Have you ever read a book, where the cover art completely conflicts with the story?
Recently I read a book, and it was well written, but the attention to detail paid by the author, was not shared by the publisher.
The image created of the heroine is very distinct. She has black hair, so dark it has blue hi-lights. The cover art portrays her as a light blond. I can't begin to tell you how much that irritates me.
Now, as I've told you before, I'm not shallow, but little descrepancies like this really can throw me off the story. I've been known to buy a book for the cover art. Yes, I said it. If you don't think the average romance reader does, your mistaken.
Where was I going with this? I felt a bit betrayed, mislead. Not by the writer. She wrote a solid story. If a publisher hires an artist to do the cover, they should read the story. How else are they going to get it right?
Don't give me the whole, "This isn't how an artist works", because I know better. I know how an artist works. If I was hired to paint the cover art, I'd read the story. Not only to ensure I got it right, but for inspiration. It's a beautiful cover, but it doesn't belong with the story. For the publisher to slip on this, shows how little they care. The reader will lose trust. Hopefully not in the writer. We all know how little control a writer has over these things. What makes me mad is I know that it takes months, sometimes years to write these stories. If someone would have taken a couple of days to do their research, this wouldn't have happened.
Let this serve as an example of why we should do our research, and I'm not talking to just the writers. The Devil really is in the details. Do your research.
Book written by: Julia Latham, and the story is "One Knight Only."
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
ARMED AND MAGICAL (ARC) Book Review
ARMED AND MAGICAL (ARC)By Lisa Shearin
Ace Books
Urban Fantasy
Release date April 2008
Pardon me while I take a moment to enthuse. (Is that a word?) This is, without a doubt, one of the best reads I’ve had in a long, long time. There are twists, turns, shocks and surprises—all contained in a fast-paced story. Unpredictable would be an understatement and the witty dialogue, both spoken and internal, is exceptional.
ARMED AND MAGICAL is the much anticipated Raine Benares Adventure sequel to MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND. I read it in a day. I could not stop. It rolled from one engrossing, hooky scene to the next. There is much to discover and some absolute pound-fists-on-the-table-and-kick-heels-in-glee surprises. When Raine isn’t immersed in a situation full of terrific humor, she’s up to her ears in bite-your-nails creepiness.
By page 6, Raine’s got trouble—BIG trouble—and I’m once again pulled right into the crux of the action by the first person POV as villains pop out of the woodwork, a major character is in jeopardy, and an innocent is snatched. We’re off!
Raine Benares is a seeker, a finder of lost things, and a sorceress of moderate powers. Make that a world-wise, quick-witted, been-around-the-block-a-few-times sorceress from a family of rogues and criminals. She’s savvy and unpredictable, and you never know what she might say next. Tell Raine to keep quiet? Not gonna happen. In MLTF, she found something she wasn’t looking for that attached itself to her with the tenacity of a Pit Bull. Mychael Eiliesor, a fellow elf, Conclave Guardian and paladin (read that: top cop) came into her life to help her shake off her disturbing accessory, but his job often puts him at odds with her instincts. Mychael is her self-appointed protector, but Raine resists being protected, and coming from a family of criminals that view Mychael’s sort with suspicion, she has doubts about his true motivations. Tam, nightclub owner, exotic bad boy, and goblin with a dubious past also finds himself entangled in Raine’s business, though an entanglement of a different sort is more what he has in mind. Tam has a damning secret, and when Raine discovers who and what he was—and may still be—she is smart enough to heed his warnings. Or try to.
As with MLTF, there are many who might qualify as “villain material,” but two stand out in their special charming, slithery way. Sarad Nukpana is back in all his evil glory, and Rudra Muralin, a goblin with a dark past (or make that an even darker past than most goblins) presents a new force for Raine to contend with. There is also large and well-drawn contingent of minor characters, including incorrigible kin, loyal Guardians, corrupt officials, seedy minions, and an overbearing, malevolent librarian that reigns over his turf like a dark thundercloud.
It is a rare case where a sequel bests the original in brilliant style. MLTF was a delight. ARMED AND MAGICAL is even better. The lightning pace makes for a quick, engrossing read, but real-life ingredients like politics and legal matters add rich complexity and twists to the story. The element of surprise is always present. You just never know what…or who…might pop up next. Magic is used in imaginative and surprising ways and in at least one scene had me ROFL at the irony when Raine takes on a very convincing disguise and suffers the consequences. Paybacks are hell, huh, Raine?
If you love an imaginative Fantasy romp with a winning blend of laugh-out-loud humor and chilling suspense, this novel is a “Must Read.” Look for it in April 2008.
This is a condensed version of a review I posted on the the Toasted Scimitar Fantasy Pub. http://www.toasted-scimitar.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 28, 2008
Decluttering
How much stuff do we really need? I look around my home and wonder how much I could get rid of without missing it. They say that if you haven't used or looked at a possession for 6 months - then it can go. Husband is out the door then! (Don't mean it, really) I have an attic of toys saved just in case my kids ever have kids - since neither of them are even married not going to be soon, jigsaws I have loved - will I ever do them again, ski gear ( well that would be OK but the four sets of old style skis and five assorted ski poles??) a trumpet (son never did get the hang of it) violin (I never got the hang of it - just as I mastered using all the strings I found you had to move your hand up and down the neck too) etc etc. In the house it's just as bad - DVDs , videos we'll never watch. Ornaments that mean nothing. Clothes that haven't been worn for years let alone 6 months. A room with a pile of daughter's possessions even though she hasn't lived at home for a long while. Ditto with son. Amps, guitar leads, girlie magazines (oops wasn't supposed to find those) and in the bathroom a million skin care and hair products - all part used and deserted. Everything could go, but for one thing. Well, it's more than one thing. My books. Hundreds of them. Ok, I admit it, thousands. I'm anal enough to have them sorted alphabetically and by genre - well upstairs at least. The romances are tucked away in an upstairs room, the thrillers and suspense and factual ones are downstairs. If I like a book, I can't part with it. I'm physically incapable of letting it go. Will I read it again? Possibly not but I have to keep it. If I get rid of all that other clutter, it will leave me more room for my books. Ooh, great idea. Now, what can I get rid of first?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
What are you reading???
I've been to Borders again. The trip resulted in several books. Of course you all know I have the Diana Palmer book, with the great cover. "The Morcai Battalion." Turning into an interesting read.
Yes! Another Donna Kauffman book. "The Black Sheep and the Hidden Beauty." I don't need to tell you how much I like her work. I was extremely pleased to see it and had to add it to the pile. (near the top) Whoo Hoo.
I got a J.R. Ward book, "Lover Revealed." The edginess of these stories have really grown on me. The names as Flick mentioned, are a little off the wall, but I don't seem to notice anymore.
Yes, Lynn Kurland. Her books are sweet and great reads for down time. Her books would get a "G" rating in the movies. So if you're looking for smoking hot, down and dirty sex, these books are not for you. I like them, as sometimes its nice to read something just for a sweet love story, which all of her books are.
"Divine Evil." Nora Roberts. So far a very good book. I'm about half-way into this one. It's about the occult, murder and small towns. Enjoying this one, immensely. I've also got her book, "Blood Brothers."
Then there's Melanie Jackson, "Divine Night." I've read one of her others and though the switch to French in the text and back to English over and over was annoying, I liked the characters. She has compelling characters that are not necessarily nice people. I like that a lot. If you can tolerate the occasional shift in dialect, these are not half bad...
Then there are the books (required reading) for my black belt. Since I've got less than a year, I better get started with them. Not only am I required to read through them, I have to work through them and yes, share them. They are: "Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Cronic Pain." (I say just divorce his ass.) "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Yeah, I've heard great stuff about this one. Perhaps this would be a good one for a woman that needs a little focus. And here's a big one "The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is The Key to High Preformance and Personal Renewal." Say that fast three times backwards. I dare you...
I'll let you know how they are. *Crosses heart* If I start quoting the Dali Lama and Tony Robbins, you know what happened. Peace.
Yes! Another Donna Kauffman book. "The Black Sheep and the Hidden Beauty." I don't need to tell you how much I like her work. I was extremely pleased to see it and had to add it to the pile. (near the top) Whoo Hoo.
I got a J.R. Ward book, "Lover Revealed." The edginess of these stories have really grown on me. The names as Flick mentioned, are a little off the wall, but I don't seem to notice anymore.
Yes, Lynn Kurland. Her books are sweet and great reads for down time. Her books would get a "G" rating in the movies. So if you're looking for smoking hot, down and dirty sex, these books are not for you. I like them, as sometimes its nice to read something just for a sweet love story, which all of her books are.
"Divine Evil." Nora Roberts. So far a very good book. I'm about half-way into this one. It's about the occult, murder and small towns. Enjoying this one, immensely. I've also got her book, "Blood Brothers."
Then there's Melanie Jackson, "Divine Night." I've read one of her others and though the switch to French in the text and back to English over and over was annoying, I liked the characters. She has compelling characters that are not necessarily nice people. I like that a lot. If you can tolerate the occasional shift in dialect, these are not half bad...
Then there are the books (required reading) for my black belt. Since I've got less than a year, I better get started with them. Not only am I required to read through them, I have to work through them and yes, share them. They are: "Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method for Stopping Cronic Pain." (I say just divorce his ass.) "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." Yeah, I've heard great stuff about this one. Perhaps this would be a good one for a woman that needs a little focus. And here's a big one "The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is The Key to High Preformance and Personal Renewal." Say that fast three times backwards. I dare you...
I'll let you know how they are. *Crosses heart* If I start quoting the Dali Lama and Tony Robbins, you know what happened. Peace.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Scouting Mission: The Outback Stars
Dawn, I haven't read this one but found it on Tor-Forge. It does sound your cup of tea, and you know me, always promoting debut novels. The author, Sandra McDonald, is a former Navy officer.
THE OUTBACK STARS by Sandra McDonald
Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is a hero. She has the medals and the scars to prove it. She's cooling her heels on Kookaburra, recovering from injuries sustained during the fiery loss of her last ship, the Yangtze, and she's bored -- so bored, in fact, that she takes a berth on the next ship out. That's a mistake.
The Aral Sea isn't anyone's idea of a get-well tour. Jodenny 's handed a division full of misfits, incompetents, and criminals. She's a squared-away officer. She thinks she can handle it all. She's wrong. Aral Sea isn't a happy ship. And it's about to get a lot unhappier.
As Aral Sea enters the Alcheringa -- the alien-constructed space warp that allows giant settler-ships to travel between worlds, away from all help or hope -- Jodenny comes face to face with something powerful enough to dwarf even the unknown force that destroyed her last ship and left her with missing memories and bloody nightmares. Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is about to be introduced to love. Author Sandra McDonald brings her personal knowledge of the military, and of the subtle interplay between men and women on deployment, to a stirring tale that mixes ancient Australian folklore with the colonization of the stars.
Link: http://www.tor-forge.com/theoutbackstars
THE OUTBACK STARS by Sandra McDonald
Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is a hero. She has the medals and the scars to prove it. She's cooling her heels on Kookaburra, recovering from injuries sustained during the fiery loss of her last ship, the Yangtze, and she's bored -- so bored, in fact, that she takes a berth on the next ship out. That's a mistake.
The Aral Sea isn't anyone's idea of a get-well tour. Jodenny 's handed a division full of misfits, incompetents, and criminals. She's a squared-away officer. She thinks she can handle it all. She's wrong. Aral Sea isn't a happy ship. And it's about to get a lot unhappier.
As Aral Sea enters the Alcheringa -- the alien-constructed space warp that allows giant settler-ships to travel between worlds, away from all help or hope -- Jodenny comes face to face with something powerful enough to dwarf even the unknown force that destroyed her last ship and left her with missing memories and bloody nightmares. Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is about to be introduced to love. Author Sandra McDonald brings her personal knowledge of the military, and of the subtle interplay between men and women on deployment, to a stirring tale that mixes ancient Australian folklore with the colonization of the stars.
Link: http://www.tor-forge.com/theoutbackstars
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Terminator Fans Take Note
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles premiers tonight on FOX for a two-night run. I'll tune in to this one. Hope it's well made and fits the original story line. Different actors, of course. I think the actress who played River on Firefly is in it. Can't think of her name right now. Summer Glau?
Looks great. But we'll see. ::: puts on Show Me hat :::
Here's the link: http://www.fox.com/terminator/
Looks great. But we'll see. ::: puts on Show Me hat :::
Here's the link: http://www.fox.com/terminator/
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Dream Wall
I've just come from Lisa Shearin's blog and had to post this. Lisa just had her first two book covers made into posters for her office wall. Here's a link, so you can take a peak: http://www.lisashearin.com/blog.cfm
What a great idea. Someday I hope I can do the same.
In the meantime, I have to settle for my Star Wars poster (All I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Star Wars), my '56 Thunderbird photos, and my famous quotes in their lucite frames.
What a great idea. Someday I hope I can do the same.
In the meantime, I have to settle for my Star Wars poster (All I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Star Wars), my '56 Thunderbird photos, and my famous quotes in their lucite frames.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The Devil Inside
Okay, just finished a novel by Jenne Black called "The Devil Inside."
If you're religious, you might not like this. If you have an open mind, it's a great read.
Morgan Kingsley is an exorcist. A sexy, leather wearing exorcist with an attitude. Her job is to get demons out of people who have been illegally possessed. If she does, she saves a human life. If she doesn't the law executes the human and demon by burning them alive.
She's the best at what she does. She's gets the toughest cases, ones that others won't touch. When she gets called to Topeka Kansas to exoricse a demon from an 11 year old child, Morgan bites off more than she can chew. Just as she's sure the demon is going to transfer to her, and she'll be the one burned alive, something strange happens. The demon retreats. It retreats and chooses destruction instead of possession of Morgan.
From that point on, things get a bit hairy. Morgan has to call in her best friend, another Exorcist, to read her aura and prove she's not possessed. Val declares her demon free, and soon Morgan is free from jail.
But something is wrong. Morgan starts sleep walking and begins to wonder if her friend was wrong. Why wouldn't the demon jump? Why did it retreat? Morgan finds a note in her own handwriting upon waking. "The demon didn't take you, because you're already possessed."
In a world where being possessed means you'll eventually end up a vegetable or worse yet, burned alive for harboring an illegal demon, Morgan's got trouble, big trouble.
Soon Morgan finds herself framed for murder and running for her life. To make matters worse, a radical group has kidnapped her boyfriend and they are sending her tapes of the torture they're inflicting on him... All because of "The devil Inside"
This story smokes. Plenty of heat. Plenty of sex. Not for the faint of heart.
If you're religious, you might not like this. If you have an open mind, it's a great read.
Morgan Kingsley is an exorcist. A sexy, leather wearing exorcist with an attitude. Her job is to get demons out of people who have been illegally possessed. If she does, she saves a human life. If she doesn't the law executes the human and demon by burning them alive.
She's the best at what she does. She's gets the toughest cases, ones that others won't touch. When she gets called to Topeka Kansas to exoricse a demon from an 11 year old child, Morgan bites off more than she can chew. Just as she's sure the demon is going to transfer to her, and she'll be the one burned alive, something strange happens. The demon retreats. It retreats and chooses destruction instead of possession of Morgan.
From that point on, things get a bit hairy. Morgan has to call in her best friend, another Exorcist, to read her aura and prove she's not possessed. Val declares her demon free, and soon Morgan is free from jail.
But something is wrong. Morgan starts sleep walking and begins to wonder if her friend was wrong. Why wouldn't the demon jump? Why did it retreat? Morgan finds a note in her own handwriting upon waking. "The demon didn't take you, because you're already possessed."
In a world where being possessed means you'll eventually end up a vegetable or worse yet, burned alive for harboring an illegal demon, Morgan's got trouble, big trouble.
Soon Morgan finds herself framed for murder and running for her life. To make matters worse, a radical group has kidnapped her boyfriend and they are sending her tapes of the torture they're inflicting on him... All because of "The devil Inside"
This story smokes. Plenty of heat. Plenty of sex. Not for the faint of heart.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Damn!
There are book covers, then there are BOOK COVERS.
I just spent $25.00 without batting an eyelash. I know nothing about the author, nor did I care. When I'm done being in love with the art on the cover, I'll let you know what the story is like.
Okay, it caught my eye when I walked into the book store. I snatched it up and couldn't put it down. I'm really not this shallow, and I'm sure the story is great, she's a NY Times Bestseller, but this is a book I had to have because of the cover...
It's much more impressive in your hands and the back is just as beautiful.
When it comes to art, I'm a hard one to please. I know what I like and I know what I don't. I like, I like a lot. It's nice to see cover art where the artist wasn't afraid of faces and they have a fantastic imagination. I'm not crazy about purple, but wow, the entire cover is this dusky purple that just sucks you in. It stood out from everything else around it. I'm planning on reviewing this one, I'll let you know at the end of the week, what I think of the story.
The Book is by Diana Palmer, it's called "The Morcai Battalion" and I haven't got a clue who the artist is, but thumbs up my friend, your cover is awesome.
Writing for young adults.
My eight grade son's writing teacher has asked me to come to the class in February and share some Sci-Fi with the kids. I think it sounds like fun and I've been getting together a group of writers interested in having some of their material read to these teenagers. The input will be pretty good, I'm sure.
During the process of writing young adult, appropriate material, I have come to the conclusion that it is hard to write for kids.
My work tends to be a little dark. I use naughty words and yes, it's romance so I have sexual content. Writing something that doesn't include any of these things, has been a challenge. It's interesting to see how switching gears affects my writing.
If you haven't written Young Adult, give it a try. It really is a challenge, you can learn a lot from this exercise in restraint. Young Adult Writers, I salute you.
During the process of writing young adult, appropriate material, I have come to the conclusion that it is hard to write for kids.
My work tends to be a little dark. I use naughty words and yes, it's romance so I have sexual content. Writing something that doesn't include any of these things, has been a challenge. It's interesting to see how switching gears affects my writing.
If you haven't written Young Adult, give it a try. It really is a challenge, you can learn a lot from this exercise in restraint. Young Adult Writers, I salute you.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The day after Christmas
It's a bit like a hangover on your pocketbook. It's painful and you don't remember where all your money went. You just have these flashbacks...
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I sat around and ate, and read, and ate some more. Christmas was a day of doing absolutely nothing and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Mr. Santa was good to me. Got me everything a girl could want. A heavy bag and fingerless sparring gloves. Ah the romance. I'm so excited. I've been nagging him since I opened them to hang the bag so I can kick it and punch it. He said he'd do it tonight. Gawd, I love that man.
It's back to work. Argh... Year end tax reporting and all. Have a feeling I'm going to need that heavy bag tonight. Time to stop being lazy and get back to picking away at the re-write I stalled out on too. Sigh.
Have a great day and Happy Day After.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I sat around and ate, and read, and ate some more. Christmas was a day of doing absolutely nothing and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Mr. Santa was good to me. Got me everything a girl could want. A heavy bag and fingerless sparring gloves. Ah the romance. I'm so excited. I've been nagging him since I opened them to hang the bag so I can kick it and punch it. He said he'd do it tonight. Gawd, I love that man.
It's back to work. Argh... Year end tax reporting and all. Have a feeling I'm going to need that heavy bag tonight. Time to stop being lazy and get back to picking away at the re-write I stalled out on too. Sigh.
Have a great day and Happy Day After.
Monday, December 24, 2007
One of My Favorite Christmas Songs
Colorado Snow
Looking out the window of this hollywood hotel,
You’d never know that it was christmas eve.
The billboards and the neon took the place of silver bells,
And the temperature is 84 degrees.
I can hear the traffic on the crowded strip below
As the palm trees poke their heads above the scene
There’s not a single reindeer and it hardly ever snows,
And santa drives a Rolls Royce limosine.
But all along the Rockies
You can feel it in the air
From Telluride to Boulder down below
The closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere
Is a quiet christmas morning
in the Colorado snow
I remember christmases when I was just a boy
In the morning I would run to see the tree.
And the carolers on the hillside sang their songs of christmas joy
Well, I always thought they sang them just for me.
Now the sun is setting in the california sky
And I cant find the spirit anywhere
So I think it’s time for me to tell Los Angeles goodbye
I’m going back home to look for Christmas there
But all along the Rockies
You can feel it in the air
From Telluride to Boulder down below
The closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere
Is a quiet Christmas morning
In the Colorado snow
--Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
New Mexico Snowfall
January 2005
Rising Star Ranch
Looking out the window of this hollywood hotel,
You’d never know that it was christmas eve.
The billboards and the neon took the place of silver bells,
And the temperature is 84 degrees.
I can hear the traffic on the crowded strip below
As the palm trees poke their heads above the scene
There’s not a single reindeer and it hardly ever snows,
And santa drives a Rolls Royce limosine.
But all along the Rockies
You can feel it in the air
From Telluride to Boulder down below
The closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere
Is a quiet christmas morning
in the Colorado snow
I remember christmases when I was just a boy
In the morning I would run to see the tree.
And the carolers on the hillside sang their songs of christmas joy
Well, I always thought they sang them just for me.
Now the sun is setting in the california sky
And I cant find the spirit anywhere
So I think it’s time for me to tell Los Angeles goodbye
I’m going back home to look for Christmas there
But all along the Rockies
You can feel it in the air
From Telluride to Boulder down below
The closest thing to heaven on this planet anywhere
Is a quiet Christmas morning
In the Colorado snow
--Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
New Mexico Snowfall
January 2005
Rising Star Ranch
Friday, December 21, 2007
Some thoughts...
Some sad news came to me last night. My husband's Uncle Tim, who is in his mid-forties was just diagnosed with liver cancer. It's pretty bad, five tumors. He's at the hospital right now and they are treating him for the pain. Of all my husband's family, and there are a lot of them, from his mother to his father including the grandparents, Tim is the one that made me feel most welcome when I first married my husband 17 years ago. At every family party and get together we chat. He's also the only one that has asked about my writing, what I've done, how it's coming along. An encouraging friend. Someone I care a great deal for.
When my Mother-in law told me last night, I had flashbacks to three years ago and my father's cancer. I got a call at three in the morning, the kind you all hope you never get, from my mother. They were rushing my father up to Denver, not sure he'd make it through the night. I live on the East coast and the trip was an 8 hour flight. Believe me, I've flown it many times and never has it been that long... I didn't know what was wrong with him at the time, just that he was sick and I might not make it in time.
In a time when family needs to be strong, mine fell apart. My sister who is bi-polar started having issues with her health and came close to going in the hospital several times during this time. My brother became instant a**hole, and wouldn't go to the hospital and refused to help. Staying home to work. I know it was his way of dealing with it, but it just lumped more on my shoulders.
My mother. The minute she heard it was cancer, she dropped to the floor and began to cry. She curled up in his chair for three days, a zombie and cried till her eyes swelled shut. Everything was left up to me, in a time when I'd like to have curled into a ball and cried myself.
They took my father into that hospital on a stretcher, the cancer was wrapped around his spine, causing the lower body organs to shut down. He had lost all ability to use his legs. What was killing him wasn't the cancer, but the poisoning of his own waste.
To make a long story short, a year after the ordeal, my father was on the reservoir in Pueblo water skiing. A testimony to all that you can beat it.
There are things that happen in our lives that define who we are. There are times we have to reach down and grab everything we have and fight. My father fought for his life. I fought to get him treated. You see, three weeks before he became sick, he was laid off from the construction company he'd worked for. Without insurance, living on Ramen noodles and beans, things were tight for my parents. My mother was mowing lawns to pay the bills, just to keep their heads above water.
Once the hospital treated him for the immediate threat, the toxins from the waste backup, they were going to release him. They knew he had cancer and needed treatment, but my parents didn't have insurance. We turned to the V.A. My father is an Air Force Veteran. It wasn't a war related illness, so they intially refused. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the process of getting him help. There were times when I didn't think I was going to be able to get him the help. I had door after door, slammed in my face. At the end of ten days of not getting anywhere, and my father on the cusp of being released, I collapsed in the sitting area in the V.A. and cried.
If it wasn't for a kind man, a staff member who pushed paper and processed medical bills, my father would never have received the treatment he needed. He got an application of hardship pushed through, and my father was transfered instead of released.
The doctors at the VA treated my father for cancer, but one staff member, a man who pushed paper, saved my father's life.
This holiday season, be thankful to the Doctors and those that treat us when we are sick, the soldiers who serve in the armed forces and the men and women in uniform that keep us safe at home. But also... be thankful for the little guys, they may not get the glory, but many are unsung heros.
Tim is in the same situtation and can't afford the treatments he needs. I'm going to the hospital today, to see if we can get Tim the help he needs. This time, I know my way around the system.
Wish me luck.
When my Mother-in law told me last night, I had flashbacks to three years ago and my father's cancer. I got a call at three in the morning, the kind you all hope you never get, from my mother. They were rushing my father up to Denver, not sure he'd make it through the night. I live on the East coast and the trip was an 8 hour flight. Believe me, I've flown it many times and never has it been that long... I didn't know what was wrong with him at the time, just that he was sick and I might not make it in time.
In a time when family needs to be strong, mine fell apart. My sister who is bi-polar started having issues with her health and came close to going in the hospital several times during this time. My brother became instant a**hole, and wouldn't go to the hospital and refused to help. Staying home to work. I know it was his way of dealing with it, but it just lumped more on my shoulders.
My mother. The minute she heard it was cancer, she dropped to the floor and began to cry. She curled up in his chair for three days, a zombie and cried till her eyes swelled shut. Everything was left up to me, in a time when I'd like to have curled into a ball and cried myself.
They took my father into that hospital on a stretcher, the cancer was wrapped around his spine, causing the lower body organs to shut down. He had lost all ability to use his legs. What was killing him wasn't the cancer, but the poisoning of his own waste.
To make a long story short, a year after the ordeal, my father was on the reservoir in Pueblo water skiing. A testimony to all that you can beat it.
There are things that happen in our lives that define who we are. There are times we have to reach down and grab everything we have and fight. My father fought for his life. I fought to get him treated. You see, three weeks before he became sick, he was laid off from the construction company he'd worked for. Without insurance, living on Ramen noodles and beans, things were tight for my parents. My mother was mowing lawns to pay the bills, just to keep their heads above water.
Once the hospital treated him for the immediate threat, the toxins from the waste backup, they were going to release him. They knew he had cancer and needed treatment, but my parents didn't have insurance. We turned to the V.A. My father is an Air Force Veteran. It wasn't a war related illness, so they intially refused. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the process of getting him help. There were times when I didn't think I was going to be able to get him the help. I had door after door, slammed in my face. At the end of ten days of not getting anywhere, and my father on the cusp of being released, I collapsed in the sitting area in the V.A. and cried.
If it wasn't for a kind man, a staff member who pushed paper and processed medical bills, my father would never have received the treatment he needed. He got an application of hardship pushed through, and my father was transfered instead of released.
The doctors at the VA treated my father for cancer, but one staff member, a man who pushed paper, saved my father's life.
This holiday season, be thankful to the Doctors and those that treat us when we are sick, the soldiers who serve in the armed forces and the men and women in uniform that keep us safe at home. But also... be thankful for the little guys, they may not get the glory, but many are unsung heros.
Tim is in the same situtation and can't afford the treatments he needs. I'm going to the hospital today, to see if we can get Tim the help he needs. This time, I know my way around the system.
Wish me luck.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Eternal Embrace
Found in Italy, this couple has been in an embrace for 5-6 thousand years. Little is known of them. What was the manner of death? Were they a doomed Romeo and Juliet, so in love one couldn't live without the other? Why were they buried like this? Many ask what inspires me. It is things like this... Life inspires me.
This my friends, is a love story.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Some Monday morning thoughts.
Here on the East coast we were pounded by a big Nor'easter this weekend. I spent Sunday afternoon, shoveling out of two feet of snow, painting, and doing some critiques of several friend's Manuscripts.
The issue of word count came up in a discussion with one of the writers. She's marketing her first novel at 125k. Through our conversations, she mentioned that the plot is woven so tightly, cutting it will be almost impossible. We discussed chopping it in two and going with a series. It is a series already, and book two is well on its way to being as large as number one.
The writer explained that by breaking it in two, the ending would feel unfinished, leaving the reader hanging. Not good. So again, that was out of the question.
Then I mentioned the first novel of Diana Gabaldon. Diana lightly touches on this very issue in the acknowledgments of her first novel "Outlander." It has 850 pages and is over twice the size of a first time novel. Instead of cutting, chopping and destroying text, she rolled with it and found someone that was willing to work with her. That someone, has sold many more novels for her, all just as sizable and Diana, she's a New York Times Bestseller.
So, for you Epic writers, don't lose heart. A larger Manuscript may be harder to sell, but in the end the sell boils down to a couple of things.
1. How good is your writing?
2. How bad do you want your novel published?
The issue of word count came up in a discussion with one of the writers. She's marketing her first novel at 125k. Through our conversations, she mentioned that the plot is woven so tightly, cutting it will be almost impossible. We discussed chopping it in two and going with a series. It is a series already, and book two is well on its way to being as large as number one.
The writer explained that by breaking it in two, the ending would feel unfinished, leaving the reader hanging. Not good. So again, that was out of the question.
Then I mentioned the first novel of Diana Gabaldon. Diana lightly touches on this very issue in the acknowledgments of her first novel "Outlander." It has 850 pages and is over twice the size of a first time novel. Instead of cutting, chopping and destroying text, she rolled with it and found someone that was willing to work with her. That someone, has sold many more novels for her, all just as sizable and Diana, she's a New York Times Bestseller.
So, for you Epic writers, don't lose heart. A larger Manuscript may be harder to sell, but in the end the sell boils down to a couple of things.
1. How good is your writing?
2. How bad do you want your novel published?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Technical Difficulties
Our header seems to be a bit askew. Not sure how that happened, but I see Blogger has tweaked things a bit. I'll see if I can fix it, or find a new one. Probably time to redecorate anyhow. :)
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