Archive for April 2017
When Life Gives You Lemons…
You all know the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade?”
Sometimes, that lemonade can be sour, even bitter to the taste. But eventually, you will learn to tolerate that taste…and you might even begin to crave it.
Why?
Because it means you’re still trying. It means you haven’t given up. It means you know, deep down in your soul, you are doing everything in your power you can to make the world a better place.
You might be wondering what brought this on.
I’ve been dealing with a family health crisis this past week, and I’ve been running back and forth to the hospital. While I’d rather be doing just about anything else, I’m very glad to do this.
Why?
It means my family member is still alive, still fighting, getting better and doing whatever is possible to improve her health.
That’s a good thing.
See, the connections I have with my family and friends are essential. I want them to be happy, healthy, and to enjoy life to the fullest.
But no one can do that while sitting in a hospital bed.
Even though this week didn’t go at all according to plan, I’m glad that I was able to do something to try to help those who are important to me.
One final thought:
Sometimes, it feels like we’re not doing very much during a crisis. This is very human, but somehow we need to throw those feelings to the side.
Why?
Because self-forgiveness — which I’ve discussed before — is essential at times like this. We are not saints, and we can’t expect ourselves to act as if we are. All we can do is be ourselves, try our best, and do whatever we can to make life a little better place.
Including visiting those who are ill (if they’re up to visits), talking with them, and letting them know we care.
That’s what’s important.
Don’t lose sight of it. (Please?)
Good News for a Friend…
Sometimes, it’s fun to be an author. And to have friends.
(And an author with friends…priceless? But I digress…let’s get to the good stuff.)
I’m very happy to let you know that my friend, Jason Cordova, and his co-writer Eric S. Brown have sold their entire Kaiju Apocalypse trilogy to Takeshobo, a major Japanese publisher. They are both incredibly excited about this.
Plus, as Eric Brown said on Facebook, “Personally, I think it’s awesome that we sold KAIJU to the birthplace of kaiju.” (And he put four smiley faces after it. which gives you an idea of how jazzed he is about this.)
Jason’s comment on Facebook was this: “This is a big deal. We’re talking print run that makes people notice. This is huge for Eric and I, and we’ve been forced to sit on the news for months.”
So, I’m very pleased to let you know that Jason and Eric are expanding their world domination to Japan. (And I’m not even being sarcastic.)
But if you want to read their Kaiju series now, you should take a look at this following link to the three-book set of e-books from Amazon, and go get them for yourself:
So, there you have it! (Go forth and multiply, or something.)
Dealing with Disappointment, Part the Nth
Folks, I know I’ve written about dealing with disappointment before. It’s one of those fundamental things that everyone has to face from time to time; we will be disappointed in something, even if it’s something tangential to us like the performance of our favorite sports team. (I’m looking at you, Milwaukee Brewers.)
Right now, I’m feeling discouraged, disappointed, however you want to put it, in nearly every aspect. And it’s hard to create that way; it’s hard to even function.
My energy level is not there, and I’m fighting hard to get it back. (Yes, my doctor knows about this. I get to see her soon.) My drive is not there, either…it’s almost as if I’m having a life crisis (I won’t say “mid-life crisis,” as I have no idea how long anyone will live, much less me).
So, what can I do about it?
Mostly, I remind myself that today may be bad, yesterday may have been bad, too, but tomorrow can still be different.
Yeah, I may never be known as a writer. (I knew that when I got into this field.) All I can do is control what I can, which is to write the books I feel compelled to write, keep working on my craft, and hope I touch at least a few folks with my stories so they’ll maybe remember them past the moment they’re read and consumed.
So, even though today’s one of those days that turning my face to the wall seems like the right action, I’m not going to do it.
Nope.
Instead, I’m going to keep trying, even if it’s slow; even if I have to rest more; even if I need to take more breaks; even if I have to adjust my diet again and cut out every processed food (I hope I don’t have to go that far, but it may come to that)…and I’m going to try to keep my friends in the loop, ’cause that’s important.
So, I deal with disappointment, roughly, by trying to get through it and remembering we all have days like this.
And so long as I keep trying, I cannot fail…because I refuse to allow myself to fail.
How do you deal with it? What tips and tricks would you like to share?
Tell me in the comments.
Collaboration with a Purpose: Losing My Husband Changed Everything
Folks, I’m one of ten bloggers talking about various forms of loss today in Collaboration with a Purpose.
Blogger Tajwarr Fatma (of https://lifeaswehaveneverknownit.wordpress.com) came up with this idea (do visit her blog, OK?), and our joint purpose is to try to help others by letting them know they aren’t alone. We all have to deal with significant losses at some point, and the thought was that ten different bloggers might have ten different takes on the subject.
The theme is loss. How did you overcome it? How did you deal with it?
My topic is how I continue to deal with the catastrophic loss of my late husband Michael. He died in 2004, but without his influence on my life, and without the love he shared with me, I doubt I’d still be trying to make it as an author.
Why?
Michael was the most positive person I’ve ever been around, and he made me believe that I could do anything I put my mind to…I just had to keep after it, and keep trying, and not stop until the wall fell down, that’s all.
So, one day, I had the best and most supportive husband on the planet, someone who understood me and appreciated me and was into me, a wonderful and giving and caring man who also wrote and edited and was creative.
And the next, well, he had four massive heart attacks in one day over the course of ten hours. He couldn’t survive that, and he died.
His loss was devastating.
Even now, after so many years, I don’t have the words to express just how incalculable the loss of my husband actually was. Michael was my rock, my soul mate, and often my co-writer, and when he was with me, I felt whole. Loved. Understood. Appreciated for myself. And valued, not because I was a writer or a musician or anything, but because I was and am myself.
Michael even understood my health issues, and helped me work through them, so I could get more done with less wasted energy and effort.
When he died, all of that went away.
Or did it?
See, how I deal with Michael’s loss every day is to think about how much I love him.
Still. Always. Forever.
I love that man, and I feel his love for me, and it helps me go on.
No, he’s not here to make me dinners, or give me a backrub, or complain about politics (we both loved to do this), or come up with new stories, or edit anything I’ve got going, or help share the load with regards to paying work.
But his influence continues. I keep trying. I remember. I know how he felt about me. And it makes a difference.
In this life, I’ve met only a handful of people who truly have understood me, but none have understood me as well as Michael. He was my best friend, my everything…and all I can do to keep going is to tell myself that someday, in the positive afterlife (whatever shape or form that takes), I’ll see him again. And when I do, I want him to recognize me, and to know that I’m still the same person.
See, I can either celebrate his life, and do the best I can, or I can turn my face to the wall. I don’t see any benefit to turning my face to the wall, so I keep trying.
But yeah, some days, I do look at that wall, and say, “Hmm. Maybe today, I will stop trying.” Then I shake myself into sense, think, “Nah,” and go on and do what I was going to do anyway.
That’s what I learned from Michael. Accept that you feel lousy. Know why you feel terrible, even. But do what you were going to do anyway.
If it takes a little longer because of health issues or whatnot, so what? Keep going, keep trying, and do the best you can.
So, if you’re dealing with a significant loss like the loss of your husband, or a treasured friend, or someone you cared about deeply, try to be good to yourself. Realize there will be good days and bad days.
And most importantly, don’t listen to other people if they tell you that you’ve grieved long enough. It’s not up to them; it’s up to you what you do. If you need to grieve until you feel like you can take a step forward, you need to listen to yourself and do what you feel is right.
Just do your best. That’s all you can do.
But know that you aren’t alone. There are others on the same path as you, even if not at the same time, even if not in the exact same way.
As Buddha said (an apocryphal story, granted), there’s no one who’s not known loss. Every single person has known it, in one way or another.
May we use that knowledge to make us wiser, more compassionate, and more caring, eh?
Now, go take a look at the other bloggers’ takes on the same subject, will you?
SADAF SIDDIQUI
https://heartattachsite.wordpress.com
ADDISON D’MARKO
http://addisondmarko.com
AJIBOLA SUNDAY
https://ajibolasunday.wordpress.com
IPUNA BLACK
http://Ipunablack.com
ALTEA ADDISON
https://addisoniswriting.wordpress.com
JOTHISH JOSEPH
https://Jothishjoseph.wordpress.com
JANE LOVE
http://harmoniousjoy.com/
NICOLLE
https://storiesofahsi.wordpress.com
Introducing…Collaboration with a Purpose
Folks, I wanted to let you know that tomorrow will be a special day at the Elfyverse. I’m one of ten bloggers who’ve teamed up to post tomorrow on the overall theme of loss. Tajwarr Fatma (of https://lifeaswehaveneverknownit.wordpress.com) asked me to be a part of this a while ago, and I’m pleased to take part.
This special event is called Collaboration with a Purpose.
Here, take a look at the nifty graphic:
So, as the graphic says, we’ll have ten different stories from ten different bloggers, all talking about different types of loss, all on the same day. The hope is that by sharing our stories, we’ll help someone realize he or she is not alone.
Because we all lose something, in this life. How we deal with that loss can make or break us as a person. Loss often defines us, at least until we figure out another way to define ourselves in spite of it — or maybe because of it.
In addition to my blog tomorrow, here are the other bloggers taking part (aside from Tajwarr, of course):
SADAF SIDDIQUI
https://heartattachsite.wordpress.com
ADDISON D’MARKO
http://addisondmarko.com
AJIBOLA SUNDAY
https://ajibolasunday.wordpress.com
IPUNA BLACK
http://Ipunablack.com
ALTEA ADDISON
https://addisoniswriting.wordpress.com
JOTHISH JOSEPH
https://Jothishjoseph.wordpress.com
JANE LOVE
http://harmoniousjoy.com/
NICOLLE
https://storiesofahsi.wordpress.com
So please, do look in tomorrow, and see what I come up with for Collaboration with a Purpose, won’t you? (You might find it inspirational. Or at least interesting.) And I do hope it’ll help someone out there, at least a little bit.
Because that’s what it’s intended to do.
Forgiveness (Especially of the Self), Easter, and Faith
Before I get into today’s blog, I’d like to first wish you a happy Easter weekend. I have many friends who will be celebrating Easter, and I hope their celebration will help them find a renewal of their faith and give them a sense of peace regardless of the struggles going on in their lives.
I have a great reverence for Easter as a holiday. It’s about forgiveness, or at least it should be**, as much as it’s about Jesus rising from the dead and giving hope to the rest of humanity.
Granted, hope is a very valuable thing, and can’t be underrated. But I’d rather talk about forgiveness, most especially self-forgiveness, as most of us aren’t too good at either thing.
Why? Because it’s easy to beat ourselves up, that’s why.
Someone who’s creative spends a lot of time thinking. Those of us who create have to do this; it’s part of the job description. Most of the time, thinking brings up all sorts of interesting ideas…but sometimes, thinking brings up stuff we’d rather not admit to, including our faults and how we can’t seem to get past them for all our trying. And that leads to guilt, fear, and self-abnegation, among other not-so-nice things…if you’re anything like me, sometimes you get into a spiral that you can’t seem to get out of, and it can be very hard to remember that you’re human and are going to make mistakes.
What is it about mistakes, anyway? Why can’t we forgive ourselves for making them, but we’ll forgive our friends, our family, or even our world leaders for their mistakes?
Yet if we believe in something beyond ourselves, we should try to remember that we’re here to learn. And you can’t learn without making mistakes.
Why not? It’s impossible; if we always did things right the first time, what would be the impetus to learn a different, potentially better, way?
So, if you believe in any sort of Higher Power, one of the things you need to remember is to forgive yourself once in a while.
It’s very hard to do. (Much harder to do than to say, and it’s not that easy to say, either.) But it’s essential, or you can’t grow as a human being.
So, this Easter weekend, try to remember to give yourself a break now and again as you work on your trespasses…including your trespasses against yourself. (OK?)
———————————————–
**Jesus more or less forgave everyone after he rose from the dead, including those who betrayed him (some unwitting, some not). If he could still love those who hated him, and who’d betrayed him, I think we all can try to do the same. (No, it’s not easy. Yes, it will take time. But yes, you should try, regardless of what actual faith you profess, including atheism. It may make you a less angry person, more forgiving, and more able to see joy…and we all should want that whether we admit to it or not.)
FSFNet has a #DEAR Sale today (so “Drop Everything, and Read”)
Today is April 12, 2017. And as the Fantasy and Science Fiction Network (FSFNet for short) has a sale today, I thought I should let you all know about it.
(Yes, I’m a member, and yes, I’m partaking in this sale — and an author chat at 7:30 CDT today on Facebook. But I’ll get there.)
First, take a look at this cool graphic:
OK, got that? It’s a sale, and we at FSFNet are doing our best to promote literacy. So, we’re letting people know we have books for sale that are half off or low-priced, in the hopes that a few people will realize we’re out here, and want to read our books, thus promoting literacy.
And hey, there’s a lot of good books to be had by FSFNet members that will amuse you, entertain you, and perhaps even keep you up past your bedtime…in a good way.
Here’s a link to more about this event, by FSFNet author Cheryllynn Dyess:
http://fsfnet.com/2017/03/15/drop-everything-and-read-event/
The book I put up for sale (or at least for notice) is AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE. It’s ninety-nine cents USD, and it’s a fast-paced, witty young adult fantasy with heart, a bit of romance, ghosts, and did I mention puns?
Here’s a pic of the cover for AN ELFY ON THE LOOSE:
And the blurb:
One Elfy for an entire planet?
He’s supposed to be the Watcher for his people, the representative on Earth from his dimension, but the small being known to his enemies as “Jonny-Wonny” wakes up to big trouble — trapped in a bizarre house in Knightsville, California with humans straight out of reality TV. Jon knows that something has gone dreadfully wrong — he’s starving, lonely and dressed in funny clothes.
Enter the couple’s ten-year-old diminutive daughter, who is “Not Daisy!” but is brilliant, sweet…and using high level magic with ease. She’s also desperately in need of a friend.
Insisting her name is really Sarah, and christening him Bruno, his new friend asks him how they’re going to get out of there.
The only thing that comes to mind is for Bruno to ask his teacher, Roberto the Wise, for help. But Roberto’s attempt at help only enmeshes all three of them further in a web of deceit and treachery. Bruno finds out that, unfortunately, most of what he thought he knew about himself was very wrong…and much of what Sarah knows about herself is also wrong, including her age.
Worst of all, a Dark Elf is on the scene and is intent on corrupting the local Humans, including Sarah’s parents.
New names, new locations, a new mission–Bruno is going to get to the bottom of all the craziness, and Sarah will be there for him every step of the way.
Watch out, universe–an Elfy is on the loose!
So please, do let people know that the FSFNet sale is going on today, if you can. (OK? Good.)
Changing Faces by @BarbCaffrey Moved Me to Tears! #bookreview #LGBT #FridayReads
You really can’t ask for more than this. Mrs. N completely understood CHANGING FACES and is a tough critic; she only rarely gives novels five stars. So a strong four-star review from her means more than most other five-stars…thank you so much, Mrs. N! (Now go read this review right now.)
#SundayBlogShare: When Writing Is Like Gardening…
Folks, I recently took part in the Authors in Bloom blog hop, where the subject was either gardening or recipes. I talked about how I don’t garden (because I’m bad at gardening), but that got me to thinking…isn’t writing like gardening, too?
Think about it for a moment.
In farming, you get your plot of land, and you make sure it’s fertilized before you plant anything. Then you put your initial seeds in the ground and wait.
But in writing, this is when inspiration strikes, or when you first get an idea you can’t ignore. You get as much down as you can, knowing tomorrow you will keep building on your idea as you see fit.
So, you have to water, nurture, and weed your garden, just as you have to water, nurture, and weed your writing. (The weeding, in this case, would be self-editing.) Both are long-term projects that require a great deal of time, effort, and understanding in order to get anything done, and if you make a big enough mistake, your garden (or your writing) will not turn out the way you’d hoped.
Fortunately, you can correct your big mistakes with some forethought, nine times out of ten. And that tenth time, where you can’t, you can use for future reference as a guidepost of “what not to do,” so you still get something out of the experience…albeit not what you’d hoped for in the first place.
But life is like that, isn’t it? We don’t always get what we’d planned on. (In fact, we get what we’d planned on so rarely, it’s a miracle any of us still plan. But I digress.) We have to roll with the punches, whether it’s too much rain (too many distractions or life-interruptions), too little rain (not enough time for ourselves, maybe), too much fertilizer (we edited too much out), too little fertilizer (we haven’t edited enough)…the list goes on and on.
How do we grow anything worth eating, then? (Or how do we write anything readable?)
I think it’s a matter of trial and error on the one hand, and sheer bloody-mindedness on the other. We keep working at it until we find a process that seems to make sense, and then we go with that. And if one way doesn’t work, try, try, try again until you find a way that does.
That, to my mind, is how gardening and writing are alike.
What d’you think? Tell me about it in the comments!
Barb Caffrey's Blog 