Thank God You're Still Here!

I think we've established that when things get tough, Elsie hides behind the Ben & Jerry's, only taking short breaks to write & sleep.
And lately, things have been TOUGH.
I don't want to bore you with the down & dirty details, but I will say this: when trouble rains down at the Love house, it really is a torrential downpour that requires an ark. If I'm lucky, I will have bailed out the aftermath (with my teaspoon) by October. I'm not holding my breath mind you, just keeping my breathing straw slightly above the water line.
So what have I been doing/reading?
1. Reading
Well, I gave the Count of Monte Cristo one page. I sensed, in those very first lines, that I was in no frame of mind to absorb the material & promptly ditched it for:
ANNA KARENINA
So far, I'm loving it. I'll admit there have been times when talk of Russian agriculture found me skimming a page or two; but for the most part it has been a tale of love, betrayal, friendships & life. There was even a curveball or two I didn't see coming. But--I'm only just past the halfway mark--so I'm not ready for a full review as of yet. I will be. Soon, I promise.

2. Publishing (yes, I'm still pretending I'm a writer)
On another note, ether publishing just picked up SNOW ANGELS! And the very best part is that it is FREE for all you lovely readers out there. It even received one 5star review (thank you, whoever you are). Of course there's a catch: ether is a mobile/Apple download only product (yucky for those who don't iPod, Pad, or Phone). If you'd like the free Apple app, click HERE and please, if you read it...drop me a line & leave a nice review. Every little bit feeds the ego.

3. Doing (By doing, I mean writing)
I've reached that point. SIXTY POUNDS OF SH!T & COUNTING has 50,000 words, all already through one round of editing, and a chapter or two left to write. This is the stage where my mind starts to wander beyond the book I'm currently writing & into other books which have yet to be written. This is very dangerous territory, my friends, as it slows the entire process down to a snail's pace--and that's when I'm *not* dealing with job changes, children on the verge of breakdowns, & other various life altering issues. I took a minor break to write a thriller (POSSESSIONS- 4,000 words yet to be published), spent a month with rewrites, and now I'm onto the finish line....if I can just keep my eye on the prize.
So that's it in a nutshell. Nothing big, new & exciting. Just me, trudging through day by day, hoping to make it to the end. I can't thank you enough for sticking around. If I'd logged in today & found I only had a follower or two left...I don't know what I would have done.
perhaps write a book about a dysfunctional, impulsive writer who is her own worst enemy? Hmmmm...
Cheers!
**Side note** DO NOT read the Amazon.com description...it tells you the ending! GRRRRR. I hate that. I went on to add the link & now I know the end. Pooh. That stinks.

Fairy Tales For The Here & Now. Plus, Genius Ideas For The eReader Market

Wow. I feel as if I blink, & suddenly I am behind on everything. But really, I am doing things...important things! (Well, they're important to me anyway)
I've been a busy reader over the past week or so, and now I will share the fruits of my labors with you. Per my usual, I will post on three really interesting factoids/books.

1. Lending Library/Swap Spot For ereader Books.
Oh boy, this cutting edge site must have authors everywhere on the defensive. Remember how crazy everybody went when Amazon.com decided to list books that were selling for $24.99 in the store for mere pennies on the dollar? Well, get ready for another ebook revolution!  
ebookfling.com is a site that came to my attention this week via the Clark Howard segment on CNN morning news. The creators of this genius site decided to take full advantage of the Kindle & nook policy of being able to loan your book out, one time, to another reader for a two week period. They have created a catch all for every reader of  books that wants to share/share alike. All you have to do is sign up for a free account & voila! you are on your way to virtual library.
As a reader, I love this idea. As a writer...eh...well... I mean come on, how am I ever going to make any money if you people keep coming up with this stuff? If I'm not careful I will have to resort to full time work again. That can't be good for the writing career. (It won't stop me from getting on there & swapping though)

2. A Test In Tolerance
For those that are unaware, I write a blog for another site. I love it. I use it as my sounding board for my precocious wit. Last week I posted about my new adventure as a paid book reviewer. My first book was male/male romance-erotica...with a murder-mystery to boot. I felt it necessary to blog about it because people could not wrap their minds around the fact that I was willing to review the material.
Um, okay. It's a job. A paid job, reviewing a book...which in case you hadn't noticed, was kind of my thing. Sure, it's my first time--but there's a first time for everything. After much ado about nothing, I read it, enjoyed it, and finished my review. It isn't out yet, so I don't want to spoil it. However, if you'd like to take a peek at the post I wrote looking for opinions, you can read it Here. I encourage you to read it. Stretching is good; it makes you limber :)


3. A Fairy Tale of a Book,That Deserves a Storybook Review
(Finally, a review!)
A month ago I downloaded a novella from Carina Press. For those that haven't been there, it is a nice little site. A subsidiary of Harlequin, they publish solely in ebook format & every Tuesday(? I think?) they post  selected titles at a discounted rate. On the particular Tuesday in question, they had a novella...for FREE. Now, we all know I'm not one to pass up a free book. I snatched it up, put in on my Kindle, & forgot about it--until yesterday.
The Sevenfold Spell, by Tia Nevitt is Sleeping Beauty told from the perspective of the spinning wheel spinster, Talia. It sounds unusual, but I assure you, it is one fantastic read. I liked it better than the last three books I've read by famous, not to be named here, authors. It was one hundred pages of great fun (I gobbled it all up in one day). Ms. Nevitt's writing is full of grace & beauty (pun intended. I do that--sorry!) that will make you yearn for more. It has humor, romance, and some steamy love scenes. Not erotica, just steam. It is part of her Enchanted Miniseries...so get ready to fall in love, repeatedly!
Kudos to you Ms. Nevitt. You wrote one heck of a fairy tale for the young at heart that require a more adult version of life. I give it five solid stars and a swish with my magic wand.
It is no longer free; but at a mere $2.69 for the download, it is still a steal.
That's all I have for now folks. Enjoy the spring weather. Take your reading to the park & get lost in adventure!

P.S. I'm still looking for people interested in chatting with Nancy Volkers...Email me if you want in.