Thursday, April 24, 2014
A few Pictures
There have been some things I have talked about on here that I thought people might like to see pictures that go with the stories/events.
Probably the biggest photo of interest- the snake. I understand it's not very big, but the fact that this pest was in my house makes it kind of a big deal. The bucket is still covering the floor drain to this date.
This was at the training I got to be a part of. My boys and I were in the car with one of the soon to be retired firemen.
His wife is the one holding his neck.
A closer photo of the van getting cut apart. The person posing as the driver was still inside at this time.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
#9 and a little Reflection
I took advantage of the warmer temperature again today and went for a bike ride before supper. Of course, if it wasn't for getting close to a foot of snow this week, we probably also wouldn't have had another mouse in the basement, making me paranoid to just ride the exercise bike. But I digress.
I got to thinking on my ride about cycles. There are things I did when I was younger, that I tried to get away from, and now the same things are coming back around to me. I hunted when I was younger, but as I got older, I stopped. It wasn't the 'in' thing to do, my interests changed, and I pushed that part of me down. Fast forward through the rest of high school, college, and two boys later, this last fall I went deer hunting for the first time in nearly 10 years. I didn't get to shoot, but the excitement of being in the stand on edge all day, waiting to see one come through that I could get a shot at was enough to make me want to go again next year.
Writing is another one of those things that I pushed away for far too long. I wrote a lot through high school, even starting to write my first novel at that time. I hope to some day go back to that first book and finish it. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day and not take time to do the things we enjoy and are meant to do.
Last year, began thinking about a story. The more I thought about it, the more I needed to get it out. I sat down on June 4th, and started writing Moving On. I got back into reading the fall prior after receiving a Kindle for my birthday. I tend to read romance books, and considering who I'm married to, it only made sense to look for novels about firemen. Who doesn't want to imagine themselves as the person in the story? It was hard to find a good story with a fireman, so I thought, I can do this. I made a list of some of the characters I wanted to use, and hit the ground running. In just over a month, anyone will be able to read the story I came up with, and that is something very amazing to me.
I got to thinking on my ride about cycles. There are things I did when I was younger, that I tried to get away from, and now the same things are coming back around to me. I hunted when I was younger, but as I got older, I stopped. It wasn't the 'in' thing to do, my interests changed, and I pushed that part of me down. Fast forward through the rest of high school, college, and two boys later, this last fall I went deer hunting for the first time in nearly 10 years. I didn't get to shoot, but the excitement of being in the stand on edge all day, waiting to see one come through that I could get a shot at was enough to make me want to go again next year.
Writing is another one of those things that I pushed away for far too long. I wrote a lot through high school, even starting to write my first novel at that time. I hope to some day go back to that first book and finish it. It's so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day and not take time to do the things we enjoy and are meant to do.
Last year, began thinking about a story. The more I thought about it, the more I needed to get it out. I sat down on June 4th, and started writing Moving On. I got back into reading the fall prior after receiving a Kindle for my birthday. I tend to read romance books, and considering who I'm married to, it only made sense to look for novels about firemen. Who doesn't want to imagine themselves as the person in the story? It was hard to find a good story with a fireman, so I thought, I can do this. I made a list of some of the characters I wanted to use, and hit the ground running. In just over a month, anyone will be able to read the story I came up with, and that is something very amazing to me.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Can you judge a book by it's cover?
I sent back my second proof for additional edits this week. There hasn't been much that I have needed to fix, which is nice. I couldn't tell if there were things that the publisher changed from how I originally had it, so whatever they did change, it works.
After a few hours on Pintrest, I had a few ideas for my cover. The problem was taking a few pictures. I was able to convince the hubby to pose as my guy, but told him he had to be in full gear, since he really doesn't look like the male character. One of the wives from the fire department agreed to be the photographer, and we were all set.
Sunday was a big fundraiser for the department, and late in the afternoon, there were just a few people left at the hall, so we took some pictures. I wrapped my legs around Brian and took a few shots against a truck. It was going okay until one of the guys had to come investigate and mock us. In the end, he was caught posing with a purse, so I think we are even.
I did a little editing to a few of the pictures and sent them to the publisher to see if they thought any of them would work for my cover. They were shot down, being too suggestive for what they would like to see on the cover, and the other one I liked could have revealed part of the plot.
So now I'm back to searching for the perfect cover photo. Should it be a couple walking in the woods, a hunky fireman at a call, or something else all together?
After a few hours on Pintrest, I had a few ideas for my cover. The problem was taking a few pictures. I was able to convince the hubby to pose as my guy, but told him he had to be in full gear, since he really doesn't look like the male character. One of the wives from the fire department agreed to be the photographer, and we were all set.
Sunday was a big fundraiser for the department, and late in the afternoon, there were just a few people left at the hall, so we took some pictures. I wrapped my legs around Brian and took a few shots against a truck. It was going okay until one of the guys had to come investigate and mock us. In the end, he was caught posing with a purse, so I think we are even.
So now I'm back to searching for the perfect cover photo. Should it be a couple walking in the woods, a hunky fireman at a call, or something else all together?
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Crash Victim 101
Last night, Brian came home and asked if the boys and I had plans for tonight. I let him know we just had hair cuts scheduled. I was not expecting the next question.
"So do you want to be victims for car extrication training?"
Of course! The boys were a little nervous, but when I explained that they wouldn't be cutting apart my car, it was better.
We met at the fire hall and rode to the training center with the other 'victims'. Our fire department has an area with some of those big metal containers you see on trains and semis that they use for burn trainings. They also use that area for other trainings.
An area junk yard brought in two vehicles, an old Ford Tempo and a Windstar mini van. We were given our list of injuries. My boys were put in the back seat of the car. The older one was to be alert, responsive, and complaining of neck injuries. The younger one was shaken, and kept saying he spilled something and he was wet. My passenger was not responsive and had a weak pulse. I was also unresponsive. The lady in the minivan was belligerent but responsive.
That was our set-up. The fire fighters were in their turn-out gear and began pulling out their tools to take car of getting us out. The first thing they needed to do was stabilize the vehicles- blocking the tires so they wouldn't move, disconnecting the battery, etc. Then it was time to check on the people inside the vehicles. The boys had the lead amount of injuries, and were taken out right away. I had to be taken out to get to the passenger, who was worse off than me.
It was interesting to watch the rest of the training unfold. They had to pop open the door on the minivan and remove the windshield. A blanket was put over the driver to keep from getting anything on her. A neck collar was put on, and they had to cut apart the dash and roof to get her out. She was put on a backboard and taken out of there.
The passenger also had to be cut out. The roof was pulled back, it really looked like the old sardine cans that rolled back when you opened them. They secured it back with some straps. The doors and the same safety measures for him were taken.
When it was all done, the fire department got to play with their tools. Windows were removed, the remaining doors, trunk, hood- everything was detached by some saw, spreader or other weapon of destruction.
Overall, it was an interesting training to be part of. I have never been involved or at an accident where they had to remove anyone, and in this situation, I knew there were no actual lives in danger. I am glad I was given the opportunity and saw first hand the teamwork and coordination needed at an accident scene. I give these people a lot of credit. It certainly isn't something for everyone, but the work of a fire fighter speaks to the right people.
"So do you want to be victims for car extrication training?"
Of course! The boys were a little nervous, but when I explained that they wouldn't be cutting apart my car, it was better.
We met at the fire hall and rode to the training center with the other 'victims'. Our fire department has an area with some of those big metal containers you see on trains and semis that they use for burn trainings. They also use that area for other trainings.
An area junk yard brought in two vehicles, an old Ford Tempo and a Windstar mini van. We were given our list of injuries. My boys were put in the back seat of the car. The older one was to be alert, responsive, and complaining of neck injuries. The younger one was shaken, and kept saying he spilled something and he was wet. My passenger was not responsive and had a weak pulse. I was also unresponsive. The lady in the minivan was belligerent but responsive.
That was our set-up. The fire fighters were in their turn-out gear and began pulling out their tools to take car of getting us out. The first thing they needed to do was stabilize the vehicles- blocking the tires so they wouldn't move, disconnecting the battery, etc. Then it was time to check on the people inside the vehicles. The boys had the lead amount of injuries, and were taken out right away. I had to be taken out to get to the passenger, who was worse off than me.
It was interesting to watch the rest of the training unfold. They had to pop open the door on the minivan and remove the windshield. A blanket was put over the driver to keep from getting anything on her. A neck collar was put on, and they had to cut apart the dash and roof to get her out. She was put on a backboard and taken out of there.
The passenger also had to be cut out. The roof was pulled back, it really looked like the old sardine cans that rolled back when you opened them. They secured it back with some straps. The doors and the same safety measures for him were taken.
When it was all done, the fire department got to play with their tools. Windows were removed, the remaining doors, trunk, hood- everything was detached by some saw, spreader or other weapon of destruction.
Overall, it was an interesting training to be part of. I have never been involved or at an accident where they had to remove anyone, and in this situation, I knew there were no actual lives in danger. I am glad I was given the opportunity and saw first hand the teamwork and coordination needed at an accident scene. I give these people a lot of credit. It certainly isn't something for everyone, but the work of a fire fighter speaks to the right people.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Scavenger Hunt
Last weekend, the hubby and I stopped by two book stores in St. Cloud. First was Barnes and Noble when we went out for a date night. I wandered around for a while, before catching myself searching for a certain logo.
This is the logo for North Star Press, and I will have at least one of these on my book. It's like a scavenger hunt, and I get excited when I see it on other books. I challenge others to start looking for this on the spine of books at your house, the stores, library, where ever you find your books. It's rewarding to know that the books with this logo are published by a local company, with local authors. There are many books coming out this summer and fall by this publisher that I will be searching for. I will add my recommendations as I get my hands on my own copies.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Proofreading Process
I got the first edited version of my book this week. It feels mildly dorky of me, but as I am reading it, I can't help but enjoy it all over again. I suppose I should since I wrote it.
My current task is to read the book and mark what I think needs to be changed, then give it back to the editor for her to make changes, then give it back to me to see if there are any addition corrections to make. This will be repeated until we are both comfortable with the finished product.
Somewhere in the mix, we are also going to be settling on the cover design. I am still working on adding more events to my calendar as well. I have a few shops and libraries that I want to get lined up. Now that I also have a better idea on the release date, I would like to find something in Hutchinson during their water carnival week in June. It only makes sense since the book is based in Hutchinson.
I am excited that it feels like things are finally picking up speed and moving along again. I should have my finished product in only 2 months!
My current task is to read the book and mark what I think needs to be changed, then give it back to the editor for her to make changes, then give it back to me to see if there are any addition corrections to make. This will be repeated until we are both comfortable with the finished product.
Somewhere in the mix, we are also going to be settling on the cover design. I am still working on adding more events to my calendar as well. I have a few shops and libraries that I want to get lined up. Now that I also have a better idea on the release date, I would like to find something in Hutchinson during their water carnival week in June. It only makes sense since the book is based in Hutchinson.
I am excited that it feels like things are finally picking up speed and moving along again. I should have my finished product in only 2 months!
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