Learning to use a new camera

A little over a year ago, I purchased a new camera. A Canon EOS 1300D and only got it out once in a while. I think I was afraid of it.  It was the first "fancy" camera I had ever gotten.  One where I could change the lens and I had three different lenses to chose from.  It has so many bells and whistles that I felt a bit intimidated.
Once I finally decided to learn to use this cool tool, I began watching YouTube videos and have learned quite a bit on how to operate this fancy camera, plus I have a notebook of cheat sheets I carry in my bag.  I've been using it quite a bit now.  Taken photos of all the flooding we've had this spring.  I've lived in the same area for over 35 years and have never seen the level of flooding as this year.  

I snapped this photo of James while we were out checking on the flooding.  He too has been working on his photography skills.  I took this photo by the Grand River, The water behind him is all flood water. 

 Along with this new camera and the quilting I've been doing, I have begun to put my stories up on Wattpad.  For me it was a more economical way for me to publish and get my stories out there then to try and do it myself as an Indie Author, while nothing wrong with that, I've found that the expenses can add up rather rapidly.  Yes it is good to pay for quality work in editing, and cover design, but at this moment in time I've taken a leave of absence from the work world, so funds are to be looked at more carefully.

You can search my name on Wattpad as well as the title "Cowboy's Tribulation" the first two chapters are up.  The plan is I'll be posting a new chapter each week on Tuesdays by 1 pm.  This is to get me into the habit of "working" and adhering to a deadline, so far its working.

I am planning to upload a chapter even during the two weeks in May I will be gone with Mom on our trip to New Orleans LA.
 We will be attending the first BookLovers Convention.  This is a spin off from the annual trip we use to take to the RT BookLovers Convention.  The Couple who put that convention on decided to retire in 2018 and their fabulous crew they used to put it on decided to branch out and do their own.  Mom and I are excited since we skipped last years convention because it was in Reno NV and with flying and all it was just too far to go.  BUT, when we found out that 2019 was in NOLA, well we were instantly excited and ready to go, but of course we have had to wait a whole year.  Soon the waiting will be over. We are working on packing as minimalists this year, trying to cut down on the luggage since we don't really travel light.  And that's putting it mildly.

Proof we don't travel light.  This is from our first convention in Kansas City MO in 2013 and the car has looked like this for four of the conventions we've attended.  The goal is to eliminate at least half of this. Oh and this is just the back you don't see what's in the front of all this in the back seat.  How the hell do two woman take so much along? We wondered that too, hence the challenge to leave a lot behind. I'll post how we do when we get to NOLA. 
That's all for now, take care and Happy Trails.

UPDATEING AND RECAPPING 2018
Yes I know its been quite awhile. 

The above photo is an important milestone for me, being listed as a new member of PAN in Octobers issue of Romance Writers of America's Romance Writers Report was a huge highlight for me in 2018.  This might not mean much to some but for me it was a 30 year goal met. Yes I've been working at this writing gig off and on for 30 years.  Some things just take time. 
When I came across this photo today I decided I wanted to use it for this new post.

Another highlight of 2018 was participating in my first quilt show.  I didn't have any of my quilts done at the time of the show so I took my Grandma Marguerite Viola Scudder's prohibition era quilt that she made. This is what I wrote on the yellow sheet.
"Prohibition Era Quilt"
"This quilt was made by Marguerite Viola Scudder during the winter of 1932-1933 while working as a live-in nanny in Clinton IA.
Later while still working as a nanny on weekends, she got a full-time job during the week at the Clinton Garment Company making blouses and house dresses.  The fabric for this quilt was leftover scrap fabric from the garments she made,
This quilt is the Periwinkle pattern.  85 years old.  Completely handstitched.
She worked on this quilt during the winter to pass the time.  Since in those days there was no tv.  Just radio shows and the occasional phone call.  Unless you went to the Speakeasy on Friday and Saturday nights! But that was prohibited, it was the era of Prohibition you know.
Marguerite also made a Double Wedding Ring quilt the following year.  Currently that quilt is lost."
The quilt show was a first at the Markesan Residents home in Markesan. 

Familiar Taste of Seduction release is a month away!

Little over a month away till release day for mine an Elizabeth Kolodziej’s book “A Familiar Taste of Seduction”.  To say we are excited about this is an understatement.  We had great fun writing the book as we used social media for research items, tossing around idea’s to use, and looking for photos and pictures for inspiration.  While writing this book Liz and I would be busy texting on our phones, and at the same time sending ideas through facebook and twitter and on occasion an email would get sent.  All at the same time.  We would laugh as we did this, since we were able to keep everything straight.  We’ve also thought this would make for a great panel at a convention.  How to write a book while on social media.  

Come meet our cast and crew of the “Clock and Bullocks” ship and the many characters of the Midnight Carnival, where else can steampunk, demons, wizards and sirens come together.    

Here is an excerpt from our book.  You can pre-order now on Amazon.

This day the overcast pewter sky blew a wind that seemed to go right through your clothes and right down to your bones. A deep chill had been invading me since docking my ship, the Clock and Bullocks.  The hustle and bustle of carriages bringing the rich to depart on the huge steamer ships, and the lowly horses pulling carts laden down with all manner of goods drifted by me on the street. The sounds of which I could not hear but the sight and smell greeted me in a damp earth sea salty sort of way. I pulled the collar of my coat up around my neck, and my cap tighter onto my head, as I walked down the wooden boardwalk to my favorite portside bar. The grey wooden sign in the shape of a ships anchor hung above the door of The Wharf bar and bathhouse. I’d been out on my ship with my crew for the last month and needed to blow off a bit of steam. Since I ran a dry ship most times, my men and I were always wanting some ale whenever we were in port.

I reached for the iron door handle of the bar and pulled the heavy oak door toward me and stepped back just in time as two gentlemen came flying out said door. The bartender, looked at me as he brushed his hands off and put those big beefy hands on his hips and glared at me as though to challenge whether I too was going to be trouble. Then suddenly the big man let out a hearty laugh and clapped his big meaty hand on my shoulder to welcome me into his bar. 

“Well, Captain Henri, it’s been quite some time since we’ve seen you.” The bartender said as he looked at me.

“Aye, it has,” I replied stepping into the dimly lit bar.  I pulled my wool cap off, the leather thong holding my brown hair back coming loose.  Stuffing the cap in a pocket, I unbuttoned my coat and shrugged out of it, and hung it on a coat tree just inside the door.  Glancing around, several patrons sat at the bar itself drinking beer while several tables, some with poker games in progress, were occupied around the room. The deep rich wood of the walls had taken on a patina of reddish brown from years of smokers. The smell of cigar smoke, beer, and other hard liquors greeted my nose as well as sawdust that had been sprinkled over the floor. I walked down the bar a ways and sat near the end farthest from the door, a good spot to observe everyone there. I took joy in watching others. Since talking with most folks didn’t always work out so well. Most of the regulars knew I could not hear, the result of an accident on board a ship when I was a cabin boy.  Others just didn’t care.

The bartender set a tankard of dark beer in front of me. I picked it up and took a long pull of it.  Damn, I thought, that tasted great as I set the tankard back down on the bar.  A burp worked its way up my throat and I felt it escape.  The men nearest me looked over and laughed and I patted my chest for any other burps that might be lurking. 

I was into my third beer and flirting with a bar maid, when a fight began in the far corner of the bar. From what I could see it was over a poker game. More and more of the bar patrons were getting in on the fight, fists flying and bodies hitting the floor. The bartender came out from behind the bar, wielding a bat in one of his hands and made way for the nearest scrum of bodies. I watched as he broke the men apart and escorted them to the door by the scruffs of their necks. 

In the mean time the bar maid I had been flirting with ran and hid behind me as bodies went flying past her and landed on the floor with a thud. Grabbing her hand I pulled her through the swinging doors to the back hallway and rushed her to the safety of a supply closet. I was just going to put her in there and return to the bar room, but she wouldn’t let go of my hand when I went to leave. She pulled me inside with her and tugged the door shut. Total darkness. I could only feel her body next to mine, the heat pouring off of her. My fingers found the buttons of her dress and began to slip them undone.  I slid my hand into the bodice, cupping her full breast.   Squeezing and pinching the nipple. 

She reached up and put both hands on either side of my face and pulled me down to her lips.  How long had it been since I had a bar wench? Too long. I plunged my tongue into her mouth. My arms came around her and held her tight. I could feel her eagerness in her kiss and by the way she wrapped her arms around my neck. The press of her breasts to my chest felt incredible. As I backed up to the wall I bumped into a chair with such roughness that I sat down hard onto it. My little bar wench reached for my buttons, never letting up on the kiss.

Exciting things for 2014

2014 has me very excited and I have many plans for the coming new year.  My biggest news for now is that I have "finally" made the important decision to be an Indie Author,  yes I plan to self publish quite a bit of my work.  I will still have projects that I think may do well with a publisher, I do have a book wanted by four, yes 4, publishers that I am currently working on, my goal is to have it done by the end of this month or early next month.  No pressure there...

So why have I decided on self publishing?  Many reasons, the biggest being control over my work and I can make more money. And get more content out as well.  True I will not get rich, but with steady sales I will begin to make money I can use to buy my husband a new truck (at least make the payment), this is goal one, and then remodel the house, its needing it. Eventually I want to be able to retire and so does my husband, don't we all eventually want to retire?  Of course we do. 

As an  Indie Author, I plan to publish on Smashwords.   Some of you know what this is and  some of you don't.  Smashwords is a site where you can publish your own book for free in ebook format.  The beauty of this site is that they distribute your ebook to ALL ebook outlets available on the web.  It does not matter if you have a Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, IPad, IPhone, Android phone, Tablet, pc or mac etc, you will be able to go on Smashwords and purchase any book (hopefully mine, Please) and download it to whatever device you have, it even has a pdf format so you can print a copy as well.  You will be able to read and enjoy books anywhere you are.
One of the features, is that any update of a book made on the site, if you have purchased that book you will receive the updates for free.    

The first project going up on Smashwords will be, finally, after 20+ years, the non-fiction book "The Thrifty Equestrian, Book One, The Stable Edition", this will be available by the end of March, keep your eyes open for a coupon to receive this book free.  "The Thrifty Equestrian, Book Two, Horse Show Edition" will be available in late June.  This is a project that I have worked on as mentioned above for 20 years.  When I first started working on it, I wanted my book to be spiral bound so that when a horse owner was using it out in the barn, it would lie flat.  Well as I waited, (more like procrastinated) technology exploded and different methods of publishing have become available.  Love technology. 

Now, no matter where you are you can download my books and read them while out in the barn or at a horse show or even on the way to a horse show.  As of this writing there will be four books in this series with the possibilities of more in the future. 

Musings about Janet Dailey, Romance Author.

I learned earlier today that a Romance writer legend had died over the weekend.  Janet Dailey was not just a favorite author of mine but the one who made me want to start my own writing career. 
I started reading Janet Dailey romances in the spring of 1978 when my best high school friend Mary gave me some books that she got through a subscription her dad had ordered for her.  She didn't like the books and gave them to me and a love affair of romance novels was born. (Yes Mary it is all your fault, and I am forever grateful to you for those books, thank you.) 
I couldn't wait to get new ones. I think I even packed one and took it along to church camp that summer.  When I bought Ms Dailey's Harlequin Presents Novel "Six White Horses," I was hooked forever.  That is my first Janet Dailey novel, and I still have it, and it is my forever favorite.  I read all of her Americana Series, a differnt romance in each of the 50 states.  With original covers.  (I love collecting books with thier orginal covers.)
But when  "Touch the Wind" came out, I was so excited and hook on mairstream as well.  When my Mom and I  bought it, (I acutally had to beg her to buy it.) she read the back blurb and said she had to read it first.  I was only 16 at the time.  My Mom let me read it which stuns me since it deals with some very real issues of kidnapping, murder and well the sex scenes were scandalous to a 16 year old, but my Mom figured I was mature enough to handle it. BUT she told me I was not allowed to blush while I read it, so I read it in my room, every chance I got till finished. ( side note:  she would not let me read Beatrice Small though, LOL. P.S I have and oh my, the age of the bodice ripper was upon us, I think


Just a few of the Janet Dailey books I have, upper middle right is "Six White Horses"


in Mom's stash back then was a book that mentioned something about a dildo made of leather, Now whose blushing? Mom? LOL didn't know I read that one...)

When I mentioned earlier that Janet Dailey made me want to start my own writing career was no exageration.  I used her novels for book reports in english class.  "Touch the Wind" became a newspaper edition, with headlines reading  "Heiress Kidnapped in the Mexican Moutains by Bandits" and the report of her boyfreinds murder, etc.  Oh and Mrs. Merchant my English II teacher gave me an A.  I think I may have the paper somewhere in my archives. 
Numerous other writing assignments featured writing with vivid description, like the time I had to discribe a home photograph and the main person in the picture was discribed as "weather beaten skin, with grey shoot through his brown hair and peircing ice blue eyes," my teacher at that time was impressed by my mature writing skills, something my classmates didn't have.  Non of them had thier nose in a book all the time like I did. I always had a book on my stack of books for each and every class.  My classmates will atest to that.  Even a photo of me in the class year book shows me reading on graduation practice day. sitting on the stage reading, its in the credits.  Book nerd was a very good discription of me only now it could be Bibliophile, or collector of books, thats me and always will be. 

I've traveled around the Unitied States and every where else in the world through romance novels.  I feel as though I got a pretty good geography lesson with all those other  Harlequin Presents authors, Ann Mathers, Fern Michels, Carol Moritmer, just to name a few.  Their discriptions of far off lands had me making a bucket list long before the term was even coined.  

In conclusions, Janet Dailey, I will miss you so much, even though I never got to meet you, was hoping you would be at RT2014, you have been a huge influence on me, and I am forever grateful.  Thank you. 

Adventures at the Romantic Times Convention.

I've been back now for alittle over a week now.  To say I had a blast is a HUGE understatement.
My Mom and I left on tuesday April 30 and had a wonderful drive from centeral Illinois, across Iowa and down through Missiori.  We were doing pretty good up until the Kansas City Police car cut us off and I missed my exit.
 
Well that was the beginning of a meltdown.  We finally get turned around and started to do the directions we had backwards.  Well that didn't go so well. (I even stopped at a gas station to get a street map and they didn't have any, are you kidding me, but she did know where Mcgee Street was so that helped).  We were at one point in the right area of our hotel.

 We found the Sheraton, (this is where all of the activities for the week were taking place) no problem the thing is the Westin (over flow hotel, we are registering earlier for next year in New Oleans LA to be in the main hotel make things much easier) where we were staying was connected by a walk way.  Well things didn't look right for where we were or so I thought.  So we asked a bell hop at the Sheraton "wheres the Westin" oh just turn right out of the driveway and its the next stoplight.  Hmmm that was not quite right either and I was headed in the wrong direction AGAIN. 

As I drove screaming at the top of my lungs and beating the steering wheel my Mother sat in her seat laughing her ass off at me.  The more she laughed the more I screamed and then I calmed down.  Just needed to get that out I guess.  Well turned around again and I finally found the Westin 5 minutes later.  Bell hops are very helpful there and were right at our doors helping us but when we told them we needed two luggage carts they were a bit surprised.  But yes we needed two.

OMG I WILL NEVER TAKE THAT MUCH CRAP AGAIN, Mom and I way over packed and then some, took way too much junk food along as well but live and learn right?  And we came home with even more stuff with all the swag we snagged.  Damn there were great giveaways, but more on that later.  Once we got settled we did change clothes and go scoop out the Shearaton so we had a good lay of the land.  That really helped we just wished they had had registation open so we could of gotten that done right away but the next morning when we did get our stuff I was very pleasantly surprised the line moved very quickly.  Badges on and it was off to get our bags, got those and then Mom and I split up and went out separet ways, she off to reader events and me to author ones. 

So workshop panels I attended were "write 50 books a year" that was their hook and it was great meeting Elle James and Delihla Devlin, (psst, who writes really smutty books, she'll tell you that) These two are sister and were a hoot to watch and learn from.
Next up was "Street Teams"  very good as well learned alot and plan to implement what I learned when the time gets here.  "Plotting Boot Camp" put on by the same sisters from before, that was really good too, hey I bought the book they have out about this so... And am using it, very helpful for me.
"BDSM, Does anyone REALLY do that?"  Loved this workshop presented by Kasi and Reggie Alexander, a couple who are involved in the BDSM/Kink scene.  Hearing them speak and dispel alot of the myths out there about what BDSM is, was very informative and entertaining.  Plus everyone who attended their workshop got free earrings from their business Poly's Pleasures, they make really cool and colorful chainmail jewelry.  Love my earrings.  (Hmmm note to self must order more jewelry from them, as well as books, bought two already, there are three more to get). 
"Research Notebook from Hell, Keeping your series straight", this was helpful for those authors who write series, books, continuing stories, and charcters and just how to keep those worlds straight and organized.  I also had a few others written down to go to but ended up at other panels which was ok and I'm glad I did that.  Kept me from missing anything important and useful.

 
I also participated in the PitchaPaloosa, where you have 3 minuets of an editors time in order to give them your elevator pitch of a current book your working on.  I must say I pitched 3 editors and they all expressed interest in my post appacolyptic nuclear war think goldilocks and the three alpha bears, yes its a meneg` titled:  "This Girl Comes with Knives".  Thank you to  Ellora's Cave, Intangled, and Total E-Bound for encouraging this writer to finish the project and send it in. 

Next time I'll write a bit about the parties that I attended.  Such fun and met such wonderful people.

What's going to be happening in the near future.

So things here are beginning to get busy.  I've been diligently working on my Novel "Found".  I did do a bit of a revamp of my heroine and changed her carreer from a fashion stylist to a Tattoo Artist.  It gives the story a little more zing I think.

I've also been working on the Dragon Truck paranormal called "On Through the Edge of Night", this one I've done quite a bit of research on and have an opening scene just about done. 

Now for the really big happineing that is coming up very fast is mine and my Mom's trip to Kansas City MO, for the RT Convention (Romantic Times magazines's convention).  We are so excited to be going!  THere is so much to do for five days, I'm going to be exhaused when I get home. 

I'm signed up for several writing classes and my Mom is signed up for alot of the reader panels.  Plus everynight is a cocktail party and then a dance party can you say sore feet, LOL

A while back I asked everyone on my facebook page if they would give me a suggestion of what I should take from the great state of Wisconsin and no one was allowed to suggest squeeky cheese, (yes we have squeeky cheese here) but I'm going to take Rum Chata, a drink that is bottled here in Wisconsin that has of course Rum but also cream in it.  Some of my freinds say it tastes like (gasp) "cum".  So for those of you who read this blog and are attending RT Con, ask me for a shot and you decide if it tastes like "cum". 

It amazes me how much has changed in the last 20 years.  Not just the advent of the internet, boy has that helped research "sort of" because you can't believe everything on the internet.  But in just the last 10 years e-books and e-readers have exploded onto the market.  Plus its so much easier to connect with fellow authors as well as readers and to learn this craft of writing.

Here's a short excerpt from "Found"

He had been watching her for a week now. 

No, he wasn’t a stalker. 

She had moved into his neighborhood a few weeks ago and stopped every morning at the local coffee shop, the same one he sat at, at an outdoor table.  Buying  a large coffee and a raisin bagel.   He watched her walk down the sidewalk toward the coffee shop. 

In the past week their eyes had met a couple times, smiles were exchanged.  Drew made it clear in his smile that he was interested in her.  He could tell she was not unaffected by him.  Each time she met his eyes, she smiled and looked down  as she entered the coffee shop, he noticed, more than once, her hand tremble as she opened the door. 

Over the course of the week he thought he’d gotten to “know” her.  Drew speculated that she might be a burlesque dancer by the way she dressed and the huge tote bag she hauled around, who knew what was in it.   Her style, that of a 50’s pinup girl like Betty Page.  Her makeup was light, with dark eye liner and red lipstick, that suited her,  dark hair just past her shoulders with little bangs coming halfway down her forehead.  She had a curvy body that invited hands to roam all over it.  Breast that seemed a bit too large for her frame and her ass invited a man to caress and fondle it.  Especially when it was incased in denim capri’s.  Her blouse was tied at her waist exposing her bellybutton and the piercing that winked in the sunshine.  Drew could just see the edge of a tattoo that seemed to snake up under her blouse.  He’d love to see what it was and where it went.  Little white strappy sandles encased her feet that revealed red toenails and calves he suddenly found he wanted to nibble on all the way to her ass.

Drew felt his cock stir as he thought about her ass.  A quick glance through the coffee shop window gave him an excellent view of the ass in question.  Yes, he was an ass man for sure.  But for now, that would have to wait.  He had been watching it all week, walk away after she got her coffee, its slight wiggle as she walked away captivating him.