Judgement Day with the IRS.

     Going to have our taxes done today. I am always shaking in my boots when we do this. I don't really wear boots, but you know what I mean. It's a lot like going to the gynecologist, you don't want to do it, you would give anything to not do it, but you have to do it.
     It always feel like you are having your life examined and are awaiting approval of all the things you have done during the year.
     I wish we could deduct groceries, then we would be in the money. Our grocery bill is usually more than our house payment.
    I don't think the IRS would believe what we spend on food and we would probably get audited. Can you hear the theme music from Jaws paying right now? You can't? It must be me.
    I have nightmares about the IRS. You hear horror stories about things that happen to people who get on the wrong side of the IRS.
    If anyone reading this works for the IRS, I am sure those stories are all made up. I am positive that everyone who works for the IRS is kindhearted, honest and well meaning. They are just doing their job as a service to our country. We all need to pay our fair share and we want our country to be strong and prosperous.
    Those are my true feelings about the IRS. Honest.
    Everyone have a great day and say a little prayer for us.
    
 

Reality TV? It's Not For Me.

     I'm going to make a confession here, I hate reality TV. I know a lot of people love it and they fill their nights anxiously wondering who is going to win the great race, or be the lone survivor, or which, past their prime, celeb will dance to the title, but I couldn't care less about any of it.
     I don't want to watch rednecks fighting on oil rigs, or scary people repossessing cars or people screaming at their family and friends, a la Mob Wives, or Real Housewives of anywhere.
     It makes me feel embarrassed to see people making total fools out of themselves on national TV and I can't handle it. That's why I don't watch any of the awards shows either. The Oscars? Who cares, most of the movies nominated for awards are either really weird, or really bad and I haven't seen them anyhow.
     I can't remember the last movie I saw in the theater, we usually wait to watch them on DVD and then say, "Wow! I'm glad I didn't pay thirty bucks to see that."
     The closest I get to reality TV is Hoarders and Hoarding, Buried Alive. Those shows make me feel good about my housekeeping skills, because no matter how cluttered and messy our house gets, we aren't walking on two feet of garbage, except maybe in the boys room on occasion. And then I freak out and shovel it all out and I feel at peace again.
     No offense intended if you live and die by The Biggest Loser or Teen Moms, I just prefer to live my own reality.
      
    

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

     So much to do and so little time. Does anyone else feel like that? I have lists of things that I carry around with me of projects I want to do, books I want to read and things I want to accomplish, yet there aren't enough hours is the day. Especially when I add in all the stories I want to write. That alone is a full time job.
     And then there is the whole mother, wife, thing I have going on and I realize I need to be cloned to do it all. Time goes by so fast and I want to slow it down so I can stop and smell the roses, but I may have to cut a rose and take it with me on the run to enjoy the fragrance.
     I am watching my kids get older and my grand kids grow up and I wish I had a magic wand to make it all slow down, but time waits for no man, or woman apparently, so all I can do is try to use my time wisely and enjoy the journey.
     Although, I think I would enjoy the journey more if I didn't have to clean the bathrooms. :)
   

My Blog Tour

  Many of my writer friends are doing blog tours to help promote their books, so today I thought I would do one, only since my book isn't available quite yet, I thought I would interview myself. Here goes.

Me: So how does it feel to know that you are about to release your first book ever?
Self: It's scary. It's like having someone critiquing your child. You hope everyone will like it, but you never know.
Me: Your pen name is Amberly Evans, why did you choose to go with a pen name?
Self: Because Sheereen in too hard to spell, thanks Mom.
Me: Tell us about your book.
Self: Well if your reading this, you've probably already read most of it, Into the Darkness is about a girl who is psychic, she has visions of murder and she meets a homicide detective who doesn't believe it that kind of stuff and they fall in love, but like most relationships it's not an easy course. They have problems and have to work through them.
Me: Where do you get your ideas?
Self:  They just come to me.
Me: So what's next?
Self: I have a sequel planned for Into the Darkness, that I can't wait to write. I also have a historical western finished, it was actually my first book, that I may make available.
Me: Your family must be very supportive for you to be able to take the time to write like that.
Self: Ah, yeah, except when there is no dinner on the table, or clean underwear for them, they get a little grumpy.
Me: What does your husband think about your writing?
Self: He would like me to be successful, so he can retire early.
Me: Does he read your work?
Self: He only reads the sports page.
Me: Oh, what about your kids, do they all read your work?
Self: One of my daughters reads my chapters and helps critique them, but the rest of them don't read what I write.
Me: What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about writing?
Self:  How stiff and sore my behind gets when I sit on it for too long.
Me: Really?
Self: Yes, and how hard it is to write a 125,000 word book and make it cohesive.
Me: How much of you is in your characters?
Self: I think any writer will tell you there is bits and pieces of you in all your characters, but the fun of writing is getting to be someone else and to live a different life for a while.
Me: What is the most rewarding thing about writing a book?
Self: Finishing...and having people say they like it.
Me: What are your goals for your writing career?
Self: To keep writing the stories that I would want to read. Hopefully, they will make people happy and enrich their lives a little bit. I hope to give them a little bit of diversion and entertainment.
Me: That's admirable.
Self: Thank you.
Me: So what are your plans for the immediate future?  
Self: To shower and go buy milk.
Me: Not that immediate.
Self:  Oh, sorry. To keep writing. I am thinking of trying to do a Christmas story.
Me: That's great. Will it be on your blog?
Self: I don't think so. I was really difficult to post chapters as you write them. If I had known how hard it would be, I probably wouldn't have done it.
Me: Well, thanks for the interview and good luck with your book.
Self: Thanks for having me.
Me: You can go shower now.
Self: What are you trying to say?
Me: Nothing. Do you always look like that in the morning?
Self: Look like what?
Me: Never mind.
Self: That's one of the benefits of writing, no one can see you working in your pajamas.

Ah, the Joy of Clean Sheets

     What is it about sleeping on clean sheets the first night or two that is so special? I love climbing into bed and feeling them, so soft and unwrinkled. I actually feel my heart beat a little faster as I put the sheets back on the bed, in anticipation of sleeping later on. Is that really weird? Am I the only one that thinks like this.
     Maybe, I should say we, because the hubby came home from So Cal. yesterday and, though I had slept on them for one night, his side of the bed was fresh and perfect. When we went to bed last night, the first thing he said was, "Oh, clean sheets." It made me wonder if I have made too big a deal about clean sheets over the years?
     Or, perhaps, we have just grown to think and act alike. After all, we have been married for over thirty years now. I have read articles about men and women, who have been married for a long time, who grow to think, act and even look alike. I don't know which one is scarier.
     He likes me to tell him how to think and act, but I certainly don't want to look like him.
     I do have to smile when he comments on the clean sheets, though. After thirty years, all the effort and hard work of training him, is paying off. It's the little things in marriage that count.
    

Don't Wipe it Clean!!!

     I've mentioned here before that I have a love-hate relationship with technology. I love my laptop, that's the original Shiba, the new Shiba, or Shiba two, not so much. Unfortunately, I took Shiba two on a little vacation with me and while I was there I outlined a new book. I think it was about twenty-three chapters worth of work. I made notes, had scene ideas and I was pretty happy with it all.
     Then I came home and Shiba two bit the dust. She was only three months old, so you can imagine my shock. I now have it out for repair with the Toshiba people in Kentucky. The scarey thing is that when I was signing all the paperwork to have it fixed there is this little clause that says any data on your computer may get wiped out and the computer reset to the original factory settings. WHAT!!! My heart is still beating hard.
     I hate, hate, hate losing parts of my writing. Any writer will tell you that once it's gone you can't get it back the same way. It's always just a little bit different. Maybe it's better when you rewrite it , maybe not, but gone just the same. It's like losing something very valuable to you and you know it's gone forever.
     While I wait to see if all that work was for naught, I am keeping my fingers crossed that they can fix it without wiping it clean. Whoever would have thought that a mother of ten would think wiping something clean is a bad thing. Technology is weird.

A Few Thoughts for Today

     Here are a few of my thoughts for the day. It is a beautiful day and I want to be outside. I really should clean my bathroom and buy another brand new toilet seat, ours cracked and now pinches when you sit. At least it did until I put duct tape on it. I never thought I would be a duct tape on the toilet seat kind of girl, but here I am. And I am irritated because the seat is brand new. I could return it to Home Depot, but there is something really gross about returning a toilet seat, even if you do clean it. I just can't bring myself to do it and I can't help but think that this wouldn't have happened if everything wasn't made in China these days.
    I could go and work in the yard, but I would also like to stay inside and write. My treadmill is still broken and I am missing my daily exercise. I could go outside and run, but then everyone would see how awful I look in the morning and I reserve that torture for my hubby and family only.
     We have a meeting for my mother-in-law at 2:00 pm and have to start picking up kids at 3:00 then it's off to Walmart to get milk and stuff for dinner. March Madness is upon us and it's party time at our house. It keeps the natives occupied while I try to sneak off to write.
     These are my rambling, non-coherent thoughts for the day.

Big Banks and Bull-lony.

     I was reading on the internet yesterday that the federal government is fining five big banks, including B of A, J. P.Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally financial (formally GMAC) 25 billion dollars for the fraudulent practices they used to foreclose on peoples homes when the economic turn down started in 2007. 2.36 million homes have been foreclosed on since the economy down turned in 2007.
     Think about that for a minute, 2.36million homes. Now think about that in terms of the people, the families that had their homes taken from them. Many times these people lost their jobs and couldn't find new ones, or couldn't find jobs making what they had been making. 
     I would also like to point out that it's 2012. It's been five years since people were begging and crying for the government to step in and do something about banks promising to modify their loans and then auctioning off their homes in the middle of it all. I say it's too little too late. 
     First our economy is driven into recession by the greed of big banks and our elected representatives who turned a blind eye to the inevitable and then, to add insult to injury, they take our homes away and now the government steps in to slap the hands of the big banks to say no no don't lie, cheat and provide fraudulant paper work to take away peoples homes, all while telling them you are trying to modify their loans. A two thousand dollars settlement now isn't going to do much to heal the wounds of having your home taken away.
     I'm so disgusted with politics right now I can hardly stand it. Greed is ruining this country along with corruption and other forms of moral decay. I'm talking about how we have lost a basic sense of what is right and what is wrong. I'm talking about how we treat each other. The Democrats hate the Republicans and the Republicans hate the Democrats. No one wants to work together to fix any problem for fear of the other party getting the credit. I find it ridiculous and frustrating beyond belief that it takes over five years for our government to stop banks from taking homes from families.
     I'm beginning to feel like we should start over. Kick every one out of office and elect a whole new group of people, who will work together and who will not be bought by the big bucks floating around Washington D.C. If that is even possible. I doubt it.
     I always wondered as a child in school learning about how once great civilizations fell after hundreds of years of being world powers, now I know, greed and arrogance. 

     
   

The Kind Of Monna I Want To Be

     Having my grandchildren close by has always been very important to me. I don't want to be the kind of grandma, or Monna as the grandkids call me, that they only see on holidays. Or who sends them a birthday card, or an awful sweater at Christmas time.
     I want to be the kind of Monna that has several high chairs in her kitchen because one just isn't enough when they all come by for dinner unannounced. I want to be the kind of Monna that keeps a portable crib handy for quick naps for grouchy babies. I want to be the kind of Monna, who keeps extra clothes in a bin just in case someone makes a mess, or needs pajamas to spend the night.
     As the grandkids get older I want to be the the one that picks them up from school when mom is running late getting her hair done, or at the dentist. I want to be the one they complain to about their parents being a pain in the neck and not understanding them. I want to see them doing all the fun things kids do and cheer them on while they do them.
     I want to be a large part of their lives and I want them to know me. Yesterday, my little granddaughter Lacee came over and showed me the scrape she got on her knee when she fell at church. She was still pretty upset about it, so we snuggled on the couch and I told her I was sorry she got hurt. Her little smile warmed my heart.
     I love my grandkids all eight, soon to be nine, of them. I hope and pray for their health and happiness forever and always. That's the kind of Monna I want to be.
   

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers

     My poor sweet mother-in-law fell last Friday and broke her hip. She had to have hip replacement surgery and it has been rough on her. She is still very tired and confused, but we are beginning to see some improvement. As you can imagine, writing my blog had to move to the back burner. I have been working on chapter 39, for those of you who are waiting for it. I hope to have it up tomorrow. If the stars align properly.
     I appreciate the thoughts and prayers that so many of you have offered for Grace. She could still use them. 
     We are hoping for a full recovery and that she will be back to her old self in no time, so she can come home and be with her family. Thanks again.

About Chapter 38

     Chapter 38 is done. I am not going to post it, however, because it is a love scene. I know people have certain opinions about reading love scenes and I don't want to offend anyone. So if you would like to read chapter 38 e-mail me at    ladystef10@hotmail.com    and I will attach it and send it to you. If you don't want to read it, chapter 39 should be ready on Friday and you can just continue on with the story. I do have to say for those of you who didn't see my post of FB that my sweet little mother-in-law broke her hip last Friday and she is my top concern for the week. My plan is to have 39 done but I may need a little more time do to her situation.

My New Cover!!!

     Here it is, the rough mock up of my cover. I love, love, love it. the blurb has to be reworked, but I couldn't be happier with the images. I hope you all like it as much as I do. By the way, Amberly Evans is my pen name. I hope to have a web site up and running by the time this comes out.

Big Day For Me!

     Today is a big day for me. I'm going to have my first book cover designed. Hopefully, it will be the first of many. Digital publishing is giving many first time writers the opportunity to get their stuff out there where people can find it. Publishers are now using that venue to find new author's they want to publish, so let's see where this takes me.
     I will post a pic for all of you as soon as the mock up is done and ready. Wish me luck.