There's Christmas Songs and then there's Christmas Songs

When I say I color not only outside the lines but on another page entirely, here is the evidence.

I love Bing Crosby old-style Christmas songs. But this is one of my favorites.

Truly, my mind works in strange ways.

IWSG - Wishes

IWSG—Insecure Writers Support Group: The Final Frontier.

These are the continuing voyages of the Ninja Captain, AJC. His mission, to explore all new writing venues, to seek out new authors and new blogs. 

To boldly go where no blogateer has gone before.

Coming together on the first Wednesday of every month for a virtual pat on the back. 

When contemplating Life, the Great Beyond, and the nutritional value of almonds, I forget I have a blog and posts for IWSG.

*cue Slinky falling down the steps*

But toasted almonds top my munch-list, my belief in an All Powerful Deity remains unfazed, and here is my Post for Insecure Writers Support Group.

I wish:

There was less vitriol in social media, politics, and public. 

Tolerance for all viewpoints. 

More quiet Dis-cussion and less Cussin’.

I wish...  

There were fewer handouts and more handups

More encouragement and less battering of spirits

People realized the value of Routines, the Golden Rule, and a child’s laugh.

Not more time but the insight to use time wisely

I wish:

People would listen to I Believe by The Lettermen at least once a week.

Watch more sunsets and sunrises and marvel. 

Everyone had a dog or cat to love.

 I wish:

People would investigate and research rather than accepting an internet source depending on donations, listen to people with dirt on their hands and love in their hearts, and realize that desk-jockeys with book smarts have no real experience.

I want people to remember the sacrifices and courage of D-Day, 911, the Battle for Britain, Thermopylae, and watch Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan.

And finally, I wish for more Hope, Less Strife, more Personal Intelligence, and less Internet Intellect. More backbone, common sense, and gentle determination.

My blog, my space, my wishes

What do you wish for most in the world?

IWSG - A to Z Challenge, I Haz a Sad

IWSG—Insecure Writers Support Group: The Final Frontier.

These are the continuing voyages of the Ninja Captain, AJC. His mission, to explore all new writing venues, to seek out new authors and new blogs. 

To boldly go where no blogateer has gone before.

Coming together on the first Wednesday of every month for a virtual pat on the back. 

A to Z. Congratulations to all A to Z participants. You are so cool for doing it. I’m envious. And sad. I wish I could do more. But it just is not to be. I appreciate all the work and marvel at the participants’ ambition. *Big Thumbs Up*.

But I just cant do it. I feel somewhat ashamed. 

I iz sorry

Don’t get me wrong. It was fun but just too much. Last year I repeated my A to Z theme, Guess the Movie. Then I discovered that not only did I use the exact same movie—Young Frankenstein—but even the very same quote as the clue that I used two years before. 

DOH.

So it's a No Go this year. But still...I'm wearing my frowny face.

April 5 Question: Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results?

Answer: Not so much. I like the exposure and am proud of the badges. Heaven knows we earned those, right? But I haven't pushed it. 

Are you doing A to Z this year? Feeling remorseful? Wishing you could do more? *hanging my head*

Three Authors - There Be Fantasy Here

Three of my favorite authors have books coming out this spring. Patricia Briggs, Margaret Weis, and Robin Hobbs are contributing to my bottomless desire for new reading.

Margaret Weis. Like other people seek oxygen, I inhaled the books of team Tracy Hickman/Margaret Weis in earlier times. I could never get enough. By the time Ms. Weis released the Star of the Guardian series, I thought I knew what I was getting. Boy Howdy was I wrong. The level of writing, the intrigue, the political morass; it was an amazing set of books, one of the kind of tales that I want to read again and again just to see if I missed something.

Enter Spymaster.
Released March 21st, this tome is sitting in an UPS truck and making its way to my home even as I type these words.

Spymaster, The Dragon Corsairs

Patricia Briggs. Already at my side and consumed is Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs. Her continuation of the Mercy Thompson series came out March 7th. I was introduced to Ms. Briggs’ books via a wonderful employee at Barnes and Noble. It was the third book, Iron Kissed, but I was hooked even though I usually don't start a book series in the middle.

Her Alpha and Omega series branches off in another direction without losing the rich history of the shifters and werewolves. My personal favorite is Bran, the Marrok or leader of the werewolves. I sincerely want much more of him.

Silence Fallen


Robin Hobbs. Thanks to the advice of my good friend Marcy, I started a new series The Farseer Trilogy a couple years ago. Little did I know the journey I was about to take.

Fitz

Fitz and Fool evoke such emotions. Scenes about Nighteyes are wonderful, difficult, thought-provoking, and a dozen other emotions. Fifteen books later, my enthrallment has not waned.

May 9th, the release of the last of the Fitz and Fool trilogy is due, Assassin's Fate. The cliffhanger at the end of Fool's Quest was a killer, btw.

Assassin's Fate

If you like the urban fantasy/fantasy genre and haven't tried these, give them a go. It'll keep you in reading material for a long time.

Depending on how fast you read :D

Ghosting At the Edge of Shadows

Months fade. Days run by like water and too often, we listen to nagging excuses.

For me it was a lack of ambition. Annnnd inspiration, strong will. Of course there was determination, motivation, stress, the abundance of cynicism, questioning my ability, defeatism, and doubting everything from start to finish.

In other words, I am a writer.

And so I’m back. No promises because that gets me in trouble. Goals—when kept—work great. When not, well, it’s a killer. Having firm objectives works for some people but not so much for me. Live and learn.

And thanks for the cheese. (You know who you are)

A New Beginning and the Beginning of the End

The world of the writer seems smaller to me today. Politics intervene in friendships. Publishers fail and kick their authors to the curb. Smarmy writers tell the self-published that they aren’t worthy. Too much going on for someone like me who prefers a quiet life.

And my cat died along with my coffeemaker.

Politics. It isn’t easy for either side. Let’s pray violence doesn’t ensue due to hatred and media pushing their agenda. I hope we can give these next few months a chance without resorting to vitriol and mayhem.

Publishers. If you find a publisher who believes in you AND stays in business, “lucky” doesn’t begin to cut it. I didn't know how great Musa Publishing was until they closed shop. They paid their authors and gave us back our rights, an example of a moralistic company.

All Romance Ebooks is the opposite example. Total creeps. ARe closed its doors with a vibrating slam. How they treated their authors gives all small publishers a bad name. Two days notice and ten cents on the dollar for all those greedy authors.

Read shame shame

Writers Living in Ivory Towers. Self-publishing was my only avenue after Musa. After hearing some of the horror stories from other writers about their publishers, I didn't trust anyone with my books. It's been an okay move. I paid my way with professional editing and a great cover and I am satisfied.

But this established author doesn't believe in self-pub. It's as if she stepped into something foul and wants to scrub it off her shoes before it contaminates her life. The title of the article should clue you in: Self-Publishing: An Insult To the Written Word.

Go. Enjoy. Say a few four-letter words. Then read the comments. Trust me, you'll feel better.

D'Oro. He was fifteen when he died, my cat. 
Yes, I was expecting his demise. No, I didn't think I would react as I did because, well, I was expecting it. 

*sigh*.

He was a good cat. The kind that would sit in your lap and purr nonstop.

I buried him in a quiet place and told no one. My family will ask someday, "Hey, what happened to 'D'?" And I'll tell them. 

Until then, I'll be sad and try not to think about him too much.

Time to turn over the calendar and give 2017 a chance.