I know, I forgot.

I forgot to blog yesterday. However, my goal is 3-5x a week, so I'm still good. I finished the first installment of the Traincoach of Death series (a mystery). It'll need editing, I'm sure, but I love the new world. Imagine if Great Britian won the Revolutionary War, or it would be known as the American Rebellion :D or some such thing. things would progress similarly as they took over this part, but maybe they would have conquered Mexico? I don't know. I haven't decided how far reaching they are in my alternate world. But one thing that's changed...We never made cars. It's all by rail or horses. But we have personal rail cars, called Traincoaches, which work much like our vehicles of today, except they run on rails.

I've been quite fascinated with it, ever since I had a dream set in such a world. I hope others are as fascinated as I am :D Now, I'm getting down and serious on finishing up Dangerous Journey (fantasy set in the world of Splintered Lands, as I've mentioned ad naseum lol)  :D Hopefully before the next set of edits on my paranormal romance, The Ulfric's Mate, get's back to me, or the Barely There edits from the anthology Ravaged, comes back to me.

Oh dear, have I confused you yet? LOL Yes, I have a TON of writing going on, and the best part? ALL of it is paid writing gigs :D *dances* *looks around* Ahem, excuse me, I'm just a bit excited over the whole thing! lol However, this pantster had to put her foot in the door of a plotter (I used to work in an office, I do know HOW to organize) and make files for everything (thank God we have a filing cabinet in the house now!) and make character cards, labeling the series and books each character has appeared in. *Shudder*

It was necessary.

In other news, we've been rearranging things and I'm going to have a painting space again :) I'm so excited I can barely keep the squeees from coming out LOL I've said it before, but I need to paint AND write. One helps the other. They are simbiotic with me. If I don't do both, they both suffer for it. I've been living vicariously through my good artist friend Russ Potak (who really is amazing. I may try to get him to interview here for me someday. I'm in love with his work. I can't get enough of it :) and looking at other art things when I can. As my old professor used to say: YOU CANNOT CREATE IN A VACCUUM!

Okay, soap box done for the day. I won't even go on about how that applies to writers as well and the need to READ...Oh wait, I just did *G* Consider it my PSA for the day.

Now, off to do more writing, reading, and organizing while dreaming about painting!

See?

I said I would blog more and here I am, blogging more :D

I went to dentist today and had a cleaning. I have 9 cavities left to fill. Oh and, by the way, we're pretty sure your insurance is used up. We'll double check. (the root canal eats it up quick!) sigh. Well, anyways, I'll figure out. Maybe some rich person will see my art and ask me to do paintings for every room of their gigantic mansion. Maybe a portrait or two? LOL It can happen...

Anyways, I'm just popping over 7k on my short, but haven't worked on it since 6am yesterday. I'm determined to finish it today and send it off tonight or tomorrow after a last run through. I've been editing as I go, so there shouldn't be too many problems. One can hope. After that, I'll be finishing the Dangerous Journey which was started as a serial here. Be sure to read from the beginning :D

I'll take fan mail at all time and if there's something you REALLY gotta know, be sure to tell me so it gets in the anthology LOL My fellow bloggers, readers, writers, et al. I must return to the fray. Fare the well, and all that!

One of those days

I'm so very happy I had my cover art to share today. It's about the only thing that's gone right. I did manage to get more words added to the short, Traincoach of Death. Put myself at 5250 since Tuesday? Monday? No, it was Sunday, but I did some edits on The Ulfric's Mate in the meantime. I know I missed some, but everytime I tried to read it, my eyes glazed over. Hard for me to edit when that keeps happening.

I finally sent it back saying I feel like I missed something.(I just couldn't do much more and didn't figure it would be much better until I'd finished these other shorts and had gotten the story to the back of my head, but that's like 2-3 more weeks! Couldn't leave it that long!) To which my awesome editor answered. something to the effect of no worries cuz we do 3-4 of these, line item editor gets her/his hands on them, then the proof reader... OMG IT'S so exciting and frightening at the same time :D

Anyways, although we finished a few small things, I still feel like a complete waste of day. How many of you know about my #MakeoverLeona which has changed to #MakeoverMavericks? I started by selling Mary Kay to help pay for it and so I could get my discount. I'm doing a small amount of excercise everyday, NO MATTER WHAT, and I plan on doing my hair and clothes before the year's out. It started because I wanted to look good for my author photos (my last photos were taken 3 years ago!) and has transcended into at least 3 others joing me! Anyone who wants to make any sort of changes in their lives to "make it over" is free to join us! We are all changing different aspects in our lives with the goal of being happier with ourselves and our lives. And all of this has stemmed from me getting that book contract!

And now, I've smiled. Writing is so good for me :D How about you? Writing good for you? Or is it art you do? What do you do to help yourself be healthy, happy, and comfortable in your own skin? Or are you?

Holy Cow!

I't s been nearly two months since I blogged. Lots of reasons, the main one is lack of internet, then internet and busy with deadlines! So exciting for me :D

Quick catchup:

1: Isaac (son who got burned) is doing fabulously and no longer sneaks behind me when I put him out of the kitchen.

2. My son Joshua, who'd moved to New Mexico is home (after much drama and oh $#!+s) :D Not living here, but I get to see  him once in a while :D missed him lots! He wasn't so good about staying in contact. lol Teenagers.

3. Daughter Ashley is still doing alright, no more hospital visits for her blood clots. They've apparently confirmed it was not a blood disease, but something else making her blood sticky. I thank god everyday for her Mayoturners which caught the sticky blood early so the blood clot in her brain didn't kill her!! Sometimes, physiological problems really are for the best!

4. My son Patrick, by far the smartest kid I know, is still lazy and fighting doing his work, just like when he was in public school. It was one of the reasons he was having so much trouble with his teachers. They don't like it when you don't do your home work.

5. My son Edward, ah, that boy is a different story everyday. When he wants to, he soars through schoolwork, when he doesn't, it takes him two hours to do a literally 2 min page for him. Ah yes, the joys of having kids too smart for their own good.

6. My husband Nate still has a job with benefits, thank God! He's been diagnosed with high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, high cholesterol, and told to make bunches of meds on top of the ones he takes for bipolar.

7. I had a short accepted into the anthology, Ravaged, by Breathless Press :D

8. I have a cajillion shorts to write for Splintered Lands and Ancient New (Deepwood Publishing co) and a novel to finish for Splintered Lands

9. Our tax return was NOT piddled away :D We bought fencing and kitchen cupboards. And boys a bit of clothes. Course, if I'm lucky, I'll have to pay in next year cuz, yanno, my book sales will rock :D

10. Boys are loving the new kitchen, even though we need more counters still, it's more room than we had before, and the remodel opened it up. they were so excited about it, they fought over who got to do the dishes!! Now that's one for the record books!

11. I've had a bunch of dental work done, so feeling much better, but have much more to go. Sigh. At least I have dental coverage through my husband's work.

Okay, that's a quick rundown of the highlights of last two months :) I'm going to be blogging more (again, I know :P) as I have decent internet. Also, I have a book (Ulfric's Mate) and an anthology (Ravaged) coming out. I have to do better :D I'm planning on putting the cover of my book, The Ulfric's Mate, as a picture on this site, and a banner here :D

Oh, I didn't tell you that?

MY COVER ART IS HERE!!! :D Spectacular! scrumptious, beautiful, gorgeous, brilliant, fantastic, truly magnificent. lol Get the idea that I like it? lol

Hope everyone has been doing well these past couple months. I did see I had a couple of comments I need to address, and I will! Thank you all for following me and being patient and walking this long road to publishing and beyond with me :D

follow up

So, my husband and I are in Seattle for the final time :) His burn is looking excellent and there's no more open sores/scabs, so he should be good to go. For our part, it's a long haul of super careful, keep it covered with sunscreen to keep from discoloration, worse scarring. I'm making soap from scratch to help, and he's using a "pour * mold" shea butter soap that I've added lavender, etc to until the other soap can be used.

I've also discovered some clay/minerals that'll help with scarring/burns, and another that will help with arthritits. My husband's family has arthritis from the time they are kids, and my kids have inherited that. I've been looking for something that will help that a) doesn't involve ingestion, and b) they'll use (doesn't stink) and c) is natural. Some nights, my boys cry in their sleep from their pain. Anways, I found what I need and next paycheck, will hopefully be able to get them as well.

I really wrote a storm of words, then this past week, nada. Zip. I'm feeling stressed about money now that I can't get internet, nor do I have phones. It's very frustrating. Things are getting better, but I can't find a decent internet service for a price that my family can handle :( I've read through some things I need for my writing, done a little thoughts, etc. which is good. I did some reading. Being stressed/depressed is when it's the hardest to do things, but I make myself do them. Soap making, drawing, coloring, etc. And then, I also do a lot of reading!! It's great for future writing.

Have a few ideas that's are percolating. We'll see what brews :) Hope everyone's new year is going well, and thanks for reading!

First week of the new year

It's been a crazy week to start off the new year. We've been to Seattle, Isaac checked out as doing wonderful, we're doing a wonderful job and we need to buy copious amounts of sunscreen because even when it's "just bright out" he needs sunscreen to help keep from scarring. We do have to go back in two weeks.

For last week and a half, our water situation has been a pisser. It's on between 2-5 hours a day. Will go off with no warning. It's very frustrating. Doing laundry for family of five is nearly impossible on that, especially since there's no notice that the water's on. So, when we got back from Seattle, we just stayed at our inlaws until last night.

On top of all of this, I started another short based on Rebellion on Piza seven as the world and it's stuff will fit in for another site. I've also added word count to a novel for Splintered Lands. Had to erase a bunch cuz I killed off a character that can't show up in later chapters now. I've also finished my "pre-edits" for Ulfric's Mate and sent them off. Filed out the cover art form for same MS, and sent it to the art director. All in the last week and a half. There's more, but, yanno, I can't remember everything LOL

We ordered internet today, so starting on Tuesday, we should have consistent internet. I'm so excited! The boys can do more of their school work online, I can get better teaching aides, writing research etc. Plus, my boys are excited about xbox live LMAO goofy kids. :D

Anyways, things are looking up, but if ya want to buy a painting from me, now would be a good time as we're really not set up for three trips to Seattle in less than a month. :) Thanks to work for an anthology, I'm not going to freak about the money any more, but would like to have more than just enough for gas and a pop :P But if not, I'm happy that we were able to go at all.

How exciting has your new year been? I hope things are going well for you all :D I'm looking forward to a MUCH better year than the last!

Thanks for a thanks :)

http://vampwritergrrl.blogspot.com/2012/01/lbushman-studios-on-etsy.html

This linke will send you to Robin's blog. She's encouraging everyone to buy home crafted items, to support families like mine, and thanking me for the items she has received.

This woman has, even through her own personal turmoil, helped me when I most needed it. We lost a lot of money when my daughter was in the hospital. My husband didn't lose his job, but he was only 6 months in and had already used most of his sick/personal days up. He had to take the one extra day he had of personal time before FMLA kicked in, so he did get a bit, but other than that, he didn't. Between the extra gas, money for me in the hospital, his time off work, and a medical garnishment that started that month, we were down about 3/4-1month's pay. That may not seem like a lot, but to us...it hurt. So I started trying to sell my paintings. My friend told me about etsy, how to go about everything, was my first customer and told me so dos and don'ts.

I didn't make much, but I did get enough to get gas money for my husband to get to work before the next payday. What I gained though, was confidence. Confidence to put my stuff out there. I still haven't made as much as we lost at that point, or enough to pay for any of my other medical bills, but I have had that little bit come in when I needed it most. Almost *all* of my money I earned has gone to gas and groceries. Very little back into my art. I need to do that now and my next sell, I'm buying yellow and green paint LOL She's also been encouraging in my writing and a fellow groaner as we cut/edit/look for just the right word, and dream!

Between her and my MIL, I can believe in myself even when I don't.

Thank you!!