Coming Soon: Hard Truths!

I'm excited to announce that Hard Truths is now available for preorder on the publisher's website!

He can't have the family he wants, but he may get the love he deserves.

Isaac didn’t expect to find love at his family’s Christmas dinner, but that was before he met his sister’s new fake boyfriend. Tall, muscular, and tattooed, Logan is what Isaac would love in a partner—and also everything his parents would hate in one. Not that they know Isaac’s gay.

That doesn’t stop him from dating Logan—unbeknownst to his parents, and with his sister’s approval after she fake dumps him. The pair dive into a whirlwind romance of motorcycle rides, cheesy puns, and hot sex. They meet each other’s friends and fill their time with happiness and laughter. It’s all perfect.

Until Isaac suggests they move in together, and Logan asks Isaac to come out to his parents. Isaac wants to, but he’s scared; he doesn’t want to lose his family. Unfortunately, he can’t see that his real family has been right beside him all along.

---

This story is extremely important to me, not just because I love the characters so much (and boy, do I!), but because while my issues aren't nearly as dire as Isaac's, there are a lot of similarities in the questions I ask myself and the mentalities I have to overcome. That said, this isn't all doom and gloom! This book is also filled with my sense of humor (I apologize in advance ;) and some fun sexy times. It also looks at some of the problems that arise in relationships, that might not be high drama but can still put the lovers on shaky ground. I hope it will feel real and honest and touching to all who read it.

End of the Year Book Reading Round-up

I spend all day reading, which is awesome. Unfortunately, it also means I don't read a lot outside of work, so this list is going to be Riptide titles that I read over this past year that stuck out to me (and I'll give reasons why). I can't list ALL the ones I love, but here's a sampling (12, so one for each month...sorta):

Midlife Crisis by Audra North - This book made me have so many emotions. It was really tough at times, but seeing Cam's life unfold was really breathtaking and uplifting.

Sons of Devils / Angels of Istanbul by Alex Beecroft - This is a heavy pair of books but if you're committed, you'll find yourself taken on a fantastic adventure. It's vampires as the truly horrific monsters they were originally meant to be--which makes the potential for a horrible ending all the more likely...

Heels Over Head by Elyse Springer - I'm not a huge fan of sports romance, or rather I'd never really read any that grabbed me. This was the first that made me go "Oh" and I was hooked all the way through. It’s a sweet struggle as the boys come to terms with themselves and each other.

Citywide by Santino Hassell - I loved the menage story, and not because of all the hot sex. But Chris's thinking about relationships and being the third and preferring triads is just amazing and it really pinged something in my head.

Infamous by Jenny Holiday - There’s something about this friends-to-lovers tale that just carried me along. It was just a lovely read that gave me everything I wanted out of it.

Rogue Magic by Kit Brisby - In many ways this is your standard magic-in-the-real-world story, but the character growth and the story that comes to life really pulled me along through the story so I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Wanted, a Gentleman by KJ Charles - This is a playful historical, which was a delight to read. It's covering some serious, dramatic topics, but it doesn't bog the reader down.

Permanent Ink by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn - A May/December, learning-to-be-an-adult story, this one surprised me with how much I liked it. The characters come alive on the page and that's what makes this one so great.

In His Majesty's Service by Jenny Urban and Elizabeth Silver - sci-fi romance with some action and political intrigue, it never takes the politics so seriously that it makes the story drag. A good balance of all the elements, this one had me reading as fast as I could to find out what happened.

Finding Home by Garrett Leigh - I mean, I love most of Garrett's books, but this one is special with the heart-wrenching tale it tells, but also the hope and inspiration it gives.

Off the Ice by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn - I think this was the second sports book I read that made me interested--not in the sport, but in the story. I loathed who I was meant to loathe and loved who I was meant to love. The support and love in this book was heart-warming, and the sex was steamy.

I hope you check these titles out and find them as enjoyable as I did!

Happy New Year!

Dogs, Snow, and Marketing

For those of you not following my Twitter and Instagram account: I'm dog-sitting. They are an adorable geriatric corgi and a puppy mini-dachshund (though old enough that he's at his max size). This means there are a lot of little messes to clean up, but thankfully they are tiny! And when they're not BARKING NONSTOP at each other, they're rather sweet (and quiet and also asleep).

Of course, sometimes they are barking nonstop at each other while circling my feet. It's been a bit up and down.

We also got about five inches of snow, which meant shoveling a little so the dogs wouldn't get lost in the snow (or so that they'd go out to do their business). Thankfully these people have moolah and have a service to plow their driveway and clear some of the steps. So the snow wasn't that big of a deal.

In between work, dogs, snow, and watching season one and two of Voltron: Legendary Defenders, I actually was able to write a few thousand words so far this month.

Which really is a miracle, because my writing confidence has taken a pretty serious hit. I'm working hard on the "writing because I love writing" and "write what you love, no matter what" but I still want people to read my books. I know I sometimes write a little off the beaten path--trans college guy with surprise space alien and frog menage, hi!--but my last book was a straightforward M/M romance that was sexy and sweet and a lovely holiday read (if I do say so myself). Now, it came out the week before Christmas and it's only 20,000, but it has 19 ratings on Goodreads. Not even review. 19 ratings.

That's...depressing. So in addition to writing and editing and working full-time, I want to do more marketing. So if you have any tips, feel free to pass them along!

Book release announcement!

I'm so excited to announce that Second Skin is now available to pre-order on Riptide's page! There you can find the blurb and a teaser cover.

Here's you go!

When Jay heads to the university’s learning center for help with his math class, he doesn’t expect his tutor to be tall, dark, and handsome. But Roswell is all that and more, and their instant connection over cult movies, books, and TV shows quickly evolves into dating.

That’s when things get tricky.

Roswell might claim he doesn’t have issues with Jay being trans, but when he’s constantly insisting they “take it slow,” Jay’s not so sure. He’s been hurt before, and he's not going to let it happen again.

But then Roswell reveals that he, too, has a few secrets under his skin.

A Very Exciting Saturday

Some Saturdays are definitely better than others. My day in reverse:

The print copies of Sharing a Pond arrived!

My level of excitement is immeasurable. I'm trying to decide how many to keep and how many to give away and if I should just hoard them all. So pretty! *pets* The best part was I wasn't expecting them, so they just magically appeared in the mail and that was super exciting.

In LESS exciting news, I got my hair cut. I was getting a bit shaggy:

And so I got a fair amount cut off, mostly around the back and sides. But now I'm actually going to have to style my hair most days. Also, I realize for long-haired people the change is not dramatic. But it's a lot when it's short hair!

The funniest part is where I got the inspiration for my hairstyle. Which you'll have to ask if you really want to know ;)

I hope you're enjoying your Saturday as much as I'm enjoying mine!

Once More Unto the Edits

Please remind me to never do my edits on paper again.

BaW and I have had a long, long relationship. I wrote it *muffled noise* years ago, submitted it, was rejected (but given feedback). And then proceeded to get distracted. Go figure.

Then I started working on it, in spurts and fits. I gave it to beta readers for feedback, added pieces to the end. Read a book about plotting. Considered reworking it completely. Re-read it. Removed and reorganized pieces, but left it mostly as it was. Printed it out and did edits by hand.

I just finished entering in those changes. And I don't think I can read this story again with anything near clear vision.

So I need a beta reader again. Anyone interested can drop me a line (alexdwhitehall at gmail). It's possibly the softest, most mellow apocalypse you will ever read.

In other news, I've been hitting my word goals (somehow), and my reading goals (go me!), and am looking forward to spring.

In February I read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. It's done in illustrated/comic form and while it was good, it wasn't really my cup of tea. I found the beginning to be too disjointed and often vague. I had trouble following some plots--or else being completely lost as to why this information was being shared. I struggled through that part, and it could be that as a child, we were shown things like a child would share things, but it didn't work for me. I didn't connect with the main character and, in fact, I was generally kind of annoyed with her a fair amount of time.

In contrast, as she aged, I found her more likable. While she was a trouble maker and cause stress for her family, everything felt realistic and more alive. Her struggle felt more real and as a person she blossomed into a real being rather than...whatever it was that was on the page before. I liked the change and while I was still annoyed with her at moments, it was in the way that I'm generally annoyed with people doing stupid things. But the circumstances and her life seemed more real.

I don't regret reading this (it was a gift from a friend), but I doubt I'll return to it again.

And since I read that super quickly, I read volume 2 of Crimson Spell.

And for March, I'm reading Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris. This is a collection of essays, but also also an interesting thing he hasn't done before where he writes at essay from a kooky perspective. It's been a while since I've read his other stuff, but I think this is my favorite of his books so far (not that I don't thoroughly enjoy the other stuff). This one just resonates with me more, for some reason.

The essays that are biographical are also entertaining, though they feel more hit or miss to me. But as with any time you're trying something new, that's the risk. I haven't quite finished it yet (four or five stories to go, I believe), but I'd recommend picking this one up.

And that about catches me up, book and editing wise. Writing...well, I was going to continue working on one of my old pieces, and actually wrote 900 words. And then...something happened. The file was...damaged. All the writing I did (and edits earlier in the piece) were gone. I plan that I was saving directly to the flash drive on my Mac using Office Libre. I'm not sure which one is to blame, so they each get one third.

So I lost motivation for that piece and instead decided to start writing one of those post-it note stories that I've had hanging around. So now I'm working on trans cowboy story, which I have sort of plotted out and as long as I can get over the next hump, I think will be pretty awesome.

Spring is coming soon!!!

I made a decision.

I've decided on something, something which may seem amazing to some of you.

I'm going to get rid of some of my books.

Now that you've gasped in amazement (or shock or horror or boredom), I'll add that it probably won't be a huge number of books (considering the number I own), but there will be a chunk. Most will be books I'll never read again (or never read in the first place). Some will be old, some newer, some in good condition, some in poor.

I plan on offering friends and family first grab at the books, so if there is one that you're interested in, you can get it before I dispose of the rest whether I sell them, offer them for trade on GoodReads, give them to goodwill or donate them to a library.

I will post the complete list once I've had a chance to go through the books I have in storage and I will alert all the appropriate people when that list is posted.

That is all.

In Contrast to Burroughs

And I mean Augusten, not William.

I'm too lazy to dig up the articles that were previously posted about Burroughs and his autobiographies and how some people said they were made up. Some people got agitated and grumbley about it.

Then I read this.

My favorite quote: “Any writer has the right to shape materials, and undoubtedly Steinbeck left things out. That doesn’t make the book a lie.”

Now, obviously some of the flak Burroughs got was from the people he was writing about and how "he was telling lies," but some people (and this is what I'd like to focus on) were upset because he lied in an autobiography.

Just seemed a study in contrasts at least.

Though, the quote above does make me think how much needs to change before an autobiography becomes a lie?

And can a book ever lie? (Assuming it's not for educational purposes. I hope those don't lie...too often.) I think something was said about books that 'the truth the reader takes from them is the truth that the book held.'

Or something.

(Side note: if you try to figure out the correct quote in google by searching for "the truth of a book" you won't find the answer, but you will learn that Jehovah's Witnesses have something called The Truth Book and there is a book about escaping childhood abuse among them of the same name.)

Writing, Writing, Movies

I have a writing question for the general audience...

I read a series of books and was kinda really into it. So I took the atmosphere of the books and pseudo location and pseudo characters and wrote long story. None of the characters/events/plots/locations are the same, but I think if someone read the same series I did and then read my work, they'd see the similarities. Does that make this story fanfiction and thus unpublishable (assuming I'd want to go that route)? My only concern is because the original series is kind of unique (I haven't read anything like it before), that my story will appear as a huge copycat. I suppose one answer to my question is that because I'm questioning it at all shows that I shouldn't try to publish at all. But I'd be glad to hear your thoughts on the matter.


Update on CL: The end of February was supposed to be finished editing so March could be trolling for publishers. Well, 1/3 of beta readers got back to me and the one who did said she didn't buy the second half of the story and thus stopped halfway (she was also involved in moving, but would have stopped anyway). This was a concern of mine before, and she just confirmed it...but I also wonder if it could pass as a genre thing. I'm not sure how much experience she has in the genre, plus it could just be a personal preference.

The long and short of it is that I think the story has to go back into major rewrites...and I'm not sure how I feel about the ending anymore either. I'd still love for my other betas to get back to me, but I'm not holding my breath (February is a short month and I know they've both been busy with family plans and a new job). Though I'd love to hear if my writing was bearable to read or not.

So my original deadline is going to have to be scrapped. I don't count this as missing deadline because I didn't miss it due to procrastination, but due to the realization that I need major revisions. I'm going to take some time to consider where I want to head with it and then create a new plan. If I don't see any solutions that make me happy, I may just send it off as is and see what publishers have to say.

ETA: I heard back from another reviewer who needs a few extra days. I'll be looking at his commentary before moving forward to see how it fits in with what this other person said.


I created a tumblr account for creative inspiration. Every day I post a picture, a quote, a first line, or a concept on which to write a story. Plus there is a "random" option, so you can use it whenever! Feel free to check it out.

For those who follow me on Facebook, you may have seen that I finally caved and got a Netflix account. I'm currently on the 1-month-free trial, and I'm enjoying it. I'm actually considering cancelling my Comcast, since I don't really watch TV except for Big Bang Theory. But then I consider all the hassle that is and maybe I should just keep both. But that feels wasteful. Anyways, the point is I get to watch more movies! So on Between the Covers I'll add some bunches of movie reviews. (And yes, they'll probably have a queer focus.)

On Reading

A recent author inquired (I can't find the post) if we (as readers) are annoyed when a writer (like she does) jumps around in sub-genre. Do we want an author who writes consistently or who writes whatever he/she wants? (Not that these can't be one and the same.)

Personally, I like both and said as much, but I thought I'd explore that a little more in depth.

When I'm in the mood for a certain type of book, I rarely start a new one because I don't know what that book will give me, in most cases. In some instances (such as with Andrew Grey), I can be fairly certain I know what I'm getting, especially if it's his Farm series. But for the most part, I prefer to go into a book only knowing the barest of details and with minimal expectations.

This usually works. Assuming my expectations are always set at 3 (for acceptable writing, plot, characters), most books meet it, some go above it, a few go below it. My only real requirement is I'm a huge fan of happy ever after (HEA), or potential happy endings. (Life sucks enough, I don't need to be heart broken after reading.) If a book is good enough (as judged via reviews on GoodReads), I'll risk the non-HEA. (Side note, I recently got the two books in the Infected series by Andrea Speed. I've heard the ending is not so HEA, which worries me, but I've otherwise heard good things.)

So I start new books without needing anything from them except basic good book protocols. If I need something, I go to something I've already read, because I know the emotions it evokes (or the events that occur to satisfy that need). I don't want the author to feel trapped in a writing style, and I think I'd become bored if I kept reading the same book over and over again in slightly different plots. And yet...

And yet I read every book of Grey's Farm series and am chomping to read the next one. Why?

Aside from my insane need to buy books (I just picked up Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, first of the series [and I think what the show is based on] at Good Will for $.25), I'm attached to the characters we've been introduced to and look forward to hearing more about them. In addition, Grey is very good at giving exactly what he gave in the previous four books in a way that's just different enough (for me, at least). Okay, when I read three of them in a row, it probably wasn't a good idea (I get a little sour on things), but I still read and enjoyed them. It's like eating chicken every Monday. Sounds boring, right? But it isn't just plain chicken. It could be chicken parm, chicken in white sauce on shells, chicken sandwiches...you get the idea. That's how Grey's Farm series feels to me.

So why am I chomping at the bit to read the next of Grey's books (Love Means ... No Fear, fyi) and not just reading it?

Well, for one I want to finish the book I'm reading (The Lexicographer's Dilemma, the review should be up by end of the week), two I shouldn't be buying more books (I have over 20 that I already own that should be read), and three, even if I'm really in the mood for one of his books (aka, something with emotional struggle that has a HEA), I can't really excuse buying his new one when I have four others that would work, plus a kindle full of other stories that match that description. But damn you, Grey, I still want to buy it.

Okay, so this wasn't really about reading, it was about me resisting the temptation that is an author who produces cookie cutter books (I mean this in a good way, not a bad way). But to make it less off topic, what do you do? Do you like your favorite authors to surprise you? Or do you want what they write to be what they always write?

Just thought I'd drop by

I realize I haven’t posted anything in a while…and I have (good) reason. [You can’t judge whether it’s a good reason once I’m through.]

Books

This morning I realized (and it’s what catapulted this entry), that I’m reading a very odd collection of books right now. First off The Art of Happiness, which is an interview with the Dalai Lama about finding happiness in life (mostly through compassion, so far). Going hand in hand with that is Sex God, which isn’t about sex as much as you’d think, but more about relationships and connecting with people (I’m drawing plenty of parallels between these two books).

Finally, I’m reading Deflowered, which is autobiography of Jon Ginoli (lead singer of Pansy Division), but is really telling about the creation, growth and life story of the band (with sporadic mention of when he gets laid). I’m not normally an autobiography-reading person, but I love PD and my friend said it was worth a gander. I’m just over halfway through (at which point I bought my own copy so I’d stop abusing my friend’s autographed one), and while it’s not good enough that I need to gobble it all up (too much band politics for me sometimes), I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying it.

So, I’m reading a Buddhist book about happiness, a Christian book about sex, and a queer book about music.

Freetime

Some people have mentioned that I seem to be a bit busy and unable to get things done that I should be getting done (like responding to discussion about books). What’s keeping me so darn busy?

First off, with spring comes romance…haha…no, with spring comes more riding time! I try to get out twice during the week and twice during the weekend, so it pretty much doubles the time I spend at the barn during the winter, plus, I’m more likely to hang around and help out, since I’m not cold and miserable.

Second, spring also brings about people wanting to have social lives. Aside from my normal Friday night gathering, my Saturdays are also sometimes filled with people being social.

Finally, words. Although I have three books listed as what I’m reading, that doesn’t count the other books I pick up randomly, the short stories I read online, the not-so-short stories I read online, and my own writing. Maybe not good excuses, but I enjoy participating in those, so :P.

Conclusion

I probably didn’t do a real good job of convincing anyone I’ve been particularly busy. But life just kinda happens, you know?

PS: Buddhism doesn't make comment about homosexuality or anything, just says "To refrain from committing sexual misconduct." So there is some freedom there, on exactly what that means. Of course, sex is a hinderance to enlightenment, so you should be avoiding it anyway...but moving on. The 14th Dalai Lama (current) said in 1997: "even with your own wife, using one's mouth or the other hole is sexual misconduct." Of course, this is just one man's opinion, but he's kinda a big deal. Of course, he says nothing about two guys loving one another (in the piece I found) but just no sex.

On Life, Beauty, and Gender

For psuedoLent I gave up chocolate and have been pretty faithful to the sacrifice, though I did have a piece of chocolate cake and a bite of brownie. That's not really important, but I wanted to share.

Second, after hearing mention of a beauty regime in a book I was reading (Getting It by Alex Sanchez, for those who are interested), I realized that my mother never really gave me beauty tips when I was young, possibly because I wanted nothing to do with it. But really, boys and girls can have nice skin, which is all she would have needed to say to win me over (the characters in the book are all boys, and not all of them are gay). So I decided to attempt this beauty regime and see how it turns out (for those interested, it involves foaming cleanser, witch hazel and oil-free moisturizer). I've taken pictures to do "before" and "after" comparison.

Third, I guess...the books I've been reading. Still reading Be Last for the youth group and have added on The Art of Happiness "by" the Dalai Lama. Also, I took out Parrotfish from the library which is about a transgendered boy (as in, girl to boy) who is embracing the male side and all the struggles he goes through (a work of fiction, which has peaked my interest in nonfiction of similar, but haven't settled on anything).

Coming from a rather conservative area, LGBT wasn't particularly common (or spoken about) when I was a teen. I never really thought about it when I was in school, or if I thought about my attractions I kept them to myself. So when I went to college, my eyes were opened, to say the least. So I still feel like I'm trying to understand some things that other people have understood rather earlier in life, and I don't know if that means I'm delusional about things or I'm finally coming to understand myself.

I won't go into details, both because they are personal and because it would be rude (to my family) to make public announcements about things I'm not entirely sure of. Or something. The important thing is I love myself and am comfortable with myself, no matter who I become.

Not-a-Loser Saturday

Ignoring the fact that it's 6 o'clock and I'm writing a blog entry, I'm not a complete loser, I swear.

Most of my time has been spent reading and writing when I'm not at work (or at the barn on weekends). Because I've been doing a fair amount (read: loads) of amateur reading on the interwebs, I decided that it wouldn't necessarily help my writing, so I decided to pick up some books that are in the genre that I write, thus queer YA (although mine aren't strictly YA or queer or "school stories"). Interlibrary loans are wonderful for this, because my town is not...well I don't want to say they're closed minded or anything, but they don't carry many of these types of books. It kind of makes me wonder how hard it would be for a kid who is questioning to get a book out and read about kids going through this stuff. I wonder how many kids do anyway. Probably only the out ones.

So I've been doing loads of reading, and because it's YA I finish it in a couple days (or a day) which gives me a great sense of accomplishment. I think after I finish the latest book I'll have to put off more until I finish The Art of Happiness, which I'm looking forward to reading. Reading takes plenty of my time, but the time spent feels so much better spent than watching TV, reading things online, or whatever else I waste time doing. Writing is possibly the only thing that feels more productive, and right now I don't know about that.

After I woke up from my afternoon nap, I had this deep, thought-provoking realization about my High School life and I was going to write about it. Then I realized it wasn't really that great, just me realizing I was actually a huge loser in High School, but I acted all tough and pretended I wasn't. I wonder what I looked like from the outside. I think alot of it had to do with not being able to (or not feeling safe to) talk about what I wanted/give my opinion. I feel less angry now that I'm open with what I want to say, although it's still a challenge I'm overcoming.

I could probably go on and on about my feelings and such, but that seems boring. I hope everyone enjoys their Saturday.

Wake me up when September comes

After cooking dinner, exercising, and eating, I did nothing productive and instead reread Sunshine. I started it last night, so I only really had to finish it, but still, there was so much more I could have spent my time doing--like the pile of dishes that are waiting for me (still). And instead of doing them I'm writing here because I didn't do any other productive writing today.

I think the one thing I love about Sunshine is the point of the novel (or one of the points that I take away, at least). Sure, I love the vampires and magic and there are great characters in the book, but from beginning to end, the story is about how life happens no matter what, but interesting things in life don't happen unless you step outside your door. The things that happen may not be what you had in mind, but that's the risk you take when you leave your comfort zone.

Then I ask myself, How often do I leave my comfort zone? Am I willing to step into the darkness and let it embrace me? What would happen if something exciting/terrifying did occur in my life? Is the danger something I have to go look for, or will it find me itself is another question, one I don't ask because I worry over the answer. This doesn't mean I'll sleep with my doors unlocked, but it does mean I'm no longer afraid to sleep in the dark--in fact, I like it that way now.*

Life has been filled with nothing of interest lately. It's filled with good things, but nothing interesting, at least to outsiders. I could tell you how yesterday we were cantering across a field and the wind was blowing across my skin and the smooth pound of the horse's hooves beneath me and the sun was shining but it was still cool and how that was heaven. But you probably don't want to hear about it.

Since the evening is already blown and there is no way I'm going to do my dishes tonight, I'm going to go read another book that I've been trucking through.



*For those who didn't know, until I went to college I needed a nightlight to sleep, because I couldn't stand waking up and being totally blind. The campus was always lit enough to shed light in my windows at school, so it wasn't a problem. I didn't start sleeping without a nightlight until mine blew out (in a more literal sense than I care for). But I sleep in the dark now :)

Perhaps my last post before vacation

First off, I enjoyed today's XKCD, here. Be sure to hover your mouse for the secret message ^.^

Second, I'm tired! I'm looking forward to vacation although it will most likely involve little rest. Speaking of vacation--in this world of technology we seem to take more and more stuff with us. I always make a list of what I need to pack and it used to be all clothing. Now I have clothing (and essentials) plus my ipod, cellphone (+ charger), laptop (+ cables), camera (+batteries).

Third, one day of work left! I'm actually leaving things in somewhat of an organized way so nothing should explode. Let's hope it stays that way.

Bloodsucking Fiends is pretty good so far. It didn't really win me over, but more of the individual characters are starting to meet, so I see the beginnings of plot. I'll be taking it with me on vaca, but I don't know how much reading will happen. Boy Meets Boy is also being deliciously funny (how can you say no to a book with a drag queen named Infinite Darlene?). Sadly it will not be heard on vacation, because even though it says it's ipod compatible, my ipod disagrees.

Yay Vacation!

Midnight walks in Paradise

Happy 4th of July, America. Okay, now that that's done with, onto the post!

My new loveseat arrive with some adventure* but arrived and is being used and has found its place among us. It's green and big and awkward, but I have seating for more than two people, which is really nice when..you know..more than two people show up.

My current book list hasn't changed much lately, which happens when you don't read. Hah. It's too nice out to spend the time inside reading, and I feel weird reading in open public spaces. It could be said that if I spent less time on the computer I could spend more time reading. I could also hold my breath until my face turns blue, but I'm not gonna!

The audiobook I'm reading is going well, but I run into a slight mixed feeling about it (not the book, the audio version). The reader is good, but per its format, they can't talk as fast as I read. I wonder if I was reading the book if I'd be done by now (I probably would be, or at least could be). But then I consider how much time I spend reading the books I actually read and I wonder if it would be sitting in a pile with the rest. It's nice to do work around my apartment and get reading done at the same time (though I'm highly amused when I find myself talking to the air, making snarky comments about what was just said in the book).

I have two days of a riding clinic, which hopefully will be fun, and then another day off before I go back to work. All this time off is spoiling me something rotten. It also makes me want to bake. A lot. I made angel food on Thursday, angel/demon cookies last night, and Monday might be monkey bread. It's a good think I like feeding people.

Hope everyone enjoys what promises to be a beautiful weekend!



* The adventure: Took one vehicle (Honda Fit) to location. Not big enough. Drive to get truck. Bring truck to location. Not big enough. Strap couch to roof and drive (slowly) to apartment. Get couch off roof (with just two itty bitty girls) and half way through first door. Get stuck. Neighbor comes. He and I get it unstuck and up 3 sets of 8 steps, with me on the bottom--for some reason. Second door is not a problem and I have a couch! I should mention I did this on 2 hours of sleep. And that four hours later I went riding.

Haven't seen rain in forever...

Today's dawn rose almost grayish-white, only to become a dark and foreboding gray as the hour passed. So dark that the lights on the street flickered back on to offer some guidance in the misery. It's not really matching my mood, but it's matching something...

Yesterday I was cosplay productive, which excited me greatly since my time spent on that has been (err) nonexistent. I downloaded a book on tape from my library and played it while working, which made the work factor more enjoyable, although I do enjoy the work (just not the time spent doing it, if that makes any sense). I now have pants and a jacket. I just need an eyepatch and straps. I can do it!

It's begun pouring now. This seems like a passing spring storm type rain, but if thursday and friday taught me anything, it's that the rain can keep falling like that for a while. Unlike those days, today we have the rumble of thunder. Who knows how long it will last.

And now lightning.

BTW, the book on tape I'm listening to is Wicked Lovely and rather enjoyable (it's young adult fantasy). I find it amusing, since I was always an avid, fast reader, that I've become such an advocate for audio books (a more appropriate term). I think this is helped by the fact that I can DL books from my library without having to actually go there. The downside is that some (most) of the books seem to be WMA and cannot be converted to go on my ipod. Which makes me sad.

Where Does Time Go?

Really, I've nothing to say.

My exercise schedule improved this week, but yesterday instead of riding (per rain) or working out (per exhaustion) I watched Eight Below and Man in the Iron Mask simultaneously. In my defense, I was rather tired from this week, which involved me not being home most the time. And I had already gone grocery shopping.

I was cat-sitting this week for my friends who were in California, which meant I just stopped by their house twice this week to give the cat love and affection and companionship, while making sure it wasn't dead. It wasn't hard, although it was very hairy.

My current reading has stagnated. The Education of Little Tree pretty much stopped because it's good, but not exciting, and I'm just not motivated for it. However, at a thrift store on Saturday I found a first printing of American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Okay, I'll admit, this is my SECOND first printing copy...I think) and I started rereading that. Now that I'm taking my good ol' time with it, I think I can appreciate it more. I really wish I'd done my senior thesis on that instead, but in the end, it doesn't really matter, does it?

It's that time of the year when there are no breaks in the future and every day I want to call out and just sleep, do nothing, or go to the barn. And yet I keep going to work, because I'd rather use my days off when it's REALLY nice and there is lots of sunshine. Today would totally count for that, but even if it hadn't rained last night, I know we are at least 1 person short at work, and we may be 2, depending if the other person is over her sick. So into work I go.

In other news: I'm no longer craving donuts :)

A word or two on my life

I realize some of this may be repeated from previous posts, but I prefer this blog to be more filled than my LJ blog, so this is my most recent post there:

Since my coworkers engaged me in Twilight and the rest of the series, I've been downing books like cheap wine. Since the beginning of the month, I've read Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn (all of the Twilight series), Sunshine, and The Graveyard Book. I've also been finding time to write somehow in between all of this. Because working 8 hours, going to the barn (though my time is limited there since the dark and cold have set in), and reading books (often times in one day) didn't give me enough to do.

The good thing is I haven't wasted my brain watching television as much. I also haven't been online, because I find I fare better if I use my laptop, in which I sit on my couch, turn on classical music and type. My laptop, which is older than is kosher these days, has been wiped of most things that would distract me. I don't hook it up to the internet (though it's capable), it only has the basic 4 Windows games, and it may have Gimp, but the inability to get images (randomly) to photoshop limits my abuse of that even. It's nice, because I just sit and get absorbed in what I'm doing. Though sometimes when I wander back to my desktop and see my friends online I feel a bit sheepish.

On the other hand, writing is kind of a profession of mine, so it's more like working a part time job, in which I'm sad that I might miss my friends a bit, but it's for a good reason. And I enjoy it more than most part time jobs. Plus it has flexible hours. (Note, I know that part-time job is meant to be hyphenated, but I really didn't feel like it at the moment.)

My current works are a collection of stories (not the collection of tales that are being formed on dA), the story of a girl beyond, and the story of a woman who finds love and life satisfaction but of course has to suffer first. My current book is Stiff, which is about how cadavers are used to help mankind (through science, etc). I'm not sure what drew me to it, but I saw it on GoodReads and I ordered it. When I'm finished, my review can be found there.

I think that about covers it all.

And then the sun rises

Ah, days off from work are luxury!

While I bought it a month and a half ago, and swore I wouldn't read it (but would instead listen to it), I've begun reading The Graveyard Book and am about half done. Hope to be mostly finished by tonight.

It's sunny, and I'd like to think lovely, though obviously cold. I kind of want to go to the barn and treasure days like this, but I also have this exhaustion that seems never ending some days. I imagine it'll only get worse the darker it gets, but I don't really want to do anything physically demanding at the moment.