Accidents Happen

Accident: an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap:

Today was a writing day but the stars had other plans for me. A friend of ours who has been visiting fell and broke his wrist in two places. I rushed him to the hospital where we spent a good portion of the day. He did not just break his poor wrist he crushed it.

The doctors worked on him and were able to put him back together again but next week he will have to have surgery. He is doing better right now but it was a very tough day for him.

Then my son came home from high school and told me that a boy he knew had had an accident last night and did not make it.

It just makes me think about how easily accidents happen. We raise our kids and try to protect them to the best of our ability. They of course, get upset with us for smothering them. What they do not realize is how much we love them and are afraid of those horrible accidents. Or what it took to bring them into this world.

In my case, I was in the hospital for over six weeks and gave birth to a healthy 1 lb, 7 oz. baby. He was a gift in my mind and my world centers around protecting him. I know I cannot be there all the time but boy I wish I could wrap him up in a protective screen.

Too many accidents today. Wish for a better tomorrow. Be Safe everyone!

Slave to Blog

                I sit here almost every night typing away on this blog, in fact, my husband calls me a slave to the blog. What I want to know is who am I reaching out to? I see the results of how many views and from the countries (Germany, Australia, Sweden and France) that are following this but I have not spoken with any of you.

                Therefore, here is the homework for you the reader. I would love to hear from you. Whether it is good, bad, or noncommittal I want to hear your comments on my short story, The Hand That Beats Thee and on the blog itself.

                Down below is a place for comments. Please let me know your thoughts. Otherwise, I am lost in space. Just the computer and I. Thanks

As Time Goes By

The storm has passed. We were very lucky not to have been hit very hard. Lots of rain and some wind took out the electric but the generator kicked right in and a few hours later, we were back in business.

                It was a nice day spent with the family and our friends came by to enjoy the use of bathrooms and hot food. We even squeezed in a game of Parcheesi. To all of you who have never played this old game. Go out and buy it. If you follow the rules accordingly, it can be one of the most cutthroat games around.

                My husband and I also celebrated our 15th year anniversary. I am still wondering how the time went by so quickly. We have had so much to celebrate, our son entering high school. Our wonderful home in the mountains of New Hampshire, the two Percheron horses, the 3 crazy dogs and the 1 very stubborn cat. Good health, Good Jobs. What more could you ask for?

                I know one thing. For fifteen years, my darling husband has been waking me up in the middle of the night by calling my name. "Erica Lynne, Erica Lynne, wake up!"

                So, I wake up, in a fog and he cutely grins, "You should really try and get some sleep."

                Love my husband dearly but really?

                Well, I am off to bed. Maybe I should wait for him to fall asleep. What do you think? Should I turn the tables?

To Be Or Not to Be

                We are not sure if Hurricane Irene is going to pay us a visit but I believe we are ready if she does. My family, along with friends, helped us tie down the furniture outside, secure the gazebo, mend the fences, and most importantly get the stalls ready for the horses.

                Since the horses always spend the spring and summer months outside, their stalls were like a haunted house. All webs and small insects were removed and relocated to the great outdoors. Water troughs were scrubbed and filled, grain was loaded into their buckets, and much hay was dropped and put into each stall. The boys will be able to enjoy the storm from the comfort of their homes.

                The grocery store is being visited, as I write, by my darling husband and then we are ready. Hope everyone fairs well through the storm. Remember, if you are bored download a copy of The Hand That Beats Thee and enjoy the weather (if she comes). Take care!

Promises, Promises

I wanted to post a thank you to everyone who has been checking out my blog every night and all those who bought my first short story "The Hand That Beats Thee."

                Upon checking the stats on Amazon.com tonight, I found that sales are up and that my book ranked 32,513 out of 750,000. It is nice to see it climbing up the ladder. The fabulous reviews have helped it a lot.

                Thank you again to all my readers.

Like Sand Through The Hourglass

           I have had a touch of the flu these last few days and have found myself drifting through the house. My mind has been in a horrific haze and not one good thought was able to stay in my head for more than a couple of seconds. This is not a good thing if you are trying desperately to continue with a story that needs your utmost attention.

Finding myself at a loss for words, I tried working on advertising for The Hand That Beats Thee. That worked out well and was able to get a few more links up in different spots. I am delighted to say that a few more copies of that digital eBook have sold.

Then tiring of that, I moved on to scanning Harry's design for the cover of The Wolves of The Iniakuk into the computer. I am trying to paint on the computer and must admit – I am not adept at it. I do live by the greatest motto of all time though, if at first you do not succeed, try, try again. After all, tomorrow is another day. Night All!

In A Child's Eye

When I was a little girl, my sister, brother and I used to spend many of our weekends at our grandmother's house. It was the first place I knew the directions to and was very proud of this fact.

I can still remember my father dropping us off and kissing us goodbye. He was a divorced man with three young children. The weekend visits to Nana and Papa's always gave him the time off that a single man needed.

Nana used to greet us at the door, always with a smile on her face and a heart full of happiness. With her deep gray hair and her sparkling brown eyes, she had an aura of a higher wisdom and beauty. Such a grand woman but she was never unreachable. To hear the sounds of her grandchildren's voices (of which she had seven) ringing throughout the house, filled her heart with a consuming pleasure.

To us, those weekends became the ground on which we based our first steps into life. They gave us the love and grace from which we learned to grow and cherish our memories of summer days. Especially, the days spent at the Salem Willows.

The Willows, a place where the sun beat down upon us all turning our skin to bronze and our hair to golden brown. Always, there was the light, salty breeze that would drift up from the sea and tickle our backs, as we lay under the trees and listened to the grown-ups talk. 

Nana never went to the Willows without packing a variety of mouth-watering and delectable foods. With the aunts, uncles and cousins in tow, the picnic baskets were the first to be unloaded from the cars.

Finding a section of the park that would enable the whole family to partake in the luncheon festivities as one, we would then all swarm around the blankets covered in food and enjoy the scrumptious meals that had been prepared. After all the food had been consumed, a lite nap was in order for the older folks.

At this time, Papa would reach into his deep pockets and give each of the children a few quarters to spend as we wished. Off we would go to the arcades and candy stores on the boardwalk, safe with the knowledge that if we spent our money, we could always charm Papa into giving us more.

As the night came upon us and our sleepy heads drooped, Nana would gather the stuff together and bid farewell to the family, until the next time. Once back at her home, she would tuck us in to our beds and kiss us softly on our foreheads, guarantying a safe trip into sleep. Nothing could haunt our dreams. Nothing would dare disturb our slumber. Nana was nearby.

Goodnight!

Frankly My Dear, I Don't Give A ?

Today, I had a wonderful treat. My baby brother (he will always be the baby to me) and his son, came up for a visit. I have been so excited to see the both of them. It has been a long time since I last saw them and I love when they come to our country home. It is good to take the city out of people occasionally.

My husband, who is the Master of his Mason's Lodge, hosted the Annual Library Dinner. What a fantastic turnout. Ninety-nine people showed up for the big event and the food was awesome. The Freemasons are great cooks! Being a former library trustee and the wife of the lodge master, I was asked to work the dinner. It was so much fun and great to see the townspeople.

Now we have decided to pull out the Scrabble board and sit down and relax. Therefore, the point of all this is… not one minute has been spent on writing my story today. Hence the title of this blog. Night all!

And The Plot Thickens

At least I hope it does. It is not as if you can add flour to make it rich in imagination, cornstarch to make the words reach out and grab the reader. Make them feel as if they are part of the story, in the story and cannot put it down until it all comes to the perfect end.

I know when I am writing a story, I become so entangled in the characters and how the story is evolving that at times you can actually catch me acting the story out. It is such a rush to be that involved and then have it read the same way you felt it.

Had to work at Town Hall today but tomorrow it is back to the keyboard. Part two awaits and now is when things really begin to happen. Enjoy!

It Must Be Drink Time Somewhere

     I really have to start this blog with my exciting news. Well, it is to me that is.
    Today on Amazon.com, somebody reviewed my short story "The Hand That Beats Thee" and WOW what an amazing review. 5 out of 5 stars and a great write up. Thank you so much to the wonderful critic.

    Now back to the daily news. Today was insane. Every time I sat down at the computer, someone drove up the driveway. First – the Ferrier stopped by to put new shoes on the horses. It really is too bad that the younger horse Chief does not like the Ferrier. Therefore, I spent twenty minutes chasing my horse around the corral with his halter. Finally got him to calm down and sent him into the stalks to get shoed. Bart, on the other hand, just stood there while I put his halter on. Good boy, Bart.

   After that, I came back up to the house. Three more people arrived but not at the same time. It was nice to see them all but I really needed to write. Harry helped clean the house and by two-o: clock I was safety sitting behind my keyboard doing what I love most.

   Guess the saying "It is not quantity but quality that matters" is true. In a few short hours I was able to finish part one of "The Wolves Of The Iniakuk." My people have made it to Alaska! The more I write of this story, the more I fall in love with it.

   Corned Beef in a fab glaze for dinner and I am off to do some reading. Goodnight!

Too Tired To Make Pizzas

     Since my husband is working out of state today, I was lucky enough to get the job of letting the 3 dogs out in the middle of the night. Good thing was, I got to sleep until 8:00 this morning. You would think that sleeping that late would make one feel rested. Not!
     I did manage to drag my tush out of bed and I believe scared my husband's employee (who came by to get a ladder) with my scary morning face, even had my p.j. bottoms on backwards. Finally, made it down to the barn, watered and fed the horses and then back to the house for that beloved cup of coffee.
    By 8:30am, I was typing like a mad woman. Got the whole prologue written. I think my Inuit is improving also. Love this story but have to stop writing. Very tired.
     Harry and his friend want pizzas for dinner. So now it's time to be Betty Crocker. Bye!

Totally Terrific Tuesday

     With work over for the day and the horses ready for the night, it was a wonderful feeling to come home and prepare dinner. I love only working one job now and knowing that after I’m done cleaning the house tomorrow, I have two full days of writing ahead of me. What more could any mom ask for.

      I am very excited to work on the new prologue, which will probably be the hardest part of writing this book. I am filled with confidence though since I know the research I have done will pay off. My son (who is a fantastic artist) and I have been going over ideas for the cover. This truly is a difficult job when we all know that “You do judge a book by its cover.” Harry has some fantastic ideas and it is a perfect way for me to spend time with my teen but also get his creative juices flowing also. I hope he is as excited about the project as I am.

Well toodles for tonight.

Dreams in Alaska

       Yesterday,  I spent the day researching for my new story "The Wolves of the Iniakuk". This actually was a nightmare that I had had many years ago and never forgotten. At first, I thought it would be best to create a town in Alaska to set the story in but after going through maps and travel guides I have found the perfect place.

         A beautiful cabin set right on the shore of the Iniakuk River. I couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered that the only way to get to the cabin is on a biplane. How much more remote could you be!

          I have also decided to totally redo the beginning of the story and set the prologue around the Inuit Indians. I am psyched how it all seems to be falling in place.