On Friday Oct. 30Th I decided to begin raking the leaves in my yard. We only have eleven big oaks in the yard and many more surrounding it. With my son Jame's help we managed to get a little over half of the yard cleaned. By Friday evening I was sick. Medicine and early bed time didn't help a lot. By Saturday evening I was only slightly better. I spent the next week doing the best I could to doctor myself and work my way through what I thought to be a serious allergy attack. By Thursday I was unable to breath and having serious chest pains. I was able to work for a couple of hours before I gave up. I was able to get in to see the doctor and was told that it was nothing serious, nothing contagious but I would suffer from it for a while. I was also given several medications to attempt to help me as I made my way through this creeping crud. This worried me as I have done some almost nonstop coughing and I had a table at the local Lions Club Bazaar to attempt to sell my books.
Today was that day. I woke feeling very weak, very tired, and very sick to my stomach. I got up early, scrambled an egg and attempted to get something on my stomach. Determined that I was not going to let this illness stop me-- and since my dad had wanted me to do this bad enough to pay for it- I woke my son to help me load the car and we went to the school where the bazaar was being held.
My table was immediately inside the door. It didn't take us very long to have everything inside and set up. James stayed long enough to make sure I was set and then he left and returned home and as I found out later, back to bed. After I was set up I was able to talk to the lady set up next to me. Her and her husband are friends of my dad and I can see why, they were an incredibly nice couple of people.
As the day wore on I was able to talk with several of the other vendors. There were bakers, painters and weavers. They were wives, sisters, brothers and husbands. They were an incredibly talented and friendly group. Each offered advice on how they created, how they promoted and how they networked.
I had a great day, I made friends, I sold a few books. There is the chance that someone who knows someone can help me with The Legend of Dragon's Doom: a young warrior's vow and getting it more -out there- This person was very upset when I self published it, even when I explained that I felt that too much of it had been posted openly on a blog. So today I gave her a copy to do what she felt she could do with it to see if that would get it more mainstream. I have no idea how long it will take, I hope not too long as my husband is growing impatient with all the boxes of books sitting here unsold..
I've really done pretty well with the poetry book- Blessed. I'm glad actually- even as I want The Legend to do well- Blessed- is a large part of me and my heart. I love doing a google search and seeing where all it is turning up. I still plan on finding something I can use to mark places on a world map.
There are some speed bumps that are showing up along the way in this journey, but they too are just another lesson that I need to learn. I feel that anything learned too easily may not fully be learned and is too easily forgotten. Something that you have to work for, stays with you much longer.
And my books- are well worth taking the time and struggles to learn the lessons to promote them, sell them, and even maybe, possibly, could be..a little main stream chance in their future-never-- ever-- say never.

wonder of it all

There is an old saying that you can never go home again..it is incorrect. You may go home changed, wounded, matured, but you can go home again. It is up to you how you handle life and what you find there.

I moved away from here once. Stayed away for nearly two years. Then wounded and weary I returned. It took a while, but healing - true healing- is a slow process. Now I can walk this place and see it for what it is- my blessing.

When some people think of dirt roads there is a negative connotations with it. Part of that I can understand, especially when you are trying to drive through red mud after a summer storm rain storm or winter snow. Otherwise I find dirt roads to be peaceful and for the most part quiet. Especially mine. Narrow and coming to a dead end in the woods there is not much traffic compared to main roads. I can watch squirrel and rabbit dart across the road in front of me without fear. I have walked up on many deer and the occasional raccoon. I have walked out into the open area along my route and watched Hawk and Turkey Buzzard alike scan the grounds for their next meal. I have carried my camera and captured photos not only of the mammals and birds, but of many spiders, bees and various insects that find their meals among the various wildflowers that bloom along the way.

My wounds have healed. I have faced other storms. As time has passed, this place has proven time and again- you can indeed go home again.

dreams to reality

I have long dreamed of being an author. I have been a writer for as long as I can recall. It is my belief that if you write anything at all, poetry, short stories, novels, fan fiction; you are a writer. It is when you see that writing published, when you take that next step, holding book in hand, you then become an author. It is a dream I had thought would remain just that, a dream.
For years I sent columns to a local paper. They gladly accepted my offerings. Publishing them on a semi-regular and then for a while regular basis. That came to a sudden halt not too long ago. Whether they had lost interest in what I offered or had grown tired of my tales, or if the economy (which has wounded us all in some way) had something to do with it. It could also be that I had lost my enthusiasm for it as I was finally pursuing my dream.
It was almost a year ago now that I innocently wandered over to a writer's prompt web page and saw the photos of castles and dragons and other various medieval suggestions. I thought I could jot down a quick poem, post it and be done with it. Instead this poem kept growing. Going from one to six parts and then beginning to change. Taking a life of its own it turned into a story. This story grew into the novel that it is now, The Legend of Dragon's Doom: a Young Warrior's Vow.
Before that I had been writing inspirational poetry. Each day I try to post a poem of praise and thanks, poetry that seeks and finds. Those were collected together into a book titled Blessed. Most of these were written during the time when I was battling cancer and my husband was out of work. During the time of dark storms and bright inspirational light and hope.
I self published both of these. Blessed, because it is poetry. The Legend of Dragon's Doom because most of it was published openly in one of my blogs online. I did not think it would go as far as it did, or garner the attention and comments that it did. By the time I realized what I had, it was too late. With first rights basically gone I saw no reason to approach the traditional publishers or agents. I did however have these books proof read by no less than six people. I suffered over every word, every sentence. These books are a part of me. While I did not have to deal with letters of rejection, that does not mean I cared less, tried less, put less into them.
With books in hand I have set out to turn this project into the grand adventure that it could possibly be. Creating business cards and other hand outs that I carry with me at all times, right nest to copies of each book. I try to take advantage of every opportunity to talk about my books. I have participated in local festivals in an attempt to sell books and also to get my name out there so that people know the books exist.
I have contacted people that I hope will be able to assist me. One being the event coordinator at the local library. Being that they have always been good about supporting and promoting local artists and authors I hope that it will continue with me.
I have other projects that are in the works. One being a collection of short stories about life here on my dirt road. There is a magic here, and I believe that magic played a part in the creation of these books and the ones to come.
I believe that during the time of storm that I faced, during the many walks I took then and the ones I take now, I am never alone. I am blessed in my belief, I am blessed in many ways- therefore the titles- Blessed.
May we all
find out blessing.