Cindy A. Christiansen's Blog, page 28

Politics. Smolitics.

            You can’t flip a channel or listen to a radio station without hearing about the current political election.  And just click on Facebook or any other social site and everyone is posting about their favorite candidate for President…or unkind words about the opponent. It can get really nasty.
            It got me to wondering if anyone has written a fiction romance with any political overture.  Would anyone read a romance where the hero is a politician?  Or are we so negative about men who hold office that we would never consider them hero material? 
            What about a female politician?  Would she make an inspiring heroine?  Same thing? Or are they viewed differently than men in the political arena?  Is it better to stay clear of politics in fiction just like you shouldn’t talk about politics or religion in social circles?  
            In my book, Braving the Blaze, I addressed the hot subject of illegal immigration.  My antagonists were against illegal immigrants coming into our country and taking jobs and college scholarships away from citizens, no matter what nationality.  I expected some reader feedback about the controversial subject, but I haven’t received any.  Not even in reviews.  Did my readers have their own views about this subject?  Did they like the real-life controversy in their contemporary read? Was it considered good motivation for the bad guys?  Maybe it didn’t matter because it was fiction.
            So, does your real view of politicians color how you would perceive a fictional political hero?  How do you feel about the overall morality of politicians?  Do you feel that if they are running for office they are not worth voting for?  Do you think there is such a thing as an honest politician? Would you read a romance with a political hero?
            If you’ve read a romance with a hero or heroine involved in politics, please tell us what you thought about it.  Did the author do a good job of convincing you the character was really a good, moral person?  I’d love to hear your views about politics and romance. 
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!http://www.dragonflyromance.com 

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

A Ticked Off Dog

Callie Ignoring Me
Does your dog get ticked off at you?

            I woke one night last week to my own moaning. I made my way to the bathroom but blacked out. I awakened half an hour later to blood covering two walls and a big portion of the floor from vomiting.            At three in the morning, my husband rushed me to the emergency room. They put IV’s in both hands, started pumping fluids and Protonix in to my system, and inserted a tube from my nose into my stomach. I spent the next two days in ICU.            My family told me that my precious Callie dog constantly stayed by the door leading to the garage (the last place she’d seen me), and she kept searching the house to find me. I guess when you leave home unexpectedly, pets don’t understand your sudden absence.            When I returned home, I anticipated Callie rushing up to lick and greet me. Instead, she wouldn’t come to me for several hours. After what my family had said, I was perplexed by her aloofness. Finally, she jumped into my lap and nuzzled and licked me. In fact, I couldn’t get her to leave my side for the next several days.            The incident reminded me of the times my brother left his Schnauzer, Smokey, with me. My brother was training to become a horse whisperer down in Teasdale, Utah, and he’d drop his dogs off at my house on the way. When he returned, Smokey would take his teeth and bite very gently (almost like chattering teeth) on my brother’s arm. We finally figured out that Smokey didn’t like being dumped off at my house for the day with a bunch of rowdy kids and dogs (six dogs in all).            I realized then that Callie was trying to tell me she didn’t like me leaving home without her permission or approval. She didn’t like being left at home to worry over my well-being. Not only did she express love, worry, anxiety and hurt, she also forgave me. How many humans do you know who express themselves that well?            Share with me what your dog does to express his/her moods? 
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet romance, comedy, suspense...and dogs!www.dragonflyromance.com

P.S.  The cause of my illness was a bleeding ulcer. I developed an infection from one of my IV sites and am still recovering.Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

What a Reader Wants

            Well, I’ve been struggling with additional health issues as of late, (to the point of being bedridden for days) and I’ve realized I just can’t do it all.  I chose to cut back on my weekly blogs. But honestly, I’m not sure if that is the right choice.            As youtraverse the Internet highway looking for good books and authors to enjoy, what have you found to be the most effective way to find them?  What is the first site you go to when you want to find that perfect book?            As I cut back on many of the activities in my life for the next while, I’d like to hear from you.  Please email me or comment on this blog about what and where you look to find an author or a certain book.  Let me know if there are types of things you enjoy receiving from an author (i.e. games, newsletters, excerpts, personal info).   I really want to know what a reader wants.
            Thanks for following all these years!
Cindy
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!www.dragonflyromance.com


Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

It's Time To Do A Little Giving Back

Have you considered writing a book?
Through the help of Salt Lake County Library,
I'm teaching an informal introductory class about writing and selling your first book.  
Check out the schedule of locations and times
 below as well as an outline. 
Hope to see you there.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN WRITE

Planned outline: 
What you need to be aware of BEFORE you begin writing:Do you have a brand?Do you have your silver bullet?Do you have your spiel?Do you have a cause?Are you a social butterfly?Not enough time in a day:Do you have a day job?Are you married?Are you a parent?Do you have community commitments?Do you really want to be a writer?You made it to THE END:What publishing route should you take?Should you get an agent?Can you handle rejection?You're published:Why isn't the money rolling in?Do you have what it takes to sell your books?
Locations and times: 

Bingham Creek Library, Wednesday, June 20, 7:00 p.m.

Columbus Library, Wednesday, June 27, 10:30 a.m.
Hunter Library, Wednesday, July 11, 6:00 p.m.
Millcreek Library, Tuesday, July 17, 7:00 p.m.
Tyler Library, Wednesday, August 8Whitmore Library, Wednesday, August 22, 7:00 p.m.
Magna Library, Thursday, August 23, 7:00 p.m.

Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense...and Dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  www.dragonflyromance.com


Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Coming Out of the Closet…

               Coming out of the closet after a good, long cry…
            Oh, you thought I meant “coming out of the closet.”  No.  Sometimes I go in my walk-in closet, close the door, sit down and have a good private cry.            In this particular instance, I was crying about how difficult it is to be an author.  It seems everyone wants a piece of the pie in one way or another, and it leaves very little to the author.             Who is it that has their hand in the pie?            AgentsPublishers            Paid Reviewers            Book Publicists            Promotion Companies            Reviewers (who require print copies)            Giveaway Organizers            Contest Organizers             Office Supply Stores            Publishers of How-to Books            Artists            Printers            Logistic Companies            Internet Service Providers            Software Companies            Website/Blog Designers            Writing Organization            Writing Conferences            Swag Companies            Book Editors            Writing Instructors             Book Promotion Advertisers (newsletters, websites, blogs)
            Need I go on?  To top it off, most authors don’t even make enough to be considered authors. Take a look at these statistics:
“Over 70,000 books are published a year.  Less than 10 percent sell more than 100,000 copies.  That means there are 63,000 books per year that don’t sell very many copies.  Less than 5 percent of the people who call themselves authors make a living from their books.” ~Buzz Your Book
            Guess how I found out this information?  Buying a copy of Buzz Your Book.  Now I’m getting paid even less.  In all the promotion material I’ve read, the advice has been that an author needs to offer some kind of information or service in order to make their money.            I try to do as much free promotion as I can, but it appears the paid advertisement has the greatest affect.  Does it pay for itself?  Not yet.  Will it in the long run?  Who knows.  All any author can do is continue to try.            Recently, a fellow author got a beating from a reviewer whose whole purpose is to trash books.  The reviewer wasn’t kind, she wasn’t considerate, and she wasn’t truthful.  The point of her blog is to be overly sadistic, clever and outrageous at the author’s expense.  (A little akin to Howard Stern’s “shock jock” persona.)            I guess I’m still pretty naïve when it comes to this sort of thing, but I just can’t condone running down someone else to boost your own success.  Writing is what this author loves to do.  It’s how she makes her living.  Sure not everyone is going to love your writing, and that’s okay.  But targeting someone (the author did not request this review) and bashing them for some kind of emotional high is…sad.  I feel sorry for this reviewer.  I also feel sorry for the author and the impact it had on her and her sales.            All the other people and/or companies I mentioned above who have a hand in an author’s pie are controllable.  The reviewer I mentioned is not.  Yes, I’ve met a few on my own writing journey, and I guess it comes with the territory.  But what does this say about us as a human race? Tell me what you think.
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  www.dragonflyromance.com

Image credit: isselee / 123RF Stock PhotoCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Part Two: Never Before Revealed

            If you missed last week’s blog, please read it before continuing on. You've missed some important details. Part One: Never Before Revealed J           
            As I said, my problems didn’t end there. Illnesses continued to inundate me, and I was still having seizures. I missed excessive days of work. I contracted some rare form of reproductive infection along with another infection at the same time. The doctor put me on penicillin and ceclor.            My husband, brother and I were going out one night to see the Lipizzan Horse Show. I felt awful. I didn’t want to spoil the outing, so I pushed through, slumping in the backseat with my stomach pitching. We were almost to the event when I realized I couldn’t hold onto my insides any longer. Everything wanted to escape my body. My husband stopped at a fast food restaurant, and I rushed inside to the restroom. One stall was used, the other out of order. I threatened the poor woman inside. She rushed out all flustered, my body revolting violently. I didn’t want to give up. I’d felt this bad before.             I returned to the car, still hoping we could continue on. I started having trouble breathing. My husband turned the car around and headed home. He dropped my brother off and continued on to the hospital. I was twenty minutes from dead the doctors said. We should have called 911. It was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics.            My life continued to be a living hell, sickness after sickness, doctor after doctor—all of them telling me I was just fine. My family gave me advice. “Don’t tell the doctors what’s wrong. Let them figure it out.”  “You need to tell the doctors everything so they can understand what’s wrong and how sick you are.”  I couldn’t find a strategy that worked.            I continued this struggle for another year or two until I ended up in the emergency room. This time, I had mononucleosis, an enlarged liver and spleen, and Epstein-Barr virus. I was put on complete bed rest. The slightest blow to my stomach would result in my spleen bursting. I was told I could never go out in group settings again—no church functions, no ball games, no concerts, etc. I was never able to return to a full-time job either. I was only twenty-seven years old. I went another two years before being diagnosed with CFIDS, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Epstein-Barr virus.(3)             Since that time, I have been diagnosed with close to thirty health issues(4) which some doctors believe have manifested from a dysfunctional immune system. For me, life is a constant struggle with sickness, fatigue, cognitive issues and overwhelming pain. I’ve often felt what Louie Zamperini expressed: he’d rather suffer intense pain for a short period of time than experience a lifetime of suffering.            Although the Center for Disease Control has defined CFIDS as a level of illness and pain equal to the last stages of AIDS, very little money has been dedicated to finding a cure. Many people to this day will not admit they have it because they are looked down upon as just being lazy or a hypochondriac. If you tell people you have CFIDS, they tell you they get tired too.             I admire and respect Laura Hillenbrand for her endurance and willingness to speak out about this devastating illness. You can find out more about her story at:   A Sudden Illness: How My Life Changed.
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  www.dragonflyromance.com
(3) I was told by CFIDS expert Dr. Lucinda Bateman that I have Chronic Epstein-Barr virus which is uncommon and separate from CFIDS or Fibromyalgia. I was unable to find specific statistics on this disease. (4) Health Conditions:  CFIDS, Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus, Fibromyalgia, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Mild Pulmonary Hypertension, mild heart enlargement, mild mitral valve regurgitation, moderate tricuspid regurgitation, mild high RV systolic pressure, Endocrine Imbalance, Incontinence, Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease, Lymphatic Disorder, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Hashimoto’s Disease, Spine Injuries, Seizures - slowing of left temporal region, Shortening of nerves and compressed nerves, Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, Neuropathy, White matter disease of brain/MS, Tumors attached to adrenal glands, Tumor in Uterus, Celiac disease, Bursitis, Calcium build up in Achilles’ Tendons, Bone spurs Plantar Fascitis, Abnormal Swelling of Plantar Fasciitis, Interstitial Cystitis, Chronic Ulcer, Chronic Dumping Syndrome, Tarsal Tunnel SyndromeCindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Part One: Never Before Revealed

            On the CBS Sunday Morning program this last Sunday, they featured Louie Zamperini, a World War II veteran, whose life story was told by Laura Hillenbrand in her new book Unbroken . If you haven’t watched the interview, you should. Here’s the link:  CBS Sunday Morning.            Many of you know that I suffer like Laura (and I don’t use the term suffer lightly) with Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). She was my inspiration to finally becoming published.            Laura is bed-ridden and home-bound. Unbroken took her seven years to write, she conducted all of her interviews over the phone, and she never met Louie until recently.            During the interview, Louie confided that he gave Laura one of his Purple Heart medals. He stated that he suffered several years during the War but what Laura has suffered for the last thirty years, and continues to suffer, is much worse.            I can’t express to you how validating that was to hear from someone of his caliber. In a society where more people suffer with CFIDS than those with Multiple Sclerosis, lung cancer and AIDS put together, it’s hard to understand why even doctors are still skeptical and mistreat CFIDS patients.            Had I been properly diagnosed, I may not be as ill today.(1) Getting treatment within the first year is critical and can reduce symptoms and improve recovery. I went seven years and through about twenty doctors before my diagnosis. Seven years!            My story began with an incompetent doctor who did blood work on me and determined at the age of seventeen that I had a venereal disease or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Not believing me or my mother that I didn’t have a venereal disease, he injected me with an extremely high dose of antibiotics.(2)                To that point in my life, I had been extremely healthy and hardly ever sick. After that, I became extremely ill:  my skin crawled, I continually got sick, I started having seizures. I wouldn’t find out until nine years later that I was allergic to penicillin.             I continued with college and then a job, struggling with severe fatigue, weakness, cognitive issues, constant illnesses and swollen glands. I knew every restroom stop from one end of the valley to the next. Many years later, my sister would take her daughters on a road trip of every place she’d had to stop for me to vomit along the side of the road while we were travelling to and from college.            Despite falling asleep on the job from such severe exhaustion, doctors would run standard CBC blood tests and find nothing wrong. I’d hear the standard lose weight answer and “Don’t worry, Be Happy” mantra from a popular song at the time.             After continuing to gain excessive weight, I finally gave in and went to a weight-loss specialist who put me on a liquid diet. I lost very little weight. The doctor assumed I was cheating and was lying about it. Neither was the case.            One day, he called me on the phone at work and told me I needed to come to his office immediately. Once there, he told me I had abnormal liver enzyme test results. I later found out that many of the other patients who were on the liquid diet had been diagnosed with the same liver issues. I now have Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (cirrhosis of the liver).            My problems didn’t end there.
            See next week for the second part of:  Never Before Revealed.
Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  www.dragonflyromance.com
(1)        Two men also contracted CFIDS at my work. They were diagnosed within the first year, took medical leave, and partially recovered (enough to return to work).(2)         Doctors in the future would call me a liar. SLE is diagnosed with an arthritis panel, not with a venereal disease panel. I promptly show them my documented medical records and they are surprised. Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Groucho Asks Please

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”  ~ Groucho Marx
            Today is the big day, and I’m so excited!  After several years of searching for an organization to partner with in helping abused and abandoned dogs, I’ve finally found Friends In Need Animal Sanctuary .
            I’m doing a fundraiser today on Amazon for this organization.  If you purchase Hazardous Hideaway TODAY (Wednesday, May 23rd), I will DONATE EVERYTHINGI make to help them.  You get a great read, and they get my money.  J  What could be better?  Please join with me to do a little good in the world.  Here’s the link on Amazon:  Hazardous Hideaway ebook .
            I don’t want anyone feeling depressed today, but I have included some animal abuse statistics below for you to consider.  In order to cheer you up after you’ve read them, I’ve also included a wonderful, easy recipe for Peanut Butter Dog Treats!  “Yummm,” says your dog.
  Animal Cruelty Statistics*:
Each year, 10,000 bull dogs die in bullfighting.13% of animal abuse involves domestic violence.70% of animal abusers also have records of other crimes.Approximately 5 million to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year, and approximately 3 million to 4 million are euthanized (60 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats). In the United States alone, 1.13 million animals are used in testing and research every year.* Continue reading at NowPublic.com: Animal Cruelty: Facts, Prevention, Statistics and Action | NowPublic News Coverage http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/animal-cruelty-facts-prevention-statistics-and-action-2886267.html#ixzz1vQviPFZi

            Okay, here is the cheer up part!
Peanut Butter Dog Treats
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder1 cup peanut butter1 cup milkPreheat oven to 375° F. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In second bowl, mix peanut butter and milk till blended. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough into a log and cover in wax paper.* Place in the refrigerator to chill (about an hour.) Remove wax paper from cookie dough, slice into disks and place on cookie sheets.
* If you prefer, you may roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out desired shapes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container, if your dog will allow you to save any.
             Please join me on Amazontoday, and please share this event with everyone you know. Thanks for all your support through the years!

Cindy

Cindy A. ChristiansenSweet Romance, Comedy, Suspense…and Dogs!Fly into a good book today at:  http://www.dragonflyromance.com


Cindy A. Christiansen
Sweet (clean) Romance Author

Today Only - Please Read

Hi Everyone,

I must confess, I’m crying as I write this.
I’ve been working toward this moment my whole writing career.
Please, please take just a moment to lend your support.
Also, I would appreciate it very much if you would spread the word today about this event.
BLOG: http://cadragonfly.blogspot.com/2012/...

Thank you,
Cindy

PS If you already know what I'm talking about, please just order Hazardous Hideaway on Amazon.

Contest Winners Announced!

Wanted to post all the recent winners:
Not Quite Zen Review Winner - $50.00 pair of dragonfly earrings - Beth C from LA.
Ebook copies of Not Quite Zen - Darlene and Lu Ann W.
Congrats!