No one will care about this but me.

Yesterday, while visiting my grandparents, my grandmother gave me a poem that was written by her mother a long time ago.  It's quite lovely and it's nice knowing my great-grandmother had a touch of the writer's bug in her.

It was never titled and I don't know who it was written for, but it's clear that it was a gift for someone's birthday.  Here it is:

Count your garden by the flowers,

Never by the leaves that fall.

Count your days by golden hours,

Don't remember clouds at all.

Count your nights by stars,

NOT shadows.

Count your life with smiles,

NOT tears.

And with joy, on this your birthday,

Count your age by friends,

NOT YEARS.

 

Mary Collier

1974

 

I think it's sweet, and super inspiring to know writing runs in my family:)

xxErin

I spent part of my birthday yesterday doing this.

It's a scratch recording, but I needed it recorded somehow, regardless of quality. Anyway, here it is. It's called

"There's a Spider in My Pocket"

Happy Sunday!

xxErin

It's a new year and I've been up to something.

Reasons I haven't blogged in a while:

My Christmas show (which was quite successful, if I do say so myself) required my full attention for the 2+ weeks leading up to it as I learned how to play Christmas carols and also wrote a few of my own.

After my show had passed, I then had to focus on Christmas shopping.

Then I had Gift-Wrapping night, which included a viewing of the classic "Tombstone".

Then my fiance and I had to drive to our hometown and have Christmas celebrations with each of our families.

Then I had to come home and work nonstop for 3 days.

Then I had a rest on Sunday (finally).

Then work again and then a New Year's Eve party with all our friends.

Then I woke up this morning with a really bad migraine.  So I've spent the whole day up till now in bed, trying and failing to sleep it off.  I still have a dull headache even now, but at least the migraine went away.  Wouldn't you know that when I finally have a day off to myself, which I've planned for weeks to utilize as good writing time, I have a stupid take-up-the-whole-day migraine.  Oh, well.  Que sera sera.

Anyway, as mentioned in the title of my post, I've been up to something.  Things, actually.  Besides being a mere 6 chapters away from finishing the first draft of Lone March #6, I have begun writing yet another Lone March addendum.  I have a novella planned, which I have not started writing yet (except for in my head), then I have these other two...spin-offs, which is a misnomer really.  The only word that seems to fit them is 'addendum'.  Think The Tales of Beedle the Bard and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling.  These two books I'm working on are books that exist within the world of Lone March, which I will publish in the real world once the series is complete and out for consumption.  One of them is written and I'm just waiting on it to be illustrated.  The other I've started writing and I have the outline, but, like every other project, I've put it on the back burner in order to focus all my attention on finishing Lone March.  I am so excited about these three books and cannot wait to share them with Lone March fans.

Outside of my books, I have also been doing some rather ambitious things musically.  I've written a concept album.  It has 14 songs.  I hope to record it this year with the help of my friend, Duncan Isenhower, who recorded/produced my first demo.  I sure hope he's down for some serious studio time with me because otherwise I have no earthly idea how I will get these songs out in the world in a legitimate format.  I'm super excited about this album.  I mean, it's no The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists, nor even close to Threads by Now Now, but I hope people like it anyhow.

Also, my beloved fiance got me a keyboard for Christmas so I finally have piano keys at my fingertips once again.  My parents had a piano when I was a kid, so I grew up being able to noodle around on it, then they up and sold it one day and I didn't even know till it was already gone.  I got a keyboard in high school and started teaching myself to play but didn't have room for it in my apartment once my college years commenced.  I had to put it in a storage unit, along with half of my other possessions.  When I finally retrieved it, I discovered it had died.  That was 7 years ago.  So for 7 years I have not been able to play.  Now I have an awesome keyboard that's all mine and no one else's...but I've totally forgotten nearly everything I taught myself back in high school.  So I'm having to start over, which is fine, only I think it'll be a while before I can use it to accompany my songs.  So that's the other thing I've been doing--conducting piano lessons in my spare time.

Anywho, that's been my life of late.

I suppose you guys probably just want to know what's happening with Moon-Tide.  Don't worry, I have not forgotten about LM #5 or its promised publication of late Spring this year.  It will be out on time.  But as for what's happening with it right now, I can't tell you.  They are secret publication preparation things.  But they will be revealed in time.  Hopefully pretty soon.

Now I better be off because during the writing of this post my headache finally subsided, which means I now have the ability to get back to work on the book.

Happy New Year, friends!

xxErin

Recognize any names on this?

Pretty cool, huh?

xxErin

I never wrote a Christmas song

until about a week ago.  Now I've written five no, six now.  Why, you may be asking?  Not because it's December and I wanted to write Christmas songs for Christmastime.  But because I'm playing a Christmas show for a private party.  I had never so much as attempted to play a Christmas carol on my guitar but I was asked to play this show and I couldn't say no.  Now I can sorta kinda more or less muddle my way through several classic tunes, though hopefully I will get better by the time the show rolls around, which is on the 12th.  It's going to be a strange and interesting night to say the least.  Excitement and anxiety abound!

xxErin

PS. Happy Christmas!

PPS. Congratulations to the contest winner, Julie M., from Florida!  Julie, your books are on their way to me right now and I will sign them and send them straight on to you once they arrive!

PPPS. Will definitely be doing more contests in the future--this was fun:)

I know you all want to know more about me so...

...just for you I did an interview with The Reading Cafe.  Okay, maybe not just for you guys but I did one nonetheless.  But wait, there's more!  Along with the interview, there's also a giveaway.  I will be giving away signed paperback copies of books 1-4 in the Lone March series to one lucky person!  Who wouldn't want to win such a prize??!  *Ahem*  Excuse me.  The use of the words "lucky" and "prize" are, of course, subjective...

Anyway, if you would like to have the first half of the Lone March story collected in signed paperbacks, you can enter the contest through their website.  You have to be a registered member of The Reading Cafe to enter but they have several ways of doing that, including Twitter and Google.  So the giveaway just started today but it's only running through Saturday, December 1st--as in just a few days from now--so act fast if you want to get in on this action.

Here's a link to the interview:

The Reading Cafe

Information about the giveaway is listed at the bottom of the page, after the interview.

Okay, sorry to be all business today but I gotta get back to work--Book Six is really cookin' over here!

xxErin

PS. I almost forgot!  TRC also reviewed my series and even though you've all probably read the books, I wanted to link to the reviews as well.

LM Series Reviews

PPS. The reviewer had some issues with March's sexual awakening and how she handles her hormone issues.  They were interesting thoughts and honestly, I feel the same way.  I definitely set out to put March in some uncomfortable and inappropriate situations because she's the last female of her kind and also because being a were-wolf means rage and sexual aggression and pretty much all kinds of negative human emotions amped up to eleven.  So, if you guys read it, I'd like to know how you feel about these issues.  Drop a line below, if you are so inclined.

I am currently stuck at Frustration Station!

Grrrahhhggg! No, that's not a word, you're right. That's a combination growl and groan. My computer is still stuck at the computer hospital (going on a week now, which is just insanely insane for me). And so without Internet, I have had to resort to sneaking onto other people's computers when I have the chance--people I know and who have given me permission of course--and rushing to check my email really fast to answer important messages and otherwise pretty much just totally neglecting my usual online haunts. Right now I am using an iPad to write this post and let me tell you why it sucks: It won't cooperate! I tried to just update the Lone March Series tab so I wouldn't have to type out a whole big post for one tiny update but it wouldn't let me!! Instead of inferring my own interpretation of the needed onomonpia I will allow you to insert your own version. __________________!!!!!

Anyway, all this was just to tell you guys that I have approved the paperback proof of Moon-Swell. Here is where you can buy it for $8.99:

Createspace and Amazon

That is all for now. Fingers crossed I have my laptop back soon and can work and communicate like a normal person and not an Apple junkie, who tries to do complex or involved things on an impractical electronic device!

xxErin

PS. I will update the Lone March page to consolidate all this information in one place as soon as I get my machine back. I think I already said that. Oh well...

PPS. Hope you guys are enjoying Moon-Swell! Oh who am I kidding? I mean I hope you guys DID enjoy Moon-Swell (because I'm willing to bet you all finished in like a day or something--which is fine; I'm just saying I'm willing to bet on it).

PPPS. Any ideas as to what's coming?