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!