So I have been doing an attempt at illustration of a children’s book. I think I overestimated my own art.
I did some images in canva to see if I can do better and I think I did better there.
I managed to hire the same person to do Dylan and the Hotel Zombie as I had for Dylan and the zombie pet. I don’t see the person being willing to do another job (She dragged her feet on this job) so I don’t know if I will be writing more in that series. However, I will be releasing Dylan and the Hotel Zombie for kids week December 2025.
This year I will be releasing Pip, That is not yours! And Where is my Sugar. I don’t know what the second one is going to be next year… If I am even going to be releasing a second. I have a year to decide.
It was suggested that I should make a third one in Dylan’s series but make it a middle grade. Then I could use the same images from the previous books and allow older children to follow Dylan’s adventures. I have to think about it. I can see where it would allow me to broaden Dylan’s world a little bit.
I have a middle grade in the bedtime tales series. It might be a fun thing to do it for most of the series. I don’t see Pip ever getting a middle grade. That one is always the early readers.
I posted a week ago that I was dealing with the death of the family pet. My kid is still in grief mode… And I don’t blame them. I miss my favorite siren. But I don’t handle death well.
I have been upsetting my kid because I have accidentally started to use the cat to refer to Luna. I find myself trying to separate myself from the pain that she is gone.
We had her for five years. I am still struggling to process that she is gone.
Everyone has been offering condolences and I appreciate the thoughts….
But it feels so hollow because it doesn’t bring the pain to an end. That is why I struggle with what I should say when someone else is grieving. I hate that hollow feeling so I don’t want to give it to anyone.
So, Thank you for the well wishes… But I just don’t know what to do with them.
“So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?”
Watching through my fingers Watching through my fingers
Shuts my eyes and count to ten It goes in one ear out the other, oh One ear out the other, oh Burning bright right ’til the end Now you’ll be missing from the photographs Missing from the photographs
Watching through my fingers Watching through my fingers
In my thoughts you’re far away And you are whistling a melody Whistling a melody Crystallizing clear as day Oh, I can picture you so easily Picture you so easily
What’s gonna be left of the world if you’re not in it? What’s gonna be left of the world? Oh
Every minute and every hour I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more Every stumble and each misfire I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more
Watching through my fingers Watching through my fingers
Caught off guard by your favorite song I’ll be dancing at a funeral Dancing at a funeral Sleeping in the clothes you love It’s such a shame we have to see them burn Shame we have to see them burn
What’s gonna be left of the world if you’re not in it? What’s gonna be left of the world? Oh
Every minute and every hour I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more Every stumble and each misfire I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more
“If you want to be a party animal, you have to learn to live in the jungle Now stop worrying and go get dressed”
You might have to excuse me I’ve lost control of all of my senses And you might have to excuse me I’ve lost control of all of my words So get drunk, call me a fool Put me in my place, put me in my place Pick me up, up off the floor Put me in my place, put me in my place
Every minute and every hour I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more Every stumble and each misfire I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more
Watching through my fingers Watching through my fingers
‘Cause every minute and every hour I miss you, I miss you, I miss you more
My 2 cents –
First… Thank you to Andrew McDowell for introducing me to this band. I have been doing a deep dive on their discography since.
So I had to ask my kid if they knew about it. And of course they did. It created a conversation about the meaning of the band name and the fact that so many of the songs have sad lyrics. All have a great beat. But an incredibly sad lyrics.
The response I got was something along the lines of the happier the day the music starts to be less so. Because the beat is so much better on the sad ones.
Regardless I love the band and it had somehow escaped my life before now.
If you are a facebook friend or follow my Instagram… you have seen me post yesterday that our family cat has passed. That means I am a true mess. My Child is the Intern doing the Fae Corps blog…So I scheduled it for them…because in so many ways Luna was their baby. We are going to be okay…but it will take time. This is probably the only post I am doing for Wednesday & Thursday here. I will schedule my usual Friday post. By Monday I should be back to my routine…but if not then I will try to pick it back up as soon as I can. We are used to a very vocal baby who is now silent. This will be hard.
Can someone tell me I’m not going crazy? The thoughts in my head make me hate me Maybe I’m too far from saving Can someone check that the room isn’t spinning? Seems like the oxygens thinning The monsters in my head keep on winning
I’m bigger than the bad thoughts I’m better than the way they make me feel I won’t let the bad thoughts take the wheel I’m bigger than the bad thoughts I’m brighter than the light they’re trying to steal So why do they feel so real?
Breathe in, breathe out Sometimes I don’t like the cards that I’m handed Life can seem too hard to manage I’m proud of myself for just standing When light feels too real that the door shuts on reasons Voice in my heads preys on my biggest weakness I count my breath, one, two, three, four
I’m bigger than the bad thoughts I’m better than the way they make me feel I won’t let the bad thoughts take the wheel I’m bigger than the bad thoughts I’m brighter than the light they’re trying to steal Why did it feel so real? When I know they’re not real
Breathe in, breathe out
Just ’cause I think something don’t make it true Been here before but I’ve gotten through Maybe not now but I’ll be okay soon Maybe not now but I’ll be okay soon
I’m bigger than the bad thoughts I’m brighter than the light they’re trying to steal I won’t let the bad thoughts take the wheel I’m bigger than the lone nights I’m brighter than the light they’re trying to steal So why do they feel so real? I know they’re not real Bad thoughts aren’t real
I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright
I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright
I’ma be- I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright
I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright
I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright
I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright I’ma be alright
My 2 cents –
I am slightly overwhelmed lately with life. But I’ma be alright.
Okay this is not going to be an assigned thing. I may decide to do it instead of a normal weekday post, as I am this week…or I might drop it in randomly as I feel the desire. The Fae Corps Blog Does a Saturday TBR and they are not always books that we have read, but ones that look good amongst the recommendations we get. These are all going to be ones I have read, and This will be my clear thoughts on them. Now as I sometimes sign up to be an ARC reader, I will not always have the link for you to buy the book…but I will try to post when any I do miss the link on are live.
I have always been a voracious reader. I go through a trade paperback in about 4 hours. Since I have started publishing, finding time to read seems like a bit of a luxury. Not because I don’t read now…on the contrary. I am always reading things that people send me to publish, to edit, just to get opinions on. So reading for fun just seems like something I really don’t get to do as often as I would like. I have thousands of books on my kindle. And enough paperback and hardback books that it often causes fights. (My boyfriend’s of the opinion that if I am not reading them I should donate them). I keep the ones that I am willing to re-read. That means that eventually I will pick them back up. But the last few books I have indulged in…Ones I sought out for personal pleasure that had nothing to do with publishing…I found myself taking a couple of days to read. Simply because I was enjoying them, so I would put them down and stop for a couple of hours to do other things before coming back to them. So I realized that maybe beyond the Goodreads/amazon/and the like reviews…maybe I should take the time to tell you guys about these books.
Those of you who have followed my blog for a while remember my talking about taking a course Fiction Expedition. One of the others in the class finally got around to releasing her book. It was important to me to sign up to be an ARC reader for her. She and another Friend are opening a Publishing company Memento Vivevre (Links to them at the bottom of the post) . Since both are such amazing people I have no doubt they will succeed.
The Book Beautiful Serpent, Restless Embers by Ynes Freeman is gorgeous. Right now it is in Pre0rder. It has a wonderful world built around it. A gothic setting with magic, and mystery…Assassination and politics. The main character is relatable and badass. You grow to have sympathy for her, and the struggles she faces. Her adventures are definitely not the normal fare. When I am able I will be posting a five star review that is well earned on Amazon. (Amazon will not let you post a review before the book is live. This is the only down side to being a fast reader and an ARC reader.) I made this last of the three because this book will not officially release until July 28th. However I thoroughly recommend preordering this. It is a delightful read.
Got a boy back home in Michigan And it tastes like Jack when I’m kissing him So I told him that I never really liked his friends Now he’s gone and he’s calling me a bitch again There’s a guy that lives in a garden state And he told me that we make it ’til we graduate So I told him that the music would be worth the wait But he wants me in the kitchen with a dinner plate I believe, I believe, I believe, I believe That we’re meant to be But jealousy, jealousy, jealousy, jealousy Get the best of me Look, I don’t mean to frustrate, but I Always make the same mistakes, yeah I Always make the same mistakes ’cause I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) But you can’t blame me for tryin’ You know I’d be lyin’ sayin’ You were the one (ooh-ooh) That could finally fix me Lookin’ at my history I’m bad at love Got a girl with California eyes And I thought that she could really be the one this time But I never got the chance to make her mine Because she fell in love with little thin white lines London girl with an attitude We never told no one but we look so cute Both got way better things to do But I always think about it when I’m riding through I believe, I believe, I believe, I believe That I’m in too deep And jealousy, jealousy, jealousy, jealousy Get the best in me Look, I don’t mean to frustrate, but I Always make the same mistakes, yeah I Always make the same mistakes ’cause I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) But you can’t blame me for tryin’ You know I’d be lyin’ sayin’ You were the one (ooh-ooh) That could finally fix me Lookin’ at my history I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) Oh, you know, you know, you know, you know (ooh) I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) I know that you’re afraid I’m gonna walk away Each time the feeling fades Each time the feeling fades I know that you’re afraid I’m gonna walk away Each time the feeling fades You know I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) But you can’t blame me for tryin’ You know I’d be lyin’ sayin’ You were the one (ooh-ooh) That could finally fix me Lookin’ at my history I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) Oh, you know, you know, you know, you know (ooh) I’m bad at love (ooh-ooh) Oh, oh
My 2 cents –
This song sounds so much like the stories I tell of my past romances that I sometimes wonder who was watching me.
The Waiter I picked up and dated for 2 weeks until I found out He had been married for 2 years.
The sweet girl I scared because I was so reckless with my own life.
The lover I acquired because our fiances cheated on us, so we decided to return the favor.
The lover that I would have spent hours listening to because he understood me, but we met when I couldn’t stay.
They say if a poet loves you then you will be immortal…and each of them has been. For a part of me loves everyone I have ever loved. Even if I never should have.
The problem with humanity is not everyone has a mind open to ideas of compassion and kindness…
the mind is not is not fitted with a door meant to close in the things that don’t fit the whole world seen within… instead we have eyes and ears that are supposed to be used to observe all that the world is prepared to throw at the unobservant kind.
Pattimouse 