Hello Everyone,
Today, I'm going to tell you about some of the thoughts tumbling through my mind this past week. Those of you who know me well know that I sometime lose focus while talking and writing. My thoughts can blow around like the leaves on a tree. My goal for this blog is to center on one subject in each paragraph. lol
To start with I'm going to talk about insomnia. There are many things that can cause people not to sleep. For my hubby the reason is his sleep apnea and having to sleep with a mask over his face. He takes a half an Ambien (5mg) every night and sometimes a whole one if the half doesn't work. Hubby can get by on 4 to 6 hours a night, so if he gets that deep sleep he's good.
Okay, this is extending to two paragraphs because I'm going to tell you why I can't rest. I have fibormyalgia and peripheral neuropathy, both are nerve diseases. I just want to talk about the fibormyalgia because it causes me the most problem both day and night. There are times I can't bear to brush against or to have anything touch me. This is the reason I can't sleep at night. There's no way you can lay in bed without touching the mattress. All night long I may toss and turn trying to find a comfortable spot, which also make the fibromyalgia worse. Sometimes I can get up and work, but usually my mind is mush so I can only mindless games on the computer until I'm so tired I don't feel the pain for a few hours.
Next I'm going to talk a bit about book royalties. This is a topic I've thought about this week because I'm trying to decide if it's worth my while to continue writing other than for my enjoyment. I've talked about this subject a bit before, so I'm going to skim this. We aren't allowed to talk about our contracts so this is only going to be general. I will say this that digital royalties are larger than the print royalties. Everyone knows, Grisham, Patterson, Roberts and others have made huge bucks from their book sales but these authors sold millions of books before they did.
This topic is taking two paragraphs too. Smile. Most authors start as low as $30.00 for their first royalty check. Some even lower. Royalties will grow if they can keep selling books, and if they improve with each book. Many authors who make $5,000 to $35,000 or less have day jobs or a husband to support them. Authors who make $50,000 to $100,000 a year are able to support themselves without a day job. Okay, this is enough on this topic for today.
Did I tell you that repetition is my downfall? When I edit I have to remove one third of my words just because of replicating words (called echo's in the publishing world) and sentences that have already been written. Not exact usage but they mean the same thing. This is a common fault among authors.
I'm going to end on a brighter note. My very good friend, Linda B., called me on Thursday to tell me she'd read my book, ADDICTION, and she really liked it and saw improvement in my writing.
For those of you attending the Romance Writers of America Conference in Orlando this year be sure to stop by Mid-America Romance Author's booth to buy your Dammit Doll.
Mid-America Romance Authors (MARA) is selling Writer/Author/Industry Rep Dammit Dolls at Moonlight Madness on 29 July at RWA in Orlando. These dolls can be whacked against a table, wall, whatever, whenever you need to de-stress from the romance writing world! Each doll comes with an appropriate poem and you yell, "Dammit, dammit, dammit" while taking out your frustration.MARA Links for Dammit Doll Episodes this month:
5th - http://jackiebannon.blogspot.com
9th - http://authorlyncash.blogspot.com
11th -http://web.me.com/elisabethburke/ElisabethBurke/Blog/Blog.html
13th -http://heathersonowbooks.blogspot.com
18th - http://carlacassidy.wordpress.com
20th - http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com
25th - http://www.romancebooksrus.blogspot.com
27th - http://gretchenjones.com
Read different Dammit Doll adventures and get one for yourself!
Until next Sunday, have a great week.
Sandy
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
My Vacation in Colorado
White water rafters in Royal Gorge and picture of Royal Gorge from the bridge 
My brother at Garden of the Gods
Hello Everyone,
We arrived back home from Colorado this past week. To say it was a wonderful vacation is an understatement. Nothing is better than spending time with family, eating, laughing and playing.
We arrived back home from Colorado this past week. To say it was a wonderful vacation is an understatement. Nothing is better than spending time with family, eating, laughing and playing.
Normally, I fly to Colorado but this year I droveout so my brother would go with me. It's a
long tedious drive, especially in western Kansas where the landscape is mostly flat. Our destination was Colorado Springs. Once a small town this metropolis has grown and is affectionately nicknamed, The Springs.
The first time I visited Colorado Springs was in 1969 when my brother-in-law's National Guard unit was activated during the Vietnam war. The Springs was a military town then and now. My brother-in-law was stationed at Ft. Carson, and who would believe that 30 plus years later they would return to Colorado.
In the Springs the humidity is low and the winters are mostly mild. My brother-in-law says he can golf there year round. For those of you who think of Colorado as having horrible winters think again. The snows that Colorado gets in the mountains and on the western side of Denver most often fly across The Springs and settle on the eastern plains of Kansas.
The first time I visited Colorado Springs was in 1969 when my brother-in-law's National Guard unit was activated during the Vietnam war. The Springs was a military town then and now. My brother-in-law was stationed at Ft. Carson, and who would believe that 30 plus years later they would return to Colorado.
In the Springs the humidity is low and the winters are mostly mild. My brother-in-law says he can golf there year round. For those of you who think of Colorado as having horrible winters think again. The snows that Colorado gets in the mountains and on the western side of Denver most often fly across The Springs and settle on the eastern plains of Kansas.
By this time you are wondering when I'm going to tell you about my trip. We didn't do a lot of sightseeing, but we did see The Garden of the Gods and The Royal Gorge, both very beautiful spots. You can see the pictures above but they don't do either area justice.
I played bunko with my sister's Bunko group, watched my youngest niece's (5 years old soon to be 6) soccer tournament (four of them in one day), went to cookout for nephew-in-law's birthday celebration and visited oldest niece and family near Denver. We played games like Mexican Train Dominoes with kids and grownups. Every day we looked out across the patio and park at the mountains. It was a great way to start the day.
There is much more I could tell you about the sights in Colorado, but I'm keeping this short today.
Have a great week everyone, and I'll see you next Sunday.
Sandy
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Happy July 4th
Hello Everyone,
I want to wish everyone a happy and safe fourth of July. For those of you celebrating other holidays enjoy yourself. In the states, we celebrate the 4th as our independence day from Great Britain and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Flags are flown at half-staff today to honor those who have died in the service of our country and others. President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed this standard for flying the American flag on March 1, 1954. This year our flag is celebrating it's fiftieth birthday.
Here is a tidbit telling you how the flag should be raised at half-staff. When placing the United States flag into the half-staff position, the flag should be raised quickly to the top of the pole first and then slowly lowered to the position in which it flies halfway between the top and bottom of the pole. When lowering the flag to be taken off the pole, it should first be raised briskly to the top of the pole and then slowly lowered to waiting arms and then properly folded.
Please remember our men and women who are still fighting for freedom here at home and across the world. Pray for their safety.
Next week, there will not be a blog post because I'll be in Colorado where the humidity isn't as high as it is here. Smile.
For those who may look at the TAPPS magazine, my book, ADDICTION is being advertised in it. Sorry but the magazine can only be found in a book store.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe. See you again on the 18th.
Sandy
http://www.skaymarshall.com/
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/addiction.htm
I want to wish everyone a happy and safe fourth of July. For those of you celebrating other holidays enjoy yourself. In the states, we celebrate the 4th as our independence day from Great Britain and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Flags are flown at half-staff today to honor those who have died in the service of our country and others. President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed this standard for flying the American flag on March 1, 1954. This year our flag is celebrating it's fiftieth birthday.
Here is a tidbit telling you how the flag should be raised at half-staff. When placing the United States flag into the half-staff position, the flag should be raised quickly to the top of the pole first and then slowly lowered to the position in which it flies halfway between the top and bottom of the pole. When lowering the flag to be taken off the pole, it should first be raised briskly to the top of the pole and then slowly lowered to waiting arms and then properly folded.
Please remember our men and women who are still fighting for freedom here at home and across the world. Pray for their safety.
Next week, there will not be a blog post because I'll be in Colorado where the humidity isn't as high as it is here. Smile.
For those who may look at the TAPPS magazine, my book, ADDICTION is being advertised in it. Sorry but the magazine can only be found in a book store.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe. See you again on the 18th.
Sandy
http://www.skaymarshall.com/
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/addiction.htm
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