I Am Officially an Author on Kindle

Well, it's time to set out on a new adventure. I am nervous, but I feel the time to put up or shut up has arrived. I have uploaded a short story on both Kindle and Smashwords. It will NOT be my last.  I am starting with short stories so that I can have a presence in the ebook world while I work on a novel to put up. I would be fibbing if I said I wasn't nervous. I am. There is nothing I have wanted more in my life than to write and have people read what I've written. I don't pretend to write great literature that will change the world. I just want to write something that can help the average person focus on something other than the leaky sink in the kitchen or whether their children will need braces. I aim for fun and maybe some adventure. I do admit to throwing some drama into the mix on occasion...okay, I use drama almost as heavily as I use spices in my chili. I am who I am after all.

The Prisoner tells the story of Ellen Foley. Ellen has given up on life. She is severely depressed. She hasn't left her home in months. One morning Ellen decides enough is enough and plans to end her own life. However, an escaped convict name Sonny D breaks into her home, and she must decide if she really wants to die or if life is worth trying for.

You can find The Prisoner on both Kindle and Smashwords. Please go to

http://www.amazon.com/The-Prisoner-ebook/dp/B004YQCFAO

Get your copy as soon as it goes live!

Freaks On The Roads

They is some freaks out on the roads, y'all!!!

Seriously, I took my daughter to her Dad today for his weekend visit, and once again I see how many horribly bad drivers there are out there. Today is a beautiful Saturday, and we all know the crazies come out of the woodwork on pretty days. There was this one guy in a white van that had me praying for safety...for me and my kid as well as everyone else on the road...including his stupid self. This guy was straddling the center line. He would weave over to the right lane and then drift back into the left lane. Then he would just drive for awhile right down the center.

Finally, he got over and I was able to pass him. I tried to get around him quickly because I knew he would just drift back over anytime. As I passed him I took a good look. The dude's just chillin'. He's got one hand on the wheel and his left arm is resting next to the window. He doesn't look like he has a care in the world. Also, keep in mind that he is doing between 60 and 65 mph on the freeway. The speed limit is 70 and most on the road are doing 10 or 20 over that.

He had gotten into the right-hand lane right behind a truck pulling an empty trailer. As soon as I was almost parallel to the trailer, this cat veers back into my lane. At this point he is right on my tail. I thought he was going to clip me for a moment. I sped up and he slowed down. Way down. I looked back every few seconds in my rear view mirror and he was getting further and further behind me...still straddling the center line or drifting back and forth between lanes. I even saw him weave in between a few cars in his drifting. Of course, I thought how there is never a cop around when you need them...like there should just be thousands of police officers on patrol of that highway. I was praying for everyone he might come in contact with...I was also praying that he would get pulled over and checked out.

It's amazing to me how driver's licenses are handed out all willy nilly. I want to address some very bad driving habits that a lot of people have. Of course, please keep in mind that most of the following is written a bit smart alecky and tongue in cheek. It's not exactly the raving vent it seems...though I do tend to believe what I say. I have a destination in mind.

First off, there is a breed I like to call "Road Bullies." These are the people who don't believe speed limits apply to them. That is just a stupid law they should not have to obey. I confess I tend to drive about 5 miles over the speed limit. I've been known to up that to 10 over if there is someone behind me tailgating. I get so annoyed by the people who will blow by going 85 to 95 mph (or FASTER) on the freeway. They weave in and out of traffic and shoot the gaps. They think everyone should get out of their way because they own the road.

They are the ones who will drive right up on your butt and glare because you dare to be in their lane. Well, guess what, Buddy? I am not getting over for you. I find these people to be arrogant jerks. These are the creeps who will see a sign that plainly states that the left lane ends in 1/2 a mile and to merge right, but they don't think that means them. So they speed along until the lane ends then they turn on their signals and force their way in front of some poor sap who actually obeyed the traffic signs. I am convinced these are the people who will cut in line at the grocery store or in the lunch line at school. People who just think they are special and should be allowed to do as they please. Rude. Arrogant. Jerks.

As you can probably tell, I can't stand people who drive that way. They make me very very angry. I've been known to slow down to a ridiculous speed just to tick them off. Well, in fairness I did that once when I was in my early 20's. I'm a bit more mature than that now. Now I try to keep my temper and ignore them.

Then at the other end of the spectrum, there are those people who will pull out in front of you, causing you to hit your brakes so you don't hit them...then they will proceed to drive 10 or 15 mph under the speed limit. These people are pure frustration Nothing like getting behind a crawler for 10 miles.

I figure most of us will fall into one of the above categories at some point. I guess we can all be stupid at times. I think my problem is that I hate to drive. It's not really driving I hate, but I despise traffic. My husband tells me that traffic is a hot button for me. I get so irritated so fast. I don't do stupid things...except the above confession of slowing down on purpose. I don't make a habit of that. One person caught me on a day when I was very young and not in the mood to take any mess. I don't advise being petty and immature like that. I sure don't recommend it to a Christian who ought to act better. I made a mistake and feel pretty silly about it.

I think God has grown me a lot in that area. Though, I still get pretty annoyed. I still get impatient. However, I don't shout and cuss...and I've been known to do both. One time when I was backslidden and not living for the Lord like I should, I got so mad merging on the freeway one day that I dropped the F-bomb right in front of my Grandma!!!

Oh, I was ashamed. I giggled at first. Not because I thought it was funny but because I was embarrassed. I said, "I said a bad word."

Grandma said, "Yep. You did."

I said, "I'm sorry, Grandma." She replied, "Well, you ought not to talk that way."

That was all that was said. She didn't lecture me or yell at me. But I knew she was disappointed in me. That hurt.

I'm not sitting here saying that I am a perfect driver. But I do think that I am a good driver. I will tell you though, when I first got my license I was a mess. First off, I am shocked I passed the driving test.

I ran a stop sign with the police officer in the car with me! He says, "There was a stop sign back there."
I said, "Didn't I stop?" He goes, "Nope. You rolled through." Oops. He got on to me a couple of times telling me to stay in my lane. I said, "But we're in a parking lot." He said, "Go to Wal-Mart and see if you don't have a right lane and a wrong lane." Yet, he passed me.

That first week of driving was a doozy. One day I was driving down a narrow street and another car dared to come toward me in the opposite lane. I was afraid I was too far over, so I went to the right. I hit a big rock and went airborn. I landed on someone's mailbox...just crushed it. Oops. That first week my rear view mirror fell off. I managed to back into not one but two cars in that same week.

Well, I am a much better driver now. I follow the law (although I do confess to driving about 5 mph over the limit...my husband actually drives the limit. I think he is the only person I know who does). I've never been in another accident outside that first week with a license, and I am considerate of other people. I teased earlier that I won't get over for a road bully. I won't either if they are acting ugly or if the traffic on the other lane is too heavy, but I was just teasing. I usually will get over and let them pass. I don't believe in antagonizing someone and deliberately making them mad. I try not to do that. I do obey the traffic signs. I would never drive up to the end of a lane and force my way and cut in line. That is rude.

The bottom line is that the roads are dangerous. There are bad drivers and good drivers having bad days. After all, the ones driving those cars and trucks and vans and SUVs are a bunch of human beings. We all know that when you get those human beings involved things won't always go smoothly or good. We are just imperfect. So, be careful on the roads and try to be considerate of others, and please obey the laws. They are in place for very good reasons.

All that being said, I have been thinking for awhile about a road bully who cuts off one of those frustrating slow drivers in traffic. The story is called Facing Dawn and it will be part of a short story collection this spring. The collection is called Swagger and will be up on Kindle toward the end of May.

Facing Dawn is the story of a lady with a lot on her mind. She cuts off the wrong guy. A guy who is sick and tired of being passive and kicked around. She doesn't give the incident a second thought. She has no idea that she has set off a reaction in him that will be violent and dogged. Look for it this spring. I hope you will enjoy the story.

Summer, Oh Summer! Where Art Thou?

The weather in Arkansas the last few weeks has been great. Highs in the 70's. Sunshine! It was awesome. Well, this week my family took a couple of days and headed up to Branson. I checked the weather for days before we left and it called for highs in the low 60's with lots of sun. However, weather down here has a way of laughing in your face.

The sunny day in the 60's became overcast in the 40's. Cold and miserable! So, we hightailed it back to Arkansas expecting partly cloudy skies with highs in the 60's. We got gloom and temps in the 50's. Today it is cold and wet. It's raining and not going to get very warm today. So all that sunshine and pretty weather was wonderful while it lasted. It was a tease and a taste of the warm spring yet to come.

I'm a summer girl myself. I love heat. But I am seriously wanting more warm spring weather. I think that since we cut our holiday off early that we will try again when the sun peeks back out. This time we might head for one of our many state parks here in Arkansas. We'll get a nice cozy cabin with a mountain view and cook out on the grill. We will watch the sunset over the valley while the kids play outside. Then we can play a board game or two before bed. Something fun and relaxing.

We got season passes to Silver Dollar City, so we hope to make the 4 hour drive to Branson often this year. We are going to try to get to as many of their festivals as possible...but not so often that we get sick of the place. If we just go three times this year, the season passes are well worth the investment. Our favorite thing is the Old Time Christmas Festival, but I've wanted to go to the Bluegrass and BBQ festival and the Southern Gospel event for years. I'm looking forward to it a lot. If I can get past all the walking and the crowds. Man! That place is crowded!!!

No matter what we do...whether we are at a crowded theme park, at a noisy and crowded Branson show, or hiking at one of our state parks and picnicking on hot dogs at the playground, my family loves to get out in the warm fresh air. After the long and dreary winter we've had, I think we are all looking forward this even more this year than ever before.

So come on Summer!! Or at least, please come to stay warm Spring days! Winter needs to go bye bye!!!!

Review of Dead Space by Lee Goldberg

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Lee Goldberg. Love him. Love him. Love him. He was the executive producer of Diagnosis Murder (an older television program that my husband and I thoroughly enjoy), and he wrote all of the tie in books for Diagnosis Murder. He has written episodes of some of my fave TV shows such as Psych and Monk, and he also writes all of the tie in books for Monk. He has written many of those books and still has more on the way. I devour his Monk and Diagnosis Murder books. I can't get enough of them. This is really saying something. I think the only other tie in book I have EVER read (outside of Lee's) was the book based on the movie The Karate Kid back when I was like 12. Tie in books are not usually my thing. However, Lee develops characters so well that it not only feels as though I am catching up with old friends, it feels as though I am getting to know my friends on a much deeper level than ever before. Yes, I know that is corny, but it is what it is. I want to feel like the characters I have grown to care about are my friends. I would never read a book or watch a TV show if I were not somehow emotionally invested in the characters. What would be the point?

I also read Lee's blog, A Writer's Life, almost religiously. I have learned a lot from him, and I have no shame in admitting that I have a deep fear of ending up in his "The Mail I Get" section. Trust me. No one wants to end up in that section. He really knows how shine a spotlight on stupidity.

So, when I started reading Lee's book, Dead Space (also known as Beyond The Beyond), I was looking forward to it. Lee has a marvelous sense of humor, and the book promised lots of laughs. His Monk books are hilarious in places, and I know that whatever Lee Goldberg puts out is going to be entertaining. Period.

That being said, don't assume that if you like his other work that you will love Dead Space. You might. You might not. I tend to be one of those old-fashioned folk who can not abide profanity and graphic sex in the books I read. Some of that is the conviction of my faith, and some of that is just plain personal preference. If you are sensitive to cussing and sex, this may not be the book for you.

However, if the worse thing someone says about your writing is that there was too much language and sex...well, that's a good thing. I mean, I have nothing derogatory to say about Lee's writing ability. This was a fun and fast-paced story. I laughed out loud several times. The book is hilarious. It is a satire on the many...um...colorful fans of shows such as Star Trek. It tells the story of how a new television network wants to bring back an old 60's Sci-Fi show (obviously based on Star Trek or shows like it), but the network wants to revamp the show and play to a younger, hipper audience. This doesn't sit well with a few homicidal fans...and a very nutso former star of the show. Chaos ensues, and it is up to former cop, ex-television star and current studio security, Charlie Willis. I love this character, by the way. He is just really cool.

It is up to Charlie to find the killer(s) before anyone else (including himself) is knocked off. It's a fun read. There are a ton of 90's references (since the original version of the book, Beyond The Beyond, came out in the 90's), but the book is not dated. It just seems like a retro book set in the 90's. I loved the 90's pop culture references. It was fun to think...oh, wow, I forgot about her!

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Star Trek or other 60's and 70's Sci-Fi favorites...if you can get past the language and sometimes graphic and very crude references to sex. I personally could not. It's not my thing. Like I said, if the only bad thing you can say about a book is that the author has a dirty mouth, then you just have to ask yourself what is alright with you. The story is funny and a lot of fun. The characters are a hoot. But I give fair warning that there is a lot of profanity and crude sexual...um...stuff. Some of us care about that kind of thing, and some of us don't give a flying fig newton one way or the other.

I still love Lee Goldberg, but I might stick with the tie in books. Still, Charlie Willis rocks.

The New Middle Road by Francis Chan

I Miss Me!!!

Sometimes I have this unsettling feeling that I don't know myself any longer. The person I was seems so deeply buried inside myself that I wonder if I will ever be real again. It's not just about the weight. Though, fifty extra pounds has a way of making one unrecognizable when looking in a mirror. The 37 year old woman with age lines beginning to dominate her once youthful face no longer looks like me. The weight makes that issue so much worse than it might otherwise be.

But it goes beyond weight. I can remember having a self confidence that bordered on arrogance. Although, I would never have considered myself an arrogant person. In fact, I detest people so full of themselves that they must automatically be the smartest person in the room. I can't stand people like that. I want nothing to do with them. Snobbery has never been a part of my personality. But confidence was. I was sure of myself in just about every area. At least in regards to intelligence and talent. Now, I am rarely sure of myself or my instincts. I begin to wonder if I have an inkling of talent...a speck of intelligence.

I've changed in another way. I've never been overly patient, but sometimes I feel almost mean. Like I have to hold back from being ugly to some people. I just don't have a lot of tolerance. Not like before. I've changed in other ways too. Ways more personal than I would divulge in a blog. Yet it's there. I don't know why these changes happened.

There are some changes that I welcome. Changes that God has made in me. Ways He has grown me and molded me. Those changes are the ones I want. But I don't think it was His will for me to ever think that I am unintelligent or ugly or a hack. That I can't write and was foolish to ever think I could. I know those messages are not from Him. Yet, I hear them over and over.

I look at this life I live. Knowing it is a world away from the life I dreamed of for myself. For my children. Yet, here we are. Longing for changes that will be good. Longing to see dreams come true and not be crushed.

I realize that life has a way of kicking us in the teeth sometimes. It's just true. I know that since my precious Grandma died over 8 years ago, that life has lost a lot of its shine for me. Losing a loved one has a way of making a person guarded. Of hurting ones faith. I have prayed so many times since she left that God would help my faith be strong because sometimes I am so afraid of the bad things to come. And since she passed, I've since lost my Daddy. The man who raised me. The man I was not as close to as I longed to be. I loved him. I believe he loved me. Yet, I regret all those moments that I spent away from him. All those visits we never had that I can never get back. Our family lost my sweet cousin, Vannessa, just two weeks before Christmas this past year. And I wonder why God let that happen.

I know His ways are not our ways and He is wise. He knows what He is doing. I trust Him. But I still feel wounded and raw. Kicked around and beaten. My faith has changed. Not for the good. I still have faith, but now when I get scared I have to pray, "Lord, help my unbelief." I don't want to ever be in a place where I am unpleasing to God. I love Him more than anything. Still, as life goes on, we just don't see the world as sunny and hopeful like we used to.

And I can't completely blame Grahm's death. Even before she passed away, I was changing. Sinking into myself. I was in a dark place. I have a past. Most people do. My past is pretty sordid. Steeped in sin and depression. I will confess that there were times I longed to die. Wished I could just stop. Stop breathing. Stop living. Stop giving in to the sin that I knew had a very strong hold over my life. So, I can't blame her going home. In a lot of ways, my changing was my fault.

But through all the dark times in my life. Through the sinfulness. The time spent running from the Lord and into many arms of people who never loved me. I never doubted that God loved me. That He had a plan for my life. I never doubted the talents and gifts He had given me. I wasted a lot of time. I knew I was throwing away precious days, but when you are young you think there are lots of days left.

Now, I see nothing but wasted days behind me. Days that I could have done something with my life. I can't even regret all the heartache and bad choices. If had I had made even one small decision differently, would I have my children? Would I have my husband and family?

Still. I miss me. I miss the girl who loved to joke and cut up. The girl who loved to laugh and did not believe in worry. The girl who knew that God would make everything good and okay. I miss the girl who knew at age 11 she was going to be a writer. The girl who could step on a stage and lose herself in someone else...feeling the pain or joy or rage or peace that her character felt and convince others to feel those feelings with her character. I miss being sure that I am talented and intelligent and capable. Absolutely capable.

And sometimes I wonder if she is still hibernating deep inside me. Groggily peering through my eyes, astonished how quickly and completely the world around her has changed, but knowing she is still the same. Deep Deep inside.

I have to believe I still exist on that level. Somehow. I am still here.

Excerpt From Getting Paid On Peyton Row

As most of you know, I am currently writing a book. I plan to be completely finished with that book (including edits and revisions and design) by May 29, 2011. I am hoping to have the book up for sale on Kindle, Smashwords, Nook, etc at that time.

So, I wanted to give you just an idea-- a taste-- of what to expect. The characters. The tone. So I am posting an excerpt from the Prologue of the book today. Keep in mind that in the prologue the character of Drew (who is a main character in the story...the hero of the tale really) is only 10 yrs old. He is older in the rest of the book. Spanning from his late teens to about his late 20's.

I hope you will enjoy this sampling, but keep in mind it is a first draft. It's not polished. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Thanks and here goes:

Getting Paid on Peyton Row by Lisa Ahne
(c) 2011 Lisa Ahne

     Drew’s Grandma stood leaning against the counter in the kitchen while Drew sat at the table with his dinner in front of him. Grandma had made fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, and peas. He mixed his peas into his potatoes and hoped Grandma would not be mad at Mama. It was Christmas. Your kids are supposed to come see you at Christmas.

     “What do you want, Carly?” Grandma asked.

     Grandma looked tired. Her short dark hair was just starting to have a sprinkling of gray here and there, but her dark brown eyes aged her. They showed the wear and tear of the day in them. The bags under them seemed to pull her eyes down and created a hooded effect.

     Drew understood how tired his Grandma got. She had not even had a chance to change from the uniform the hotel made her wear to clean the guest rooms. He doubted she had sat down once since she had walked through the door of her house. She was using her annoyed voice, and Drew hoped his mom would understand that Grandma wasn’t mad…just tired.

     “It’s Christmas, Mama. I just wanted to see you and my boy. That’s all.”

     Drew wanted Grandma to believe her, but from the way her lips were pressed together, he didn’t think that was going to happen. His happy feeling was still there. He just wished Grandma would be happy.

    “I thought I could spend the night, and that way I could help cook Christmas dinner with you tomorrow,” Carly said. “Besides, I want to be here when little man opens his presents in the morning.” Drew got excited.

     “Did you bring me some, Mama?”

     Carly fidgeted and picked at her fingernails. Grandma made her get rid of her cigarette when they came in. Grandma didn’t put up with smoking in her house. Carly looked like she wanted to take a drag off that cig. She did not want to look at Drew.

     “I’m sorry, baby,” she said, “I just been broke. Don’t worry, though. I will get you some great presents when tax time rolls around.”

     “I don’t have any money, Carly. I can’t give you anything if that is what you are thinking.”

     “I don’t want your money, Mama.” Carly’s voice became hard. Her eyes, dark brown like her mother’s and her son’s, glared at Grandma. “I told you I just want to be with my family at Christmas. What’s so wrong with that?”

     “Nothing at all,” Grandma replied. “It’s just too bad you don’t feel that way any other time of the year…except when you want something.”

     Grandma stared hard at her daughter. Her weary eyes saw the raw and scabbed over sores on her daughter’s body. She saw the bones jutting beneath the skin, no muscle or fat to hide them. The dirt under the fingernails, the nicotine stains on her fingers, and the oily hair that hadn’t been washed in awhile. She sighed. She was so tired.

     “Fine. You can stay tonight. Go ahead and make you a plate of supper, but you remember what I said.”

     Carly grinned with yellow teeth. “Yes, Mama.”

     Carly was starving and wolfed down the plate of food. Then she disappeared into the bathroom for a long time. She said she needed to take a shower, but she was gone a really long time. When she came out she wasn’t shaking like before. Drew thought she must have been really cold. Grandma didn’t say anything, but she looked especially sad when she told Drew to go to bed.

Well, that is just a taste of Drew's story. I also plan to introduce you to his two best friends, Vinny and Joey, very soon. In the book, Drew's nickname is "The King" or "Wise King"...mostly said in jest, however, Drew does prove to be a very wise leader. His friends also have nicknames. On the football field, no one can touch these guys. All three have promising futures in college sports...perhaps even the NFL. Vincent Cruz is teasingly called "Mr. Beautiful" because of the flocks of girls who are drawn to his good looks, athletic ability, and charm. Joey "Waste 'Em" Wade won't let anyone or anything get in the way of his future. His sole focus in life is a career in the NFL, and he doesn't care who he hurts to get there.

I hope you will think about going on this journey with me. I pray you will enjoy my story of three boys growing up in poverty, who will do anything to get out and have a better life. Getting Paid on Peyton Row.

Thanks.

PS: I have redesigned my blog page. What do you think??

Stops and Starts and High Blood Pressure

Well, we are having yet another snow day here in Arkansas. It's beautiful, but it's messing with my mind! I have a lot on my plate. Stuff I really can't afford to put off. However, thanks to the snow and threats of icy roads, we had to cancel our play rehearsal tonight for Little Women. We are also going to push the opening night of the show back a week due to some of the cast not knowing their lines yet. That is good and bad. The good part is that it does give us another week of rehearsals. The bad part is having to change the established schedule. It means the next show will be late getting the set built and dressed for rehearsals. It just throws everyone off. I will admit that I am a bit relieved at the postponement. We just seriously need the extra time. Even though it feels sadly like a defeat. A lost battle in the war we will win on opening weekend when we put on an amazing production.

I get to stay home with my family tonight. I hope that takes some pressure off of my husband. He has had to keep the kids a lot lately between my working and being at the theater. He is a good sport, but he just doesn't need the added responsibility on top of what he is dealing with physically. When I am here, the kids can bring all of their bickering and begging for snacks and all around demanding natures to me and give him a break!!!

So, my plans for the rest of this day and this evening are going to keep me just as busy as if I had went to rehearsal. I am going to do some more work on the script for the play. I think some trimming may be in order. After that, I hope to get a chapter eeked out for my book. Maybe I will get to cuddle with the hubs and watch some TV or a movie or something later. It will be cool to get to kiss my kids goodnight at bedtime.

If you live in the central Arkansas area, I hope you will make your reservations for Little Women soon. We will be performing the first two weeks in February. Doors open at 6:15. Dinner is served at 6:30 with the show starting at 7:30. Please call 501-941-2266 or go to www.cabotcommunitytheatre.org to make reservations!!

When I get further along in my book, I am going to put up a facebook page for the book and start doing as much promoting as I am able for a release in May.

Enjoy your cold January evening...especially if you are blessed enough to be somewhere warm this winter.

How Much Info Is Too Much Info?

At what point does sharing become over sharing? When does revealing personal issues constitute an invitation for family, friends, and even complete strangers to take inventory and assume the right to give advice, admonish, or judge?

Since I began this blog I have struggled with exactly how much personal information to include. I want to be interesting. I don't want a boring blog. However, I tend to think that if I shared half of what really goes on or some of the trials we experience, I would just be inviting unwanted opinions. No offense, but I don't think that would be a wise thing.

There is a very well known blogger who has laid her heart and her family bare. She has been completely open about the struggles she is facing. The financial hardships. The pain and anger her children are enduring. She is brave. I admire her. She writes one of my favorite blogs. However, she has taken criticism on everything from how many children she chose to give birth to right up to how she spends her money. One person thought they had the right (not sure who gave them this right) to question how she dared to take her girls on a Mommy/ Daughter day out when money is so tight. The gall of that amaze me.


I am not nearly as brave as she is. I will not give all the details of the struggle we currently find ourselves going through. I will be open and honest about our lives and family within reason. I have posted on here the awful pain my husband endures on a daily basis because of a condition in his back. He is no longer able to work. I work some, but even if my job was full time it would not earn enough to support us. The honest, transparent truth is that if not for God and the family and friends He has provided, I honestly don't know what would have happened to my family these past few months. I can't even guarantee that we would not have been homeless. In fact, that has been a very real possibility at times.

But God has not failed us. He has been wonderful to us. He has more than provided for us. We are praying for some changes to happen soon. We are praying for God's intervention both in our finances and in Shawn's health. And we still believe in our God...His ability and His love for us.

So, though I may not share the intimate details of my family at this time, I said all the above to say this: I have decided to blog about my progress in writing my book. To lay it all out there to hold myself accountable. The bottom line is that things need to change for me and for my family. I want to give the writing thing a REAL shot!!

I have wanted this my whole life. I am tired of talking and never doing.

My book is titled Getting Paid on Peyton Row. I have the prologue finished and a pretty good road map of where I want to go. The book will have three parts: Glory Days, Blitzed, and The Rebuilding Season. It is about 3 boyhood friends who grow up impoverished in America. They are looking for a way out of Peyton Row. The poor side of town. It's a story of what lengths these boys will go to in order to change their lives. The obstacles they face along the way. The people they hurt along the way. And the realization of what really matters.

Lots of drama. Some romance. Trust me. It WILL be worth the ride. When I get a bit further along I will create a page for the book on facebook and begin to earnestly promote its May release. I would like to put some sample chapters on Kindle for free to help promote the book. I am not sure if that is a possibility or not. I will see when I get further along.

Please go along with me on this journey. When the book comes out you will be as excited as me.

Thanks to all. God bless you and yours.

Is It Summer Yet?!

Life is crazy right now! I am in the final couple of weeks before we open Little Women at the Cabot Community Theatre. I have a million last minute-small but not too small- overwhelming details to take care of. I am more nervous about this play than any that I actually performed in. I think I have taken for granted EVERY director I have ever worked with. I am too tired to bother even trying to figure if these sentences are grammatically correct.

I am still working for the school district in my town, but I have not been working much. Yet, I have managed to stay busy. I would say these past few months have been some of the busiest I have ever experienced. I am not a person who enjoys a lot of activity. I like a slow and steady pace in life. I hate to be busy. I don't know why I am like that. I just am. I hate to have a busy schedule. I have said it before (a lot actually), and I will say it again. Most people stride through life. I stroll. So a lot of frantic activity just makes me want to find the nearest rock and climb under it.

To top it off, it is winter...the season I hate. I really LOVE every other season. Spring with it's new life and blooming flowers. Summer with it's glorious heat and water fun. Fall with it's crisp air and color explosion. But, guys, I SERIOUSLY HATE winter. I hate it. I miss a ton of church in winter because I don't want to get out. I would hibernate the season away if I were allowed to. This year I am forced to get out. I have Little Women coming up (which I am directing) and then we go right into The Nerd (which I perform in).

The thing I am focusing on most (next to Little Women...that will take up a lot of my energy until it is over) is the book I am writing. I have given myself a deadline of May 29th. The book will be finished, revised, and uploaded to all ebook formats by that time. Now, if I can get it done beforehand, I will. I chose May 29th because, not only is it a realistic goal to meet but it also happens to be my Mom's birthday. I am determined that my life, my husband's life, the lives of my children, and my Mom's life MUST get better. I am tired of struggling. I am fed up with poverty.

Everyone has hard times. Everyone struggles. I know this. I also know that God has always taken care of me and mine and He will continue to do so. I also believe that He wants my very best effort. He wants me to do what I can to help myself.

I just hope and pray that all of you reading this blog, all of my friends and family also, will help me to promote my book and to really get the word out about it when the time comes. I wish I could close myself up at my computer in a comfy cardigan and some sweats with a glass of soda pop beside me and just write, write, write the winter away. I wish I never had to go out for anything and could put all of my energy toward the book. That is my dream. Someday that will be my job.

Man! I hate winter!!! I hate to be cold. Doesn't summer just sound wonderful right now?!?!