Zombified Book Two: Shady Oaks

Shortly after I finished Book One, I started the sequel to Zombified.  During that time, so much was going on that eventually it felt like a chore to write and so I stopped for awhile.  Don't get me wrong, I love to write, but I had to take a break when it was no longer fun for me.  Now, two months later, I am more than ready to get back to writing.  In fact, I am excited!  I went back into the book last night, it's currently at Chapter 9, with 16k words, and I picked right up where I left off like it was only yesterday that I put it aside. 

As I go on, I think I'll drop a tidbit here and there from the book so anyone who is interested can read it.  By the way, the second book centers on resettling the small town of Shady Oaks.  Once again, the Connor Group is trying to  destroy everything the survivors worked so hard for and there is a "nasty" surprise coming at the end.

Ok, that's all I have for now, hope everyone is having a great start to their new year!

Out With the Old, In With the New!!

Hard to believe it's almost 2012.  I always look forward to the new year because you can never tell what it will bring.  I'm looking forward to staying busy as usual, but I'd like to also finish my sequel to Zombified. 

Our oldest son, John, will most likely be deployed to Afghanistan and we're not looking forward to that, but we will keep the faith that God will bring him home safely to his family. 

Watching how rapidly the grandkids grow and change each year always amazes me.  They crack me up with the things they do and say - I love them very much!!

I usually don't make resolutions and the last few years I've worked to improve my health such as quitting smoking and losing weight.  I've been successful, but it still didn't stop me from becoming diabetic.  This new year I am hoping to get off the pills and my doctor is optimistic that I can if I keep dropping the pounds.

I know the new year will throw me some surprises, but hey, that's what life is all about.  I'm thankful for my family and that everyone is happy and going strong.  Guess that's about all we can hope for and I thank God for all the blessings in my life. 

I wish everyone a wonderful and fulfilling new year with many more to come!

Wishing Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Almost that time again!  This year our extended family is going out to eat, with such a large group it's the easiest way.  However, Christmas dinner will still be at our house as usual for just our family.

Since this is a time to relect, I'd have to say I have more than enough to be thankful for.  The most important is my family and we are blessed that everyone is healthy and happy.

So once again, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving and may you all eat whatever you'd like and not gain a single pound! :D

Writing the Sequel to Zombified - Not as Easy as You'd Think!

After I finished Zombified and put it up on Kindle, Nook, and the paperback version on Amazon, I thought I was through for awhile.  I planned to do a sequel, but not right away.  However, as people read the book they wanted the sequel NOW, and were wanting to know when it would be ready.  I was flattered and surprised, so I began to write.  I already had the beginning set up so that went quickly, and I am now on Chapter 9.  I have a lot more to write and it's going a lot slower than anticipated. 

When I began, I was hoping to have it released by Halloween, now it looks like spring of next year.  I have two major issues that have come into play.  Number one is I have a life that takes precedence over any writing...and right now family is my top priority and is taking up most of my time.  Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying spending time with my family and that is definitely what's most important to me.  The second issue is simply the writing of a sequel.  There are a lot of factors to focus on, such as keeping the story flowing smoothly while subtly filling in the back story for those who haven't read the first book.  I don't want to rehash everything so it's a delicate balance.  I'm also putting in bigger fight scenes and they take longer to write - I do a lot of visualizing before writing them - I like to play it out in my head first before writing it down.

So, that's where I'm at in regards to writing the sequel.  If you're reading this, I'll go ahead and tell you what the title for the next book will be:  Zombified (Book Two: Shady Oaks).  Hopefully I will get the book finished before spring, I'm just as excited as the readers to see how the sequel turns out! :D      

Changes to Blogger

I noticed we have some new things and I have the time today, so I'm playing with the new features.  I changed my template, I had a hard time deciding which one to use so I may change it up more often.  If you've been using the new stuff, let me know how you like them.  Anyone using the new Blogger interface yet - how does it work exactly?  I brought it up but not sure what it does.

New Children's Book I Put on Kindle

I was wanting to do a story around photos of  Sammi, our cocker spaniel.  My granddaughter Sara, who is three, really likes Sammi so I tried to something that she would really enjoy.  After downloading and printing it out, my daughter-in-law read it to Sara and her older sister, Hailee.  They both loved it and so I decided to upload it to Kindle for only 99 cents.  If you're interested you can check it out here:    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C1K1X8/ref=tag_dpp_yt_edpp_rt?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&s=digital-text%23tags

If it does well, I will probably do more Sammi adventures. :D

Google+

I received an invitation and of course joined up.  I have to say, after getting it somewhat organized and posting a few things, I really like this new social media.  I especially love the circles, with them you can target who sees your posts, which can be useful.  For example, say you're a big gamer.  You can name one circle after the game you play and put all your gaming buddies in that circle.  When you post something about the game, you send it only to that circle only if you want...you do have the option of sending it anywhere you want or just make it public, too.  By the way, for me it's much faster than Facebook. 

If you get an invite I would recommend you try it out.  If you already have a Google+ account, add me!
https://plus.google.com/welcome?hl=en#103583559391439648782/posts