A Moose in the Shower

It is almost here, finally.  Waiting on proof copies to get here (should be here tomorrow or Thursday) so I can review the print and make sure everything is okay and then approve it so that it will be ready to put out there.

This story was written in 2014 when Anderson County experienced an algae in the water issue and had to flush the whole system, unbeknownst to me while I was away for a book event; so upon returning to Anderson and turning on my shower the next day, it sounded like a moose in my shower.  Thus the story was written.  In 2015, I asked my friend Anita Fricks to do the illustrations and she agreed to do so.  She did the black and white pictures that year but didn't get the coloring done until 2017.  So now, I have a completed story with illustrations and I'm so excited about it.

I have two events scheduled in April so I will have copies on hand to sell at those events.  The book is twofold - the first part is the story with the color illustrations and the second part is the black and white illustrations for the kids to color and find the hidden moose in the pictures (there is at least one hidden moose in all but 2 or 3 of the 14 illustrations; some have more than one and one is a bit tricky as it isn't actually a "moose" but a play on the word (think dessert and in a refrigerator).  I'm really excited to get back to my writing and publishing again. 

This is the full cover (as I haven't figured out how to do just the front cover yet for ebooks yet).

 

The list price is $15 but for a limited time, I will be selling copies for $13.50. 

 

 

I can't wait to hold actual books in my hands.  See you all in the postings - E :) 

A Year of Losses

It's been a year since I lost my first job as a medical transcriptionist.  Shortly after that I was evicted due to not being able to pay the rent due to not having a job.  I stayed with a friend for a few months but because her ex-husband was being a total butthead, I lost that place to live.  During the time I stayed with her I lost my mother (she had dementia but the pneumonia and her giving up the will to live is what she succumbed to).  After leaving my friend's, I was in a homeless shelter and did get a new job (after almost 8 months of not working) as a CNA (went to school during the summer and was certified the day before my mother passed).  While staying at the homeless shelter, there was a bed bug issue (they had already had an issue prior to me coming there but because one of my clients was found to have bed bugs, I was accused of bringing the bed bugs into the facility), I lost my father and on my way back from his funeral I was notified I no longer had a place to live due to the bed bug issue and me being the common denominator.  In turn because I had no place to live, I lost my job.

I stayed at the church for a week and a half so that I could attend the last two scheduled events of the year (Pendleton Holiday Market on the Green the two Saturdays before Christmas).  The Sunday after the last event, which was the week before Christmas, I came to Columbia to stay with my aunt (my mom's twin sister) until I could find a place to live or make other living arrangements.  She and I had a little fight and I ended up living in my van for a short period of time.  As of the writing of this post, I have gotten a job (employed the first part of January) and have been living in a homeless shelter since the middle of January.  Not that I want to be in a shelter but I'm thankful for a bed and a place to take a shower and do my laundry. 

The year wasn't a total loss as I did gain a daughter (my baby got married) and a beautiful granddaughter.  My mother never did get to see her before she passed but I don't think she would have known that was her great granddaughter if she had seen her.  My father got to see the baby at my mother's funeral so I'm thankful he did get that opportunity. 

I was a daddy's girl and at this writing do miss him.  I've thought of calling him several times only to realize he isn't there any more.  The year 2016 was a rough year but this year will be better and is already proving to be so in a few ways.

Catch you all in the next posting - E :)