Of Real #Christmas Trees, #Reindeer, And 2016 #Holiday Decorating

I usually get an artificial tree, and had planned to get a new one this year, since I accidentally broke the base of the old one last year, and the fibre optic trees are no good without their base. But then I decided I wanted a real tree this year, especially since our friends, Lorna and Andy, are having a wood burning stove installed in their new house, and it can go to them for firewood once the holidays are over.

When I mentioned this to Lorna, she offered the use of her car to go get one. So, on December 7th, we all went to the tree farm (pictured at the top of this post) to get a tree, and while we were there, we said hi to a couple of deer they had at the farm (pictured below).

We were allowed to pet the reindeer, but they wouldn't come close enough. I was a little disappointed about that, but not all that surprised. The frustrating thing is, they came almost close enough for me to touch them, but were just out of my reach. I got to hear them snorting, eating, and drinking, so that was cool anyway.

So... Back to the tree...

The original plan was for Lorna and Andy's car to transport the tree, but the guys at the farm delivered it with their lorry instead. They even carried it up the stairs for us, which I'm sure Kelly and Andy were pleased about, since I'm sure neither of them was looking forward to carrying the tree up all those stairs.

So... A couple of days before, Kelly and I had used our old bucket to collect some stones from the beach, with plans to use the bucket of stones to stand the tree in. We figure we'll take the stones back to the beach after the holidays are over. Our plan worked, though if we get a real tree again next year, it will probably be best to invest in a proper stand for it, since getting both tree and stones to cooperate was a lot of work (not to mention how much fun carrying a bucket of stones up three flights of stairs wasn't for Kelly). Still, as I said, our plan worked, and the tree happily stood among the stones waiting to be decorated...

...Which we started doing the day after we went to the tree farm, and finished doing the following day, since it was being done between other activities.

I'm glad I had Kelly helping me with decorating it, since I'm not sure I'd have reached the top of it even if I climbed on a chair. We got an eight foot tree, since we had the ceiling to allow for it, and I'm only just over five foot tall. Actually, we only just have the ceiling to allow for it, and had to nestle my new snowflake tree topper among the branches, since the tree almost touches the ceiling, so we couldn't really get it on there. Yes, we could have trimmed the top, but I didn't want to.

Anyway, we got our tree decorated between us, so here it is all nicely decorated:

(If you're wondering why I took separate photos of the top and bottom, it's because there's nowhere we could stand and still get the whole tree in the shot, so I had to do it that way).

Some of the tree ornaments are ones I still have that I've made or collected over the years, some - like the snowflake that's meant to be a tree topper - are new ones I brought this year, and some - like most of the baubles - are ones Lorna and Andy gave us that they no longer use.

We don't have lights on the tree (other than the snowflake) because we'd originally planned to just get a small tree, so we only got a small string of lights. When we realized there was no way we'd be able to light up the whole tree with the lights we have, we decided to leave the lights off the tree this year. We strung them up elsewhere instead, since I wanted my star shaped lights to be up, even if they aren't on the tree. So, these are my new star shaped holiday lights:

The tree is in the computer room, because where we're sorting some things out, the computer room is the place with the best space for it. But the lights are in the living room, along with the polar bear and penguin enjoying some fake snow...

...A mini figure of Olaf the snoman who is also enjoying the fake snow...

And the window display I set up...

(Which, again, had to be done in two shots to get it all in the photo).

So, there you go, those are our holiday decorations for this year, with a couple of real live reindeer thrown in for your holiday viewing pleasure. I even made sure my iPhone was charged so I could get decent shots for you.

#Children's #Holiday #Book Release: Ulrike's Christmas

Ulrike knows all about the Winter Solstice celebrations of the giants, being one himself. But what he doesn't know is why the humans cut down whole trees, only to take them home to decorate. Other giants tell him to forget about it, but Ulrike is curious; he needs to know why they do it.

Finally, when he's puzzled over it so much his head is sore from all the thinking, he decides that this is the year he'll figure it out, and risks a return trip to the home of the last family he watched to look for clues, despite almost being spotted last time he was there.

That's how he meets Billy, a friendly little boy who loves stories, and is happy to tell Ulrike all about tree decorating, and Santa Claus, along with a couple of stories he knows about them. Stories which Ulrike loves, and which inspire him to add some of what Billy says are Christmas celebrations to his own this Winter, in the hopes that Santa Claus will visit him too.

Yes, that's right, the official release date is today, and you can now buy Ulrike's Christmas on Smashwords in all formats they offer, as well as from other retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, and Kobo, among others. That means you should be able to find a format that works for you, regardless of your prefered eReader; whether you prefer a Kindle, a Nook, or some other eReader or tablet. In fact, if you can read this post, there's a way you can read the book, since Smashwords also offers an online reader option.

However, having said that, a paperback will become available early next year for those of you who prefer a physical book.

#Furkid Friday: Dear #Santa Paws (FD)

A letter from the rodent gang to Santa Paws:

Dear Santa Paws,

We've been very good rodents this year.

OK, sure, we know Mollie can be a little grumpy sometimes, and Maizie and Star are often a bit stricter than they should be on the human caretakers (especially Maizie, who likes things done her way, and isn't very good at being patient with the human caretakers). But everyone has their faults, and humans need to be properly trained. Besides, technically none of that stuff is bad, so we really have been good... Honest!

So, since we've been so good, can you please make sure you bring us plenty of great nibbles this Christmas? Some wooden toys and things like that we can play with and chew on would be nice too, come to think of it.

Anyway, we don't really mind what kinds of nibbles you bring. Although, Mollie and Maizie are particularly fond of those treats called "chinchilla cookies" the human caretakers sometimes buy, and so is Joshua. Star and Skye just want anything tasty they can get their teeth in to, especially if it's fruit or cheese flavoured. As for Baggins, he wants you to remember that he's allowed sugary treats sometimes, and those are the best kinds.

Squeak soon,
Baggins, Joshua, Maizie, Mollie, Skye, and Star

#Writing Wednesday - December 14th 2016

I made it! Ulrike's Christmas is pre-released. The official release date is set for Saturday December 17th 2016, and clicking on the book's title in this post will take you to the page for it on Smashwords.

I nearly didn't make it, thanks to a lot of stuff going on (holiday related and otherwise). Although, mostly because of JAWS (my screen reader, for those who don't know). JAWS version 18 came out a couple of months ago, and I got my copy last month, so I'm all up to date now, which is great. But what wasn't great was the fact that one of the free update patches you get between upgrades came out during this past week, and installing it did something that stopped JAWS working on my computer. Kelly checked, and everything else was working fine, so I called my brother, Carl, since he also uses JAWS, and also recently got JAWS version 18. But his version was working fine. Regardless, we agreed it was quite likely it was something to do with the update, and decided the best option was to try uninstalling JAWS, reinstalling it, and not allowing it to install the new patch. Apparently that was the right thing to do, since it's been working fine ever since (though I've had to tell it it's not allowed to update, and I don't want to know about updates for the time being). If you're wondering, the reason I called my brother rather than the company we get JAWS from, it's because this happened on a Saturday, and Sight And Sound are only open Monday through Friday. Of course, without JAWS, my computer is useless to me, and working on things like formatting and uploading the final document for an eBook are impossible. So, no JAWS would have been a huge problem. I could check my eMail on my phone... It would be frustrating, but possible... But formatting a word document? No way!

Anyway, despite my JAWS issues, the eBook version of Ulrike's Christmas has now been uploaded to Smashwords for official release this coming Saturday, and will soon be on other sites like Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Kobo, if it isn't already.

I'll deal with the paperback after the holidays are over.

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Are you an author too? Do you have business cards? I don't yet, though that's something I'm considering changing next year. If you're still undecided about it, here's a post that explains one person's reasons why authors need a business card.

Obviously if you have a book out there you want to market it. Of course you do. You want people to buy your book, because if you didn't you wouldn't have it up for sale, would you? So you need to market it. However, I happen to agree with this post about writing for yourself, and with what Barb said in her post from last Wednesday (where I originally saw the post linked). Like Barb, I write for myself, though I hope to find people who enjoy reading what I write as much as I enjoy writing it.

By the way, if you need some tips on naming your characters, you may want to check out this how to survive naming your characters. A couple of the points matter more if you write romance, but some of them are actually pretty good tips regardless of what you write. At least, I think so. If you'd prefer some tips that are more generalized, you can check out these seven tips for naming your characters.

Also, if you're using your Thesaurus to find fancy sounding words so you can sound really smart... Stop! A Thesaurus can be your friend at times, but it can also be your worst enemy. Find out how by reading this post.

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Ever wondered what goes on inside a writer's brain? Then check out this article on how creativity effects the brain. Also, regardless of whether your chosen way to be creative is with writing, drawing and painting, or something else entirely, this article written by Jeanie on finding your creative soul during the busy holiday season is worth reading, and will potentially keep your muse happy this holiday season.

Frost Fair 2016

The anual Frost Fair to welcome Winter in, and kick off the holiday celebrations for our area, was on Saturday November 26th 2016. The day was a little chilly, but otherwise really nice.

I meant for us to go down to watch the Frost Fair this year. I also meant to make sure my phone had a full battery so I could get some better shots, since my iPhone takes pretty good photos, but our ordinary camera isn't that great. Unfortunately, neither thing happened. I only remembered at the last moment that it was the day of the Frost Fair, and my phone's battery died just as I went to try and use it. So you'll have to put up with the slightly blurry photos we got from our living room window with the ordinary camera. I hope you enjoy them regardless of the poor photo quality. I need to get a new camera... *sigh*

Anyway... Here are the photos:

#Book Release: The Spirit Well (Legends of Windemere) by @cyallowitz

Return to Windemere in THE SPIRIT WELL!

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Born from the light and darkness, Dariana can no longer avoid her fate.

The final corrupted temple stands between the champions and Baron Kernaghan having their great battle. Only one problem: the Compass Key refuses to work with Dariana, who long ago wiped all memories of the Spirit Well from her mind. Now, they are forced to follow a trail of clues that Dariana’s former self left behind centuries ago. It is a path that will lead the champions into a part of their friend’s past that could tear them all apart.

Will the bonds of friendship be stronger than the call of blood?

Grab it on Amazon!

Add it to your Goodreads 'To Read' List!

Excerpt: I'm Sorry . . . Again

“I’m sorry, but I told you that my powers make the Compass Key argumentative when it comes to the Spirit Well,” Dariana sheepishly explains while rubbing her clear ring. She smiles when Fizzle lands on her head, the drite’s cool tail running down her spine. “This is very scary for me. None of the champions have made it to this temple, much less the final battle with my father. It’s hard to take in after this destiny being my entire life for so long. I used to always dream of how I would handle my temple, but things are different now that it’s no longer a distant dream. What if I make a mistake and get someone killed?”

“We trust you, my friend, and know that you will not fail,” Timoran whispers as he slides the Compass Key across the table. He is confused when the relic sparks at her touch and gets pushed back into his hand. “That is fairly disheartening. If you cannot use the Compass Key then there is no way to find this Spirit Well. Perhaps it does not like your physical touch and will respond to your telepathy. I wonder why the gods would create this obstacle.”

“It’s possible that we did this,” Delvin suggests while using one of his enchanted rings to create a delicious cup of coffee. He gestures for the barbarian to throw the relic over to him, but the red-haired barbarian refuses. “You’re right, Timoran. Probably not a good idea to toss something like that around. Anyway, we had the Compass Key warded against agents of the Baron. They aren’t able to see it, which means they can’t find or use it. The decision made sense at the time, but things are different now. Maybe our spell has a small effect on Dariana. Not saying you’re working with the Baron, but there could be enough of an aural touch to cause this problem. Do you think we should cancel the spells, Nyx?”

The channeler heats up a cup of tea, which she sips at while considering the possibility of her magic being the issue. “They should stay because I don’t think they’re the problem. Dariana said this has happened before, which means the gods made a mistake. Sorry for how that came out. Gabriel, who better not get angry at this conversation, created the Compass Key first and then turned Dariana into a champion. He couldn’t fix the problem thanks to the Law of Influence, so it’s remained all this time. Though he had to have created something to help us move on.”

“Maybe we have to find Isaiah and he’ll lead the way,” Sari says from the couch. Flipping to her feet, she joins her friends and immediately takes a strawberry off Luke’s plate. “He hasn’t been much help since the first temple, so one has to wonder what his purpose is. I doubt we need his protection any more, which means he has to have another role to play. What do you think, Dari?”

The telepath rubs her temples while scanning the city for a sign of the fireskin, part of her praying he is not nearby. Dariana finds evidence that Isaiah has been spying on them until recently, but the caster is long gone. She considers tracking the faint trail and goes as far as the outer wall, which is where the psychic tracks make an odd leap into the sky. The strain of following Isaiah any further makes Dariana pull back and return to find that everyone is staring at her again. Realizing that she can no longer delay the inevitable, she gets out of her chair and kneels to her friends. Fizzle is still clinging to her head, which makes the apologetic bow both amusing and awkward.

“I know I say this a lot, but I really am sorry, my friends,” Dariana states while keeping her forehead pressed to the stone floor. She looks up at the sound of rustling feet and is surprised to see that everyone is approaching her. “Long ago, I managed to avoid being put back to sleep long enough to track down the Spirit Well. My curiosity got the best of me and I wanted to know where my path would meet its end. I was still forced to wipe my memory of the location, but I do know that I left a map behind. There are a few clues that I buried in my subconscious where even I could not dislodge them after erasing the original discovery. More may come to me as we get closer, but all I know now is that we should go to Rodillen. I was hoping the Compass Key would work and we could avoid this extra journey.”

“Like our luck would be that good,” Nyx mutters while she helps Dariana stand.

Need to catch Legends of Windemere from the beginning? Then click on the covers below!

You can start for FREE . . .

[caption id="attachment_12472" align="aligncenter" width="202"] Cover Art by Jason Pedersen[/caption]

Or grab the $4.99 '3 in 1' bundles!

[caption id="attachment_12491" align="alignleft" width="216"] Cover Art by Jason Pedersen
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Also Available in Single eBooks:

[caption id="attachment_12342" align="alignleft" width="200"] Cover Art by Jason Pedersen[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_12662" align="alignright" width="200"] Cover Art by Jason Pedersen[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_13983" align="alignleft" width="200"] Cover Art by Jason Pedersen[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_16229" align="alignright" width="200"] Cover art by Jason Pedersen[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_16755" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Cover Art by Jason Pedersen[/caption]

Interested in a new adventure? Then grab your Kindle & dive back into the world of Windemere! Don't forget an apple for Fizzle.

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After his wife decided that she was tired of hearing the same stories repeatedly, she convinced him that it would make more sense to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house under orders to shut up and get to work, Charles brings you Legends of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you, and his wife is happy he finally has someone else to play with.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Website: www.charleseyallowitz.com


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*NOTE: Formatting for this post was done with a Wordpress blog in mind, not the Blogger blog I have, and the two don't always work well together, so please excuse any formatting issues in this post.

#Furkid Friday: #Rodents Are In Charge (FD)

Hi everyone! This is Maizie the chinchilla.

I've been doing some training - or, more to the point, retraining - with my human caretakers. They were under this mistaken impression that they were in charge around here. I soon put them right. They need to learn that we only keep them around as our personal slaves to do things we can't manage ourselves, and sometimes for entertainment value. They need to remember that things should be done when we say so, not when they feel like getting around to doing them. I thought these human caretakers already knew that; I thought these human caretakers knew that we rodents are in charge around here.

I guess I thought wrong.

The stupid human caretakers thought they could sleep late and bring me and my rodent siblings our breakfast when it suited them. Um.. No! I'm already flexible enough to give them a three hour window in which to provide breakfast; the rule is that breakfast should be provided between 6:00am and 9:00am. You'd think that would be enough to make sure they could manage it, right? You'd also think they'd know the rules by now, since they've been my servants for more than six months. Plus, it's not like Mollie and I are their first furry masters. First chinchillas... Yes. But they've had other furry masters, some of which they still have. So you'd think they'd know the rules, right?

Apparently not!

Do you know what time they showed up to give us breakfast the other day? Noon! That's 12:00pm, which is three hours after the deadline for the latest breakfast should be served... THREE WHOLE HOURS!

OK, so it was a really good breakfast... It was an oatmeal day, which we love. My chinchilla sister, Mollie, and I are especially fond of oatmeal. But that's not the point. In fact, in some ways that makes it worse, because we had to wait all those extra hours before getting the oatmeal we love so much.

The Mummy human gave me some speach about how she was sorry, and she'd slept later than she planned. But I wasn't having it, and let her know I was cross with her, and that I expect better service in future. Breakfast hasn't been late since, so I think she got the message. I hope so, anyway, because I'd hate to have to waste my precious playing time and energy to train her yet again... I have better things to do, you know!

Squeak soon,
Maizie

#Writing Wednesday - December 7th 2016

We're a week in to December, Christmas is only a few weeks away, and "Ulrike's Christmas" has been through all the editing phases my books all get put through. I just want to give it one final proof reading session before I do the formatting for the files that will actually get uploaded. All being well, I'll be able to give you an official release date next week.

Basically, I'll be giving you the official release date next week, unless something huge happens to stop me doing so, which is unlikely. But I'm saying, "all being well," just in case, because you never know, do you? After all, I'd originally planned to have the book pre-released by now, but then stuff happened... You know how it is, I'm sure!

Anyway...

If you're working on editing your own book, or doing so for someone else, you may want to take a look at this list of 35 questions to ask when critiquing a novel.

Are you struggling to stay focused when writing? Then take a look at these basic tips to help you stay focused when writing a book. After all, sometimes it's the little things that make the most difference when it comes to avoiding the issues that stop you writing that book you want to write. These tips may help you avoid writers' block too.

Finally, take a look at this great post on learning as you write.

Ancient #Egypt: The #Mythology

Are you interested in Ancient Egypt and its mythology?

If the answer is yes, you may want to check out this website: Ancient Egypt: the Mythology.

Enjoy!

#Reading Ramblings: November 2016 #Book #Reviews (LBE)

It's time for this month's book reviews post. Well, it's technically last month's book reviews post, since the books reviewed in it are ones I read during November. But, either way, it's time for me to post some reviews.

As with the previous posts like this one, the format reviewed may not be the format I read the book in. Also, please remember to bear in mind the fact that I read across multiple genres and age ranges, and you should always check suitability of content before reading, especially when children are involved. Finally, if you want to know more about the book, or the author it's by, simply click on the book title, or author name, to go to the appropriate Goodreads page.

OK...

Not Just a Witch by Eva Ibbotson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a fun and entertaining read.

Wake the Hollow by Gaby Triana
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
For the most part, this was a great story, which did a good job of combining the legend of Sleepy Hollow with "real" life. However, I think it would have been better if the romance element was removed, so that the main character hadn't spent so much time focussing on how good looking people she was supposed to be afraid of were. Also, I thought it was stupid how she was more open with people she didn't know and had reason to be suspicious of than she was with people she was supposed to have been close to in the past.

Creature Teacher: The Final Exam by R.L. Stine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a great book, which makes a wonderful addition to any Goosebumps collection. It's another that big animal lovers may find a couple of scenes a bit disturbing in though... Just to warn you. Oh, and a little tip: don't eat while reading this one, especially if you have a weak stomach.

Kaylyn the Sister-in-Darkness by Barbara G. Tarn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a great book, which makes an excellent addition to the series. The plot itself is interesting, there's a wonderful mixture of characters, and the historical facts dotted throughout the story are fascinating.

Unpredictable by Lady Jenniviere
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you're looking for something strange and unusual, this story will deliver. There are a few places where I think it could use a little work, but for the most part it's a pretty good read, with a very appropriate title.

A Tapestry of Tears by Gita V. Reddy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Some of the stories in this collection are better than others. Some give you a lot to think about. Some are potentially upsetting, especially to more sensative readers. But all are beautifully written, and combine to make a collection that's worth reading.

Never Ever by Gita V. Reddy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I first read this story, I had some serious issues with it, because some of the characters' behaviour didn't sit right with me. But then I read it again with the fact the family is from a different culture to my own in mind; a culture the author would be more familiar with than I am. It then occurred to me that most of my issues were based on differences that can be explained by cultural differences. Being open to this idea improved the story for me. Bearing the difference in culture in mind still didn't make it one of my favourites by this author, but it certainly increased my enjoyment of the story.

Marginaliens by Philip Gross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an imaginative and fun read, which I really enjoyed.

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a beautiful little story.

Gods in the Machine by Marilyn Peake
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The idea behind this story is a great one, and it has the elements it needs to have the potential to be a great read. However, it was poorly done. The author spent too much time fussing over minor details that weren't important, which would later be repeated in full detail every single time there was even the smallest link between those details and the story's events, and not enough time moving the plot forward. Not to mention, there were so many characters we got the full backstory for, that I'm still not entirely sure who was meant to be the main character. Also, some of the characters' reactions felt over done, as though the author thought it more important to be as dramatic as possible, rather than being believable, so that when something potentially important to the plot did actually happen, it was lost in the confusion of false drama. On top of that, the ending was way too sudden. Is this part of a series? I'm not sure... I've not seen a series listed for it. Even if it is though, that was one really sudden ending, especially after how slowly the plot had been moving from the start.

Redemption by Elora Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
OK... WOW! This book was amazing! The plot grabs your attention from the start and holds it until the end, the worldbuilding is great, the emotions are powerful, the characters are well-rounded with complex personalities, the descriptions are excellent, the plot moves at a nice pace, the way you see the relationships between characters grow and evolve is wonderful, and that ending was incredible!
*NOTE: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. That fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of this book, or the contents of this review.

Misery, Rancor, and Angst: Or, The Three Graces by Kirsten B. Feldman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The plot is interesting and moves at a nice pace, the characters are well-rounded and have different personalities, and the writing style is easy and enjoyable to read. All in all, this book is a great read. The only reason I don't give it the full five stars is because I felt that we were missing a few details of the backstory, as well as a couple of details of how the ending came about; it was an excellent ending, apart from the few details I felt we were missing to fully understand how it happened the way it did.
*NOTE: I was given a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of this book, or the contents of this review.

Void by David M. Staniforth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book begins with a note about how the author recommends that you take a moment to listen to the songs mentioned in it as you read. I ignored the suggestion and read it without listening to them, despite not being very familiar with them. Even so, I thought this was a beautifully written and powerful read. I can only imagine how much more amazing the reading experience would be if you were to take the author's advice.

Pilgrim: The Collected Series 1-4: The BBC Radio 4 Fantasy Drama Series by Sebastien Baczkiewicz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Each episode has an interesting cast of characters, as well as an entertaining storyline, and all the episodes work together well.

Pilgrim Series 5-7: BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas by Sebastian Baczkiewicz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The episodes in this volume were an enjoyable addition to the series, with a plot that continues to be entertaining, and an interesting cast of characters.

It Came from Beneath the Sink! by R.L. Stine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There were a few things the characters did that either didn't make sense to me, or felt like they were done only to move the plot in the direction the author wanted it to go in. But other than that, this was another great addition to the Goosebumbps series.

#Furkid Friday: A #Rodent Photo Shoot

Um... Hi everyone! This is Mollie the chinchilla.

The human caretakers did one of those photo shoot things recently. If you don't know, it has nothing to do with shooting. Yeah, I thought it did first time I heard them talk about it too, so don't feel bad. But it turns out it just means they sit or stand somewhere nearby and point the flashy thing at us several times, then keep any pictures that aren't just our tails as we run too far to the left or right, or whatever. I don't know why they do it, but since they did, and we're super cute, I figured I'd share the pictures they got in this latest photo shooting.

First, a couple of photos of us chinchillas. This is me playing in the pen with my sister, Maizie:

This one is Maizie:

This one is me (Mollie):

Yeah, I know it's tough to tell us apart. The only difference in our appearance is that my fur is a bit lighter than Maizie's fur. Don't worry if you can't really see it. Our personalities are more different though, since I'm a lot more shy and reserved than Maizie, and I also get upset a lot more easily.

Anyway... Back to the pictures...

This is our gerbil brother, Baggins:

Here's our ratty sister, Star, coming to see what the fuss is all about:

Here's our other ratty sister, Skye, who didn't see what all the fuss was about, so was very reluctant to do more than stick her head out of the rat house briefly to see what was happening:

Last, but not least, here's our remaining degu brother, Joshua, trying to keep an eye on what the human caretakers were up to, without giving them the chance to get close enough to grab him:

That's all of us. I hope you enjoyed the photos.

Squeak soon,
Mollie

#Writing Wednesday - November 30th 2016

It's the last day of November. If you were doing NaNoWriMo, how did you do? Did you make it? Well, whether you did or not, what's next for you? Does your plan only go as far as wanting to write the book? Or do you have more of a plan than that? If you haven't thought beyond the writing stage, you may want to plan what's next after you write your book. Unless, of course, you were someone who just wanted to write the book and then forget about it, which would be a shame after all the work you put in to it. But, hey, it's your call, so do whichever you want to.

Also, if you didn't make it. Don't worry about it. The fact you tried is a good thing to start with, and you deserve a pat on the back just for that. Sometimes, no matter how well you do at carving out your writing time, the words just won't come. If that's what happened to you, here's what to do when the words won't come. It's too late to help you for this year's NaNoWriMo, but it's something worth considering for any time you're trying to get some writing done, regardless of when that is, so the post is still worth checking out.

Anyway...

Can social media really sell your books? Short answer: only if you use it right, and then not all by itself. Social media itself doesn't sell your books, but it can be a useful tool to help with marketing.

As you probably already know, people watching is another thing that can be useful for writers, because it helps you when it comes to creating characters. So, with that in mind, here are some useful people watching tips for writers. Plus, you may find these tips for writing real characters useful too.

Always remember that, while it's important to make sure your book gets some decent editing before you publish it, editing too much during the writing phase can hold you back. So save the editing for later... At least get the first draft written first. I hope that's something those of you who were doing NaNoWriMo were bearing in mind?

By the way, are you a children's author? If so, check out these tips on learning to write for kids by learning to read to them. Also, have you ever considered writing a thriller for children? If so, take a look at this post on writing thrillers for kids.

Whether you write for children, or write for adults, you've got to love the artistic freedom we now have! Same goes for any kind of artist, really: the kinds of artists who draw or paint, musicians, writers, whatever. With how things have changed we have more artistic freedom, and it makes me happy. Also, artistic freedom is one reason I self-publish... I want to be able to write what I want to write, not what someone else says I should be writing, and I want to be able to do it when I decide to. Obviously I hope my readers enjoy what I write, but I don't write something because it's what's popular right now, or because I think doing so will make me rich. Hey, I may be a dreamer, but I'm in touch with reality enough to know the chances of me getting rich are pretty low... Especially since I don't even play the lotto these days. *Wink*

#TV Talk And #Movie Mutterings - November 2016

It's time for this month's new to me movies.

If you're wondering... We got through three of the four planned movies on Halloween, so watched the fourth the following day.

Anyway...

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

OK...

Goosebumps (2015 movie):
I've seen some of the old Goosebumps TV episodes, and read many of the Goosebumps books - both recently and in my teens - so was eager to see the new movie. I was not disappointed. I mean, it wasn't absolutely amazing, but it was a really good movie, and I'm glad I watched it. If you're wondering: prior knowledge of the Goosebumps characters isn't essential, but it helps, and I actually think knowing something about some of the characters from R. L. Stine's books improves the enjoyment factor of this movie; you won't be quite so scared if you don't know anything about any of the monsters from the books, in my opinion... I know I was more concerned about those monsters I knew something about than those I hadn't read the books for. So, as an addition to a Goosebumps collection, it's fantastic. As a stand-alone movie, it's only pretty good. For that reason, I'm giving this movie four out of five stars.

The Last Witch Hunter (2015 movie):
I didn't expect to enjoy this one. Honestly, I was only watching it because it was Kelly's pick for one of the movies to watch for Halloween, and he got it especially for us to watch together. As it turned out though, this movie was better than I expected it to be. Kelly really enjoyed it too. It had a great plot, and enough action to keep Kelly happy, while not having so much happening that I couldn't follow what was going on. This is another movie I give four out of five stars.

Get Santa (2014 movie):
This was meant to be a comedy, but I didn't find it all that funny. Plus, they were meant to be trying to save Christmas - and kept mentioning the fact repeatedly - but I didn't feel the sense of urgency. It felt like they were saying, "Hey, we should probably save Christmas, but we have plenty of time, so no worries." I mean, they weren't saying anything of the sort... Like I said, they were constantly mentioning how important it was that they had to save Christmas... But the plot seemed to move so slowly it lost the sense of urgency movies like this usually have. I give this movie three out of five stars.

Crampus (2015 movie):
I love things with a fantasy element. I enjoy holiday movies where someone is having a bad Christmas, but then something happens to make them realize how wonderful their life actually is. I enjoy the odd comedy; holiday themed or otherwise. I enjoy some horror movies too. Unfortunately, this movie tried to be all four things at once, and failed spectacularly. Luckily, I'd heard of several other people who were disappointed with this one, so went in to it with low expecations. Even so, it didn't meet them. The movie sucked, plain and simple! I give this movie one out of five stars.

That's it, since most of my TV time this month has been spent watching old episodes of NCIS, which you already know I enjoy.

Happy Birthday To Me And You - 2016 Edition (FD)

It was my birthday two weeks ago, as many of you already knew. So, first of all, I'd like to thank those of you who sent me gifts or cards, as well as those of you who sent me birthday messages via eMail or on Facebook to wish me a happy birthday. Your birthday wishes are very much appreciated, as are the cards and gifts I got from those who sent things, of course. Yeah, I know it's taken me a couple of weeks to get to this post... I had other things I wanted to post about first. Anyway, as I said, thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes in some shape or form.

Speaking of which, here are a couple of photos of my birthday cards:

Excuse them being on top of the freezer... It was the place with the best light on that day, apparently.

Mostly I got money for my birthday, which I spent on books and movies. But I also got some NCIS DVDs (seasons one to nine of the original NCIS) and a nifty chopping board that bends to form a sort of funnel shape so you can transfer things from it to bowls or pots more easily. The scarf I'm wearing in this photo was a birthday present too...

If I have any strange expressions on my face in the above photo, it's because it was taken while I was in the process of explaining to Kelly how taking a photo with my phone works, since it apparently takes clearer pictures than our camera, but he's not familiar with how to use iPhones. He says he caught me at a good moment, so I hope that's the case.

Apparently I'm so awesome that someone arranged for fireworks for my birthday too!

OK, not really. I mean, there were fireworks... Not many, and we didn't get photos, but there were. They didn't actually have anything to do with me though. Still, I enjoyed them, and I can pretend, right?

Anyway... I didn't do much for my birthday. Lorna came around for a cup of tea and a chat the day before, Kelly made me a "special birthday dinner" the day after, and I had cake on my actual birthday... It was a lemon cake. But that's about it. Still, it was a pretty good birthday, as birthdays go. Or, I think so.

But I'm not the only one with a birthday in November!

Some of our family friends and online friends have birthdays during November, along with a few family members and honorary family members. I already mentioned during the second half of last month that Iggy's birthday was at the start of the month, but there were others too. I'm not going to list everyone, but among those celebrating their birthdays this month are Kelly's sister, Sherry, who celebrated her birthday this past Tuesday (November 22nd) and my Mam's Goddaughter, Shireen, who will be celebrating her 18th birthday on November 30th.

That last one makes me feel even older than having my own birthday did, since I remember caring for Shireen as a tiny baby I could hold in just one arm. Now she's about to turn 18, and is actually taller than me. How did that happen? Where did the years go? How can that little baby I remember rocking to sleep be all grown up? It seems like only yesterday her sweet little gummy smiles were making me smile, and her little hands were reaching out to try and grab at the toys atatched to the bar of her bouncer chair. Yet here she is, about to turn 18. I know that logically the years didn't zoom past in the time it took to blink. But, at times like this, it sure feels like that's what happened.

Anyway...

If you're a November baby too... Happy birthday to you!