#Writing Wednesday - #Poem: Candle

Candle

One candle among many; tiny flame in the dark.
Yet, when something comes to extinguish the spark,
And its flickering light is a thing of the past,
The space where it shone somehow seems vast.
Then, here on Earth, the watchers mourn,
While, up above, another star is born.

© 2018 ~ Victoria "Tori" Zigler

R.I.P. Grandad

My Grandad died last week.

For those who don't know, I'm talking about my Mam's Dad... My Dad's Dad died before I was born.

Anyway, my Grandad was 83 years old (he turned 83 at the start of December) and died in his sleep in the early hours of the morning of January 24th 2018.

Grandad's never been 100% healthy, and has had multiple close calls with his heart alone. So the fact he made it to 83 with how poor his health has always been is amazing. But that doesn't make it any easier.

It's good that, when the end did come, he went peacefully in his sleep, and didn't suffer in his final moments. I always think that's a nice way to go. But, when it comes right down to it, that doesn't really help much either.

I can't say I was close to my Grandad, though we had some things in common - he was a book-loving writer too. I didn't see him regularly, especially not in my adult life. But I do have some fond memories I can look back on.

My favourite is one from when I was about six. My Mam took my brother (Carl) and me up to London. We spent time with him, and got spoiled by him and his wife at the time, my Nanny Beryl (who died several years back). There were plenty of great parts about that trip, including getting our photo taken with one of the guards at Buckingham Palace. But my favourite part was sitting with Carl and Grandad while he read to us. I especially remember him reading a book called "Dogger" - I believe it's by Shirley Hughes - which was a story Carl and I both loved.

I don't have a copy of that book. But if I did, I'd read it right now in his memory.

#MondayMotivation And #Inspiration - January 2018 Edition

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible”!
~Audrey Hepburn

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
~Maya Angelou

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.
~Henry Ford

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.
~Albert Einstein

Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture the heart.
~Ancient Indian Proverb

When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy”. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.
~John Lennon

January 2018 #TV Talk And #Movie Mutterings

I missed doing one of these posts in December, so let's take a look at what I watched over the past two months.

As with the previous posts like this one, just click on the titles to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Don't forget: I watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before viewing to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved. IMDB will usually provide this information for you, but you'll have to look elsewhere if you can't find it on the page I link to.

OK... On to the reviews!

Despicable Me (2010 movie):
For the most part this was an entertaining movie, with some really sweet scenes. There were parts I thought were stupid though. I give this movie four out of five stars.

Despicable Me 2 (2013 movie):
Not quite as good as the first movie, but still with several entertaining or touching moments. I'm being generous and rounding up here when I say I give this movie four out of five stars.

Despicable Me 3 (2017 movie):
This movie had some bad parts, some entertaining parts, and some sweet scenes. All in all, it wasn't fantastic, but was a pretty good movie. I give this movie four out of five stars.

The Last Airbender (2010 movie):
I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this one. People kept telling me I probably wouldn't enjoy it - including Kelly, who watched it before I did, and didn't enjoy it as much as he expected to - but there was a copy among the DVDs that Mam brought here, so I figured I'd watch it. I'm glad I did, because I actually really enjoyed it. It's not one I'd count among my favourites, perhaps, but I enjoyed it enough to want to give it a high rating, to be glad I watched it, and to hope they made - or will make - more (since this did spacifically state it was "book one" near the start of the movie, something Kelly agreed was the case). There's also a TV series, so I might have to see about watching that too. Anyway, I give this movie five out of five stars.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001 movie):
This was a fun movie that the whole family could enjoy, and which would appeal to those fascinated with the various myths surrounding Atlantis. It wasn't an amazing movie, but it was a really good one, and I did enjoy it. I give this movie four out of five stars.

#Furkid Friday: Lilie The #Westie's View On #Trains

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

(The above photo was taken when I was nine and a half months old. I'm ten months old today though).

I decided something earlier this month: I DO NOT like trains!

I went with the humans to this noisy and busy place with lots of people, and we left Mummy there. I'm not sure why we left her there, but we did. I might have tried to protest, but I was so busy sniffing things and greeting people that I didn't notice she wasn't with us until we were back home and she didn't come in. I waited for her, and waited some more, but she didn't come. I did hear her voice coming from the plastic ringing thing a couple of times when Daddy played with it though.

A couple of days later, we went back to the noisy and busy place to get her again. I'm still confused about why we waited so long to go back there for her. But a lot of what humans do confuses me, and I'll probably never figure out the mystery. We got her back though... Even if she did smell of some other dog.

Anyway, about those trains...

I didn't notice them when we went to the place the first time. Daddy and I just went in a little way, the humans talked to someone, and then Daddy and I left. But when we went back for her we had to go further in to this place. I guess she wondered off from where we left her or something, because she somehow found her way on to one of those train things. At least, the humans tell me their called trains. Personally, I call them terrifying!

I love car rides. I don't mind too much when busses go past, though I wish the people in them would get out and come say, "hi," to me. Some of the big lorries do make me jump a bit, but even them I don't mind too much. But trains.... Trains are another matter all together.

Trains are even more scary than drums!

It's like someone took the biggest and most noisy busses in the world and stuck them end to end. I don't like it one bit!

I was shaking so hard Daddy thought I was having some kind of seizure or something. Honestly, I was so scared it wouldn't have surprised me if I had ended up having one! I was so relieved when it was time to leave that place.

The humans say they had talked about me riding on one of those, and are glad they decided not to have me do it considering how scared I was. I bet they're not as glad as I am! It was bad enough just being near one. I can't imagine how much more scary it would have been to ride on one.

I couldn't get away from that place fast enough, and hope I never have to go there again!

I think I'll stick to cars. Or maybe just use my paws...

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#Writing Wednesday - January 24th 2018

I've done a lot of writing related work during this past week, but very little actual writing, since I haven't really worked on the writing projects I actually want to be working on. It's frustrating, but the other tasks did need to be done, since they're an important part of the writing and publishing process, and it does feel good to get them out of the way. Yes, I could ignore them and just write. But then I wouldn't be sharing my stories and poems with the world like I am, and that would be sad, because stories and poems should be shared. At least, I think they should be. So I spent the past week working on the things I put in the "publisher tasks" catagory.

I got my profiles updated, and now they mention audio books instead of just eBooks and paperbacks. Then I sent the updates for my website to the person in charge of dealing with that (I do my social media accounts and blog myself, but am not personally responsible for maintaining my actual website). I also changed the links on my books' Smashwords pages so they have Amazon links in place of the CreateSpace eStore one, since - as I mentioned in previous posts - CreateSpace are no longer selling books directly from their own site. Plus, while I was on Smashwords sorting things, I updated my Smashwords interview. After that, I got more of my books set up for audio production, and even arranged who would be narrating some of them. Considering I've also written several blog posts, and managed to keep my inbox mostly under control... I even cleared it at one point... I think that counts as being a pretty productive week... Even if I still didn't spend as much time on the actual writing part as I'd hoped to.

So... All the stories I hadn't yet made available in audio are now in various stages of production, ranging from accepting auditions to heading for retail. I'll deal with setting up the project pages for my poetry books later.

Speaking of my audio books: "Cubby And The Beanstalk" is now available in audio - in case you missed that post. You can buy the audio version from Audible, Amazon, and iTunes; see the post I just linked to for links. The narrator is JD Kelly, who you can read more about in his recent narrator interview.

Like I said, it's been a pretty productive week... Even if actual writing time has been a bit thin on the ground, so to speak. I was being rather critical of myself, and struggling to feel positive about it due to not having done the thing I really wanted to do, despite the fact dealing with all the stuff took up most of my waking hours during the past week. But seeing it all written down in this post, and realizing just how much I actually did do, made me realize I actually achieved a lot. Maybe I should reward myself? Or maybe I'll just go for a nap...

You know, it's so easy to be critical of yourself and your own work. Do you find that? Is that critical voice getting in your way when it comes to coming up with story ideas? Don't worry. Just check out this post on keeping a dream journal, and using it to generate ideas. There are several other great posts among those for this year's STORYSTORM, so you may want to check those out too... Assuming you haven't already been doing so. And, hey, if you're participating in STORYSTORM 2018 and don't have as many ideas as you should have, remember that it's ok to fail.

OK, so you've got your idea(s). Good for you! Time to write! Oh, you can't concentrate? No problem. Just check out these tips to help you concentrate while writing. Better? If so, great! If not, I hope you find something that works for you.

Either way, do you want to inject some comedy in to your writing? Then read this post on the art of bantering for some tips on how to keep it fun - and entertaining - rather than hurtful. Unless insults your readers will find amusing - even if the characters don't - is what you were going for, in which case the post will be advice on what to avoid. Either way, you should consider the difference between playful banter and insults, and make sure to use the right one to get your message across, giving some consideration to the relationships between your characters when doing so.

Speaking of your characters: here are some ways you can choose a name for your characters, as well as some tips on describing your characters' physical appearance. Rachel has several other posts about creating characters and character development, so you may like to check those out.

Are you writing a series of books? Or, perhaps, you've already written one? Either way, check out this post for some tips on promoting a book series.

Whether it's a series or not though, here are some tips on figuring out your idea's potential marketability.

When the day comes that you reach the turning point you weren't expecting - and, yes, I do mean "when" not "if" - only you can decide how to go on. What will you choose? Whatever you choose, write the kind of content you enjoy reading whenever you can.

Finally, here are seven tips to being an indie author - in case you're planning on going that route when publishing your book, but new to the world of self-publishing.

My Visit To Wales - January 2018 (LBE & FD)

The dog in the photo above is Alexis-Hope (Lexi for short). Lexi is my Mam's Golden Retriever x Labrador puppy, who you may remember me mentioning a few months back. She'll be seven months old next week, but the photo was taken during my visit to Wales near the start of January, so she hadn't long turned six months when it was taken. Lexi is a very cuddly dog. She actually does this cute thing where she puts her front paws around you and gives you a hug, and we're never sure whether to be annoyed at her for jumping up, or pleased she's so loving. Anyway, I'm not sure how well you can tell, but it's me she's sitting on in the photo. Apparently I was in her spot. Haha! As I said, the photo was taken during my visit to Wales, which happened over the first weekend in January (I travelled there on January 5th 2018, and travelled home on January 8th 2018).

My Nan (Dad's Mother) was celebrating her 90th birthday (her birthday was on January 8th) and my Dad arranged for several of us to go out for dinner with her the Saturday before her birthday. For most of us, this meant a fair bit of travelling. The guests were my Nan's friends Caryl and Andrew, my Dad, my Mam, my brother Wayne, my brother Carl, Carl's girlfriend Tory, me, my cousin Shane, Shane's wife Donna, Shane and Donna's three youngest children, my Uncle Phillip (Dad's big brother) and my Auntie Bev (Uncle Phillip's wife). Oh, and Nan herself, of course. Kelly had been invited too, but stayed home with the furkids. The only ones who live near my Nan these days are Caryl and Andrew, my Mam, my Dad, and my brother Wayne. The rest of us had at least a few hours of travelling to do to get there.

For me this meant spending most of Friday January 5th on trains. Actually, if you want to be entirely accurate, I rode in two taxis, two trains, and my Mam's car. Then I did it all in reverse on Monday January 8th to come back home.

I love trains, but hated the journey. I tire easily, so it was a really long day for me anyhow, and I wasn't feeling well, so that didn't help. On top of that, I was doing it all by myself. I did book assistance, but the assistance isn't always reliable, and some of my experiences showed that.

On the way there, the first couple of people I dealt with had no idea I was coming, despite the fact they should have been notified, and seemed confused as to what they were meant to do with me. Well, the guards, anyhow. The ticket guy at the station near home was great, and did the job the guard should have done. Then the first guy who seemed to know I was coming - the fourth station worker I'd dealt with - sat in the driver's seat of those cart things they have, doing nothing while the taxi driver did his job for him, and only dealt with me when he had no choice. That trip ended in some confusion when they forgot where I was sat, and three guards were running around outside the train trying to decide where they'd find me, while passangers inside the train were helping me get off it (since we had no idea about the guard situation outside, and it appeared I'd been forgotten). At an end of the line stop, I could have waited for the guard to remember me. But the train never stops long at the smaller stations - of which the one nearest Mam is one - so not being remembered would have meant going further along the line, and then trying to organize being grabbed from the next station while on a train. Not surprisingly, that didn't appeal to me, so I was glad of the help from fellow passangers. Not that I'd have been entirely happy to have been left on the train either way.

Speaking of which... The journey home was worse. It started out great, with the guard expecting me and being helpful. But then I was left sat on the train for more than 15 minutes at my destination station. It's lucky it was the end of the line, because nobody offered to help at all - not even any of my fellow passangers. I was still sat there waiting when the guy came through the train to clean up, and he had to go find me a helper. Then my taxi driver had to do all the work again, except this time they not only didn't seem to know I was coming, but also didn't seem to be listening to what I wanted/needed of them. The taxi driver essentially ended up just leaving me in front of one of the station staff to make him do something, because he'd already been away from his cab longer than he should have been (officially they aren't meant to be out of sight of the car, but he broke the rule to help me get assistance; I tipped him well for it). The member of staff from the station didn't seem to know what to do with me, so sat me on a chair and fetched someone higher up, with the result that I only just got on my train in time before it left (there had been a bit of a delay with the first train in general, but my being left on that one, and the messing about to try and get help to get on the next, meant it was a really good thing I'd allowed much more time than should have been needed to get across London). The good thing is, I got an upgrade to 1st class out of it for that train. The bad thing is, it made the journey even more stressful than it already was, so I was beyond relieved when I was reunited with Kelly and Lilie at the station near where we live. I was also absolutely exhausted, but that's another story.

On top of all that, it was a good thing I make a habit of using my cane, so don't rely on others to actually watch where I'm walking for me, because most of the people "helping" me had no idea at all how to deal with a blind person. It seems like people in wheelchairs is something they can manage. Well, just about, anyhow, though they aren't as reliable as they should be with helping people in wheelchairs either. But give them a blind passanger and they haven't a clue. If anyone from any of the British Rail services is reading this, I suggest you get some training in for your workers... Just saying.

The worst part about all of this is how my experience wasn't actually all that bad. I mean, I did get the help from the station staff... Eventually. There have been times when people haven't even gotten that much. My brother, Carl, for example - also blind - has had times when he's had to somehow get himself off the train, and then stand there looking sad and lost until someone notices and helps him get where he needs to go. He's also had to take later trains, because they told him to sit somewhere and they'd fetch him when his train arrived, only to forget about him, and come for him more than an hour later... Long after his train has come and gone.

Anyway, add to that storms that threatened to have trains end up being cancelled right before I was leaving, icy conditions that had some trains being cancelled while I was there, plus the fatal accident and rail worker strikes that were causing many trains to be cancelled the day I came home, and you have a journey that I really didn't enjoy, even though trains were involved, and I did get some uninterupted reading time while on said trains.

At least the time spent with the family was more enjoyable than the journey.

I spent the weekend staying with Mam and Lexi at their place. We didn't do anything really exciting, just sort of hung out. We did consider checking out a cafe my Dad had found not too far from where Mam lives, which apparently has an excellent selection of vegetarian and vegan friendly items. But neither of us were feeling 100%, and we were both tired, so we didn't bother. I'm sure Lexi liked it that we only left for the things my Dad had arranged for us all to do together.

We all went out for the meal on the Saturday night. We'd pre-ordered our meals, because the place was closing for renovation the day after our meal, and they asked if we'd do that so they could make sure they had things we enjoyed available, especially since some of us had spacific dietary requirements (me being a vegetarian, and Auntie Bev needing a gluton-free diet, for example). Dad had secretly ordered what Nan usually gets for her, since the meal was supposed to be a total surprise for her, which it was (though us all being there was an even bigger surprise). I won't tell you what everyone had, because I can't remember it all, and there were too many of us to list it all. But my meal consisted of crispy vegetable bites with a spiced maple dip, followed by herb battered halloumi with chips (fries) and peas, ending with a dessert of cherry pie and custard. Halloumi is a type of Greek cheese, by the way... In case you don't know and are interested. I think I'm spelling it right. Anyhow, dinner was really good, and we had a great time. I think my Dad took some photos, but I don't have copies. I'll post them at a later date if I'm right about them existing.

The following day I finally met Maya. Maya is Wayne's Staffordshire Terrier x Wippet. She's going to be three years old in a few months, and this is the first time I've met her. She's certainly an energetic dog. Sorry, I don't have a photo of her... Didn't think about it until it was too late.

After that we went to Nan and Dad's house for a buffet and to do some photos. I know Dad took several, but I don't have his photos yet. I do have some that were taken with my Mam's phone though, so can share those with you. Photos were being taken with Dad's camera and Mam's phone at the same time, so some will be the same - or near enough - but I'll share any different ones with you at a later date. In the meantime, here are the photos I have:

The below photo is Carl, me, Wayne, and Shane, stood behind my Dad and my Uncle Phillip.

Here's Carl with his girlfriend, Tory:

Here's Mam and Wayne:

Me with my Dad:

And here's Nan:

Oh, and... Yes, the "Tori" and "Tory" thing did cause some confusion. It didn't help that there were three different ways people were telling us apart. One was the way Carl always uses, which is to call me Tors and her Tory, one was my Mam's way, which was to call me Victoria and her Tory, and the other was my Dad's way, which was to mention the letter we end our name with, since she ends hers with a "y" instead of the "i" that I use. Confused? Yeah... Don't feel bad... We often were too! Mostly we just answered if we thought they might mean us, and hoped for the best. Haha!

Anyway, that was my trip. It was nice... Other than the issues during the journeys... But I was glad to come home, especially since I still wasn't feeling too well. Plus, I'd missed Kelly and the furkids. I'm glad to have helped make Nan's 90th birthday such a special one for her though.

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#KidLit #FairyTale #Book - Cubby And The Beanstalk Now In #Audio!

When Cubby’s Mother tells him to take their old goat to market and sell her so they can buy food, Cubby ends up trading the goat for a bag of magic wishing beans. His Mother is furious, and in her rage throws the beans outside and sends Cubby to bed. You may think that was the end, but you’d be wrong! In fact, it’s just the beginning!

Loosely based on the stories of ‘Jack And The Beanstalk’ and ‘The Magic Cooking Pot’, this is the story of a hungry little polar bear and his journey up the beanstalk to the home of the magical giant skybears.

"Cubby And The Beanstalk" is now available as an audiobook, read for you by JD Kelly. The previously published eBook and paperback editions are still available for those who prefer those, of course.

Regardless of your prefered format, here are the main places where you can buy the book:

Audible, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Chapters-Indigo, iBooks, iTunes, Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, or The Book Depository.

The book also has a page on Goodreads.

#Furkid Friday: Maizie The #Chinchilla Turns 2 (FD)

Hi everyone. This is Maizie the chinchilla.

I had one of those birthday things. It was this past Saturday (January 13th).

I'm now two years old. That's my age in human years, of course. Chinchillas don't age the same way as humans, so I'm older in chinchilla years. But we won't get in to that right now.

I'm glad the Mummy human was home before my birthday happened. I don't like that she left, but I would have hated it even more if she was gone when it was my birthday.

I had oatmeal and raisins for my birthday, which I thought was great! I had to share them with Mollie, but I didn't mind that, because I love my adopted chinchilla sister. Mollie and I also got to spend the day watching NCIS, which was great! We love that show!

The human caretakers tried to get a birthday photo of me, but I didn't feel like having my photo taken, so kept hiding when they pointed the flashy thing at me. Mollie and I really aren't fans of that flashy thing. Eventually they gave up and let me enjoy my nibbles and NCIS in peace.

Squeak soon,
Maizie

#Writing Wednesday - January 17th 2018

I've done very little writing so far this month. Between getting ready to go away, actually going away, and then trying to catch up with things from being away... Well, you know how it is, I'm sure. I knew it would be the case. Anyway, I'm hoping to change that during the second half of this month, since I'm now caught up on the mountain of eMails I came home to.

For me it's time that's stopping me writing as much as I'd like to be. However, if your problem is finding ideas, check out some of the posts for STORYSTORM 2018 to help you get inspired. Posts like this one on how you can beg, borrow, or steal from yourself. If you're still struggling to find those ideas that are supposedly all around us, try adding the most important ingredient: yourself.

On the other hand, if you've got too many ideas, and they're all fighting to get your attention, this post on how to get a new, distracting idea out of your head (for now) may help you.

But, no matter how well you're writing is - or isn't - going, if you're a writer too, feel free to share your progress in the comments section of this post. Oh, and remember to stop memorizing so many writing rules. Rules are great sometimes, but don't let them stop you from being creative, and remember that most writing articles are only advice you can follow if you wish, rather than rules you must obey.

Speaking of which, here are some more articles I think are worth reading:

Are you writing something with ruins in? Then check out these tips to writing about ruins, and make it believable that they'd be the way they are.

This post about including unique weapons in your story is worth a read too, especially if you plan to do just that.

Hey, did you know there are nine types of characters in fiction? Well, you do now! Whatever kind of character you need for your story, here are seven helpful and fun ways to create characters. Don't forget that your supporting characters need love too.

Regardless of the characters your story contains though, remember to show, don't tell.

However, if writing poetry is more your thing, take a look at these ways to improve as a poet.

Finally, regardless of what you write, here's some advice for when writing reminds you you're not very good at this (yet).

Mental Noise On #Crafts

The photo shows a card we got from Rita recently. Rita makes most of her own cards, and everyone who sees them agrees they're always beautiful cards. I've even been lucky enough to get several of them over the years. Actually, Rita does a lot of great craft projects, so if you like that kind of thing, and aren't already doing so, you should pop over and read her blog. Anyway, thanks for the card, Rita!

Personally, I haven't done many crafts recently.

I stopped making cards, because I wasn't enjoying it so much any more. Making the odd card here and there is fun; I like playing with glue, glitter, ribbons, and various other things from time to time to make something creative. But making cards for everyone started feeling like a chore, and then I'd feel guilty if I made cards for some people and not for others. So I stopped. Part of it was that I felt like I needed Kelly to step in with sighted help to see that things were good enough, and then felt bad for dragging him in to it when cardmaking isn't something he enjoys. He insists he doesn't mind - no doubt that's true - but I still felt guilty, and it took the fun out of it for me.

As for knitting and sewing - which was the other main thing I was doing as regards crafting: I took a break from knitting and sewing while deciding what project to work on next, and life happened, so I didn't actually end up picking a project. I never needed Kelly's help for more than identifying colours when it came to these kinds of projects, and that somehow made it easier for me to accept. So I actually miss doing these kinds of craft projects (even though I still have the worry that what I make won't be good enough). Maybe I'll pick up my needles again soon? Maybe I'll pick something from this list of 150 sewing projects I found online? You never know!

There are a few other random craft projects I've thought - sometimes even talked - about doing. But I never got around to them, and can't even remember what most of them were any more. Maybe I'll get around to figuring out what they were, and actually doing them? Maybe...

I haven't yet. I still have a stack of craft supplies, and often think of starting a new craft project, but that's as far as I seem to get. One of these days I'll start a new craft project, and when I do, I'll share it with you. Just be warned: this is not me making a promise of craft projects coming soon, and it will probably be a while before this happens. In the meantime, you could always check out the list I linked to above for inspiration for your own craft projects, especially if you enjoy sewing.

Looking Back At 2017 And Ahead To 2018 (LBE)

I know most people did this a week or two ago, but I had several other things I wanted to post first. I mean, I only got around to posting about my holiday celebrations yesterday, after all. Better late than never though, right?

Anyway, to be honest, I'm not sure how I'd describe my 2017.

There were positives in 2017, my year was better than those of some people I know, and I did well with many of my goals for the year, as you'll see when we take a look at those in a moment. But somehow those things feel as though they're overshadowed by the bad things, whether those things happened to me personally, to people close to me, or happened on a worldwide scale.

For me, personally, the worst things that happened this year were us losing our ratty girls, Skye and Star, and then our gerbil, Baggins, during the start of the year. But there were other things too. For example, for my family as a whole, there was the loss of my Auntie Sylvie at the start of the year, my Mam's Cocker Spaniel, Ebonie, in early July, and my Grandma's Yorkshire Terrier, Jayde Bramblerose, less than a week before Christmas. I also know of losses online friends have suffered, including - but not limited to - one who lost his young puppy around the time Mam lost Ebonie, and one who lost her Mother right before Christmas. That's without going in to all the things that are happening on a larger scale as the forces of nature, and the nature of what feels like most of mankind, battle it out to see who can make a bigger mess of this planet.

I'm trying to let the positives shine through, like the addition of Lilie the Westie to our family at the end of May, and the amazing keeper for a day zoo experience I had at the end of March. But it's not easy, and somehow it feels like a terrible year, even though it could have been worse. From what I've seen from others posting their 2017 evaluations, it's not only me who feels this way.

With that in mind, I'm going to try to focus on how I did with my goals, and try not to dwell on the other stuff. So, let's take a look at my 2017 goals, which were as follows:

Reading goals:
*Read at least 217 books.
*Focus at least a large chunk of my reading on those books I've had waiting to be read for longest.
*Complete the A-Z title reading challenge.

Blogging goals:
*Continue to post writing themed posts on Wednesdays.
*Continue to post "Furkid Friday" posts on Fridays.
*Continue to post about other things on Sundays and/or Mondays (preferably both).
*Make use of hashtags in post titles, in hopes of increasing post visibility during social media shares.

Household goals:
*Finish unpacking and organizing the things that have been in boxes for way too long.
*Get the jobs done that are our responsibility to take care of. (I can't control what happens with the jobs the landlords need to do, so I'm not officially including that on my goals list).

Personal goals:
*Start meditating daily again.
*Attempt to break some bad habits I've gotten in to, and try to replace them with some good ones I wish I had, or used to have and want to have again. This especially applies to exercise, and the fact I should start making some effort to go out more.

You can see the list of blogging and reading goals in this post, and the household and personal goals in this post - both from January 2017.

So, how did I do?

Reading goals:
*I read 183 books in 2017. You can see the full list of the books I read by checking out my year in books on Goodreads. As you can see, I didn't make my goal of 217 books. I don't mind. Not really. OK, maybe a little. But mostly I'm glad I did enjoy most of what I read, which is more important than how many books I read anyhow. I mean, it would have been nice to have reached my goal... I usually at least make it, and often read a lot more than planned; this is the first year I haven't managed to. But... Well, I still read a lot of books, and - as I said - I enjoyed most of them, which is what matters most at the end of the day... Right?
*I did manage to read several books I've had waiting on my Kindle for ages, but also read several new ones. I forgot to keep track after the first couple of months though, so I don't actually know how well I did with this one. Oops! I can't check on Goodreads either, since the date on my "to read" shelf is the date I marked the book as "want to read" and not the date I purchased it, so I can't be sure which books I had for ages and finally read, and which books I brought and read after wanting to read them for ages, if that makes sense. I know I read several books I'd had for a while and not gotten around to reading though, so that's something.
*I completed the A-Z title reading challenge in October. You can see my challenge post here. I'd have finished it sooner, but added a little extra to the rules to make it more challenging for me... Check out the post to see the rule I added for myself.

Blogging goals:
*I did continue to post writing themed posts on Wednesdays.
*I also continued to post "Furkid Friday" posts on Fridays.
*Every Sunday and Monday also had a post during 2017, along with a few other days of the week when I needed to post on spacific dates, or needed more posting days in a month due to having a lot of things I wanted/needed to post about, the latter of which happened a lot during the last couple of months of last year.
*I made use of hashtags in most of my post titles. I'm not entirely certain if it helped or it was a coincidence that my posts got more attention last year than they did before, but it did seem to help a little... I think.

Household goals:
*All the stuff is out of boxes and on to shelves, though perhaps not as organized as it should be. It wouldn't have been so bad, but we had to move things around after Lilie ate the modem wire, chewed the plug off the paper shredder, and almost ate my speaker wire. We haven't had a chance to organize it properly since that was done. Our aim at the time was to just get things moved, and attempt to ensure chewable items weren't within easy reach any more (which we thought we'd done before, but apparently hadn't).
*When it comes to other things that needed doing, the only thing that wasn't done around here that was our responsibility to deal with was the shower. We still don't have the shower rail and curtain put up. The landlords got most of their jobs done too, though the windows could do with actually being replaced properly, and they're supposed to be coming back to paint the bathroom where they had to replaster it after the water damage. The landlords also got some jobs done that neither we nor they knew needed doing, but they're done now, which is a good thing.

Personal goals:
*Daily meditation hasn't become a habit again. I'm still only meditating from time to time. I'd make excuses, but since they don't even convince me, there's not much point in me trying to use them to convince anyone else.
*I went out more, and worked on some bad habits I wanted to break. I didn't do as much with this goal as I originally thought I might, but ended up realizing that there's a difference between what I'd like to achieve, and what my body will allow me to achieve. And I'm OK with that. Well, mostly. OK, sometimes. Maybe not so much on bad days, but certainly on good ones, which is the best I can manage nowadays, and I'm learning to accept that this has to be good enough.

Anyway, I didn't do too bad of a job with my 2017 goals overall. At least, I don't think I did too badly with them. Don't you agree? I mean, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped with the reading goals, my body wouldn't let me do as much as I'd hoped with some things, and I was very unsuccessful when it comes to the meditation thing, but I didn't do too badly other than that. Could have done better, could have done worse. It's just a shame the other stuff is making it difficult for me to call the year a successful one from a personal point of view.

Like most people, I feel more than ready to move on to 2018. With that in mind, I think it's time to look at my 2018 goals.

Reading goals:
*Read at least 150 books. Yes, only 150 this year. At least, that's the number I'm setting on my Goodreads reading challenge. I'm hoping to read more than that, but I'm setting the challenge at 150 books so I can focus on enjoying what I'm reading, while also dealing with my writing and publishing goals for 2018, and a few other things I'd like to achieve this year.
*Do the 2018 A-Z title reading challenge, which the same group is doing again this year.

Blogging goals:
*Continue blogging on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, using hashtags when appropriate.
*Start blogging more about other topics besides books and writing. The themes for Wednesdays and Fridays will stay the same (writing and pets respectively) and some of my Sundays and Mondays will too, but I want to make a habit of blogging about some of my other interests as well, rather than just focussing on books and writing, since it seems lately as though only my pet themed posts have given you a break from book/writing related posts - sometimes even they haven't - so I'll be trying to do that with some of the Sunday and Monday posts, and with some Tuesdays too. There will still be a lot of book/writing related posts - especially while I'm catching up on getting my backlist produced in audio - but I want to make sure you regularly get a break from those, while also taking the time to talk about some of the other stuff I'm interested in... Music, for example. Plus, I know there are those who wish I'd share more of the random day to day goings on in my life. Not that they're usually all that exciting to me, but I know I enjoy reading posts about the daily lives of others, and am told they enjoy mine, so... *shrugs*

I've got a sort of blogging schedule that looks something like this:

• First Sunday of the month: book reviews for books I read the month before.
• First Monday of the month: music Mondays, where I'll be sharing some of my favourite music by artists I've loved for ages, newly discovered music I've recently enjoyed, etc.
• Last Sunday of the month: reviews for new to me movies and TV shows, or thoughts on some favourites if I've not watched anything new that month.
• Last Monday of the month: motivational or inspirational quotes.
• The other Sundays and Mondays: a variety of posts on themes ranging from day to day life, crafts, book releases (mine and those of others) and any other topics I have an interest in and want to post about.
• Every Wednesday: writing Wednesdays, where I'll be sharing details about progress on my own writing projects, news about any guest posts or interviews I've done, and any posts or articles of interest I've read during the week in question.
• Every Friday: a post from the point of view of one of my furkids, sometimes on recent events, other times on random topics (the latter being if nothing of interest has happened for me to have them write about).
• Some Tuesdays: extra blogging spots, for those times when there don't seem to be enough Sundays and Mondays in the month.

Household/Personal goals:
*Finish organizing the things on the shelves.
*Arrange to finally get the shower rail and curtain put up.
*Get back in the habit of meditating daily again.
*Actually remember that it's OK to take time off from working on the computer sometimes, and have a day off at least once a week.
*Teach Lilie the difference between what she's allowed to chew, and what she isn't. Hint: my stuff isn't supposed to be chewed on, but she can chew her toys as much as she likes.

Perhaps not the most impressive list out there, especially compared to some I've seen. But it works for me. Remember, I've got my writing goals to consider too. Besides, I know I tried to fit too much in to most of last year, and need to slow things down a bit for the sake of my own health and sanity. Well, what's left of those things... Neither is in particularly great shape these days, after all.

How about you? How was your 2017? Did you reach all your goals? What are your goals for 2018? Let me know in the comments.

Celebrating The #Holidays - 2017 To 2018; #WinterSolstice #Christmas #NewYear (FD)

I didn't do much in the way of decorating for the holidays. For one thing, Lilie is still very much in puppy chew mode, so I needed to make sure nothing was anywhere she'd be able to reach it. For another thing, I've been feeling really run down lately, and not sleeping too well, so I didn't feel up to doing much. Also, I'd have had to rush to put them away after Christmas, otherwise I'd have been trying to put them away while also trying to get ready for going away. The "going away" part is a trip to Wales that I'll already be home from at the time this post goes live, and which I'll tell you more about another day. Anyway, as I was saying, I didn't do much decorating for the holidays. But I felt wrong not having a tree at all. So I got a little wooden tabletop one - perfect for keeping out of Lilie's reach - and set that up on the table, along with a polar bear my Mam gave me. Here they are:

My celebrations themselves were quieter than normal too. Not that I usually do a lot over the holidays anyhow. But things were quiet even by our usual standards. I wasn't feeling up to doing much, so I didn't.

The Winter Solstice was acknowledged, but my celebrations were about as quiet as you can get while still celebrating something: a very short bit of meditation, the eating of carrot cake (frosted, with walnut pieces on top) and the eating of a bit of chocolate Yule log (brought more for Kelly, but I had a small piece) was all I managed.

On Christmas Eve, I'd planned to watch several Christmas movies. Well, I watched "Santa Clause - The Movie" while eating mince pies with squirty cream (pictured below on my penguin plate) but didn't watch any other movies. I read less than planned too. There were five Christmas stories I wanted to read over the Christmas long weekend, and I only managed three of them: two new to me ones you'll see mentioned among my December book reviews - if you're interested in looking - and "The Bear Father Christmas Forgot" (my traditional Christmas Eve quick bedtime read). I only managed the three by finishing one of them on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day started with our stockings...

...You can tell which is mine and which is Kelly's by our names on them. Lilie's is the polar bear one, and the other one is the one for the rodent gang (this year shared by Joshua, Mollie, and Maizie). Yes, I know the furkid stockings are in both shots. With how we had the stockings set up on the table that was the easiest way to get them all photographed.

The rest of the day involved a very excited puppy, presents for everyone - rodents, human, and puppy alike - and phonecalls to and from various family members. There were plenty of things available to snack on, but I didn't eat much. I did enjoy a nice cheese and cranberry sandwich though (something I made after having enjoyed a bree and cranberry sandwich Kelly brought me home for lunch earlier in the month). I was feeling really rough though, so just wasn't all that hungry.

I got some great presents, mostly revolving around the themes of DVDs, books, and animals, along with a bit of money I haven't spent yet. The animal things are technically toys, but I don't care, because I happen to think they're fun. They double as ornaments, and things to keep my hands busy when I'm thinking, reading, or watching a movie. Anyway, I had Kelly take a few photos for me, so here's some of what I got:

A unicorn:

A cuddly lemar:

A wind up robot (who has been cheerfully walking back and fourth across my desk while I've been waiting for the various photos in this post to upload) and a little Santa on a shooting star ornament I got in a Kinder surprise chocolate Santa:

And this thing here, which is called a fidget spinner:

It's a stress relieving toy, which also makes a good thing to just fiddle with when you want something to do with your hands. I'd never heard of them before opening mine on Christmas morning, but have had a lot of fun playing with it since then.

Anyway, there was also a tub of zoo animals, a couple of ponies, and a dinosaur, which aren't among the things I had Kelly take photos of. I also didn't bother getting him to take photos of the DVDs and such. I got a load of treats too, but I didn't bother getting him to do photos of those either.

Oh, and here are the Christmas cards we got this year:

By the way, thanks to everyone who sent presents, cards, or even just holiday greetings!

Anyway, we have our Christmas dinner late most years these days, and this year was no exception. Being a vegetarian, I'm always on the look out for something new to have alongside my roast potatoes, sprouts, etc. Earlier in the year I'd seen a recipe for a woodland pie, and another for savory lentil mushroom hand pies, which I liked the look of. I'd considered making one, or both, this Christmas. As the day was approaching, I knew I wasn't going to be feeling up to making both though, and couldn't decide which I wanted to try more, especially since I liked both, but disliked parts of both too. So I made my own version, which I've been calling a "vegetarian Christmas pie" (though I believe the pie is actually vegan friendly too). It consists of mushrooms and onions fried up together in some apple cider vinegar, and then put in a pie with a mixture of chestnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, dried cranberries, and cranberry sauce. I can't tell you amounts, since I didn't really measure or weigh things. It was cooked until the pastry was golden brown, and served with honey roast parsnips, roast potatoes, sliced carrots, and sprouts. I was the only one who was eating it, since Kelly and Lilie had honey roast ham, so you'll have to take my word for it on how it tasted. Actually, it was only the fact it was only me who'd be eating it that made me consider an experiment with cooking to be a good idea for a holiday main meal: I'm the only one who would have been disappointed if it didn't work out. As it turned out though, I wasn't disappointed. It wasn't the most amazing of the recipes I've come up with, but it was quite tasty. I probably should have chopped the nuts a bit more, but other than that, I think it worked out really well.

That was it for our holiday celebrations, since we never do anything to celebrate on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day these days. If I'm awake for it, I listen for the nearby fireworks at midnight, but that's about it. This year I still wasn't feeling too well, so wasn't bothered if I heard the fireworks or not. As it turned out though, I was awake for them, since I got woken up just before they started. There aren't any photos or videos to share with you though.

Oh, and... If you're wondering... No. I didn't get any more snow. Plenty of wind, a fair amount of rain, but no snow, despite a snow watch being issued for our area two days after Christmas.

#Furkid Friday: A #Poem From Mollie The #Chinchilla

The Human Went Away Again
© 2018 Victoria "Tori" Zigler
~Written on behalf of Mollie the chinchilla.

She wasn’t here at dinner time,
Nor when breakfast time rolled around.
My sister and I called for her,
But she could not be found.

It’s true that someone else was here
To ensure we were fed,
And fill our water bottle,
Both before and after bed.

But we like when she does it;
We like things done just so,
And though she tells them how it’s done,
It’s clear that they don’t know

I think she needs more training;
She’s forgotten the rules again.
To want company other than ours
She must be really insane.

You know, this disappearing act
Is quickly getting old.
I wish she’d stay home with us
(Just like she was told).

#Writing Wednesday - January 10th 2018

"Filicity The Musical Platypus" is now available in audio - in case you missed my post about it at the end of December. It's narrated by Jenny Bacon, who has done a couple of my other books too. I love working with Jenny, and hope to have her narrate more of my books in the near future as well. Anyway, if you want to get your hands on a copy of the book in audio, you can do so via Audible, Amazon, or iTunes. If you'd rather an eBook or paperback version, that's an option too. Either way, check out the post I just linked to for more details on the book, as well as for purchase links.

***~~~***

Are you an author/blogger or a bloggr/author? Either one is fine, but I'd love to know how you'd answer that question - assuming it applies to you. Personally, I've been feeling more like an author/blogger lately, but want to return to being more of a blogger/author. That's the reason for a certain blogging goal I have for 2018 (which you can read more about innext Monday's post).

Regardless of which you are, there's something you should beware of when it comes to strict writing routines. Since I can't stick to a daily routine, I don't have to worry too much about the dangerous consequence of writing routines. I wanted to make sure you were aware of it if you're a writer who writes to a routine though. Also, here's a post on writing with anxiety, in case that applies to you.

Regardless of how - or when - you end up writing your story, a hero's fate is not always simple... So give plenty of thought to how you will end your story.

No matter how you plan to end it though, the scenes and characters in your story need to be fleshed out, and food can often play a big part in that. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on food and drink for you to consider.

Writing a series? Here are some tips on writing a series, some more tips on writing a long series, and another post containing series writing tips. The author of these particular posts is one who I've shared much from recently. His name is Charles Yallowitz, and he's written an awesome fifteen book fantasy series, so I think it's safe to say he has some idea what he's talking about, or is good at pretending he does. Either way, his tips are worth checking out, and so are his books.

Anyway, if you're struggling to come up with writing ideas, check out the posts from this year's STORYSTORM, including this one on exploring culture and family tradition, and this one on taking inspiration from songs and rhymes that already exist - the latter being something I've done several times in the past with some of my poetry.

No matter what though, remember to write your own story.

Once you have your book, you'll want to let people know it exists. One way to do this is by making use of things like N. N. Light's new author services and packages. There are plenty of other bloggers out there happy to help you promote your work too, many of whom will do it for free.

Last, but certainly not least: while writing advice is often helpful, you need to consider how some writing advice can actually hurt you, and only make use of the writing advice that actually does work for you.

#Book Release: Remembering Warriors Bundle - In commemoration of the World War One Centenary

Remembering Warriors Bundle
In commemoration of the World War One Centenary

One hundred years ago, in 1918, the Great War ended after four terrible years. Never had the world seen such a conflict. All touched by its scythe hoped we would never be thusly reaped again. Their hopes were but desperate dreams. Since that first armistice, there have been many more battles, and thousands have given their lives or their health to preserve freedom and escape from tyranny.

A hundred years after the first armistice we still remember and honour those brave souls. But still, the soldiers fall, for the War to End All Wars did not.

Grab your copy via Bundle Rabbit, Kobo, Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Barnes and Noble, or iBooks.

What's inside:
Book #1: Comrades in Arms by Kevin J Anderson
Book #2: Outside the Walls by A.L. Butcher
Book #3: Norman Blood by Barbara G. Tarn
Book #4 :The Rise of a Warrior by Harvey Stanbrough
Book #5: Total War by Russ Crossley
Book #6: Resonant Bronze by J.M, Ney-Grimm
Book #7: Siren by Blaze Ward
Book #8: The Museum of Modern Warfare by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Book #9: Nothing for Nothing by Harvey Stanbrough
Book #10: The Rescue by Blaze Ward
Book #11: Soldier, Storyteller by Linda Maye Adams
Book #12: Heroes of Old by Russ Crossley
Book #13: With a Broken Sword by Stefon Mears

10% of the royalties from the Remembering Warriors bundle will go to the http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/, plus another 10% to https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/. Two charities that support wounded and ex-service personnel and their families, in commemoration of the World War I centenary.

Tori's December 2017 #Book #Reviews (LBE)

It's time to take a look at what I read in December.

Before we do, I'd like to point out that if there are any authors reading this who want some advice on writing their blind characters, they can feel free to get in touch with me and ask any questions they may have. This statement was prompted by my thoughts while reading the last two books I read in December 2017, where the book was spoiled for me by completely unbelieveable blind characters, where the author alternated between forgetting their limitations and having them do things a blind person couldn't do - especially in an unfamiliar environment - and believing the untrue myths about blind people. Not to mention forgetting that adjusting to changes in sight would take a while, and work both ways. Please, authors, if you're going to write about a character with a certain disability, do your homework, and learn the truth first. If possible, speak to someone with that disability. Your readers will thank you.

Anyway...

As with the previous posts like this one, if you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question.

Don't forget: the format I've reviewed may not be the format I read. Also, please remember that I read across multiple genres and age ranges, so you should always check if a book is suitable for the intended reader, especially when children are involved. Sometimes reading the book's description on its Goodreads page will be enough for this, but other times you may need to check elsewhere to figure out the genre and/or recommended reading level.

OK... On to the reviews!

Wren by Alice Longaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A beautifully written story, with some touching moments, some amusing moments, and a great main character that readers can relate to.

The Murano Glass Slipper: A Cinderella Retelling by Victoria Leybourne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a well-written book, where the main elements of the story of Cinderella are woven in to a unique and beautiful tale.

Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An action-packed, and often entertaining, addition to this series, which I found to be an extremely enjoyable read.

Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story by Sally Cronin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a beautifully written story, about a dog who is clearly very sweet and special, not to mention really smart and funny. I can see why the author would want to immortalize Sam by writing a book about his life, and am glad she did.
*NOTE: I was given a free copy of this book by the author. This has in no way influenced my opinion of the book, nor the contents of my review.

Dylan and the Lights of Ulva by Jemima Pett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An exciting and entertaining story, which is a great addition to the series, and a wonderful tale in its own right.

Make a Wish by Gita V. Reddy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a wonderful story. It's sweet and touching, and the main character is believable and likable.

Shashank the Fledgling by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It was interesting to get to read the events from Shashank's point of view, and have him fill in some gaps for us. It was also fascinating reading the parts of history he observed as time passed. George's journal entries were a nice addition to the book too.

Ghostly Writes Anthology 2017 by Claire Plaisted
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Some of the stories in this collection were enjoyable, others weren't entirely to my taste. Some left me feeling I'd read a whole story, others felt like they should have been the start of something longer. But this was a great collection of stories and poems overall.

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I remember watching this when I was a child, and loving it. The book is even better!

Emlyn's Moon by Jenny Nimmo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a beautifully written and magical story, which I considered to be an enjoyable read.

The Chestnut Soldier by Jenny Nimmo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a wonderful addition to the series, as well as being a beautiful and magical tale in its own right.

Chase Tinker and the House of Magic (Chase Tinker, #1)' by Malia Ann Haberman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a fun and action-packed read, which is well-written and very imaginative.

House of Secrets by Malia Ann Haberman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is an excellent read. It's a wonderful continuation of the series, filled with magic and mystery.

Chase Tinker and the House of Destiny by Malia Ann Haberman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having read the first two books in the series, I have to admit to going in to this one with high expectations. I'm pleased to say I was not disappointed! This was another excellent read.

House of Mist by Malia Ann Haberman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The whole series up until now has been an action-packed magical adventure, filled with excitement and mystery, as well as an excellent cast of believable characters. I'm pleased to be able to say that this book was no exception, and was an excellent ending to the series.

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a creative and entertaining read, which would make a fun holiday read for anyone, especially dinosaur lovers.

Doctor Who: Twelve Doctors of Christmas by Jacqueline Rayner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Doctor Who Christmas stories... What's not to love? That is all I have to say.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I don't know what to say about this book. I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either; some parts were enjoyable to read, other parts were disturbing.

A Swamp of Bones: Book 1 by Abigail Fero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story was interesting and mostly enjoyable, but I struggled to accept some of the characters as believable. I don't want to post any spoilers, so I'll just say that it might have been an idea for this author to have a discussion with a blind person before writing about one. Still, the book was a pretty good read, and I am eager to read more.

A Swamp of Souls: Book 2 by Abigail Fero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Like with the first book in this series, this was a really good read, which would have been better were it not for the issues I have with the blind characters in the story. I mean, I'm glad the author is showing that blind people can do more than many people think, but there are limits.