Wild Wednesday

Thanks to a wonderful gift my computer is getting a much needed upgrade.

So, it was decided that I would do a fresh install at the same time..

The only problem with that is NOW I am doing the back up of files that I have been avoiding for months…

UGH.

This is going to be a bit…

However, I will have more space as the upgrade includes another Terabyte Hard drive(SSD), and 16g Ram ( I currently have 8) and a pretty nice new CPU Cooler that will extend the life of my system. I am quite tickled by the gift.

Wild Wednesday

I HATE AI.

It shouldn’t be something I feel so virulent about. I am aware that AI has it’s uses. I just cannot accept that it is being pushed into the creative space.

Drawing, writing, and other creative endeavors are not something that should be easily reproduced…

I have since 2014 used Evernote for my writing. It allowed me to do a notebook for each volume. It allowed me to organize me…

Evernote decided to send out an Email. Not only were they raising the price…to almost double….which I really dislike but would be fine with paying because it feels like I had something that worked for me…

But they also announced that they were adding AI to “Clean up your notes after a meeting.”

Nope.

No way to opt out. Just here is AI. It will help you. Although I did reach out via email… and the response was that the AI was an optional thing…but when I said that they needed to say that because the original email said nothing about options… and I got a uhm response.

I dislike Microsoft products and avoid them like the plague. I only use windows because I cannot get a couple of my programs to function in Linux. However…Since I cannot find any other option that has all of the options I need other that Evernote…I switched to OneNote.

This is going to be a learning time for me.

I have no idea if I am going to be able to do the same amount of writing, or if it will help me write more…or what.

*Sigh*

Wish Me Luck.

Wild Wednesday

So…

What would you expect from a poetry book? Or an art book? Or really any book?

I am sitting here considering the composition of a coloring book and I am not sure of what makes a good one.

I know what I like.

This far I have been trying to get the books I published to be stuff that I like…

But what if I am not a good judge of content?

Wild Wednesday

Wild Wednesday!

So many topics…. what should I talk about?

Let’s visit on Gaming today!

I have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for 27 years. I played 2nd edition. I started to run games when 3rd edition was released.

That being said I am not happy with the newer editions of D&D. 4th edition was entirely too combat oriented, and 5th edition has simplified it down to the point that it is not fun for the nerd who enjoys the complexities of the original game. I run Pathfinder. It has all of the fun that I grew to love in the original game.

I love the roleplaying and the imagination that goes into every aspect of the game.

What as a publisher do I think of the leaked OGL 1.1? Wizards of the Coast tried with 4th edition to revoke their OGL and failed. I think that legally there was too much that was actually involved in the publication of game books that people thought was controlled by Wizards that was not. I think that Pathfinder releasing their own version of a OGL called ORC will help to expand the market for gaming material. I remember in 2nd edition if you wanted a monster or an item you had to create it yourself. The market is flooded with options now. It is fairly amazing.

I have been working on a game world of my own. I don’t know if I will ever get it to releasable state…so many details to get put in. I have run quite a few games in said world.

Pad Day 4 and rambles

Today’s Prompt was a fill in the blank. “In the (Blank)”. Those that are my facebook friends have seen me trying to do to-do lists the last few days. They are never long…usually four or five items…but it wears me out. So I am fighting exhaustion and trying to celebrate my wins.

The laundry is caught up.

Dishes are nearly there.

Bathrooms are clean. (Well the two that I can get to)

The laundry room is clean.

All the clothes are folded…not put away yet, but folded.

My bedroom is halfway there.

Joe’s room is clean.

I have finished Layout on all but one of the Kid’s books for kid’s week(The final one is waiting on the illustrator. He had a cord malfunction and couldn’t send in the art yet. Poor guy)

I have started getting preorders set up for the kid’s week books. *Links will be in a post on the Fae Corps blog when I finish the getting of the preorder links….

I have written a poem a day for everyday in November so far and got a little bit of a word count in Sea Wytch.

I did my grocery shopping for November. And came in under budget.

I have started my christmas shopping.

I made it to therapy.

I have remembered my medicine over half of the time…(I set another set of reminders on my phone…seriously the only reason I remember to eat half of the time is the dizzy feeling I get when I forget.)

I have stayed Hydrated…

See I am killing this…even if there are days when my body says I am killing me. I created a to-do list for self care. So far it has morning and night meds, and art…(Therapist said art was self care!)

What did you do today? Let us celebrate the win together.

Writing is so weird.

Every writer will tell you that writing is not the easiest thing to do. The characters will refuse to be written if you have any thing off, such as the title or maybe the idea of who are writing. Serena has been struggling with the second book in her zombie series. She was trying to keep the name similar to the first one. The first book – Rust, Gore, and the Junkyard Zombie – was named appropriately. It worked for the book. She was also struggling with the cover. Nothing I was designing fit what she was wanting.

Through experiments and discussion I believe that we have found the right title and series title. (I will have to adjust RGatJZ later to add the subtitle).

Book 2 will be The Art of Zombie.

The series Title is going to be the World Gone Wrong.

She is back to work…writing more undeath. I have a cover design that she is happy with. (reveal will be closer to the release date)

Completion Energy

Well if you have followed me for any length of time, You know that I have been working on 2 poetry volumes. Thursday early morning I finished writing both. That means that I have to put them together and decide when to release them into the world. It also means it is time to pick the next title that I will work on.

I have multiple titles already prepared, cover and all. I love cover design so that ends up being the reason why I have multiple sitting. I chose one that I really like for the next title to work on. Here is the cover…

I feel like the cover is so fun that this one may write quickly. What do you think? Serena is still writing her poetry, and I am working on getting Madness and Truth ready for publishing. (My Partner is doing the edits now) It is releasing in June.

Thursday Tea Party

Hello Lovelies! Today I am drinking some lovely peach tea. What will you have?

There is a lot to announce!
First off, one of my art pieces that I submitted to Indie Blu(e)’s Through The Looking Glass: Reflecting on Madness and Chaos Within was accepted! I will try to keep you updated on that as I know more. I am so excited as their books are so pretty. I submitted to that and to But You Don’t Look Sick …I have not yet heard about But you don’t look sick. Again, updates as I have them. *Edit: I finished writing this and scheduled it. Then I went to check my email, only to find the acceptance letter in the email I will have 4 poems in that anthology.

Next, Serena finished writing Madness and Truth. It has been through the alpha readers and is handed off to the editor currently. The story is creepy and carries a good haunted feel to it. I expect that we will be publishing it some time in 2021.

I have finished writing Afraid of Shoe Mountain and am currently working on the illustrations. Though I love Shannon’s Illustrations, and will likely hold Dylan and the Hotel Zombie until she can do the art, I am not wanting to continue to wait with Afraid of Shoe Mountain. I am enjoying the illustration of this book. I have been uploading them to DeviantArt for those who are interested. (I only have 2 finished so far).

I am nearly done with the writing for Heart Drops, and Half-Mad Meanderings. Serena has been working hard on Death Becomes Her. Half-Mad Meanderings is only 5 poems away from done. Heart drops 2 art and 7 poems away. And Serena says she still needs 20 poems for Death Becomes Her. Likely all three will be released in 2021.

Circle City Publishing is nearly ready to release their An Absurd Apocalypse that will have Serena’s Flash story in it. I do not know how much longer that will be. I will let you know more as I do.

Fae Corps Inc is going to release Faery Playground with my art and a story from Serena in May. The tone of the submissions had the cover needing redone. They plan to reveal the cover on April First (No Joke!). It has been a fun anthology to edit if I am honest. I am looking personally for 2 ARC reviewers. (ARC reviewers are readers who, for an advanced copy post an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. )

Well, I think I am finally done with the updates! whew! That was a lot!

Oh! and I am considering adding a store to my blog. I make jewelry and Resin pieces that I need to find a place to sell. I am going in April to the local flea market, but I like the online store idea better. My studio is very nearly set up. So the next focus is a storefront. Watch here for more information.

Monday Poetry

And because I am proud of Serena. (She is doing a volume of poetry of her own.) Here is one of hers.