My Sugar Detox
I’m doing a life-change in my ongoing battle with chronic pain. And it’s working.
Personal
Regaining Momentum
Writing after a dry period is really hard, but there’s no secret to getting back into it. There are only a few simple steps.
Learning From Those Who Came Before
We write our stories, and we do the best we can. For many of us, that means we write from perspective born of backgrounds we didn’t control, educations we weren’t aware were cheap, and information we didn’t know was dated.
Snippet for August (and a personal update)
Flames dance thanks to exothermic reactions, a process that releases energy to its surroundings in the form of heat and light.
So did she.
Keep Going
Things are dark. Very dark. It’s time to ask yourself an important question: why keep going?
It’s a New Day. Welcome to 2018!
Pull up your trousers and tie your shoes. This year is going to be a fight.
We Need Strong Women in Fiction
I didn’t grow up seeing strong women represented – and neither did the rest of my generation. There was a cost.
Recipe: Rice and Beans
Note: this is a really simple recipe. You do not actually have to be precise about any of these ingredients.
The Doubting Writer’s Manifesto
Bad thought-habits are hard to break.
I know I’m not the only one who struggles with them. For all of us who must deal with poisonous doubts spewing from our abused subconscious, I present the Doubting Writer’s Manifesto.
KDP Select + Giveaway Winners: This Post Has ALL The Things!
First off, congrats to the winners of the fantabulous printed books giveaway. 🙂 Second, I have some news about my books.
MASSIVE GIVEAWAY! :)
Guess what? I’m moving – and I’m giving away the older copies of my books! This is your chance to get hold of my print books for free.
Say Farewell to the F-Bomb
Sometimes, we choose to do things not because they’re the only way, but because they’re the kinder way.
Health Update: March 2017
Well, here we are! We survived. Not all in one piece, but here, nevertheless.
Since my last update, my husband has been through a couple of surgeries, more than one miracle, and a TON of physical therapy.
This Post is Political. You Have Been Warned.
The events of the last few days have been so awful, so violent, so terrible, that I find my attempt at equanimity slipping away. I cannot be silent.
I’m sorry. But that’s not enough.
Today, a black friend of mine posted a picture of himself, unsmiling, in a restaurant – the owners of which had chosen to decorate the walls with pastoral scenes of slaves picking cotton. I’m sorry. But that’s not enough.
Personal Update: Surgery Time
Fingers crossed, knees bent, hopes raised, and prayers raised: it’s the final countdown, and my heart is firmly lodged in my throat.
Miracle on Hedgehog Street
This is a long, personal post. You don’t have to read it! However, for those of you who’ve wondered what’s been going on over the past year, I figured it was finally time to explain more in-depth. Long story short: in 2015, my husband nearly died.
Treasure the Little Moments
So this is a special Christmas. If there’s one thing this long, difficult year has taught me, treasure the time you have with your loved ones. Every moment really is special.
14 Years Since
Bit of personal business here today, but it matters: This is the 14th anniversary of the accident that nearly killed my husband Duane.
Not an Easy Announcement
Many of you noticed that Gorishfish disappeared for… well, a couple of months. There’s a reason for this. It’s time to explain it all.
I’m Now a Regular Contributor at The Write Practice!
I just HAD to share this news.
Loneliness and Books
I took bookworm and made it mine, decided that geek meant smart, and tried with all my heart to transform the sorrow and pain and rejection and mockery and bullying into a badge of honor.
Happy Eighth Anniversary, Beloved!
Married. Married is WONDERFUL.
Duane Reid, I wouldn’t trade these last eight years for anything in the world.
I Freak Myself Out
I assumed I must be crazy, which I think is the default for any of us who go through something and keep it to ourselves.
Time Out
I know what comes next. I just don’t have the brain-space to write it.
Because Life
My mom may be gone, but I refuse to honor her memory with sorrow. Today, I celebrate life.
My Writing Process Blog Tour
I’ve been tagged to answer questions on my writing process. A cat-gif is included to keep your attention.
Poorly Played, Sony
Please understand that I LOVE this laptop. It has always done everything I asked of it, and that’s why this particular problem is so disturbing.
Three Weeks and Counting!
You may have noticed my absence. Never fear! It is due to Writing Focus, which tends to produce good things. By the way, I will be offering The Christmas Dragon free via the newsletter, and it will also be briefly free on Kindle.
Merry Christmas, and Aakesh Fanart!
I made out like a bandit this Christmas. My amazing husband got me a Doctor Who t-shirt (photos to come), and Celine Chapus drew me Aakesh!!
Thank You, Rose.
Customer service people: you are WONDERFUL.
A funny thing happened on the way to the written page….
With everything that’s gone on in the past couple of months, it comes as no surprise that I wasn’t able to write.
Notte Snippet: New Purpose
Warnings: this is COMPLETELY unedited. There will be typos, clunky sentences, and entire segments that will not make it to the final product.
Happy Anniversary, My Love
See that guy up there? Want to know why he’s so awesome? Well, here’s is a list, in no particular order.
First Mother’s Day Without
Fair warning: this was the first Mother’s Day since my mom died. This post will be very personal, and probably uncomfortable for some. In this post, I am deeply, critically honest.
First Christmas Without
So this is the first Christmas without my mother, and it’s weird.
Thanksgiving Recipe!
See that stuffing? We made it ourselves, and you can, too. This is DELICIOUS, super-easy, and incredibly satisfying for everyone.
How to Find Confidence
It’s like some kind of old-timey riddle: name a thing we all wish we had, yet hate when we see it in other people?
Yup, you guessed it: confidence.
This Post is Probably Too Personal
…but y’all have a back-button, so it shouldn’t be a problem. 😀
I know I’m breaking every blogging rule by being THIS honest here, but you know, I’m a firm believer in the idea that we need to help one another any way we can, and this might just help you.
How (And When) to Handle Critics
Lemme tell ya something: you are never going to make everyone happy.
The Next Big Thing
The awesome and wonderful Pavarti K Tyler tagged me in a blog series called The Next Big Thing, and she’s sent me ten nifty questions regarding my next book. Thus, I bring you… answers! 🙂
What Community Means to Me
I’m totally going to steal someone else’s definition: “It’s people living life together and helping one another throughout our cities to serve our cities.”
That isn’t just trite to me. That’s very real, and I’ll tell you why.
So, About Those ‘Lazy’ Self-Publishers….
I love Sue Grafton’s work. I respect her as a person. However, some of the statements she made in a recent interview… Wow. Ouch.
Hope
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
– George Eliot
Mom, I’ll See You Later
Goodbye, mom.
Target Fixation
What are you desperate to avoid?
Behold My Dorkiness, Take One
You think you’re high on the dorky meter? I may just have you beat. Behold: I have made My Little Pony versions of my dark-apocalyptic-dystopian-science-fiction protagonist and antagonist. (I’m pretty sure they’d both object.)
That Was Not Fun
So, remember this? In preparation for surgery, one of the things they’re trying to do is get my hematocrit (red blood cell count) up to normal levels via something called Venofer, which is given in IV drip.
Why Do You Write?
So what inspires you? For me, it’s heroism and sacrifice. True love that beats death, beauty and nobility going hand in hand. In other words, what’s done matters.
How Many?
Heh. Well, this will make it easier when I’m published.
| HowManyOfMe.com |
person with my name in the U.S.A. |
SOPA Strike
Don’t forget to strike using your website on January 18th. This link will tell you how: http://sopastrike.com/#how-to-strike
Seriously, sign up and do this.
Behold the BANE
Ow.
So that thing. That thing there. Is killing me.
No, I don’t literally mean the plushie, but I do mean the uterus.
Behold the BANE
My uterus is *literally* trying to kill me. 🙁
Absent From the Body…
I lost a mentor today.
Dr. Samuel Hsu was a brilliant musician, a keen humorist, and the best history teacher I’ve ever had. He understood that learning isn’t all about disconnected facts.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
I am making my own stuffing this year! Mostly! Okay, we bought the croutons, but we’re going to do this otherwise from scratch so as to avoid certain things my husband happens to be allergic to.
The Brave and the Bold
So guess what I learned this week?
That I could attend and work at two comic book conventions, write from 1700-4000 words a day, and realize my mind is already made up about The Sundered. I’m going indie.
Writing Full-Time – EEK ZOMG WTF BBQ
It’s a scary thing to jump into something as a full-time job when it doesn’t bring in any money.
September 11th
It’s that day again.
The day when America learned it wasn’t invincible after all.
The day when so many lives were lost – and at the same time, many were saved because of a few brave souls on flight 93.
Writing Links Roundup
On the Road Again
Hello, LiveJournal. I’ve missed you.
Things have been a little crazy. I’ve moved three thousand miles.
Hello, Mount Rainier – Maybe
See that?
That might be my view by the end of March.
Boston Medical Center Is Cool
These people rule.
Everyone we’ve met at this place has been amazing. Intelligent. Compassionate. Effective.
My husband is well.
WOW! No, really, I mean that.
World of Warcraft. It’s something I work very hard at NOT allowing to eat my life.
Tonight, however, I’m preparing for Cataclysm – and that means levelling to 80.
No Time to Waste
I wasted time, and now doth time waste me. ~William Shakespeare
See that quote there? That is something I took to heart a long time ago, when I realized that so many creative people just… drag along, hiding themselves, waiting for some meteor to hit them in the head engraved with ‘you can do it!’, waiting for lightning to flash across the sky and tell them it’s ‘time’ to act on their dreams.
Catching Up
So there’s a lot going on right now.
1. Grandma is very ill – senile dementia plus a bad fall has left her less than well.
Why I Did Not Submit to Penguin
I’ve just sent out a manuscript in response to a request for a full. This isn’t the first time that’s happened, and it’s probably not the last.
Relaunch!
This has been a helluva month, folks. How do I deal with helluva-month stress?
By redesigning my site, of course.
Oh, Bloody Hell
Yeah. That picture there? Of the computer blowing up? Yeah.
Maybe I should stick to clay tablets.
I’m Notte a Hack
So one of my favorite authors, Lilith Saintcrow, was called a hack. Why? Because she expects to get paid for the hours of work she puts in.
Goodbye, Era
(Note: Violeta Smadbeck has passed away. Her memorial service will be held at the end of September, 2011.
Mab is Dead (and other updates)
I am one happy lady. Guardian Alex Kingmaker Mab is Dead is done, rewritten, and shipped out to beta readers.
Back in the Saddle, Cowboy
There were wonderful things this month. We got a kitty. Celebrated my fourth anniversary.
New Hair, New Day
This Independence Day is important for a number of reasons, both historical and personal. I may not be at leisure to say why, so I’ll do this instead:
Time for some new hair.
Happy Anniversary, Us
As of yesterday (around 7:30pm, give or take) we have been married for four years.
Four awesome, tantalizing, emphatically fabulous years.
Inspiration Time
See this photo? It makes me think of my story.
My book has nothing to do rusted angels, or sculptures, or nifty cars (though there are wings involved).
Steampunk!
Like Steampunk?
Like costumes?
Like ball-joint dolls?
If even one of three is you, then you’ll love this.
Photo Post!
It’s been a long while since I did this. Photos under the cut. (One or two NSFW, just fyi.) If you want to see the whole set, click here!