So What's Everyone Doing?

Well, I'm reading and probably should be writing but I found a good book and I can't stop reading.

This is Roald Dahl on steroids for adults. Honestly, I had no idea the book existed. And did you know he's Norwegian? Really....now that I should have known. I'm half Norwegian after all.

But seriously, the guy really knows how to write. I discovered 'Going Solo' in a Roald Dahl children's collection I had purchased to divide up among my grandchildren.

I'm embarrassed to admit I have never read the children's books he's most known for. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, to name some.

But if you like memoirs with a sense of humor that focus on the WWII period, flying airplanes, and living in Africa, Going Solo is for you!

Well, I have been typing too.... Not my own work, but my mother's memoir. I love the little miner sitting on the keyboard. He's 'panning for gold' and that's exactly what writing about a life history feels like. Mother is 93 so you can imagine there's quite a bit of life to glean from there.

But I'm back to thinking about writing for myself too, and will use this miner for inspiration. Just 500 words a day someone on Instagram posted today. Now that feels doable. My current novel is around 22k, so I have a ways to go if I'm going to reach 60k.

How about you. What have you been up to?

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

The Classics - CLOSING LINES: The Study of Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyles

As narrated by Dr. Watson:

"Didn't I tell you so when we started?" cried Sherlock Holmes with a laugh. "That's the result of all our Study in Scarlet: to get them a testimonial!"

"Never mind," I answered, "I have all the facts in my journal, and the public shall know them. In the meantime you must make yourself contented by the consciousness of success, like the Roman miser—

"'Populus me sibilat, at mihi plaudo Ipse domi simul ac nummos contemplor in arca.'"

(Published 1887) (This short novel introduced Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to the public)

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing
 

Stuck...It's not such a bad thing

Shipwreck freeimages.com/Roger Buser

Shipwrecked, stranded, and especially the word STUCK comes to mind with this image. Ever feel that way when everything you are trying to do in your writing feels frozen? 

IF you're like me you have to set everything aside and focus on something new to get moving again. I've been cleaning house, tossing out old papers in my office, cleaning elsewhere in the home, thinking about painting, and window coverings....baking sourdough breads (my go-to source of comfort lately), but mostly throwing stuff away. 

One example, and boy did it ever feel good, was to throw out a file drawer full of research on a nonfiction book I almost did for an educational publisher years back. I kept thinking this would be great for historical fiction. Most came from hours of copying at a university library.....Why? Because the network was still questionable back then when it came to research. Yet all that work, I kept reasoning.....surely it could be used elsewhere. So I had a serious talk with myself. IF I were to seriously do historical fiction, wouldn't I use online resources after all? Wouldn't I? So into the garbage it all went....volumes worth. And how did I feel afterwards? A sense of freedom.

Now that I'm clearing the plate so to speak, I am beginning to see my office and goals more clearly. This is not to say I'm now unstuck, however. As I'm kneading the dough for sourdough pitas, and letting another batch of dough rise for sourdough crackers, I'm toughening up to start writing again. It's time for the explorer in me to investigate this hunk of junk before me.  

To be honest, that's how my current manuscript feels at the moment. My Na-No experiment awhile back left me with a story that began twisting and turning in strange ways. Was it the creative juices taking over or do I really need to start again? I'm hoping there are treasures to find nonetheless as I investigate. Time to explore! If I come up short, I'll bake more sourdough. 

"Sourdough Pita Bread"

2 cups flour (my favorite combo: 1c whole wheat and 1c spelt)

1 T. sugar

1/2 Tsp. salt

1/2 cup sourdough starter (freshly fed)

1 T. olive oil

3/4 -1 cup water (room temperature)

Mix flour, sugar and salt together. Make well in center and add oil and starter. As you mix, add water 2-3 T. water at a time as needed to make a workable dough. Knead until soft and elastic. Place in greased bowl and cover. Let rise to about double. Punch down. Shape into 8 lemon-size balls (thickness of two tortillas). Cover with damp cloth and let rest for 5 min. Meanwhile, heat up a griddle or skillet to medium heat. Roll dough balls into 6 inch circles and fry in light oil. When the dough puffs up you can flip over for a few seconds to lightly brown. Enjoy!

 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Evernight Teen: DEBUT NEW RELEASE: BREED by Niki Cluff

A comet is set to destroy Earth, but Kyle Singer is determined to survive. Tired of being treated like a second-class citizen thanks to her perfect brother, Kyle doesn’t think twice when offered the opportunity to attend an academy formed to stop the comet. It’s not like there’s going to be much left after the comet hits, anyway.

She's drugged, shipped off to the school, and thrown into a relationship with Ichiro Seung-hun, an exchange student from South Korea. The school isn’t just about stopping the comet. It’s a breeding program for after the comet hits and wipes out the human race. Terrified of becoming a baby-making factory, Kyle and Ichiro will do whatever it takes to escape. Evernight Teen: DEBUT NEW RELEASE: BREED by Niki Cluff: NOW AVAILABLE! 

**********************

Hi everyone. It's been awhile.... This is one scary plot. One of the characters is from the Asia Pacific, a part of the world wracked with uncertainty and havoc today. I am surprised that more authors haven't introduced characters from this region.

Internationally, those in the U.S. are easily a flight away from South Korea, where most speak some English at least. The culture and people of that region are no doubt beautiful, but as with any race, there is always a dark side. Not sure if the bad guys are from the Asia Pacific, from here, or both (read and find out), but it sure strikes my imagination. I wish Niki the best of success! May sales reach the moon and over.

I believe we read these stories, among other reasons, to explore the dark side of human nature and to find some commonality with a people unlike ourselves. When I researched Malaysia and Thailand (including Hawaii) I discovered a seedy world of drug trade, human trafficking, and smuggling, with sadly, ties to the mainland U.S., but I also discovered in the mix, the goodness of people, as this author has with Kyle and Ichiro.

I invite you to explore Niki's debut novel and also my own Evernight Teen novel: The Shells of Mersing, which is set in Hawaii, Malaysia and Thailand.

Happy reading!!  

 
AUTHOR, THE SHELLS OF MERSING

Living with Old Age - Mom's New Glasses

So off we went to the eye doctor again. Macular Degeneration requires a steroid injection and it's painful to watch. My 93-year mother does not hesitate to let you know she doesn't like it either. 

"Ooh, ooh," she moaned. 

Dr. H hesitated, needle injector in hand. This was the first eye and he still had to do the second eye. He glanced at me thankfully, sending the silent message that if anything goes wrong.... You're here to help, right? 

Yep, I pray every time doc, I nodded.

Her ophthalmologist looks to be in his early thirties, and Mom sometimes questions if he is too young to know what he is doing. Not having studied ophthalmology before in school, I can only assume the certification credentials I see on the wall of his office are real. I assure her he knows what he's doing,  but we often go round and round. I guess---to be fair---I might question things too if someone was shooting a needle in my eye. I went online and did a search just in case, but the method checked out. And the goal is to keep her from going blind.  

So then, Mom smiled at Dr. H ever so slightly. "Don't mind me. I'm okay." 

Dr. H and I both sighed in relief.  This was her six-week visit. The goal is to spread treatments out to as much as three months apart. We are now on the seven-week schedule. Meanwhile, Mom has not been able to see well at all. She's been using over the counter readers, making do, because her past prescriptions no longer work and her most recent prescription glasses (I found out) were lost. 

We were also under the impression we had to wait for her eyes to settle down before filling a new prescription, but Dr. H thought we could go ahead and order glasses, so off we went to the optician next door where we spent the next two hours trying on glasses and debating what would work for her. Although Dr. H had recommended single-lens readers, we opted for a no-line bifocal with distance on top since we could exchange within 30 days at no charge if they didn't work. 

So....The big day arrived. 

Mom looked into the mirror with her new glasses on and was horrified. "I can't see. The words are all jumbled. Are you sure this is the right prescription?" The frustrated optician tried everything and finally suggested we see the doctor again to verify the prescription. She made an appointment for the following week.

"Well, he should have got it right," Mom mumbled as we left. As we drove back to her apartment, Mom informed me that the frames were wrong too. "They are not the glasses I ordered." 

Surprised, I was certain they were the frames she'd ordered, but she wouldn't hear it. As we drove, her theory morphed. She was almost certain the prescription had been mixed up with her friend's prescription, as her friend had ordered new glasses too. We went back and forth. I told her we'd fix whatever the problem was. 

A week passed and we had to cancel. Mom was diagnosed with early pneumonia and I was sick too with some kind of virus. Another week passed and we finally returned. Turns out, Macular degeneration was bad enough in one eye to prevent the kind of focus a no line bifocal required. Mom decided to go for two pairs of glasses instead. One for distance, one for reading. It's not the most convenient solution, but reading is important to her and the distance correction made a huge difference. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. 

As for ordering the wrong frames, she blames me now. So be it, I accept the blame. After all, my eyes are better than hers and it's simply not worth arguing over.  

Living with old age and learning as I go. Keeping a sense of humor and remembering how blessed we are to still have her with us. And God willing......I'll be there someday myself. 

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

The Rewards of Old Files: Historical Goldmine

The Rewards of Old Files - Historical Goldmine: I spent the morning looking at all the unpublished stuff I've written over the years....

(live on 2nd blog)

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing