Star is one of Mary’s friends in The Talented Turtle. She’s a bit quirky because everything she says is in the form of a metaphor. This is one instance of her simply saying she doesn’t know something.
Thankful Thursday: Clear Roads
I am thankful that the roads are clear from Snowmageddon. By the time we ventured out on Sunday, I had been cooped up for about two weeks. Cabin fever anyone? I know the kids at my house were getting there with the number of snow days they had. At one point, a coat rack was put just outside the door leading to my area of the house. On it, Mary’s coat and hat were stored. I told everyone I kept thinking there was a person standing there, so the kids decided to take that statement and run with it. This was the result.
If I was paid a dollar for every time I heard the phrase “I’m bored” over the last few weeks, I would be able to buy myself a private island somewhere tropical. What finally worked was having Mary clean her room for ten minutes every time the words came out of her mouth. It wasn’t all bad, though. There were plenty of games played and fun was had. The kids spent a lot of time out in the snow with Nick and Emily. Trash talk was said over games of Dominos and Hand & Foot.
We still have quite a bit of icy snow out here, but the roads are clear and I am free to leave the house at a whim. So, that is what I’m thankful for today. What about you?
The Talented Turtle Available For Pre-Order
In lieu of a Word of the Day Wednesday post today, I would like to announce that The Talented Turtle (Mary’s Memoirs Book 1) is now available for pre-order for Kindle. It will come out April 12, along with the print version of the book.
If you don’t know, Mary’s Memoirs is a children’s chapter book about mermaids in Aquantis, the mermaid empire of Concordia. My daughter, Mary, is in third grade, but has a higher reading level. I was finding it difficult to locate books for her that were challenging and appropriate, so I wrote one for her. There will be a few more, and I will be releasing one a year.
Click the image below to pre-order today. It is available for $.99, but will go up to $2.99 on April 12.
Topic Tuesday: Whistle While You Work
Multitasking is an artform that is just about a requirement in this day and age. Look at your tabs in your browser right now. How many do you have open? What about your taskbar? Do they even all relate? Is your television or radio (or other form of music player) on? Are your kids asking you questions? Is your husband or wife in the room with you?
I’ll answer these for myself. I have three tabs and five programs currently open on my computer. Not everything is related. No television, music, or daughter at this moment, but my husband is in the room and pipes up with a question every now and again. Mainly, “Do you think this is going to work?” To which I say yes to every time, even though I have no idea what he’s working on.
Prior to putting up this Topic Tuesday, I finished getting the domain set up for marysmemoirs.net (not running yet) and fixing the brightness flickering on my screen. As I started writing this, I got a call from my MIL upstairs asking me to sign for a package. Then, I made a cup of coffee for my husband and some tea for myself. In a little less than an hour, I have to run to the bus stop to pick up my daughter. AND in all the tiny moments between, I’m working on this, the ebook cover and bookmark for The Talented Turtle (Mary’s Memoirs Book 1), checking my social media and email, trying to decide if I want to invest WAY too much money into having a table at this year’s Emerald City Comic Con, putting the final touches on The Talented Turtle, and starting Anomalous (Hope in Concordia Book 1).
“How are you today, Katie?”
…
“Fine.”
My favorite Disney princess has always been Snow White for a variety of reasons. Admittedly, the main reason is that her coloring matches mine and what fun is that? Another reason is that no matter her circumstances, she is bound and determined to stay joyful. Stepmother treats me like a servant? I’ll sing a song by the wishing well. A huntsman chases me down to carve out my heart to give to said stepmother? I’ll run away and make friends with the animals and seven strangers. Little cottage a royal mess? I’ll clean it and bust out into a musical number. Dead? Nope. Just sleeping. Who’s this handsome man? My prince! Happily ever after.
Snow White had plenty of opportunity, and some would say valid reasons, to give up, but she never did. When life threw a million things at her, she stayed stressed with a genuine smile on her face.
So, today, when you feel like the huntsman is on your tail, shake yourself out of it and whistle while you work.
Thankful Thursday: My Valentine
I have already posted about my darling husband for a Thankful Thursday, but today is Valentine’s Day, so he warrants a repeat. He’s my biggest advocate (and investor) and knows exactly when I’ve been plopped in front of my screen writing for too long.
Nick Hauenstein, I love you. We’ve been together going on fourteen years and married for nearly twelve. You have been with me through some pretty garbage times, but we’ve had a lot of fantastic times, as well. I have an incredible amount of quirks that you handle on a daily basis and I appreciate you for that and everything else you do. Love love love!
WoD Wednesday: Ineffable
Ineffable: Adjective: Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words
Ineffable
This mission to see the ineffable beauty of creation is bringing an ineffable amount of exhaustion and soreness to my limbs. I’m lagging behind everyone in our group to the point where I can’t even see the person in front of me, and it’s not because it’s dark. Before we got separated, I heard the kids in front of me talking about how much of a pain it is that I came along. About how I should have just stayed at home.
If my parents didn’t make me, I wouldn’t have come.
Rearranging my headlamp, I huff out a puffy white cloud into the cold night air. Do those kids think talking smack about me while I’m right behind them is going to help the situation? Did my parents consider that this little trip might actually make it so kids like me less than before, seeing as though I have been slowing down the whole group?
Of course, I guess that isn’t the case anymore. I can’t see them or their flashlights. Forget following people, I’m following footprints like some tracker in a sasquatch show. No. Not going to thing about sasquatch or how it’s rumored to live in these woods. They probably just said that to scare me.
A twig snaps behind me and I freeze.
Ineffable.
Now, that’s a great word to describe my fear. Even if it isn’t sasquatch, it could be a bear or a cougar. It could even be a person. What if it’s some kind of psychopath? Why have I stopped?
My feet begin moving again of their own volition at a quicker pace than I was moving in before. Fatigue was settling into my bones before, but now a shot of adrenaline has given me a heady amount of energy to fuel my fight or flight instinct.
Another twig snaps.
Then, another.
I can hear large footprints catching up to me. I’m being chased.
Before I know it, I’m being tackled to the ground. I scream for help, but still can’t see or hear anyone I know ahead of me. A large hand curves around my head and covers my mouth. Not sasquatch, then. At least there’s that.
“You shouldn’t travel alone in these woods, little girl,” a deep male voice whispers in my ear.
I’m not a little girl. I’m almost fifteen, but I’m not about to argue with Scary Guy. I struggle and kick to get him off my back, but he doesn’t even budge a little.
“Shhh,” he hisses into my ear. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he coos.
Ineffable.
That’s a good way to describe how incredulous I feel at that statement. Beside the fact that I’m all scraped up from being landed on and I’m sure there are bruises forming where he’s holding my wrists behind my back, he can’t really expect me to believe he doesn’t intend to harm me.
He continues to shush and whisper calming words until I give up struggling. If he thinks it’s because I trust him, he’s crazy. The adrenaline has worn off for the moment and I feel a little like I’m going to pass out.
“There we go, princess. Now, are you going to be good and come along with me quietly?”
“No.”
He sighs. “Very well, then.” I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head and everything goes black.
~ ~ ~
Ineffable.
Perfect word for the strangeness of waking up in a giant room with expensive dark furniture and decorated in sapphire blue with white accents, reminiscent of a sky between twilight and night.
Glancing at my hands, I see there are no injuries. How long have I been out? What am I doing here? Why did this sociopath keep me alive rather than kill me on the spot? At least, I’m assuming he’s a sociopath. There’s no way he could have known that I would be out in the middle of the forest by myself. Then again, given the opulence of the room, he could be a psychopath. Ugh. It doesn’t matter what kind of insane he is. I have to get out of here.
Throwing the blankets off, I head for the door, only for it to be opened in my face. Backpedaling, I run behind a couch as if it will protect me from the strangers entering my room. One is a middle-aged man with a golden circlet, of all things, around his head. Behind him is a younger man, perhaps a few years older than me. Each have long black hair, and midnight blue eyes.
“This is the one?” the older man asks.
“Yes. She’s perfect,” the younger one responds. His voice reveals his identity as the man who kidnapped me.
“I’m not the one,” I snap. They both lift their right eyebrows at me. Are they father and son? “Send me home. Now.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible, young lady. My son has chosen you, you see,” the older man explains soothingly, as if that makes any difference.
“I don’t care if he’s chosen me. I’m not–”
“You are. And you will stay here. I’ve been watching you a long time. I know you are right for me,” the younger one interrupts.
“No.”
They both sigh. “No matter. We’ll just keep her under until the time is right for her transformation,” the older man says to the younger.
“Transformation?”
The younger man scoffs. “Of course. You don’t expect me to be of any use like that, do you?”
I frown, but before I can say anything, the older man is suddenly in front of me, placing his hands on both my cheeks, and I’m losing consciousness again.
“Don’t worry, dear. We’ll take care of you,” he says.
Ineffable.
Best to describe the hopelessness I feel as I fall unconscious.
To Be Continued…
Topic Tuesday: Snow in Western Washington
Don’t think we can’t hear you laughing your butts off at us for declaring what we have right now “Snowmaggedon”. I thought I would write a little snippet explaining the apparent overreaction to the snow we’ve had over the last couple weeks. We aren’t afraid of snow. That’s just silly. One problem is that we get so little of it, our DOT is never quite prepared for it.
This is a major highway just last night. If this is what high-traveled roads look like, can you imagine what our rural roads are like? Nick saw a picture of a snow plow in a ditch because they couldn’t figure out where the road is. I couldn’t find it to post here, but it is out there on the interwebs.
Another problem is that since we don’t get snow very often, driving in it is a challenge for one of two reasons, especially when it dumps so fast. Either people get overconfident and drive as fast as they want despite the road conditions or they drive vehicles without proper tires or drive train for the weather. There are those, of course, who do know how to drive in the snow and are prepared for it, but there are also a large number of people who fall into the unprepared categories. Better to be like me. I know I suck at snow driving, so I stay home
The combination of the two above problems creates the final problem. Deliveries cannot be made to stores or homes. Several people in my news feed have posted pictures of empty shelves at their local grocer. I have packages undeliverable because of undrivable roads and my house is a freaking winter wonderland right now.
See how the cars outside of the carport are literally buried? There’s even a layer in the carport.
In conclusion, cut us Northwesterners a little slack. This weather is unusual for us. We’re doing our best and trying to make light of it with fun little memes, when really we’re crying inside because our kids are home from school again and on the verge of going feral.
Meme Monday: How Many Days Left of School?
What’s this? New content? Squee! Today’s Meme Monday gives you a peek at The Talented Turtle, the first book in the children’s book series, Mary’s Memoirs.
Nerdfaire and Resurrection
A couple announcements to make. First, due to Snowmageddon, Nerfaire has been rescheduled for March 2. I’ll have some new bookmarks with my fancy new logo on them!
Also, starting Monday, I’m going to begin posting regularly again. My darling husband was out of town the last three weeks and that always puts my life a little out of sorts.
Boop!
Katie Hauenstein Official Site 