Chapter Seven - - A Walk on the Beach.

 So, as I began writing Chapter Seven, I wasn't sure how to get the two characters out of the condo and onto the beach to take that "long walk on the beach" thing that everyone talks about. Everyone loves a long walk on the beach, and my two main characters are no exception to the rule. We have sunsets, beach sand, volleyball, open bars, rowdy people, and the glances that get given and moments stolen in time that make the book worth reading.

    There's something else going on in Chapter Seven, too. Leigh tells Mathew about the book her cousin wrote, the title of it, and why it's so important. She's pretty excited about the book and wants her new friend to read it if he has time. She knows he doesn't have the $18 to buy a copy on Amazon, and since he doesn't own a Kindle, she decides to lend or give him her copy of the book to read. He's not much on reading, he tells her, not stories anyway. He's always been an articles kind of guy, but if she wants him to give into it, he'll do it for her. She wants him to give in to it.

    There we are - - Chapter Seven...done!  Next, we'll see the two engaged in their personal lives and individual goal-setting and achieving. Mathew will read the book and find out what he thinks about it. It's the only book he's ever read cover to cover, and he had the sad and heartbreak yearning when he reached the next to the last page, too - - I hate it when that happens, but that's when you know it's a good book! You're really sad that it's about to end. You've really invested your soul, and it's gone.

    Well, I have decided who I will dedicate the book to, and I've decided to have a "mention" in the back as well. I'm mentioning Charlie and Hideko Garrett, who I memorized in the pages. They are the only real-life people in the book. I say that; I mention a singer or two, and yeah, an author and her family are talked about.  The book will be finished around the end of August and will be published around the 1st of September, with a publishing date of September 1, so I can remember when it came out.  My last book came out on my best friend's birthday - June 22. I do that so I can remember.

    ENJOY!! Wait, you can't enjoy it yet - - never mind.

Photo Credit: SecondLife.com

Five, Six, Seven....well, Five and Six.

 I have successfully finished Chapters 5 and 6 of the book. YEA! It's getting to the point where I can start writing now. I know that sounds funny, but the first few chapters of any book explain what will start, maybe happen, or there are at least a few foreshadows of what can or will happen. My books will not vary too far from those of other authors who I feel were successful in their pursuits.  Copy the best, mimic, and try to do what they do - - but give it your own spin; make it yours.

    When I taught students how to write in my Creative Writing classes, I would tell them they need to know the end of the book before they can presume to know how it starts. This is an age-old concept, not my own. It's something I picked up along the way, and it's always served me well. I know exactly how the book ends -- no, I'm not telling you, that would not be fun. You have to read the book just like me...and everyone else. 

    Chapters 5 and 6 deal with Leigh volunteering at the projects, her interactions with a few of the people there, and the reason the church people go to the projects in the first place. It's not what you may think. They're not out there bible-thumping and making it about salvation. They're out there helping, being who and what they can be with a more humanitarian approach. They are first interested in gaining the people's trust, then, and only then, will they introduce their beliefs and really only if they're asked about them.

    Leigh also finds Mathew interesting enough to have an evening walk with him, something that she's always wanted to do; walk the length of a good sandy beach at sunset and watch the waves crash over gently while the sun burns the water in the horizon. But it wasn't safe to do this alone, and she knew that. It's not 1800; it's not even 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, or 1960...it's the present day, and women need to be protected when they walk the shoreline. Mathew volunteers to walk with her. It will give them a chance to get to know one another, as well as to express any seeming awkwardness between them. 

    Leigh is a wealthy, younger, stronger, and far more confident person than Mathew. He's experienced lawsuits, arrest, addiction, fighting, feuding, anger, anxiety, and angst. She was raised by Mr. and Mrs. Christian Wholesome, who brought her up correctly and gently, with an inner belief in herself and a long-standing faith that she leans on when times get too rough to handle. Mathew is just now learning to trust anything other than life's rocky waves. He needs to put his best foot forward, but doing it is a little nerve-wracking.

    Chapters 7 and 8 will cast light on things other than the main characters. I will delve into ways, means, and methods of those who are unseen, unwanted, abused, and often set to the side in order for others to be and feel more comfortable with life. Chapters 7 and 8 will be fun to write, and I'll probably end up writing them together like I did 5 and 6. Sometimes I just get on a roll and keep it going, but today, only two chapters will be written. I have all the time I could ever need. I'm not under a deadline.

    

Photo Credit: sunsetnc.com

Comic Con 2024 -- I Went!

     So, if you know me, you know I'm not someone who gets all dressed up and goes places. For me, dressing means I put on my shoes. Most of the time, I wear sweatpants, tee shirts, undergarments (of course), and socks. I don't like wearing shoes! If I have to put on my shoes, it means I'm leaving my house, and if I'm leaving my house, that means I'll end up seeing people! 

    Believe me, I'm not an introvert. I love being the center of attention, and I love engaging in conversations with people I know and people I don't know, but lately, because I work from home, all the people are communicate with are online or on the phone because they're either people calling me about work stuff, or I'm calling them about work stuff. I just don't do people really. I mean, I do go to stores, shop, socialize, and whatever, but I'm not going out of my way these days - - it just doesn't happen.

    When Laura asked me to drive her to the Comic-Con about a month ago, I thought it was in Oklahoma City. It wasn't. It was in Tulsa!! Let me just say if I didn't have another kid in Tulsa, I wouldn't have agreed to take one kid halfway across the state so she could dress up and mingle with other anime and comic characters. I just don't -- until I did. I did, and I think I'll do it again, too. Laura really doesn't drive anymore, she's got a bit of anxiety going on, so it's me behind the wheel and this last trip sort of shocked my "Snap Shot" from Progressive. I fully expected Progressive to write to me to ask me if I knew I drove over 250 miles in one day. I don't usually drive 150 miles in a month!

    Comic-Con was fun. Jeannie went with us, and she was cute in her shiny little cat ears!! I wore summer joggers and a "Go Dog Go" tee, but Laura dressed up as a really fun and cute Mahito—don't ask me who he is. Caity dressed up as some sort of anime sorcerer who gets "burned," and she was adorable, too.  My grands dressed up, and Sailor even made her own mask for whatever creature thing she was...very cute, very green.   Brandola, my son-in-law Brandon, was a minimalist like myself. We did the observation thing.

    While at the Con, I met about 2000 new friends and talked to a few more. I got a free book from Eryn Adams, author of KING OF THE SHORE.  I met too many Batman characters, a Joker, and a few cartoon things and people that I recognized, but so many of the cosplays were people or things I'd never seen before - Laura and Caity had to tell me who they were. It was fun, though, and I'll do it again.  Laura met her co-worker and friend Sarina for the first time in real life! She and her mom, another CMR worker, drove up from Ardmore! Woo Hoo!! They were fun.

    Though it was a bit expensive and took a minute to drive up to Tulsa, there was something worthy about it all -- I did something I don't normally do, and that felt pretty good. I got some steps in too, about 8000 or so, which wasn't as many as I thought I would, but the convention wasn't as big as I thought it would be either - I guess I was thinking it was going to be massive, but it was rather ordinary - - but packed...absolutely jammed with authors, artists, gamers, people, costumes, and the like. There was one thing that was cool - - cool for people who like celebrities and the such. There were anime and character voice actors there, and the kids met a few. There was also a famous composer and actor, Paul Williams. He was nice. Then, there was this other guy - - I heard them announce his name over the intercom; John Schneider.

    I first met John Schneider in 1972 in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He was about 17, and I was 10, almost 11.  It was in August. The sands were white, and the trees were tall and green. I think, if I had to be honest, he was my first real crush.  He grew up to be Bo Duke, and I grew up and went to Hollywood soon after he did; we ran into each other a few times, and today was the first time we'd seen each other in about 40 years. It was fun to talk to him. There were only a few people at the table where he was, so I waited to speak to him. When his "bodyguards" asked if they could help me because they didn't want me just approaching him - - I laughed.  I don't do the whole "I'm so famous I need bodyguards" type of thing, and really, John doesn't either -- it's probably something the event thought was necessary. 

    We talked, and he was the same old John. He's always been a bit bigger than life, and he hadn't changed. He's down to earth and normal and every day.  John is a lot like Jim Garner in that sense; what you see is what you get. He's not going to put on any airs. It was good to see him and good to know that after all the years that have passed since The Dukes of Hazzard, he hasn't lived as some secluded, stuck-up celebrity who can't hug people and take a few minutes to talk- - he can. He's from the South (born in NYC but raised in Georgia) he gets it.  I hadn't been to any cons before, so I didn't know what to expect; this one was really fun. I'm glad I went. 

Copeland, Brandon, Caity, Sailor, Laura - - Comic Con 2024, Tulsa

Gotta Lose The Weight! Gotta!

     Tomorrow is the day I put away as much as possible to make sure the house is free and clear of boxes so I can finally get my treadmill set up - - and not a minute too soon. I'm telling you. I took a few snapshots of myself today with my family, and DAMN, I am NOT where I want to be weight-wise. NOPE...no, I am not, and it's not fat shaming if you personally think you could lose 40 pounds. It's not shaming; it's putting things in perspective!

    I have about 40-45 pounds to lose, which is exactly what I think I need to do. It will take a full year. I know that; I do not think it will happen overnight - I have work to do. I have already started eating better, and I'm working on my stress levels. I get plenty of sleep, plenty of water, and plenty of prayer. It's exercise time. It's walking on the treadmill, stretching, yoga ball bouncing, and weight lifting time. No, I'm not going to go the gym - - I'm not doing that. I'm making use of what I have in the house.

    I have walls to do push-ups on. I have the treadmill, the weighted balls, the weighted bars, the stretch bands, and the boxing stand. I can do this. It will just take a little while. I would rather go slowly than try to crash diet and burn out. It's going to take dedication, routine change, and the knowledge of what needs to be done before I make any real change. I believe in the concept behind the NOOM program. I'm just not going to pay anyone to tell me how to lose weight in a healthy way. I can study it and do it myself. 

    I eat too many empty calories and that has to stop. I'd say I'm addicted, but I'm not; I'm in a rut - I can stop, and I will stop. I won't give up sugar 100% because I think moderation is better than sacrifice, but I can do without most of the things that I eat that have sugar - - and just do what I know to do; that's been a better plan for years. I just get away from the facts and start binging whenever something happens to set me back. In 2023, I lost my job at the end of 2022. I didn't get over it for a year, and although I used the time to write, I didn't use the time to stay healthy.

    That changes, and it changes now. I'm OK being a little over what I should be, but I'm NOT healthy, and I won't tolerate that from myself. I won't punish myself either, but I will work with myself and praise myself when I do what I should do. Positivity beats negativity every time! I can do this. I really can. I have pictures to prove it—and I'll get more later down the road, too. It will happen.

Photo Credit: DeerRun.com

Spoiling Myself a Little.

 I'm not actually writing a chapter tonight; I decided to take a break and let the creative tidbits that I've been overworking take a little time off to rejuvenate so that I'm ready to spring back into action either tomorrow evening or Sunday. I'll travel on Saturday and visit my other kid in Tulsa while taking in the Comic Con. I've never been to one, so it will be fun.

    My bestie is coming with us, and she's been talking to Laura about what she should wear. I'm going the very simple route, only donning a pair of loose-fitting summer joggers with a "Go Dog Go" tee shirt and some barefoot shoes. I've really been cutting back on the whole dress-for-success theory. In fact, if what I wear these days covers me and keeps me out of jail, I'm good.  I don't even put on jeans anymore, not if I don't have to. It's really funny - - but some would say sad. Nope...not me. I feel so relaxed and so not going anywhere - - that's how I feel.

    The one thing I did decide to do to make my life that much easier, is to buy another monitor for my home office. This one, a 27" curved 4K Spectre monitor, is the same size as my other 27" monitor, but this one is curved, not flat. The only, and I do many ONLY, reason I'm doing it is so I can watch my Law & Orders (and Perry Mason) on the new monitor while I'm writing - - I'll write on the flat one, and watch my shows on the curved one. If anyone picks up one of my murder books and reads a relatively familiar scene from, say....1963 Los Angeles...just let me live like I wrote the thing myself.  (LOL...if you know me, you know I'm rolling about now.)

    The monitor is a needed treat, and I think I've actually earned it after the many years I've watched shows in my office while writing. Currently, I have a 27" screen to my right and my 24" flat on the left...the one I'm writing on now. Tomorrow that all changes; Amazon is my friend. They have promised me fast delivery. Tomorrow, I'll have the 27" flat on my left and the curved on the right - - and Perry and Della Street will be working late, I'm sure.

    I have every Perry Mason episode there is to have - - and I think I've memorized them by now. I will soon have the entire 24+ seasons of Law & Order. I don't think I'll buy the SVU, but I may end up watching Law & Order UK...that could happen. I'm sort of a purist, I still have a hard time forcing myself to watch Law & Order Organized Crime. It's not the same...it is just not the same...but good.

    When I go to Sam's, and I do, I look at monitors and think to myself maybe I'll do that. Maybe I'll buy another monitor. When I get into trading Forex on a realistic basis in March, I'll need at least three screens - - but that's down the road, and I'll need to practice my skills a little longer before taking the plunge into reality trading. I'm pretty good at "Monopoly" money, but giving up my own could be another story. I'm teaching myself to be emotionless and not to care if I don't win. It's not always about winning; sometimes it's about learning. I would rather (of course) win more than I learn -- LOL.

    Oh, and since I was at Sam's, I decided to buy another canister of dark chocolate caramel sea salt candy. You can't leave it on the shelf at $10 a canister! Nope...that would be a tort. I'm almost pretty sure of it. I could look it up.

Photo Credit:  Sam's Club

FOUR!! (Yes, I Know, You Don't Spell it THAT Way!)

     Chapter Four is in the can! Yes, yes, it is. It was a relatively easy chapter to write; I didn't have to do too much thinking. I described the housing authority projects and the types of people that Leigh, Mathew, and others will encounter. That and Leigh was given a crash exam by the city's brave and handsome fire Chief, Doug Dempsey, who has, for the past quarter century, been putting out fires all over Sarasota, Florida.

    Dempsey will be instrumental in bringing peace and awareness to the people of the housing projects when it comes to dealing with the cops, and he'll be sure to put in a good word for one of the local boys who is about to graduate high school and wants to do more with his life than simply join the military. He feels he can put his wits and strength to good use on the fire force - - if he can get past the requirements of having at least an associate's degree to apply. It didn't seem fair, but it is what it is.

    When it comes to understanding those less fortunate, Leigh has had little firsthand experience, but her heart has always been in the right place. Though she wasn't born with a silver spoon to suck on, she was born among a group of solid salt-of-the-earth types whose idea of inclusion meant allowing the Hatfields and the McCoys to come to the Sunday picnic now and again. When Leigh's grandmother, a faithful and devout Christian woman, refused her little black friend inside the house for ice cream once, it wasn't her friend who felt the jolt of racism; it was Leigh. She couldn't believe her own kin would be so backward; she had a lot to learn about living in the South.

    Chapter Four is about understanding ground zero of the most economically challenged people in the state and what it will feel like, look like, smell like, and be like to be among them for several hours and to try to not only not stick out like a sore thumb, but to be useful, helpful, understanding, and giving without any type of judgment no matter what she saw,  heard, smelled or felt. Chapter Four is the beginning of the book in some ways; it gets the characters set and ready to rumble.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

More Done -- Chapter 3!!

     I don't always write one chapter a night, but when I do, I'm pretty happy about it.  If I could just do this one a consistent basis. I would write 360 chapters, or roughly 12 books a year if I could manage it. Something tells me that's not going to happen. I don't know about you, but I feel that the pressure to do something like that would somehow be too demanding.

    Today, however, this evening, I did manage to write Chapter 3 of the new book. Just think, in 27 more chapters, I'll stop calling it the new book and tell you what the title is -- how exciting is that? The real title!! It's a secret for now, but maybe I've already let the cat out of that proverbial bag. To the best of my knowledge, cats have never really liked hanging out in closed bags for much longer than a few minutes.

    The book's third chapter finds Charlie, Leigh, and Mathew enjoying a good and hearty Thai lunch; Leigh's treat! They talked a bit about Mathew's past, and we were able to find out a little about his anxiety and how it affects him when he remembers certain things at certain times. He's not ready to let just anyone into his world, and that includes Charlie. He loves Charlie, and he even trusts him, but he's still a bit too closed to be able to let the new friend in on much more than what she may have been able to glean from his social media accounts from yesteryear - - nothing is really deleted, is it?

    Leigh remembers she's not in Kansas anymore - - then again, DeQueen, Arkansas isn't exactly Kansas. Leigh has uprooted herself a couple of times, the most recent being a decision to move to Florida and not sulk around her hometown for too long. She enjoyed the month's reprieve while she licked her professional wounds, having been ousted from a very prestigious position in the finance world. She's living alone in the Sunshine State, on the beach, and fully capable of going anywhere, doing anything, and being anyone she dreams of being. It's just her and her grandfather's old...we'll say "vintage" Ford truck.

    I'm using Grammarly heavily in this book. I'm also relying on the suggestions and workability of the AI program my daughter hooked me up with. This way, I can remember to be thoughtful and thought-provoking and include all the right tidbits of interesting things I think I'm adding. However, I do actually forget to add cool words until I realize the AI has remembered to remind me. I love that. I really do love that.

    I also keep Thesaurus.com open at all times when I write. I like changing up ordinary words for a little more interesting words—it makes me feel all smart and cozy. In one of the chapters, I'll be using the word "tendril" because Laura suggested it—it's a good word. I promise it's a good word, and you'll start using it, too. You can thank me later.

 

Photo Credit: FreePik.com 

Chapter Two!! Done and Doner....

 It's true, true facts...I'm not lying; I have written Chapter Two of the new book. I worked out the outline yesterday, so I know exactly what I'm going to do from one chapter to the next, but the fun part is telling the characters where to stand and then shouting "Action!". You really don't know what they're going to do or what they're going to say. I mean, it's not all that surprising to me, but it is - - I find myself changing my mind right in the middle of a thought. If I like it or where it's going, I keep it.

    Today, I decided to take the three characters for Thai food since Charlie really likes Thai food, and there's a great little restaurant two or three doors from the church in the strip mall where he preaches. Leigh and Mathew went too...actually, Leigh paid for their lunches. She told Charlie and Mathew about her "hobby" or interest in studying criminals whose lives impacted their communities and the whole nation (even the world). She explained that the "seen" are often nasty, arrogant, pompous, and worse. She noted that not all people who are criminals are extroverted to the point of celebrity, but no one can say "Chicago Mobster" without thinking of Al Capone. 

    Once they dine and find themselves better acquainted, Leigh will head back up the shoreline to her new condominium and get situated. She'll live in the American Suites hotels for a minute while the maintenance crew gives her unit the once-over for its make-ready. The hurricane pushed everyone's schedule a bit behind. In the next chapter, Mathew Conner will have his words memorized for my future reading audience. We'll learn a little about his story, background, pet peeves, and what drives him to the point of seclusion -- he is one who won't be seen. It's strange how very different we all are.

    Somewhere in the book, I'll go over the Myers-Briggs tests and the 16 different types of personalities there are in the human world - - it makes me wonder if dogs have more or less personalities to be boxed into. Who knows?  Maybe I'll discuss that too. I will discuss just about anything else I want to. Knowing that Chapter Two is written feels good. It means I'm on the way -- running into the woods before I end up in the middle of it and find myself running out of it. What will we see, what will we hear, what will we know, or what do we think we know? That's the beauty of the journey I take every time I write a book. 

    With the second chapter written, I know I have 28 to go. I know I have completed 4568 words of the 86,000-89,000 words I'll end up with. I'll never delete those words, but I may add to them, tweak them, take a few of them away, and build something new inside of them. I know that at the end of the writing, I'll go back through the entire book and add adjectives, sensory experiences, and moments of movement and thought. I will try to bring the characters to life, trying to make them relatable. It's the tweaking, the fluffing, and the stuffing that really makes me happy. Love that part of the process.

    Well, we'll see how tomorrow goes. If I can write one chapter a day, the book will be finished by the end of August. I won't write this Saturday, maybe later in the evening, but I'm driving to Tulsa that day with the kid and my bestie to see the other kid, my son-in-law and my grands. Another good friend is watching my place while we take off and explore. I didn't even have to twist her arm—she found out we were going, and she volunteered! You have to love that...and I do.  Oh, one thing I did was purchase Grammarly Premium (again). I do that when I write -- it really makes things so much smoother. You just thought I was all that - - I'm not. I'm just smart enough to get Grammarly!!

Photo Credit: Etsy.com

The New Book - Outlined.

     Gosh darn, I'm so excited about this book -- I've just sat down and written out all the chapter outlines tonight. It's not that easy really, because I want it to be good, and I want it to be entertaining as well as informative and interesting. I think of ways to bring in the audience, to relate to them, or to have them be able to relate to my characters. I'm trying to jump way outside of my own comfort zone for this one. In doing so I'm taking a bit of a risk. I'm about to express myself through literary license and say things I don't personally believe or adhere to. Not everything I say in the book will be different from what I believe, but I'm allowing my characters to be more liberal-minded than I am - - and in some ways that's actually a good thing. 

    What I won't do is compromise. I won't say or have my characters do things I would never want to see done - that's not going to happen, but I will have one or two of them create for themselves, and for others, a means of which to reach the edges of the audience that may or may not feel that my style of writing is within their wheelhouse when it comes to what they choose to read. I want people to read the story and to catch the underlying meaning(s) that I think the world needs to feel and know.

    It's not about religion, though this book will have a centralized base of morality and one of the main characters is my own pastor! He's a real person living in the present, but in my book, he's the same guy living in that present. Most of the stories about him will be true, but he may have to help me to put some of the pieces together so I'm not overstepping - - I do say he's spent years tearing open coconuts with his hands and cracking them on the concrete! He really is barefoot most of the time, and he really does climb into the mango trees in his own yard and pick the ripe fruits to sell to have money for the church! 

    There will be about 30 chapters and I have lined them up as best I can. I'm going to have flashbacks, and chapters or paragraphs where I go completely off into left field to make a point. One chapter will be a story I (Jude Stringfellow) wrote a few years back - - yes, Jude Stringfellow will make an appearance in the book - - my book -- that's pretty cool, right? The lead character will be a mix of me and others - - she's not me. I'm not her, but she is one of my distant cousins -- we determine that. That's how she, Leigh Madsen, finds out about Charlie Garrett in the first place. Jude Stringfellow writes about him and in her DNA searching, Leigh finds Jude and they talk - - Jude shares with Leigh a story she wrote, and the story is in the book - - again, pretty cool.

    The book takes place now, in the present time, and very recent events will be mentioned in the book to bring to light that it is in the present and not something written of yesteryear.  There is enough fiction to go around too, fiction like the name of a hurricane that never existed, the name of a student from Tulane who never existed, and the name of a town in Missouri that never existed - - it's fun being a writer. I wouldn't change it for anything. I say what I want when I want, and no one can stop me - - well, you know, no one has to buy the damn things either, but I still write them! Mathew Conner, my lead male character felt the same way about his profession too - - he was forced out of the profession, but the passion remains. He may not be a television chef now, but he still cooks! He still has it! No one can take that from him! 

    OK, enough about the outline - it's done. I'll start on Chapter 2 tomorrow, and maybe get it and Chapter 3 written after work. If I can keep up that pace the book will be written faster than most, but again, I don't want to push myself -- I want to be sure I say what I want to say. I could probably make the book 700 pages but I know no one would want to buy something that lengthy...maybe 350. We'll go with 350. That's a good number. I can bring it down to that. We can make this happen! (By "we" I do mean me. Yep...me.)  See you on the other side!!

Photo Credit: Freepik.com 

Chapter One - - is Done!!

     I feel as if I've been here before! I'm just glowing at the fact that if nothing else happens, I've finished Chapter One of the new book! I need to continue of course, and finish all of the chapters - this one is bound to be around 30 chapters long I suppose. I tend to do things in a very methodical way - - why change what isn't broken?  You do realize that every successful series on television has the same basic storyline, they just change up the characters and the places.  The same could be said for me I guess, I'm thinking ahead of what I want for my characters in this book, but my mind keeps pulling up what I did for the characters in my other books!

    Well, this one is a present-day drama novel. It isn't a romance book, but there will be a bit of fantasizing. There will be a kiss, I can assure you of that, even if it's just a sweet exchange of a man with his wife of over 38 years somewhere down there in the Sarasota, Florida sunshine. I'm pretty sure you'll hear, see, and witness Charlie Garrett kissing on his wife Hideko! Charlie was sweet enough to let me use his real name, his real image, and to mention his wife, family, dogs, church, etc. I'll be ever so respectful of course -- it is a great honor to have that gift given to me. (Look Steph, I asked permission!)

    Chapter One is done. I'm about to sit down with myself and write out what I think should happen in all the subsequent chapters. I do this in order to have an outline, guideline, and such so I know where I'm going! It's helpful to have the AI writing with me too; and believe me, this book will be AI-partnered. I may even give credit to my AI, but then again, I may not since I'm not required to, and want to take absolute credit for everything - - right? Well, I'll mention the AI in the book -- not by name. I don't want to get that personal.

    At least now that I'm writing the book I know where I will be, and what I will be doing after work and on the weekends. Geez, it only took me two months to get out of the funk of not writing and back into it. I'm not upset about taking the break. I needed it. I couldn't do too many things at once. The writing was always going to be there - but I needed to move from my apartment to my house. I also wanted to pour myself into my job for a minute to be sure I was doing it well enough to say it's a keeper - - it is a keeper!! (and those Law & Orders were not going to watch themselves, you know.) 

    The book I'm writing now is a serious book in some ways. It deals with the systems we use and believe in, and the way some of those systems have routinely caused inequality in too many ways. It deals with those who are purposely ignored and those who don't want to be seen. It deals with the abused, the hurt, the pushed back, and those who are too shy or introverted to stand up for themselves. Some of those people manage and survive, but some do not. The book discusses the people unseen, unwanted, unheralded, and deemed unfit by those who brazenly step over and on top of those they see as less worthy.

    The book is not a how-to book, and it isn't a whining sort of book that cries out for justice. It's more or less a means for me to acknowledge that I was in some ways, guilty of being the hurtful one, and over time and through many experiences, I've chosen to find ways to acknowledge people for who they are and to sing their praises even when they don't believe they need to be praised. I understand there are those who fervently do not want attention brought to themselves for any reason; it was hard for me to grasp that behavior because of my overt extroverted mannerisms. I have learned to be a lot more respectful of others than I once was.

    The book is about starting over, making choices to get out from under the comfort zones, and to forge a new way. It's about trusting others who you may not have been able to trust before, but are willing to be lenient with yourself -- it's about the people who are the people in our lives and the people we are ourselves. There is a common thread and I'll discuss it in the book, but I won't say much about it in my blogs -- not until the last week of course, when the book is up for publication. I will shout it from the rooftops at that point - - believe me.

    Chapter One is done! Today, I will meet out the chapters in chronological order and decide who says what, who does what, who ends up changing, and who helps others change for the better - - it's a process for everyone. I hope it goes well. I hope it goes really well. This is a deep and thoughtful book. I want it to reflect my personal journey as well as the journeys others have chosen for themselves.

Photo Credit:  Charlie Garrett of Sarasota, Florida