Thanksgiving in new ways

The "holidays" bring a set of expectations to the door. We all get the yearly visit. While the particulars vary, the overall similarities are part of the American culture. We celebrate and give thanks with family, friends, and food.

The gatherings of my youth are but fond memories. The older generations, those people who passed the family name down, are gone. What remains of my parent's generation is fractured by death and ill health. My generation is equally scattered on holidays, busy with the younger generations of children and grandchildren. I have no biological children. My father has been gone for many years. My mother has Alzheimer's. The sister of my heart moved away. I am, for all intents and purposes, alone on this day, without blood relatives who share my memories. 

That's not to say I don't have people around me. My online posse is far-flung but wishes for a happy day arrived. My partner is the oldest of his siblings and we have an unconditional welcome at his youngest sister's house all days. 

Life goes on in different directions. We had a traditional Thanksgiving meal at the care facility with my mother. Afterward, we had traditional Thanksgiving dessert at his sister's house. 

So while the day didn't unfold as in year's past, it was nonetheless a good day. I could be morose that the beautiful memories of yesteryear will not be re-lived, but I'm not. This is what I have now, today, and I count my many blessings. 

Now that my partner and I are finally home again and into our comfortable old clothes, it's time to call a few of my cousins. It's time to embrace a new normal and make it my own as I go forward in life. I'm sure it will provide a new set of Thanksgiving memories, and Thanksgiving opportunities to enjoy and to be thankful for. 

Rayne
rayneforrest.blogspot.com

Sustainability (IWSG)

Sustainability is something authors must strive for if they want to achieve the creation of a body of work. It's something I struggle with as Rayne Forrest. When I began, it was easy. Now it's not. 

I still have the desire to write, but I'm no longer willing to spend hours sequestered with the computer as my only company. There are simply too many other things that require my presence. 

At this writing, I have seven books that need to be published as second editions. I didn't set out to be an indie author, but there's really very little choice these days as I no longer trust publishers. Based on sales numbers, I even wonder about the last one I was with. That's number of units sold, not dollar amounts, by the way. 

In less than five years I plan to "retire" from the workforce. That doesn't mean I'll sit on my ass all day. I'm looking forward to some traveling, expanding the work on my genealogy, and applying for DAR membership. And yes, being able to write. Until then, I fear I will continue to grapple with sustainability. 

I can't change much of what is happening in my life. I can only ride it out and make time when I can. But what I can do, and will do, is not whip myself over those things I can't control. 

Perhaps that's the real key to sustainability. Accepting the ebb and flow of life and time, and making the best of every opportunity. 

Rayne
Rayne's bookshelf

Across Time - sci fi romance available at Amazon

N is for NO

Saying no. Toddlers are good at this, but somewhere along the line we lose the ability to say “no” and stick to our guns. I’m not sure why this happens except no one wants to be labeled as a difficult-to-get-along-with-bitch.

The thing is, saying no is a useful tool which can promote sanity. By saying “no” we lay down our boundaries. When a person respects this, we can gauge his or her level of regard for us and give it back to them.

Too many people equate saying “no” in a purely negative light and that’s not always the case. If someone tells you “no,” you may want to politely ask for clarification. The answer to gently asking if it’s “no right now or no not ever,” is a helpful thing to know. It can avoid confusion in the future. And if it’s “no, not right now,” give the person time. They may broach to topic to you at a better time for them. 

 So don’t be afraid or offended by “no.” Take the time to figure it out what it really means. Take the time to use it wisely.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

L is for Little by Little

Little by little, the time goes

Little by little, the days pass by

Little by little, the air clears

Little by little, I can breathe again

I can breathe again --

Little by Little - Robert Plant

Most days I feel I’m living that verse. Little by little the minutes and days go by. I start the work day looking down a long, dark tunnel and the closer I get to quitting time, the cleaner the air becomes. I get in my car and take a deep breath. I drive home to begin my real life, which is very different from the forty hours I spend at my job. I suspect I’m not alone in this.

The closer I get to being able to retire, and the clock stands at a little over three and a half years, the worse the days become. But I have no choice except to ride it out.

But little by little, time moves forward in deliberate increments to that magic day in 2019.

Little by little, be they good or bad, the days full of obligation pass.

Little by little, the days spent breathing city air are fewer in number.

Little by little, I dare to believe I’ll be able to fulfill my dream of writing full time.

Little by little it’s going to be a reality. All I need is a patience, little by little.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

A is for Always be true to yourself (2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

Day 1

2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge

The A to Z Blogging Challenge. Twenty-six posts in thirty days. It's doable! 

So here we go with A is for Always be true to yourself.

LAUNCH!!!

*  *  *  *  *  *

Polonius:

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!

Hamlet Act 1, scene 3

“To thine own self be true” is an often-repeated bit of advice. Polonius, who has an overblown sense of his own importance, nonetheless gives his son this very good advice. If you’re true to yourself, that is loyal to your own interests, it’s far easier to be happy and play well with others.

It took me a long time to understand the implications of those words. I struggled to be woman, daughter, wife, friend because I was afraid to be me. I lived to the expectations of others and it simply didn’t work out well.

I was thirty when I slipped the collar of my upbringing and set out, truly on my own for the first time in my life. Yes, I floundered some, but once “to thine own self be true” became my mantra, life got better. I learned to set boundaries that were true to who I am and I learned to enforce them.

Being true to yourself is a path to happiness. If your true self is caring for animals - go for it. If your true self is a gardener and sharing your produce - go for it. If your true self is being a teacher - go for it.

It’s been over a decade since I admitted to myself how important words are to me. Some people think words are merely communication tools, but to me, words are like lovers. I’m a writer, and I’ll always be true to that part of me.

Always be true to yourself. 

Rayne

www.rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

Rayne's Ramblings - Remembering Katrina

As I've mentioned, I've had several blogs over the years. Rather than try to update broken links, after a while, it becomes easier to start over. I'm hopeful that having total control of my work at this point in my career means fewer broken links. You may think a few links is a small thing but when a publisher revamps its entire website and gives all your books new links, and you've been promoting on a regular basis, well, do the math.

We've recently passed the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I saw a news special on it and was thoroughly dismayed people are still talking the same old tired rhetoric and blaming the same people for a hurricane. Have we learned nothing? Why are we unable to move on? 

Instead of continually puffing out one's chest and spouting off about what others did or didn't do in the aftermath of this natural disaster, get off your lazy ass and do something to make a difference. If you listen to the rabble rousers, remember words are cheap, and appropriate actions need no words. These people who've been ranting for ten years? What have they really done, other than go on television and talk? Better take a good look before you buy what they're really selling. 

RF

The following is from the former blog, Through a Glass Brightly.

September 4, 2005

Hurricane Katrina

The tragedy of humanity in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has haunted everyone for these past days. Everywhere you go people are talking about it. Every newspaper has pictures and headlines. Every channel on the television, even the shopping networks, are donating goods and funds to relief efforts. And here is yet another blog, another opinion voiced. Yes, everyone is affected in some way by this natural disaster.

I’m hearing from people, far and wide, that they are giving to the Red Cross. This outpouring of generosity is wonderfully American. And yet I know getting those funds collected and trickling down to the victims of the hurricane will take time. There is bureaucracy to deal with whether we like it or not. As heart-rending as some of the images on the television are, we are still reminded that the universe unfolds as it should and we ultimately have no control over it.

In the days ahead we’ll all be bombarded by messages from this or that organization stating they are giving a portion of their proceeds to relief efforts. Most of these organizations are honest. They’ll do as they say. Others, I’m not so sure about. My beloved was watching something on the television and a commercial came on.

I was in my office and couldn’t see the pictures, but listening to the announcer I was struck by the blatant promotional opportunity that particular company was taking all couched in terms of aiding the victims of the hurricane. I’m glad I don’t patronize that company, and I know that now I never will.

In the midst of the human tragedy, I sit at my computer and write. Working on my newest story has turned into chore. My mind keeps turning to those suddenly homeless, suddenly hope-less. My prayers are with those people. I lost my home and all my worldly possessions in a house fire in February of 1983. How much worse it must be for those people in the south.

I had family that embraced me. I immediately had a warm, safe place to sleep. I did not go without water. Even my dogs found shelter in my aunt’s warm, clean kennel.  I had a job to return to. The outpouring of gifts from my church and my community to rebuild my life, much from total strangers, is something I will never forget.

How much worse it must be for those people hit by the storm. I cannot even begin to know.

My prayers are also with those people who have left their families and their jobs to go and give aid to those suffering. I’m in awe of these people, in awe of the depth of their compassion and dedication. What special people they are to walk away from their lives to go and give aid. They also need support. A gift through your local house of worship will go to support many of them who have trained for this.

Tonight my beloved and I will take a short drive down our country road and park in front of the local church. From this vantage point we have a clear view of the Labor Day fireworks display sponsored by a local business. It is such a simple thing to sit together in the safe confines of our truck and enjoy the fireworks. We’ve done it every year for eleven years now. But tonight I won’t be taking his presence for granted.

In spite of what we see on the news, we are a nation blessed. We care about the plight of our fellow human beings and we do what we can, when we can, to give aid. If we are ever faced with such a tragedy again, we will do even better.

One by one, we each make a difference, and what we receive is more than we give. May our gifts be increased tenfold. 

Blessings to you,

Rayne

www.rayneforrest.com

www.twiter.com/rayneforrest

Spring weather

Western Maryland has unusual weather. One day we're as hot as Washington DC, and the next cool as Pittsburgh PA. It can be downright confusing. Yesterday I wore a skirt to work to stay cool and today I wore a sweater. 

We've been keeping an eye on the weather for a very specific reason - setting up our little pool for the season. It needs to be sunny and warm before I'm going to wade in the cold well water to get the bottom of the pool flat with no wrinkles as the water pours in. 

Beyond that, the bedding plants are in the ground. So are four Better Boy tomato plants. I planted marigolds in a circle around them and I hope that keeps the critters away. It didn't last year but I live in hope. 

My beloved's sister wants some hosta so I must get busy and dig a few clumps for her. Two clumps will net her a dozen plants. I think she'll like that. 

I'm enjoying how green the mountain is right now, and my backyard. It's the bright, fresh green of spring but soon enough it will darken to the greens of summer. And summer will bring the humidity to the area. They do say the Mid-Atlantic states are Triple H. That's hazy, hot, and humid. 

I think I might as well prepare myself for cold feet and get the pool up and filled before the hazy, hot and humid happens. I'm a country girl. I'm supposed to be "tuff."

Rayne
http://www.rayneforrest.com

Indie Publishing: Lessons Learned So Far

When I decided to indie publish my old backlist I didn't realize two things - how much there was to learn and how much I'd enjoy the process. Yes, process is quite an overused word these days but the language can be limiting. That's the only word that fits. 

The biggest adventure so far has been learning how to photoshop pictures. I'm not an expert, nor will I ever be, and that's okay. Sure the cover of a book is the first thing a reader sees. The second is the price. Well, maybe some folks see the price first and that's okay. I've been known to purchase a "try me" book for 99-cents, too. Anyway, learning to create covers is a lot of hard work but each new tool discovered ups my level of enjoyment with the software. 

Now comes the time to confess what I really like about going indie and something the naysayers might want to think about. Perhaps if I'd thought about it sooner, I'd have begun this new phase of my career a few years ago. 

It's a topic always discussed in private author circles. Is my publisher paying me for every copy sold? How do I know if they're not? It's an unfortunate reality the author doesn't know if she/he is being cheated. 

Yes, most (but not all) publishers are honest and most contracts have clauses that state the author can request an audit of her/his sales records but the author has to pay for it. Please believe me when I tell you only the lucky few are making enough money to pay for a forensic audit and those chosen ones are the few the publishers wouldn't dare fuck with because they do have the money. So what's one of the little people to do? Publish a few indie books.

When you become your own publisher you suddenly have access to sales reports direct from places like Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo - any online bookseller you hook up with. How does this help? Here goes. I'll try to make it simple.

Say I go to All Romance eBooks and search for Rayne Forrest. The results come up and I sort them by best selling and make a note of the day and the order of the books. Then I log into my publisher account and get the numbers of sales per book. Say I do this every day for the quarter and at the end of the quarter my indie book, which as been ranked as my third seller for the last several months has sold 100 copies. This means the two books above it have each sold more than 100 copies. I then get my royalty report from ARE. 

Books number 1 and 2 had better show sales of over 100 copies each, eh? Okay, they might only show 95, which would be close enough for me to know all is well. One thing I don't know is how many people bought a book and then returned it after they read it. (The practice of doing that is a blog for another day - after I learn a few more curse phrases.)

Is it a cumbersome lot of work to track sales this way? Absolutely. Will it give you enough money to pay for an audit, if necessary? Nope. It won't. But it might tell you it's time to look for another publishing house to handle your work.

And that's the bottom line here. Your books are your work. You license them to someone else to do the publishing end. You need to know if you're being treated honestly and an independent sales report is simply one more tool to that end. 

Rayne
http://www.rayneforrest.com

Old dog, new tricks

One of the scarier aspects of self-pubbing my old stories isn't whether or not they have any shelf life left. I have no control over whether or not anyone buys a copy and I'm actually content with that. The thing is I enjoyed creating them and there's no reason to hide them away on my computer. So what is the scary part? Creating a decent cover.

It's pretty proven wisdom the cover needs to catch a reader's eye. Okaaaaay. What catches a person's eye is a personal thing. Can we please everyone? Of course not. 

I'm learning how to make simple covers. So far I like the results. They've been very clean without a lot of frills but the more I learn about manipulating the software to match my vision, the more complex they'll become. 

I'm rather pleased to report the old gal (me) can still learn a new trick. 

Rayne
http://www.rayneforrest.com

As we enter another year - 2015

I'm sure you've heard this many times before. People always say they can't believe it's a new year. Well, it most surely is. This January 3rd marked twelve years since I got the first publishing contract as Rayne Forrest. That book was The Skies of Mahdis, a story I dearly love. Now that I'm twelve years on I need to revisit that story and apply those things I've learned. Skies has been out of print for ten years so it's time. 

I've also had more than a few blogs over the years. First there was Through a Glass Brightly. That was followed by Forrest Whispers and Rayne's Ramblings. I tried Live Journal, Word Press and a few others but I think it's safe to say I prefer blogger. Anyway... 

Here I am with a lot of old blog content. I was looking through the old files to determine if it was time to de-clutter but that didn't work so well. Instead of dumping content from 2004 (yes, that is two thousand four), I think I may recycle some of them, especially the ones that make me laugh. 

Some of them remind of people who have left my life, for one reason or another. So it is with the friend mentioned in this blog from July of 2005. We drifted apart and eventually lost touch but I remember her with fondness. So without more rambling, here's The Rules. 
* * *

July 18, 2005

I get together with a friend every few Saturdays for early morning tea or coffee. We go to the various coffee shops and tea parlors in the area but never the same one twice in a row so we don't wear out our welcome. Our Saturday morning get-togethers energize me. It’s very cathartic to share hopes, dreams and aggravations with someone who’s “been there, done that.”

Our discussion took a turn to The Rules last Saturday. Rules, you ask? Yes. THE Rules. The things you must not do as a writer - ever. If you do them no one will buy your book.

You know what the great thing is about epublishing? The Rules are getting broken. And you know why? The readers.

Readers are smarter than ever. Readers are more sophisticated than ever. And it shows.

One of The Rules states that you can’t change the point of view within a scene. Hey, I grew up with television. Pan in on Captain Kirk! Quick! Jump to the close up of Spock! Leap to McCoy! (Didn’t you just love his blue eyes?)

Somewhere in those 7.8 seconds we KNOW what all three of those men are thinking. It’s not a bit confusing. It wasn’t even confusing in 1966 when I was nine years old.

No, readers are smart. They can follow along. They can keep up. Not a problem. I know this because I was a reader long before I was a writer.

Another of The Rules is that you cannot write in the first person. I love the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, don’t you?

Anyway, my friend and I sipped our coffee and nibbled our way through a pair of raspberry and white chocolate scones and bashed The Rules. And what did I do when I finally made it home?

I sat down at my computer, read the last page I’d written, then retyped half of it because, well, because I’d broken The Rules.

Rayne

http://www.rayneforrest.com

Beautiful Light

It's a common problem, I'm sure. We love digital pictures. We collect them from everywhere - our phones, email, the Internet, old-fashioned cameras. One little click and they're saved on the hard drive for posterity. And then what? 

They're stored on the hard drive for posterity and they're in one big messy folder marked with some series of numbers instead of when we took the photo and what it's supposed to be.

Maybe it's just me who does that. 

It's a beautiful late September evening here so I strolled around my corner of the world. In mere days the leaves will change and summer will truly be gone. The light was just right and I had a moment of deja vu, that it had been that way before and I'd captured the image. I came inside and started to look through my photos. (I really need to do some organizing!) I found the image of beautiful light and thought I'd share it with you. 

Rayne
website

Rayne's Ramblings: Baseball in Heaven

I always think of my grandfather when I read this "oldie but goodie" joke. Pop played baseball in the local bush leagues and was an avid Orioles fan. I hope he’s pitching next Tuesday in a game somewhere, too.

Rayne
***

Baseball in Heaven

Two ninety-one year old men, Moe and Sam, have been friends all their lives. It seems that Sam is dying of cancer, and Moe comes to visit him every day.

"Sam," says Moe, "You know how we have both loved baseball all our lives, and how we played minor league ball together for so many years. Sam, you have to do me one favor. When you get to Heaven, and I know you will go to Heaven, somehow you've got to let me know if there's baseball in Heaven."

Sam looks up at Moe from his death bed, and says, "Moe, you've been my best friend many years. This favor, if it is at all possible, I'll do for you."

And shortly after that, Sam passes on.

It is midnight a couple of nights later. Moe is sound asleep when he is awakened by a blinding flash of white light and a voice calls out to him, "Moe.... Moe...."

"Who is it?" says Moe sitting up suddenly. "Who is it?"

"Moe, it's me, Sam."

"Come on. You're not Sam. Sam just died."

"I'm telling you," insists the voice. "It's me, Sam!"

"Sam? Is that you? Where are you?"

"I'm in heaven," says Sam, "and I've got to tell you, I've got really good news and a little bad news."

"So, tell me the good news first," says Moe.

"The good news," says Sam "is that there is baseball in heaven. Better yet, all our old buddies who've gone before us are there. Better yet, we're all young men again. Better yet, it's always spring time and it never rains or snows. And best of all, we can play baseball all we want, and we never get tired!"

"Really?" says Moe, "That is fantastic, wonderful beyond my wildest dreams! But, what’s the bad news?"

"You're pitching next Tuesday!"

Rayne's Ramblings: Old blogs and sneaky advertisers

Having a fascination with reading the headlines is a vice that doesn't cost much. I like it that way. Because I'm tight. I save money, not spend it. Clicking on an article is cheap entertainment as well as educational. But today I clicked on a headline and got an unpleasant surprise. Shine wanted to track my location.

Why?

This makes me instantly suspicious because I know why. They want to inundate me with advertisements to entice me to spend money.

Sorry. Better luck next time.

* * *

On another note, Twenty-six Keys is latest in a series of blogs I've had over the years. I started out on Live Journal, tried Wordpress but didn't stay with that, had a newsletter blog called Forrest Whispers, had Rayne's Ramblings for all things not writing, and a regular blog.

I was looking back through some of the older entries (I wrote them in a word processing program and then pasted them in) wondering if any of them had withstood the test of time well enough to be re-published. For the most part, that's a no, they didn't.

The next question was should I delete them? Again, no. Those old blogs are part of my history as a writer. I see how far I've come since the early days, and how far I need to travel to make it back to actively writing as Rayne Forrest. It's all good. Just another season in my life.

Rayne

When least expected

Life has a way of handing you the unexpected, and it's not always a bad thing. Sometimes it's something you've wished could happen. Or maybe it's something you planned to work towards and never quite got around to it, being absorbed with the busyness of the daily grind. And I've certainly been busy.

Yesterday, Super Bowl Sunday, marked ten years since I sat at the computer and began to write my first book. While that story remains unpublished, I've had what I consider to be great success with my writing career. After all, I never set out to have a writing career. I set out to write a novel just to see if I could.

I guess I got my answer.

As for the universe talking to me, yes, it did. I've long pondered what to do about my older stories, the ones which had limited runs at publishers no one ever heard of and never became mainstream, or were at houses that closed, or should have closed. Today, a simple email was a signal it's time to move forward and get those books back out.

The epublishing world was a lot different back in 2003. It's matured, and, thankfully, so have I. It's going to take a little time to go through those stories and apply those things I've learned in the last ten years, but I think the stories are worth it. My technical skills are better and it's important to me to do the best I can in everything I do.

So I suppose I'm climbing "back on the horse." We'll see how it works out.

I think it's going to be fun again.

Rayne