Computer Go Bye

Greetings bipeds possessed of a computer, I have news.
It is quite shocking to read, not Only for you but for your machines.
It is with great dismay and regret that I inform you my computer, my only laptop and my shelter from the pressures of life, is lying, case pried open and components loose, hard drive removed, atop my troublesome scanner.

My boy friend took it apart after the power connection broke and that is when we learned that asus loves hidden screws. As, the laptop already had damage that a repair shop would have scoffed at so we were left with few choices and an interest in seeing the treacherous machine's innards splayed willy nilly.

Don't worry. The hard drive was fine and all the data is safe. But. I've the use of an iPad and it's only the recent acquisition of a stylus that has me typing this much. I shall try to keep in touch but my hands shake even now.

Happy Holidays!

A Writer With no Supplies Becomes a Reader With Lots of Time

So.
I have a story to tell, though it isn't much of one, in my humble opinion or anyone else's.
It begins with me being to rough with my laptop charging cable. I keep my room in a dreadful state, full of things on the floor, including my futon, which I don't fold over as often as I should since I need the space. I unplug my computer frequently and when I discover that the cable has been buried under twenty pounds of shite, I do the most obvious thing. I pull.

Well, I broke it. I noticed tearing and I taped it up with electrical tape and then, a day and a half or so later, my computer cable began to smoke, to flash to burn to sizzle. Whatever you want to call it, the plastic was melting. This lead to what felt like a week but might have been less of no laptop. Instead I had the family Ipad. While nice for looking things up, it's futile to try and type out a manuscript on that thing so I didn't. Instead I rediscovered my love for reading and actually read a Victorian romance. It was pretty good. It was, This Rake of Mine, by Elizabeth Boyle and while a few things just didn't make sense, it was still darned satisfying. My favorites were Miss Porter's charges, the meddling girls from Miss Emery's school.

Finally, I have a new charging cord. Now I can get back to writing, if I can tear myself away from all these books.
What a quandary

Yep.
Also, I think I might try a fantasy romance.

As for my assertions that I will stop blogging to work on other things, I don't think it's a problem. Whether I will be very regular is another matter entirely.

Thanks,

Cait

Abundantly Clear

I don't know what I'm doing.



I think that's abundantly clear.

But I am trying,
And I will gain some measure of success.
Because I am improving.

It's either publish books or plot to take over the world.


Oh, I've plotted the changes for Snow Sands. It will be spectacular!

I'm Done For a Bit

I'm going to stop posting for a while. I don't see much point in it. I have a lot to learn and my luck has been nearly nonexistent so I should concentrate on writing, marketing and cobbling together a plan for doing things, since right now, I'm walking around nearly blind.

I will leave you with one piece of advice. In my writing, I have discovered that publishing a free short story can help, yes, but it can only really be helpful if you publish it at the same time as your book since people may like something but not enough to go back and check if it's out yet. Convenience is one of the best things you can provide to get your work seen by more people and have them consider buying it.

Thanks,

Cait

Snow Sands, Back to the Drawing Board

Well, I finally got someone to read through the book and tell me what they thought. I'm aware that people have stuff to do, but it always seems to be a matter of forcing people to do stuff for me. It kinda makes me wish I were a meaner person, then I'd find it fun.

Okay, to the point. The humor is great, emphases on the great. The main character is a bit too accepting of her situation and there are a few minor formatting issues.
Good.

Now the last part of the book. It falls apart. Too much is going on, the main character falls to the wayside and it's just a muddle. Still funny, though.

Based on this information provided from a kind reviewer on Goodreads, I've come to understand exactly what I have, a pile-up of stuff. It's funny and cute and nice but it doesn't quite make it as a cohesive book.

With that in mind I've taken down the book from both Smashwords and Amazon and intend to split it into two and expand on those parts, filling in any plot holes and ensuring that everything reads smoothly and makes more sense.

The lesson for today is; You usually don't know as much as you think you do and should be willing to change things once you have new knowledge.

Yep. It's back to the beginning with Snow Sands, I read it from the start again. "Fool, fool, back to the beginning is the rule."

The Wind-Up Terrier is in better shape, (hopefully) and will be released in the next month, perhaps November 30. I'm looking forward to everyone meeting Euphemia and the girls. Even though they were around before the word spitfire was coined, they definitely fit the perimeters.

Eat Grubs, Not Pugs

Eat bugs, not mammals! All us warm blooded, milk drinkers should stick together and eat the creepy, crawlies, not each other. 
That is my ruling. 
Also, I think most bugs would be easier to prepare than chicken or beef. They're already in bite size pieces, for crying out loud!
It's like eating shrimp. All we need is a sheller for different insects and we're set. Or eat them with the shell on, like my mom does for shrimp. Calcium, you kenn?
Rally with me, my friends. It's the dawn of a new generation. 

Grubs taste like bacon, apparently.

http://edibug.wordpress.com/list-of-edible-insects/

Also, Snails.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/escargot-zmaz93jjztak.aspx?PageId=1


Sounds good to me!
Perhaps I should look up what fire ants taste like.

My Dog is Gone

You know Jager, the dog who inspired Bubble's Ordeal and Ode to Jager?
He passed away rather horribly on Monday. It was too early for him and we're feeling very guilty and horrible. This is just after he finished his four month heart worm treatment. He was worm free. He was also refusing to eat and losing weight. My guy had been laid off from his job, again and we hoped that getting him to eat and getting his tapeworms, which he seemed to get every single time he went outside, would be enough. It wasn't.
A little after noon on Monday, October 21 2013, Jager collapsed in the back of the SUV after he'd been carried there from the grass where he'd lain down and refused to stand. He stopped breathing immediately.
We'd been worrying so much that it's a relief. It's also quite painful. He should have lived longer. He could have lived longer if we'd chosen differently.

We are dealing with it and I have decided that for my NaNoWriMo book, I will write about the death of a dog and his bonding with a dog mecha. It sounds silly but I promise you it will be epic. Jager's picture will be in the beginning and the book will be dedicated to him and to my guy.
I will finish this one. I need to.