Back From The Dead

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There are only so many times I can say "Thank you for calling" before the words stop having any meaning.  Three is the usual number.  The past four days have been the busiest I have ever been at work.  We were so slammed, some of my coworkers even felt guilty about getting up and going to the restroom.  Not me.  I find it hard to feel genuine guilt over a full bladder.  Since my bladder fills every hour, I take regular hourly breaks 100% guilt free.

This level of constant talking and cheerfulness (I can't help it, I'm really quite pleasant over the phone) left me too drained to participate in my regular life.  I slept in as long as I could, skipped my workouts and spent the evenings brain dead on the couch.  No reading, no writing, and what little mental energy I had was spent on reddit. 

That being said, the busiest week in my company's history is completely over!  I woke up a little early this morning, worked out, made a nice breakfast for me and hubby and I'm off to spend the day with friends.  YAY!!!!!!!  And soon, back to writing!

What about you bloggy woggy friends?  How did the week treat you and yours?

A Glowing Review

Just wanted to post a blog shout out to Lu over at A Muggle's Magical Book Blog for the terrific review she gave Fourth Degree Freedom.  I was so happy to read it.

What a cute logo/picture!

A little background: I don't post every single time I get a review (though I secretly want to if the reviewer says anything even remotely nice about my writing).  I'm at work today and we are getting pummeled.  I work in a call center and the phones are ringing off the hook! I have had two bathroom breaks today and that is it.  As soon as I hit my lunch break I checked my email and what do I find but an extremely nice email form Lu saying she'd posted a review and that she liked reading the short stories.  It was just the pick me up I needed (an ego stroke does way more for me than coffee ever could - suck it caffeine).  So I thought I would repay the favor.  If you have a shot, please check out Lu's blog.  Looks like she does some giveaways from time to time as well.  :)

To all my bloggy friends, I'll be by your blogs in the next day or two.  I'm hoping to have enough energy when I leave tonight (3.5 hours from now).

Replotting

I love/hate replotting.  I'm currently replotting my novel because, as I've said before, the first version was not very good.  It was mediocre, not terrible, but not something I'd like for anyone to read and see my name attached.

Right now, the replotting is going well though I think it's aging me a good bit.  I started to gray when I was 20 and I can't believe that isn't related to putting words on paper.  As usual, I'm partially enjoying the experience and partially it is killing me slowly.  I'm making some great changes though and am excited about the new draft which I will inevitably complain about here.  I have eliminated two characters, changed the rules of the imaginary portion of my universe and attached greater significance to all the relationships involved.  I've also streamlined the plot and added more depth.  Fingers crossed on this being the last draft.

Bragon Dorn the blogger - he's a cartoon in real life too

I was going to write about an interesting interlude from my life but in my blog hopping, I found a story that was way funnier than what I would have written.  Please visit Bragon Dorn's site and read this post. I thought it was going to another "So I got drunk story" but it was much much more.

Love always,

Libby

Want to Win a Free Book?

Of course you do!  Reading is fun and not spending any money is fun.  Book giveaways are the peanut butter cups of the literary world, without all the calories!

SO - if you've always wanted to read my collection of short stories, AND you've been worried about investing that dollar to make it happen, then here is your perfect opportunity.  Bonnie at BOOKISH ARDOUR is giving away 5 copies of my book.  I'd offer to autograph them but they're ebooks, so...

Image provided by nlyl at Openclipart.org

Feel free to jump right over there and sign up for the INDIE SUMMER GIVEAWAY.  Mine is not the only book up for grabs, so see what else floats your boat while your over there.  :)

Big Book Giveaway

Do you like books?  Of course you do!  Who doesn't?  Do you like getting books for free?  Of course you do!  Who doesn't?  Well, I would suggest you head on over to Bookish Ardour and enter to win some free books.  The giveaway runs from January 8th to the 23rd and features several books and authors.  My book, Fourth Degree Freedom, will be a prize starting on January 16th, also known as my birthday.  ;)

Since everyone likes a pretty picture, here's a banner to help you to remember:

In other news:

I have replotted the novel and will be tinkering with new outline for the next few days.  Then it's off to sketch some scenes.  I'm hoping to start a new draft by my birthday! 

How is everyone else in the blogosphere?

PS - I wouldn't cry if you guys helped spread the word about the giveaway.  :)

Some days, my eyes leak

It's a weird thing but sometimes my eyes run.  It doesn't look like I'm crying, just eye watering as if I'm on the verge of a good cry.  I'm guessing it's allergies but I don't have many symptoms so I never see a doctor about it.  I did start getting the occasional sinus headache a few years ago and thought I was dying.  It turns out, I'm just a giant wuss.

It's been a while since I've done an update, so here goes:

Book of short stories - nearly done except the main short story and I are fighting.  I'm trying some new ideas.  Once I have that done, expect a new collection. 

Novel - I FINALLY cracked the code here.  The draft I had written read like a bad tween novel.  I'm reorganizing, rethinking and replotting.  I really like the new ideas and reconfiguration.  It's challenging, but hopefully it will be good some day.

Plays - lots of ideas, nothing started yet.

Okay.  I wish I had more to report but my runny eyes are making the computer screen go blurry.  See, I'm almost 34 and still a huge wuss!

That Mitchell and Webb Look

Thanks to the gods of Netflix, I have found another awesome show.  Once again, this one is British, once again sketch, and once again hilarious.  This one is That Mitchell and Webb look - two stars of one of my other favorite Brit shows: Peep Show.

These are some of my favorite sketches.  Watch it!  Watch the screen!  The screen is going to MOVE!!  (you won't get that until you see clip #3).

American Visionary Art Museum

The hubby and I did an overnight trip to Baltimore a few weeks ago.  I'm a huge Ravens fan but, unfortunately, we weren't there to catch a game.  We had a few days off and a bit of extra money so we headed to Baltimore's inner harbor. 

The trip was lovely.  There were lots of new beers and the hubby tried kangaroo meat for the first time - delish!  The aquarium was great, it was my second trip there.  The science museum was fun in a little kid kind of way - there was an exhibit that simulated farting.  Not that that's my thing, but it was pretty unexpected.

My favorite part of the inner harbor?  The American Visionary Art Museum.  The best way I can describe it is as a mixture of stuff you would find in your grandmother's house and mind blowing art.  There were mini-sculptures made from styrofoam cups, big sculptures made from toothpicks, furniture made from match sticks, and good old fashioned paintings.    The museum is spaced throughout three buildings and includes a sculpture garden.  One of the coolest things about this place is that it features all self-taught artists.

I'd LOVE to include some photos here, but no cameras were allowed.  However, just visiting the website will give you a good idea of what to expect:

American Visionary Art Museum



If you clicked the link, then you see what I mean.  If you're ever in the area - head there!