Wednesday Writerly Way ~ The Indie Two Step

Being an indie author is no easy task. It's the Indie Two Step. It's the latest rage and everybody is trying to learn this dance craze. Including you if you're reading this.

This dance has intricate twists and turns.  It has no particular moves because different steps work for different authors which makes it ever hard to teach to someone else. There is no magic formula in spite of all the blogs, articles and books.

So why do it?

Well that's what I'm telling you to ask yourself before you even attempt it. You have to be honest with yourself.

• How much time are you willing and able to invest in your project?
• How much money can you afford to invest in your project?
• Is your project good enough to withstand the market and shine?

These are the three questions you should contemplate before going indie. But situations change. There are always evolutionary changes within your life which affect your first answers.

I side stepped traditional publishing. I understood what was at stake by doing this. It's a bold new world. I am an innovator type person although an introvert. I've always made things happen. Because of real life situations made it possible for me to publish, market and sell my books in spite of having a terminally ill husband.

How much time was I willing and able to invest? Every waking moment when I was not
doing my duties of ministry, caregiver, and a living, breathing person. That averaged out to about 50 hours a week. But I was realistic, life would intrude on that 50 hours so I devoted 30 hours a week to my publishing, marketing, production, and selling efforts. That equated to a part time job. Now with a part time job you don't aim for the stars but a realistic high mountain peak.

How much money could I afford to invest? Almost none. That meant I had a whole lot of learning to do on how to put together a book in various formats, cover art, editing, the best way to market my book, and be realistic about the returns for my efforts. Currently meager effort = meager return on investment (ROI) but more on that in a minute. 

Is my book able to withstand the competition and shine? Possibly. I'm still working on the Indie Two Step moves. I started with good intentions. Don't we all?

But a funny thing happened on my way to success as an indie author. Life bumped me out of the running. My husband's cancer got worse. In fact he's on a downward spiral and he's looking forward to meeting his Maker. I had a stroke. So I'm treading water because my life as an indie author came to almost a screeching halt. My marketing efforts have dwindled down to nonexistent.

As a result, the new formatting of my books to Kindle have been derailed. Kindle once accounted for 85% of my sales. The second books in the areas espionage/suspense, southern suspense, horror/suspense, and six children's books in the Sweet Haven series sits idling on my hard drive while I await my brain recovering enough to set the next stage in action. Also books 2 &3 of my survival nonfiction series, and the full text of the "Author Business" sit in equal idle mode. Hard life blows for any writer.

Everyone knows to sell more books you have to have a bunch of them to get noticed? That's true with traditionally published authors too. The more books; the more exposure.

So how do you learn a dance when there are so many conflicting moves for the same dance? You don't. You do the best that you can and pray for a miracle!

Keep writing and loving the Lord.

Sunday Stroke Survival ~ Failure is NOT an Option

A few weeks ago Barb Polan talked on her blog about failures as a stroke survivor. I say failure is not an option I will not accept it in recovery ever. How about you?

• Do you look at your rehab efforts and recovery as failure?
• Do you look at you rehab efforts and recovery as humbling?
• Do you look at your rehab efforts and recovery as setting yourself up for failure?

Stop that! ( Dean that's for you grinning)

You are not empowering yourself, but demoralizing yourself and setting yourself up for failure. It is a self fulfilling prophecy. Ever heard of it? The thing about stroke recovery is that it's all about the brain...damaged brain, healing brain, thinking brain, and the visual brain. The human mind is powerful and is constantly learning until the day you die. The neurons are constantly firing to remember, to store, produce movements, and has redundant system operating systems just waiting for re-education and activation.

You've all heard the phrase, "You are what you eat." The same applies to stroke recovery, "You are what you think." I often use a quote from Edison and always screw it up. I find 10,000 to big of a number to visualize. Have you ever visualized it? It looks like a crowded mess. But the point is taken...keep trying until success.

To feel successful is awesome to anyone.It is strived for and just as elusive to obtain for everyone. Granted we just want to have our old lives back prior to the stroke. But realize this...even with 100% recovery, it won't be the same lives EVER. We are forever changed by circumstances we live through.

Okay, so you want to be a little more normal. Like me, I'd love to have my right arm back. Life would would be semi-sorta normal if I could use two arms, elbows, wrists, and fingers. Just the thought fills me with abundant joy, but that just ain't happening right now.

thinkstock.com

I remember my in hospital based rehab just after my stroke, I was determined and very optimistic about making it happen before I came home. It didn't happen. Okay, I thought, two months of hard work and I'll have partial use. It didn't happen. Then the date was within six months of my stroke. Nope, but I did manage some voluntary elbow movement. A victory to be sure, but was it enough to me? Nope. I extended my goal to a year, my first anniversary of my stroke. In fact, I back tracked due to a separated AC tear in my shoulder and spasticity set in. Was I disappointed, yes! Was I a failure, no.

therealbeastboy@deviantart.com

All of this was very disheartening but a failure to achieve? Because that's what failure or the sense of failure really is. Nope. I was still attempting my goal. I am still attempting my goal after almost 18 months post stroke. Just what have I achieve and grab onto as successful. That's the key to any good cheerleader. "That's okay. That's alright. Now get up and fight, fight, fight!"

But what if you've been going at recovery for weeks, months, or years without success? How do you keep going and not accept failure as an option? I don't know about years because I'm not there yet, but it helps to have a good support network. Even if it is one person. A spouse, a dog, your kid, another stroke survivor, even if that one person is me. 

I'm donning my high school cheerleading outfit. Actually, truth be known, I never was a cheerleader, but I did dress up as one for Halloween. Hmm, it rides up at the midsection. Grumble, grumble. Darn these spandex panties. one leg fits into the waist band now. Ah heck, good enough. Here I go. Squeezing the pom pom into my paralyzed hand and grabbing one in my functional one and waving them wildly visually.

"Go Strokee go!

If you can't do it

Nobody can!" 

It's all basically up to you.

Nothing is impossible with determination.

A New Addition to the Murphey Saga Family

No it's not another grandchild. I mentioned her in a comment response, but I didn't introduce y'all to her.

My grandson James, 22 months old, named her Babs.

She's a California and Angora mixed bunny rabbit. I've long wanted one to spin the rabbit's fur into yarn. As you can tell she's already getting long baby fur. As far as I can tell that their is any Californian in her is the she has a small black patch on her back, and several black patches on her leg and hind paws. She's two months old. Her eyes are not the standard blue with a pink lens like her ruby eyed breed but pure blue!

Her story...
My youngest daughter and I had been frequenting the Northeastern Florida Farmers Swap and Trade Market. I even follow them on FaceBook to chat with other farmers and urban farmers. You already know if you've read my various blogs or my book, I'm all about self-sufficiency. My goal is to be almost totally self sufficient by the year 2016. That is still my target date in spite of my stroke.

Jenn and I are all about doing it ourselves. She's been gardening and raising chicken for a couple of years now. Anyhow, we've been looking at the livestock trying to get a feel for which breeds would work best with the minimum of care for our area. I'm all about researching before jumping in with both feet. I don't want to be in a situation when my family depends on something and I don't know.

We saw a variety of animals rabbits, chickens, goats, turkeys, pigs etc. I walked up to a stall with these bunnies and was talking to the vendor. I really had no intention of buying anything last Sunday, I was just researching and browsing. I spotted this litter of five bunnies. My grandson, Triston (11) picked up one and I was explaining to him how to hold it and the care it would need. He had three says earlier lost 10 chickens to a neighborhood dog. Needless to say he was heart broken. He had raised these chickens since they were a couple of weeks old and they were now broody and hatching babies of their own.

The one he picked up was blue-black but still had the Angora long hair, when I spied this bunny. I explained to Triston that this sweet girl would be the one that I would pick if I were buying one today. Her fur would be easy to dye into a variety of colors. While the one he had could only be dye dark colors. Of all my grandchildren, this grandson has taken the self-sufficient mentality to heart. He loves building things and raising things be it pens and houses to growing crops and harvesting harvest, etc. The preserving and storage of goods he leaves to us womenfolk. <g>

We put the bunnies down to walk to the next stall. We walked all around the market examining and discussing the livestock. My daughter fell in love with the Frizzle Bantam she saw. This chicken was so ugly, it was cute. Black lacy feathers like a boa with white feathers that almost look like glitter in the sunlight. She wanted her as a pet not a livestock purchase.

It was close to the time when the market would close so we made our way up to the front.

The lady with the bunnies we had held rushed up to me. "Do you really want the bunny?"
"I haven't the $40 to pay for her today. I'll catch up with you in a couple of months," I told her.

I wasn't set up for an Angora rabbit. Sure, I had the meat rabbits outside in their hutches and runs but an Angora I wanted to house inside as a pet provider like my dogs and cats. Angoras need a lot more grooming than meat rabbits. I would need a cage, waterer, small feeding dish etc. My meat rabbits have a five gallon watering system outside and I mostly free range them.

The lady persisted. She explain that she didn't have the room for a rabbit with more new kits to take her place. That she could tell this bunny would be going to a good home. "Why don't we do this", she started bargaining.
But I was just as adamant against taking a bunny home today. Oh my hubby would have been proud of me had he been there because I didn't give in.
Finally she said, "I really can't take her home. Her and her brother have got to go today."
They were the last two in the cage. Both perfectly healthy just not a solid color. All the violet, black and white bunnies were sold.
Desperate she looked me in the eyes, "I can't take them home. I'll give you both of them for free."
My resolve about this just being a research trip faded when I looked into the bunny's blue eyes. So her brother went home with Triston and my new little girl came home with me.

I gave her a bath when I brought her home. She's so tiny without all the hair poofing out all over the place. I've managed her daily care and grooming even one handed. She's only nibbled at my hubby's finger once and much prefers carrots to fingers. She gives little snuffling bunny kisses and licks when held. She loves to tuck her head under my chin when carried and is a holy terror to my cats who don't know what to think of this funny looking animal Momma brought home. So far she chases them around the family room and lies in wait for one of them to pass by a hiding space so she can jump on them. I think she'll hold her own.

Friday Fun ~ Cooking with a New Toy

White Rabbit: [singing] I'm late / I'm late / For a very important date. / No time to say "Hello, Goodbye". / I'm late, I'm late, I'm late. From Disney's Alice in Wonderland.

It Friday Fun at the Murphey Saga. One thing I've missed since my stroke is freshly ground pepper. The chef in me cringes at pre-ground stuff. Now, I have the McCormick's Spice grinders and pepper mills galore, but have been at a loss of how to grind it one handed. So I searched for a one handed pepper mill. I didn't want a battery operated one, but a manual one. Like you, I have a ton of stuff that runs off of batteries.  Batteries get down right expensive.

Now I could have gone with a standard looking, manual grinder, but you know me...I didn't. That just wouldn't be me or a Friday Fun. This is what I bought.

TA-DA!

It arrived today and can't wait to use it. Squeeze the ears and out of the base comes the freshly ground pepper. I also got one for salt that's white. Filling it posed a problem. You fill it at the tail. But my handy dandy funnel and a pan of rice fixed that.

I'm off to try it out. Have fun today!

It's Time Book Tour with Jeremy Hawkins

 Better late than never. I asked Jeremy Hawkins, otherwise known as Being Retro, how his art got started because that's what his books are about. Up until now it's been a celebrity whirlwind of interesting (famous & infamous) people he's had the pleasure of meeting. I wanted to know the beginning and he was gracious enough to oblige. So without further ado heres Jeremy taking over the Murphey Saga.

So taking a break from all the celebrity encounters I want to reflect on art some of you write, paint, sculptures and like myself design. Now these I have listed are only the threshold of the talent you posses, it was meant to give your talent to us. I have always asked myself where was your starting point, when do you know that is what you wanted to do. Turning it over to you and then I will share a little story about my “moment” and then I would like for you to think about the same.

I remember dabbling in drawing not really being all that good at, but I found myself sketching and making silly characters that would end up looking like a peacock. It wasn’t until high school while sitting in my English class where I found my “moment” and taking notice that I was going to be doing this for a long time. I had decided to use my desk as my mural with pencil in hand I started to draw, draw eagles in the trees. What started as a cartoon turned shape into what I thought was a more than I could have imagined. Now the problem is its English and I now caught the eye of the teacher Mrs. Brandt as she makes her way back to me. Not saying a word throughout the second half of the class to me, not angry nor upset.

Class is a bell away from getting out; I hear my name to stay after... you know I know this means some trouble. I hear the bell, I feel this it, busted. I walk up to her desk, she quickly moves us back to mine… still no words. I hear a few grunts to the tapping on the center of my masterpiece. A question “is this all your work to show for the class”; she smiles and shares the something I didn’t know. Before that another question “do you do this all the time” I responded no not usually on a desktop, I just was inspired.

I was really unaware that my English teacher was head of the art department and she found my work inspiring for what it was. I never have had anyone really ever tell me that they enjoyed my art, I was a closet artist I guess. We found ourselves smiling over this desk turned art mural; sadly it didn’t last as she points out a bottle cleaner and a cloth. Getting a Mr. Hawkins and the need to clean the surface came her life lesson from her and her experience. Never draw something beautiful you might want to keep and share someday with someone. As I begin to turn art into a mess to a clean surface, she explains that she could help bring the art of out the person. Also sharing that for the art it was a delight of expression and for the English I was to have a detention for a week.

As for the great news she made me serve it out in the art room showing me the vast joys that this room has to offer. I remember that being the day my “moment” hit bringing back to the start… the reason I am who I am. I am less of an artist more of a designer due to the love and introduction of the computers. So here is your part share your passion, please let me and us know how you got there, it doesn’t have to be long like mine. I am really more interested in thinking about your “moment”.

It's a four book series 40 pages each and it is the art/design from things I had designed over the years. It's a mish-mash of things that I had seen in my head... and some are future designs that will become shirts. Places I wanted to go artistically as you travel from where I was to where I am now. Is it great journey!  Titles came from the idea of time "12:34, 35, 36 and 37” seems that is when my best ideas came to me... day or night. It's funny I never considered myself a "writer" just a man who likes to paint a canvas if it be words or my art/design.

Giveaways: Some great prizes being given away please stop over at my main page “BEING RETRO” and look just below the header for the “It’s Time” Tour Giveaway link and enter today. **Actually, it's just above.**

Grab his books at:
Amazon

Thank You, Jo for letting me play host and to all who took the “time” to read this… you are all the best.

Jeremy Hawkins
Being Retro
beingretro.com

To Stalk Him:
Website/Blog
Howling Wolf Records
Horror Blogger Alliance
Facebook
Twitter

***In addition to his books and art work, he has an online t-shirt company called Neato Shop that has some REALLY awesome t-shirts! He's a sci-fi and horror buff like me so is any wonder we connected? So stop on by his sites, buy his books, or just pop in and say "Hi, Jo sent me."

Have a great week all!