Bryony - Official Book Trailer

Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have a Book!

http://www.bryonyseries.com/Dalton_s_Dry_Goods.html

Tim Hawkins-70s in 6 minutes

NaNoWriMo Whatever Day It Is and Giving Thanks

Okay, since I've delayed the official Herald News story,  here's the incident that (sort of) kicked me out of the National Novel Writing Month.

I love antiques, and my house is full of them. One particularly heavy dresser, with heavy drawers that stick, belonged to my maternal grandmother. On November 9th at  8:15 p.m. exactly (I know because I had just looked at my computer clock and realized I was fifteen minutes later feeding the cats), I decided to grab some cozy flannels and set up for a shower while the kitties were eating.

As I was shoving the resisting drawer back into place, my calico, Faith, decided at that moment to leap across the room and grab onto the draw to peer inside. I slammed her paw flush into the drawer, leaving her dangling. I never heard an animal scream as she did. I quickly pulled on the drawer, and as I did, Faith, in pain and fright, sank her teeth into my thumb.

Owwww! PAIN!

The drawer popped; Faith dashed away; and I knew I was in trouble. I flew down the stairs and into the bathroom and started washing out the wound in hot, soapy water, forcing the pinholes to bleed. Faith stood at the top of the ladder crying, crying, crying. My thumb was already reddening and swelling, but it seemed impossible infection could be developing so soon. The redness, I told myself, was because I have chronic hives; the warmth I felt was due to the fact I was running my hand under hot water; the swelling and tenderness was trauma to the thumb bone.

I comforted Faith and then showered and climbed into bed, but the status of my thumb bothered me. I remembered the past cellulitis incidents of my children and how rapidly a soft tissue infection could spread. I recalled a neighbor who, after noting a slightly red hair follicule, took a short nap and awakened to a swollen face; he died en route to the hospital. I switched on the light and examined my hand. The thumb was definitely red and swollen. I turned the computer back on and typed in "cat bites."

I learned one could adopt a "wait and see" approach with some dog bites, depending on their severity, but cat bites must always be considered a medical emergency. The combination of their long, sharp fangs and the particular type of bacteria they carry in their mouths meant a bite from them literally injected that bacteria directly into soft tissue. I was already sleepy from the drowsy antihistamines I take at bedtime, so I needed a ride.

Ron had to be at the warehouse in three hours, so waking him up was the worst option. Timothy was already in bed and had to be at work at seven o'clock in the morning. Christopher had been dragging all day and was nearly asleep, but he works from home and had nothing pressing to do the next morning. Sooo, after enduring all of his "you're paranoid" and "this can wait until tomorrow" comments, we were off to the ER.

Confession time. I don't know if it's because I have allergies, chronic hives, and asthma (and have experienced the unpleasant consequences of those afflictions), but I have a medical phobia. I am not afraid of hospitals or needles, but of the substances I have to swallow--or have injected into me--in the name of healing. I fear nasty side effects and allergic reactions. I FEAR them. However, I feared worse what might happen to me should I not treat this a cat bite, so here I was in this unhappy predicament.

The ER trip was straightforward, as I feared it would be. One tetnus shot (My last one was in the summer of 1986) and my choice of two antibiotics. Because I'm allergic to penicllin (big surprise), the protocol is one antibiotic from each of two lists. The nurse rattled off two medicines I'd never had--doxycycline and clindamycin--which meant, if I became allergic to either one, I wouldn't know which one.

Sigh. Decisions.

Let's back up. Just two weeks ago, my daughter and web administrator Sarah Stegall had four wisdom teeth removed. Preoperatively and during the post-op period, she took low doses of prescribed clindamycin. On day nine of her treatment, she emailed me a photo of a pimply-looking rash over her shoulders and chest and asked me if it was subcutaneous emphysema. I called her.

"Subcutaneous emphysema? Do you know what that is?"

"No," she said, "but a friend had it after having wisdom teeth pulled."

"That's not Subcutaneous emphysema, but I am concerned about the rash."

Sarah was not. "It doesn't itch."

"Doesn't matter. Have you ever had a rash like this?"

"No. I woke up with it today."

"I'll call you back."

I researched clindamycin reactions and found it can, indeed, produce a distinct pustular rash. I emailed Sarah and told her to show her pharmacist. She agreed to do it later. I awakened the next morning to frantic texts from Sarah. She was in the ER, rash spreading, throat tightening, in pain with two dry sockets and waging war with the doc on call, who claimed it was impossible to have an allergic reaction to a major antibiotic. Abridged ending 9minus the unprintable comments I had about the doc): antibiotic stopped, new pain meds initiated, and an ER trip to the dentist for socket packing. Fast forward to cat bite.

"Can I take Bactrim?" I'd had drug for the first time last year for a leg abcess (another long story), and I had tolerated it "okay."

That eliminated the doxycycline, but the nurse insisted I still needed the clindamycin. I told her about Sarah's reaction and my phobia.

"Have you ever tried Flagyl? We could use that one instead."

I didn't like that option either because that was another unproven drug for me. SIGH! Yes, I know there's only one way to prove it.

"Well," I said slowly. Rebekah did well with clindamycin. I'll try it."

The nurse brought in the clindamcyin first and suggested I wait half an hour before taking the Bactrim. That way, if I had a negative reaction to the clindamycin, I'd have it in the ER.

Well, I did fine with the Clindamycin, and then the Bactrim, so I was sent home with the next morning's dose and told to expect the hand, which was now as swollen as the thumb, to get worse before it got better. I was also instructed to elevate the hand as much as possible, although typing was not prohibited. Just what a features writer on deadline wants to hear.

By next afternoon, I was running a low grade fever, and the infection was traveling up my arm. The plan was to now temporarily stop the Bactrim and initiate ER IV anitbioitic treatments with a powerful cephalosporin used to treat bacterial meningitis. In theory, so I wouldn't have to be stuck each night for the next five nights was to leave the port in my arm. However, I ended up blowing every vein, so the result was a painful arm by day and a new stick each night.

On Monday night, after the last treatment, and as I was stepping out of the shower, I noticed a familiar-looking rash over my chest and shoulders. It was Day Five of the clindamycin. I called the ER (It was 10:30 at night), rattled off my dilemna, and mentioned my next dose was due in an hour. I was to resume the Bactrim in the morning.The nurse consulted with a doc and told me to stop the antibiotic and see my primary tomorrow.

I did, hoping I had enough germ-busting drugs in my system to skip choice number two from list number two, but I wasn't that lucky. She wrote a one-week prescription for Flagyl. From the very does, swallowed at home in a flurry of anxiety, and, within ten minutes, I felt a tightening of my body from head to toe.
\
Now, let me explain that I experienced a similar reaction to an abundance of epinephrine when I had the pheochromocytoma (an adrenal gland tumor; again, another long story), so I dismissed (sort of) the reaction to my anxiety. I also had the same reaction to H2 agonists last year when a doc prescribed them as a secondary drug for the hives, but that drug also produced a rapid heartbeat, which did not happen with the Flagyl.

Do you see why I have a drug phobia?

Sooooo, since tachycardia was absent, I chalked up the reaction to nerves. The next morning, I hardly felt the squeezing, but the following night, it was back. The following morning's dose was fine and so on, until Friday night when, five minutes after I swallowed my Flagyl, I experienced a pressure so strong, I had difficulty swallowing and typing; my muscles painfully ached. That's when I realized my morning reaction might be milder because I was full of all the antihistamines from the previous night.

Shaking all over, I called my doctor, and she told me to stop the medicine and complete the Bactrim. As a precaution, she suggested I add Benadryl to my anithistamine cocktail, but since I take so many and with "off label" dosees, I decided to monitor my symptoms and go to the ER, if necessary. I was fine.

I did, noticing the Bactrim also caused the same symptoms, just milder, so it's definitely a drug I will use with caution in the future.

So what does this all have with National Writing Month? Well, these allergic reactions and infection treatments took a huge bite (so to speak) out of my already tight schedule, as I frantically rushed to complete the assignments already on deadline.

I did, however, establish a habit of working on the prequel for one hour a day. Basically, I go through every chapter, flesh out the outline in place (not quite to the first draft stage yet), and make lists of the topics needing further research. I have worked my way through nearly a third of the prequel so far and that is one-third farther along than I was October 31.

I also, for the first time, had no assignments bleeding into the four-day Thanksgiving weekend. This meant I made a nice dent into the beginning editing of Visage, of which I am highly pleased.

Finally, I found some wonderful support and understanding in the person of Tommy Connolly, Bryony's media researcher and developer, who recently appeared on Animal Planet's Extreme Animal Phobia series to treat his bat phobia.

Every day, he sent a nice Facebook, "How's the paw," message and encouraged me in my courageous facing of the medicines. While I'm not quite at the stage of saying, "Wow, I'm so glad this happened. Look at all the good that came from it," I'm certainly thankful and appreciative of those things, just the same.

And Faith? Well, she was a little shy the following morning, but we cuddled and made up. Seriously, if she would have slammed my hand in the drawer, I probably would've bitten her, too.

Harder.

Classical Christmas Medley (Instrumental Music)

An Endorsement from the IVA

That's Irish Vampire Association to the uninitiated. In a recent email telegram, Ed Calkins, the Steward of Tara and first official Irish vampire, sent the following message:  "I've got the whole IVA rooting for you. (Don't know what financial help that is)."

Well, money isn't everything, and it's nice to know the entire IVA is supporting Bryony's cause. Despite the impressiveness of that claim, however, you must know the IVA has a membership of just one (Calkins), and maybe two, since he claims the organization has dubbed me an honory member.

Still, despite its lack of a structured vampire mythology, Ireland has, nevertheless, made some important contributions to vampire lore. Read the following and judge for yourself:

www.darkecho.com/darkecho/horroronline/irish_vampire.html

All the verses to "Over the River and Through the Woods"

Originally titled, "A Boy's Thanksgiving Day," Lydia Marie Child's peom first appeared in 1844 her book, "Flowers for Children." Child was a teacher, novelist, and journalist. Sound familiar?

Although I thought I knew all the verses, it turns out I didn't know most of them. I can still sing it, though, or, at least, warble a few notes that somewhat resembles singing.

         
          Over the river, and through the wood,
          To Grandfather's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

through the white and drifted snow.

          Over the river, and through the wood,
          To Grandfather's house away!
          We would not stop for doll or top,
          For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood—

Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose

As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,

With a clear blue winter sky,

The dogs do bark, and children hark,

As we go jingling by.

Over the river, and through the wood,

To have a first-rate play.

Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding",

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood,

No matter for winds that blow,

Or if we get the sleigh upset

Into a bank of snow

Over the river, and through the wood,

To see little John and Ann.

We will kiss them all, and play snow-ball,

And stay as long as we can.

Over the river, and through the wood

Trot fast, my dapple-gray!

Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,

For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood—

And straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go extremely slow,

It is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood,

Old Jowler hears our bells.

He shakes his pow, with a loud bow-wow,

And thus the news he tells.

Over the river, and through the wood,

When Grandmother sees us come,

She will say, "Oh, dear, the children are here,

Bring a pie for everyone."

Over the river, and through the wood—

Now Grandmother's cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Happy Thanksgiving and a Recipe for Queen's Cake

Last Thanksgiving, I posted a recipe for a Victorian pumpkin pie:

http://bryonyseries.blogspot.com/2010/11/1850-recipe-for-pumpkin-pie.html

This year, I found something a little different: Queen's Cake. It's far too rich for me to reproduce at home, but perhaps you're a bit more indulgant. At any rate, it's certainly not intended for everyday fare.

So if you're an adult from the United States and are commemorating Thanksgiving today, or if you live in another country and just feeling overall celebratory, and you have some time to spare, perhaps give this recipe a try.

First published in

Miss Beecher’s domestic receiptbook: designed as a supplement to her Treatise on domestic economy.

Queen's Cake:

1 pound dried and sifted flour

1 pound sugar

1/2 pound butter

4 eggs

1 nutmeg

1 gill of wine

1 gill of brandy

1 gill thin cream

1 pound fruit

Rub butter and sugar together. Beat separately the yolks and whites of the eggs. Mix all the ingredients, except the flour and the fruit, which must be added just before putting in the oven. This makes two three-pint pans full. It requires one and a half hours to bake.

Note: 1 gill equals 1/2 cup

Courtney and Katie Mini Documentary

NCYC 2011 DAY 2 : MashetiMoses

"EXTRA HANDS of HOPE" , Written/Performed by Charmane Ward

AMAZING! One Man Plays Two Grand Pianos At Once - La Campanella - Josh W...

Tuatha De Danaan Celtic Spirit COMING HOME

NaNoWriMo Day # 18 and "The Master Player" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar

Bryony Prequel, Section One: Nothing

Word Count: 0

Hopefully, this is something I can rectify starting tomorrow morning!

The challenges to attaining it: I have two editors going on vacation, so they  need stories stockpiled, plus I have early deadlines with next week's Thanksgiving holiday.

The very good news: Our family will celebrate a formal Thanksgiving this Sunday and an informal one the following Saturday, so I will have a stretch of time when no one will want anything from me. I can see it now, a several day stretch of fiction and more fiction.

Please, God, no more emergencies.


"The Master-Player"
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

An old, worn harp that had been played
Till all its strings were loose and frayed,
Joy, Hate, and Fear, each one essayed,
To play. But each in turn had found
No sweet responsiveness of sound.

Then Love the Master–Player came
With heaving breast and eyes aflame;
The Harp he took all undismayed,
Smote on its strings, still strange to song,
And brought forth music sweet and strong.

NaNoWriMo Day #16 & 17 and Driving Directions to Munsonville

Bryony Preqel, Section One, Etc: Nothing :(

Word Count: 0

The plan is to return to the prequel tomorrow, barring additional unforseen disasters, etc.

On a brighter note, my sixteen year old son Daniel, who has a fascination for maps and geography, worked out "driving directions" to fictional Munsonville based on reading the Bryony books. Warning: Munsonville exists solely in the imagination. I'm sure where one might end up by traveling this route.

Assuming Grovers Park, Illinois, is near Highland Park, Illinois:

1) Go south on Highway 94 to Highway 196 (114.96 miles; 2 hours, 16 minutes)

2) Go north on Highway 196 until Highway 131 in Grand Rapids, Michigan (79.80 miles; 1 hour, 19 minutes)

3) Go north on Highway 131 to Exit 15 (Black Spruce Road) in Thornton (164.30 miles; 2 hours, 45 minutes)

4) Stay east through the towns of Shelby (30 minutes), Jenson (30 minutes), and into Munsonville (30 minutes). (82 miles; 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Estimated travel distance and time: 359.85 miles; 9 hours, 10 minutes

Bryony Official Music Video

NaNoWriMo #15 and Over-Editing Syndrome

Bryony Preqeul, Secton One, etc.: No check. :(

Word Count: 0

I debated titling this blog Confession of a Medical Phobic (I had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics I was taking, so I get to try a NEW drug tonight, oh joy!), but decided to focus on another condition I've been battling: over-editing syndrome.

Over the past couple of years, the amount of editing I do has vastly increased. I not only self-edit my "regular" work, but I've spent hours upon hours pouring through Bryony, and that's on top of the occasional editing assignment I'll assume for another writer.

While all this editing is sharpening my skills, I now have an inner editor monitoring my social media posts and my rough drafts, but it doesn't stop there. I scour for mistakes in my children's textbooks, other books I am reading (I can now pick up any book and find errors), and even educational pamphlets.

The other night, while at a hospital emergency department, I noticed a stack of flyers listing policy and procedures. Since I had nothing else to do as I waited at the desk, I read the flyer. Soon, I was nudging my son and pointing.

"There's a common error here."

He rolled his eyes.

Then I noticed the "pardon our dust" construction sign on the window.

"I don't know," I said. "The sentence structure sounds clumsy."

You get the picture.

As I read through Bryony's proof copy for what I hope will be the last time, I have to squelch the urge to second-guess grammar and punctuation rules and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

I hear this is common with other writers, but I never dreamed I'd fall victim to it. So if my mind is so persnickety, Why do I still keep making mistakes?

NaNoWriMo Day #'s 13 & 14 and Miscellaneous Munsonville Musings

Bryony Prequel, Section One: Nothing

Word Count: 0

Hand is getting there; hopefully, the prequel will soon be, too. I'm reluctant to give away details yet, since I will be writing about the mishap for the Herald News. When that day comes, I'll share the link. At any rate, National Novel Writing Month's good intentions aside, this was one sidetrack I hadn't seen coming.

My book designer, Serena Diosa, author of Tinkey's Goldfish, had a family emergency last week, but we are meeting on Thursday evening. I'm using this extra time to give Bryony one last read. Once formatting errors are repaired, we will FINALLY have a book ready to go. I've also made a dent in some other editing projects, so, all in all, the hand injury wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Definitely missing the five-mile walk, but had no energy for it, until today. Now, if I could just stop oversleeping....

On the crisis homefront, I now have a sick cat, and my oldest son has an infected tooth. He's following right behind my oldest daughter, who just had four iinfected and impacted wisdom teeth removed and then waged war on an antibiotic allergic reaction and two dry sockets. Rebekah pulled her back while emptying garbage cans at the warehouse, and Daniel's bloody nose has returned, necessitating another cauterization. It's starting to look like an infirmary around here.

Sarah Stegall, Bryony's web administrator, has been working with Rebekah (who's now offically the web administrator assistant) on creating Bryony Facebook ads. Those should be up and running by next week. Tommy Connolly, Bryony's media researcher and developer, is putting the finishing touches on the press kit.

Last Wednesday, earlier in the day, before the hand emergency thing, the lovely Kallan Dee Ellis of KALLAN Studios, shot some gorgeous publicity photos at the P. Seth Magosky Museum of Victorian Life and Joliet History. The idea was to have a press shot of me with a Bryony aura, and Kallan more than successfully accomplished it. I can't wait to show off the pictures!

Also, Dulcinea Hawksworth, Bryony's director of marketing, completed the "music box," which has been duly sent for CAL Graphics, Inc. for completion of the official CD cover for The Best-Loved Compositions of John Simons, the CD that contains all the Bryony music--including the theme song--that pianist/composer James Onohan created just for the novel.

To create Bryony's music box, Dulcinea started with simple wood box with a gold clasp from a craft store, stained the box to resemble cherry wood, then painted on green vines and pink flowers. I think she is also intending to line it. I've only seen pictures, but those are beautiful. I can't wait to see it up close.

In the meantime, I'm reveiwing editing options for Visage, so we can start, in earnest, on planning a release date for Bryony book number two. We are also in the end stages of finalizing the Bryony cookbook.

Stay tuned and pray this author's hands stay safe!

"Simple Gifts" (old Shaker hymn) performed by Kathy Welch

NaNoWriMo Day #12 and a Plea from Ed Calkins, the Steward of Tara

Bryony Prequel, Section One, et., etc.: No check.
Word Count: 0.

Still struggling with the hand, so saving energy reserves, etc. to regular assignments, which are mounting. Still, have full intentions of returning to that prequel sooner than later.

In the meantime, I received an email from Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, concerning "voter fraud" surrounding his annual Queen of Christmas contest.

You see, one of Ed's "community-building" projects in the newspaper distrubution center where he currently works is buying and giving Christmas presents to all of the carriers' children in his agency.

As part of this project, Ed asks the carriers to submit names of women carriers they feel would make an ideal Queen of Christmas. The winner collects the childrens' names, ages, and general interests for Ed; they also distribute the presents he purchases.

So what's the problem? I'll let you read it for yourself.

Hard as it may be to believe, I have been accused of unethically influencing the Queen of Christmas nominations. Naturally, I promised a full and speedy investigation from an independent, fair, and reputable investigator.

Only after making that promise did I wonder if I knew anyone like that! But, of course, I do. You, Denise, have the journalistic chops that should impress even the most sceptical of my critics.

  

Your mandate is simple! Look for evidence of corruption or misdealings in the nomination process of 2011 on my behave. Remember, I promised a full and speedy investigaion, so you must respond with your findings within my deadline.

Also, you must grant as full of review as can be made on a post 2008 budget, which, if you've opened this email, you're already over. (Sorry, you will not be reimbursed.)

Be fair and inpartial, but remember you're not getting paid for this, and it's not worth your time. When the deadline (five minutes after you receive this) has expired, you need not respond if not a shred of evidence is found; your silence will be understood that way.

However, if you do find wrong doing, you must report it to the proper authorities, unless you consider me as too prejudiced to receive your findings.

P.S. Should you actually look in to this, do not be concerned about the ballots found in the garbarge, as poor handwriting clearly disqualfied them.

Of course, I remained silent (except for a few hearty chuckles while reading). Would you have done otherwise?

NaNoWriMo Day #11 and "Kosmos" by Walt Whitman

Bryony Prequel, First Section, Chapter 10: No check. :(

Word Count: Zero.

No, this is not lack of discipline, or I would not be writing this blog today. I did, however, have a hand injury (right hand, no less, sigh!), whose treatment is taking up some of my time, even as I struggle to meet other deadlines. No fear; I will be back at the prequel before too long.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) seems to be the buzz word lately. One friend is rehearsing a one-man play about Whitman's life; another, who just agreed to do some regular guest-blogging from Bryony, has this poem posted on his Facebook wall. Since it's also one of my favorites, I'm including it here.


Kosmos

WHO includes diversity, and is Nature,
Who is the amplitude of the earth, and the coarseness and sexuality of the earth, and the great charity of the earth, and the equilibrium also,
Who has not look’d forth from the windows, the eyes, for nothing, or whose brain held audience with messengers for nothing;
Who contains believers and disbelievers—Who is the most majestic lover;
Who holds duly his or her triune proportion of realism, spiritualism, and of the aesthetic, or intellectual,	5
Who, having consider’d the Body, finds all its organs and parts good;
Who, out of the theory of the earth, and of his or her body, understands by subtle analogies all other theories,
The theory of a city, a poem, and of the large politics of These States;
Who believes not only in our globe, with its sun and moon, but in other globes, with their suns and moons;
Who, constructing the house of himself or herself, not for a day, but for all time, sees races, eras, dates, generations,	10
The past, the future, dwelling there, like space, inseparable together.

	5

NaNoWriMo Day #10, and a Recipe for the Ailing

Bryony Prequel, Section One, Chapter 9: Check!

Word count: 819

Well, missed another morning today, but I'm feeling confident I can make it back up, now that the story is in my "blood," so to speak.

Had a bit of a mishap last night and moving at a slow pace, but today, I'm very thankful for twenty-first century comfort food. Had I lived in Victorian times, someone might have served me one of these:

Barley Water

2 ounces pearl barley
1/2 pint boiling water
2 quarts boiling water
2 ounces figs
2 ounces raisins, stoned

Put the barley into the half-pint of boiling watere, and let it simmer five minutes; pour off the water, and add the two quarts of boiling water, figs, and raisins, and let it boil till reduced to a quart. Strain it for a drink.

A great Favorite with Invalids:
My note: I already don't like it.

Brisk cider OR acid jellies (when cider is unavailable)
Water
Sugar, to taste
Toasted bread OR toasted crackers
Nutmeg

Take one-third cider or jelly to two-thirds water, sweeten it, crumb in bread or crackers, and grate on nutmeg.

Both recipes adapted from, Miss Beecher’s domestic receiptbook: designed as a supplement to her Treatise on domestic economy.

Arghhh!!! It's Monday morning.

And a crazy Monday it is.

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines: three stories and one press release, plus a fundraising story. I love fundraising stories, but the "why" is for another post.

In between, I've answered questions about Vamp Fest (the October 14 "Bryony" themed fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties--www.bbbs

NaNoWriMo Day #9 and Sneak Peek at "Bryony" Music

Bryony Prequel, Section One, Chapter 8: check!

Word Count: 818

It's James Onohan Wednesday!

The official Bryony CD, The Best-Loved Compostions of John Simons is released and available for purchase through James' website. Samples of all the tracks, including the Bryony theme song, are also on that site.

Even if you're not a lover of piano music, I think you will find James' music hauntingly beautiful. And if you do enjoy quality piano music, no further words are required. A recent reviewer of Bryony just emailed me and said the music sounds just like John. So while you're waiting for Bryony's release, check out this music and get a glimpse into the personality of Bryony's lead vampire.

To listen, visit http://jamesonohan.webs.com/My%20Life%20Bryony.html

NaNoWriMo Day #8 and How Soon Before "Bryony" is Available?

Bryony Prequel, Section One, Chapter 3: Check!

Word Count: 842

Very soon, I hope!

Now that the "red tape," has HOPEFULLY been resolved (and which details, I also hope, can be shared in another blog), I'm meeting with Bryony's book designer on Friday, and we're picking through my notes in the proof copy.

Again, hopefully, we shall finish that last bit of editing (a result of over-editing at this point, but that, too, is a long story), re-upload the manuscript to the printer, find that the red tape has been finally cleared, and order (another hopefully) what should be the last proof copy.

We're targeting a Thanksgiving Day release date. Please send up prayers, well-wishes, nice thoughts, etc., that we're a go this time.

In the meantime, there's been plenty to keep me busy: the usual and customary family drama (and a few additional mountains, too), the prequel to outline, the completion of the press kit (another photo shoot tomorrow), homeschooling, and the welcoming of my third grandson.

I've set aside the editing of Visage (for now) in favor of the prequel and helping to edit Tommy Connolly's (Bryony's media researcher and developer) upcoming book: Soul Parole: Making Peace with my Mind, God, and Myself.

In the book, which is based on his blog (www.tommyconnolly.blogspot.com) Tommy candidly details his journey from life as an addict to new life as a Christian, comedian, and actor. Tommy will donate a portion of the book's profits to  go to Chicago-area addiction, homeless, and mental health centers and programs.

I also have, in various stages of beginnings or completions, two press releases about two outstanding volunteers, a press release about a new hip procedure, a story about a family's fight against polycystic kidney disease, how a youth ministry internship changes a journalism student's life, and an American Idol-type competition.

Coming up this week is a local resident's first CD, a woman who designs fashion-conscious clothing for medical patients, An Extraordinary Life piece on a man who fabricated his original jewelry, and an empath. Also, thankfully, next week's schedule is also full. Plus, I'm on the look-out for a pet story for next Tuesday.

Wish me luck!

NaNoWriMo Day#6, Some Thoughts About the Prequel Thus Far, and Another "Bryony" Moment of the Day

Prequel Chapters 4, 5, 6: Check!
Word Count: 1329
New Files Opened and Notes Made: General Research, New characters, New Places, Backstories

Alllll righty then! I'm back in the novel-writing saddle!

Despite the usual routine and two family emergencies, Bryony's prequel is on its way. I've done some terrific rough drafts on three chapters, delved into some of the history behind them (Praise God for the internet!), opened three new files of notes for further research that needs to be done, and added new info to the fourth.

Of, course, I did get behind in my "regular" work, so this morning requires some restructuring. Nevertheless, that is completely do-able (I hope).

Since the drafts of Bryony books two and three required far less historical background than the first, I'd forgotten how much fun I'd had recreating a past time. And, because this book ventures into all the back stories, there's a ton of new characters to name and enliven, all with THEIR back stories. It's an exhilarating process.

Another Bryony Moment of the Day. A book designer posted a video on my Facebook wall today. She said it reminded her of Bryony. Watch and see!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bobskjQwWI

Lucas Piano - "This is our God" (Hillsong Music Australia 2008)

NaNoWriMo Day #5 and "Bryony" Moment of the Day

Well, it's not even a week into National Novel Writing Month, and I've already slipped away from my best resolve.

Never mind the excuses (and they were good ones, too). I really could have given one hour to the deed had I structured the remaining hours of the day differently. Instead, the proof copy of Bryony beckoned me, which did needed to be scanned for errors since I'm meeting with my book designer on Friday, and, even though I knew I was lying to myself, I decided to quickly read through JUST ONE chapter of the book, then bang out my promised chapter of the prequel.

You can guess what happened.

Even more embarrassing, once I came back to the prequel today (with the equally good intention of writing TWO chapters, along with four writing assignments and the day's assorted fires that needed extinguishing), I spent more time typing in the research that needs to be done if I'm to chronicle the events in that chapter correctly.

In short, I really could've and should've written it yesterday, because it was hardly a brain-taxing task.

So now I'm behind and the only way to catch up tomorrow will be to write those two chapters...and the four writing assignments, sigh!. I did, however, finish the proof copy of Bryony, and that's leaving me feeling pretty darn satisfied.

On another note, did you know I belong to a fan club? It's one dedicated to the 1970's British comedy trio, The Goodies, and, although I haven't visted the site lately, there's an ongoing forum topic called, "Goodie Moment of the Day." That's where fans post random occurances with a Goodie "feel."

Recently, I've had several "Bryony Moments of the Day." Today, I'm posting a link to a story I wrote a few weeks back. It's about a family with a christening gown dating from the 1890's that has been passed down the generations. It's made, of all things, from Irish linen. When I met with two of the family members, they had brought the actual gown for me to see and touch. Wow!

Here's the link. Enjoy!

http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/lifestyles/7674670-423/family-christening-gown-in-use-since-1894.html

NaNoWriMo Day #4 and "Markheim" by Robert Lewis Stephenson

Bryony Prequel, Section One, Chapter 3: check!
Word count:  1789

"Markheim," by Robert Lewis Stephenson, first published in 1884, opens on Christmas Day with the protagonist badgering a shop dealer for the perfect present. The gift, however, is a cover for the protagonist's real motive, which is murder, then theft.

As the protagonist moves about the shop, seeking money, fears of being detected and having the dead body exposed plague him, until a supernatural being warns him of impending visitors and offers to point him in the right direction.

Whenever I read this story with my teens, I always cover the last line and ask them to guess what happens. They are invariably wrong.

Read the full text at
www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/1851/

NaNoWriMo Day #3, Kitty Alarms, and Middle-of-the-Night Cleaning

Bryony Prequel, Section One, Chapter 2: check!
Word count: 1378.

Faith, my calico, woke me up at three a.m., and I am happy for that, but not for my kitty's original intention. I had overslept, but her stomach clock had "dinged" an hour early, so for the next sixty minutes, she, and all her relatives, mournfully followed me around the house while I drank coffee and swept floors, wondering why I wasn't feeding them yet.

Living in a house that never sleeps means I rarely need to set an alarm clock, for I can always count on a "meow" or a phone alarm (Timothy sets it to take his medicine) waking me up should I snooze past my customary rising time.

Luckily, sleeping late rarely cripples my writing schedule, but it does cut into my housework time. A messy, disorganized house seems to breed messy, disorganized minds, which are definite handicaps when you and your family work and school from home.

For some people, those midnight cleaning sprees are insomnia cures only, but for me, they are the most logical times to clean the bathroom, scrub the floors, and note the little projects that need attention (the coffee cart needs reinforcing, the little white bathroom table requires a coat of paint, and the aluminum can bag needs changing).

That's because I not only live in a small house with any number of people and cats moving about it all day long, my life revolves around deadlines, jumping from task to task all day long, and extinguishing fires. Three o'clock in the morning cleaning marathons afford me a long stretch of quiet time, perhaps accompanied by my mP3 player and ear plugs, to scrub, clean, and mentally write. This last is very important since it dramatically cuts down the amount of time I sit staring at a blank screen when I should be typing masterpieces.

And speaking of masterpieces, the computer clock says 6:37. Time to get cracking on that novel!

Bryony - Official Book Trailer

NaNoWriMo Day #2

Yesterday: First section, Chapter 1,  rough draft: Check!

Word Count: 1968

It's only Day two of National Novel Writing Month, and I'm already losing heart.

I overslept, so my already bursting at the seams "to do" list for today is shouting out for attention and doing a good job of squashing any fledgling good intentions of writing Chapter 2 today.

Luckily for me, yesterday, I tucked the outline I had previously written into the back of my head and allowed ideas to simmer there all afternoon and evening. At bedtime, I was still jotting ideas, so I'm not starting with am empty slate.

I'm going to do it. I'm going to write that prequel's first draft this month. Period.

The schedule is now face-down on my desk; my appointment book is closed. I'm ignoring all the frustrating red tape that's preventing the first and current Bryony book--already dressed in its glorious proof clothing--from hitting final publication. I'm posting this blog, turning off the objections, turning on the right mood music, and getting those half-germinated ideas into my computer where they belong.

Then, and only then, will I turn my attention to the rest of duties clamoring to be heard.

Nineteenth century Munsonville, here I come!

National Novel Writing Month Day #1

Last night, I made a spontaneous decision to unofficially join National Novel Writing Month.

According to Wikipedia, the internet-based event began in 1999 with just 21 participants writing a fresh 50,000 word novel between November 1 and November 30. Bloggers quickly spread news of the projects so that, by last year, over 200,000 participated in the challenge and wrote nearly three milllion words.

WOW!

Official entrants registers on the website and post daily word counts. While I'm not going quite that far, my goal is to write a skeletal chapter of the first thirty chapters of Bryony's prequel (the book has forty total) by November 30 and to (hopefully) extend the festivities until December 10th to (finally) complete a rough, working draft.

I admit that, in the past, I've pooh-poohed NaNoWriMo because of rumors that finished products were amateurish, and that might be quite possibly true. However, any first draft is bound to read thus, and since that's my objective here (It's not like I'm going to let anyone READ this early draft), I'm okay with that, this time.

Barriers to completion include grueling time constraints (Our household had been running in crisis mode all year, which is unlikely to change because of NaNoWriMo) along severe energy deficits because of it. I now also allow my inner editor to peer over my shoulder while I write, which hinders both my progress and my confidence. All editors: MARCH! (points finger to my awesome creaking, swinging door at the entrance to my office attic).

One of my accountability tools, however, is to use my own blog for daily updates and word counts. I'm also setting a one-hour time limit to complete the task. I'm not off to a very good start either. I have to leave in under an hour to take Daniel to a doctor's appointment...and I have TONS of things to accomplish before I can head over to chapter one.

Soooooo, I'm going to firm up the prequel, finish getting ready to walk out the door, and make chapter one top priority when I return, before answering voice mails, taking phone calls, checking email, getting out for my sanity walk, heeding pleas for homework help, etc. etc. etc.

(Drum roll) LET THE GAMES BEGIN!