Back to Normal!

Of course I have to plug this book with the playoffs going on right now! Even though my team isn't competing.

I have to admit, I had a better week. I have been able to work on all three books which is time consuming but well worth it. None of them are close to being done but at least I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

On Thursday, a high school classmate came here with her daughter and spent the night. It was good to see her and we chatted way to long in the night gossiping about our class mates. I see future material from our chat. We pulled some crazy stuff and to think we were at an all girls Catholic high school. It wasn't bad but the nuns found out about it and did we ever get into trouble. I think we wore out our rosaries!

I like quiet time and I hope it stays that way so I can concentrate on writing which I love to do. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please?

Thanks!

Life vs Writing

What a week! I'm exhausted both mentally and physically.

I survived Jury Duty on Monday. It was the longest stint I've had and not to be selected. I was there from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon. It was a criminal case of evading an arresting officer and the defendant was a black female; the officer was white. This judge only needed 12 jurors however, selected 60 from the pool. We met at 10:30 and the prosecuting attorney presented her case. We broke for lunch and met back at 1:30 to hear what the other defending attorney had to say. We broke up at 3:30 and waited and waited while decisions were made. I couldn't even think on my drive home! All for $6.00!

But over the weekend, I broke two crowns while munching on a piece of pizza. Of course that's no excuse to miss Jury Duty, so I made an appointment with the dentist when I got home and she squeezed me in on Wednesday.

Tuesday, I sat down and wrote about four pages on my Billionaire story and felt really good about it. I also got excited about my Wednesday Author Interview on my editor's blogpost.

Wednesday came and I posted on social media and my website for the Interview and then sat in the dentist's chair for two and a half hours. I got home and my mind was as numb as my mouth. I had soup for dinner and went to bed.

My neighbor next door is renovating his house and has hired a company to do it. The thing is, the workers are cutting kitchen and bathroom countertops outside and right in front of my bedroom windows. (Our Master Bedroom is on the first floor.) They continually look into my windows and this bothers me. I resorted to closing the blinds rather than to complain and be a bitchy neighbor.

The reason I bring this up is what happened on Thursday morning. Sirens in our neighborhood are common. We live two blocks away from a nursing home and a major high school. It's to the point where we tune it out unless someone in my family has left for work and I hope it's not them. When I came back downstairs from my office, I noticed two police cars in front of my house and saw a fire truck and ambulance across the street. What? Is everything okay with my neighbor and great friend? I ran to our bedroom and peeked through the blinds. I saw the EMT's walk Barbara on a stretcher to the awaiting ambulance. She didn't look right and her body bounced just like Bernie from the movie Weekend at Bernie's. My husband had joined me and I told him I think she's dead. He said no because they would have had a coroner there but apparently they were in no hurry as the ambulance pulled away.

I prayed she was okay but then went on my morning business as usual. When I got home, my cell phone rang and it read 'Barbara Bay'. I snatched it up and said, "Are you okay? What happened?"

Barbara's husband had called using her cell phone. He told me she had passed. Didn't I see it? Well no because of the nosy workers. But he said he found her on the bathroom floor and she wasn't breathing. The EMT's tried to revive her but couldn't. She was only 49. I went numb. I couldn't process this. All I could see was her body bouncing on the stretcher.

I pulled myself together and went to the store and bought a card and white flowers, her favorite. I brought it over to the house but her husband and daughter were at the funeral home. Her best friend was minding the house and we talked. Barbara was a very ill woman, which I knew. She was a cancer survivor, a diabetic, had experienced numerous serious illnesses but had always pulled through. Not this time. My heart hurts so much.

Friday, I had come to grips with her passing and it's like she scolded me to stop grieving and work on your darn book, Lois. So, I did. I wrote 10,000 words on Friday! I know she's watching over me! 

Author Interview

Check out my Author Interview at brynnpaulin.blogspot.com!

Good advice!

More and more with my Facebook feed, I'm getting linked to experienced authors who have a wealth of information to share. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it since I seem to live in this tiny bubble of my office, rarely getting out only to run errands!

I made some headway on my Billionaire series but struggling to devote as much time as I'd like.

And I'm angry. I know I should be thankful for living in a country with free speech, but I was once again, for the fifth time in my life, selected for Jury Duty. I go this Monday and who knows how long it will take. I have friends of over thirty years old who would love to be selected but never are. I don't get it. It's all random. Even Mr. Obama was selected for Jury Duty.

Last time I went, they didn't select me because I was a published author.  I had to go back the next day in order to get paid. I could've donated the money to the state, but I wanted to be reimbursed for gas. The court house is not close!

The time before that, I lived in Reading, PA. I have a cousin who is a lawyer and also an uncle who is a retired Chicago policeman. I used that card and BAM! I was selected and was there until 7 pm.

And the other times, either the case was cancelled or they didn't select me.

On top of that, I broke a crown last night. My dentist does not work on weekends but I would like to get it fixed ASAP. I have to wait to see what the Jury Duty involves.

On a positive note, I will be a guest author on my editors blog on 4/14. I will keep you posted with the blog address!

And it's cold here in Dallas! It's only 44 with a windchill of 28! Brrr! Where's spring?

Ready to get back to writing!

People have often asked me where I get my material for my books. Real life!

We took a vacation to Orlando and the first couple of days we were there, it was beautiful! Weather was perfect but the pools were filled with kids because it was Spring Break. But that's okay. Since we live in Texas, we have a pool, so my heart wasn't broken.

The rest of the trip took a downward spiral. There was a tornado warning in our city and I had to call the front desk to ask where we could take shelter. In the inner bathroom in the tub covered with pillows. We were spared, but then the temps dropped down to the forties. Not what you expect in Florida. It was warmer back home!

Then my husband threw out his back on the golf course and left after the seventh hole. He limped back to the condo and couldn't move. We spent the rest of the week inside the condo, with the heat on. And it smelled of Ben Gay.

I'm worried about the luggage because if his back doesn't improve, I'm responsible for lugging everything including his golf bag which is bigger than me. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.

Got home late Saturday night. I got a message that company is arriving Sunday and will stay until Friday. Needless to say, I was busy 24/7 with them. By Friday, I was stressed out and now I have a stiff neck. Guess who borrowed the Ben Gay? I hope this goes away real soon because I do not like feeling under the weather!

Tomorrow will be dedicated to me! Writing and doing what I want!!!

Working Vacation

I am on vacation in Orlando, FL. Yet, I'm still working!

It is hard to take a vacation as an author, or I think so. My mind keeps on going no matter where I am.

I guess its because my mind is relaxed that my characters really talk to me or because I can give them my undivided attention.

Then there is always the bonus of new material as I encounter new people and situations that I wouldn't be experiencing at home.

The plane trip and the passengers gave me plenty of ammunition as well as driving around the Disney complex. We have no intentions of going anywhere near there because it is spring break!

My billionaire story is doing really well and I need to buckle down on my NHRA series.

Also, I've been given the chance to be a guest on a blog which has thrilled me to the moon and back!

We have scheduled something everyday, so my life will be filled with adventures!

Thanks for following me!

Writing - Would a pet help?

Good news! I no longer have Vertigo! I went to the ENT on Thursday and he verified my ears were clear and my hearing was in the range of an 18 year old. I did tell him I listened to Led Zepplin and other heavy metal bands in my youth, but so far so good!

He did determine I was very congested and wanted to put me on steriods but my mom was on them for years with her asthma. Her face bloated and she had unwanted weight gain. Nope. So I'm back to nasal sprays which seem to help.

The good thing, is I'm getting a lot of writing time in which is wonderful! My characters and I are in sync and my hands are flying over the keyboard.

The only problem is the house was very quiet. My husband was out of town and my daughter works full time and is barely home. You can hear a pin drop. Is it time to get another dog?

For those who really don't know me, I've had two dogs in my life and both were Siberian Huskies. Noibn, came to us when I was fourteen and died two days after my daughter was born.

Indiana Jones came to live with us in 1996. My husband had never had a pet before and is not an animal lover. When we lived in Pennsylvania, he traveled 70% of the time for his job. It was only my daughter and I; no family close by at all. Indy was protection for us and guarded his girls with ferocity. He and hubby didn't get along at all for the first five years of his life because they were both jealous of each other. But then they became best friends. They did everything together.

But he was thirteen when we moved to Texas and not in good health. On our wedding anniversary, 12/20/2009, he couldn't move and cried and cried. We made the hardest decision in our life and put him down. His screams were heart wrenching and we didn't want him in any pain.

That all changed once we got to the vet. He still couldn't walk, but he was alert and acted as if nothing was wrong. But we stood firm. It took two dosages and then we spent time with him to say goodbye.  Then we looked at him. His fur was so mottled with age and he had no hair left on his tail. We should've done this sooner.

We all cried and hubby says we're not going through this again. The old me would've said, "the hell with you!" and gone out adopted a dog. But for some reason, I just can't do it. I need to bite the bullet and say, "where's the old Lois? Show a little backbone!"

Writing While Under the Influence of Vertigo!

 

I'm still not feeling up to par with this benign positional vertigo . On Monday, I wrote 5k! I was proud of myself. I then went grocery shopping, became dizzy and had to sit down.

Tuesday, I felt okay and wrote only 2K, but as usual, things happen that are unplanned. I decided that it was my king size pillow that's too big for me, making me sleep in an awkward position causing the dizziness. I should try a queen/standard size. (I know, right? Lois Kasznia, MD with her degree from WebMd!)

Wednesday, I ran to Big Lots and then Kroger. I was going to go to Kohls for a pillow and decided against it because I didn't feel good enough to slug a pillow and a new 12 inch skillet through the parking lot of Kohls in the pouring rain.

My friend who is moving to Chicago, was in town and we had an unplanned lunch date. I did run to Kohls before hand and picked up the pillow and skillet. Got home and wrote another 2K!

Thursday, I went on the treadmill (haven't been on in two weeks) and only did a mile for starters. Cleaned the house and felt like a million dollars.

Friday, I voted, came home and wrote another 5K. This is the most I've written in a week and am feeling inspired.

Saturday? I decided to do sit ups and push ups. BIG mistake. I got so dizzy, I could hardly stand up straight. I spent the entire day in the chair. And it was sunny and 74. Who gets sick on a day like that?

Today, I still felt a little woozy but have decided I am calling the ENT because I can't live like this. I am an active person who loves to work out and do things. Something is not right. Took hubby to the grocery store to help me with the groceries. Why is that when I take him, the bill is always one hundred dollars more?

I Survived Three Days Without Internet, Phone & Television...

I hope everyone a good week! It was a trying one for me, that's for sure. I don't know about you, but my mood is tempered by the weather. We've had rain for six days in a row without sunshine. I thought I was going to go stir crazy! Not only rain, but thunderstorms, where the lights flicker and I quickly back up whatever manuscript I worked on.

Not only that, rain and mold make my sinuses run amok, constantly needing a tissue. After a really wet night, I woke up and almost fell out of bed, I was so dizzy. Huh? I've never felt this way (unless I've had too much to drink and that wasn't the case!) I stumbled into the kitchen and turned on the lights. I went to check the weather app on my cell phone and it said there was no signal.

We have Frontier (used to be Verizon Fios but they sold to Frontier about two years ago and it has been a terrible transition). But the battery equipment is in our garage. I opened the door and saw something had tripped the GFC and I went out and pushed the button to correct it. It worked, so I went back in the house and tried again. Nada!

Mr. Jim comes out of the shower into the kitchen and asks why his phone and the television doesn't work? I told him, so I pulled out the Frontier bill and called. The tech advisor was very helpful but had me running from Jim's Man Cave out to the garage to disconnect this and that. (Remember how I told you how dizzy I felt to begin with?) Finally, Mr. Jim comes to help me and those dreaded words are issued by the advisor. "There's a problem with your back up battery and we need to send a tech to fix it. The earliest he can be there is Friday, between noon and five." WHAT????? This is Wednesday? What are we going to do?  We have no phone, no Internet and no television. At least we won't miss the political robo calls! Starbucks, here we come!

Thursday, I felt like a million dollars. I sat and wrote 5k and met an old friend for lunch, went shopping for groceries, no dizziness whatsoever. While I was talking to my friend, my mind flashed back to the three years I worked Help Desk. Dave Rupp, my boss, (rest his soul) would be very upset with me because I didn't think of this sooner. Unplug the back up battery and try again! I waited until Mr. Jim came home and we tried it. It beeped like crazy, so I thought, well? At least I tried. We went back into the house and Mr. Jim is playing this obscure Pink Floyd CD on his PC that he forgot he had. I came into the Man Cave and happened to glance at our router. Lo and Behold, all the lights were flashing! We were back in business! We decided not to cancel our appointment just to see what the tech would say.

Friday, I woke up dizzier than I have ever been; my sinuses were killing me and I had the worst headache ever. My head felt like I was on an airplane where it flies at this altitude that stops up your ears. I broke down and called the doctor and he could see me at 3:15. Had to call Mr. Jim to work from home so he could great the Frontier tech.

Long story short; I have a sinus infection and my ears were blocked. Because of this, I have Benign Vertigo which will last a week to ten days. He flushed out my ears and I can hear a pin drop. But I can't work out and have to be careful.

Mr. Jim said the tech rewired the Frontier boxes in our garage because the old ones were defective. Now we're back in business! We can watch the closing ceremonies of the Olympics and I can write without fear of losing my work.

I swear, life is never dull with me! 

Never too Old to Learn

I have to admit I am really enjoying working on my next set of manuscripts about the billionaire's club. Obviously, I'm not one but the more I research the topic, I can see where I went wrong. But I'm comfortable in my own skin and I feel blessed with my life.

I'm learning a lot about the ever transitioning world of publishing now that I've joined a workshop hosted by a famous author. She is suggesting to brand yourself and be very careful about the 'professionals' you chose to hire for you manuscript. Your editor, your cover artist, your publisher and others may say their professionals but are they the right ones for you. Scary.....

The most recent topic was how to manage your writing schedule. For most of us, we have busy lives with jobs and family. I know for me, there will be days when I don't get a chance to write a thing, even though I'm thinking of my manuscripts. I'm a very vivid dreamer and the dreams stay with me during the day, so I can jot down an outline and work it into my stories. The response from the rest of the group were so interesting and I've learned so much about how people put their stories together.

Thanks to my editor, Chel, for signing me up for this group! I really appreciate it! You're never too old to learn.

Changing World of the Author

With all of this cold weather, I want to go to Bora Bora. Enough is enough! I know this shall pass, but I've been spoiled living in Texas with the mild winter weather. Guess what? It hasn't been mild. We even had a freezing ice storm this morning and let me tell you, I'm still hearing sirens!

Back to writing. Being an author has evolved since I started. Now, you have so many hats to wear it's like you have to hunt and seek to find time to write. I'm following a blog on FB from a successful author and it's an eye opening experience. Everything she posts is true. It's a dangerous world out there and you have to negotiate what's real and what's not.

To me, the hardest part is promoting my books. I have FB pages, this blog, my website and a Twitter account, Instagram and my big mouth. I don't know if that's enough. People depend on reveiws but they too can be skewed and bad things can be said about your books.

But back to my manuscripts, my characters are becoming active and vocal and I have found that I've written more this week than I have in a while. I get so intense, that time flies and my shoulders cramp because I've been sitting and typing too long. But when I read what I've written, I'm pleased.

Like any other profession, I need to hang in there and be consistent and patient.

Working Hard!

Six more weeks of winter? NOOOOO! Okay, I shouldn't be complaining. Here in the Dallas area we are having mild temps with plenty of sunshine. We might get some 'winter temps' next weekend but that's okay. It makes me want to write.

On my billionaire series, I'm making progress. I wrote twenty thousand words this week which is good for me and my hectic schedule. I'm also re-editing my NHRA manuscript. I learned so much from my editor with Cruise into My Heart, I'm trying to correct my bad habits.

My other publisher, Blushing Books, released Intercepted on Kindle Unlimited, free from 2/2 - 2/4, if you haven't checked it out and least it's free.

I'm hoping to get more writing done this week since now I'm on a roll. Keep your fingers crossed that no unforseen incidents crop up for me!

Super Bowl Sunday is a bust. If the game gets really lopsided, I'm switching to the Animal Planet to watch the Puppy Bowl.

Everyone have a wonderful week! Even my friends who are experiencing the snow and cold. Stay warm!

Grudges and other stuff...

It amazes me how someone can carry a grudge for over thirty some odd years! Really? I've lost a friend because of it and it hurts. Maybe she wasn't the friend I thought she was. Good story for a book.

Busy writing away.....

Heard from Blushing Books on Saturday. Intercepted is being taken off of Barnes & Noble website because it will be on Kindle Unlimited. If you haven't read it and would like to, please check there!

Another funny story about this house. The original owner installed blinds, but only a few drapes. They are lined which is nice because it helps when the weather gets cold. Since our bedroom faces the street and the neighbors have two teenage children who have tons of friends over all the time. The drapes help block out the headlights and their outside lights they leave on all night long.

This morning, while opening the drapes, the rod fell out and konked me on the head. Turns out when the drapes were installed, they never used a molly to hold the nail in the wall. Hmmm. Then I checked the drapes in our family room. Instead of installing a hold back, they stapled the drapes to the wall. Really? A trip to WalMart and all is good. Jeesh!

Lois' Daily Life....

This was a better week for writing. I'm into my Billionaire series manuscript since my characters are keeping me on my toes!

As always, life throws challenges at me. I feel like I'm at bat, with life being the pitcher! Why you ask?

First it was the bitter cold. Homes in Texas are not built for cold weather. You can feel the cold through the windows and doors no matter what you do. We had windows replaced due to a bad hail storm in March and they are not foolproof. I can't sleep at night because I worry.

Then, you have to worry about your pipes. Let me tell you, when I open the kitchen cabinets to keep the sink pipes warm, the blast of cold air chills me to the bone. I also have to cover our outside spigots because they freeze as well. Thank goodness Lowes has a styrofoam cup to place over the spigots to keep out the cold.

And that's only Wednesday. Finally, on Thursday we got a break from the cold. Whew. Never ask what's next!

My daughter is trying to lose the holiday weight and installed a free app on her phone to count her steps called Pacer. Her daily goal is 10,000 steps. She keeps the phone in her back jean pocket when she's not at work. Guess what she did on Thursday? Yup! Dropped it in water. Zap! Deader than a door nail. I tell you, putting the phone in rice is a joke. Didn't sleep at all thinking about what to do because I hate for her not to have a cell phone in case her car breaks down.

And it didn't help that the battery in the smoke alarm began to beep at 1:05 Friday morning. Out of a sound sleep, my husband and I wrestle with our 8 foot step ladder in the garage into the bedroom. My husband, who is way taller than me, was able to get it off the ceiling, place a new battery into the unit. While he steps back on the ladder, he twists his back and can't move. Now what?

Friday, I came up with the idea for my daughter to purchase a prepaid phone while Apple takes a look at hers. Our carrier, Verizon, said that we are eligible to upgrade to a new phone in March. And if Apple can't save the phone, she can use the prepaid until then.

I hate to do it, but I played the helpless female card with the fire department and the hunkiest six men ever, came to my house, used my ladder and installed it within minutes. And they even put the ladder back into the garage for me! They made my day!

Nothing is ever easy...

This has been an emotional week for me. Three of my loved ones have been diagnosed with breast cancer. My aunt, age 74, one of my best friends, age unknown (she's never revealed it) and my husband's cousin, age 37. The last two had total masectomies and my aunt will have a lumpectomy and radiation. It has taken a while for me to handle this information but they are in good spirits and have taken aggressive actions to handle the disease. I will keep them and other in my prayers.

Then, I've had to deal with a corporate giant, Frontier Communications. It was previously Verizon Fios but was sold to Frontier. We recieved a promotional package when this happened and now it's going to expire and to call immediately.

I learned that there were all kinds of 'things' in this package that I wasn't aware that we had. One of them was Frontier's security package, similar to LifeLock, which we have. When I agreed to the changes, I received an email from Frontier asking me to give them the Date of Birth and SSN of all people using the Internet, I became suspicious so I called them back (another forty-five minutes) and I told them I didn't want that option and to please take it out of my contract.

When my husband got home from work, he turned on the television to watch the Nightly News which he DVR's every night and guess what? No DVR!

Saturday, I called them back and was on the phone with Customer Service, then Tech Support and back to Customer Service only to learn that the security package is tied into the DVR option. I was on the phone with them for five hours and guess what? The problem still hasn't been resolved!

I was able to write ten thousand words on my Billionaire manuscript earlier in the week. My mind is filled with my characters but because of this issue, I had to jot down ideas rather than write until I get this situation resolved.

Why is everything so complicated???

Writing Away!

I hope everyone a wonderful New Year! I know I had a quiet one but was safe!

Where has the time gone? I thought that after the holidays, I could sit down and do some serious writing. Wrong! I've had more appointments than I can count and it's only the first week of the year!

I hope you're enjoying my latest book! I know my friends in the midwest and on the East Coast are having a rough go of the weather. I think it's a good time to read my book and think of the warm weather in Bora Bora!

My plan for the coming weeks, is to finish my Billionaire manuscript. My beta readers are still reviewing my NHRA manuscript which gives me more time to focus!

Once again, be safe, get a flu shot and enjoy life!