Imprimatur

Today's find? A cucumber. Bear in mind, we've been closed for two days.

Ew.

Ma has been in the hospital since Wednesday and with her having lung cancer and all, I always wonder if this time will be the time she goes in and never comes out. But it isn't this time. Ma's being treated for shingles and will be home in a couple days. Not fit as a fiddle but fit enough.

It's during times like this where I try to meet my writing goals but I tend to fall short. I am filled with guilt about focusing on anything else but my Mother getting better and also for not giving my writing the focus it deserves. But through all this, I noticed that writing helped me keep my head together during down time where I would otherwise be panicking. I'm the type to handle a crisis while its happening then break down after (or when there's really nothing more I can do).

Writing really helped me keep from curling up in a ball and crying or screaming at people for no reason other than they continue to breathe near me. So now I know in the future, I shouldn't feel guilty for writing if something has gone bad or if I can't reach the magical 5 page mark. If the treadmill and weights keep my body strong, writing keeps my spirit strong. I'll need both to support my family through though times.

Now, since things are better, I promise I will get back to talking about anime and making dick, fart, and boob jokes now. XD

Aside for needing to just update more (prepare to hear more complaints about my kid and the general joys of being a working mother who scrapes for time to be creative), I have been thinking about how to make this a bit more lucrative. I have sold a couple more books and more people have been coming to my site, but at the same time I am becoming more aware of how I spend my time.

In order to make "extra" money, I've been taking as much overtime at work as I can get. And it doesn't seem to matter because no matter how much "extra" money I get, I either break even or am slightly less behind than before. My kid is literally BEGGING me for my attention and acting up because I'm not around. I'm always working. I'm working so much that on my days off I am so freaking tired, I can't play with her.

Though I love my mother to Reece's Pieces, that was one mistake she made with me. As a single mom, she worked two jobs to make sure I had not only everything I needed but extra: Dance lessons, Saturday enrichment classes, instrument lessons... I was a very busy child. In addition, on her days off she had to take care of the yard and house. We didn't pay for landscapers; she mowed our HUGE lawn and tended all our bushes herself. And cleaned. Didn't cook, though. Ma can't cook for shit. XD All this made it so at the end of the day, she was too tired even for a game of Chinese Checkers.

Since I don't want to make that mistake, I will be taking less OT in the future. However, there is still a mortgage to be paid and my kid will always be better served if kept warm and fed whether I'm around or not. :p And since both me and the husband work full time, it couldn't hurt if I explored some other avenues of income. That short story that got rejected? Rather than post it for free, I'll make it available on Kindle on the cheap. As soon as I figure out how the formatting works. @_@ Everything that's on my site now for free will remain as such but in the future, my short stories will go up on Kindle with previews on the site. As much as I want to be the cool author chick who gives her awesome stories away for free for all you lovely people to enjoy to your hearts content but, Lenni needs to keep her house. And eat. Food is great! :D Oh!! And clothes! Trust me, it's to everyone's benefit that I walk around with clothing on. XD

To that end, I'm back to my 5 page a day goal. And my journal doesn't count. Neither does the blog. Five pages a day of pure creative genius. I'll get there. ;)

I randomly logged into Create Space to work on getting Dreamhunter on Kindle (pauses for cheers of joy) and I see that I have a message.

I sold a book. To somebody I don't know.

I'm sure this has happened before since I've sold a grand total of 20 or so copies of DH and I know about 8-10 of them personally (and minus the 4 copies I've purchased myself), but I'm still nervous that someone I don't know has my baby in their hands. I really hope they like it. *chews fingernails*

My ankle is healing nicely and I'm spending the time reading and writing. Mostly, I've been working on Greenhouse but of course there are other stories floating around. I'm brainstorming the third book in the First Brood series already but that doesn't have a title yet.

I'm a little wonky today since last night was hubbsters 30th birthday dinner. I nursed one cherry blossom martini the whole night while he got shitfaced. I also went home early so I could steal Monkeygirl cuddles and he went to a bar and got so drunk (I hear) that people were able to draw on him without his knowledge. I demand pictures, people!! XD

Since it is a rainy and crappy day, I'm sure it'll be quiet so I can write.

Now that I've said that, I'm sure it won't happen. :p

Every once in a while, I draw something too cute to keep to myself. So I'm sharing it. XD

Here's a link to my Zazzle shop for ATQM. I'll be adding to it periodically but for now, there's a bunch of merchandise featuring my Vampire Cupcake. I sketched him out and nocturnian did the coloring for me. See her Zazzle store here.

So, there's one of my goals or 2011 right there: open a Zazzle shop. I am entirely too pleased with this and I'm doing my level best not to buy anything.

On the writing front, I'm still working on that thriller entry. I had a great idea which is germinating in my brainmeats. Today, I seem to have Gods in the Grey City and Greenhouse beating on each other for attention. I'll probably work on them both just to make sure they don't kill one another. XD

As you can see, it's been very busy in Lenni's brain. I also owe you guys a review of Peach Girl, which I finished watching last night. I'll get to that. Promise. ;)