Z is for Zest

It’s the last day of 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge! It’s been great fun to bring Rayne Forrest to the challenge, and I come to this last day quite pleased I’ve completed it as both Rayne and KC, every day on time. But I will admit I'm also looking forward to a bit of a blogging break. 

While I had this entry up at a different blog a few years ago, it's still appropriate for today and for a new audience. 

I appreciate meeting so many new people through both blogs. Each person brings something to my life even if it’s just a fleeting comment on the blog. It’s still a connection to someone else’s world and that’s the point of all. 

Now on to ZEST.

Zest: a noun

1. lively excitement : a feeling of enjoyment and enthusiasm

2. a lively quality that increases enjoyment, excitement, or energy

3. small pieces of the skin of a lemon, orange, or lime that are used to flavor food

A new acquaintance once asked me if my apparent zest for life was for real. A deeper friendship with this person never developed, which is a shame. When we encounter each other we always speak, but her world has too many gray corners for us to be bosom buddies. I fear she’d suck the zest out of me if I let her in too far.

I do have a certain amount of zest for life. The small things around me are a source of enjoyment, and often wonder. Every year I eagerly await the first green tips of the bulbs breaking ground. It’s a ‘wow’ moment when I realize the mountain has taken on a reddish blush as the maples prepare to bring forth their leaves. I feel the energy of the changing seasons on a molecular level. It’s who I am.

My late grandfather lived every day until a month prior to his death with a zest for life. He was born on the cusp of WWI and lived through WWII and the Great Depression. He buried his wife, his parents and all his younger siblings. And yet, until his eyesight failed, this man lived every day and looked forward to tomorrow. This was my shining example of having a zest for life. I hope I learned well the lessons he so lovingly taught. 

I wish for all of you reading this that you also may have a zest for life. I wish that you experience joy, no matter how small, no matter from what source, in every day of your life.

Thanks for being a part of my world in the 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge.

Rayne
http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

W is for Work

 Work is a four-letter word. I’ve been working for someone else since I was sixteen. It’s not always fun, but I’ve decided it’s not all that difficult to get out of bed and go to work when I get paid to show up. 

My idea of fun is writing full time. That day is coming but, until then, I work. According to my retirement countdown counter, I still have one thousand days to go until I can tap my heels together and proclaim, "there's no place like home!"

Working outside the home is a good thing on many levels. It gets me out of the house. Time out in the world is something I’ll have to plan for once I become a full time writer. Working in general keeps the mind engaged and sharp whereas as being idle allows everything to atrophy.

I’m enjoying the idea of working for myself. Whether or not it will actually be as sweet as I imagine is yet to be proven. But for now I can envision myself working in the garden in the morning when it’s cooler and working on a story inside on hot afternoon.

What I can’t imagine is not working at all.

Strange, isn’t it?

Rayne

http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

S is for Sticking With It

Nothing I have ever done in my entire life has called for more determination and dedication than writing.

I have never worked so hard and put in so many hours for a purely personal satisfaction.

Every day I wonder why I’m doing this to myself because writing romance can make the soul bleed.

Each new release opens the author up to unimaginable levels of criticism from jealous friends all the way to jealous reviewers.

And yet I keep writing, and I’ll keep on writing, under one name or another, until I can no longer sit at a keyboard or speak into a headset.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

Q is for Question

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Most days I have more questions than answers. It used to bug the heck out of me that I didn’t have all the answers. As I’ve gotten, ehem, more mature, I find I don’t like the answers so I’ve stopped asking some of the questions.

Some, but not all.

I believe it’s my constitutional duty to question those in authority over me. I believe I should question what doctors tell me. I believe I have the right to question any and all companies that manufacture food, drugs, drinks, and anything that touches my person and the world I live in if its products are safe.

That doesn’t mean the questions should be asked with disrespect. Questions are how we learn. They help us assimilate information. Questions tend to keep people from thinking they can harm us, or use us.

Don’t be afraid to ask a legitimate question. The answer might be just what you need to know.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

P is for Pride - have some

This past autumn, there was an article in the Romance Writer’s Digest about “taking back our writing.” I’m not going to lie and say I read the RWR from cover to cover, because I don’t, but I did pause to read this article.

In this article, the author admits to being caught in the vicious cycle of meeting deadlines. Publishing is a dog-eat-dog world and a lot of small press pubs rely on volume. Too many live and die by the short story. The art of writing a full-length novel is dying, choked out by the need to produce, produce, produce. The writer of the article acknowledged this. And then she impressed me. She said it’s time to step off the treadmill.

I agree with her. I want to write a story I’m proud of. I decided quite a while back I could no longer churn out story after story to meet the needs of a publisher. My alter ego did that for a bit and it’s too exhausting to sustain. My library has a few books that suffered because I met the deadline. Those stories got short-changed, both by the writer and more so the editor. I think there are more writers besides myself putting out indie-published books for that very reason. If an editor doesn't have time to do justice to your book, you need to take another path. 

Take the time to write a story you can be proud of. Check for typos, passive voice, missed words and continuity errors. Will you find all of them? Probably not. And trust me - neither does an editor. You may be a novice but your work doesn’t have to look like a newbie wrote it. When it comes to finishing your story, speed is not your friend.

It’s YOUR name on the cover of your book. This is one instance where being prideful is a good thing.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

O is for OOPS!

“Oh, oops….”

That’s a favorite saying of mine. It’s a lot more ladylike than some expressions that fall out of my mouth. Really.

I’ve made of a lot of “oops” in my life. I look at my earliest manuscripts and I see “oops” all over the pages. Instead of being embarrassed, well, overly embarrassed, I generally use the moment to remind myself of how far I’ve come.

There is no escaping the “oops.” You can live in denial if you want to, but if you live you’ve got a few “oops” in your closet. (Like the proverbial skeleton in the closet.) Instead of beating yourself up over them, use them as opportunities to learn. Remain positive about the learning experience. Fix it, if it can be fixed, and move forward. If it can’t be fixed, tender what apologies are necessary and move forward.

Trust me. It’s highly unlikely you’re the only person to ever do that particular “oops.”  Don’t let it define your writing career. 

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

                      

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

M is for Must

The MUST day. The day when we MUST have our tax returns filed for the previous year.

It's not my favorite day of the year for many reasons, mostly because I'm a little rebel at heart and when someone says I MUST do [fill in the blank], I don't react well. 

April 15. Why not say we must remember the sinking of the Titanic? That was on this day in 1912. It's a little before my time, but I've seen pictures. 

Here's a better must remember for today. In 1964, the first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line. I must remember that the next time I see an old Mustang on the road. 

I must remember to mix brevity with seriousness in my blog. 

I must. M is for Must. 

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

K is for K-cup Koffee

We’ve made it to the halfway point of the A to Z Blogging Challenge! And we’ll need more K-cups to make it to the end.

It’s only in the last decade or so I’ve become a coffee devotee. Sure, I’d have a cup now and then. I’d occasionally stop at the local convenience store in the mornings, but I rarely brewed a pot at home even though I only had a 4-cup brewer. All that changed when I was introduced to the K-cup.

A perfect individual cup of coffee or tea on demand? What’s not to like? It’s not the motor oil my parent’s generation drank, that’s for sure. Having each and every cup brewed fresh is a modern day miracle.

Now I know those individual cups can get expensive so I reuse them. I hear you saying not possible, but oh yes you can. Just peel the top off, fill it, and put the whole thing inside the auxiliary pod. I can get four or five brews from one k-cup before the filter gives out.

So K is for K-cups. Everyone needs at least one vice. The K-cup is mine.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest
http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

I is for Invest in Yourself

Any writer who’s gone out on the Internet searching for advice has likely found this: invest in yourself.

Without the writer, we have no stories. We lose shared experiences and insights. We lose access to the dreams of others. Publishers and critics will come and go, but writers and readers will remain constant.

These days, a writer needs a good computer. Invest in one. Who cares if it’s a desktop or a laptop? It has to please you. If you like techie toys, get them. I love having a wireless keyboard that I can use with both a desktop and a laptop.

If you want to go indie and want to make your own covers, invest in good photo editing software. If you feel you need to improve your basic language skills, take a class. The better your skillset, the faster the words hit the page.

It sounds simple and I know sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s baby steps all the way, but take them. The goal is a better you, and a better you means a better story.

Invest in yourself.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest
http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

H is for Hello/Goodbye (2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

Today marks the completion of one-third of the 2016 A to Z Challenge. I wasn’t sure how “Rayne” would do in the challenge, but so far so good. Plan the work and work the plan, or some such saying.

One of the things I find most odd about authors online is the “hello/goodbye” relationships that are formed. With no hard feelings, I must firmly stress. Whenever our paths cross, stranger or not, there’s the shared experience of being a writer. We blunder into each other, chat like good friends, and then move on without animosity. It’s fascinating and I love it.

Hello, goodbye. Thanks for stepping into my world today.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

G is for Good Grief! ( 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

It’s a little strange that the familiar saying “good grief” is a censored form of “good God.” I suppose it dates back to when 1) saying “good God” could get you staked for blasphemy and 2) the times when folks believed God punished us with grief. 

And then there’s poor Charlie Brown. I like Charlie. He’s one of the good guys. On the surface nothing seems to go his way, yet in the end, he makes it through. When Charlie gets annoyed over the stupidity of his friends, he declares, “good grief” and he keeps chugging onward.

That became one of my writing rules. When annoyed by my own stupidity, or that of others, I simply say “good grief” and keep moving on. 

And on. And on…..

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

F is for Freeze Frame (2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

Back in 1981, there was a song out by the J.Geiles Band called Freeze Frame. The focus of the song was a split second in time when a man sees a woman’s red lips and is so turned on by it the image freezes in his psyche. He thinks he’ll lose his mind if he can’t have her. The song is funky, upbeat, funny and reflects the human condition.

I get freeze frame moments all the time. The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is very true. A single image can inspire a sixty-thousand-word book.

I’m always on the lookout for the freeze frame. I never know where they’ll lead me, but as long as they lead, I’ll follow. 

Getting there is just too much fun to quit.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

I suppose now would be a good time to say F is also for friends who let you piggyback on their website.
http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_bookshelf.html

D is for Doubt (2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

There are different ways to look at doubt. The word itself means both “hesitation” and “misgivings.”

Hesitation can stall you, and misgivings can save you. Neither is necessarily a bad thing.

Trusting the voice of doubt is not only a writing rule, for me, it’s a life rule. Many times my instincts have made me doubt, and hesitate, and never once did it turn out badly that I did. The good things always remained a viable option while the not-so-good for me things faded away, untouched.

If you’re an aspiring writing, not every option available to you is good for you. Remember, in the writing world, good for you is good for your career, and bad for you is bad for your career. You may try and fool yourself the two are separate, but they are not.

So listen to your instincts when you have doubts. In this business, it can save you a lot of heartache.

Rayne

rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

C is for Cat (2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge

C is for Cat. Is that a groan I hear? Is that zero stars for originality you’ve given me as part of your review? Cut me some slack. It’s freakin’ Monday, okay?

What does “cat” have to do with writing? Every author needs a familiar. How better to be aware of the world around us than to mimic the cat? Cats know everything around them, even when sleeping. They observe more keenly than we writers. We should watch them and learn.

We could trade stories about our felines every day and you’d be right there with me. And being a cat lover I’ve discovered the Internet is full to overflowing with cute cat/kitten pictures and videos. So for my entry today, I thought I’d share a few of the pictures that made me laugh on this otherwise dull Monday. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Rayne

http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

B is for Because you can (2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge)

2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge

* * *

Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child,

      Listen to the DON'TS

      Listen to the SHOULDN'TS

The IMPOSSIBLES, the WONT'S

      Listen to the NEVER HAVES

Then listen close to me-

      Anything can happen, child,

ANYTHING can be.

Shel Silverstein

What wonderful words to have whispered in your ear! Yes, you should listen to everyone and hear what they say, then listen to the truer words of “anything can be.”

“Because you can” is implicit in those words. Because you can do it, anything is possible. Even a woman from a backwater town, a scant two generations from the Apple Jack operation, can become anyone she wants to be, even a published writer.

I’m sure I’m not alone in that I used to hate hearing my elders say “because I say so” without explanation. Those words sink long talons into memory. Unawares, they hold you back. They lurk in the dark recesses and cause doubt. You don’t even know it’s happening because it’s so ingrained.

Cast off the bonds of  “because I say so” and try this:

“Yes, I will. Because I can.”

Rayne

www.rayneforrest.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

Evolution sounds better than change

There are few things as constant as change. Each and every one of us experiencing change on a daily basis. Some changes we may not like but we learn to accept them. Others are immediately and fully embraced. But most of the time we're somewhere in the middle. We find ways to get along with change.

The publishing business is vastly different from when I began my journey in 2003. Digital publishing was just taking off and it was a force to be reckoned with. Small publishing houses sprang up overnight, and many vanished just as quickly. The future looked promising.

Then came change. I don't think anyone saw the magnitude of what was happening - at first. In retrospect, it's pretty clear that the people fighting digital publishing might have been on to something, although the collapse didn't happen for the reasons they feared. Or did it? Success on an individual basis has always been feared. 

Electronic publishing is here to stay - at least for a while longer. The indie author isn't going anywhere, either. But we still have to face change. We need to continually evolve. 

Today marks the end of an era for Rayne Forrest. The flooded market and piracy have taken their toll. My .com has been removed. It was my choice to give up the expense and move on to other venues. Yes, that would be free venues. Google has made it easy to find anything. Type in Rayne Forrest and you'll still find me. Rayne Forrest is also now piggy-backed on another author's website. It's a change. It's not good. It's not bad. It's an evolution. 

But does it feel a bit like defeat to give up the .com? Yes, and I'll get over it. 

Things have changed. 

Rayne
http://kckendricks.com/RayneForrest_home.html
http://rayneforrest.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/rayneforrest


Money Back Guarantee

Slade Martin is under attack. An electronic thief absconded with all 
his liquid personal wealth and someone on his board of directors is plotting a hostile takeover. The obvious culprit isn’t the guilty party, and Slade gets help to find the real perpetrator from a surprise source – the lovely and capable Iris D’Vance.   

Iris D’Vance is determined not to repeat her mistakes with 
men – until she meets Slade Martin, and decides all bets are off. Accepting the invitation to sit on the board of Slade’s charitable foundation lands her in the middle corporate intrigue. Slade needs her help and makes her an offer she can’t turn down.

Slade and Iris join forces to unravel the plot to ruin Slade and 
discover their interest in each other runs deeper than sharing 
altruistic works. When the person behind Slade’s woes is found, it’s Iris who’s in danger. Slade has to act fast to bring her home safe and make good on his money back guarantee.

READ AN EXCERPT HERE.

IWSG - Writer's Block - an ending or a beginning?

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Writer’s block are two words that strike dread into the heart of many a serious writer. You had such a great idea so what the heck is going on? You sit in front of the screen and stare. You want to write but the words won’t come.

Having suffered from this malady only a handful of times in my so-called writing career, I’ve reached a few conclusions, at least where I’m concerned.

I’ve concluded that sometimes I simply need a break.  It’s time to go blog, play on twitter, even watch television. I get busy on something else and stop obsessing over a daily word count.

My day job frequently wears me out and I don’t have energy to spare at the end of the day. I might go through a period where my life is on a social merry-go-round. Or like now, caring for my mother is taking my energy. It is what it is. 

Even when I’m not writing I’m thinking about writing. I know from experience the wheel will turn and I’ll be back at the keyboard, banging away.  

The main thing is to never give up on anything you want to have in your life. Let yourself rest if necessary, but always hold fast to the knowledge that you can find your way back to the things you love to do. Writer’s block is certainly scary, but it doesn't have to be an ending. It can be a chance to reboot, and an opportunity for renewal and regrowth. 

Search yourself for whatever is keeping you from the keyboard. Be honest about it to yourself. Don't hide from it, but learn from it instead. Write it into a story and render it unable to distract you from your path again. 

They say knowledge is power. Knowing yourself, and conquering those things which hold you back from your goals, gives you the power to achieve them.  

Rayne Forrest

Rayneforrest.blogspot.com

Raindrops on the pond

I’m not sure why, but I’ve been a bit ‘scattered’ this week. I feel like raindrops hitting the pond. All my energy ripples out from the center and is gone. 

Maybe it’s an awareness of all the things I need to accomplish over the next few weeks, or perhaps it’s just the end of a long, hard winter. Whatever the culprit, my concentration is non-existent.

Part of the problem may be that I’m physically tired. With the sudden fluctuations in the temperature, I’m not sleeping well. It’s too warm for blankets, and too cold to open a window and let some fresh air in the bedroom. 

Tired or not, the break in the weather means it’s time to start walking again. I’ve not been able to get outside on my lunch breaks since Christmas. We had a freakin' blizzard in January, you know. Thirty inches of snow. I wasn't impressed as I peered out the window. 

If you’re wondering what that has to do with writing, well, here’s the thing. If I’m going to ever go to writing full-time, I’ve got to have a good exercise regimen firmly established. I refuse to channel Jabba the Hut as I sit at my keyboard. A better me means better writing, or so I firmly believe.

So what’s up with the writing this week? I’m scattered. My alter ego is coming up on the end of a story, and the floodgate of new ideas has opened. Pick one. Pick one. PICK ONE! It’s always difficult to narrow it down to the most complete idea and forge ahead. The sooner I do, the sooner I can get back to another project.  Right? 

Rayne Forrest

rayneforrest.blogspot.com

Your Book, Your Way - IWSG

February 3, 2016

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

One of the first writing pearls of wisdom I learned was every author should write her/his story for themself.

Okay, so the above sentence isn’t perfectly grammatically correct. This is my blog so it’s written my way. Maybe it’s to prove my point or maybe because it’s to prove my point. I’ll tinder my apologies now in case the sky starts to fall.

I think it’s important for every writer to remember why they write. The little wisdom pearl is correct - write the story for yourself to please yourself. If you want to bring others into your book, you have to be there first.

Too many times, I think, worrying about what an editor or reviewer might say discourages a writer and they temper their words to please. It happened to me very early on and it was very discouraging. I eventually got over it, and I know it’s not easy to overcome. I’m even certain a wee bit of it lingers on.

I know the best stories I’ve written were for me. I’m blessed that I was able to share them. Grateful, too. But I’ll never forget the first rule of writing.

YOU are your very first reader. Write the story that at its core will make you happy. Everything else will fall in place around it.

 Rayne Forrest

http://www.rayneforrest.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest
rayneforrest.blogspot.com