OMG. Spit and pee funny 🙂
Echoes Across Time
A touching prose and a beautiful thought worth sharing.
Love never dies…it echoes across time.
It is like a circle revolving with no beginning, no end. The pains of love diminishing as it journeys to the far side of the circle is real and deep…but remember the joy before the pain and listen for the echo.
Love has no dimension, yet it clearly defines all that it touches. It fills you up and leaves you empty all at the same time. Memories are the images carved as love passes along our side of the circle; life’s subtle reminder to hold on and listen as love echoes across time.
Cast your ear to yesterday’s wind, if you must; do not be too surprised when the sounds you seek reach back to you from tomorrow. Echoes bounce in time and space, for that is their nature – but they must return, for that is their truth.
The circle cannot be denied.
Love…
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Some People Just Give It Away
Before your assumptions make a hard left in the wrong direction please know I am not talking about sex, books or money.
I may be guilty of giving away the aforementioned but this post relates to donating body fluid; lifesaving liquid. The stuff mosquitoes, bedbugs, lice and ticks take without asking.
Literally your lifeblood.
Did you know you can donate (aka sell) plasma and keep your cells? That’s right, the red and white blood cells along with the platelets are returned to you during the process and a little stipend for your trouble.
The last I heard the pay was about $30 per donation. It usually takes two hours so hey, that’s fifteen bucks an hour. Not bad for a part time job. Most facilities allow you (even encourage you) to donate twice a week. That’s like what… $60 a week… $240 a month. Shoot, during months with five weeks you could earn as much as $270!
Some people I know [honestly] supplement their income this way and then some people just give it away.
Donating a pint of whole blood is less time consuming and pays much less. The average payout for whole blood is $0.00. Yeah, that is definitely not a way to supplement your income. I personally prefer to donate, not because of time constraints but because it makes me feel better… like a philanthropist. Maybe they’ll put that in my obituary.
Yes I donated blood today, hence the reason for this post. I left the bus smiling a juice mustache smile with a package of Nutter Butter cookie bites feeling like I saved the world.
If you are a donor reach around and pat yourself on the back. You’ve saved a life or at least improved someone’s health.
Please also consider your own health and the possible side effects of frequent plasma donation.
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Thank You WordPress. That Will Be All For Now
It may be shameful but I use WordPress as my personal messenger. Yep, once I hit publish this will go to twitter and Facebook and I’ll go on to bed or maybe I’ll play Zuma 🙂
Here WP, go tell the folks at twitter and Facebook that I have updated the news section of my author’s website. Apologize for my neglect in promoting the Goodreads giveaway of Unjustified Favor that ends on October 30th. Tell them The Rage Trilogy is on sale via Nook or Kindle and mention that all of my Amazon Author profiles are complete.
They’re lousy tippers so don’t spend any time over there just tell them to check the News & Reviews section. Hurry up, it’s nearly midnight. That will be all for now.
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Weekly Photo Challenge (Foreign)
This week’s photo challenge foreign fits right in to my current thought process, as in foreign language. As I mentioned in a recent post I speak Hick and a little French. My grasp of foreign languages is limited; thank goodness my imagination is not.
I sometimes watch Spanish television. No, I do not speak Spanish – that may be why I find it so entertaining. I like to guess at what they’re saying. My husband enjoys certain Latin channels because they show cleavage and midgets. I don’t know what it is about that combination but it humors him and he laughs at the plump jolly man dancing to La Cucaracha.
I try to discern what they are saying, I don’t want to fluently comprehend – that would take the fun out of my guessing game. Husband doesn’t even try to guess, his thoughts are, “They’ve got boobs, little people, a happy fat man dancing and a song about a cockroach – who cares what they are saying.”
Foreign Snapshot
This snapshot came from a program I was watching this morning. I gather the conversation had something to do with men cheating on women or leaving them and monogamy being a realistic expectation.
I’m guessing that to some monogamy is a foreign concept.
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Pardon My French
Pardon my French or rather my lack of. While you’re at it please pardon my inability to speak any language that doesn’t include ain’t and y’all. I’m a Hick. There, I’ve said it.
I have at times been mistakenly called a hillbilly but that is not the correct terminology. For the record I am not a hillbilly. The only hills in my neck of the woods are inhabited by moles. I, sir or madam am a Hick. A Hick from the sticks, residing in a rural wooded area shared with other uncouth creatures and Hick type peoples. I do not live in a mobile home but would like to when I get rich.
I am however a worldly Hick. My electronic travels have taken me places I never knew existed, far beyond the bounds of a barbed wire fence. I converse with all sorts of people from different creeds, castes and cultures made possible by use of a translator tool. I am getting quite an education.
I speak Hick and a little bit of French. You see around here we say “pardon my French” in conjunction with cursing. It is a built in irrevocable vindication. Calling it French makes it completely pardonable, e.g. “He is a lousy son of a bitch, pardon my French.”
I think the translator tool is an awesome invention but sometimes what one intends to convey gets a tad bit distorted in the conversion. (Note: English is the closest dialect to Hick currently available)
Here is an example of how the aforementioned statement describing a worthless man can get misconstrued in a non- Hick translation.
From English to French “iI est un fils de pute moche”
From French back to English “He is a son of a ugly bitch”
No, no, no! Calling him a ‘lousy son of a bitch’ was about him. Calling him ‘a son of a ugly bitch’ directs the insult to his mother. (Whom you may happen to like very much)
I suppose calling someone a son of a bitch is technically an insult to their mother regardless, but calling her ugly just seems too rude.
Linguistics. Now that is some interesting sh*t. Pardon my French.
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What the Heck? Door Number Four (IIII)
What the Heck is Door Number IIII
My proofreader asked that very question along with “where do you come up with this (umm) stuff?”
Answer: Door Number Four (IIII) was a short story concept designed for a specific market. It was essentially a job interview with the challenge being “Give me something mysterious and unique with a defined beginning and ending tied up in a neat little package in six thousand words or less.” Well I screwed up on the word count (damn you Microsoft Word! 😉 I think it ended up around 6150. As a consolation I was offered $500 dollars for the concept and all rights to the story. That is a months’ worth of groceries but it is also exactly the sort of thing that drove me to becoming an indie using my real name, no matter how sullied that name may become. So here it is I’m sure I could have gone on to add more depth to the story but I really wanted to keep it as limited, raw and original as the first effort/presentation. Am I cutting my nose off to spite my face or am I saving face? Once again time will tell but I’m not going back. I have established the course and set my compass.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if Door Number III sold a million copies and Mr. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ said, “Congratulations you made that $500 bucks the hard way”
Hmmm. Dream on 🙂
Another leg on my journey as an indie.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette
Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette
They’ve flown south now for the winter. The last bottle of red colored sucrose hangs fermenting. The Petunia and Morning Glory have bid them farewell as the Four O’clock and Salvia prepare to sleep.
Seed and root resting in the shadow of nature’s understanding.
Oh that I might fly with you..
Until the next Equinox, buenas noches little bird.
A Brief Moment of Rest
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Book Trailers and the 80’s
What do Book Trailers have in common with the 80’s? Apparently not much.
Book trailers are not a new thing, they’re just fairly new to me. But then so is the world I wake up in everyday.
Faith, aka helpy-helper recently introduced me to book trailers. By introduced I mean she gave me a tongue lashing that ended in, “Good lord woman get with the program.1982 is long gone.”
“You don’t have to keep reminding me of that.” I whimpered.
I am not one to pine for my prime it’s just that my mind often resides in yesterday. Okay the yesterday of three decades ago. [sigh] Anywho…
Book trailers? I totally did not understand the concept. Books made into movies, sure. I’m down with that – but book TRAILERS? Really?
I said, “Faith you must be trippin.” She assured me that was not possible as she was planted firmly in her chair. “No one really looks at those things, do they?” I asked. I honestly didn’t think they did until she directed me to a few sites all the while explaining view counts.
“Well f*ck me runnin!” I giggled, then helpy-helper smacked me. She will not abide my cursing. Good for her.
After 90 minutes of browsing I admitted I liked quite a few of them, especially the talking paper-dolls. I couldn’t tell you what book was being promoted but those little paper people were sooo cute! There were several animations that were entertaining as well, you know where the drawing occurs along with the narration? What do you call that? Idk. There were a lot of really good slide shows too. I call them slide shows, someone can correct me later. I do not care much for the cinema effects except for one or two trailers. One being Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. It was really good. No, I do not know the creator or the author.
Did it make me want to buy the book? Heck no, it made me want him to finish telling the bloody story!
I am by no means an expert, on the contrary my knowledge of what goes into making an effective trailer can be stored in a thimble. But I do have an opinion and this is mine – which if added to a ten dollar bill will get you a bagel and small latte.
Thank you Faith.
What Faith accomplished was getting me past my prior prejudice. My assumption that audio and actors were not to be interbred with reading. That imposing visuals onto a book would hinder the imaginative experience. Yeah, I know. Faith is younger, prettier and hipper smarter than me. We have completed six slide-shows now and two of them I actually like. When I figure out how to work youtube (other than how to click on view) I plan to do a couple on my own. Maybe I’ll make my own movie.
Yes! I’ll brush the dust off of my rabbit coat (carefully so the fur doesn’t fall out in clumps), get my big hair going with maybe some hotdog bangs – no, scratch the bangs. Pump up the jam and dance, oh yes it ladies night and the feelings right, oh yes it’s ladies night oh what a night -ohh what a ni-i-ight.
I’m kidding, I lost my rabbit fur coat a long time ago. 🙂
But I am curious. What do others really think of book trailers? Do they convince you to buy the book? Do you watch them strictly for entertainment? Can anyone recommend a great one?
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No Authors Allowed (Here’s Your Sign)
No Authors Allowed (Here’s Your Sign)
That is sort of a contradictory title because I made this sign just for you 🙂
This is really about reader feedback and what NOT to do.
I enjoy re
ader feedback. What writer doesn’t? I encourage it and welcome even the antagonistic.
Negative reviews don’t tend to bother me either, keeping in mind negative is not always a bad thing.
Those reviews can actually be quite beneficial. A negative review might alert the author or their representative to unknown errors, loose ends or confusing plots.
Readers are a good thing and many have a wealth of expertise to offer, so writer don’t get hoity toity and remember this:
Authors are expected to overlook bad reviews as part of this chosen profession. It is considered taboo and unprofessional for an author to respond to any review. Reviews are for readers.
I truly believe in that philosophy and for the most part have upheld that belief.
I said for the most part. However…
First in my own defense let me say (that means I know I screwed up)
I have deleted many emails without replying that were riddled with crude remarks. I have even laughed at a few. Especially those that have nothing to do with my writing. Some people are way too comfortable sitting in their boxers behind a computer screen and a screen name.
A lot of them are rather funny and a few are just… heck. Take Rita Fay for example. She (if that is her real name and she is really a she) was kind enough to send me an email that said “You have a big Irish head.”
???
I don’t know what that has to do with anything I’ve written, but okay.
Honestly I thought it was one of my sisters pulling a prank. Sadly, it was not. Even sadder, it is true – I do have a big Irish head. Rita was only making an observation. 😦 I know. My response? Delete.
Do I get a brownie point to offset what followed? No.
A few days ago I received an email that read:
Dear Janet Hill,
In reading your book I have made the following observances: you are unlearned, unladylike, your vocabulary is foul and you are grammatically challenged to say the least. I suggest you return to your nursing vocation where less cognitive thought is required.
Mr. xxxxxxxx
Boing! Ouch! I’m not sure why that stung more than the remark about my over-sized cranium but it did. It really REALLY struck a nerve. I had typed as much as “bite me you hateful bastard. You don’t have any idea what it takes to be a nurse and by the way my name is Janna, not Janet you dumb ass!” before catching myself. Delete. That would have certainly proved his point, wouldn’t it? So I took a deep breath and a long walk. Occasionally I paused to smell the flowers kick-box the air and walked farther until I had re-composed my normally genteel demeanor. When I was completely calm I walked back to my desk and replied.
Dear Mr. X,
It was quiet generous of you to spare a moment of your time and share your thoughts on my authoring abilities. Please accept my utmost apology if I have offended you, that was not my intention. You may also rest assured I have given much consideration to your observances while reflecting upon my personal faults and have come to this conclusion: you sir, are not qualified to read my book.
I know! That was a totally self-saboteur smart alack response. But que sera, sera y’all. There was no looking back; it was too late to detour. I had hit send, spilled the milk, broke the glass and lit the match. In the ashes of after thoughts I knew I’d messed up and wondered is this another bridge burned? “Time will tell” I assured myself.
Well I am delighted to tell you I have found a fan and a friend in Mr. X. He promptly replied with an apology and an obvious chuckle. I could almost hear him laughing at his own mischief when I read:
Dear Janna,
My sincerest apologies for ruffling your lovely feathers. I enjoyed your book. Actually I have enjoyed several of your books and wondered which persona might be closest to your personality. Every author breathes their own life into the cast; whether or not an author will admit that is a different topic. I was curious as well to know if you were truly southern or merely using that as a selling point. I am satisfied that you are genuine. Please forgive an ornery old man for having a wicked laugh at your expense.
Sincerely,
P.S. A thing you must learn for your own well being is this: commentators have individual motives, some write simply for the sport of it.
Whew! I dodged my own bullet.
So, have I changed my belief that authors should not reply? No! This turnout was a rare example. A short note saying thank you to a compliment? Sure, for me that is considered polite. But to respond to ridicule (in a public forum or private e mail) is bad practice. My retaliation could have had dire consequences especially for an unknown indie trying to build a fan base. Word spreads quickly among reader communities, especially if you anger someone who has 4899 followers. I was wrong to reply.
What was I thinking when I said “you sir are not qualified to read my book.”? I wasn’t! Even though I thought I had calmed down, I hadn’t. If I had been calm and rational I would have never hit that send button.
The Real Janna Hill in 