When Life Hands You Lemons...

The plan was to knock out an outline and the beginning of a (rough, rough, rough) rough draft of Portals - Book 3 by the end of April. I expected to have a polished manuscript by August or September.

And, like most well-intentioned plans, it's not going as I anticipated.

Things began smoothly enough; I had the framework in place and to the "halfway point" by the end of February. Then, things came to an abrupt halt at the beginning of March. The coronavirus not only seriously shifted things at work and home, but those times I normally set aside to write were suddenly usurped by cleaning, homeschooling, and the pursuit of hand sanitizer. Writing, it seemed, would have to take a back seat for the time being.

I'm not complaining. Things could be worse. Much worse.

At this moment, everyone in my household is healthy. I'm still employed and considered "essential" in my duties as a part-time paint monkey. I found some hand sanitizer.

Let me tell you that writing when your brain is full of anxiety, stress, and ideals of the "worst-case scenario" is nearly impossible. Restlessness takes up a lot of room in one's brain. Imagine, if you will, an office. It's a nice office, with plenty of pens and pencils. Your printer is full of paper and ink. There's oodles of sunlight and the temperature is perfect. Now, picture in your mind that someone bursts into your beautiful office and pulls the cord of a large, inflatable raft. You can't puncture it - you can only allow the air out by the tiniest of valves. Slowly.

There's not much space left to be able to get into the zone to create worlds and move characters about with any iota of efficiency.

So! I'm going to have to extend my personal deadline by a bit. My earliest estimate will be somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving, though if I allow a bit more breathing room, it'll be Christmas. If I had the luxury of being able to write full-time, that would be magnificent. But, I'm not there ... yet.

For now, you'll find that all three of my e-books are 99 cents for the foreseeable future. If you're stuck at home and need something to read, it shouldn't break the bank. You need your extra money for hand sanitizer.

Above all, stay home if you are able. Wash your hands. Don't touch your face. Check in on your loved ones as often as you can. Wear a mask if you must leave the house. (That includes the manly-men who think they don't need to. Yes, you do. You're not less of a man for wearing a mask. Quite the opposite, in fact.)

Thank you, oh best beloved, for being patient. <3

A Cheery Disposition

It's been more than a year since I made a new blog entry, and for that, I deeply apologize.

This time, I have been writing. I released my second book in the Portals series last summer, and am currently working on a separate book. I will begin work on the third Portals book later this year, and it should be released sometime in 2020. I had to switch gears away from Abby Hereford and her quest to thwart evil for now, as I was getting a little burned out and the story of Miss Norma Fitzhugh was knocking (loudly) on my door. That book should be out sometime before Halloween.

(I am all caught up with Supernatural, by the way. I'm sad to see one of my favorite shows come to a close, but Sam, Dean, and Castiel will always have a place in my heart.)

So, today's blog is about Millie, who has made an impression upon several people, most especially my daughter. Mildred's bubbly personality and fierce loyalty are certainly fun to write. In the first book, we are introduced to Abby's best friend as their class valedictorian and head cheerleader. I, personally, wanted to squash the stigma that cheerleaders are vapid and lacking any personal depth.

I was a cheerleader.

Cheering is more difficult than most realize, and it fit her character well. Millie is athletic, enthusiastic, self-driven, ambitious, works well in a team setting, and is devoted to her people, whether those people are her friends and family, or a football team.

Is she a little self-absorbed? Yes.
Is she a little "over the top" sometimes? Also, yes.
Is she stupid? Absolutely not.

In Millie's mind, she likes to be the best at everything she does. She always looks and smells nice when she walks out of the house. She is athletically and scholastically competitive and will train/study as long as it takes to improve herself in that respect. (I remain hopeful that she will, sooner or later, apply that to her driving skills.) She prides herself on being accurate and fair in everything she does, as she sees her work as an extension of herself; whatever she puts out in the universe represents who she is, so she puts her best self forward.

She values quality over quantity and accepts nothing less than the absolute best. Millie is also a big believer in doing what is right for the bigger picture; she often puts her own needs and wants on hold for the betterment of the Greater Good. She is well aware of her privileged upbringing and is always happy to give to those in need, whether it's time, money, encouragement or fabulous (read: last-season) attire.

She is certainly the Valkyrie from whom she is descended.

Go Road Runners!

Here, kitty kitty kitty

My apologies for not having posted a new blog in a while.

I'd like to say I've been extremely busy writing and creating, but - let's face it - I've been catching up on Supernatural and tackling a few of the (many many many) home repair projects necessary to keep my house from collapsing in upon itself.

So, better late than never, I suppose?

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One of the most common responses I get after someone reads my book is how much they enjoyed Machs, the cat.

Machs was based on a real-life cat of mine, Max, who passed away many years ago. He was my dear friend and companion for 13 years before succumbing to medical ailments; I like to think he would have lived a great deal longer, had it not been for the tumors.

But, the life he did live was an interesting one. He came to my family in the dead of winter in upstate New York. His previous people abandoned him and moved away, leaving Max to fend for himself via the bird feeder hanging from the pines in our backyard. We got several feet of lake-effect snow one weekend, and couldn't bear to see him outside to freeze, so we let him in - much to the chagrin of our resident cat, Fred.

We were worried that two male cats would be an issue, territorially speaking, but it turns out that Max was more than happy to crown Fred as King so long as it meant a regular meal and a warm bed. After New York, we moved to Maine, and later to Virginia. He saw me through high school, my first job, marriage, and children - all the while with impeccable grooming habits. Nary a hair was out of place; he was one of the most beautiful cats I've ever seen (and he knew it, too).

 And, unlike Machs in this series, he was a quiet fellow, whose voice never rose above a whisper; he had a raspy "meow" that rendered him nearly mute.

I suppose that, coupled with his shortened life, is what led me to imagine what he would be like if he were gifted with human speech. Our beloved Machs is capable of a myriad of languages spoken across the cosmos, due in part to his extraordinarily long life and ability to slip in and out of portals unnoticed...

I would elaborate, but spoilers, darling...

O, Little Town of Clifton Forge

I'd like to delve into the Portals series a little by giving some insight into the places, people and things that I found inspirational during the writing process.

At the beginning of chapter 1, book 1, we find ourselves with Abby in the small town of Clifton Forge, Virginia.

Yes, it is a real place. In fact, I happen to be sitting in it as we speak... er... read.

Growing up as an army brat I moved a lot; we were either stationed in Germany (where I was born), Oklahoma, or upstate New York near the Canadian border. I called Maine home during my last two years of high school, but Clifton Forge was always "home base" for my family.

My dad was born here, and my grandparents kept their large house for the family to visit. I fondly remember the occasional summer vacation or Christmas holiday spent there. Grandma still lives that house, baking bread and making cheeseballs at 92 years young.

Clifton Forge is a wonderful place to live; it's nestled right in the mountains of Alleghany County, between the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah mountains. We have the beautiful Historic Masonic Theater and Amphitheater, train museum and a brand-new IGA. You can find hiking trails all around, from Douthat (pronounced "Dow That") State Park to Roaring Run, and most importantly it's blissfully quiet.

The local nightlife can be found downtown at the game shop, where - if you bring your best Pokemon cards - you'll make some good friends. There is a tavern on Main street that makes excellent burgers and has even started brewing their own beer. If you want a faster pace, I suggest you head to the next town over to visit the Wal-Mart, or you can visit Roanoke forty-five minutes south.

This is the perfect place for Abby and her father to hide. This - like so many other small towns in America - is a place where you can relax, be a part of a tight-knit community, and have some friends that would go to the ends of the earth for you... and beyond.

So it Begins...

When I was a young girl, I remember reading Rudyard Kipling's "Just So Stories" about the origins of things... the alphabet, and rhinoceros skin and elephant trunks. I was fascinated by how things happened on the banks of the great, grey-green, greasy Limpopo river, all set about with fever trees. As I grew older, I learned more about the author and all his adventures between India and England, which fueled his ideas behind everything he wrote. He led an adventure-filled life in the wee hours between the 19th and 20th centuries, which - for me - grew into a deeper appreciation for his work.

The same copy of "Just So Stories" still graces my bookshelf, along with other childhood favorites like Yertle the Turtle, and new friends like Harry Potter.

It makes me think, as I venture into this world of writing, what would be said of me as time goes by? What will my Wikipedia page say about me? And, more importantly, what will they say about the pages upon which I toiled for many years; the work that reflects the inner workings of my mind?

Perhaps, dear reader, I should contribute some insight?

So, that's what this blog is for... to delve a little into the canon of my "magnum opus" as it were. I'm going to try linking things together over the coming, unspecified length of time so you might grow a little more knowledgeable about the characters, places and yours truly.

I'll do my best not to add any spoilers to unpublished works. As of this blog, there is only one book, but my brain is full of ideas and stories, so stay tuned!

You can find my book on Amazon, here.