Cold Days, Hot Nights

It's that time - the first Wednesday of the month and time for:

And it all begins, kind of like this:

In the dying days of winter...

Hah!  Dying days?

She's fooled us again, at least out here on the prairie and yes, at this time of year it's all about the weather!

 -38 Celsius(-36 Fahrenheit) is an all-time record, at least it was on the day I began to draft this post.  Winter isn't about to die, crap out or expire any time soon.  I had to use that phrase, any time soon.  Why?  It's one of those radio announcer phrases that really should die right along with this year's winter.

So there you have it, the cold part of this post, but to get to the hot we have to work our way through a little weirdness.  Everywhere in life there are the seeds of a story and some weeks the ground is fairly littered with ideas. Here's a recent day as an example - the weirdness of it, there lies the story. 

The day began with a visit with my mother who is still getting used to her new condo.  I suspect she is pining for the house she left behind after living there since she was a bride.  And she's also made it known that she misses her stuff.  Although that one does puzzle me as we moved far more than her new place will hold and she's had to continue down-sizing after the move.

"What stuff?" I asked trying to get some kind of specifics.  The liquidation of stuff was ongoing from last years spring garage sale through to the online fall selling bonanza I organized in the fall and ending with a finale of charity donations and garbage dumps. 

"I can't find my evaporated milk.  I was sure I packed three cans."

Whoa... evaporated milk?  Moving into the third month and evaporated milk is the issue?  With sofas and chairs and excess lamps on my past agenda, the last thing I had time to consider was a measly can of evaporated milk. 

An update - The evaporated milk never did make an appearance and I have to admit my mind was on other things, the class a few nights ago for one - the Erotic Writing class at the Public Library - yes, didn't I promise hot nights?  But erotica aside, first I had to deal with the guinea pig.

Guinea pig?

You heard right.  My mother is in charge of my niece's pet while she's on vacation.  Only problem, she won't touch it!  Okay, there lies the rub.  Guinea pigs are fairly harmless critters but they do tend to have a very active elimination system that requires a good clean up every three days if you don't want a stinky cage and an unhappy critter.  Besides, everyone needs a little exercise.  And that was the cue for my entrance - an assist to a guinea pig.

I got home in time to discover mail from the public library.  Not sure what this could mean I opened the envelope and discovered I'd won a prize at the Erotic Writing class - a gift certificate to a sex shop!

Yes all of that was a days work and it left me with this dilemma:
Where to begin? 

What do I write about?

Oh the choices....

Evaporated milk

Guinea pigs

an upcoming trip to the sex shop?

There's ideas everywhere, just make sure you pick up your feet so you don't stumble on one or two.  What has you rushing to get to the keyboard?  Alternatively, what has you picking up one book over another?


This is a blog hop - check out other bloggers by clicking here.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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Blue Monday

Today is officially the most depressing day of the year.  No, this is not something I made up.  I make up a lot of things but this one is official.  Documented even. 

But the good news, why I'm smiling, if this is the valley of winter, or it's deepest point, then soon we'll be coming out the other side.  So enjoy your day for tomorrow we will be climbing the hill to the other side, to warm weather and sun huts, barbeques and margaritas. 

Soon.

Meantime, exercise is walking the dog with fifty pounds of winter gear and shoveling snow off the drive.  But that's not a reason to be blue.  The snow and cold is actually rather refreshing.  No worries about sunburn or spending money on bug spray.  Winter does have its benefits.

Although that does lead to the question, do people in warmer parts of the world today get to participate in Blue Monday or is that just the privilege of those parts now covered in snow?

Geography aside, if you're feeling a little blue today, no worries, apparently it's normal. 

Meantime all this cold is good for one thing - upping that word count.  So it's back to Mulu, Malaysia and see how my characters are faring.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Ryshia on Goodreads

Work And I Love It!

It's the first Wednesday of the month and following the tradition that Alex Cavanaugh has began, here it is, the Insecure Writer's post:

Tonight's post was the proverbial pulling teeth.  I almost shoved the computer away and said that's it - I cave. 

But I didn't.

Sometimes writing is like that.  Every morning I set my alarm early - before the lights in other houses are on, even here far away from home,  I'm in front of my computer beginning the word count for the day.  Although word count, that's probably, no is, a misnomer.  I don't go for word count.  I learned a long time ago, that for me that's not an effective way to write.  It means extensive revisions that can spin a story out long after I write the end. 

Sometimes it's tough.  There are few people that understand what you're doing, why you are doing it or why your "little hobby" should be called anything but that, never mind work.  But you have to swim through all of that and just keep writing.  It's the only way to eventually make it in this business.

Once I dreamed success would mean the publisher of my dreams would publish my book, market me and put me on every bookstore shelf.  Now times have changed and the dream, well it's there but it's adapted.  I still want that original dream but right now success means getting published by small presses and alternative publishing.  It means promoting myself and extra hours at the computer to do that.  Yes, the publishing industry has changed but the dream is the same - writing success.  And despite all the advise out there, it really only boils down to one word for success - readers.

But to find readers I must write well and then promote what I've written.  But even time to write is difficult in a world where success and what you  do is judged by how much money comes in.  Under a certain bar and it's not considered work.  Interesting term, work.  Because if you don't have work attached to what you do, quantifying it as a gainful means of employment, then what you're doing is a hobby and no one can figure out why you can't stop everything to answer the phone or go for coffee or take grandma to her church bazaar or whatever. And sometimes those interruptions are valid for I will admit that what my work is, is flexible.  But because of that flexibility, often, long after everyone has had supper and settled down for the nightly sitcom, I'm back at the computer for a few more hours.

Sorry everyone, it is work.  I am busy.  I'm writing a story.  It's work and I love it!

Now excuse me - after a good days work, I believe it's time to enjoy what's left of a cool desert evening.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
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Ryshia at Goodreads

Fatal Intent on sale now for .99 cents at online book stores.

Shorts, T-shirts, Snowbanks and The Book Trailer

It's Cinco de Mayo and we're celebrating....  it's an excuse to pull out the tequila and put out the lawn furniture.  It's time to wave goodbye to what remains of the snowbanks.  Yes, all my warm weather friends - there's still enough snow to make

The last dregs of prairie winter.

a snowman here on our little piece of prairie.  But that aside, the jackets are in the closet and the shorts are out.  In fact one intrepid little neighbour is right now dressed in shorts and burrowing into a snowbank with a sand shovel.

So before I get to all that celebrating, winter's end and the final arrival of spring and, of course, Cinco de Mayo, let's talk book trailers.  I never appreciated the book trailers for my first two books so much as when I set out to make one myself.

Where to start?

I have a Mac so the first thing I learned was that the Powerpoint version for Mac is a possible option, but it requires an additional program for us Mac users to load to youtube.  The second thing I learned

Fatal Intent - in the heart of the jungle.

is that imovie, Apple's movie making program, doesn't come with a half hour learning curve.  I
suspect that imovie works better if you were familiar with it before you jumped in to do a book trailer.  Yes, I tried Powerpoint, didn't locate the program to upload and fiddled with imovie as well - why focus on one thing if you can do two or more at once is my motto.  Neither was providing me with a quick and painless trailer - one that I could live with and someone might actually want to watch without grinding their teeth.  And then I tripped on an online program that provides a free option.

So off I went, after all what did I have to lose?  It took a bit of work but Fatal Intent has a book trailer.  With a bit of creativity you can come up with something workable.  It's a base to try something a little more complicated next time and then the next... and before you know it the book trailer will evolve to a full size movie...okay, not.

So here it is, my first step into creating  a book trailer click on through to see the finished product:  Fatal Intent

What else is in the works?  Well, Monday is the final day of Fatal Intent's epic tour and to cap off the tour, my last stop is at Black Velvet Seductions tomorrow, Monday, May 6.  If nothing else you've got to stop by to see the header picture on the blog, it's adorable!  Seriously, although it is adorable, I'm looking forward to the day, kind of sad that the tour is over but excited that someone is going to win the grand prize - a signed copy of From the Dust and a DVD copy of that vintage movie, East of Borneo.  So come on by, chat with me and be entered for prizes.

There's more than that happening.  I reviewed Eldon Taylor's recent book, "I Believe" and I loved it.  I'll be posting all about that here on May 7 as Eldon begins the launch of another inspirational book.

So, yeah it's going to be a busy week.  But in the meantime, sit back and enjoy Fatal Intent's trailer.  To celebrate - hey it's Cinco de Mayo, how timely.  Margarita anyone?


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Boots by George

What's a dog to do when he can't get to the fire hydrant?

So I said no more posts about the weather, no more whining about the weather, just no more weather,
period.  Of course, that was a while ago, and now with still no end in sight, well, we're cranky lot up here in the frozen north this April.  I'm not even getting jazzed about starting a new story or fiddling with a book trailer or... 

But there is something I'm excited about.

Boots!

Yes, boots!  Waterproof boots! 

I really wanted something to replace my Sorrels.  After sixteen seasons, they finally collapsed.  I suppose I can't complain.  But what I did want was a pair of Sorrels to replace them.  I began and ended my search near the end of January.  Apparently, in Saskatchewan in late winter you can buy the latest summer gear but no winter gear.

Saskatchewan averages over five months of winter-like weather and that's not counting the weeks of chilly slush.  Wouldn't it be wise to stock winter apparel year round - possibly be specialists in outfitting for winter?   It would make more sense than the frustrating boot search that was followed just three weeks ago by a city-wide search for a snow shovel.  With two recorded roofs collapsing in the city, snow was more serious business than usual this winter.  Most stores had no snow shovels.  What they did have was lawn furniture.

Mid-April, get out the toboggan.

Lawn furniture?

Three weeks ago, we had no need of a new chaise lounge unless to maybe lounge on the recently shoveled deck, with a "too cold" beer in hand and  view the "no exaggeration' seven foot snow bank juxtaposed against its six foot counterpart all framed quite nicely by hoar frost.

A glimmer of a sidewalk.

Fast forward three weeks - there's still no rush on the lawn furniture.

So back to my George's.  They're Walmart specials, $19.99 on sale and you know what, the other day I proved they were waterproof.  They aren't fancy but they keep my feet warm and dry.


Sometimes the simplest solution is the best whether with footwear or with a story.  Like the current story, it just needed a few edits and I wasn't too happy with one of the later chapters.  I stalled for a while thinking I'd have to rewrite and then, eureka, an idea came to me.  It was a simple as tweaking a few paragraphs because really all I needed was already written, just covered in - well things that shouldn't be there.  Kind of like my Walmart boots.  They were a last resort, too simple, too economical to possibly beat out a pair of Sorrels.  And yeah, they won't make the cut at -25 celsius, but for now, they're just the fix.

And this Monday, April 15 I'm over at BK Walker Books with Fatal Intent. Stop by and leave a comment.  I'd love the company.  And as usual, follow the tour and any comment enters you for the grand prize at the end of the tour and a prize on the day.  See details on my website.


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

I'm Drowning - And I Won't Put My Feet Down!

2013 started with a bang, the wrong kind of bang.  You know those years when if it could go wrong it did, when worst case scenario became the common denominator?  The first few months of 2013 knocked me on my butt and sent me skidding across the floor.  It was kind of like when my niece was small she wanted to paddle around in our pool but as soon as she got in the water she clung to my neck and refused to let go.  I kept assuring her that the water wasn't over her head, she only needed to put her feet down.  Took a while but she finally put her feet down and after that it was an afternoon love affair with the pool.  Now I know how she felt.  For a while the floor looked safe, after all, once you've landed you can't fall again.

But I got up.  And the first thing I turned to was books.  I've turned into a reading machine but worse, I'm reading books at a time.  Not, that this is abnormal for me - I tend to read three books at once.  But when I sheepishly added book four on my Goodreads list of currently reading and the system really only shows three, well I knew I was heading into the "bad reader" corner.  And then when I made the mistake of going to the library to make copies of the last remnants of what is "owed Caesar' I found myself drawn to the aisles of books where I found not one but two more.  And they were the short-loan books too.

April in Saskatchewan

So I have more to add to the list of four on the go.  That's a little over the top even for me.  So when the librarian also alerted me to the fact that there's a hold on my facebook marketing book, I knew it was all over.  I'd put that book to the side and already double renewed.  Now, I had to either invest in a pair of reading glasses, okay not ready for that, but I needed to get my nose in some books and quickly. 

Hmmm - maybe all this reading is just a way to get out of the winter blahs and into the excitement of spring.  Or maybe, like my mother threatened to do just this afternoon, I should follow her example and just go out and buy a new outfit, preferably something in lime green, brilliant yellow or laughing red.

Seriously, reading is critical to writers and maybe I'm just playing catchup after a few months of drought.

And on other fronts, Monday I'll be over at You Gotta Read Reviews with Fatal Intent.  Stop by leave a comment and if you haven't started already, follow the remainder of the tour or pop by and leave a comment.  There's prizes for comments throughout ending in a grand prize at the end. 

And you, what book has your attention.  Is it fact or is it fiction?

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com
Ryshia's Goodreads
Ryshia's Facebook

Omens and Opportunities

The Ides of March is upon us.  Is that a good or bad thing?  An omen or a window of opportunity, or just another day. 

Today I'm posting over at the Romance Studio.  I picked today because it was the Ides.  Why, you ask or maybe you didn't?  Fortuitous I thought and in what context I thought that I'm not sure.  In my defense it was a few months ago when I made the decision.  But I'm glad I did.  The Romance Studio are always good people to hang out with.  So, hop on over and chat with me for a bit.  With the snow falling like soft rain outside, I'm not straying far from the house today.

It's edging close to the annual spring craft sale that I was introduced to by my intrepid sister-in-law who is the power engine behind craft sale promotion. And somewhere in all this, my dog Rourke became the poster child for craft sales, appearing in ad after ad.  I believe it was his penchant for unwrapping presents that began it all.  He unwraps every one beginning with his own.

Yes, Rourke you didn't quite make Fire House Dog - although they (as apparently there were four dogs playing one role) too were Irish Terriers, but you made the local craft sale circuit.

Every dog has to start somewhere!

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

You Won What? - The Liebster Award

Today I was considering what I would write about.  There's been a lot of gloom this year  from weather to that of the more bad news variety and just one too many funerals.  But, unfortunately, that's life.  Still, I was striving for motivation today, struggling with it actually.  I thought maybe I'd give my blog a new face and with fingers poised over the keyboard to begin that, I was waylaid when I found I'd been awarded the Liebster Award!  Now that was motivation!  The blahs slid right off like a cheap coat as I discovered my award all decked out in loveable pink.

 So thank you Murees Depree who is the face behind the fantastic blog Daily Drama of An Aspiring Writer, for awarding me with the Liebster Award.  

What is the Liebster Award?  It's an award given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers to show recognition and support.

The Liebster Award Rules

1. Thank the blogger who presented you with the Liebster Award, and link back to his or her blog.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator; list 11 random facts about yourself, and create 11 questions for your nominees.

3. Present the Liebster Award to 11 bloggers, who have blogs with 200 followers or less, whom you feel deserve to be noticed. Leave a comment on the blogs letting the owners know they have been chosen. (No tag backs.)

4. Upload the Liebster Award image to your blog.  

Congratulations and Happy Blogging!

And before I collect my award I must answer the questions that Murees provided below:

1. What is the worst job you ever had?  In high school I had a job in the kitchen of a hospital.  It was hot, gloomy and clean up was disgusting.  I lasted a grand total of three days before throwing in the tea towel.
2.  What is your favourite snack?  Theater popcorn - not the kind you get at the grocery store but the popcorn that can only be bought at the theater.
3. What is your favourite TV series?  I honestly don't have one. 
4. Who would you like to meet? (Person could be dead or alive)  My paternal grandfather
5. If you could be any animal, which would it be?  A dog but only if I could be my dog.  I don't know if there's a more spoiled dog on the planet.
6. What are you most grateful for?  I'm grateful for my health and for the health of everyone I care about.
7. What do you hate?  I hate petty people.  Maybe not so much hate as dislike.
8. Do you include exercise into your daily routine?  I walk every day and in the summer I ride my bike and sometimes roller blade.
9. Do you like animals?  I love animals, well most animals.  I admit I'm leery of the ones that might consider me a light snack.
10. What is your favourite season?  Summer
11. What is your favourite food?  ice cream

Eleven random things about myself:
1.  I'm usually awake before sunrise
2.  Halloween trumps Christmas
3.  I make fantastic dog biscuits
4.  I walk at least a mile a day
5.  I love dogs
6.  I don't like rice pudding or tapioca
7.  I love a warm rain
8.  I read two or three books at once
9.  I love being on the road - whether by plane, car, etc.
10. When at a loss for what to do - I'll go to the library
11. I've never ridden on a skidoo

And here are the bloggers I've nominated for the Liebster Award:
Lisa McManus Lange - lisamcmanuslange.blogspot.ca
Tiffany T Cole - tiffanyrambles.blogspot.ca
La Gradiva - postitletterario.blogspot.it
Cerian - rookieromance.blogspot.co.uk
Amy Jo Ehman - homefordinner.blogspot.ca
Rebecca J Clark - shywriters.blogspot.ca
Shelley Banks  - latitudedrifts.blogspot.ca
Trish Jackson - romanticreviewramble.blogspot.ca
JeffO  - doubtingwriter.blogspot.ca
Lee - leezamloch.blogspot.ca
Marcia Colette - marciacolette.wordpress.com

 And the award winners questions:
1)  If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
2)  What are you reading right now?
3)  What do you love about blogging?
4)  What would you rather have, a dog or a cat?
5)  Have you ever been lost?
6)  What's your favourite colour?
7)  Coke or pepsi?
8)  How long have you been blogging?
9)  What's the worst thing a stylist has ever done to your hair?
10) Would you ever jump from a plane?
11) There's a storm coming in - which would you prefer, rain or snow?


Blog Tour Alert - Today's Monday and I'm out visiting again.  My blog tour with Fatal Intent continues with a stop today, Monday, March 11 at Wicked Readings by Tawania.   I'd love to see you there, the more the merrier.  The prizes continue and every stop leads up to the grand prize at the tour's end.   So stop by and leave a comment.

Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com

Escape It All

Well, last night we were hit with a winter storm.  Highways were closed after a spate of vehicles hitting the ditch.  This morning I woke to a world whose blanket of snow just settled a few inches deeper.  Winter isn't ready to give up its stranglehold on the prairies just yet.  So, I was kind of anxious to leave the snow world behind to go visiting.  I'm on tour today with Fatal Intent.  So if you're in the mood to escape the weather, or anything else in your life - or maybe you just want to talk books, come on over to Lisa Haselton's blog where I'm spending the day.  Visit, hang out and get entered to win a prize or two. 

In the meantime let's head somewhere warm and without snow, deep in the pages of Fatal Intent. 
 

Somewhere in the Borneo jungle:

Aidan moved vines back, exposing his face.  They only had to look in his direction.

He was so close he could have reached out and touched her.  She was delicate, out of place here in the midst of this wilderness.  Her skin, even beneath the sweat and exertion-stained flush, was fair.  She wasn't built to be here, she was too slight to survive, too weak, too...

She glanced up.  A frown immediately seared her face.

"Who the hell are you?" she snarled.

He bit back a smile.  She should have screamed.  She hadn't.  All tiny limbs and fragile beauty, and yet she attacked first.

He let his gaze rove over the group, refusing to be corralled by her attack.  

One of the men looked panicked, the others seriously stressed.  He shifted his spear to his other hand and waited, taking the warrior advantage of time and observation.  The silent often learned much about the enemy.

"Put that down."  She gestured to his spear.

His fingers loosened for a millisecond before gripping the spear tighter.  Was she out of her mind?  Green, innocent, and totally forest-illiterate, but she was feisty.

Feisty?  She was seething, hot, absolutely pissed--about what, he wasn't sure.  Her anger didn't make much sense.  Nothing about this afternoon made much sense.

Hope you enjoyed that little diversion from the real world.

Now I'm off to dig a path in a snowbank or two.   

And you - any snowbanks standing in your way?

Ryshia

www.ryshiakennie.com

On Tour Today

Where does time go?  Yesterday I picked up a friend who it seemed, only just left and is already returning after a tour of Ecuador.  And Valentine's Day well - that's already behind us.  The good news, and in a year that has begun with a spate of bad news, the good is really welcomed....let's start with the advent of spring, only weeks away now.  Yes, hard to imagine when you have six foot banks outside any window in the house, but it's true and I'm counting days.

The other good news?  I'm on tour again today with Fatal Intent.  It's part of a tour lasting into May.  I'm taking Fatal Intent over to Christine Young's Blog today.  Again, there's a chance to win an e-copy of my first book From the Dust, for one commenter.  And comment and your name is also entered for the grand prize at the end of the tour - the movie East of Borneo and a autographed copy of From the Dust. 


Ryshia
www.ryshiakennie.com