What Have I Done? by Robin Janney

It started out innocent enough.

My brother, who lives at home with our mother, commented to me a few weeks ago how he's been trying to get someone, anyone, to clean off some bookshelves in the hallway so that he can lay down new carpet and have more room to travel the hallway. He wears an artificial leg and having the bookshelves in the hallway makes it a tight navigation. If it wasn't done by the time he was ready, he was just going to risk mother's ire and just throw everything out.

Can't have that now can we?

So this weekend I went through all the books on the small antique bookshelf and sorted them out. It has to be antique; we've had it since as long as I can remember and I turn 40 in a matter of weeks!

Rather busting at the seams don't you think?

Now, I ask you: does it really look like I needed to bring more books home?  My bookshelf pictured to the right does not hold all my books even though it is packed, with books stacked on top of books. I have books scattered throughout the house, some sitting on my desk, some in the bedroom. I've been saying for years that I need to weed out my books, but I keep putting it off. Someday, someday. Although I will note here, that as I was discussing this with Mr. Janney - who thinks it's all rather funny that I came home with more books - he did say that one of the things he wishes to make for me is a better bookshelf, he's just not sure where to put it yet.

The scary part is, I haven't told our mother what I've done yet. She wasn't even home as she's been away visiting her sister. I messaged my own sister and another brother to let them know that there were books at mom's that they needed to go through, I added the 'they'll be thrown out soon' threat just to motivate them. Either way, Mother will be coming home to two small stacks of books that she can go through and make her own decisions about.

Sadly, I had to throw some of the books away. There were a few that somehow had water damage to them. Not a little damage either. And some of them had been worm food (I really, really, really hope I didn't bring any of them home with me!!!) And a couple were badly outdated.  Like the computer book from 1990!! One of the pictures in it featured an old dot matrix printer!!  I'm not sure where it came from, it sort of looked like a college book but may have just been a book we picked up at a yard sale. I didn't go to college until 1994 and the book would have been outdated even by then. Part of me wanted to keep it as a conversation piece, but I honestly don't have the energy for that.

It was an interesting bit of conversation time with my brother. I came across The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and he exclaimed, 'That's a good book. The boys need to read that.' (He has 3) Whereas I - can't even remember if I've read the book in it's entirety. And The Red Badge of Courage; I know I've never read that one and he has. Apparently one of the reading classes he was placed in during middle school read a bunch of classics that year. He told me he was thinking about reading Shakespeare (and maybe Dickens since he quoted one of the lines from A Tale of Two Cities) and wanted to know if I thought it was worth it. Wellllllll, I liked Hamlet and Merchant of Venice was ok. At one point he said to me, 'How is it we've collected all these books over the years, but we don't have one copy of Moby Dick?' Another book on his wish list to read. Uhm, not sure.

Some of the books turned out to be mine anyway, which I'm not sure how I lost track of them but it happens. Like the one book I was looking for when I was clearing the shelves off; Job's Niece. I have no idea where it could have went to. And then brother tells me there are boxes of books out in the shed.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, that's a project for later.

In the meantime, I have to figure out what to do with the three little shopping bags of books I brought home. Although to be honest, it's more like two and a half since there was a small plastic box of recipe cards in the one bag. When I pulled them out and looked at them, I said, 'Hey, I think these are mine!' I collect recipes just like I collect books!

And I just got done talking with my mother about all this and she was okay with it. Whew! At least I'm not in trouble with mom or hubby then!

I might write about the different books as I read them, some of them are old. We'll see! I have to get done with the Harry Potter series first, I'm on The Half-Blood Prince.

How many of you are like me? More books than space? But it doesn't stop you from bringing home more? Have you read all the classics or like me, are you more 'hit and miss'?

Who Says Chick Books are Bad? by Robin Janney

Family can be harsh critics sometimes.

I have a brother, who discouraged our other brother about reading my novels.  Because it's a "chick book". Like it was something bad. And he said it in my presence.

It was embarrassing.  And honestly, I felt a little ashamed.  I've written a book that my brother feels that he can't read because it's a Romance.

The more I dwell on it, the angrier I become.

Why should I be ashamed? It's not the greatest book, but it's a good book. And while it is a Romance (which there's NOTHING wrong with that), it's also so much more.  Forgiveness is a major theme that runs through the entire series.  Forgiving oneself, forgiving those who've violated us...or not forgiving them. Mental illness is another theme.  Living in fear of it, living with it, battling it. Freedom from religion is another theme; each character is at a different place spiritually which causes some friction. There's also some Fantasy in the books.  I consider my demonic characters Fantasy characters as they are in no way 'biblical'. And many times, the Angels/Guardians take on the form of an animal of some kind...a dog, a horse, a cat. And there is the beloved Dragon Dream...ok, readers love it, the characters not so much. As the series goes on, the Dragon Dream becomes more and more real.

But even with all those layers, my brother says "Chick Book" like it's something bad.

So what if it is?

There's nothing wrong with Romance.

Boy meets girl (or whichever variation is relevant to your life), they fall in love, face adversity of some kind, overcome it and have a happy ending.

Which can be a welcome thing during those times when our lives is anything but a happy ending. It's probably fiction in general and Romance's harshest criticism...that it doesn't represent real life. Sooooo? Sometimes we need a break from the harshness of the real world.  We need a dose of hope. We need a chance to dream a little.

I'll admit that there were many years when I was single and unable to find Mr. Right that I had to put Romance novels aside. I never thought I'd find my Mr. Right and it hurt to read all those happy endings. Even sexless Christian Romances left a bad taste on my reading palate at the time.  But even in other works of fiction that I read, romance still had it's place. I mean, goodness, Rand al'Thor in the Wheel of Time series managed to woo three different women! Without trying! In the Visitation by Frank Peretti, the widower slowly falls for another character amongst the backdrop of the spiritual warfare plaguing the town. Even in this brother's favorite crime series he reads, which I've tried the first book of, there is a love interest for the main character.

So, really, I wonder what his beef with 'chick books' really is.  Romance, love, sexual tension, and ensuing conflict are all around us to varying levels. And unlike novels, we don't always get a happy ending. Hearts get broken, lives are devastated and turned around, marriages end and families are broken apart, partners turn out to be abusive jerks. Is it really so wrong to read novels in which things tend to end happier no matter what adversity hits the characters?

Yes, some people get stuck in the fantasy. Of any fiction. That's where a good therapist comes in, and I'm not completely joking when I say that, but I do mean it in a non-judgmental way. While I've never had this problem of separating fact from fiction, from reality and fantasy, I know that there are people who do have this problem, and there is really nothing I can do to help them...I'm not writing for them. I'm not writing to be theologically correct, biblically correct or historically correct...I'm not writing to be correct at all (this might be the core of my brother's issue). I'm writing a story that my head can no longer contain and if I don't get it out it's going to drive me mad. I'm exploring a world like ours, but slightly different. And if someone else happens to like it and wants to read along, that's great!

Not all my characters are going to get their happily ever after ending. Not even all platonic friendships will get a happy ending.  And some of them are really going to have to work for it.

I was just perusing Facebook and came across a meme that fits this subject. "So many men think women want money, cars and gifts. But the right woman wants: a man's time, effort, passion, honesty, loyalty, smile, and him choosing to put her as his priority." I know that this has been my main complaint from time to time in the past when Mr. Janney ignored me for his gaming. He's gotten better at that. There has to be a balance in any relationship, and that balance can change at any given moment depending on a partner's changing needs. This truth is reflected in many romance novels, at least the ones I read. It's not about what the guy can do for the girl, it's about the time and the effort.

And since 50% of the worlds population are "chicks", why shouldn't there be a genre of literature for us? I don't like the crime series my brother does. I tried, but I just don't. But that's ok, because those books aren't aimed at me. If it suits my brother's taste, then that's fine as those books are obviously geared for him and like minded readers. All genres of literature are equal. None is better than another. We just each have different tastes and preferences. I'm sure there are men out there that enjoy a good romance novel, I just don't know where they are!

Don't discourage people to read. Ever. It's not cool. It's not up to you to decide whether someone else will like a book.

End rant. Thanks for reading.

Reading Indecisions by Robin Janney

Time waits for no one...

While it is certainly no excuse, boy have I been busy!  You can read about my recent life Transitions here.

The shift change, coupled with the time change, has been interesting and beneficial to say the least.  Overall, I am feeling better and happier.  Except at first break at 5:15 pm when it is now dark...I have to admit that's a bit of a downer.  Let's turn the clocks back and keep them there so we have more daylight longer in the winter!

Other than that, I'm enjoying my new job.  It's warmer than my old, sweat dripping warmer...which I'll enjoy much more once it becomes colder this winter.  I love the smell of wood, and despite the potential splinters enjoy handling each door front I'm inspecting and repairing.  Door fronts for cabinets and cupboards and the like.  Technically I'm not allowed to say online where exactly I'm working, so I won't.  I find it a little paranoid of the  unnamed company, but in this day and age it's understandable I guess.

I have two breaks during the shift, first break and lunch break.  Well, on those nights we work long enough for a lunch break. I signed on just in time for their slow season and all last week I ate my packed lunch while waiting for Mr. Janney to get out from his department a few hours later.  And one thing I do on breaks and while waiting for hubby is read.

BUT - One thing has me at a loss right now --- what to read next.

Have you ever been there?  It's a little frustrating.

I had been reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.  It is 14 books long...started in 1990 and not finished until 2013, almost 6 years after the author's death.  The last three novels were completed by Brandon Sanderson going from the notes Jordan left behind.

This was a reading jag that lasted months because of the sheer length of the series and the books themselves (several novels reach almost 1000 pages in length).  I love being immersed in an imaginary world, and this series delivers.  The only problem is, nothing else is interesting me at the moment.  I have books on my shelf to read...I have books in my Kindle archive to read...and nothing is striking my fancy.  I've started a few different books, and have abandoned them because they just didn't draw me into their world.

I'm not sure if it's due to a different writing style, amateur writing, or just because I'm "burnt out" for reading at the moment.  Perhaps one day next week I'll sweet talk Mr. Janney into leaving for work early and stopping by our local library to see if there's anything different there able to grab my attention.  He himself is not a reader, but he is wonderfully supportive of my love of reading and writing.  Even if it comes with some good natured ribbing from time to time!

We did just buy ourselves a new lunchbox, one big enough for us to share.  As I sit here typing, thinking about the small notebook I carry in my purse, I see the pink notebook I just recently bought at Walmart.  If there's enough room in one of the many pouches in our new lunchbox, I might start carrying that instead to write during breaks instead.  Maybe I've absorbed too many words and they need to come back out in a different combination???

Just a thought.

So tell me readers, what book or story are you reading right now?

Confessions of this Married Writer by Robin Janney

My first confession is that I've been a slacker this week.  I haven't posted on my own blog, and have put off working on this post until today.

The three day weekend last weekend had a lot to do with it, because my husband had all three days off.  And let me tell you, there is no getting any writing when he is home.  Not because he bothers me, just because I set it to the side so I can spend time with him.

Clare Dunn opening for Parmalee

Saturday, we decided to go to the Kiwanis Wyoming County Fair even though we knew it meant sacrificing our grocery money for the week.  Thankfully, it didn't matter because we had enough already so that it wasn't an issue (although I did have to end up using my change to buy a loaf of bread). My husband has such a good heart; one of his co-workers has been down in the dumps so my husband decided to invite him to go with us.  I walked waaaaay too much on my foot that won't heal, even sitting down on benches here and there.  But I got to eat Triton pizza and later had homemade ice cream.  We ran short on time after the concert, so we missed out on funnel cake this year.

One thing I like about this fair is that their concert area is in this little bowl in the land.  They fill the bottom part with chairs, but they let people bring in their own chairs and sit on the side of the banks for a cheaper price.  It used to be $5, but this year it was raised to $10.  Still a good deal.  Three years ago they had the Roots and Boots Tour: Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw and Joe Diffie.  Unfortunately, there was a bad thunderstorm that blew up and rained us out an hour into the show. :/ That didn't happen this year with Clare Dunn and Parmalee. While it sounded to hubby and me that their sound was off (screechy) we still enjoyed the songs.

Parmalee

The second coming?

Oh, there they are!

Sadly, sitting on the bank means that the pictures my phone will take are less than stellar.  But that didn't stop me from taking them.  :)

Which leads me into another confession I guess.  I love taking pictures.  Which is something my husband finds amusing, unless I'm trying to take a picture of him.  The handsome lad doesn't like his picture taken because he thinks he's ugly!  It's far from true, but sometimes how we view ourselves isn't anything close to how others view us.  Neither view is 100% accurate, is it?

But as long as I'm not aiming at him, he doesn't care.  In fact when we were in the fair's southern field, about five minutes too late for the Big Cats show, he laughed when I pulled my phone out to capture what pics I could of the gorgeous animals.  "I knew that was coming out!" he said.  Even though we missed the 'show' we still got to see animals we'd never seen before. It was quite exciting.

Meow Meow

Meow

Meow Meow Meooooow!

What can I say?  The majesty of these big cats speak for themselves. Though caged, they still have this regal bearing that says: "I'm only tolerating this because you're shoving chunks of meat through the cage to me."  I can only hope that when they're not on the road being shown, that they have a bigger home than the cages we saw.  Part of me hates that they're caged, but another part of me recognizes that without the cages, I would never have been able to see them.

Well, that covers day one of the three day weekend, you say.  What about Sunday and Monday? you ask.

Sunday, I still wasn't feeling well from a stomach bug that had been bothering me for over a week and from overdoing it at the fair (I didn't even mention the Tough Truck Competition because I didn't get pictures).  So I pretty much bummed it.  All I really remember doing is a lot of reading.

Which leads me into confession number three.  This should be no surprise to any of you readers out there.  I have more books than what I know what to do with, but that doesn't stop me from buying more.  From the library last week, I picked up two paperbacks for fifty cents a piece (and am eyeing more): The Stand by Stephen King and The King of Torts by John Grisham.  I've never read any of Grisham's books, and while I've read some of his short stories, I've never read a King novel either.  I'm usually hesitant about trying out authors I'm not familiar with, but I've been feeling the need to expand my horizons recently.  For fifty cents, you really can't lose.  AND, while at the fair, I picked up two more!  The Green Mile, another Stephen King, and Vision In Death by J.D. Robb.  I love love love the book stall at the fair! :)

And that's not all.  I recently bought Breathe of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann.  I don't read Christian fiction much anymore unless I want something light to read because much of it lacks a certain energy.  What I've read of Kristen's has that missing energy other works seem to lack. I've been trying to read that at the same time as reading The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, but Shadow has been demanding my full attention.  Sucks me right in, every time.

Mage Ciera without her armor

Monday...well, uhm, see this is a hard confession.  I'm not the level of gamer that my hubby is.  Not much for Xbox, although I can play a decent game of Halo Wars (better if he's on too giving me 'orders') and I like Hexic (think Bejewled Blitz).  But I love the online role playing game RuneScape.  Monday, hubby was on his account and well, I can't exactly let him get too far ahead of me now can I?

Sitting in the same room, on separate computers, it's not uncommon for us to ask each other "Where are you?"  We had our characters in different places in the beginning, but ended up in the same dungeon room killing zombies and crawlers. And picking up whatever loot the other players let go.  I leveled up my Herblore almost ten levels by cleaning the herbs left behind by other players' kills.  They snooze, they lose.

Just like in real life, somehow I ended up making sure hubby, or rather his character, had enough to eat.  Those critters fight back, and if you're not paying attention you can kick the bucket.  And then he needed bowstring for a bow he wanted to make and he was going to buy it from the games "Grand Exchange" and I'm like, "No, no, no!!  I have some I can give you!  Don't buy any!"  Apparently he's forgotten where the flax fields are and how to make bowstrings.  Just a silly game, but it's fun and relaxing (except when others don't play nice).  As I was reading the Wikipedia article I linked above, I was amused to discover that there has been three fantasy novels written based on the game.  Why not?

Tuesday is a bit of a blur.  I didn't do much of anything fun.  Dishes.  Which is five minutes on my feet, and ten off, which can make doing dishes quite the ordeal if I've let them pile up like I did over the weekend.  I'm so bad.

Today, my mother and I went on a road trip of sorts.  My foot doctor has ordered Orthodic inserts for my shoes and the place he sent me to is in Johnson City, New York.  It's roughly an hour from my home, traffic and road work permitting.  Road work did not permit today and I was about fifteen minutes late.  :|  For an appointment that maybe lasted fifteen minutes.  If that.  All he really did was take down my info, look at both my naked feet and them make impressions of both in blue foam.  I get to go back in three weeks.  Praying that my insurance covers it, because otherwise that'll be a nice bill of $420!!  Yikes!

After that, I decided to splurge a little and take my mom out to eat.  I found a Friendly's to stop at.  Which the booth mom and I sat at had mirrors behind my mom, so out came the phone again to take pics.

Trying not to laugh too hard at me

My mom...I <3 her...

Food was good, the sundaes even better!  They give you these huge plates to make you think you're getting a lot, but you're not really.  You're just getting a normal portion.  I can't say the same about the five scoop sundaes we had.  Those were niiiice...

Those are the best confessions I can come up with.  Not exactly earth-shattering, or entirely shocking in same cases.  But enough to let you know what this crazy writer has been up to recently.  I'll be getting back on the ball tomorrow and back to proofing book number two.  I'm getting so itchy about wanting to release it!  But I can't yet, not until I weed out as many typos as I can find!  And touch up a few weak spots.  Once I've finished my present going through, and have made all the corrections, I'm going to upload the file and get my proof copy and then read through that one to make sure I've gotten as much as I can...again!  I'll never be 100% satisfied, but I'll reach the "confident enough" level after I've done that much.

But I'll leave you with a teaser of the cover as I ask you, "What did you do for Labor Day?"

Coming soon, I promise!!

The Very, Very, Very, Very, Very Unproductive Summer By C.P. Stringham

Top: 20th Century's Norma Rae starring Sallly Field
Bottom: My choice for writing solitude. 

Notice the amount of times “very” appears in the title? It isn’t a homage to the 1963 film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. Nope. Each “very” represents how many weeks my children have been home for summer vacation. I love having them home. I truly do. We usually keep busy by taking day trips, but they really haven’t happened this year. Financially, we’re grounded from doing them. I had so many ideas about how we were spending our summer and it isn’t happening. For me, personally, I planned on getting my latest work-in-progress, Overcoming Sarah, finished and published by the end of July. Only that hasn’t happened either. I don’t know how other authors with children do it. I just don’t. How do they write while their children are home for summer vacation? It escapes me. Those on Twitter post that they maintain a specific writing time, sit down at their typical work area, and write. Their family knows they are working and have strict orders not to bother them unless the house is on fire or someone is knocked out or leaking great amounts of blood. That doesn’t fly in the Stringham household. My family doesn’t understand how hard it is to enter a productive writing mindset. They think I just sit down, fingers to keys, and write. If only it was that easy. I’ve touched on this in a previous Broads of a Feather blog post, but it’s worth repeating; writing is like having an out of body experience. I have to immerse myself into the character’s head, feel their emotions, and see their environment. I can only be interrupted so many times before creativity slips elusively away from me. I know. My complaint is pretty petty in light of the way things are in the world and the real problems others have. As you read this, you’re probably thinking out loud, “Whiny baby.” And I realize that’s how it sounds. I’m a stay-at-home mom and an indie author. My e-books help supplement our income so it is important I have time to write. Extra income is good for my family. As it is now, I’m so close to telling them, “I can’t work in these conditions!” while doing my best Norma Rae impression. Because of my unproductive summer, I now know why Thoreau slipped off to his cabin in the woods. It wasn’t to be one with nature. He “deliberately” wanted to be left alone. I even have a Pinterest board called My "Thoreau" Spaces. I fantasize about being alone all the time. Solitude. Quiet. Productivity. *sigh*

The worst offender in my family is my youngest. As some of you know, she has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. While she is considered high-functioning and perfectly fine on her own at the age of (almost) fifteen, she likes to pace the house—which includes the master bedroom and where I have my writing area. I can count on her to come in almost every seven minutes. Each time, she talks to me and concentration is lost. No. Not lost. Trampled on. I’ve tried to explain to her how important it is for her to pretend I’m not home. Her older sister’s around to watch her and help out if she needs anything. All I want is two to three measly hours of uninterrupted writing time each morning. That’s it. I hate having to remind her I’m working. Hurting her feelings isn’t worth my productivity. And then there are times of frustration when I almost grind my teeth into dust. For some reason, her normal hobbies aren’t keeping her busy. She works with an in-home, private tutor once a week so she doesn’t lose academic ground while school’s out. Since we live in a rural area, there aren’t any local day camps for special needs kids so she can get out for the day. As for classmates, she really doesn’t have many friends. On the rare occasions we’ve scheduled play dates, she loses interest two hours into it. It’s a sensory thing. She will leave her friend, find me, and say, “Is it time for them to go now? I’m ready for quiet.” Or, “They keep following me and won’t leave me alone.” Nothing like having your child go to their room, shutting the door on their guest, and me having to scramble to entertain them while my daughter isolates herself to decompress.

Alas, it is what it is. School resumes the last week of August. I’ll be able to settle back into my Monday through Friday writing routine. Since my first book, Seventy-Two Hours, came out in August of 2012, I have gotten to experience what it’s like having readers excitedly ask when my next book is coming out—even more so since I entered the world of book sequels. My Ellis Springs book series has been popular among my readers. One customer review likened the characters’ friendships to those in Steel Magnolias. Others talk about how much they like getting to visit with old friends each time a new installment comes out. And I like that. Before, I’d only experienced this type of devotion as a reader and having to wait for the next book in a series. I’ll admit to being impatient while waiting for Patricia Cornwell’s next Scarpetta book or Janet Evanovich’s next Stephanie Plum. I may or may not have even commented on Julia Spencer-Flemings’ readers’ page that I’d gladly go to her house in Maine to clean, cook, and drive her kids to and from activities so she could work on her next Millers Kill mystery. In a role-reversal, I’m getting to hear offers like this from my readers! I love their enthusiasm. And a little frightened by it. I’m in a daunting situation now. What if I take too long writing book four? What if I let them down by writing a hollow story just to get it done? In all honestly, a book series is a little overwhelming. I’d rather err on the side of literary caution; write with quality instead of quantity. I just want to write.

Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser on the Starz TV series Outlander
based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon.

On the bright side of all of this, I have been finding time for reading. It doesn't require the same level of concentration as writing does. Thank God. I'm currently enthralled with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Can't wait for the Starz TV series based on her books. I'm a little obsessed at the moment. If you haven't read the books, you really need to. I have a feeling the TV show is going to be "verra fine, Sassenach." If you need further convincing, let me just add: hot men in kilts. Need I say more??? 

How is your summer going? Have you taken any exciting trips? I’d love to hear about it so I can live vicariously through you.