The past couple of weeks -- well, actually all of September has been so hectic. Finding time, or making time to write is more difficult than ever. It's discouraging when my own friends and family aren't able to read my work and give me their opinions. That's when I have to remind myself life is busy. And not just for me, but for everyone around me, too.

I haven't posted an update to Wattpad since last week. I'm sorry for those of you who are reading it and looking forward to the next chapter. I'll be sharing at least one more chapter this week and as many as four. I'll have more time for writing on Thursday and Friday. October is knocking on my door and she's carrying my Nano Planning Schedule in her briefcase. <sigh> Nano is going to be killer this year since I have to squidge writing in between school and workout schedules -- a real challenge.

Honestly, though, family and health are more important even than a passion to me. I can't let those go because my time in this plane of existence is short. I want to spend as much time as possible with my family. And in order to do that, I need to be healthy, too. So those have to come first -- before the writing -- before the badges -- before the honors. I hope my readers will be able to understand that and be patient with me.

If you haven't had a chance to read "Ripples" yet, here's a handy link to get you to the story. Never fear! The uploads are coming...just slowly. Before you leave, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get updates on blog posts, novel updates, and more!

My latest blog posts haven't had much meat to them. This time I have a question. I'm writing a series of books that all take place in the same universe/world. The stories themselves will not necessarily be consecutive or connected. I still want to label the books by number, though. If I write some as connected pieces, I would give them a series title. What do you think? I've included a nifty poll to gauge the thoughts of my readers on this topic.

When you're done, why not stop by my Wattpad page and check out the latest chapter of my book, Ripples? Just click on the box beneath the survey and the link will take you straight to it. If you like what you read, please leave your vote!

Our internet service isn't the best, since we live in a rural area. We really are in no-man's land when it comes to that. There are people living five minutes away who have access to cable internet and yet we can't get service out here. It's a point of major irritation when it comes to needing internet for your work and school. We make do with internet that uses the cell towers as trampolines. Slow but it could definitely be worse. I shouldn't complain.

I posted chapter ten of Ripples earlier this week but I wasn't able to blog about it. I'm making sure I get my post up early enough to let you know both chapters ten and eleven are now available.

I'm still working on my freebies for subscribers. Still in the idea stage but I'm making progress there. I'd love to have a nice stack of helpful worksheets to give to you guys by the end of the year. Creating files from scratch is no laughing matter when you're learning on your own -- from the ground up, so to speak.

If you'd like to read Ripples, you can click on the box below to go to Wattpad. If you're enjoying it, please leave your vote. And if you really like something, or really hate something, please feel free to leave kind, constructive comments. It would really help me to know what my readers like and don't like.

I'm squishing this blog post into my school day so keeping it short...

Please check out the newest chapter of Ripples on Wattpad. You can click on the link in the box below. If you enjoy what you read, please vote by clicking the star! Much love and appreciation!

My husband celebrated his 50th birthday this year and wow! It really seems like there was never a time when he was in my life. I can't thank God enough for sending him to me. So we wanted to do something really fun with the people who've loved and supported and encourage both of us throughout our artistic journeys.

Planning a big party is no small feat. It's time consuming -- even more so if you're on a tight budget. I haven't had time for anything besides schoolwork with the girls and getting things ready for the party. I hope to get back on track next week by posting more chapters than usual. I won't give a definite number. That usually has the effect of jinxing me. But it is definitely a goal to work toward. So for those of you following my work on Wattpad, you have several chapters to look forward to next week! Yea!

Haven't read my work yet? You can read it here!

I know this is a short post but I wanted to update my readers. I haven't forgotten you -- or my story. Thanks for your continued support. You are loved!

My book is as much a misfit as I ever thought of being. When I try to fit it to a genre, it's best to stop at calling it a fantasy. But when you look at it from just that standpoint, there's not much to recommend it as such except for the fantastical setting, its flora and fauna.

I guess you might be wondering what I mean when I say that. My world is populated by humans, at least up to this point. They are not magic-workers. But they do have the ability to see and interpret prophetic dreams. Some have other abilities no one of my acquaintance has.

There are no unicorns,
or dragons,
or mermaids,
or pegasuses...pegasi...horses with wings. But there are other creatures roaming this world that can do things our own earthly creatures can't.

There are no knights brandishing swords,
no princesses swathed in yards of fluff and lace,
no crowns perched precariously on noble brows. But there are warriors, hard-workers, quests, and adventures.

Fantasy. It's still a fantasy book because it takes place in a different world filled with different creatures and plants. The heavenly bodies decorating the skies above it are different, too. It's a fantasy novel because the things that fill it up are fantastical in nature.

I once had someone tell me I had a good start on a sci-fi novel after they read the prologue (which I've since left out). But it's definitely not sci-fi. There are no spaceships, space travelers, aliens, colonists populating new worlds, or any other thing that one would expect in a sci-fi novel.

I feel like the way I write is more literary, at least in essence. I guess you can tell I'm a novice at many things. I'm also terrible at breaking things down. Editing my novel has proven quite the task, especially since I'm undertaking it on my own. Dangerous, I know. What if I put something in that shouldn't be there? Or take something out I should've left alone? I do worry about these things...but in the end, I'm writing.

I am not in this for money or fame. If I could hide away in a little cabin somewhere and simply continue to take care of my family and home, I'd be happy with that. I know fans crave connection and entertainment. But I want to write what I want to write. I want to put my words where others can read them. They'll either love my work, hate it, or be indifferent to it. But my words will still be out there.

If you would like to take a look at how it's coming along, you can read "Ripples" on Wattpad. Just click the link below. I uploaded chapter 8 earlier today. I'm going to keep working at it until I can afford to buy my ISBN numbers and get it into actual print. I'm more excited than I can say about putting enough words together to make a whole novel and I won't let anything stop me.