Book Covers

I'm naive in this area. For Natalie's Story I just uploaded a picture of the beach from when we went on vacation a few years ago. There is a beach scene in Natalie's Story so it's not a huge stretch, but still not the picture I'd like to use for the cover.

I've read about websites where you can buy a photo and use that for your book, but I have no idea how these things work. I need simple instructions in English, not lawyer talk, to follow.

Can anyone clue me in?

Times To Write

Finding time to write can be difficult sometimes. I'm not a morning person, so writing in the morning is pretty much OUT. Late morning and afternoon can work sometimes, other times, there's too much happening with the kids. Forget after school and dinner time, too chaotic. That leaves night. I like writing at night. I can put the kids to bed, put on a show or music and let the words flow.

But, there are nights when I'm tired, nights when I'm physically exhausted, nights where I get the kids to bed too late and I don't have the UMPH to write. That sucks. I need to be able to get my creative juices flowing and get these books done.

I'm currently working on book #3 and I'm trying to get the timeline down. I have most of the story written, but it needs some fluff in the middle. I can't write anything more until I pin down the times. So, that's my plan today. Get off the blog and do the timeline! On a piece of paper so I can see it laid out.

Book Reviews

I've gotten excellent reviews on Natalie's Story so far. But, there are only a few. I could really use anyone who has read the book to write a review on Amazon. Doesn't have to be a lot of words, just be honest.

13 - The New Adult?

My oldest daughter turned 13 in November. She got permission to get a Facebook account as long as I had passwords and monitored it. This is how her email is set up. She has a hotmail account and I manage it. Not often, but I do check on her enough. I check her inbox, her trash, and her sent box. I am aware that she could be permanently deleting things without my knowledge, but I have to trust her a little.

She has to get permission to sign up for any websites or accounts and I have to have the passwords. I also check the history on the computers she uses.

Imagine my frustration when I got an email from hotmail informing me that I was no longer allowed to manage her email because she was now 13! Isn't 13 still a minor? Why does she get free reign of her email account at 13? I realize that I still have the password and can still check on her, but I don't understand these "rules". Even Facebook has some sort of privacy rule like this. I can't shut her profile down. I can't get into it if she changes the password and doesn't tell me. I can't force the people at Facebook to let me in. Does this make sense? Shouldn't we be watching our children more? Shouldn't we be supervising and monitoring? Isn't this how situations arise? This almost gives parents permission to say "we didn't know what our child was doing" after they ran away, got pregnant, or blew something up.

Well, in MY house, if I don't have passwords and access to all social networking sites, email accounts, websites, etc, then you don't have access to one of my computers. Period. Overprotective, maybe. But, I'd rather be safe and overprotective then have a missing or troubled child.

Book Sales

I think a lot of people got Kindles for Christmas. In the week after Christmas, my book sales went from just a couple to 16. Then someone returned a book. LOL! Guess they didn't like it? Or maybe they thought it was paperback and when they realized it was an ebook, they returned it? Whatever it was, not a big deal. That leaves 15 sales for December, not bad. I realize that it's not 1500, that's okay. Maybe someday I'll get there. And when I checked today, another 2 books sold. So, it may be one here and one there, but each sale is a possible fan and that fan might spread the word!

My New Year's resolution this year is to write more. I'd like to finish the book I'm working on and I'd like to get Teagan's Story uploaded to Amazon.

ONE

My baby turns one year old today. I ask myself how this happened. How did one year fly by so quickly? Why does time go fast? Why is the cute infant stage so short and the long grueling teenage stage so long?

Many times I asked myself when did I blink? I told myself a year ago NOT to blink! And I must have - because here I sit wondering where this past year has gone. I yell it's not fair, but that doesn't change anything.

Bells is such a beautiful little girl. Her hair is just long enough to cover her eyes or put in a "Pebbles" ponytail. Her eyes are full of wonder and innocence. She babbles and blows bubbles. She walks around and falls down a lot. She dances when I turn music on.

She still loves to nurse, she loves to cuddle with her Mama and have her milk - usually while pinching some of my skin. She loves her panda bear. When I put her down, even if she seems to be asleep, her little hand searches for that panda and she grabs hold of it and goes to sleep. She squirms when getting her diaper changed. And she still gags when she eats anything more than stage 2 food.

Oh how I love my baby girl. My heart bursts with joy every time I even think of her. My eyes fill with tears when I watch her sleep.

I ask for 2 more minutes tonight... 2 more minutes with my baby before she turns 1. 2 more minutes to cuddle. 2 more minutes of memories. I don't know why the years fly by so fast or the infant stage is so short... but I want to remember every minute of her life. So, please just give me 2 more minutes alone with her tonight.

Wants Her Daddy

My husband has taken a new position within his company and he'll be traveling more. It didn't seem like a bad idea when he was offered the job, but after consoling our now 4 year old for the second night in a row, it seems like an awful idea.

She has cried both nights that her daddy has been away, begging to talk to him on the phone, asking for him to come home. The tears streaming down her soft, angel like face and the big lip sticking out just breaks my heart. I held her tonight and stroked her hair, telling her it would be okay. I couldn't even tell her that daddy would be home tomorrow just in case his plane is delayed.

I hate that he is going to be away more. I hope that he enjoys the job. I also hope that he'll be allowed to work from home when he's not traveling. I'll enjoy the raise that he got. But, right now, tonight, knowing my daughter is so upset, I'm not enjoying this at all.