The Measure of my Sanity and a Snippet

I've decided life is never easy. Sometimes you get a small break where you can take a deep breath and feel relaxed, but most of the time it's a struggle. I don't deal with stress very well. It weighs on me. I've found ways to cope, eating healthy, writing, yoga, staying mentally, physically, and spiritually balanced. But these are not cures for stress. They help, but can't make it go away. I know I'm not alone. I know other people go through the same things I do. We're all human. We all have emotions. Some people seem genuinely happy and carefree. Perhaps they are. But even they experience pain and heartache--it's the way we deal with it that separates us.

On that note, I'd like to give you a sneak peek of how I keep my sanity. I've been writing.

This story will be part of a SHINE novella that will (fingers crossed) be available on the kindle someday. This story is called REVEN. Read please, and comment. Would you like to spend three novellas with these characters?

June Brighton has the ability to hear heartbeats. Her little sister, Katelyn, is sick, and her parents are away on a charity trip. This scene takes place at a dance at the newly built Arizona governor's mansion. She dances with Memphis Stone, a guy she has a tenuous alliance with as they attempt to save a person who's been captured by the Shine bounty hunters, the Revens. The dialogue starts with June speaking:

“It’s been just me and Katelyn for a couple weeks now. I don’t know how my mom does it. We have the money, but she never hires maids or nannies. She says we’re too important to let someone else raise us. I miss Katelyn. I miss my mom. I don’t know what it would be like if they were both gone.”

“It’s hard,” he said. “It’s hard looking out on all these people. Here, in New York, back home in New Orleans, anywhere in the entire the world—and know that not a single person cares for you, that no one out there actually feels for you. If you died, there wouldn’t be anyone out there to miss you.”

His words broke my heart. Whatever hatred I’d harbored for him disappeared. My hands shook as he held on. Hearing the painful thump of his heart only made it worse. He didn’t want my sympathy, but how could I feel anything else?

“I’m here,” I said, my voice only a little louder than a whisper.

His eyes locked onto mine, confused, as if he saw me for the first time. “Are you sure about that?”

Was I? He’d captured me, shown violence to me and my best friend and who knew how many others. Could I really bear my soul and admit that I—June Brighton—cared for him? I didn’t want to break my heart, but I didn’t want to break his either. Good Gandhi, why is it so hard to say the things you feel?

“Memphis,” I spoke his name softly. “You don’t have to look very far. I’m here for you. I’ll never leave you. I promise.”

I felt hope in his gaze, his eyes wide and vibrant, like looking into a fire. Did he think of me as a friend, or maybe even someone closer?  But then he looked away, and the moment ended. “You shouldn’t.”

The Lackluster Truth About Vampires

I'm sick to death (or perhaps undeath?) of vampires. Recently I've read several books about vampires and couldn't help but notice the similarities. Almost a decade ago, the publishing industry went through a vampire revival. If your book had the word vampire in it, you got published. The result? We have more books about vampires on the shelves than we have books about any other group of people, including us humans.(Ironically, if you write about vampires now, it's an auto-reject.) The vampire mother of them all, of course, would be the Twilight series.

The unspoken rules are thus:

Rule 1: Vampires are real. They've been around for centuries, yet somehow we mere mortals haven't figured it out.

Rule 2: They drink blood. This might seem too obvious, but in truth, it's their only universal characteristic.

Rule 3: (This is the most important.) Vampires are NOT what you see in the movies. The "movies" being only one movie. Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Rule 4: Vampires are misunderstood. They are not monsters.

What do you think it would be like to really be a vamp? My thoughts: Rare disease, hospital, blood transfusions, dental procedures, homebound schooling, low-self esteem, suicide.

The challenge: I know some of my blog followers are writers. But even if you aren't a writer, I still think you should participate in my challenge. Can anyone take the eight thoughts listed above and turn them into a story? I'd love to see what comes of it.

Happy writing!

The Speed of Light and the Law of the Fourth Child

I've been researching for a sci-novel  which has opened my eyes to some science-y stuff that I was never aware of. I blame this on my love of sci-fi, where the rules are often challenged.

To the point: I've learned that nothing can move faster than light. Mother nature sets a speed limit. If an object were to travel faster than light, time would slow it down.

Of course, I must relate this to parenting. I call it, "The Law of the Fourth Child"

My theory is thus:

After the third child, the chaos levels reach a maximum. Once a fourth child is added, the chaos levels cannot increase, for they are already as high as they can possibly go.

This has merely been my own experience, although I have heard from several other parents that this seems to be true.

Am I right? Or is this science fiction? For my wonderful parent readers who are blessed to have chaos levels similar to my own, and also have three or more kiddos, do you agree?

Drop me a line and let me know!

Europa Report

Last night I watched a movie on Netflix called Europa Report. As my husband can attest, I've been picky about movies since I started writing. I see flaws that I never saw before. I pick apart the character motivations and plot flaws.

I thought Europa Report would be another cheesy sci-fi. It screamed low budget sci-fi on the cover. No name actors, unheard of director. I was in for a gimmicky monster movie where the plot was thin. Maybe the special effects would be decent. It's what I hoped for.

Europa Report shocked me.The plot was well researched. If the acting was bad I couldn't tell because the story was so engaging. I've been researching for a sci-fi novel and learned that Europa is an ice-covered moon of Jupiter. It's thought to have liquid water beneath the surface. It's also bombarded by radiation from Jupiter. It seemed like a good place for a movie, and I was right. The writers of the film did an excellent job. It wasn't what I expected.

I recommend Europa Report. Five stars.

My Everyday Hero

I think everyone's got one--a role model--or a person who shapes who they are. Most people have more than one, but I bet you can name one person who made you who you are.

For me it's my grandmama, Millie Lorena Franklin. She taught through example. At 88 years old, she tended a garden, raked leaves, mowed acres and acres of tall Texas grass, and set aside the first Sunday of every month to have Family Home Evenings with her children and all 25 grandchildren.

I have vivid memories of Grandmama with her ten-gauge shot gun, shooting the tar out of the water moccasins that sneaked into our play yard. We lived next door, and when I was ten or so, I decided to visit her everyday.

I loved her stories the most.

She told about times before cars or electricity--when they used cisterns for water and outhouses for toilets. It fascinated me to hear about those times so different from my own.

One thing that was unchanging was her undeniable belief in Jesus Christ. On every visit she never hesitated to share her testimony with me. I never felt as if she preached. I never felt as though she would disown me if I believed differently. I feel she wanted to share something precious with me--something that gave her life meaning.

Her last year was tough. She moved in with us because she could no longer take care of herself. I know she suffered. She tried hard not to let us see it, but I knew it all the same. She was ready to go to the other side--as she called it. When her time came, she went peacefully in her sleep. I remember seeing her body after she died. I had the distinct thought that she wasn't there. Whoever my grandmama was, it wasn't in that body anymore.

I think about her every day. I try to remember her voice, the way her hands felt so soft when she hugged me. If anything, I want to live my life so she would be proud. When I see her again, I intend to let her know how much her life shaped my own.

With that thought--who shaped your life? I'm certain I'm not the only person to have been lucky enough to have a grandmama. Who's yours?

Creating the Everynerd

Dear readers, I need help! I'm soon to rewrite the first scene of my book, DREAMTHIEF, which is a story about a psychologist who helps nerdy people conquer their real-world mental problems such as depression and OCD's. Most of her patients collect fairy or dragon memorabilia. Why? Because they've actually been to Fairy World and are trying to remember it.

Here's where I need your help. The first patient the reader is introduced to is going to be the Everynerd. I need this guy to be identifiable with every nerd out there. I've already come up with some stereotypical nerdy stuff, but I need more ideas. What are some things nerds are into that aren't necessarily portrayed on TV? I need each of you to reach into your inner nerd and give me some ideas. Leave a comment and let me know what makes the perfect nerd.

Sulking No More

I am happy to announce that the pity party is over. Thanks to all my readers for the excellent advice. It seems the only thing I want to do when I'm down is get away from everyone and revel in my misery, though in truth it's the worst thing I could do. I was surprised by how much your encouragement boosted me.

I've shifted gears as far as writing goes. I'm determined to finish my fairy world novel by the end of this month. Wish me luck! In the writing world, November is the month for writers to write 50,000 words. It's called NaNoWrimo. I've never participated, but this year I will, although my goal isn't 50,000 words. It's to finish my book!

I know we usually set goals at the beginning of the new year, but why not now? What are some of your goals? I'd love to hear how you plan to accomplish them. For me, I intend to write 1,000 words every day. By the end of November, I plan to post whether I accomplished finishing my book or not.

Let me know what your goals are! Because you know, once you write them down, they're a lot harder to ignore.

Here's another thing that cheered me up. My four-year old came home from school singing, "What does the fox say?" I thought it was another kid's song, but then I was enlightened as to where the song actually comes from. And then I learned that not only is my four-year old singing this, but all my kids plus my eight-year old's whole football team. This video is weird but hilarious. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!