The Chatterbox

Zombified Book Two: Shady Oaks

2012-01-04T10:34:00.000-06:00

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!!

2011-12-30T21:41:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-11-22T15:59:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-10-20T22:49:00.000-05:00

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

2011-10-11T13:26:00.002-05:00

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

2011-07-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

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+

2011-07-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

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

Goodreads

2011-07-07T12:42:00.001-05:00

I think I've found a great new website. Several other authors have talked about Goodreads and I finally decided to check it out. I only have a few friends so far, but I'm still feeling my way around the site. Everyone on there seems friendly and site navigation is easy. If anyone is on Goodreads please add me - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4988053.Char_Robinson. I have joined two groups so far and I'm still looking at the others. Any tips are greatly appreciated. Once I have it figured out better, I'll post more.

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

2011-07-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

Have I got a deal for you! Smashwords is having a summer promotion and authors are cutting the price of their ebooks. For July only, Zombified is half off ($2.50). So if you're in the least bit interested, go check it out! http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64621

Everyone says their book sales are falling off because of the holiday and my sales have also dropped, so maybe they have something there. I was thinking the long holiday is a perfect time to kick back with a good book, but maybe not.

I am going to redo my paperback version, it's still too big and too costly. My book is now at the Enid Public Library, to me that is very exciting news. People won't be buying the book, but I wanted it there so anyone could read it - isn't that why we write books after all, so they will be read?

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, keep cool and be safe!

Update on My Novel

2011-06-11T12:40:00.001-05:00

I've had a busy few weeks trying to finish everything. The paperback version is finished, but not linked yet on Amazon, right now it's only showing the Kindle version. I also uploaded to Smashwords and will post the link in a bit. They send out to Barnes and Noble's Nook, Kobo, Diesel, etc. Waiting on that as well. Nothing feels better than to have everything finished for now. I've learned a lot about formatting my book and the cover, marketing, and adding new social networks. The book is doing quite well on Kindle considering no one has heard of me and it's my first novel. Zombified is a full-length novel with over 77,000 words and 37 chapters. There's sporadic mild language and violence (can't really have a zombie novel without violence, can we?). The characters are fully developed, some are loveable and some are despicable. The zombies are appropriately nasty, stinky, and maggot covered. I really enjoyed writing this book and so far the sequel has been just as much fun. If you're looking for some good reading, please consider my book - thanks!
Here's the link to my Smashwords page: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/64621

Amazon and Book Sales

2011-05-27T14:58:00.000-05:00

First Amazon pulled all forum threads that allowed authors to promote their work, now they've removed the tags that helped people find a book. There is now one specific area for authors...kinda confused because they have a vested interest in our sales, but what they're doing is hurting everyone. My sales were steady, but I haven't sold a book in two days now. Maybe they're planning something even better for us, but right now it doesn't look that way. Go figure.

Oh by the way, I am waiting for my first proof of Zombified to arrive any day! I am super excited to hold my book in my hands! Woot!!! As soon as I am selling the paperbacks I plan to contact our local Hastings to see if they will purchase some of my books, they're pretty good about helping out local talent.

Short Story I Wrote...

2011-05-19T19:42:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Been busy battling with CreateSpace's criteria for a book cover so I can make paperback copies of my novel. I think I just about have it figured out though - yay! Anyway, I still write for Associated Content on Yahoo! and they actually posted an assignment to write a zombie short story for Zombie Awareness Month. I'd say since I just wrote a zombie novel, that's right up my alley. I wrote the story in about an hour and posted it the next day. Was a lot of fun to do, here's the link if you'd like to read it: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8062265/theres_no_such_things_as_zombies.html?cat=44

Should have the book cover done at least by the weekend, will post then on how it's going. :D

Well Hello CreateSpace! I Think.

2011-04-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to say my book is selling, just checked and sold another one - yay! However, I have several family members who are elderly and aren't into anything online and they want a copy of my book. So once again after doing some research, Amazon has CreateSpace, a place where you can upload your novel and order copies and the price is fair. I was very happy, even though I had to reformat my book again. Kindle formats all books their way, but with CreateSpace you must send them a finished book, including the cover and back page. So I'm almost done formatting, just trying to decide where I want to put the page numbers when I ran into a snag. I have to send the book as a pdf. I have no way to do that, my daughter already downloaded the trial version of Adobe Photoshop and it's expired so can't use that. I can use Adobe Reader, it directs me to a place that I can use and I'm thinking of doing that, or I can download CutePDF and use that. I will have to look both over again before deciding. If I use the reader, I have to upload the file and get it back from them and I don't really like that idea, so I'm leaning toward CutePDF. Well, will let you know how it all goes. Think I'm going to watch a quick YouTube video on uploading to CreateSpace as well so I don't miss anything there.

Received my first review on my novel!

2011-04-21T09:45:00.000-05:00

I've found out a lot of authors live for reviews. They can make or break a book online. So, I was a little nervous about the first review, after all I have no idea how my book will be received. Sure, family love it, but you know - that's family. I was thrilled to see I'd gotten a great review and a 5-star rating!! Woooot!! Yay even!! What a relief, I put so much work into that book, I wanted something worth reading and enjoying, that's what's most important. You know I'm going to put the link to my book in again, so here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Zombified-ebook/dp/B004WDZO3E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1302900702&sr=1-2

To everyone who has bought a copy I say a big Thank You!

Ok So I Lowered the Price to My New Book - Hey I'm Still Learning!

2011-04-18T09:54:00.000-05:00

When I put my novel up on Kindle, I did the research and thought I had priced it fairly. Zombified is a full length novel, over 77k words and 39 chapters. However, after visiting the forums and seeing what's really going on, I've decided to lower it. I'm not sure I like what I see happening there. There are so many books that authors are dropping the prices unbelievably low. I worked hard on my book and the most important thing to me is that people read it, so I dropped the price (takes effect in 24 hours). However, I would like to make a little money. Perhaps it is wise to go low at first, build up a name for yourself, then you can set a higher price. Guess I will just have to wait and see how it all works out.

If anyone has advice on any blog I've written please share, I'm all ears here! :D

Getting Your Name Out There - Full Time Job in Itself?

2011-04-15T13:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, my book is published on Kindle and people can search for something similar and they may see it. Common sense tells me that probably is not enough. So, I joined Kindle's forum and created an Amazon Author Page that links to the book. Friends and family on Facebook are spreading the word and I think them so much for that! I blog but don't have Twitter (yet). I know Twitter can be an important networking tool, I'm just reluctant to add another social network to my ever-growing list. If I'm making a mistake with Twitter, please let me know how it can benefit me.

I do have two other books in progress right now and I need time to write so perhaps I need to manage my time in a more effective manner. I have family obligations too, such as watching my grandson during the week, and that take priority and always will. Overall, my life is pretty busy right now, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Guess getting my name out there will be a process that takes time, just like anything else done correctly. :D

My novel "Zombified" is now available on Kindle!

2011-04-13T15:50:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to announce my book is finally published. I began writing this book over 3 years ago, right before my sons went to Iraq. During that time many wonderful things happened such as the birth of my graddaughter Sara, the boys returning home, my daughter graduating from high school, last year she got married and gave us a grandson, Gage, who is 11 months old. Lots of things happened so my book wasn't given full priority for quite some time. Was mostly a late-at-night endeavor and often got shelved for more pressing events. I was lucky to have the title right from the beginning, sometimes that can be the hardest decision to make.

Anyway, this has been a long, sometimes difficult process. I must say I'm extremely happy with how easy it was to use Kindle. I'm already working on the sequel to Zombified and an anthology of short stories - I will put them on Kindle as well. Thanks for reading my blog, hope you will check out my book - if you have a Kindle I know right now you can sample it for free.

http://www.amazon.com/Zombified-ebook/dp/B004WDZO3E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1302727708&sr=1-3

After a Self-Imposed Absence I'm Back!!

2011-04-05T23:27:00.000-05:00

I had to make changes and additions to my novel, so in order to finish it I decided I would do no online writing whatsoever - I was spread way too thin. I have finished my novel (again) and decided to publish it on Kindle. I do have a couple publishers that I can send it to, but after much review and research I am going to try and go it alone. In the following weeks I hope to blog about how it goes. It's kind of scary to put something "out there" that I've worked on for over 3 years. What if people hate it? Guess it's a chance I have to take and that I want to take. I already have plans for the sequel to my first book and I also have an anthology of short stories started that I will also publish.

I have the cover done and I'm in the process of adding what's needed, such as the Dedication page. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't forget anything and that the book format will convert easily to what Kindle uses, which is html.

I am happy to be back blogging again and plan to visit all my blog friends soon to catch up!

Writing for Profit Online, Can it Be Done?

2010-12-12T16:41:00.000-06:00

I've been spending most of my online time doing two things: adding to my book (found out after I finished it that it's not long enough for most markets now), and writing for profit online. I first started writing for Associated Content and it's fun, doesn't pay much starting out, but I do enjoy it. I just started writing for Textbroker and it's not fun, it's more like work. On AC you pretty much write about what interests you or you can take an assignment if there's one that looks interesting. Textbroker, you can pick the assignments, but you have to follow the instructions to the letter that are written by the person wanting the article you write. I've done three of those so far, the first two took two hours to do, including the research. I did find out they get easier and I was overthinking it a bit (no surprise there). So for the third one, I did the research and wrote the article in about 30 minutes. So far, two of the articles have been accepted, they can reject an article if they don't like it. I will probably write two to three articles a week for them, they pay better than AC right now. I've pretty much decided though that I need to get my book finished and out there, I do have a publisher who told me they will look at it, there's where my real money may lie. So, I will continue to do writing on the side (if anything, it helps and I can use the experience on a resume) but my main focus is once again on my book. I have set myself the goal of finishing by the 23rd and I think I can do that. Anyway, wish me luck - would be terrible to get writer's block now!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2010-11-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

I'd like to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for my family, they mean the world to me. This year those of us who usually cook the Thanksgiving dinner decided to treat ourselves, so we're all going out to eat for Thanksgiving. I did buy a cherry pie and apple cobbler to have at home later, but that's all the cooking I'll be doing. Christmas, however, will be a different story. I know I'll be cooking up a big feast then, which is fine, it's fun to watch everyone gobble (no pun intended...well maybe a little) up everything.

Have a great day and enjoy that turkey and all that comes with it!

Lessons Learned So Far...

2010-11-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

On my journey to become a successful, published author I've learned quite a few things; like make sure your novel is long enough to please the puslishers. One great idea is to thoroughly research where you're sending your work. There are a million and one things you can do to get your name "out there" before you even think about sending out your book, like starting a blog. Too much work? Self-publishing could be the answer. Who knows, maybe all the above will work. Maybe nothing will work. All I know is that I have spent the last several months doing different things and I'm not sure if it's paying off in regard to getting me noticed, but it is helping me to stay sharp and I've learned so much! I write a lot more and that has built up my self confidence. The reason I started this blog was to write down this journey, didn't realize at the time how far it would take me. As I continue down this road, I hope you join me from time to time, who knows - you may learn something too!

Finished My Book? NOT! Argh!

2010-11-12T12:33:00.000-06:00

Well, my book has approximately 54,000 words according to Microsoft Word. I found another publisher who will look at my book and the minimum word count they require is 70k. Ok, that means I need to write another 16k words or more, which according to my estimates requires 32 more pages. Problem is, I feel my story is finished, I am planning on writing two more sequels, but this story was done. So now it's not done, so off I go to add more to it. If you don't hear from me for awhile, you'll know why. Have a great weekend, you'll know what I'll be doing! :D

I Learned a BIG and Important Lesson Today

2010-11-11T13:57:00.000-06:00

Ok, I learned an important lesson today. I had to withdraw my story from May December Publications because the publisher disclosed he is currently serving a prison sentence for child molestation. I guess this is something that wasn't kept totally silent, but in all the time I corresponded with him (which I found out was really through his wife), I never heard one word about it. Apparently some people started making enough noise that he felt he needed to let everyone know. He posted his story on a Facebook page (he also has a Facebook wall and he's friended a lot of people, guess you can have a computer in prison) and I also received an email which gave me the courtesy of withdrawing my story if I wanted, which I did. Don't get me wrong, this man does write books and does publish anthologies, and I thought I had checked everything out sufficiently. However, as a new author, I now believe I need to find an established company to do business with. I dont' believe I was lied to, the truth was just omitted. So guess the lesson learned is: Do Your Homework!! Check them out and check them out some more. Don't assume anything. I hope what I've learned will help someone else. Now it's off to find a new publisher - wish me luck!

Associated Content - Anyone Here Write for Them?

2010-11-08T11:15:00.000-06:00

I just started writing for Associated Content and I'm pretty excited about it. Like I need anything else to do, but you can actually make a little money for your wonderful and creative thoughts. At least I hope I have wonderful and creative thoughts. Getting to the point where you make any real money or become a Featured Writer will take time, but it is something you can achieve on AC. The main thing I like is you can write about absolutely anything and if you can't think of anything to write about they give out "assignments." So far, I've written one article and done one slideshow of our recent Veteran's Day Parade. Since I'm new, the article won't show up for a few days, but that's ok. The slideshow is already up.

If you'd like to try it out or just look things over, you can mosey on over to my page and go from there, here's my link: http://www.associatedcontent.com/char_r

Getting Ready to Compose and Send Query Letters - Have Any Tips or Hints?

2010-11-08T11:06:00.000-06:00

I have almost finished editing my novel - yay! Now comes the really hard part - writing the dreaded query letter. I believe most publishers request a synposis of every chapter. My book has 28 chapters and an epilogue. So, I am doing research right now on the best way to go about it, looks like short and to the point works best for each chapter, and to lay it all out on the table. Keeping the juicy parts from the publisher to "surprise" them when they actually read the book is not a smart thing to do. You want them to know the juicy parts right off (which makes sense). Ok, so far everything I've learned I would do anyway. If anyone has any great hints or tips for me, please comment below.

I hope everyone has a great week! Thank you for stopping by and reading my posts, it means a lot to me!

Guess I'm Gonna Be A Night Owl Poster!

2010-10-22T00:56:00.000-05:00

Hi! So much has been going on that I just haven't had time to post. I've decided that I need to stay up a little later in the evening so I can catch up with everything, including my blog. I've been editing my book when I can, I just got some good new that a short story I wrote for an anthology was accepted! I'm very excited and it gives me the much-needed boost to get with it and get my book out there.

This is going to be short, but I wanted to stop in and drop a line. Hope everyone has a great weekend, my birthday is Sunday and we're going to Chen Gardens, a new restaurant that just opened yesterday. Supposedly it has a 2,000 gallon koi pond inside, can't wait to see that! I'll post pics later. Night!

Facebook and Blogging

2010-09-17T18:06:00.000-05:00

I've belonged to Myspace for quite a while, joined Facebook this year. I do like Facebook better and my entire family uses it, such a great way to keep in touch with all the relatives from Michigan to Texas. I also started playing all their little games, my current fav is called My Tribe and yes, I play Farmville. I get a little overwhelmed with some of the things the games throw at us, I play four games regularly and sometimes it's hard to keep up. I've been thinking of linking my blog to Facebook, I follow a couple of bloggers who are linked and it looks pretty easy. I'm just not sure if I want my relatives scrutinizing my blog just yet since it's still fairly new. The only ones who know about my blog are my hubby and daughter and neither one follow it. Hubby's not much for social networking and daughter's too busy with the baby.

Don't get me wrong, I do want to share my blog with family, not just yet. I need to be more proficient and more scheduled in regard to posting, and I'm sorely lacking in both right now. I am looking forward to things slowing down a bit soon, then I can get a handle on everything I've let slide. I have started painting the inside of my kitchen cabinets this week, taking a lot longer than I thought it would, but then I often get distracted, especially if the kids need me to take the baby for a second or twenty (Dying to see what he looks like? Add me on Facebook).

Ok, back to Facebook and blogging - I'm pretty sure some day I will link the two and let the fam in, but until then I will rely on my blogger friends to let me know if they like my posts or not.

Have a great evening, I'm off to check my ham and cheesy scalloped potato casserole...yummy yum!

Baby's First Cold and Other Stuff...

2010-09-17T00:40:00.000-05:00

Wellll, the baby got his first cold, fortunately it's a mild one and he's getting better. So far, its only affected his sleep for one night, we've been using the cool mist humidifier and a vapor plug-in and they seem to help. Things are a little different than when my kids were infants, he got a little Tylenol when he had a fever, but no more cold medicine for babies, guess doctors have decided it does them no good. Although he's been sick, it hasn't deterred him from learning to turn over onto his tummy, only problem is when he does it in his crib at night before he goes to sleep and starts yelling for someone to come turn him over. So we're not running in and out, we have been getting him to sleep and then putting him in the crib, just until he learns to turn himself back over. Usually he's put into the crib drowsy but not asleep so he would learn to go to sleep by himself, which he did quite awhile ago with no problems. My daughter is lucky, he's been sleeping 8-10 hours a night since he was about 2 and 1/2 months old, but he's a big boy, he now weighs 17 pounds.

Not too long ago, I posted a photo of my daughter's cat, Tommy. Sadly, he was just wasting away and had to be put down, he went very quickly and peacefully. We will miss TC, he was a big part of our family for 16 years. Was very hard to do, especially since we just lost our little Demi dog in June. They are both buried out in our back yard under the Rose of Sharon bushes.

Guess that's all I have for now, hope everyone is enjoying these cooler temps, look like it might get downright chilly in some places!

Hi! Miss Me?

2010-09-01T00:55:00.000-05:00

I never imagined that helping my daughter and new son-in-law by taking care of the baby while they work would be so demanding, exhausting, but fun! I don't remember having this much fun when my kids were just 3 months old. He smiles and laughs, yells, hums, "talks" and is now ticklish. He already has this little personality that is so cute, he makes me smile to just look at him. There's nothing like walking up to him and he gives you this great big, gummy smile back. Maybe I'm just old enough now to appreciate how quickly they grow up and how precious this time is. He will be four months old next week and I can hardly wait to see what he does next, he's almost ready to roll over, will he do it by then? Since they live with us, I get to see him change daily, with my granddaughters I didn't have that, but it's still a pleasure to watch them grow and change (they are 7 and 2). So this is my main reason for not writing every day. I am getting the hang of it again though, so I'm hoping to be back to blogging daily soon. I am still trying to stop by everyone's blogs, I love reading them! Ok, enough for now, just wanted to say howdy and let you know what's keeping me so busy.

So Much Going On!

2010-08-17T22:50:00.000-05:00

I like to blog every day, but life steps in and sometimes that's just not possible. I did recently figure out how to set up my blogs to post at a certain time, so at least the next time I want to write more than one, I can spread them out, which is a good thing.

After my daughter got married on the 15th, we had a nice reception and I spent a little time talking to my new son-in-law's grandfather. Unfortunately, the grandfather suffered a massive heart attack last Monday and passed away. So you can imagine how last week went. This week so far I've been watching the baby while my daughter works and her new hubby gets ready to enlist in the Air Force. He spent most of the day today at the recruiter's office. I'm tired, but I wanted to blog a little before bed.

I'm hoping things settle down a little, we certainly need the break. I'm glad it's cooled off the last few days, it was getting a little crazy with highs in the 100s every day, although it's supposed to get hot again by the end of the week.

Well, hope everyone has a great week, take care and give your loved ones extra hugs and kisses.

Editing a Manuscript - Ugh!

2010-08-11T13:19:00.000-05:00

I really don't mind editing, I catch myself doing it all the time when I'm reading something. However, having said that, I am getting tired of editing my manuscript. As most writer's know, a lot of editing is done as you go along, I tend to backtrack at times and edit. My book is finished, but I've probably edited it to some degree at least 3 times. Now that I have the finished product printed out and in my hands, I am doing the final edit. The main problem I'm having right now is that this is my work and I'm missing stuff, some of it is obvious mistakes. I didn't think I would need someone to edit my book, after all I made an A in editing in college for Pete's sake, doesn't that count for something? Guess it is true, that's it's difficult to edit your own work. I've decided to finish my edit, then I'm going to hand off the manuscript to a friend, we'll see what they come up with. I'm hoping that the edit is fine, that will help me feel more confident about editing any future works. So, just wondering, any of you have problems with editing your own work?

Do You Freecycle?

2010-08-08T01:02:00.000-05:00

I've belonged to our town's Freecycle group for quite a few years now. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, if you have something you want to get rid of (can be absolutely anything), you post what it is and people who are signed up will respond via email if they're interested. Then you just have to decide where to meet to give them the item...around here a lot of folks just go to people's homes to pick up the items. I've seen everything from flowers and fish to baby items and cars posted. Everything is free, you have to give the item(s) away and no trading, either.

So if you're interested, check it out, it's a great way to recycle unused items. Here's the link: http://www.freecycle.org/

My Baby Got Married Today! :D

2010-08-05T23:43:00.000-05:00

Tying that knot tight!

Well the ceremony and festivities are over and I'm exhausted, but elated. My daughter and her new hubby have wanted to get married for over 2 years now and it's finally happened. The ceremony was so sweet, they were both tearing up. Watching them together makes me smile, my daughter's husband is awesome. He is so good with their baby, he does everything with him...he'll even change those foul smelling diapers. They are the cutest little family and I'm wishing them the very best. I will try to post a few photos, it may only let me do one though.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

2010-08-03T13:08:00.000-05:00

Summer in Oklahoma is always hot, but it seems to always catch everyone by surprise at just how hot it can get. We will be in the low 100s all week, the only time I go out is in the evening. Fortunately, the humditity is low right now, but it still feels like you're stepping into a blast furnace if the wind is blowing. The only good thing about August in Oklahoma is September and October are next, fall and spring are my favorite seasons. We often have a month of Indian Summer, perfect temperatures with cool breezes and occasional showers. I have lots to keep me busy inside, which is good, but was wondering - what is everyone else doing to keep cool where they live - what do YOU do?

Busy Week!

2010-08-02T01:18:00.000-05:00

Daughter is getting married Thursday, just a small courthouse wedding with a reception at our house. She, her fiance, and their baby son live with us. They have wanted to get married for over 2 years now, but she has some health problems and needed to stay on our insurance to get her meds and see her doctors. She's trying to get state health insurance for her and the baby, which will help a lot. Her fiance is going into the Air Force in six months (there's a waiting list) and they'll be covered then, but they have to be married before he can enlist. Anyway, we will be busy this week with cleaning, getting all her appointments out of the way, ordering the flowers, etc. She also just started a new job last week so we will be working everything around her hours.

Was just thinking about their inability to get married because she would have lost her insurance. Wonder how many people have had to delay marriage or other important events in their lives because of restrictions like that? At one time, her fiance would have lost his social security benefits from when his father died as well. Kind of seems backward, if a couple wants to marry, society should do everything they can to help, not hinder that decision. What do you think?

One more photo for now...

2010-08-01T12:57:00.000-05:00

Will have to post each pic separately, not sure what's going on...

Hmmm, where'd the other photos go?

2010-08-01T12:55:00.000-05:00

Ok, I downloaded two other photos but they didn't show? So here they are again...

Before shot.

Bathtub Part III

2010-08-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted sooner, my back went out on me and I'm slowly getting around. Here's a few photos, I need to take more, the tub is in and hubby is in the process of redoing the tile.

Sammi checking out the damage.

Happy Birthday to Duke!!!

2010-07-29T00:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to You Pretty Boy!

The Great Bathtub Remodel - Part II

2010-07-29T00:28:00.000-05:00

Didn't post until now because between caring for my grandson and helping hubby, just been too busy and/or tired. Yesterday hubby tore out the old tub, today he put in the new fittings and we brought the new (and much, much lighter) tub in and guess what? The tub won't fit (sigh). We tried to get by without tearing out too many tiles, but we have to remove most of the ones in the back to get the tub in, it will fit that way. However, they don't make tiles the size we have anymore so its just better to remove all the tiles in the tub alcove. So our job just got a bit bigger. I will post photos tomorrow of what we've done so far, at least I intend to, we'll see how it goes.

Busy, Busy Day!

2010-07-26T23:20:00.001-05:00

Today hubby and I were planning on replacing our ancient bathtub with the new one we bought at Lowe's. Actually, hubby was going to do the prep work today and if he had time the plan was to beat the old tub until the cast iron breaks. That's the easiest way to remove it, probably weighs about 300 pounds in one piece. Did I mention my hubby is one of the handiest people I know?  McGuyver had nothing over on what he can do. Well, things didn't go exactly as planned...

Last night we decided to get ice cream and we went out to the garage to get in the truck. Tire on passenger side is flat, so we take my car. One of my tires has a slow leak. So this morning was eaten up by tire replacement/repairs. After noon, we have everything (we think) to do the prep/demo work. All goes well until hubby starts smacking the tub with a regular hammer.  The porcelin breaks, but that's it. Hubby asks me to go check online - will cast iron really break? I come back: yes, it will break but you need a BIG hammer (sledgehammer is best). So off to Lowe's again. Hammer is sitting in the tub; demo continues tomorrow. Good thing hubby took the week off, think we're gonna need all of it.

Why am I not helping more, you ask? I have a good reason, was watching our 3 month old grandson, who is the sweetest little guy on the planet. When he smiles and goos I get all goofy and start talking in this ridiculously high voice, which spurs him on more. Ok, enough of that for now, I'm getting off track. I will post some photos tomorrow, hopefully I will have some showing an empty space where the old tub used to sit.

Can I Write About Nothing in Particular, Please?

2010-07-25T12:06:00.000-05:00

I always have something to say, at least I thought I did, until yesterday. I came here three times yesterday to do my blog, but just sat here staring at the New Post page. The blank New Post page. The realization finally came to me - I had Blogger's Block! All my ideas and thoughts fluttered out of my head and blew away on the breeze generated by the ceiling fan. Any new idea or thought that fluttered into my head dissolved on contact with my brain.

I've written enough to realize when this occurs, to get up and get away. Go do something, take my mind off the very thought of writing for a time. Of course, I've been doing nothing but writing lately, so maybe I did need that break. However, my break lasted about 8 hours - started a new short story last night.

Today I sat down, determined to write about something interesting. I find lots of things interesting and I'm sure you do, too. Once again, I could think of nothing in particular. So I'm writing my thoughts out as they come, guess that's just as much a part of writing as sitting down with something planned.

Spontaneous writing is fun, I've learned that from writing my stories. I often start a story and it takes on a life of its own. You end up with something very different than what you originally envisioned.  That's the fun part, seeing where your imagination is taking you, like you're almost going along for the ride, a spectator of sorts.

Ok, writing a novel again, so I'm going for now. The weekend is almost over and the week ahead is going to be interesting, but I'll write about that later. I hope everyone has a wonderful, productive, and fulfilling week!

Some Photos for Your Viewing Pleasure

2010-07-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd just keep it light today and post some unusual cloud/sky pictures. Living in Oklahoma, we have a lot of severe storms and sometimes I great some great shots. I hope you like them!

Looks like a mushroom cloud, but was just a developing thunderstorm.

Turbulence

Oops, What Happened?

2010-07-23T02:45:00.000-05:00

I did something and I'm not sure how to fix it. I had a list of blogs I was following and went to remove one that hadn't posted anything in a long time and I managed by that one click to remove all the blogs on my list. Anyone have great words of wisdom for me on how to fix this? I've been trying, but no luck. Guess I should go to bed before I mess more stuff up, guess that's what I get for staying up too late. Beginning to wonder how I can ever excel at blogging when I can't even figure out how to do the main page correctly (grumble, grumble).

Turning Your Blog into a Book

2010-07-22T20:29:00.000-05:00

In my book trailer post I mentioned that I believed you got around 35% royalty for a Kindle book. I went to check up on that and found there is now a 70% royalty "option" - whatever that means. I didn't have enough time to dig further, but I plan to. If that's true, I may just put my novel on Kindle and see what happens. At least I would get my first book out there, I do plan to do another book, and pretty sure there will be a total of three in a series. While looking around the Kindle site, it recommended turning my blog into a book. Of course it's a general add for anyone, but it got me to thinking...there are some wonderful blogs out there. I'm certain some of them would have enough great material to do a book. Has anyone turned their blog into a book or even thought about doing so? I've never seen one, but like I said before I'm new to all this. I would like to find one and see what it looks like.

Tomorrow is Friday, I hope everyone has a wonderful day and an even better weekend!

Book Trailers? For Real?

2010-07-21T14:49:00.000-05:00

We've all heard of movie trailers, but this is a new one. Was reading a blog that has a lot of advice on what a writer really needs (like a website), and the blogger talked a little bit about book trailers, which in their opinion was a waste of time and money. So I decided I had to check that out. I remember hearing about something new coming out where you can read a book, say on Kindle, and you occasionally get a short video of a scene, but this is different. So I went to YouTube, typed in book trailers and viola - a whole list came up. I would never have thought of doing a book trailer, but hey, if it's another way to get exposure I don't see anything wrong with it. Say you went the traditional publishing route and received nothing but rejections. Then you put your book on Kindle (from what I can tell, you only get 35% in royalties for now), but you also made a book trailer to promote your masterpiece. The trailer works, your book sells, and you eventually make money - it may not be the ideal situation, but it's still better than your book sitting in a box on the bottom shelf of your computer desk with all the accompanying rejection slips. The trick to all this, I'm beginning to realize, is to get your name out there, but to be smart about it. Using venues like YouTube, Amazon, Technorati, etc. are just some of the tools at our disposal. Now, that whole having your own website thing, I can't even think about that yet. I haven't even begun to master blogging and it's definitely something I want to be familiar with before venturing any further. If you're interested, go check out the book trailers. Waste of time and money? Worth every penny? What do you think?

The Dog Days of Summer = Missing Outdoor Activities

2010-07-20T18:51:00.004-05:00

Hi my fellow bloggers, how is life treating you today? Me, pretty good. I am getting a lot of things accomplished via the computer and interwebbies, but as for outside activites not so much. I want to take walks but it's tooooo hot and humid (I don't do well in this kind of heat). I want to go to the park and maybe play some putt putt, but again it's too hot and over there the mosquitos will drain you dry in five minutes. Our park has a small lake, on one side is the park, kiddie rides and putt putt - the other side has our city golf course. Will post a few pics after I yak here. I love just sitting outside on the back patio in the evenings but it's been too sticky for even that lately. Guess once again I need to be patient, it will cool off sometime toward the end of next month (sigh). I am looking forward to getting out again, maybe the hubby and I will go to Roman Nose again. What's that? Your reading assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to Google Roman Nose. Ok, here's the photos - hope everyone has a nice evening even if it is hot where you are!

Wanna See My Pets? Sure Ya Do!

2010-07-19T22:41:00.005-05:00

I feel better after posting my last blog and blowing off a little steam, so thought I'd post something lighter and share photos of all the furbabies who live here. First photo is Tommy, we've had him since he was a tiny kitten, he's 16 now. Next is Sammi, my daughter's fiesty cocker spaniel, she's 2. Last is Maggie, we adopted her from the SPCA, and she's 11. Tommy is in my husband's guitar case in this pic, he wasn't too happy when he turned around and saw the cat in it, but he laughed it off and I took a pic. Sammi is probably the cutest little dog alive and the most mischevious one I've ever known. Maggie is the sweetest and smartest dog. For example, if she's squeaking a toy and I want her to stop all I have to do is tell her. She knows a lot of tricks, too. Breaks my heart to see her getting old, I just hope she lives several more years, don't think I could bear to lose another pet right now since we just lost Demi last month. Well, guess that's all I have for now, see everyone tomorrow!

Arrgh! Information Overload!

2010-07-19T21:58:00.005-05:00

I'm beginning to get overwhelmed and I know why. I need to narrow down my search for the right blogs. So far I've "followed" four or five that have to do with writing/publishing and I think I need to stop there for now. I need to carefully read their posts and see what they have to offer. I'm doing too much skimming and joining and not enough reading. If I keep going like this, I'm going to start ripping my hair out. All I want to do is write my blog (which I'm finding is loads of fun), network with the right people, and find the right way to go about publishing my book, whether it's through a traditional route or through online publishing. I think I've been in too much of a hurry and so I need to slow down, too. I would love to hear from other authors on their experiences, but since I don't have a lot of traffic I know I need to find these authors and read their blogs. Hopefully, the ones I've chosen to start with will be just what I need.

I have a feeling this is going to take a lot longer than anticipated, which is all right, I am a fairly patient person. I didn't say that I had to like doing all this studying, researching, and reading though, but in the end it should make me a smarter author. Maybe even save me some time in the long run. We'll see how it goes, or maybe someone out there knows the perfect publisher who will take me by the hand and guide me through the process. Fat chance of that, but I can dream, right?

Anyway, I hope everyone out there in Blog Land has a wonderful and fulfilling week!

Go Big or Go Home - Right?

2010-07-18T14:12:00.005-05:00

Since another of my passions is photography (amateur yes, but I still love it), I decided to post one of my photos for your (and my) viewing pleasure. I'm hoping to eventually learn how to do my own template using my photos, I think that's how everyone who can really blog does their page. Or do most people use pre-made templates? Will have to do more digging on that question.

I've been bad, ditched editing last night for more reading on what I should do to get myself out there in the writing world (at least on the internet). So I decided I need to go big or go home and I published my blog to Kindle. Ok, I can hear some of you laughing, really I can! Don't blame you either, but I wanted to see how it works and what better way than to jump in with both feet? Like I said, I did do some researching first. Of all the new things I've done lately, I have to say signing up and publishing my blog on Kindle was one of the easiest things I've done so far. Only problem I'm having is it won't show my photo, which maybe is a good thing? I was so excited when it said my blog was published, I rushed over via their link to look at my page and it's there, minus my picture, but that's ok for now. My daughter is going to spruce me up and take a nice photo of me that I can post. We'll see how that goes.

Guess that's all I have for now, think I'm going to go off in search of more blogging friends - wish me luck!

Blog #4 - Getting to Know You

2010-07-17T15:48:00.002-05:00

July 17, 2010

I've been spending the last few days (when I have the time) perusing various blogs, most involve some type of art/craft, writing/publishing, or photography themes. Now that I know where to look, I think it will take me some time to weed out the sites that I can really learn from. There are a few, however, that just look like fun and I will add them, too. So far I've discovered that the blogging community likes to write about anything and everything as they share their lives with us; they also like to have fun. My kind of folks. I've been spending most of my free time doing blogging related activities and I need to get back to editing my book, so the next few days will probably be spent with my manuscript and my pen. I most likely will write something every day, after all I do have a lot to say and this blog isn't called The Chatterbox for nothing. I would also like to thank my new blogging friends for their kind words, encouragement, and for adding a newbie like me. I will do my best to be the kind of blogger people enjoy reading and following.

The Struggle by Charlinda Marie Robinson| Lulu Poetry

2010-07-16T21:57:00.000-05:00

The Struggle by Charlinda Marie Robinson| Lulu Poetry

One Brief Moment of Time by Charlinda Marie Robinson| Lulu Poetry

2010-07-16T21:55:00.000-05:00

One Brief Moment of Time by Charlinda Marie Robinson| Lulu Poetry

Demi's Dish

2010-07-16T10:28:00.005-05:00

This is a photo of my heartdog, Demi and this is her story. When my daughter was 13, she volunteered at the local SPCA and this little dog caught her eye. She begged us to bring her home, all 8 pounds of her. She wanted to name her Ally, but after more discussion she became Demi. She was a small chihauhau mix and scared. Whenever I'd sit in my recliner, she would jump up and lay right under my chin, not moving until I got up. Not long after we got her, she began to have problems with her knees, after one knee operation was successful she was almost good as new, but we had to deter her from jumping up on the furniture.

For the following 6 years, she was my baby, she even slept with my husband and I. She was funny, fiesty, and the ruler of the roost. Our older dog Maggie and older cat Tommy even acquiesced to her wishes. Then last year, she messed up a disc in her back, we came very close to having to put her down, I had to carry her outside to do her business. After vet visits, pain meds, and lots of steroids she got better, which was such a relief, although short-lived. One day soon after I held a treat out to her; she didn't see it. Within a few days she was blind and after a visit to the vet to confirm my suspicions, discovered she was diabetic as well.

For the next year, I faithfully gave her two shots a day at 9am and 9pm - think my daughter only filled in for me about 4 times. Recently, she began to bark all day and cry all night, she was also having accidents in the house. She was slowly getting worse, eventually we all could tell the time had come. On June 23rd, at 4:30pm, Demi went to what pet lover's around the world call the Rainbow Bridge. She is buried in our backyard under the Rose of Sharon bushes. That evening I picked up her dish, intending to wash it. As I walked over to the sink, I glanced down. Her little dish is black with white paw prints on the outside, the inside is stainless steel and I could see where she had licked it clean. I turned around without thinking and placed the little dish (a small dog bowl really) on the shelves above my computer. The dish is still there, I just can't bring myself to wash it yet.

No one tells you when you lose a pet how devastated you will feel. How hard you can cry or how many times you will ask yourself if you did the right thing. One thing I can now say is that no matter how often I question myself, in the end I always come back to the same conclusion. We did do the right thing at the right time; we set her free. I didn't originally intend to write about this, but I began to feel strongly that it would help me to get this out in writing. My family is so understanding, but this is cathartic for me and gives me a sense of closure. Anyway, I wanted to share Demi's story with you - she was an awesome little dog and I love her very much.

Blog #3 - Got Technorati?

2010-07-16T00:39:00.003-05:00

Wow, did I just have an experience! Read that if you don't have Technorati you might as well cancel your blog account and go play Facebook games. Sooo, I mosied over to their site and opened an account. Pretty easy to do, after that I'm sitting here thinking, now what? I had noticed on another blogger's site that they had a little Technorati favorites badge (Or whatever you call it here. Ok, go ahead and laugh, I know I'm such a newbie, but I want one of those cute little badges too). Well that started me looking around some more; realized I had to claim my blog. Searched all over, but found nothing telling me where to go. So I oogled it and finally figured it out. Then, I had to add a feed (how convenient the Atom feed was right there) and add in the body of one of my posts the special secret code of the Technorati (kinda sounds like the Illuminati, doesn't it). I thought blogging was going to be easy, but I'm quickly finding out there's a whole lot more to this than the written word or a pretty photo. However, I'm always up to a challenge, so I will eagerly continue to figure out this thing, even if it kills me (who knows, it might - can never tell about these things ya know). Ok, gonna close for now - tomorrow sometime I'm going to write about something special, well at least to me.

Blog #2 - Why Can't I Search Blogspot?

2010-07-15T16:16:00.006-05:00

Ok, since I'm new here naturally I have questions and queries. Today I tried to search blogs, preferrably blogs having to do with the things I'm interested in such as writing and photography. I did find some, but it was like digging for gold. I finally found one blog with some useful links, then I played a self-made game of follow the links. I found a few I wanted to keep track of (or follow), I hope to find a lot more.

Guess my question is obvious; why in the world is it so hard to find the blogs? Am I doing something wrong, or missing something obvious? Maybe it is a deliberate attempt to make me search out the blogs I'd like to read. If anyone has any helpful hints, tips, or ideas - please let me know. Thanks!

Blog #1 - Getting to Know Your Blog or What the Hell am I Doing?

2010-07-14T18:55:00.001-05:00

July 14, 2010

Ok, I am going to familiarize myself with Blogger and all its attributes. So far this doesn't look too difficult, although I tried naming my blog before realizing all it wanted was my email address first. I am familiar with facebook, photobucket, stuff like that - this should be a piece of cake, or so I'm hoping. I like to write, after all I am a writer and a poet (don't ya know it - sorry, couldn't resist) and from what I've been reading lately, I must have a blog if I want to be considered a serious writer. I just wrote a novel - I wrote it mainly for my grown-up kids, but I would like to publish it when I complete the editing. When I started researching on how to best go about publishing my masterpiece, I discovered there are new rules out there. First and foremost seems to be - have a blog. Ok, that's done. Next, write and submit things like articles and/or anthologies to as many places as possible - just get the work out there. Winning a few literary contests wouldn't hurt, either. Anyway, the end result is the same. I need to be able to show a literary agent or publisher that I'm serious about my craft. I do have a degree in journalism, so that should help and I did have stories published in the college paper, that should help too. I also have two published poems, might post them later.

Ok, my daughter just informed me that I'm writing a blog, not a novel, so I will close for now. I feel kinda nervous though, I have no idea who will read this and what they will think. I guess putting myself out here will be an interesting experience. If you have read this, thanks for reading and I promise there will be more tomorrow (I have a lot to say - lucky you!), I do think this might be a fun thing to do!