H.C. Paye's Blog, page 2
January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
So, in honor of New Years, I’m sitting down and writing a quick blog post. It’s probably crazy of me, but I did actually make some resolutions before the clock struck twelve. This year, instead of making a resolution to lose X pounds, I’ve gone for something a little bit easier.
First – and most importantly – I’m not going to make a resolution to do anything that I wouldn’t normally do, instead, for everything I shall do, I shall do it with the utmost passion and to the best of my ability. Whatever I do, I shall do it my best – and then some. It shall be a year of over-the-top performance.
Second, I shall explore hobbies. Because after this holiday break, I’ve realized that I really need to find some hobbies. I need something to do in my off-work hours besides work.
These past few weeks, I’ve been completely lost trying to do something – anything – that didn’t have something to do with work. Very difficult since apparently all of my hobbies are my work.
So, I shall be testing out new hobbies. Going to start with dancing, see if I can get into that… Take some YouTube lessons… Have a hobby that you enjoy? I want to hear about it.
In light of the New Year, I’ve put together a challenge for you all based on my observances. I think it’s a great idea, and I’m even bribing you all to do it – for every successful participant, I’m donating 1 (one) dollar to the American Heart Association. So, head over here to check it out, and get your friends to join in - http://hcpaye.webs.com/partypage.htm
I have so much going on right now, and will be doing a post in the next few days attempting to cover it all. For now, I’ll end it here.
Recommended New Years song – Good Life, by OneRepublic
November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
So, to make it more epic, I’m going to put it in poetry form… To make it interesting, I’m putting it into Acrostic poetry form. For those of you who don’t know what an acrostic poem is, it is basically a poem that spells out a word with each letter in a line. For instance, my poem is going to be Thankful, the first line is going to start with the letter T, the next line H, the line after, A, ect. Yay! Okay, here goes.
ThankfulThankful for the parentsHaving them there for me.And also for the presentsNext month, I’ll find them under the tree.Kindness in my life, I’m thankful forForward moving is what I’ve been givenUltimately for blowing all these doors.Lastly, for keeping me goal driven.
Of course, this isn’t all that I’m thankful for, but this poem covers the main things that I am the most thankful for. On a side note, I’d also like to include a list of the ten things that I am thankful for:1. My parents2. My opportunities3. My family4. My friends (literally all of them, even my crazy, stalker friends)5. My fans6. Music7. My voice8. Paint9. That seven eight nine… (I’m sorry, I had to!) 10. That cheesecake that wants me to eat it…
What are you thankful for? Leave a comment below and let me know! There really isn’t anything to be ungrateful for, at the least, the annoying stuff provides emotions you wouldn’t feel without it. Be grateful for that.
November 8, 2011
Mother Nature
Hello readers! It's starting to finally feel like autumn over here in Arizona. I've heard the weather is changing in many areas - whether it be turning into a frosty winter or a nice, hot summer - the weather is definitely changing.
Just in time for this spectacular weather, Renee Sherkness brings you her second book, The Day Mother Nature Decided to Paint Her House. This fascinating tale for young readers features classical characters such as Mother Nature herself, and Father Time. It teaches - in a subtle way – about all of the different seasons while captivating readers with a thought-provoking story.
I pulled Renee Sherkness away from her wonderful writing long enough to ask her a few questions:
Heather: When did you first realize you wanted to start writing for publication?
Renee: First thank you, Heather, for allowing me to be interviewed on your blog. I greatly appreciate all you have done to help make my books come to fruition!
Heather: Thank you for allowing me the honor of helping you with your great books!
Renee: As an educator I always saw a need for children's stories to be educational, fun and also informative while sparking an interest in our world. My view is that society has put our environment on the back burner for quite a while and wanting to do something to raise awareness to the connection we all share with nature was the main reason I began to write. My grandchildren and my husband were somewhat inspirational in my decision to publish my writings. They enjoyed my writings and encouraged me through the joy I saw in them from reading my stories. This encouraged me to begin the journey of publishing to share my message of connecting 'with care' to our world with others.
Heather: It's amazing how an idea can turn into something great! How do you deal with writer's block?
Renee: Good question. I've learned not to fight the writer's block I sometimes have but embrace it as a message to slow down, walk away from my writing for a bit and take a break. Unfortunately by doing this I also have had times when I have had to embrace when the inspiration to write as well even at times that were less than convenient.. like 1:00 am in the morning!!
Heather: I can relate to that. When inspiration happens, you've gotta embrace it! What do you usually do while writing?
Renee: I try to put myself in my characters shoes. I think about what my characters would say, how I want them to be perceived in my story and I also try to stay focused on my message I am trying to convey. Also sipping coffee and water while writing helps.
Heather: Ah, having a drink sure does refresh the mind! What do you use to write with (i.e. keyboard, pen, pencil)?
Renee: When I first started to write I'd use a pen and notebook. But as I began to write more I opted for a keyboard to write my stories. But I still jot down ideas as they come to me with a pen and notebook I carry all the time - especially on my walks in the park.
Heather: One thing is for sure, you just can't carry your keyboard around absolutely everywhere. What if they outlawed writing?
Renee: My passion would be stilled and I think I would have to find some other way to get my stories out there.
Heather: What is your favorite character (of your books)?
Renee: That is a hard question because when I am writing a story the character in that story becomes my favorite at that time!
If I had to choose I would say he would be Winston in my next book coming out Winston The Whale And The Blanket Of Darkness. He has an inner strength in him I admire.
Heather: Winston sounds like an epic character! Who is your hero?
Renee: Such a thought provoking question! A tough one to answer.. I think when we are little it is so much easier to name our heroes. I am sure my Grandson would quickly state "Buzz Light year" when asked with no hesitation. Yet as we get older it is a little harder to identify. I think we all have heroism in us and display it when needed. Look at the after math of 911 and the everyday heroes who helped strangers in horrific circumstances. Most of these people would not be identified as heroes in normal circumstances. Yet they were heroes when tested. So who can say who is or isn't a hero? For me I guess I see heroism happen every day in the young and the old in simple ways. My daughter has come through some daunting challenges as she was growing into womanhood and I've watched her maneuver through each obstacle, overcome them and not let them engulf her. I say she has shown heroism in a way to me. My husband has often times been my hero with an encouraging word even when he didn't even know he was doing it! My parents, my friends all have been heroes at one time or another. But I think I have come to the conclusion that to find a hero in my life I will always need to look "up" to a higher power and hope he allows the hero in all of us to be revealed when called upon.
Heather: Very thought provoking answer! Where did you find the inspiration to write The Day Mother Nature Decided to Paint Her House?
Renee: I have to take an excerpt from my book's dedication to answer that question:
From The Day Mother Nature Decided to Paint Her House:
Dedication
During rush hour, I was driving my granddaughter, Kyla, back home from a movie
(Where the Wild Things Are) we had just seen.
As you can imagine, my five-year-old granddaughter was not happy
with the traffic delay we were facing, and neither was I, for that matter.
Since it was fall, I tried passing the time by pointing out the different colors of the leaves.
Then my granddaughter asked me, "Nana, how do the leaves change their colors?"
And that's how this story came to life!
Therefore I dedicate this story to my granddaughter, Kyla, and my grandson, Chase, for all the questions I have answered and for those they will continue to ask, which constantly remind me how magical life can be.
Heather: It is wonderful what can inspire! Do you have any books in the works?
Renee: Yes I do:
Coming in the spring 2012: Winston The Whale And The Blanket Of Darkness
It tells the tale of Winston, a humpback whale and the perils he must face because of the pollution contaminating his home.
Other stories I hope to publish in the future include: Malachi. The Caterpillar Who Was Always Late about the monarch butterflies and their journey and one little butterfly's lesson learned from slowing down and enjoying life.
Xzavier and China. A Story Of Care And Cooperation about two very different creatures learning to exist and get along with care and cooperation.
Book already released: Stories That Come Alive Through Yoga a fun instructional book on yoga and practicing yoga through fun kid friendly stories for children, families and yoga instructors.
All stories are from the Nurturing Nature Collection: connecting "with care" to our world. These books are a collection of fun, educational and entertaining stories that teach ways to create a healthier "us" and a healthier" world".
All stories include a summary filled with educational information on the stories topic as well as a glossary and educational resources and web sites to educate and help our environment.
They can be purchased in print and e book on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Borders.com, and apple I pad. Visit web site for more information: http://reneesherkness.webs.com/
Heather: Thank you for allowing me the honor of interviewing you, Renee! I know I look forward to watching your stories come to life and put on bookshelves!
Readers! It's prime time for holiday shopping (or soon will be… I know I've all ready started my Christmas shopping), and if you have a young reader, check out Renee's website and consider grabbing a copy of her books. They make great gifts!
October 22, 2011
NaNo is a Go
Hello readers! I feel like a zombie - just in time for Halloween too. In fact, that's exactly what I'm going to be… unless I can find a fake wound so I can be a vampire victim, so I'm still between costume ideas. Still, I'll be one of the two. But this is all absolutely and completely irrelevant!
So, I have a lot of things in the works, I'm setting up online classes, getting ready for a big Halloween party, and two big things are going on this November.
First, is NaNoWriMo (if you haven't heard of it, click it). I wasn't sure that I was going to have time to participate this year because of school and work, but I've decided to give it a go. Hopefully with a few cheerleaders (I'm adopting NaNo cheerleaders, by the way) I'll be able to pull through to get my 50,000 words.
What am I going to write this year? Well, I'm cheating - a bit - because I'm not starting a book from the beginning, I'm going to be continuing two novels that I started a few years ago. One is a genuine NaNo novel that I started last year Howl, and the other is the second book in The Artifact Series. Both require about 25k more words to be called complete, give or take. So it seems kind of perfect to do… okay, you can flog me now for not starting entirely fresh this year.
Oho, and you'll also be able to read Howl and keep up with my progress on Smashwords, I'll be uploading what I write everyday for your viewing pleasure (and to hopefully cheer me on, because I'll need it)!
The other thing that is going on in November is Adopt an Indie Month. I'm an indie, and I'm still waiting to be adopted.
*Presses nose against window and looks awfully adorable*
From what I hear, those who adopt an indie have the chance to win a big, professional, blog makeover. So, if you're interested, you could adopt me… I don't chew rugs or shoes and I'm housetrained.
For this last bit of info, I wanted to let you all know that I just updated my Facebook author page – http://www.facebook.com/HCPaye – if you want to keep up with me (and cheer me on for NaNo) this is the place to do it.
This really isn't a big deal, you're just opening up a can of worms and turning it into Texas. (Howl quote)
September 29, 2011
A Few Formatting Basics
I just finished my school work (for the most part) for this week and now am able to do my work while I listen to Christina Grimmie's new album (links for her work is at the end of this post). Before I get to my work, I decided to drop in and give you all a short lesson in book formatting, which doesn't just apply to book formatters but writers as well. So, when you're writing a fictional story, here's some simple things to remember: Don't use Bold! I mean, ever. Don't. Use. It. When you want to convey something with power, we don't use bold. It's annoying. We use exclamation points and italics. No bold. Don't use ALL CAPS! Don't do it. I have seen this used – rarely – in some books – but only single words, NEVER FULL SENTENCES or PHRASES. ONE word only, if you MUST. When indenting your paragraphs, don't use tabs and don't use the space bar! You will enrage your formatter. If you don't know how to set the indent spacing on your word processor (i.e. Microsoft Word, Word Perfect), then don't use indents at all. Just double space your paragraphs. It's so much easier than having to go through and remove all of the tabs (by hand!) or spaces. So either learn how to indent your paragraphs (if you don't know how and you want to learn, you can message/email/contact me and I'll give you a hand) or just don't indent. What I just did above… don't do it. That's why I did it. I'm hoping you're the learn-from-others'-mistakes type of person. The difference between formatting fiction and nonfiction is that the rules that I mentioned above, don't necessarily apply to nonfiction:
You can use bold. You should use it sparingly still. I mean, if you can't convey your message powerfully without the help of bold, italics, or underlining and all that, then you should be rewriting that message, not covering it up. Can you use bold in nonfiction? Yes.You can underline words. Again, use it sparingly. Only when you really need it. I once formatted a nonfiction book where each numbered paragraph started like this one. With the underlines. It was scary and I couldn't actually focus on what I was reading. The ALL CAPS rule for nonfiction is the same for nonfiction. It isn't exactly a good idea, but you can let one slide rarely. By rarely I mean, once per 500 page novel. If you are using Bold, Italics, AND Underline in one article or chapter – you seriously need to reconsider. Take out everything you can. Replace it with the classic exclamation point when you want to make – well – a point. Right now, I'm reading a great nonfiction book for my theatre class: Theatre Arts: Fundamental Theory & Practice by Frank Pickard. There are some severe formatting issues with it… I mean some things that really bugged me. But one thing that is extremely right in the book is the *lack* of bold italic and underline usage. It has more of a continuous read feel to it.
There's some bold and plenty of italics, but everything that I've just discussed in this blog post is very right in that book. So, take a peek at that if you want an example of how to do it right.
(Who the heck is Christina Grimmie? Latest YouTube singing sensation, her new album was released last June.)
If all the world were to form one human, he would be perfect, because there is at least one thing that each person does perfectly.
September 26, 2011
What a Weekend!
Last night, I had a big adventure going out at midnight to Walmart to get me a laptop. Walmart was out of laptops, so I had to drive all the way across town – where I did get the last one of this kind in stock. It was a three hour endeavor, but it was successful. Oh yeah, I got a kick out of the clerks in both stores. The first clerk at the first store says to my mom: "I understand how kids are." Insinuating me. It's a little more than a back-to-school, I'm-being-picky-and-annoying thing. But okay. The next clerk says to me: "Now that you have this, go home, take a nap, and then you can open this up and check it out." It was a little weird, I hadn't been spoken to in quite awhile like that. But it's refreshing to be treated like my age for once.
Anyways, I am attempting to install all my programs. I have a bit of an M.I.A Microsoft Office issue. So, I'll be having to get me that and get it installed. Until then, I'll be doing my work that requires that on the "Main" computer, which will be a pain and will slightly slow me down. It's so much easier having everything in one place (yes, I'm spoiled).
On the bright side, there is hope that I will be able to retrieve all my info off my laptop. So, all is not lost… entirely… just massive portions of it.
The point of the post? Oh, yeah, there are a few. First: I'll be a little bit slow in getting my work out (Sorry!). Second: Sometimes backing up your flash drive to your computer isn't the safest option. Pretty much everything I have left is what I posted online. Third: My Twitter followers, Facebook stalkers, and blog subscribers (you) are really great and epic people and I love them!
Computers eat lives.
September 24, 2011
New Book Covers
So today - one of my only days off (of school. School is the new work now, haven't you heard?) - I got back to work, and discovered that I really, absolutely love my work. I'm only able to do it on Saturday and Monday now, and I really miss it. Being a graphic designer is amazing, and I can't imagine having any other job... well, that's not entirely true. But the point is, it's an job. And, way easier than school... kills less brain cells than school. Oh, anyways, on to the point! Today, I finished a new book cover for Elysabeth Eldering's first young adult mystery novel, Finally Home. It's scheduled for release this October. So be on the look out for that - it will be in both eBook format (for you fellow techies) and print.
Anyways, that is the latest and greatest book cover... over there... above this paragraph... Thoughts on it? So, about two weeks ago, I finished another gem. Water by Terra Harmony. It's the first book in a series of five. It was supposed to be released as an eBook on the 17th of September, but I don't actually have the links for that - sorry!
I am working on more covers, and will be posting them as soon as they're completed.
Another note: I'm starting to get into the whole YouTube thing, and will be posting some videos on there in the near future. So, remember to subscribe - http://youtube.com/kittynadem - and like my blog, I'll be posting random things. Just whatever I'm into at the time.
Remember to stay creative!
September 17, 2011
Monsters of Fantasy
Copyright (c) 123RF Stock PhotosRecently, I've been getting into the books about zombies. I haven't actually read any zombie books yet, but they're definitely grabbing my interest, and as soon as I clear out my reading list a bit, I'll be reading one of these things... of course, I'll probably give myself nightmares, but it sounds fun anyways. I hear Amanda Hocking has some zombie books, maybe I'll read those (I'm open to suggestions, so feel free to do some shameless promotion in the comments section if you're a zombie author).This isn't the point of the post, so don't get lost. This just got me thinking about the other monsters of the fantasy genre. You know the ones I'm talking about, the ones that are so popular that they can pretty much be in their own category - vampires, werewolves, zombies, shape shifters, etc.
Obviously, vampires are the most popular, but what do you think will be next for this evermore popular fantasy genre? Maybe paranormal romances with ghosts? Or a more extreme lochness monster trilogy?
But those are my ideas. I want to know what you think. What monster of fantasy will be next to rise to popularity?
Zombies aren't THAT different from vampires. I mean, they were both human, and now they're dead and have an uncontrollable hunger.
The newest song on my playlist and what's playing in my ears right now is Colbie Caillat's "Brighter Than the Sun".
September 8, 2011
So Now, Apparently, I'm Destined to be a Millionaire
So what have I been doing, while you have been awaiting my next post (I mean, assuming you were waiting for my next post...)? I have been embedding another language into my brain, learning what's under the hood of a computer (everything still looks like green and lines and boxes to me with the occasional shiny thing), and learning what being a leader means (and the possibility of big event planning).Which takes up an insane amount of time. A little more than I was expecting, but I'm really enjoying every bit of it. And no, it's not just because my class took a vote today on how long it would take for me to become a millionaire. Last time I checked, I wasn't a superhero. I can recall, off hand, over 30 people who do more than I do. What started all this? I mentioned that I'm an author. Oh, the common misconceptions. As a reminder to people, I'd like to point out that most authors aren't celebrities. Anyways, over the next few weeks, I'll still be getting familiarized with my classes. Still, I'll be attempting to make regular blog posts, hopefully, at least, one a week. So stay subscribed and be on the lookout for more soon!For those interested in the "Millionaire" poll results, the majority voted by the time I'm 20. A few votes for by the time I'm 18. And one vote for by the end of the semester.
August 13, 2011
Taco Bell
My family is glad the nearest Taco Bell is 25 miles away (times like these, I hate my small town). If I lived closer, I'd have myself a fourth meal every night. Never. Ever. Ask me what I want to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, whatever. Never. I may bust your ear drums. I may highly annoy you. You may even wish real life had a "Block" button. Since I first stepped foot into a Taco Bell, I never have suggested anything else for any meal.
When I pass by a Taco Bell in the car (when I'm not driving), I feel compelled to break through the glass or strangle the driver. Kind of like a rabid vampire visiting a blood drive. Or Alice Bonham in Flutter (My Blood Approves Series), when she takes a visit to the JFK airport. And it's not fair that there's a Taco Bell on every corner, but none near my house.
For this reason, I believe that Taco Bell should deliver. But they don't. And despite the pleas I've seen from other Taco Bell obsessives on Twitter, they are still a walk-in only restaurant. But that's okay. I still love Taco Bell, and I have this theory, that one day Amazon will actually sell Taco Bell's Beefy 5-layer Burritos, and I will be able to choose 2-day shipping at the checkout. Hey, it could happen!
I could go on forever, and to be honest, this blog post is really quite pointless compared to a lot of posts I've done in the past. So, I'm reigning myself in. I'm stopping here, and just going to casually mention that I just created my very first ringtone, and... I'm sure you can guess it's theme.
The Insane Taco Bell ringtone will soon be available for download free at - http://www.phonezoo.com/ringtone/234083415/insane-taco-bell-heather-paye.htm
And you can listen to it on my Tumblr page here - http://kittynadem.tumblr.com/post/8859023190/insanetacobell
Also pending a YouTube version of this ringtone - with video.
Signing off for tonight. May your obsessions run deep!
