STATUS REPORT # 112

Yesterday, at long last, I’d finally been above to resolve the issues I’d been having with the re-edited manuscript for my debut MG/YA Paranormal romance novel, “I Kissed a Ghost.” I’d finished making the suggestions made by the line editor I’d gotten from CreateSpace, and I wanted to take about three days to rest. When I came back and opened the file, the document was in shambles; the manuscript was there, as were all the deletions and additions in blue. Despite all my efforts in trying to return to workable file I could format and send off to CreateSpace to prepare the interior of the book, I got nowhere.

I finally got a friend and good neighbor to help me out, since I was almost a month behind schedule in re-releasing the book. She carefully copied the entire manuscript and then pasted it into a new file, and it worked; and I was busy for several hours making sure each page was correct, saving it several times along the way. I don’t know what she did, because I’d tried doing the same thing a few times; but without much success. I finished reviewing the formatting of the entire manuscript shortly after midnight.

After I woke up this morning and had a mug of my morning Joe, black and sweet I sat down to write the copyright, my other endeavors, and dedication pages. Now, all I’ve got to do is to wait for the offices of CreateSpace to open, so they can help me remove all the comments left by the line editor which still exist on the document.

With only approving the print copy and KINDLE conversion left to do, this endeavor is now practically out of my way.

When I get into situations where I can’t move forwards on any of my writing endeavors, for whatever the reason, I switch into writing book reviews; and since my last update I’ve written eight with one more being done later today. Right now I’ve got 593 reviews written under my belt on Amazon-US and elsewhere, here’s the link if anyone is interested in reading any of them:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A19QLCLVPLZH0B 

This morning I found a fantasy romance short story I’d written over two years which I’ve started to edit, and making it a bit erotic at the same time. I’ve now got two writing endeavors left to finish under this name to finish; with the rate of my writing depended on how fast I can raise the necessary funds to get the endeavor self-published.

BOOK REVIEW # 2017-034 - IT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH FAMILY

I read this book via an Amazon-US KINDLE Unlimited download.

When I got married it was relatively late in my life, I was 43, and my dear OH was four years younger. We felt it was too late to start having children, besides I suffer from a genetic condition which we didn’t want to pass onto any children we might have had. But, after reading this highly inspirational book, I now feel we should have not fostered but adopted a young age-appropriate child for parents our age; especially since neither one of us any real family to speak of. I’ve got a sister and a handful of cousins, and my OH has a couple of cousins, none of whom we really talk to.  

I, in fact we all can see and can image a couple adopting one or two children, but the couple, Jo Ann and Dan Wentzel had amazing 75 children, frequently eight at a time and mainly teen aged boys. Those of you who have had children especially boys know what a handful it is to raise one or two of them; so, you can just imagine the fortitude and patience these two must have possessed to raise blended family and brew this size.

Those who read this book need to thank this couple for sharing their experiences of actually being a foster parent. What they’d discovered had been doing this successfully all came down to what family subtleties are needed to raise them and to have a family which come close to a natural family as possible.

This includes changing their mental attitude of family from the dysfunctional one they’ve been accustomed to living in. And once these children have reacclimated to a more normal family environment, they can return to their birth family with a new outlook for their lives and family they’d been born into. Hopefully, if the time these children had spent with the Wentzels, or in fact any foster family, has been successful this newly acquire attitude can be passed on to their children; and not the dysfunctional one they came from which would only perpetuate the situation into the next generation.

Along the way in sharing their story, the Wentzles share their various and at times quite different parenting methods, in the hopes others might benefit from in the raising of their own children; and that. perhaps after reading this book others might consider the joys of fostering children of their own/

Given what this couple has been willing to share with others, how can you not give this book the 5 STARS, I’m giving it.

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R1TB5TYXS3J936

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RW17AY8C2BM7

HAIKU HORIZON # 21 - CAKE

Here’s this week’s prompt from the Haiku Horizon site which is “CAKE” and here are my three Haiku response endeavors:  

[ https://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com ]

Let them all eat cake

This had been the Queen’s edict

She no more the Queen

Ice cream left on table

Not in refrigerator

Cake melted away

Should have been “cake walk”

But someone threw the wrench in

Now arduous task

Would really love to get your feedback

STATUS REPORT # 111

I know it’s been almost three weeks since my last update, but nothing important has transpired since then.

I’m still waiting for CreateSpace to approve the interior design for the re-edited version of my debut romance novel, a MG/YA Paranormal entitled “I Kissed a Ghost.” Prior to my starting the re-editing process the book had received an average of 4.1 STARS based on 26 reviews. Once they approve it, I’ve got to format the interior: single spacing, chapter starting positions, making sure the margins for each line is properly justified, etc. I also need to make sure the prior pages to the actual story have all the correct information I want it to have. I then need to get my proof copy, after I approve it’s time for the KINDLE conversion, and the start of my almost non-stop promoting for it, which I currently believe would be towards the end of this month.

Right now, I’m aggressively pursuing my reading/reviewing of book as I’d fallen behind so much I would up reducing my original goal of doing 200 books by the end of the year on GoodReads down to 150 from 200.

Besides this, I need to allow my erotic side to pursue her writing endeavors, one of which is a serialized GLBT/BDSM erotic short story/novella.

BOOK REVIEW # 2017-033 - SUZY HAS A SECRET

I read this book using an Amazon-US KINDLE Unlimited download.

As children, we’ve been taught to listen to our parents and to do everything they tell say us. We know how much they love us and they won’t do anything to hurt us. One of these things concerns tattling on someone else who did something they shouldn’t have done, because doing it wouldn’t be a nice thing to do.

But what happens when a relative, like Uncle Bob, starts doing something he shouldn’t and tell us to keep it a secret even from our parents. This is what Suzy has to deal with in this brief story when he starts touching her in places she somehow feels is wrong; she becomes scared and doesn’t want to get in trouble for tattling on her uncle to her parents.

This creates a conflict in her young mild since her parents had also taught her that if something is bothering her she should come to them. When she tells her friend Lucy what’s happening, Lucy’s older brother tells Suzy to tell her parents and that she wouldn’t get into trouble. Suzy follows his advice, tells her parents who respond by sitting down and talking to her about what Uncle Bob did to her.

Inappropriate touching is a sensitive, everyday occurring issue which parents need to discuss with their young child, and this book serves as marvelous beginning from which this discuss can begin. The book then gives parents ideas as to how to go about doing this. For trying to help parents, especially first-time young parents, in dealing with this important, sensitive issue, there’s no way I can’t give Ms. Jackson 5 STARS for her endeavor here.

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R1YT2ZBHQ3KV79

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RC9WCV27YLQNH

BOOK REVIEW # 2017-032 - NERDY BABY

While the premise of this picture book is to teach your young early reader child nerdy geeky techie words might sound a bit LUDICROUS, in reality, it’s a TOTALLY SOUND IDEA.

Kids today are far more technically savvy than their parents, and even more so when I [being a child of the 1950’s] was at their age. If there’s any doubt just look at the way they’re able to easily grasp the knowledge needed to use the internet.

Parents are supposed to nurture their children’s intelligence by giving things which challenges the ability to do things, such as the simple task of reading a book. These days learning the three R’s of, Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic is no longer enough, as they need to be tech savvy as well; I believe this book can serve as one of their first steps in facing the futuristic world they’ve been born into and I’ve given Kady Dash 5 and this book 5 STARS for trying to accomplish this end.  

US:  https://www.amazon.com/review/R26WLJ2V0YZ4LS

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/RJEXYUTW0N0BK

HAIKU HORIZON # 20 - SAFE

Here’s this week’s prompt from the Haiku Horizon site which is “SAFE” and here are my three Haiku response endeavors:  

[ https://haikuhorizons.wordpress.com ]

Must find a safe place

Away from rising waters

For I cannot swim

Burglar in my home

And broke into the wall safe

Good thing jewelry fake

Our forbidden love

Though we are not together

Still safe in our hearts

Would really love to get your feedback