Back after a long hiatus

I am back and getting healthier since my diagnosis with Stiff-person syndrome. I do apologize to all when I just dissapeared. Yet, with trying to get my health under control it has been a battle that has lasted since May of last year.

Most haven't ever heard of SPS or stiff-person syndrome. I didn't and if not for a TIA episode I had last May, I would never have known I had it. I just thought my feet and hands cramping. Still not clear on what it is? Here is the best description I found.

Stiff-person syndrome (SPS) is a rare neurological disorder with features of an autoimmune disease.  SPS is characterized by fluctuating muscle rigidity in the trunk and limbs and a heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as noise, touch, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms.  Abnormal postures, often hunched over and stiffened, are characteristic of the disorder.  People with SPS can be too disabled to walk or move, or they are afraid to leave the house because street noises, such as the sound of a horn, can trigger spasms and falls.  SPS affects twice as many women as men.   It is frequently associated with other autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, thyroiditis, vitiligo, and pernicious anemia.  Scientists don’t yet understand what causes SPS, but research indicates that it is the result of an autoimmune response gone awry in the brain and spinal cord.  The disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, psychosomatic illness, or anxiety and phobia.  A definitive diagnosis can be made with a blood test that measures the level of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies in the blood.  People with SPS have elevated levels of GAD, an antibody that works against an enzyme involved in the synthesis of an important neurotransmitter in the brain.

​Lots of medical terminology to just say you get cramps, your limbs, or in my case fingers and toes contort and lasts for hours. Although, with mega doses of vitamin D and the muscle relaxer Baclofen, you can manage it. So far so good. It's taken time, but my focus is back, I'm not scattered and haven't had a cramp in weeks.

I'm on the road to being healthier and am celebrating with a re-release of a novella in September called The Hunted. I will be having a cover reveal planned in August and a giveaway as well.

Pick Me Up Mondays will be returning along with a few other things I will let you know about soon.   

Pick Me Up Monday- Words are indeed mightier than the sword

Happy Monday Peeps!

Life has been hectic to say the least and for those of you who tune in every Monday for my blog I apologize for missing last weeks offering. 

I have been steadily working on Rogan's book, but much of it ended up deleted. I will only put out a body of work that I feel is my best. After going over it I found it was lacking the intensity I needed to convey, so back to the drawing board I went and reworked it. Such is the way of a writer. You have to go on gut instinct, which turns out to be right nine out of ten times.

As many know I have a Monday internet workshop I have been doing since January. Well, I just put my students through a very intense month and recently heard from one of them. The private thank you touched my heart and lifted my spirits. It put into perspective the reason why I write, and love the printed word. 

The very idea that there is one person I made a difference to is huge to me. The gift of her words filled me with inspiration, love and acceptance. These are precious things to me and will hold them dear to my heart. 

As I stated in my Monday pick me up title, words are indeed more powerful than the sword. They can cut and wound, but they can also inspire, lift someone up to reach heights never dreamed of before. Without those encouraging words we all need, life is so much harder than need be. 

So in closing, I say thank you to my students, my readers, and my friends. May I always remember to tell you, what an important difference each of you make in my life.

Next weeks Monday pick me up will not be posted due to a much needed vacation. I will post again the following week.

So until then, have a wonderful time with your life and remember to thank those who make a difference in your life. 

Pick Me Up Monday- And the work goes on

Happy Monday Peeps!

Here is something to get you ready for the week ahead.

I spent the weekend closed off in my study doing what I love best. Living in a world I create. Rogan's book, Heart of a Firestorm is a blend of both the history of ancient Pompeii and my world. One unseen by human man, blending the two into a believable tapestry. A place where you can logically see a dragon shifter living in that time. After all, dragons have been in our myths and legends for eons, and all things have a basis in some sort of truth. So why not dragons? 

One of the things I love about being a paranormal writer is the challenge to make the reader suspend their belief and get pulled into a supernatural world. I enjoy tweaking the rules as we know them, to weave a shadow world within what we know.

So back to my dragon, Mt. Vesuvius is about to blow...hum wonder how a fire breathing dragon works with that one? Well we will just have to see what Rogan has up his talon. 

Have a great week

Pick Me Up Monday- The Power of Passion

There are many different types of passions. That of one's work comes foremost to mind, but the one I'm talking of is the most important to a romance writer.

The power of touch can change a life, connect two souls and convey more than words, how one feels.

A single brush of a hand can kindle passion. An embrace, a welcome home in an uncertain world. We are, for the most part, tactile creatures. We show our emotions though our body language, no matter how slight the contact, it registers in our psyche.

Passion is an emotion writers know very well. We are people watchers by nature, drawn to the tell tale signs of interaction between those around us. It can be something as small as leaning toward another as they speak, a tentative hand on a shoulder or arm. These all speak volumes if you know how to hear it.

Passion in romance is our greatest tool, we learn all the nuances inherent to this emotion for without it no great love can grow. It is what keeps you coming back to read more of our work. When done right it carries you along, feeding a need we all have at the most basic level. 

To find, to feel, to love.  

Now go out there and find your passion.

Wicked Dragon Writers Solutions

I recently heard of my author friend, Amber Kallyn's new business. Of course I was excited to have her on my blog where she can tell you about Wicked Dragon. I don't normally open my blog for any advertising, but at the same time I love being a resource for new authors or those wishing to self-pub and are not sure who to go to. In addition, knowing what Amber Kallyn brings to the business I have no doubts they will be busy rather quickly.

Does Your Written Gem Need An Editor?

How about Two? #WDWS #editors You've finally typed the two most important words: "THE END", but your precious treasure of words needs one final polish before you usher it out on to the cruel world. Welcome to Wicked Dragon Writer Solutions, where you can get two editing beasts for one smoking price!



 

Between Amber and I, we have 13 hard-won years of word crafting experience, not just in published work, but in editing for other authors. While we've been doing this without gathering our fees, we decided it was time to put our pens to work for us. We know how vital editors are to Creators of the Written Word, and what's better than one editor? How about two editors putting their eyes to the jewelers loop to examine your precious treasure, and you'll only be out the gold for the price of one. Think of it as an Editorial BOGO (buy-one-get-one-free). Feel free to come on over and check us over at Wicked Dragon Writer Solutions (www.wickeddragonsolutions.com)! In celebration of our grand opening, if you book your adventured during the month of April, we are offering 10% off your hoard of gold, just note code: WDWSOPEN when booking your spot!   If you're anxious to start your epic journey, feel free to reach out to wickeddragonsolutions@gmail.com and we'll get you set for your editing adventure.  

Pick Me Up Monday-Another Week Promising Week Ahead

For all my Peeps out there who love a tattooed man...here ya go, sealed with a kiss. 

Spring has sprung and my muse is singing. What can be better than that? This is one of my favorite times of the year when the earth wakes from it's dormant state. The delicate pastel wash of colors from flowers to the yellow -greens of new grass.

Time to enjoy the season and my sudden inspiration. Don't forget to stop and enjoy the earth's rebirth while you are out and about. After all what good is being alive if you don't stop once in awhile and savor?

Until next Monday, have a wonderful and productive week.

Pick Me Up Monday- A Precious Gift

This black and white holds an intensity that grabs your attention. What strong emotion is this beautiful man in the grips of? What is the cause? My mind can easily build a story behind this picture. This image calls to me, haunts me and challenges me to look closer, share his emotion and put it on paper. 

And that, dear friends is what art does. It moves you beyond your own life and into another realm. Stirs your emotions and enables you to share in the beauty of creation. What ever the medium, be it photography, painting or words on paper, the end result is the same. It evokes your passion and pleasure. 

What a precious gift to give the world. 

As I work on my latest book, this is what I strive for. To pull you out of the mundane world where bills and stress circle around like vultures, and give you a small amount of escapism, to connect to emotion and live through my words another life and time. 

That is what all artists strive for. A small piece of themselves given to the world in the hopes it offers pleasure and release from the day to day stresses. If my work does this, then I can not complain. To create quite simply, is an obsession, a compulsion to share with the world our imagination. 

And perhaps if we are very lucky, we touch a person and give them an unforgettable moment of enjoyment. 

Until next week, be productive and enjoy springs awakening.