood strikes you.

And happy spring!

Update on The Other Side

Rewriting The Other Side has taken a lot of time, as you can tell by looking at the calendar. This is the latest I've ever gone without releasing a novel, but I feel I need to take as long as necessary to get it right. I'm sorry for the delay.

Right now, though, I'm formatting. That's good news because it means the rewriting is mostly finished. Yea!

The initial formatting is done because I put together a binder with instructions on how to do it and that really helped. There are a lot of steps involved with margins, gutters, headers, drop caps, etc. and my brain doesn't like to remember all of that after a year so it's nice to have a reference.

That means I'm at the hard part: making it look good. I think I've written about this before. Sometimes when I'm scrolling through the document, I'll see a sentence that has a paragraph at the end of one page and a single word of that paragraph on the next page. It looks terrible!

For example, I found this on one page: Lamont turned on the radio. “This is Captain Ben Lamont asking you to cease fire. Who are you and what

On the next page I have this: do you want?"

That's not the worst example I've seen, but it makes the reading a little awkward. I'll have to check the first page to see if I can remove a word or two so the last part of his question can go with the rest of it.

It's amazing how hard that is sometimes. I've written it the way I want ... and now I have to change it! I'm trying to add words on some pages and remove words on others. It can be frustrating.

I'm hoping to get the bulk of it done this weekend, however. After that I'll get an ISBN and we can move forward!

If you want to review the teasers I've given about the novel, here they are: Teasers

Please remember to spread the word to your friends and family (and complete strangers) about the Penumbra series. Word of mouth is the best way to let people know about it!

Also, if you happened to buy a copy of any of my novels on Amazon, thank you and please consider writing a review there.

Thank you! I'll keep you posted.

Blank

I got a statement for my 401k plan this past week. When I opened it, I looked in the box that lists my current balance and it said $0.00. I know the stock market is bad, but really!

Fortunately, the person in charge of our 401k plan at work had already notified us that we would see this, due to our plans being transferred from one company to another. I'm glad she did that or I might have freaked out. In a few days, we should get a new statement that tells us our real balance. I'm certainly hoping it will be over $0, although I'm not sure I want to know the real balance right now until things settle down in the stock market.

For now, it appears that the account is empty ... and ironically enough, that's what's happening in my head right now, especially regarding this blog. I'm out of ideas!

It's not that there's nothing going on in my life. It's not that I have no thoughts whatsoever (that would really be scary!). It's just that everything is either too boring or too personal to write about. It's also one of those common things I have to deal with occasionally: writer's block.

My characters don't seem to want to talk to me right now. I haven't even been able to squeeze out a Closet Spaceship episode, and those are usually rather easy because they're a fun diversion from the novels. I have no constraints; I just start imagining a conversation with one of the characters and go from there. Right now, though, the characters are hiding and silent. Even Nick!

That's okay. I've been through periods like this before and I always got through them. This blank feeling will pass and the ideas will come back to me. It's just a matter of paddling the canoe through the still waters to get back to the rapids.

Meanwhile, work continues on The Other Side. Paddle, paddle.

If you have any topics you'd like me to cover, or any questions, feel free to leave me a comment.

Teasers

WARNING: This blog post contains some minor spoilers. If you haven't read Another Shot or In the Shadows, you might consider skipping this one. (The obvious solution is to read them now!)

I just watched a trailer for the new episode of "The X-Files," which will air next Sunday, Jan. 24. It's one of those shows that my significant other and I enjoyed for years. We loved the creativity of the storylines, we enjoyed most (but not all) of the conspiracy theories, we laughed at the corny jokes, but mostly I think we enjoyed the relationship between Mulder and Scully. The trailer makes me think the series will keep those strengths and add some new elements. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do with it.

It occurs to me that some of you might be thinking of The Other Side in the same way. Will it have the same characters? Will it have the same chemistry? Will I crash another spaceship? Will I be able to do anything new? (I am very aware that crashing another spaceship would not be new, and I think I've managed to avoid it this time!)

Unfortunately, The Other Side won't come out right away, due to some extensive rewriting, but I haven't said much about it ... so maybe it's time to give a few teasers.

First of all, this novel will include the return of Sean Foster. He won't be a major factor in the story, but he will make an appearance. I hope that's good news for you.

We'll need to see how Reggie Hawkins is recovering from what happened near the end of In the Shadows. How inactive has he been? How long can he stay that way? What's his brother like?

If you recall, Lamont's crew had a mission for In the Shadows that they didn't get to fulfill: investigate the new wormhole. This time around, they're going to take a look ... and there will be some unexpected results. What is on the other side?

You'll see a little more of Gwen Radcliffe and pay a return visit to T.J.'s Bar. And you might want to review Another Shot before you read this one, although it isn't necessary.

I think that's all I'm willing to divulge for now. I hope it's enough to keep you interested while I try to finish the novel. I'll keep you posted!

Thanks, as always, for reading my blog. Feel free to leave a comment.

Onward

Happy 2016!

I've done some of my year-end tasks: changed the calendars, taken down the Christmas lights, put away the tree ... oh, and run some year-end sales reports.

Whew. That added a solemn note to my day. If you include all formats of my novels (paperback and Kindle), I sold 78 copies in 2013, my first year at this. That was with only one novel out.

In 2014, I had two novels out and I sold 36 copies in all.

In 2015, I had three novels out and I sold 16 copies in all.

Ouch. Sixteen copies all year! That's not the direction I saw things going. It was easy to feel gloomy about that, and I did for a while.

But then I took a step back. When I first released Outsider, I thought I'd probably sell about three copies (mostly to family). I've sold a few more than three, so I think I can be proud of that.

Besides, sales weren't really the point. I started writing Outsider because I thought it was fun. As I went along, I realized I cared about my characters and wanted to explore them some more, so I wrote a few more novels. At some point in the continuous rewriting of Outsider, I decided it was time to stop doing that, so I published it. I really wanted to share my characters with other people. And I've done that. It's pretty amazing to me that Lamont and Reg and Sean can live in other people's heads, not just in mine. They can do that if people share copies of the novel or check them out of a library, which won't show on a sales report.

So I'm going to do what I was doing before I ran the reports: go back to making The Other Side as good as I can make it. I'm going to fix the problem chapters, determine when I think it's ready and then publish it.

That's what I do. I write and rewrite. If I sell some along the way, that's great. I really appreciate all of you who have bought a copy or two! It would be nice if we could make 2016 better than 2015 ... but if not, that's okay. I'll be working on the fifth one!

Me & You

Half of this blog will be about me and half about you. Are you ready?

First: me. I was getting rather close to feeling I'd finished The Other Side ... but then I met with two I.T. guys at work to discuss some of the scenes. We had a fun half-hour chat about sci-fi, wormholes, ship computers, physics and warp drives, which I thoroughly enjoyed. At the end, though, I realized they'd given me some things to think about. Sorry, but that means a slight delay on the novel. (I know! I've done this too many times! Sorry about that.) I'm hoping to release The Other Side in January or February, and I'm also hoping to have some time to really work on it over the holidays.

Now it's your turn. I have a few questions about you:
Who are you? (You don't have to give your name. Continue reading.)
What are your interests?
What brought you to my blog?
Have you read my blog more than once?
What do you like most about it? Least?

I've read other blogs and I'm always fascinated by the number of comments they get. People will disagree or agree with the article or add their own insights. Sometimes a lively discussion ensues. Sometimes the comments are more interesting than the original article!

I know some people look at my blog because my stats say so, but I don't know if anyone actually reads it or what their opinion of it might be (except my very kind parents). That's where you come in: I'd be very appreciative if you'd take a moment to leave me a comment on this post. You can tell me as much or as little as you want. You can tell me my blog is a waste of time or it's the greatest thing ever. You can say you wish I had written this one about "The Force Awakens." You can say whatever you want (although I'd prefer you keep it G-rated).

Thank you very much! And if you're a regular reader, thanks twice!

I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Edited to add: I have now adjusted my settings so you don't have to be a Google user to leave a comment. I hope this will make it easier for you!

Grateful

Since I write my blog on Saturday (or sometimes Sunday) and Thanksgiving is on Thursday, I will take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. Whether you are traveling or staying home, spending it with others or alone, eating a lot of turkey or not, I hope yours will be enjoyable. Please take at least a few moments to remember the reason for the holiday: to reflect on what we are thankful for, what makes our lives worthwhile, what is special to each of us.

For me, the first is family. I am so grateful to have a strong family with plenty of love and care for each other, and with minimal drama. My husband is part of that family and I'm so grateful to him for helping me make our marriage work (even when it has seemed like work, which hasn't been very often).

After that comes writing. I'm so thankful that I can get so much joy out of something that can sometimes seem so simple (although it sure doesn't when I'm staring at a blank screen with a blank mind). When I feel an emotion or witness a beautiful sight, when I want to work through a problem or I want to connect with a fictional person, writing is there for me. I can't imagine life without it.

This was emphasized for me recently when I was stuck on a scene for the next novel, The Other Side. I wrestled with that scene for weeks! I just couldn't make it work and it was starting to frustrate me. I wondered if I needed to eliminate or completely rework the scene. Then, the other day, something simple happened: the people I take my break with at work were unavailable and I found myself walking alone in the main hallway. At first I was a little disappointed to be alone. I was a little self-conscious, too. But after a few minutes, I let my mind wander. It's usually a good combination: a little exercise and the ability to daydream. Before I realized it, I'd solved the problem of the scene. (Note to self: find more time to let mind wander aimlessly, because you never know what it will discover.)

I'm also grateful for my friends, my job, my country (even with all of its problems, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else), the beautiful Earth, and all the people along the way who have taken a moment or two to smile at me, speak pleasantly or brighten my day in any way, big or small.

Last but not least, I've got to say it: I'm grateful that the Cubs won NL Rookie of the Year, NL Manager of the Year, and the NL Cy Young Award! Go, Cubs!!

Have a wonderful holiday.

Contest Result

I hope you had a fun and entertaining Halloween! How it got to be the end of October is beyond me, and I feel a renewed sense of urgency about working on The Other Side. Once the Two Big Holidays get here, things will get crazy and it will be harder than ever to find time, so I'll try to get as much done as possible before then.

Since I spent two whole blog posts on the short story I was writing, I didn't think it would be fair if I didn't let you know how I did in the contest. Out of five entries, I came in second. I think that's respectable, don't you? (I was actually quite pleased.)

I want to thank Spellbound Bookstore & Cafe for holding the contest. Some of the entries were quite chilling! If you're in the Pittsburg area, you can stop by the store and check them out. Mine is called "Fall."

I have a friend who's going to partake in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) next month. If you've never heard of that, it's a group that encourages writers to write 50,000 words of a novel during the month of November. You can find out more here: NaNoWriMo

I did NaNoWriMo in 2006 and it was incredible to me how many words I had to write each and every day. That's not easy, especially for someone like me, who often writes in short bursts. It was a struggle and the result will probably never see daylight, but it was good for me and I did it!

All of this reminds me that I need to keep pushing myself and my writing. I don't want to fall into a rut and I don't ever want to find that I've stopped writing altogether, no matter how hectic and crazy my life gets.

Thanks again for following my blog. Please help me spread the word about my Penumbra series of novels.

Keep It Short

As if I didn't have enough distractions to keep me from working on The Other Side, I'm now in the process of trying to write a short story.

This all started when the local bookstore, Spellbound Bookstore and Cafe, posted on Facebook that they're having a costume contest and a short-story contest this month. I know I would fail miserably if I tried to come up with a good costume (although one year I did go as a Ghost Writer), especially one based on a fictional character, but writing is sort of up my alley.

One problem is that the story is supposed to be scary. To quote their Facebook posting: "In 1,000 words or less, writers are challenged to weave a tale of fright and intrigue that will leave our customers with the shivers." A tale of fright and intrigue is not exactly up my alley. I find that I tend to go for the upbeat, not the horrifying. (Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily!)

The main drawback is the maximum word count of 1,000. I don't write short stories, usually, because ... well, because I'm wordy. You should know that if you've read any of my novels. I do know how to go on, but not necessarily how to get to the point (or how to limit myself to only one point).

And I guess that's one reason I'm doing it. I need to rein myself in, learn to get to the point a little sooner. I need to see what's really important in the story, instead of throwing a lot of words on the page and hoping something good comes out of them.

Also, it's a chance to do some "real" writing. What I mean by that is writing, not editing or rewriting or trying to come up with a blurb. Creative, fun, "all-new" writing, which I haven't done much of for a while.

It's a lot of fun. It's frustrating as can be. I hope it's good for me.

If nothing else, it's good practice. We'll see if I can come up with anything good.

As always, thanks for reading my blog.