Susan Buffum's Blog: Welcome to My World, page 19

Cloud Lightning

Apparently I missed Mother Nature's awesome strobe light show in the clouds last evening/night.

When I turned my phone on this morning facebook was full of video clips of the amazing light show in the clouds from friends way up in northern Vermont to people's backyard videos right here in town.

I'm disappointed that I missed it all.

Doctor Tuxedo

If you've read my bio you know that I work full time as a medical secretary and write as a hobby when I'm home. The practice I work for has several doctors and a couple nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Today the doctor in the office, who will be one of my neighbors next week when he moves into his new home up here on the side of the mountain where I've lived since 1973, had a full schedule. His little girl had a recital this evening so he had to leave work immediately after seeing his last patient (one new to the practice). Between his next to last and last patient he changed into his classic black tuxedo complete with cummerbund and bow tie, then proceeded to tap on the closed door then go in to see his last patient. I wonder what tattooed, denim and leather clad biker dude thought when his brand new PCP waltzed in dressed to the nines...no, to the absolute twelves, in a tuxedo!

You don't see that every day!

This doctor is the definition of a sharp dressed man! I bet his little girl was proud of her daddy this evening...and likewise he was proud of his little girl as she performed in the recital. I hope pictures were taken and will be shared in the office!

Kudos to you, Doctor Tuxedo!

Giveaway for Life Skills

Three signed first edition copies of Life Skills are available in a giveaway that ends next week. This is one of my rare contemporary novels with normal (although flawed) human being characters- it's more literary fiction than anything else I've written, but the characters had a story to tell and wouldn't stop bending my ear until they had their say.

Some of the themes and topics include alcoholism, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, secrets, tough love, turning ones life around, harassment, moving forward, learning to forgive, adult coloring, dogs as therapy, family bonds, love and trust, and healing.

It wasn't an easy book to write. I wrote a number of short stories with these characters and 'borrowed' some scenes from those stories, writing them into the new storyline. Some of my favorite scenes were left out, but at the end of the novel, I did include the holiday story I wrote in December 2015 with the same characters. The novel was completed in November 2015.

It was the longest book I'd ever written...until Black King Takes White Queen came along the summer and swept the book length title out from underneath its pages!

A Monday Morning Fright!

Although I write novels and story collections I also hold a full time regular job as a medical secretary at a fairly large multi-practitioner office. My desk was recently moved from one end of the building to the other (we have two suites that are separate at the front of the building but connected at the rear), therefore I enter the building through the employee door and walk nearly the entire length of the building down a long hallway before turning left down a side hallway to get to my work station.

On Monday morning I went to my desk to leave my things via this route then came back along the long lit hallway, turning right into an unlit side hallway where there are two examination rooms and a bathroom as I headed toward the waiting room to check the supplies on the coffee bar for the patients and to make sure it was clean, one of my morning duties. As I passed the second examinaion room I caught a glimpse of something on the examination table in that room from the corner of my eye that brought me up short. The light was bad, but it looked vaguely human!

I backtracked two steps, peered into the room and made out what looked like a skeleton lying on the table! We do not have a real skeleton in the office so of course it gave my heart a little jolt to see something eerie where nothing spooky has ever been before.

I suppose I should say that I have heard disembodied voices in that office since I started working there. There was a tragic suicide in the building many years ago, before I started working there, and I'd heard rumors of odd goings on in the office. The voice has called my name in a breathy whisper, said "Hi," right into my left ear and one day said, "Hey!" fairly loudly in my ear less than fifteen minutes before my daughter called to ask me to come home because she wasn't feeling well. That was unusual since Kelly never complains when she's sick, doesn't like to go to the doctor, hates hospitals and doesn't want to take antibiotics...so for her to call me at work and ask me to come home raised an immediate alarm. I grabbed my things and rushed out of the office, shouting as I passed my office manager returning from lunch in her car that my daughter was sick, I had to go home! I ended up taking Kelly to the ER- so feel that the disembodied voice was trying to catch my attention to let me know something wasn't right at home. It's never really scared me, just startled me a little because it comes at unexpected moments right out of the ether.

So, in this environment, I jumped and my heart starting beating faster. But, I'm not afraid of ghosts and have a rational mind. Therefore, I reached into the room, flipped on the overhead light and saw a 2-D life-sized skeleton made of heavy paper. I recognized it as the "poster" skeleton that had been hanging for a few years in the scale niche in that same hallway. The painters had been in to paint that hall over the weekend.

Turns out the office manager put the skeleton on the examination table as a joke!

Well, I can laugh about it now- but it sure gave me a jump start to my Monday morning!

A Blonde Moment

I just finished the major final edit and overhaul of Black King Takes White Queen, working with a proof copy that has a quickly designed temporary cover that I have had in my hand for at least two weeks now.

Last night I sat down in the quiet kitchen at 11PM to upload the revised interior file, and begin work on the final cover design.

Imagine my stunned disbelief when I went into the cover design area, began working on the new cover design and my brain and eyes finally communicated! I was working on the font for the title for the new cover, comparing it to the font on the stand-in proof cover when my brain suddenly screamed, "Hold on a minute, girl! That's NOT right!" I blinked and looked at the proof cover, flipped the cover open and looked at the title page and GROANED aloud! The title of the book throughout the interior pages was correct, but the title on the dummy cover reads Black KNIGHT Takes White Queen. (I believe there's a photo of this proof cover error on my facebook page for all the world to see! I know I can delete that, but it'll keep me humble! And tomorrow I'll be able to laugh about it.)

I've been lugging this proof copy around for a little over two weeks now, taking it everywhere to work on it in spare moments and NOT ONCE in those TWO WEEKS did I notice the INCORRECT word on the cover!

Now that is an EPIC blonde moment!

All I can say is I'm glad the moment passed BEFORE I clicked on the approve button so the book will have the RIGHT title on its totally awesome new cover when printed!!

Riley and the Firefly

The other night I was sitting at the kitchen table editing a new novel. Kelly was sitting opposite me writing in her journal, something she does every night before bedtime. She raised her head and asked, "What's Riley got over there?"

I turned my head to see Riley, my little gray cat, sitting on the rug just inside the kitchen door. He was staring intently at something I couldn't see against the kitchen cabinet. His eyes were huge and round- he was thoroughly entranced!

I leaned back in my chair and looked to see what it was that had him so absolutely mesmerized. The bright blink of light surprised me- it was a firefly sitting on the floor!

I told Kelly he was watching a firefly. Before I could get my camera and take a picture of his utterly fascinated expression she leapt up out of her chair crying, "I just read that fireflies are endangered! Don't let him kill it!"

I got up and picked up a still big-eyed, marveling Riley. She coaxed the insect away from the cabinet and got it to crawl into her hand.

The next thing I know there is my daughter standing in the kitchen with the firefly cupped protectively in her closed hands, peering in at it through a small gap- totally entranced by the flash of its butt light. I set Riley down on the floor and opened the screen door for her saying, "Take it outside and set it free." I had to say it twice before she stepped outside, still gazing into her hands.

She set it free and then wrote a little about her close encounter with the firefly in her journal. She and I have always gone out on the back deck to watch the twinkling fairy lights of the fireflies on summer nights. We have never had a firefly visit us in the house before, but some have come and clung to the exterior of the screens on summer nights and we've gently had to encourage them to move on when they've attracted the attention of the cats.

Nature is beautiful!

New Giveaway Starts July 19th

Watch for Life Skills in the giveaways- I'm offering three signed copies of this contemporary novel, a genre I have only written in in short story form, and once in the romance novel genre (The Subtlety of Light & Shadow.)

My normal genre is contemporary urban fantasy with some romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and action/adventure thrown in. I also write holiday stories.

Life Skill was my 2015 NaNoWriMo novel, written in 21 intense days, then edited with a couple minor rewrites during the final nine days of November. I self-published it December 3, 2015 for Kelly, family and friends and it's been out in the marketplace since then, but I seldom talk about it.

The main characters have each been victimized by a toxic parents or parents. Remy has been dealing with his issues for ten years, but Lissa blurts out what's been going on to him one night at the beginning of the book. He grabs her and doesn't let go as she free falls through a whirlwind of anger and hurt.

In the end they realize that neither of them will ever be perfect, that they need to make the most of what they have together and get through the rough patches without being torn apart by them.

This book contains German shepherds.

The giveaway begins July 19th. Three signed first edition copies are being offered.

Good Luck!

A big NO

My 25-year old daughter juggles with flower sticks and a devil stick. She's done this for a number of years now as a means of relaxation and just gets better and better at it. For her birthday this year she asked for a tristick which is a little more of a challenge. She's already getting the hang of that.

The thing I hear most out of her mouth is, "Mom won't let me juggle with fire."

Uh- NO! Sorry. It's not that I don't trust her, it's that I don't trust fire in any way, shape or form. It's fine for the circus, they have insurance. I don't think our homeowners would cover it if she flipped a flaming juggling stick onto the roof and burned the house down.

Maybe if we had a large concrete patio or a large paved area with no trees around it...then I would think about it. Also, she'd need very good medical insurance in case she burns herself, sets her clothes on fire...or whatever.

Call me super cautious and a spirit crusher, but what she juggles right now is good enough to relieve stress and relax, have some fun. She really doesn't need to add fire to her routines....at least not while she's living in our house. When she gets her own home, then she can do whatever she wants.

(Her Uncle Michael and Aunt Lynnmarie juggle balls and clubs. She's going to teach him how to juggle with the sticks later on this year since he's never tried that.)

The only thing I can juggle is multiple household tasks, work and writing- so that would boil down to be time. I can juggle time pretty well- and nothing else!

RE:Emily Arsenault

This morning I had the pleasure of attending an author event here in town. The author was Emily Arsenault from Shelburne Falls, MA who has a number of mystery novels available. She was signing copies of her newest suspense/historical fiction novel The Evening Spider today. She also did several readings from the book.

We're fortunate here to have a cozy new little indie bookshop that enthusiastically supports and promotes local and regional authors by hosting author events. They provide a cozy, intimate setting for readers to meet the author, discuss the book, hear readings from the book and then ask questions. The event ends with a book signing.

I purchased two copies of The Evening Spider this morning- one for me, one for my sister who didn't attend the event, she forgot, but she went later to check out the shop with my brother and they bought other books while there.

I have a number of future events inked on my calendar into November already! I've directed two author friends I've met at Articulture and READLocal to Bookclub bookstore & more! and both of them have upcoming author appearances booked (Gerald W. McFarland on September 10th for A Scattered People that includes some local history, and Marcy Robitaille for Wishing You A Goode Journey about how the death of her seventeen year old daughter has affected her and also changed the lives of six other people who received her daughter's organs through the organ donor program. One of the recipients lives locally and attended the READLocal event with Marcy.)

Anyway- I met an old friend there who is a researcher and writer. She's forming a new writer's group here in town and asked me to join. I will, quite happily. We had lunch after the author event, ran some errands together and then I got to meet her new bird Skittles! He's very colorful!!

Then I came home, opened The Evening Spider and began reading. Taking a brief break, I jumped online and bought four more of Emily's books, downloading them onto my nook for future reading. If they'd been available in the store I would have purchased them there but Emily said one was old and she wasn't sure if it was still available. Luckily it is still available in paperback and as a nook book. I didn't look to see if there is a Kindle version or not. Quite possibly there is!

Meeting another author is as big a thrill for me as for anyone else. Hearing where the story idea came from (an actual event in her life) hit home, because I always try to weave something from my real life into a book or story- it started as a game for my daughter. I'd hide a real bit of life in the story and she'd laugh when she found it! Emily wove this little bit of real life into her fictional protagonists story and then melded it together with a true crime story from the 1800's. The house in the story, although set in CT, is based on her real 1800's era home here in MA. You only get to learn things like this when you attend a meet & greet the author event and discussion with question and answer period following. It makes the author more real and gives you a better sense of where the book comes from.

As an author I simply ask that you support your local bookstores and authors by going to book signings and meeting the people who devote their lives to entertaining you by drawing these novels from their own imaginations, from history, from current news events, and sometimes from bits and pieces of their own lives! You very seldom get to meet the actors and actresses, screenwriters and directors who bring you great movies. Authors are far more accessible to the general public. Even if you download books onto an e-reader, go to an author event and say hello to the writer.

I'm so happy I went downtown and met Emily Arsenault this morning! It changed the entire course of my day!

I Lost 3 Hours of My Life

I have always been a voracious reader. I cannot read just one book at a time- I have to have a minimum of three going at any once. I never was much of a TV watcher, even as a kid. I liked reading, writing, building puzzles, and playing Scrabble and Parcheesi.

I married a man who watches TV from immediately after dinner on week days until he goes to bed. On weekends the TV is on from the time he gets up until the time he goes to bed, unless we have errands to run- then it gets turned off until we get home. (He doesn't let the cats watch TV alone, I guess.)

I find the incessant noise irritating and annoying. I like a little peace and quiet so I can think and concentrate. He's never understood that. He's from a family that sat around and did nothing but watch TV together. He feels insulted if Kelly and I leave the room because we don't want to watch TV with him. He zones out so what's the point? You ask him a question and he doesn't even hear you! My mother, sister and brother watched a lot of TV. My Dad was hard of hearing and worked 2nd shift so he'd watch on weekend nights basically. He was never into sports. As he got older he couldn't figure out how to work the remote control so gave up TV and took up reading books from the library. My brother and sister still watch a lot of television. I didn't let Kelly watch much TV at all when she was growing up. We did projects together, read, danced, listened to multi- cultural music, colored, went outside to play, took walks, and talked. I read 6 books to her every night (picture books) and then 6 chapters from chapter books as she got older, and then three chapters from classic novels when she reached 5th & 6th grade. From middle school on she read prior bedtime on her own and still prefers reading to TV viewing.

Every night after dinner she and I are in the kitchen trying to be productive and creative. I work all day so this is the only time I have to open the tap and let the creativity flow. It's annoying to have that constant noise in the background.

Therefore, tonight when I sat down at seven o'clock in the living room to play the two games I unwind with on my phone until my free lives were gone (it takes about 15 minutes total), then stayed to brush the cat (he's been shedding like mad with the hot weather)...and found myself still sitting there stupidly watching TV at 10PM I felt horrible! It was as if aliens had abducted me and brain probed me. I felt like I had lost three hours of my life. I really didn't even enjoy what was on- Chopped (with models who cook- I am so not into it's all about me people!) and a repeat of Mystery at the Museum I'd recognized from the three or four other times my husband has watched this same episode and I've had to listen to it as background noise while writing...and there must have been one other program but I honestly can't remember what it was. Suddenly it went from being 7PM to it being 10PM.

TV sucked the soul right out of me and I cannot get those three hours back! I was supposed to be completing the read through of the new novel and the editing of same. I still have 50 pages to go, but my head feels dull and all I want to do is go to bed.

I can't believe this happened. But it's made me more determined to have a quiet room when I'm retired where I can go to write and think and not be distracted and bombarded by too loud commercials, music designed to tweak your emotions, fake too cheerful people, rudeness, foul language, disrespectful children and young adults- and even senior citizens who curse like dock hands!

Is this what we've become? Is this America? Are we just a bunch of rude, crude, lewd adolescent idiots who can't get off our butts and do something productive, constructive and beneficial for our community, for society and for ourselves first and foremost? This is not reality TV, this is real life so why aren't we living it?

I want to kick TV out of my house. It's a freeloader that doesn't contribute anything of value to the household. It's turned my husband into an addict, and tonight it sucked the soul out of me for three entire hours and I am at such odds with myself about it. If I'm going to do something for 3 hours straight I'd really rather enjoy it and get something out of it rather than have this sense of emptiness and wasted time nagging at me...

I really need to go read and make amends with my brain.