Witchlet in the spotlight

My book "Witchlet" (the first book in the "Magical Chapters" trilogy) was spotlighted by Ann Marie of "Indie Author Anonymous" today (24th January 2013).

You can check it out at http://indieauthoranonymous.com/2013/01/24/spotlight-book-witchlet-by-victoria-zigler/ if you like.

Interviewed and featured by Emma

I was interviewed by Emma Jackson, and featured as author of the month, at http://www.esjackson.co.uk.

I'm author of the month on her blog this month (January 2013).

There's a giveaway too!

You can check it out at http://www.esjackson.co.uk/?page_id=339 if you like.

Toby's Games

Toby's Tales, Book 4: Toby's Games

Genre: Social Issues/Special Needs

"Now that he can’t see, Toby can’t play with his big brother Jake like he used to, and every time he tries to he just gets frustrated, upset
or hurt. He’s starting to feel like he can’t do anything fun any more. Is he right? Or can he find a way to still do the things he enjoys?"

The “Toby’s Tales” books are designed to show children – and adults too – the struggles and challenges faced by people who are blind, or who are adjusting
to sight loss, while also being useful tools to educate those close to someone who is blind or adjusting to sight loss.

Published: 5th January 2013.

Available via Smashwords in all formats they offer, and soon available elsewhere.

Winter Solstice mash-up

Stephanie did a post yesterday about different ways to celebrate the holidays, and I wrote a piece for it.

You can read it at http://thecoexistcafe.com/2012/12/blessed-yule-a-winter-solstice-mash-up/

Kindled my heart

I've wanted a Kindle ever since my Dad showed me his over a year ago.

Why?

Because it's the only eReader that's accessable to the visually impaired, and makes so many more books available to me.

Well, I have one at last!

I'm so happy about it!

So many books are now just a click away!

Horray for my new Kindle Keyboard 3G!

My books are on Amazon too now

My books are now available on Amazon!

So that means my books can be brought from Amazon, Apple, Barnes And Noble, Blio, Diesel, Kobo, Nook, Smashwords, Sony, and WH Smith now!

The Pineapple Loving Dragon

The Magical Chapters Trilogy, Book 2: The Pineapple Loving Dragon

Genre: Fairy Tales And Fables/Young Adult Fantasy

"Everyone knows the mountains are full of dragons, and everyone also knows those dragons are dangerous monsters who eat people. So when the
people from the town notice that one of them has a young boy with it they set out to rescue him. But Daisy isn’t like other dragons; she’s sweet and kind,
and just happens to be a vegetarian. Unfortunately, the only people who know this are a 9 year old witch named Paige, and a 10 year old orphan named Luke.
Can Paige and Luke convince everyone else that Daisy isn’t dangerous?"

Published: 1st December 2012.

Already available via Smashwords in all formats they offer, and soon available elsewhere too.

Interviewed by Stephanie

I participated in an author interview with Stephanie V of "Steph's Book Retreat" today (29th November 2012).

You can read it at http://stephsbookretreat.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/author-interview-victoria-tori-zigler/ if you want.

Willow turns 8

Willow Moonshadow is now 8 years old.

She seems to be happier back with Mam, but not healthier. I suppose her happiness is what counts most, but it doesn't stop me feeling guilty that for all the vet trips we couldn't help her. It just proves that even the best medical care isn't enough when an animal is miserable.

Happy birthday to me, I suppose

Today is my birthday, but I don't really care.

The stuff they gave me to stop the bleeding when I went in for the blood transfusion at the end of September isn't working properly any more, and I'm already starting to feel the effects of bleeding again. Also, they found nothing new in the tests, so I've requested a hysterectomy and am waiting for approval for it. They're reluctant because of my age and weight, which is understandable, but frustrating.

A part of me still doesn't want it, but if I don't stop the bleeding I'll be lucky to make it to 30!

I don't want to die!

Even if it means giving up my chance to be a Mother one day.

Toby's Outing

Toby’s Tales, Book 3: Toby's Outing

Genre: Social Issues/Special Needs

"Everyone is excited about the trip to the aquarium. But not Toby. Toby’s sure he won’t have fun, after all, aquariums can’t be fun for blind
people… Can they?"

The “Toby’s Tales” books are designed to show children - and adults too - the struggles and challenges faced by people who are blind, or who are adjusting
to sight loss, while also being useful tools to educate those close to someone who is blind or adjusting to sight loss.

Published: 4th November 2012

Available in all formats via Smashwords, and soon available via other retailers.

Interviewed by Dayla

I participated in an author interview with Dayla F.M. of "Confessions Of A Book Addict" today (2nd November 2012).

You can find the post at http://bookaddict24-7.tumblr.com/post/34862549410/bookaddict24-7-welcomes-tori-zigler if you want to read it.

Tamara turns 19

Tamara is 19 today.

The time is going so fast!

I can't picture her as a grown up 19 year old; I still see the shy 9 year old I knew when we were over in Canada, and even Kelly's descriptions of her photos on Facebook can't make me picture her all grown up!

Toby's Monsters

Toby’s Tales, Book 2: Toby's Monsters

Genre: Social Issues/Special Needs

"Toby’s world is scary and full of monsters his mind has created. If he wasn’t blind he could see what the monsters really are, but he is,
so he can’t. Can he find a way to battle his monsters? Or will he spend the rest of his life afraid of every unexplained noise?"

The “Toby’s Tales” books are designed to show children - and adults too - the struggles and challenges faced by people who are blind, or who are adjusting
to sight loss, while also being useful tools to educate those close to someone who is blind or adjusting to sight loss.

Published: 21st October 2012

Available in all formats via Smashwords, and also via other retailers soon.

Just some riddles - for fun!

Question: I live in Winter, and die in Summer, and I grow with my roots facing up. What am I?
Answer: An icicle.

***

Question: What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
Answer: A towel.

***

Question: What can you catch but not throw?
Answer: A cold.

***

Question: I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I?
Answer: A nose.

***

Question: What goes around the world but stays in a corner?
Answer: A stamp.

***

Question: Give me food and I will live; give me water and I will die. What am I?
Answer: Fire.

***

Question: What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?
Answer: A river.

***

Question: You use a knife to slice my head, and weep beside me when I’m dead. What am I?
Answer: An onion.

***

Question: I went in to the woods and got it. I sat down to seek it. I brought it home with me because I couldn’t find it. What is it?
Answer: A splinter.

***

Question: I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest man can’t hold me for more than a minut. What am I?
Answer: Breath.

***

Question: Until I am measured, I am not known, yet do you miss me when I have flown. What am I?
Answer: Time.

***

Question: What walks on four legs in the morning, two at mid day, and three in the evening?
Answer: A human does. As a baby, it crawls; in old age, uses a cane.

***

Question: What is it that, after you take away the whole, some still remains?
Answer: The word "wholesome."

***

Question: What jumps when it walks, and sits when it stands?
Answer: A kangaroo.

Had to have a blood transfusion this time

I always saw myself having children some day, but now I don't think it's going to happen.

The bleeding issue is getting worse, and this time I didn't manage to avoid a blood transfusion.

I ended up going to A&E again, then was in hospital for 4 days.

It took 5 bags of blood and a stack of pills to get the bleeding to stop and stop the dizzy feeling that made it feel like the ground wanted to rush up and hit me.

They've done loads of tests, but if they can't find anything new then the only option to stop the bleeding will be a hysterectomy.

It hurts that I have to give up my dream to live, but that might be the case. I have to stop the bleeding, and if that's the only way to do it then it will have to be done.

I hate it, but I can't live like this any more!

Toby's New World

Toby’s Tales, Book 1: Toby's New World

Genre: Social Issues/Special Needs

"Toby has just learned he’ll never see again. Now he’s learning just how frustrating it can be doing even simple things when you’re blind.
And it doesn’t help when his big brother Jake, and little sister Emma laugh at him when things don’t go right. But there’s always a way to make things
easier… Isn’t there?"

The “Toby’s Tales” books are designed to show children - and adults too - the struggles and challenges faced by people who are blind, or who are adjusting
to sight loss, while also being useful tools to educate those close to someone who is blind or adjusting to sight loss.

Published: 6th September 2012

Available in all formats via Smashwords, and available elsewhere soon.

Jayde and Lucy are 7 today

It's hard to believe, but Jayde and Lucy are seven today!

Yes, really!

I miss them.

Jayde is very happy with Grandma, and Lucy is happy with Helen and Tom, but I still miss them.

Not as much as I miss the cats, but still a fair amount.

Making my blog private instead

I've decided not to delete my blog, but instead to make it private. Maybe one day I'll make it public again, but for now it will be a sort of online diary for me. I'll still write like I've got an audience though because I like the writing style.

IMPORTANT! Please read!

It's amazing how difficult this post has been to write. I've put it off as long as I can though, and promised myself it will get posted this time. So, here goes.




*Takes a deep breath*



I've been blogging now for over six years. Sometimes it feels like it can't be that long, and other times it feels like I've been blogging forever. Whatever the case though, I know it's been a little over six years, and I know I've made a lot of friends through my blog. Some of these friends I stopped having contact with by my own choice, others sort of drifted away never to be heard from again, others I only now speak to because they're on Facebook, and others will read this post. The point is, I've made a lot of friends - many of them great friends I don't want to lose - and shared a lot on this blog; good times and bad.



Six years ago, when I first started blogging, I had no idea what I'd post about, and I didn't blog much even though I only had a couple of blogs to follow. Then I lost my eyesight and became bored and depressed. I clung to my blog like a lifeline; I needed the routine of posting every day unless I had a very good reason not to, and I needed the knowledge that somewhere out there someone cared enough about me to take the time to check my blog. I became obsessed with posting every single day. I told people I had no idea why, but I said that because I didn't want to admit the truth. You see, the truth was I was scared that if I didn't give my readers something to read each day they'd think I was one of those people who had dissappeared from the blogs, then they'd stop coming to visit, and I needed them to visit. But then I came out the other side and found myself feeling like it was all too much. So I started disappearing for a few days leaving posts up for my readers. Except then I felt guilty for not being around to read their blogs. It got to the point where blogging felt like a chore, and I haven't enjoyed blogging for some time.



I don't want to do this any more. And by this I mean blogging.



I want to do what I have been over the past couple of weeks; go to events nearby (like the charity coffee morning we went to near the start of August), take walks with Kero, jump on the train with Kelly and Kero to go in to Hastings, sit at a cafe outside the train station and have a drink, go down by the sea and just sit there listening to the waves and seagulls, have my brother visit and play scrabble and BattleTech with him without worrying about whether the post I scheduled went up OK, and so on. I want to be able to just drop people a quick note to tell them the things I think worth mentioning without feeling guilty because there's been nothing from me in days. But I don't feel I can do that with a blog. I know plenty of people do, but I don't feel I can. With those feelings combined with the fact blogger's new "improvements" have made it extremely difficult for me to do a blog post, I've had enough.



I've almost deleted my blog so many ttimes since the start of this year it's not even funny. What stopped me was that I don't want to lose touch with the friends I've made on here. So I took some time off from the blogs to think things over.



I've decided I will be stopping blogging. I'm sorry, but I feel it's the right choice for me.



My blog will remain up for a few weeks to give everyone time to see this message, but after that I will be deleting it for good.



For anyone who wants to keep in touch with me, here are the places you can find me, and ways to get in touch with me once I delete this blog:



My website: http://www.zigler.co.uk

My Smashwords author page: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/toriz

My Goodreads author profile: http://www.goodreads.com/toriz

My Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/tori.zigler

My e-mail: toriz at talk talk dot net (obviously without spaces, and with the "at" and "dot" changed for the appropriate spaces).



NOTE: If you usually use a nickname on the blogs and haven't let people know your real name in the past, please make sure you let me know it's you when contacting me. For an e-mail you can do this by putting your nickname in the subject line, and for Facebook you can do this by sending me a quick message when adding me as a friend. I think Goodreads has a box you can use when adding someone as a friend.



Yes, that's right, I'm keeping Facebook. The reason for that is, quite simply, that it's how I keep in touch with most of my family and some family friends. Plus the fact that it's gotten to the point that Facebook is easier to use (especially now that I've figured out how to sync my mobile phone with my Facebook account, so I can update my status and reply to comments people leave on it without even needing to connect to the internet).



Anyway, that's how things stand... I'm deleting my blog, so if you want to keep in touch you need to grab my e-mail address or add me on either Goodreads or Facebook.



To keep up with book news, keep an eye on my website, my Smashwords author page, and/or my Goodreads profile. I will also be posting any news about my books on my Facebook wall, and will e-mail anyone who wants to be e-mailed when new books are published.

Willow's with her Mami

Willow is back with her "Mami" now. She was missing her so much and we think that was at least part of her issues with how she kept biting at herself until she was bleeding. We hope she will do better now. It's all we could think to do to help her. Kelly