Not my typical Post

I’ve seen a lot of people talking about invisible illness lately. Of course, in this social media firestorm we live in, everyone seems to be holding up their particular concerns like an ocean of picket signs. Perhaps I have only zeroed in on this particular discussion because it is something which concerns me as well. I’m not waving my sign and saying “Hey Notice Me! I AM HURTING TOO”. Not really. Though it is nice that I now have better words to use when discussing the issues with those close to me. But, what I am getting from the societal discussions is a recognition within myself that what I feel is real. And I’m not alone.
I’m struggling. I have been for quite some time. And I have done just about everything I can to dress it up, fight it, ignore it, and cry about it. I’m tired. So I’m not going to do any of that anymore.
I have depression. I have anxiety. I have chronic pain. I’m overweight. I am struggling with addiction to smoking. And my stress levels are uncontrolled.

Well, hello there. You too?

Here is an interesting thought one of my students brought to my attention. There is this misconception that in order to write, especially the good stuff, you must be a drunk, mentally unstable, chain smoking genius. Well, I am no genius, maybe that’s why it doesn’t work for me. All the other stuff really puts a kink in my writing process. No, I’m not a drunk. Thankfully that vice isn’t one I’ve acquired, but the others have been a constant battle. And I am so exhausted battling those demons, there just isn’t much left for my characters.
Due to this, my writing has slowed down. But I’m crawling up that particularly deep ravine and finding joy in life while finding ways to manage my illnesses. It’s a wonderful thing to see light in your life again. Even as you stand panting on the edge of that cliff, hoping you don’t fall back in.
One thing I can tell you about these experiences and writing–It sure gives me a lot to write about and new perspectives to complicate the lives of my characters. Life as a writer isn’t just sitting on your butt and writing words. It’s living life. It’s struggling. It’s watching the world around you spin in and out of control. It’s taking all the colors, dark, bright, muted, and brilliant and placing them on paper.
Am I ready to take my recent struggles and put them on paper, into the mouths of my characters? I don’t know. I honestly have no idea how this will go. I’m still struggling with my depression and anxiety. I’m still hurting every day. But I am learning to roll with it.
Soon, I’ll be back to torturing my characters with all the things a crazy life can throw at them.

Spaceship!!!

Yes, Benny is my favorite. If I must choose just one insane, walking plastic man of joy, I will pick a rabid astronaut every time. Why do I bring this up? Because I was stranded in my house with a sick 7 year old and a husband recovering from open heart surgery. (I will let you guess which one gave me more puppy dog eyes and requests for snacks or juice.)

I took solace in the Lego Movie. Thank you Lego for providing a no-brainer gift for whatever instance requires it; where my son is concerned. Thank you Lego for grabbing pop culture by the throat and demanding we hand over our money. Please, take it. Take my money. I had a quiet two hours (or however long that movie is) and a perfect representation of my mood in Benny.

Can I build it now? Now? Now?

I have this same voice in my head at all times. New ideas are throwing shoes, banging drums, and doing cartwheels in my brain. Imagine about twenty Benny’s jumping in your head. Sure, it might indicate a chemical imbalance, but I’m not going to tell my therapist about this, are you?

Anyway… So the point of this heretofore pointless post: Deadbeat is out. And the great thing about Deadbeat is that I got rid of a good forty Bennys in that one. I had so much fun writing the story and not just because well, hello… Vampires? But because these ridiculous scenes kept popping in my head and I actually had a place to put them.

As you jump in and run through this one, send me a note, throw in a comment, or just send a telegram (no more of those? Hmm), Smoke signal (oh, culturally insensitive, but I’m part… yeh, nevermind), carrier pigeon? (No? What do you mean they’re all dead??).

Ok, I don’t care how you tell me, but I do want to know what your favorite scene is. I’m dying to know… mwhoohahaha, get it? Dying. A book about vampires? No? Sigh, ok. I’ll stop.

Cheers!

Erin

Deadbeat Falls out of the Shadows!

Deadbeat Press

Release

Today is the day! Feel free to open the link for the press release. Deadbeat is live today at a special release price of $4.99. Available at Smashwords, Amazon and other e-book retailers.

I want to thank you all for sticking by me as I dealt with all that Life has thrown my way. While we are still in the thick of change, the ideas are still churning. I hope that you enjoy reading this fun, comedic take on the  paranormal at least half as much as I enjoyed writing it.  l am really looking forward to revisiting Megan, Clarence and the gang soon.

Cheers!

Erin

 

Gnarly but Worth It!

Life loves Chaos! But that is where we grow and how adventures come about, so I’ll take it.

We have all experienced the increase in demands on our time, our brain-power or our attention. While I have been experiencing all three recently I am also taking every opportunity to write! Because I need to. Because it makes the rest of it worth it. Because there is a back-up in the express lane of my imagination which will only get worse if I don’t. I will always take the opportunities big or small to write and remind myself that the tortoise won the race.

Now, I know you all have been patiently waiting for Deadbeat. It is >this< close to the release. Yet since you’ve been so patient, I am going to give you a sneak-peek. Here is an excerpt from the first chapter:

“You are so not staying here.” He turned pathetic, sappy eyes on her and she blanched. “No! That worked once. Not again, I am not that stupid!”
Clarence shuffled his feet, touching his nose in obvious discomfort. “Come on Meg, I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“No.”
“I’ll be quiet. You won’t even notice me. I’ll even clean!”
The man had never cleaned a room in his life. Megan gritted her teeth and her words came out in a hushed growl. “You left twenty dead rats in the air ducts.”
“Ungh. I did?”
He looked so genuinely confused and contrite Megan deflated. With skin like brittle bleached parchment and stringy hair, he was the portrait of the permanently down and out. It was happening. Last time he’d left, she swore she wouldn’t fall for his sappy sucker punches. Self-preservation required strength and an unyielding commitment to her decisions. She deserved her solitude. Wallowing in her misery alone was her right, and no matter how bad he looked or how obviously down and out he seemed, she was not obligated one bit to help.

He wiped his hand against his nose and the blood smeared across his cheek. But it wasn’t gross–well it was gross–but it was also…sad. Damn it, she was going to fall for it again. She said, “How did you survive the last hundred years?”

See you all next week with an update.

Cheers!

Noodle Armed but Pumping

Life continues to move forward at a fast pace. I love it! I know it may not seem that way from the gaps in this blog. Or maybe it does. Either way, let me catch you all up on the most exciting items.
I am currently writing the third book in the Viator Legacy series and once again becoming engulfed in these dynamic characters. I can’t wait to share this one with you. Unfortunately, I have to finish it first!
Speaking of the Viator Legacy – tomorrow, March 17th, is the last day to purchase Unforeseen for $0.99. Get your copy and leave me feedback. Good reviews are great and not so good reviews are even better! I can only improve for you if I know what I am missing.
Now to end this post with some really exciting news!

Cibola’s Revenge will be offered digitally through Arizona Libraries via BiblioBoard Library. This is an awesome opportunity. I am very excited not just to be a part of this but also that libraries are becoming more open to digital editions as well as indie authors.

I hope you are all doing well and I can’t wait to make some more announcements soon.

Cheers!

2015… Wow!

Here we are in the second month of 2015 and I am amazed at how quickly it is going already.

When reminiscing on New Year’s Eve with my extended family I realized this year marks FIVE years since I published my first novel Unexpected! I can’t believe it. I feel like I’ve only just started this journey but looking back at the books since Unexpected I know it’s been a heck of a ride. And it is FAR from over.

To celebrate I am offering Unforeseen (Book 2 – Viator Legacy) for $0.99 from February 2nd until March 17th on Smashwords and Amazon! I love Grace and would like more folks to meet her. Lucius isn’t too bad either.

Let’s get ready for more adventures with Deadbeat coming out very soon and Unrepentant (Book 3 – Viator Legacy) coming out later this year. This wild ride just keeps on going.

Happy 2015 Everyone!

Announcement and Sale!

Season’s Greetings to all my Readers and Friends!

After a honestly brutal heart to heart with my editor and betas I decided that I could not release Deadbeat just yet. You all deserve my best and that is exactly what I am going to give you.

I want to thank you for your continued support and patience. This story got away from me. This universe has so many unique personalities and they all want my attention. To be honest, they distracted me with how fun each one is.

In the meantime, to make up for the delay AND give everyone an opportunity to submit an honest review of my first book, I am lowering the price. From TODAY, December 17th, until January 31st you can purchase the digital version of Unexpected : A Viator Legacy Novel for only $0.99. This price is available on Smashwords, (for Kobo, Nook, iBook, PDF, etc.) and Amazon (for Kindle.)

This weekend I am baking cookies, decorating and spending time with my family. I hope you all are enjoying this Holiday Season with the people you love.

Happy Chanukkah, Blessed Yule, Happy Kwanzaa, and Merry Christmas!!

Crashing Waves and Lego Everywhere!

For the first time in forever…I took a vacation that I actually felt like I deserved. Not that I don’t always deserve or even want vacations, my goal in life is to see just about all there is possible to see.  In this case, I actually needed a break from working so hard. Now, often working too hard is considered a bad thing, as we would all love to have a job that is relatively easy to do and enjoyable. For me things have been both hectic and fulfilling. I’ve been working my tush off to get my workload caught up in the office and also finishing up the revisions for Deadbeat. I am happy to say that both are well on their way to moving forward. (It took a little longer than planned. It will be SO worth the delay!)

But that brings me back to vacations. Sometimes you need a vacation to get away from the drag of the everyday. Other times you need a chance to bring yourself back to center. And sometimes, like my recent vacation, it is a time of celebration. And we did celebrate. I had a blast with my family in San Diego. We visited Cabrillo National Monument and explored the Tide Pools. (This is a place and activity I highly recommend to anyone taking a trip to the area.) Then we hit up Legoland, and honestly, do I need to say more? I mean, come on… Lego! We closed our trip with several hours at the beach. I saw dolphins. From the beach. Yes. Dolphins! For a desert rat, it is a sight you never forget. It was phenomenal.

And now, I’m home, happy, and ready to keep moving forward. It is going to be an amazing holiday season and I can already predict 2015 is going to be a year for the record books.

Ok, time for me to finish up those final edits on Deadbeat. Keep your eyes peeled for a vampire who puts a whole new spin on the supernatural.

Cheers!

Phoenix Comicon 2014

Wow! Phoenix Comicon was unbelievable! I am still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened and everything I saw.

I must say that I really loved meeting other authors whom I’ve admired for some time. The charming Donna Cook. The brilliant Frank Beddor, (who hugged me!) The stunning Carole Barrowman whose writing I can’t wait to share with my son. I am still in awe that they were all so gracious and encouraging.

And how do I explain my excitement over the gentleman who brought in my book, (Cibola’s Promise), after 2 years to get it signed? It truly made me weepy. To have people come up to me and tell me how much they enjoy my stories is still amazing. I hope I will always feel this grateful when meeting fans of my work.

I cannot adequately express how much I adore my friends who helped me with this convention. The love, care, and heavy lifting were more than I expected. I am continually amazed at the support system I have. Honestly, I would not have gotten this far with out each and every person who gave a bit of their time or talent to my endeavors. I love you all so very much!

At the moment I am working on the projects which pertain to that very big announcement I promised. So it will probably be a bit quiet again here. You’ll love the results of my hiding, however.

**Falling out of the Shadows September 2014**

 

Also keep an eye out for Unrepentant (A Viator Legacy Novel) scheduled for release December 2014 – more details to come later this summer!

In the Soup, Getting Ready to Paddle out Again

Dude! Really, Dude!

Phoenix Comicon totally snuck up on me. Luckily it was while I was getting ready for Phoenix Comicon. I have passed the point of stressing over the details and am super excited. I mean in TWO days I will be geeking out with friends and making new geektastic friends. Who wouldn’t be excited?

I have scheduled release dates, which I’ll be announcing at the con first, for the next two novels. So keep an eye out for news after this Pop Culture extravaganza we call Phoenix Comicon.

If any of you will be at the convention come by my table and say hello! I love meeting readers 🙂  Plus I will have all the current books on-hand in print ready to sign. See you there!

 

 

 

 

***BTW the fantastic image behind my covers was taken by the Amazing CowgirlZen Photography!***