Stephen Burckhardt's Blog: My Blog Ramblings, page 40
June 25, 2021
Friday Funnies: Take Your Dog to Work Day!
(Shaggy Burckhardt: Shaggy's shouldn't-you-be-in-your-office-writing look.)
Hello, Posse!
It is National Take Your Dog to Work Day. One of the great things about working from home, Shaggy gets to go to work with me everyday. Who wouldn't look forward to going to work if their co-workers were this adorable? Though I am beginning to think Shaggy might have been around cats when he was a puppy before he came to us. Sometimes he acts more like a cat than a dog, like wanting to get between me and my keyboard.
I happen to be a long time dog person. I remember my first dog that was actually mine and not a "family" dog, was a crazy little Chihuahua that named to us named Killer. In retrospect, that should have been a clue as to his temperament. Now he loved me and my family and even my sisters cat, but anyone out side of that circle was fair game to him. He really thought he was a more like Great Dane. That got him into trouble more than once.
Over the years, I had several dogs. A white German Shepard names Lady, and sadly there were a few I can no longer remember except for how they looked. I'm not really sure what happened with them. That is sad thing about having neurological issues. Sometimes there are just holes in your memory.
Now, we have our Russian rescue Shaggy to complete our family. We hope to have a home with a yard one day so we can adopt at least one more dog so Shaggy will have a playmate. I think he would like that. In the meantime, I am supporting some great organizations that take care of dogs. Like Shep's Place and Dog Blog. Not to mention Pet Sitters International (PSI).
Check out PSIs video on why they think you should take your dog to work. (
PSI Take Your Dog To Work Day Top Tenhttps://youtu.be/Chh8xDhL7zQBut now you know what time it is, it's time for a few Friday funnies! Have a great weekend, Posse!
Enjoy,
StephenQ: What do dogs like to have for breakfast?
A: Pooched eggs!
Q: What is a dog's favorite kind of frozen treat?
A: A pupcicle!
Q: How do you know when your dog is getting older?
A: He starts chasing parked cars.
Q: Why was the dog such a good actor?
A: He always knew just when to paws for dramatic effect.
Q: What kind of dog never barks?
A: A Hushpuppy.
Q: How can you stop a dog barking in your front yard?
A: Put him in the back yard.
Q: What is a dog's favorite musical instrument?
A: A trom-bone.
Q: What should you say when you feed your dog?
A: Bone appetite!
Q: What would you get if you crossed a cocker spaniel and a poodle with a rooster?
A: A cockerpoodledoo!
Q: What did the chemist's dog do with his bones?
A: He would always barium.
Q: How are dog catchers paid in the UK?
A: By the pound.
Q: What do dogs and books have in common?
A: They’re both dog-eared.
And last but not least . . .Q: Did you hear about my trip to the new zoo? All they had was one small dog.
A: It was a shih-tzu!
Leaving My Dog Alone with a Juicy Steak https://youtu.be/I9253Vmf22w
June 23, 2021
Whatever Wednesday: Rain, Rain Go Away!
Hello, Posse!
I'm actually writing this a bit earlier than usual. Normally, we have groceries delivered on Thursday nights, but we are out of a few things, so I'm having them delivered tomorrow when I usually sit down to write this. I guess it is good to shake up a routine once in a while.
I'm sure you can probably guess that it is raining here. While it does make it unseasonable cold, it is perfect weather for staying in and working on my books.
I do have good news. In case you have not heard, Part 5, Into the West: To Save Them All, is with my professional editor. As soon as he gets it back to me I will load it up and set the books to publish. I am hoping for July 2nd so it can be out for the fourth of July weekend. However, I am not going to even consider trying to rush Greg in his editing considering how long I took to finally write the darn thing and get it to him. He is much ore reliable in his turn around time as an editor than I have ever been as a writer.
I have everything set on Amazon to go live. I just have to drop in the text and hit publish. I need to do one more check on the covers. I might have to make a correction on it tonight. But it should all be set well before I get the book back from Greg.
I spent most of last night, and early this morning, making sure everything on my Amazon site was uniform for keywords, categories, descriptions, etc. It was a lot more work than I expected. Now everything should have a uniform look to it. See, I am getting better at some things. Tonight, I plan to set things up on the Barnes & Noble Booksellers site and make sure things there are all uniform. This is really the stuff that takes all the time, the social media, the website, the formatting, the cover designs, promotional material, marketing, networking, I actually spend the least amount of my time writing. It's a good thing I love all this kind of stuff.
After I get the things all set on B&N, I'm going to go back to finish writing part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown. I am just a few chapters away from finishing that book. Once that is published, there will just be one final book (If I do not get carried away writing again) to finish this saga. I'm so excited. I hope the next will not take me so long to complete. I spent a lot of time learning how to all of this, one day it should be second nature . . . I hope.
I am still working on a way to get audiobooks for this serial. Tonight, I am checking into what all I need to buy to set up a decent recording booth here at home. I have all of the equipment I should need, but I need a bit better sound proofing before doing the recordings here. I am getting some great tracks, but there is a bit too much background noise. It's not really noticeable but it bothers me that it isn't cleaner. If I'm doing this, I want to do it well.
So, that is the update for now, posse. Things are progressing nicely and I hope to announce the release date very soon for part 5, Into the West: To Save Them All. I actually got the best complement ever about my writing. I asked my sister to beta-read part 5 for me and give me her thoughts. I knew I could get honest feed back from her. I was expecting at least a few notes on things I should work on. What she told me was my writing style reminds her of Harper Lee. Nothing like being compared to a Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author to build your ego. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my writing. I feel like I should cross-stitch it on a pillow or something.
Now, just to leave you with a smile (in case knowing that part 5 is almost available doesn't cut it) I want to share a feel good video.
Enjoy!
Diannehttps://youtu.be/9CAPWKTjlrs
June 21, 2021
Monday Movie Madness: Red River
Hello, Posse!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day yesterday. I spent time in video chat with my father yesterday. He and mom were going out to dinner later for a bit more celebration.
This blog is going to be short (well, short by my definition). Have you ever had a day that you just weren't in the mood for . . . basically anything. It's one of those days here. I had The Shootist in my notes for today's movie, but the movie poster seemed a bit too familiar to me. I check my blogs and sure enough, I've already blogged about that movie. I had this movie poster on my desktop since I did the blog on the movie Red River Valley with Roy Rogers. So I decided to go with this one instead.
So we will continue with our birthday months celebration of Jon Wayne with Red River. This movie was released in 1948. It was directed and produced by Howard Hawks. The movie stars western legend, John Wayne, and Montgomery Clift with a supporting cast filled with numerous well-known western actors including Walter Brennan, Harry Carey, Harry Carey Jr., John Ireland, Noah Beery Jr., Chief Yowlachie, Paul Fix, and Hank Worden just to name a few.
The movie is based on a serial story (you know I love serials), Blazing Guns on the Chisholm Trail by Borden Chase which was published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1946. Borden Chase and Charles Schnee wrote the screenplay for the movie.
The story follows a crew of men hired by a Texas rancher, Thomas Dunson (Wayne), to drive the first herd of cattle from Texas to Kansas on the Chisholm Trail. Along the way, there are disagreements and altercations between Dunson and his adopted son, Matthew "Matt" Garth (Clift) over just how the drive should be handled. This is a very different role for Wayne and makes for an incredible departure from his previous movies.
Red River was not only successful at the box office but was critically acclaimed as well. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and in 2008 the the American Film Institute named it the 5th greatest Western of all time in their AFI's 10 Top 10 list.
Movie Snack Recipe
Where I live, it is difficult to find good crackers I actually like to snack on. This recipe looks so good to me and I cannot wait to try it. Believe it or not, currently I walk about 2 miles to the one store I know in my area that sells good crackers. I do not make the trek often, so if I can find a recipe for crackers I really love (which I am hoping this one will be the ONE), I will be so very happy!
Go to Fibrely.com, and check out their Red River Snack Crackers (
Don't worry if you do not have Red River cereals in your area, they give you a substitution in the recipe if you do not. I think these would make a great base for a wonderful charcuterie board. With these crackers, some deli sliced meats (veggie meats for me), a few different cheeses, some fruit and maybe a few veggies . . . yum! One of the more healthy movie snacks I have suggested.
So now you know what time it is, posse! Time to grab your snacks and settle in or another great western movie!
Enjoy,
DianneVideo ClipsFor some reason there was an issue with video uploading today so I am including the links to the clips in case you cannot view them in the blog.
Red River Trailerhttps://youtu.be/7l1Ms2lk75sPeter Bogdanovich on John Wayne in "Red River"https://youtu.be/pLak5PwUzH8Red River Movie Cliphttps://youtu.be/ww_lUn3jUoAJune 18, 2021
Friday Funnies: Father's Day is Coming!
(Pictured: Stephen and Dianne in about 1968-9 and in 2013)
Hello, Posse!
With Father's Day coming up this Sunday, I thought today would be a perfect time for some great "dad" jokes. Some of these are jokes about dads and some just good ole corny "dad" jokes I always feature on Fridays. I do have to keep the tradition going.
This year has been kind of hard for me and my dad. I have not been able to see him in person for the last three years. It is one of the drawbacks to living so far away from each other. Last year during CoVid19 shutdowns, he had surgery to have a heart pump put in. It was very hard for me to not be able to be there to help him and mom go through that. I am hoping to be able to see him again soon.
We are both very excited that part five, Into the West: To Save Them All will be ready for release soon. With any luck, we will have it to you for the Fourth of July holiday. What a great time to release a book. Long weekends are made for reading!
But for now, let's just share a few laughs and look forward to a great weekend!
Take care, Posse!
DianneQ: Why should you be afraid for the calendar?
A: Its days are numbered.
Q: How do celebrities stay cool?
A: They have a lot of fans.
Q. What should dad do to stay in shape?
A: Lunges, that would be a big step forward in his workout.
Q: Why do dads take an extra pair of socks to go golfing?
A: In case they get a hole in one!
Q: Why are dad skeletons so calm?
A: Nothing ever gets under their skin.
Q: What did one ocean say to the other ocean?
A: Nothing, they just waved.
Q: What do you call it when dad sings in the shower and gets soap in his mouth?
A: A soap opera.
Q: What is Forrest Gump's email password?
A: 1forest1.
Q: What do a tick and the Louvre have in common?
A: They're both Paris sites.
Q: What do you call a Salmon wearing a bowtie?
A: Sofishticated.
Q: How do you track Will Smith in the snow?
A: You follow the fresh prints.
Q: What do you call it when Batman leaves the Sunday church service early?
A: Christian Bale.
Q: Did you hear about the father who fell into an upholstery machine?
A: Don't worry, he's fully recovered.
Last but not least . . .Q: Why is it inappropriate to make a 'dad joke' if you're not a dad?
A: It's considered a faux pa.
Dad Jokes from The Holderness family(Be sure to go to their channel and subscribe, you will not be sorry!)
https://youtu.be/QbAzV1FkMl4June 16, 2021
Whatever Wednesday: To Save Them All
Hello, Posse!
I am sure you can guess what the big news is today, Into the West: To Save Them All is about ready to be released!
I have already gotten the book back from one beta reader and I will make a few corrections to it today then email it to my professional editor. If he can get it back to me by this weekend or next week sometime (which he can usually do because he is amazing!) then I will get it set up for publication.
I was thinking about publishing it the last week of June and realized that the Friday of that week is actually July 2nd. It seemed like a perfect time to publish this right before a holiday. I am sure many people would love to have something to read over the long weekend.
I did manage to update my video introduction to my Into the West Saga Serial to include the new book (see video below). I was going to go ahead and update it to include the last book in this serial, but seeing as how that one will not come out for several months, I thought I should wait on that one. The plan is to have Into the West: Last Showdown ready to publish by the end of July/early August. I only have to write about three more chapters to finish it so that should be very doable. Then I would like to have the last book, Into the West: Family Ties ready for Christmas and even make it kind of a Christmas on the prairie story.
I am still surprised how much of a religious theme so many of these storylines have taken. It was never my intent to write the story this way. It was just where the characters naturally took the story. Having them all come together to celebrate Christmas in the final book seems like a good storyline for them. Plus, it will be fun to write.
Once this saga is done, I plan to take a break from westerns for a bit and write my biography I have been planning for years, Free Bad Haircuts with Each Craniotomy. It is about the year I spent getting my diagnosis, going through the surgeries, that time I died, and my recovery to where I am now. I have three neurological conditions and one is only seen in about one half of one percent of the population. I think some people would find this fascinating, at least I hope they will.
I'd also like to try my hand at a mystery, or horror, or SciFi, or maybe even a romance. I am not sure yet. But once I get a little break, I have a second saga planned for my territory saga serialy. I would take a couple from the Into the West saga and move them to another territory, like Colorado, and do another novella serial. I have so much planned that I want to write. I just need to get to it all. It would be amazing if one day I could actually make enough money from my books to just write all day everyday. That would be heaven to me!
I'm off to go do some final tweaks before sending the book of to Greg. Have a great day, Posse! Don't forget to keep watching my social media for more updates on all the Into the West Saga Serial books!
Take care,
DianneVideo Introduction to The Into the West Saga Serial Collection by Stephen Burckhardt https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2c304a_375b73cdd9d54aa6ac27cc13de44d67f/360p/mp4/file.mp4June 14, 2021
Monday Movie Madness: Hatari & Release News!
Hello, Posse!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was a split between annoying mishaps and actually getting some things accomplished. First, I was stressed about getting my edits finished for Part 5, Into the West: To Save Them All. Which is normal when you are trying to hurry and do a good job at the same time. Unfortunately for me, stress brings on neurological issues.
I started dropping things and had trouble controlling my hands. I ended up knocking over a full glass of tea on my desk and ruining a lot of notes and hand-drawn layouts. Then I went to get an ice pack to put in our new air cooler, since we do not have air-conditioning, and discovered that our freezer had overheated and shut off. Everything was melting.
We managed to cram most of the things in our small freezer compartment in the refrigerator (but I had to take my ice tray out), the fridge, and a styrofoam cooler. Having to lose me ice tray made me realize just how spoiled (and so lucky) I am when my day was ruined because I could not have an iced tea for 24 hours. I realize just how blessed my life really is.
The few things in the fridge had to be used over the weekend, but the things in the styrofoam box with all the ice packs we have survived the ordeal. We put the little freezer out on our balcony with the door open so it could completely defrost and the next day we plugged it back in. Thankfully, it started working again. We only ended up losing our popsicles, which were not that great anyway.
Funny thing, the literal meltdown with the freezer and having the realization of just how blessed my life really is, killed a lot of my stress about finishing up the books, silver lining. I was able to refocus and finished my second round of edits on Part 5. I sent it off to some beta readers last night.
When they are done with their read through, I will make some corrections and then send it off to the professional editor. While I wait for the others to get their notes back to me, I will finish up the formatting and get everything ready to publish. It is looking like there is a good chance I will be able to get Part 5 out by the end of the month. Fingers crossed!!!
But now, it's time to continue our month long John Wayne birthday celebration with the movie: Hatari!
Hatari is Swahili for "Danger!" and is also the title for John Wayne's 1962 romantic comedy/adventure movie directed by Howard Hawks. Wayne is joined in the cast by,
Hardy Krüger, Elsa Martinelli, Red Buttons, Gérard Blain, Bruce Cabot, Michèle Girardon, and Valentin de Vargas. The movie is about a group of professional game catchers in Africa. It was filmed on location in what is now Tanzania (formerly Tanganyka). It features many dramatic chases and captures of African wildlife.
Being an animal lover, I really hate some of the live animal footage, but I think this is important to see. This was the standard practice for big game trappers at that time and helps to illustrate why the world should never ever accept these practices again. Once you get passed this (if you are bothered by such things), the interpersonal relationships between the men in camp, the locals, and the animals is the heart of this movie. The comedy comes in when one of their biggest clients, Basel zoo, sends out a photographer, "Dallas" (Martinelli), to document the capture of their animals.
When it turns out that Dallas is in fact a gorgeous, Italian woman, it tests the friendships of the men in camp (Krüger, Buttons, and Blain) and the temper of their fearless leader Sean Mercer (Wayne). Even some of the animals in camp fall in love with Dallas, which ends up being her downfall, or saving grace, depending on your point of view. Either way it makes for some great comedy.
Hatari is still one of my favorite John Wayne movies. The interactions between Wayne, Buttons, and Martinelli make it a film worth watching again and again.
Movie Snack RecipeToday's movie snack recipe is definitely not one of my healthier suggestions, but is a tasty treat when eaten in moderation. The bonus is this recipe is quick and simple to whip up at a moments notice.
Just check out Farm Wife Cooks, Animal Cracker Dip (Hatari), but can in fact be quite docile and friendly. They are also very intelligent animals and affectionate with their offspring.
If you want a snack with a bit less sugar, why not make Animal Cracker canoes? You just need some celery, your favorite nut butter, some fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped apple or banana, and Animal Crackers. Just fill your celery with your nut butter and top with fruit and one Animal Cracker passenger. Nothing is better than a healthy snack that is tasty, quick to make, and fun to eat!
Keep watching my social media for release dates coming soon for Part 5, Into the West: To Save Them All. We are getting so close to having this out to you!
I am getting excited!
Some more good news is that Part 6, Into the West: Last Showdown is almost finished being written. I just have a few more chapters to go. I stopped writing that one so I could focus finishing up Part 5 to get it to you ASAP. Once this book goes off to the professional editor, I will focus back on Part 6 to get that finished as well. I have never had two books come out back to back.
This will be great!
Once part 6 is released, there will only be one more novella to go to finish up the saga, Into the West: Family Ties. It will be so strange to be done with this saga. I have been working on this story since 2014. The first novella was published in 2015. That is a large chunk of my life learning how to be a self-published author. It has been amazing and I am thankful for the experience and for everyone of you who have read my work and supported me as I find my way.
Thank you!
But now it is time to grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!
Enjoy, Posse!StephenOfficial Trailer: Hatarihttps://youtu.be/twlWGH9jmjcBehind the Scenes Photos: Hatarihttps://youtu.be/_xbk7EUtXm0June 11, 2021
Friday Funnies: Books & Bugs!
Hello, Posse!
I hope you have had a wonderful week. Personally, I am so pooped! I had to run out today in the heat to run errands and since I do not have a car here yet, that meant waiting for public transportation. I do not mind using this mode of transport here. because they have a great set up in out town. It's very convenient, which is why we haven't been in a rush to get a car. However, it can make for a long, hot trip around town.
I thought since I was going out before the heat of the day and there was a cool breeze I would be good. Nope, I was still just worn out by the time I got home. The good news is I have new glasses and can see what I am doing on the computer so much better than before.
I am sure some of you are wondering how things are going on part 5, Into the West: To Save Them All. I just finished the first round of edits/rewrites last night. I plan to do one more quick listen using text to speech to go through one more time then it goes off to the beta readers for a quick check. It should get my professional editor next week. As soon as he gets it back to me I can get it uploaded and a publication date set. My hope is to have this one out at the end of the month with part 6 Into the West: Last Showdown out in July. It is close enough to being finished I feel safe hoping for that. Check out the updated information at www.StephenBurckhardt.com/books. (
Have a great weekend, posse!
Enjoy!
StephenQ. What's a bee's back called?
A. His bee-hind!
Q. Why was the centipede kicked off the insect football team?
A. He took too long putting his shoes on!
Q. How do spiders communicate?
A. They post stuff on the web.
Q. Which pillar is not used in a building?
A. A caterpillar.
Q. What do you call a fly that has no wings?
A. A walk.
Q: Why was the butterfly asked to leave the dance?
A: Because it was a moth ball!
Q. What did one firefly say to encourage another firefly?
A. "You glow, girl!"
Q. What do you call a 100-year-old ant?
A. ANT-ique.
Q. What do you get if you cross a centipede with a chicken?
A. Enough drumsticks to feed an army!
Q. What do you call an ant who studies accounts?
A. An accountANT.
Q. What do you call two spiders who just got married?
A. Newlywebs!
Q. How does a bee go to school?
A. On a buzz!
Q. What is worse than an alligator with toothache?
A. A centipede with athlete’s foot!
Q. What kind of place should you never take a dog?
A. To the Flea Market.
Q. What goes 99-clunk, 99-clunk, 99-clunk?
A. A centipede with a wooden leg!
Q. What did the bee say when he got back to the hive?
A. "Honey, I'm home!"
Person 1. What do you call a snail without a shell?
Person 2. A slug?
Person 1. No, homeless!
And last but not least . . .Q. What do you get if you cross a centipede and a parrot?
A. A walkie talkie!
https://youtu.be/INTU02QcM68June 9, 2021
Whatever Wednesday: Summer is Coming!
Hello, Posse!
I hope you are all having a wonderful week and are enjoying some nice weather. It finally stopped raining here (knock on wood!) for a while and we have been enjoying some sunny days. We broke down and bought a portable air-conditioner for the apartment. We just couldn't deal with another summer with just fans. This is one that chills the air with ice packs in a water tank and works surprisingly well. The benefit to this type over the units that have coolant in them, is this doesn't have to be vented to the outside, so we can run it anywhere in the apartment.
One thing I am not looking forward to about finally having warm weather after so much rain, we know mosquitoes are coming! There always has to be a downside somewhere, am I right?
I have never been fond of using harsh chemicals on my body to keep bugs away. Several years back I learned to make some homemade bug repellents and thought I would share a few here with you.
These are all fairly easy to make but the first is by far the easiest. If you are having a BBQ or have a firepit going, simply add a few plants to the coals and let them smolder. Things like lavender, sweet grass, and citronella are all natural bug repellents. You will be surprised how well this will help keep the area around the grill or pit clear of bugs.
Now, if you are looking for something you can put on your skin, you will need some essential oils that are approved to be used topically for humans.
What you will need:
A small spray bottle (preferably dark glass, many health food stores carry these) Your essential oil (choose 2) lavender (mosquitos, flies & gnats, ticks) eucalyptus or lemon eucalyptus (mosquitos, ticks) citronella (mosquitos, flies & gnats, ticks) sage (mosquitos, ) thyme (Ticks) peppermint (flies & gnats) spearmint (flies & gnats) There are others but these are a good place to start Witch HazelMix your essential oils and Witch Hazel at a 1:10 ratio. So if you put 6 drops of Lavender oil and 4 drops of eucalyptus oil in your bottle, you will have 10 drops total of essential oils. For the ratio we are using, you will need to add in 100 drops of Witch Hazel to the mix. Be sure to shake well before spraying.
And now for the legal stuff . . . Disclaimer: This is not medical advice or in actuality, advice of any kind. We are just sharing ideas here. As with all things like this, it is advisable to review ingredients with your doctor before applying them to your skin. DO NOT ingest these ingredients. If you try this recipe, by doing so you automatically agree to hold www.StephenBurckhardt.com as well as any and all persons associated with the site, blameless for any adverse reactions you or a loved one might have up to and including death.
If you want some more all natural bug repellant ideas, I suggest checking out Wellnessmama.com and their homemade bug spray recipes. (
One great thing you can do in summer is sit outside on a nice day with an ice cold drink and read a good book. Part five in my serial, Into the West: To Save Them All is in the editing phase right now and will be coming soon! Part six Into the West: Last Showdown is almost written. I just have a bit more to go. I stopped writing it to get part five formatted and edited so I can get that to you to read while I finish up writing part six. It is going to be a good summer for The Into the West Saga Serial! Keep watching my social media for all the updates.
June 7, 2021
Monday Movie Madness: John Wayne Month - El Dorado
Hello, Posse!
I hope you had a great weekend! It was an odd one for us here. We got word on Friday that our landlady had passed away. We were at a loss as to what to do for her husband. He is a very quiet, kind man and we want to do what we can to support him. They actually live below us, so we saw them both often. We made him an apple coffee cake this weekend and let him know we are here if he needs us. If you are the praying sort, and I assume most if not all of my followers are, you might want to add a kind thought for our landlord tonight.
If you have been chomping at the bit for me to hurry up and finish the next book, I have some good news. I am about halfway through the rough edits. I wanted to be sending it off to the professional editor today, but things happened this last week that kept interrupting my work. I was supposed to have a full week of vacation from my usual daily chores so I could focus on my books, but that got whittled down to one day and that just didn't give me enough time to finish everything.
I hope to finish the rough edits tonight and be able to send it off to my beta readers. Cross your fingers . . . and your eyes . . . and your arms . . . heck, cross everything you can! I think I need all the luck I can get.
People often wonder why novellas take so long to write. When you get past the fact that I am writing historical fiction and all the research that goes with that to make sure I am are being accurate for the time period, it can take a long time to actually get ready to publish a story. It starts with writing, then editing and rewrites. Those things just get the story on the page. There is also the marketing side as an indie author to try to get an audience to notice and buy your books.
I have no marketing budget to pay someone to market my books for me, so I have to do everything myself. I design the book covers, do the layouts, format everything to the correct specifications for the different print platforms, create and design all the ads, manage and maintain all the websites and social media including these blogs, create and design the promotional materials, and I am still working to set up a sound booth and recording area to make audiobooks. Actually writing the stories is the least amount of work that goes into getting these books out. I am literally working on something for the books just about every free moment of my day and staying up until about 3 am most nights.
Now, do not get me wrong here, I am not complaining about any of that. I love doing it all. I just want to explain why things take forever to get done at times. I do try to hustle, but sometimes, like today, life throws me a curveball that just kills my schedule. I should have had this blog written hours ago but instead of writing, I spent the morning dealing with my one credit card and my bank. I made an online payment to my card for $25 and they tried to take $2,500 out of my bank. Luckily (kind of), I do not have that much money in my bank so they could not wipe me out. But then there are overdraft fees and return payment fees and a huge financial mess that I spent the morning on the phone with both places trying to sort out.
So now, here it is 4PM and I am finally writing the blog, then I'll make dinner, and if I am lucky, I can finish the edits tonight before 3AM. Tomorrow I am going with P.R. to the doctors. P.R. is set to get the 2nd vaccine shot. We have both been going to these appointments together even though only one of us is getting the shots. We both have issues with allergic reactions so we go to look after each other in case of a reaction. But this means my morning will be shot as far as working on the books.
Just know, I am always working whenever I can, to get these out there to you. I love sharing these stories and I am so grateful for each and every one of you who stick with me through all of this. I can never say thank you enough!
But enough of my yamerin'! It's time for the next John Wayne Birthday month celebration Movie! El Dorado!
El Dorado was released in 1966. It is an American western produced and directed by Howard Hawks. The movie is said to be loosely based on a novel by Harry Brown titled The Stars in Their Courses. The movie stars John Wayne and Robert Mitchum with a supporting cast that includes other well known actors including James Caan, Charlene Holt, Ed Asner, Paul Fix, Christopher George, Arthur Hunnicutt, and Michele Carey.
The story follows a drucken sheriff (Mitchum) and his friend, and hired gun, Cole Thornton (Wayne). A local tycoon (Asner) has put out an offer for hired guns. It turns out the job is to come help him force the honest and hardworking MacDonald family off their land so he can claim it for himself. The sheriff is spending all his time drunk and proves of no help to the MacDonald family. His friend Thorton finds out about the situation and goes to El Dorado to try to help his friend sober up and clean up his town.
I love this movie for a few reasons. The first being it has John Wayne, of course, but also because you get to see Wayne and Mitchum in a movie with a young James Caan. It almost has a feeling of the passing of the torch in a way from classic Hollywood movie stars to the more modern generation, at least to me. Plus, I love seeing Ed Asner as the villian in this movie before going on to be the grumpy boss on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970). Not to mention, what western movie fan doesn't love Arthur Hunnicutt, I mean . . . come on, he's GOLD in any western! It is so worth the time to watch!
Movie Snack Recipe
Taking a cue from the movie title today, the snack recipe suggestion for today is Taste of Home's, Chili Con Queso El Dorado (
This recipe makes a wonderful warm and spicy movie snack. If you have any left over after the movie, it is amazing poured over bake potatoes as a side dish or even as a meal. In our house, you can never go wrong if there is enough cheese in the recipe.
So now it's that time again, Posse! Grab your snacks and settle in for another great western movie!
Enjoy,
Stephen El Dorado Trailer 1966https://youtu.be/pS6NbxZYU9oMore Scenes from El Doradohttps://youtu.be/3NhX7g-nO_UJune 4, 2021
Friday Funnies: Part 5 and Procrastination
Hello, Posse!
I hope you have all had a great week and will have something fun planned for the weekend. I am finally feeling close to normal again after the second CoVid19 vaccine shot on Wednesday. For about 24 hours, I felt like a truck had run me over, but it actually cleared up pretty quick.
I actually recovered faster from the second shot than I did after the first one. I have to wonder if the fact that I have been on a new allergy medicine for hay fever the last few weeks had anything to do with this better recovery. Who knows? I'm just glad it's all done with and I can just focus on writing and not have to deal with more doctor appointments!
So, if you read the Wednesday blog, you know that the new part five book is called Into the West: To Save Them All and Into the West: Last showdown is now part six. However, I have not show you the new cover art for the new book. Check out the video below for the new cover art reveal.
Into the West: To Save Them All Cover Art Reveal! https://video.wixstatic.com/video/2c304a_a8ed44a608974bf1b19af8462e1b7c31/720p/mp4/file.mp4Now that we have the business out of the way, how about a few laughs (or at least a few chuckles and groans) to start off your weekend?
Enjoy!
Stephen
Q: Would you take a college class on how to stop procrastination?
A: Yes, but I'd probably get an “i” for “Incomplete”
Q: Have you heard about the book, The Procrastination Cure?
A: Yes, I've had it in my Amazon shopping cart for six months, one of these days I'll order it.
Person 1: My girlfriend said she wants to break up because of my procrastination.
Person 2: What did you say?
Person 1: I told her we'd talk about it next week.
Teacher: “What should we learn today, kids?”
Student: “Teacher, can you teach us about procrastination?”
Teacher: “That’s a class for another day.”
Q: What do you call it when an entire country of people continually put things off?
A: A procrasti-nation
Cheerleader: What do we want?
Group: To stop procrastination!
Cheerleader: When do we want it?
Group: Soon . . .
Q: Why doesn't anyone believe I will kick my procrastination problem?
A: I'll do it one day, just you wait and see!
Q: Do you know if there is a medicine that cures procrastination?
A: Eh, nevermind, I'd probably put off taking it.
The Top 10 Reasons I Usually Procrastinate
Child: What does procrastination mean?
Parent: I'll tell you tomorrow.
Q: Does your procrastinators club have a motto?
A: Not yet, but we will as soon as we get around to having our first meeting.
Q: Did I tell you the great joke I heard for procrastinators?
A: Actually, it’s kind of long. I’ll post it later.
And last but not least . . .
Q: What country had the worst history of procrastination?
A: Russia. There was a time when they were all for Stalin.
