I have always loved the written word. So much of my childhood was spent in the idea that I would be a writer. I had a best friend, Lucretia Fisher. (only one of a handful of friends I had) She lived near my grandmother. She and I would talk about being famous writers some day. We would argue about which of us would be published first.
When I was not writing I was devouring books. I read at a college level in 4th grade…And now I find that I am having trouble finding the time…last year right about this time I decided that I missed it…between October and December I read nearly 60 books…
I think I will likely do it again…but I am trying to get a habit with my writing. And I find that I am having trouble getting motivated. I always have 500 million other things that I have on my to do list. I wonder if Lucretia managed to get her books published. She was such an amazing writer.
The to-do list never goes away. I am fighting to help authors get heard. I am fighting my own demons to see what I write as being worthy of the world. And sometimes I am just hurting my own feelings. So, if I seem to be a little bit more in self-doubt please realize that I am still fighting.
Handprints on my soul is 10 poems away from being done. I am hoping that I can get it done in time to publish by the beginning of November. However, I don’t want to promise that or start the promotion of it until I get the last poem written. Because I somedays lose that fight.
Oh! And I will be releasing a new kids’ book in December. Not Another Danny is going to be released December 2nd during Fae Corps Kid’s Week ! I will try to get the cover reveal up later this week .
I’ve been dreaming of friendly faces I’ve got so much time to kill Just imagine people laughing I know someday we will And even if it’s far away Get me through another day Cover me in sunshine Shower me with good times Tell me that the world’s been spinning since the beginning And everything will be alright Cover me in sunshine From a distance all these mountains Are just some tiny hills Wildflowers, they keep living While they’re just standing still I’ve been missing yesterday But what if there’s a better place? Cover me in sunshine Shower me with good times Tell me that the world’s been spinning since the beginning And everything will be alright Cover me in sunshine Shower me with good times Tell me that the world’s been spinning since the beginning And everything will be alright Cover me in sunshine Cover me in sunshine Shower me with good times Tell me that the world’s been spinning since the beginning And everything will be alright Cover me in sunshine
My Two Cents- Due to personal reasons this has been a bad week. Today is not Tuesday…but I needed Music and I wanted to do some posting. So though it be Thursday…Here is some shared sunshine.
In 1989 I was 14. I had an adorable baby boy. The above picture was me and him on my graduation from high school 5 years later. September 1st my eldest child will be 33. He has two babies of his own. I just wanted to drop a happy birthday to that little boy…and maybe try not to feel old today.
Well, there are no dead from a week of my shenanigans…though I may need more caffeine than usual. By this time, I have managed a poem posted daily and still got work done. It was not the most interesting week on this blog and probably seemed more like filler to y’all. Next week should be a little less busy for me, so I can hopefully get more content here that will be an enjoyable week. Though I may have killed my neighbor by then for the ruckus he is raising with his four-wheeler, I am not sure. I will also by this time have gotten to the doctor to see why I am getting migraines more often.
For all my shenanigans, I am hopeful that everyone will enjoy the beautiful anthologies I am currently putting together. The art and poetry are amazing. The stories are just what you need on a crisp fall day to put you in the mood for candy and spooky stuff.
The next few months are going to be busy for me. (Yes I seem to do that to myself a lot) So, as I am sitting here trying to get all my weekend work caught up, I realize that my poor blog is AGAIN neglected. Friday we are releasing Andrew McDowell‘s second edition of Mystical Greenwood. That means I am trying to gather images and activities for the release day on our Facebook Party Room group. I have things I am trying to put together for the Fae Corps Blog…again to get everyone possible to see his book.
That is just the first thing I am doing. Then, I have our Halloween Anthology. This year it is called Darkness Screams. It received so many outstanding submissions that I split it to accommodate the quality of stories. (I have done this before with other anthologies)
So I am neck-deep in editing, Marketing image creation, and formatting for these two. I give myself two months to do this with each anthology because I have a routine. Once approved I invite the author/artist to join the company discord. I have each anthology set up in a private room within the channel. This allows Files to be shared and questions answered easier. I ask everyone to sign a contract (So I can legally publish their story/art/ poetry and they have protections of their copyright) I ask for a bio written in 3rd person and an image to represent them. (I say an image because I have had a few who gave me photoshopped images, due to personal reasons. ) Then I sit down and put together a rough draft of the anthology. I don’t worry in the first rough about perfect formatting or having it be edited and polished. After I get a feel for how the anthology will flow, I feel like I am more capable to suggest edits. Yeah, that seems so silly…the grammar will not change based on how it fits in the book, right? Actually, it might. It will help me to see the story on its own instead of trying to place it mentally in an imaginary book. I send the suggestions to the author and give them a deadline for when I need to see the finished copy.
Then I start while waiting for the stories to come back…to make images to catch the interest of possible readers. I do (For most of the anthologies) a cover reveal, A author/artist list for each anthology, A image to represent each story, and a meet the author/artist graphic. That can be quite the undertaking. In Darkness screams that is 3 graphics just to list the author/artist in each one. I, as you can see above, combined the cover reveals. I have already today done the story graphics for each book.
I still have more to do just for the anthologies… Then I have another book we are releasing in October. The third book in Ashira Dayta’s Magick Saga. (The cover reveal should be happening soon on Fae corps Blog. I am quite proud of that cover) It releases on October 31st. I have to do some images for marketing it as well.
Then I have other projects that are ongoing and need my attention. (For example Formatting for a Poetry book by NK – Titled Valley of Thoughts. We are supposed to be releasing that next year. Editing for Ruan Bradford Wright’s Novel Toe-Rag which is expected to release in February. Writing my own poetry and prose books. And just being a mom and person who has housework that is not getting done more often than not.)
I honestly intend to do this blog every week..but I end up overwhelmed. I think I will just post some of my poetry this week. I thank you for your patience. I swear I am not forgetting y’all.
So those who follow me know that Fae Corps is just about to have a busy season. August 26th we are releasing the second edition of Andrew McDowell’s book Mystical Greenwood. And the submissions are in for Darkness Screams. I am busier than a one armed paper hanger…I wrote the above poem to put in the front of both volumes of Darkness Screams.
I will be able to return to posting here next week. thank you for your patience. (ps. Check the Fae Corps Blog tomorrow to see the covers for the next anthology!)
I’m Not a person I am a tiny little rat I’m Not usually formal but sometimes I wear a hat I like simple things like boggling and getting belly pats Cause I’m not a person I am a tiny little rat
I’m not a person I’m a couple of raccoons We’re all dressed up in Pj’s tho we know it’s well past noon You can say we’re trash pandas you can say we’re buffoons I don’t care I’m not a person I’m a couple of raccoons
I’m not a person I’m three possums in a coat We like to claim it’s Gucci, but we got it from a goat Say it’s vintage or it’s Avant guard whatever boats your float, I don’t care I’m not a person, I’m three possums in a coat.
I’m not a person I am four opossums stacked Dressed up in a fancy robe I’ll tell you that’s a fact we may look a little bigger that’s cause all the stacks are packed I am not a person I am four opossums stacked
I am not a person I am like 27 frogs we like poetry and moonlight and we like yelling in a bog and we are not even a hive mind we just mostly get along I am not a person I am like 27 frogs
My Two Cents- I usually do Youtube for the video, Today this song is from TikTok. (Second week in a row) This song is catchy and just bloody cute. I have decided I am not a person, I am 3 possums in a coat. There are other varieties of this one, but so far this is my favorite.
Hi, Iād really appreciate it if you would share or donate to this GoFundMe. https://gofund.me/2e4e8e99
We are trying to raise the money to get the roof repaired and the basement fixed. I don’t often ask for assistance but I’m stuck between the proverbial rock and the hard place. Thank you for all your assistance and support.
The picture is of the garage. It’s sort of where my life really started. When I started dating my boyfriend, we lived in that garage. His grandma didn’t him to live in his car with me, and we had nowhere else to go. So, she let us live in the garage. Now we live in the house. The garage was home 27 years ago. The house roof has been patched but it really needs to be replaced. The cellar used to have a drain, but the septic tank was broken and his mom didn’t realize that it was still necessary. So when it was broken, she had it filled in…and the cellar floods because of it. We have temp fixed it with a sump pump, but it doesn’t ever empty.
Hi, Iād really appreciate it if you would share or donate to this GoFundMe. https://gofund.me/2e4e8e99
We are trying to raise the money to get the roof repaired and the basement fixed. I don’t often ask for assistance but I’m stuck between the proverbial rock and the hard place. Thank you for all assistance and support.
I am not my mother’s Pious Daughter I am one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones I am not my mother’s righteous daughter I will tattoo my skin I will not lower my voice She birthed a witch when she wanted a lady She prayed for a child who would walk with the lord But I watch the stars and I live by the planets I cut her dreams short with the edge of my sword We’re not our mother’s saintly daughters We forge our own paths, we sing our own tune We’ll make our own family and walk with our ancestors One day we’ll meet them with a song and a broom.
My Two Cents- I usually do Youtube for the video, Today this song is from TikTok. It is a reimagination of I am my Mother’s Savage Daughter. I truly love this. I am not the daughter my mother wanted…and that does not make me less. I am me, and I think I need to remember what that really means.
Pattimouse 