I Need A Coffee

It is early morning and I’m on a boat headed for the city. I desperately need a coffee; you’ve all been there, I know.

We arose at six a.m. and leaped into action. I pulled on my jeans and boots then headed out the door with the dogs. They were still half asleep. Reluctant hounds.

I took a moment to enjoy the night sky. There’s not a lot of back scatter out here, so the sky was filled with billions of stars. What an awesome sight. The air was crisp and frosty; plumes of white mist arose from the dogs as they snuffled at this and that.

Why I do What I do

Hi folks, the following is a repeat of a guest post I did a while ago. I am re-posting it here to answer a number of questions that have been asked of me recently.

Why I write what I write.

Let me tell you how I came to have a passion for writing what I write. Many years ago a dear friend, a psychologist, suggested I write a self-help book. She knew that I wrote fantasy and sci-fi, but so loved my life philosophy, she felt I should share it on a broader scale.

Thanksgiving Day in Newfoundland

Yesterday it was Thanksgiving in the US. Here in Newfoundland? Perhaps not so much at first glance. Let me explain. For two weeks now I’ve been waiting for payday to arrive so I could get the snow tires installed on the car. That was yesterday. I went to sleep the night before with bare roads, I awoke to a blizzard. Hello? A day early! As they say in Australia, “Bugger!”

NaNoWriMo Completed

Hi folks, today I want to review in my own mind what I learned from the NaNoWriMo experience. It is a busy time in my life, and taking this on was a challenge to say the least. However, I enjoy a challenge every once in a while, and this seemed right up my alley, so I jumped in.

The first thing that happened was a mild panic attack. Oh Crap, Deadline! As usual, I set to work with a will. (Thank the gods for spell check, etc.) I have an idea for a series, and this seemed like a good chance to test the waters.

Call Me Crazy

Call me crazy, but I actually had fun today. I found myself facing a life decision, well, maybe not a major life decision, but a toughie none the less. You see, K’s brother is a super handyman, and he usually does the messy jobs for us, especially any plastering jobs. The problem? He is back in school pursuing the career change thing. Sigh

Lighthouse Keeper

Hi folks, since I have been so busy with the NaNoWriMo writing challenge, I have had little time for my poor blog. So, today, instead of something enlightening, edifying, educational, or amazing, I offer you this short story about life on the Atlantic coast a century ago. It was written and first published in the late '90s. I hope you enjoy reading it.

The Lighthouse Keeper

by

Prudence MacLeod

John Ellis Morrissey sat by the warm wood stove with a wool blanket thrown across his knees, dozing as he listened to the storm outside. Soon he would have to rouse himself again to check the big light. On a stormy night John Ellis never really slept, he just caught a nap here and there as he could. When the storm passed he would rest.

“What do you think of a night like this, Tommy?” he asked his only companion on this rocky island. The big Newfoundland dog just thumped his tail on the floor in answer.   “Yes boy,” said John Ellis, “I couldn’t agree more.” The dog sighed with contentment and went back to sleep.

John Ellis rose and stretched, then climbed the stairs to the light tower high above.  He did not even look out into the raging North Atlantic; he simply adjusted the light and returned to the fire. This was a pretty remote part of the world and there was little chance of any ships being out there at this time of the year. Ah well, the isolation pay was good and John Ellis preferred Tommy’s company to that of other men these days. With a sigh he settled himself back into his chair.

He was just starting to drift off when the dog’s head came up. Ears forward Tommy rose swiftly to his feet, head cocked slightly to the side. “What are you at, Tommy?” asked John Ellis. “Is there one out there?” The dog barked once. That bark sent John Ellis scrambling back up the stairs.

Ten Random Things

Hi folks, this is a short post as I am still buried in the novel writing challenge. However, I thought this might be fun. The following is a list of ten random things about me. The challenge is for you to tell me just one random thing about you. Come on, it'll be fun, you know you want to.

1. I’m over 5’11” tall.  That may not seem like so much to some folks, but I have lived in places where it made me look like a giant.

2. I am actually quite shy, preferring small groups to large ones, although I have done quite a bit of public speaking.

3.  I love dogs, and have four rescues.

4.  I’d be a real shopaholic, given half a chance and a bigger budget. (Not to mention a bigger closet.)

5.  I love sea food.

6.  I play guitar, well, I do once in a while, but mainly it rests on the bed to keep the dogs off.

7.  I love eating in nice restaurants.  I’d go broke and get obese if I gave in to this fetish.

8.  I bake my own bread.  I just love the smell of fresh bread as it comes out of the oven.

9.  I’m a bit of a priss, preferring to spend my days in pretty dresses getting my hair done, but most days I’m in jeans and boots, walking dogs etc.  sigh

10. Above all I love people and listening to their stories. 

Ok, now it's your turn, tell me one random thing about you.

Chasing the NaNo

Hi folks. Normally I don’t write about writing. I prefer to share other things here on my blog. However, since signing on for the write a novel in a month challenge, there have been changes in my life, or should I say changes in the way I use my day.

No longer do I linger over my second coffee of the day, chatting with friends on Twitter, catching up on other folks’ blogs, etc. now life is different, more structured. If I had been this damned efficient twenty years ago I’d probably still be in business.

Things I Love Sunsets

So here we are again with things I love. Today I want to share a sunset with you. All sunsets are special, everywhere. I know for I have a goodly number of them over the past sixty years or so, and I have loved them all.

As a child, sunsets were special, mainly because the work stopped. Winter was even better as they came sooner. I can remember standing in the trees at the edge of the forest, watching the sun set behind the cape, waiting for the darkness to encroach before crossing the last hundred yards or so to the house.

Walking across crisp snows, hearing the crunch beneath my boots, and watching the sky turn a myriad of colors was nothing short of magical. Why was I in the forest? I slipped out of the house and ran there to watch the sunset, of course.

Excerpt

Hi folks,
I have been up to my ears in the NaNoWriMo challenge these past few days. As a result I have neglected this blog a bit. At a loss for something to share with you, I shall stoop to the easy way out and give you the opening salvo from the novel I hope to complete in this challenge. So, without further ado,

The tall woman darted from boulder to boulder, taking cover behind each in turn. All around her were the pings of projectiles ricocheting off the giant stones, and the hiss of energy weapon’s fire. She took a quick glance then faked a leap from her hiding place. Several weapons fired at once. Had she actually taken that leap it would have been her last. She darted from the other side of the boulder and raced to the next. In this fashion she crossed half a kilometer of battle zone.

Suddenly there was a shout of recognition, and a hail of covering fire was laid down for her. She raced to the shelter of the overturned land ship, and the soldiers hunkered down behind it.

“Woman, what the nine hells are you doing here, and where are my reinforcements?” The officer before her was huge, and he was chewing on a tobar root. This told her he had probably not eaten for days.

“I am Lessa, a healer. I have come to tend the wounded. I know nothing of reinforcements.”

The big man sighed deeply and spat out the root. “There are plenty of them here for you, just behind that ridge. Use the tunnel, it is safe enough.” She nodded and started away, but he spoke again. “Help those you can; dispatch those you cannot.”

She paused slightly, but did not meet his eyes. “Understood.” With that she trotted behind the ragged men and vanished into the tunnel.

Hope you are intrigued enough to want more.  

Happy writing and reading. Prudence

Under Pressure

I’ve always said I work better under pressure. I even used to have a poster of a guy in a duck press, saying, “Go ahead, turn the screw, I work better under pressure.” on the wall of my office. So, when I first started hearing about a novel writing challenge, I of course entered, then set up several other things to get done at the same time. Some are writing goals, others are winterizing projects around the home.  Let me tell you how this works.