Update: As of January 31st

As you can imagine there's a lot going on in my writing world.

I've been obsessed with Story 20.  When I opened it was at 90,000 words.  I added 20,000 words, but ended up deleting 10,000 of them because it took me so long to realize I had taken the story down the wrong path.  Ugh.  Now it's at 145,000 with the ending almost completed.  However, as I'm re-reading it, I've realized I need to add another chapter near the beginning and another about a quarter of the way through - not to add more words, but to write a better picture.  I love the beginning of this story, and I want to get it out, but it just keeps growing.  I'm not really changing anything which normally means the section is done, but as I keep reading I feel as though I should go back and write more, something that doesn't happen very often when I actually like what's there.  (Have I ever mentioned how much I love writing?)

Story 17 was being read by a friend to make sure that it was a story worth working on.  And she loved it.  A few grammatical things (no surprise there), but she had no advice for the story itself.  This story had seemed completed the last time I read it, except that someone unexpected appeared near the end and now I have to write more.  I'm not sure if it will be another book or I will just extend the book.  However with the people in story 20 being so loud and clear, I haven't had the opportunity to work on this story since my friend gave it back to me.  Also, exciting news about Story 17, is that I have the base for the cover finished.  It's not quite right, but maybe after I come up with the title it will all fall into place!

Story 10 has a title, and is mostly finished!  It was finished until I realized what the title was and now there is a little bit more that needs to be written.  So once Story 20 has calmed down, I am going to re-read and polish up Story 10.  I have not come up with a cover for this story yet,  no surprise there, but having a title and mostly completed book I am hopeful that cover will make itself known when I re-read it.

I've also mostly completed Story 25.  I had been interrupted a lot while writing the ending so I'm not going to say its done, especially when in the back of my mind I don't think it is.  But it's pretty exciting to think that the skeleton of it is complete.  This story is lacking title and cover, but it will eventually come to me.

"Rise of Ansea" book 2 does have a title and the story is finished in that it has a beginning, middle, and end is written.  However it's really not long enough.  My mom read it and said she'd like to see more of Rot and Havoc, and I'd like to write more about a newer character, so as soon as I can focus on that I will have that story completed as well!  And believe it or not, I do have the cover idea figured out, I just have to make it happen!

And for those of you who may be wondering: whatever happened to The Huntsman's Daughter.   I have re-read it (made a lot of corrections), and now I just need time to go in and fix things.  I do love this story and I very much want it available for you to read again, but not in the state that it is at the moment.  If you didn't know this was my attempt at a true adult (Romance) story, which made it more difficult to find people to edit and get feedback for  - since I don't know a lot of people who read this genre.  So I am sorry about the issues on this one.

So that's what's going on in my writer's world.  My "real life" world is rather busy too, which makes for an interesting life.  One which I will not complain about, because I keep writing and am blessed to have three amazing kids.

If you enjoy my books, and would like to help me out, please rate and/or review my books, and encourage others to take a chance on me.  Thank you so much for reading my stories because I really do love writing them!

A video that has caused me to write more than I had expected... about me.

So I am sharing this video with you. It is of the dojo that I am a part of.  Just so you know, there is no footage of me - I apparently have a sixth sense when it comes to them recording things and have avoided being caught on camera. 😂   Why then would I post it?  Because when I first started this venture of writing, I knew nothing of Martial Arts.  But it definitely - somehow - had a hold on me.  You see it in my stories even though I was writing before I learned Tai Chi, so in hindsight I should have known that I would one day be in a Dojo.  Marital Arts teaches helps you become strong, independent, able to protect yourself...  These are all good qualities, qualities that the people in my books embody or work to become.  And I consider myself blessed to have happened upon the opportunity to learn Martial Arts.  Of course, it was my daughter who was part of the Dojo first.  I didn't even go in to watch her practice until she had a grappling tournament a month or so later, and even then I wasn't interested.  I even brought my laptop so that I'd have something to do.  However, I stopped bringing that with me within a week.  I was so impressed with what I was hearing from Sifu Donahue that I started paying more attention to what was going on.  Not only was I amazed at how powerful my daughter appeared on the mats, but I was also drawn in to what she was learning - not that I was ever going to take part in a class (life's funny that way).  I practiced Tai Chi, that was my speed, my balance to my life.  Or so I thought, I continued to go to the dojo and watch my daughter almost everyday of the week.  I used to tell people that it was my way of repaying her for all the times she had to watch the boys practice for their sports with me.  But honestly, I always watched her, which was unlike the sports any of my kids have tried out (minus wrestling).  In the dojo, occasionally, I talked with other parents, but I am not as extraverted as I once was and I didn't usually instigate conversations.   But even when I did, still I watched her.  I practiced in the backyard with her, she used to love teaching me things, and honestly I loved it.  Then came the day that I stepped on the mats.  I had no idea how big of an impact it was going to have on me, I just knew I was super excited to be there.  This dojo has two school on in Michigan and they don't just teach a fighting style, they also teach the Yang style Tai Chi (which wasn't the one I've been practicing), and meditation.  One of my favorite things that is said is said before Meditation:

 Mokuto (Japanese for close eyes/reflect):

Concentrate on the point between the eyebrows

Relax and watch the breath

Let go of all thoughts, worries, cares

Be here now

Meditation is the foundation of all true martial arts

To still, and thus control the mind, is of the utmost importance 

The last 3 lines are like a warm blanket every time I hear them.  Between learning the skills to protect and strengthen myself, I began to realize how I had allowed myself to be imprisoned by the things that made me feel broken.  Mediation was a huge factor in this.   I am still a long ways off from being mended, but at least I have a sanctuary that allows me to build strength to believe in myself.  Writing has done such wonders for how I feel about myself, now tie that in with the positive energy of the dojo, Sifu, plus the education of how to practice controlling both my actions and my mind, and now I am becoming someone I can be proud of again.  The battles against my "failures" - the darkness that makes me not able to see my strengths -  has been the hardest I've come against, which is probably why I write what I write...   Anyways, here's a video that the dojo put together:

(https://www.zenmartialarts.com)

Just a couple of other things that I have heard in the Dojo that helped me decide this was the right place to be. Some words that stay with me on the days I am not in the dojo - and that cause me to practice on those days.

Better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.

And then there is the Wushu Creed (which the kids recite):

Kung Fu is a discipline 

of my body and mind.

I will be disciplined,

have self-control,
confidence,
concentration
patience,

and try as hard as I can
at everything I do

both in and outside the Dojo.