Sail Away

I joined the gym. Yes, I did. Three weeks ago I signed up at Planet Fitness. I've been four times but this will increase as I get stronger. That's my hope.

The first thing I notice on the days I've worked out is I feel much better. It seems to eliminate my fatigue and reduce pain. This sounds crazy but I'll take what I can get. For now, I'm doing a 30 minute circuit on machines that work my whole body. My strength is terrible because of my fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. The ruptured disk and following surgery didn't improve the situation.

However, since I began the physical therapy in January, I can tell I'm stronger. I still have very little stamina, though and I'm hoping that the new exercise routine will help with that.

Writing? It's bad. I've done short bouts here and there but the truth is I've been so fatigued that most days I can't do more than watch movies, play video games, or read. My brain just doesn't function on those days. Pain, brain fog, and fatigue have all but drained my creative mind. In the last couple of weeks, I have seen some improvement because I suddenly wanted to do some crochet. Usually I write and crochet so perhaps this is a sign that getting exercise is improving my clarity.

That sums up the last 5 months, I think. Sad, isn't it? For several months, I've felt tormented by thoughts I should just throw in the towel and stop trying. Toss the stories in progress, wipe the hard drives, and move on to something else. It is the most frightening thing I've ever contemplated. I can't do that. I want to write. The unfairness of my illness seems even worse when I think about how it has robbed me of so many of the joys in my life. Writing is the one place I didn't think it could reach.

For now, I refuse to entertain the notion that I won't write again. I will do my best. Keep plodding a few hundred words at a time. But I'm not happy with that. I want to sail away in that stream of consciousness writing that carries me away to different lands. I stand on the dock waiting for the boat to pick me up.

Owl Manor Review

Owl Manor: The Dawning by Zita Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where to start?

This is a great story. There's a little of everything: mystery, suspense, romance, ghosts, animals that behave strangely, and a serial killer. It is a great read.

Ms Harrison is a good writer. Multiple viewpoints are tricky and many authors simply don't know how to handle them but she handles them very well. Each chapter is devoted to a single character's thoughts and observations. The transitions were clear and kept the action moving at a steady pace. The technique made it easy to find a stopping place, too. And you'll need that or you'll be reading all night. It is "can't put it down storytelling."

(Warning, there may be spoilers. I'll try and limit them.)

Eva is a headstrong woman with opinions that are 100 years ahead of her time and it brings her more grief than she dreamed. Eva, her husband and their daughter and her mother end up in Denver where she must beg on the streets. After her husband dies, she decides to seek work in a brothel. However, there's a serial killer loose who is killing prostitutes.

Gilbert, the butler for the owner of Owl Manor meets Eva begging on the street and offers her a job as a maid. She accepts but finds the atmosphere at Owl Manor is anything but normal. Eventually, she begins to reconsider her decision but there is no place to go where she'll be safe.

Evil seems to hover over Owl Manor and you just know that this isn't going to end well for someone. Somewhere in the midst of it all I found myself feeling sorry for the serial killer and hoping that Eva could bring redemption to him and find her own happiness. I hoped for a happily ever after for Eva, for Alice, for Gilbert, and even for Rafe. As we all know, redemption is not always possible and happy endings, well, you'll have to decide.

I never saw the ending coming. Rarely does an author surprise me. I usually have things figured out by the middle. Not so for this story. Good job, Ms Harrison.

(I received a free copy of this novel to review.)

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Can't Wait: Favorite Author New Release

My favorite author, Patrick W. Carr will release a new book in November. I can't wait! I'm sharing his press release so you can check it out.

If you haven't read his two previous series, The Staff & The Sword Trilogy and The Darkwater Saga, then you're missing out. These two amazing fantasy trilogies that will keep you rooted to your chair. I promise. Check out this press release and visit his website for more information. There is even a link to a free ebook on the site, a prequel to The Darkwater Saga. And you should definitely go back for the November release.

Identity Revealed Review

Identity Revealed by J.M. Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this story. I didn't know what to expect and not being a heavy fantasy reader, I was a bit hesitant to buy it. However, I have to say the story captured me and kept me enthralled throughout 500 pages. It is well written and edited. I caught a few items (very few) that I thought were not correct but I simply moved on and didn't even note them down.

I like the characters, although I felt Amelia was a bit immature at times in how she behaved. I decided that could be because of her upbringing. She didn't actually have a mother and she was more focused on becoming a fighter rather than developing girl skills. She's interesting in that she's so wrong about so much and I'm curious to see how so grows.

OK, I always seem to like the bad boys. So... I'm totally enthralled by the Brothers (Grim). The Vawtrians (Did I spell it right?) are both scary and seductive. The violence and lack of compassion they appear to exhibit is frightening but they're so likable you find yourself making excuses for them. I want Naatos to be a nice guy, like his brothers. But he's an unrepentant jerk. Will he change for love? I don't know if I want him too! There is this underlying darkness to all three brothers but they're hilariously funny and I caught myself falling for each one in turn. That's disgraceful but so much fun.

However, my one negative (minus a star) about it is that it ends in a cliff hanger. I hate that and always feel a cheated. It is like buying a book to find the last chapter missing. Totally puts me off. I just finished another author that ended his the same way and the sequel isn't even written for that one! Is this common in fantasy?

I will admit that I think Butler did an exceptional job with this book and I look forward to the second half. Yes, I'll buy it because I can't stand not knowing. But is does annoy me to have to wait till the budget works for me.

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No News, Just Snark

The week ends with a lift. Friday, even though I'm retired, still feels wonderful. Probably because I don't have to get up at 5:45 a.m. on Saturday.

I wrote something this week! Well, two things. I wrote a poem and posted it on my other blog and I posted something here. I was running back and forth most of the week to appointments with physical therapy and a second eye exam because I take Plaquenil.

Plaquenil is a rheumatoid arthritis medication that can cause irreversible eye damage if you take it too long. I've been on it probably 15 yrs. Your risk go up for blindness the longer you take it. Now they have to check me every year. Can I stop taking it? Do I feel lucky? Not particularly.

Anyway, the physical therapy wears me out. They have me doing weights. I'm doing ... well, I don't know what they're called, but they have me sitting on a big ball, pulling weight from overhead and in front of me. They have me doing abductor exercises on another machine. Then they put me on my back and have me doing leg work, pushing my whole body with my legs and alternating single legs and then switching me to arms. Yeah, if you know what all that is - great. If not, well there. Then I have to do more core exercises with just me. I'm tired when I get home but the next day I'm really exhausted.

Next week, I get dry needling. Joy.

You know, the last thing I need right now is needling. I'm not sure it is wise to needle someone who is having rotten, I hesitate to say luck, but there it is. Everything that can go wrong, has. I've minded my business and been very good but the universe is really getting on my last nerve. And it's been going on for months.

I suspect the exercise has made me feel a bit better. I can't say I've lost weight. Muscle weighs more than fat. And it will take more than a few weeks to do any good on this old bag. Still, I can tell I'm better in some nebulous way.

Am I being obscure? Just checking.

So, how was your writing week? If you didn't write, I hope something tremendously exciting happened that you can share to offset your failure as a writer. I'm just kidding. Really.