Monthly Archives: October 2015

I Wrote a Book / What Have I done? / Rafe Ryder and the Well of Wisdom

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I’m almost ready. The final countdown has begun to the November release of Rafe Ryder and the Well of Wisdom, a middle grade fantasy novel. It’s an exciting time for me. I even have an author page on Amazon now. *breathes into paper bag*

What’s it about? I’ll give you the back cover blurb.

RR_WellOfWisdom2

Strange things happen when the place you call “home” is no longer your address.

Twelve-year-old Rafe Ryder’s year couldn’t get worse. His parents have shipped him off to live with his grandmother and he doesn’t know if he’ll ever see his sick father again. Arriving in Maine, Rafe plots his return to England, but the possibility of a homecoming slips further from his grasp when an adventure in a corn maze at his new school goes wrong, and he and twelve of his schoolmates are mysteriously transported to Mystfira—a realm of angels, leprechauns, gargoyles and fairies—and home to an elite angelic training school. Forced to co-exist with student angels and surrounded by more danger than he ever could have imagined, Rafe searches for a way home only to stumble upon a scheme to destroy the heavens. Can he find a way to save himself and his friends…or will they be lost forever?

I have been so very fortunate to have a wonderful team of people surrounding me, thanks to my friend and fellow author, Katie Cross. I could not have gone on this journey without her! Everyone has been so patient and good to me, starting with the editor of my first draft, Kim Young, and my final editors, Catherine Jones Payne, Stephanie Guido, and Christabel Barry at Quill Pen Editorial Services. As you can see, my cover artist, Jenny Zemanek of Seedling Design Studio is pure genius and phenomenally talented. I’m so grateful to all of you. (Also thanks to Professor Mark Muesse. If I hadn’t taken your course, Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation, and learned how to meditate, I’d currently be modeling a straitjacket.) Oh, and I can’t forget the remarkable, Kella Campbell and her eBook formatting skills, and the amazing Christopher Bell at Atthis Arts.

Now as exciting as this time is for me…I have to admit…I’m terrified. Rolling over and exposing one’s soft underbelly to the world does carry a certain amount of trepidation…but I promise, I’m going to be okay as soon as the tingling in my hands, lips and face goes away. *falls off chair reaching for paper bag*
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Homeowners Injured, Accosted by a Spiteful House / No More Renovations Planned

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Although I was excited about the renovation and my new sink, the house was not.

Although I was excited about the renovation and my new sink, the house was not.

Hello there. I know…I know. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve done a blog post, but I’m back at last. Our home has been undergoing a major kitchen renovation (since February!) and I completely underestimated the havoc it would cause in my life, not to mention the unholy mess! (Dang you, HGTV, for all those one-hour television shows demonstrating short, painless renovations!)

Over the last eight months, living in our home has not been at all conducive to thinking…let alone writing, and besides that, my muse flew straight out the window the moment she heard the buzzing of saws and pounding of hammers. (I can’t blame the poor thing, In hindsight, I should’ve vacated with her!)

Now that things have settled down, I’m anxious to tell you a story. Truth, in this case, is stranger than fiction (and far more entertaining), so let me began the saga of my spiteful house.

Creepy basement stones

Creepy basement stones

 

The hubster and I own a home, which is well over one-hundred-years-old. It’s charming and brimming with character. I LOVE this house to pieces, although I do find the basement with its creepy stone foundation a tad bit disconcerting at times.

 

 

 

Exhibit A

Exhibit A.  The house has a pretty mean slant on things.

 

I have long been suspicious my house is a living, breathing entity who does not easily embrace change, and I’m now more convinced of it than ever. Over the years, our house has adamantly refused to cooperate with the myriad of repairs and renovations we’ve had to make to her. She has never willingly accepted anything new, particularly the plumbing, wiring and windows, and this time was no exception. Ask the carpenters and subcontractors who have been unlucky enough to deal with her chicanery. (Exhibit A).

 

Bye byes, back stairway, bye byes!

Bye byes, back stairway, bye byes!

 

 

The kitchen renovation was the largest we’ve ever undertaken and I think we pushed our house over the edge when she lost her back stairway to the new pantry area of our kitchen. Oozing petulance, she pulled every dirty trick in the book to slow the process.

 

 

 

New pantry sans stairway

New pantry sans stairway.

 

I tried to sweet-talk her and convince her that everything would be okay, but she was having none of it. Reaching her boiling point, she took her revenge on me, and the hubster as well.

 

The new pantry was clearly unacceptable to the house.

The new pantry was clearly unacceptable to the house.

 

 

 

 

The last week in August on a stifling summer night, she had the audacity to push me down a flight of stairs, causing me great bodily harm. No. I’m not being dramatic and taking creative license here. No… seriously, I’m not. I REALLY had 3 broken ribs, a lacerated liver, and a compression fracture of my spine. My hand to heaven! (Now, the doctor said the fall down the stairs was due to a blackout caused by dehydration and hypotension, but I’m not buying it! Not for one single second!)

Two weeks later, my husband fell down two steps onto the cement floor in the garage rupturing a lumbar disc in his back, and compressing a nerve in his leg. (Coincidence? I think not.) The hubster had back surgery and has recovered quite nicely. We’re both fine and perambulating about town now, although six weeks on my back has turned me into a butterball.

Still need back splash, but taking shape.

Main kitchen. Still need back splash, but taking shape.

 

I believe the house is done retaliating for the renovation, at least I hope so, because we’ve still got flooring to go down and I’m not in the mood for any more of her insolence! I have cautioned her to carefully consider any further retribution, because I know where we keep the matches.