Rituals? Me? #MFRW #Authors #39

My writing ritual can be summed up in three short steps:

1.  Fix something to drink and/or eat
2. Sit down at desk and bring up document on computer
3. WRITE.

 

That’s it.  Oh sure, there’s some procrastination along the way….checking Facebook, reading through what I’ve already written, doing some last-minute research, or getting a phone call/family distractions.  But if the words are flowing, it’s very simple.  I WRITE.

Step one depends on what the muse wants.  Mainly it’s iced tea, and I keep it in the kitchen, so I have to get up once in a while.  If there are Girl Scout cookies about, my muse likes the Thin Mints or the All-Abouts/Thank Yous.  Or if I’ve eaten my stash, then it’s Mint Oreos.  Right now, it’s candy corn.  Specifically, the Autumn mix.  Even more specific, the pumpkins.

For more authors’ rituals, click here.

What’s my current project?  I’m taking my four ‘orphaned’ novellas and making a print anthology.  I’ve nearly gotten everything formatted; now I need a title.  Go to Kenzie’s Korner and read the blurbs for All She Ever Wanted, Appetite For Desire, Class Reunion, and Off The Clock, and see if anything jumps out at you.

Suggestions already have been:

Country Club Chaos

Country Club Shenanigans

Romance ala Country Club

Passion Ala Cart

An Untimely Catered Affair

A Series of Catered Affairs

Untimely Catered Shenanigans

Catered Romance- WINNER

What’s in it for you?  Bragging rights, a mention in the dedication, and a free signed copy when it’s available.

See you next week!

Trivia Buff #MFRW #Authors #38

This week’s topic is ‘my odd/useless talent’.  I think mine’s trivia.

Blame my mother.  Waaaaay back when I was in high school, she brought home a new board game called Trivial Pursuit, and I fell in love with it.  I was particularly good at the Science and Geography subjects (go figure!), with History and Entertainment a close second.  Why not Literature?  I was only 16, and still hadn’t read a lot of the classics.

But I digress.

I took the game to college, and soon friends and I were having week-long games.  My boyfriend in 1987 and I joined in a game midway, and on our first turn, kept answering the questions until we had all but one piece of the ‘pie’.  Fifteen minutes later, it was our turn again and we not only secured our final piece, but made it to the center and won the game.

We were never allowed to play with that bunch again….

I own nearly all the Trivial Pursuit editions, and I’ll admit, my kids beat me at the Pop Culture one.

After being smoked at Disney Trivia by my kids, I made them quit using the Kid’s deck, much to their dismay.  I’d like to play once in a while too!  When that proved a bit too tough, we altered the rules so they could only answer two questions!

Remember the game Scene It?  The kids and I would play that for hours in the wintertime.

Now my favorite thing to do is go to Buffalo Wild Wings and play Lunchtime Trivia.  Sometimes I’m the only one playing, which is nice, but it’s also nice to see how I stack up against other players.  Sometimes it’s a challenge to come in 2nd or third, but I also believe it helps exercise the brain.

What’s YOUR useless or odd talent?

Click here for more!

I promised you an interview with my rebellious fairy Opal; she nearly hijacked it!  As soon as I get a definite release date, I’ll let you know:)

Aunt Mommy #MFRW #Authors #37

Some people collect stamps, other books, coins, toy trains.

Along with my US quarters, I seem to collect Adoptees.  Last count, I was up to thirty.

Who are these strange people in my life?  Very simple.  They’re my kids’ friends who call me ‘Mom’.

Years ago, before my ‘caboose’ was born, my original two kids were begging for another brother or sister.  At the time, I thought the baby factory was closed, so I told them I’d simply adopt one of their friends whenever they came over.  I never dreamed that in 2007, we’d move to a new town and become ‘Aunt Molly’ to the neighborhood kids!  Turns out I was the lone stay-at-home mom, so during the summer, my house became the Official Hangout.

I helped with homework.  I counseled teenagers with their relationships, when ‘My mom doesn’t understand’ or ‘I just can’t talk to my mom about this’.  I fed hungry children lunch, and sometimes even dinner.  I gave daily hugs to the affection-starved child next door.  And some of their parents even paid me to watch their child while they worked.  But most of it was volunteer, or bartered for when I needed child care.

As these children have grown up over the years, I’ve also morphed into ‘Aunt Grandma’, since a few of them had children either prematurely (while in HS) or while in long-term relationships.  It distresses me to see babies having babies, but in today’s world, that’s become the norm, at least in this town.  So far, only two of my adoptees are married, and a few have moved away, but they know they can reach out through FB and contact me if they need an ear, or even a swift kick in the butt.

Just ask Sam.  When she broke the news  to me about her pregnancy at age 17, I hugged her, smacked her on the head, hugged her again, smacked her on the head a second time (about thirty minutes later!), then hugged her a third time.  Her cousin remarked I’d hit her more times than her own mother!  (Not hard, mind you!  And we talked about her plans, her future, and her options.)

At least the quarters I collect don’t cause me any drama!

Want to know what others collect? 

Great News!  Whispers, our newest anthology, is set to release in the next month!  I have two stories in this antho….The Badass Fairies of the Wabash and Spirit Pottery.  Next week, I’ll have a link to the interview I had with Opal, my misunderstood fairy.  She took me for quite a ride, so see you back here next week!

Confessions of a Chocoholic #MFRW #Authors #36

*Raises hand*

I’ll admit it…..I’m guilty of hiding Dove chocolates in one of my dresser drawers.

Why?

So they will last longer than a day or two, due to those other humans who live in my house.  If I let it be known there are kettle chips, Dove Chocolates, Cheese-Its, Old Fashioned Creams, or even more recently, Werther’s Original Caramels out in the open and up for grabs, they would barely last a day.

So yes, I’ve taken to hiding kettle chips in the cupboard with the laundry detergent; buying two boxes of Cheese-Its and stashing one on the highest shelf of the pantry; tucking my favorite candies (Dove Chocolates, Old Fashioned Creams, and the caramels) in either my closet or one of my dresser drawers.

How long do they last, you ask, if I’m the only one eating them?

One week on the chocolate drops (there’s not that many of ’em) and at least 2 weeks on the Dove and Werther’s, longer if I *gasp* forget they’re in there.  (Yes, it’s happened)

Mom and I were eating cookie dough ice cream last night when a commercial for substance abuse played.

“I admit to being a substance abuser……I’m becoming addicted to my nightly ice cream,” I quipped.

Mom smiled.  “You come by it honestly, because if you spent any nights at your great-grandparents or your grandparents, a bowl of ice cream before bed was a nightly ritual!”

So there you have it.  I come from a long line of candy lovers, since my great-grandma had M&Ms in her pantry; my grandfather kept M&Ms or pistachio nuts beside his chair; Mom keeps cookie dough in her fridge and we snack on at least 4 squares each day; I hoard Dove Chocolates whenever I get the urge.

Yeah…..that explains why the number on my scale this summer is going the wrong way……as soon as I return home, the snacking’s gotta stop!  Though a few years ago, I discovered my muse loves the Mint Oreos!

Click here for more Secret Snack confessions.

Update On Mom:

This is my final full-day with my parents, since I return home tomorrow for at least 3-4 weeks.  Mom has made an appt with the neurologist to have her muscles tested, in order to rule out any other diseases.  Her left thigh muscle has clearly atrophied, so physical therapy will help with it.  I’m looking forward to getting back to my family and getting my own house back in order; my youngest has signed up to be a Prop Boy for the HS marching band, so that means picking him up from practices and attending football games this fall.  We don’t have to attend the band contests if we don’t want to, though I would like to attend State, as our HS band ranks high each year.