Barbara G. Tarn's Blog, page 186

Christmas Lites – Charity anthology

This is copied and pasted from Indie Supporter (and as the link to the book trailer didn't come out, please check the original post – I didn't do the book trailer in the end, so have a look at Cambria's job). It's the announced Creative Reviews Christmas anthology, please check it when it comes out!

Cover and Book Trailer Reveal Of Christmas Lites An Anthology For NCADV
As promised, today is the big reveal of the book cover and the book trailer for the short stories anthology from Creative Reviews.

Before I post it though, let me give a HUGE shout out to Cambria Hebert for making this AWESOME trailer and to Dafeenah at www.indiedesignz.com for the AMAZING cover.

You two totally rock my face off!

I'd also like to go ahead and give a huge big fat thank you to EVERYONE who has participated in this book.

From the authors, proof readers, editors (Amy Eye, for instance) formatters and to everyone else who has supported this cause and will continue to do so once the book launches.

You are all so very amazing!!!!

Here is the GORGEOUS cover!

As stated in all previous posts, Christmas Lites will be available for sale the day after Thanksgiving aka: Black Friday.

You will be able to purchase this OUTSTANDING book in both Ebook format and print.

Please continue to spread the word as ALL proceeds will go towards helping those that have been victims of domestic violence.

For more information on the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, visit their website at www.ncadv.org

Here's a look into what they do and what they stand for:

The Mission of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is to organize for collective power by advancing transformative work, thinking and leadership of communities and individuals working to end the violence in our lives.

NCADV believes violence against women and children results from the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate relationships, and from societal abuse of power and domination in the forms of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-Semitism, able-bodyism, ageism and other oppressions. NCADV recognizes that the abuses of power in society foster battering by perpetuating conditions, which condone violence against women and children. Therefore, it is the mission of NCADV to work for major societal changes necessary to eliminate both personal and societal violence against all women and children.

NCADV's work includes coalition building at the local, state, regional and national levels; support for the provision of community-based, non-violent alternatives – such as safe home and shelter programs – for battered women and their children; public education and technical assistance; policy development and innovative legislation; focus on the leadership of NCADV's caucuses developed to represent the concerns of organizationally under represented groups; and efforts to eradicate social conditions which contribute to violence against women and children.

Principles of Unity

NCADV is comprised of people dealing with the concerns of battered women and their families. We represent both rural and urban areas. Our programs support and involve battered women of all racial, social, religious and economic groups, ages and lifestyles. We oppose the use of violence as a means of control over others and support equality in relationships and the concept of helping women assume power over their own lives. We strive toward becoming independent, community-based groups in which women make major policy and program decisions.

NCADV Works To:

Eliminate Domestic Violence: NCADV is devoted to the elimination of domestic violence in urban and rural areas, across all racial, religious and economic groups. NCADV identifies and works to eradicate the social conditions that perpetuate or condone domestic violence such as sexism, ageism, heterosexism, and able-bodyism and easy access to guns.

Empower Battered Women and Children: NCADV protects and empowers battered women and children through vigilance and sponsorship of national public policy initiatives and federal legislation such as the Violence Against Women Act.

Promote and Unify Direct Service Programs: NCADV serves as the membership organization, the coalition builder and the technical advisor for agencies and programs nationwide that provide domestic violence services. NCADV represents these grassroots organizations with a unified, loud voice.

Alert and Educate the Public: NCADV alerts the public to the facts of domestic violence and educates the public on how to recognize domestic violence and what to do about it; on teen dating violence; on the impact of family violence on children; and on domestic violence against the disabled and the elderly and other marginalized populations.

Promote Partnerships: NCADV partners with corporations and foundations to design and fund innovative programs to eliminate domestic violence and to foster development of safe alternatives within local communities.

Vision Statement

NCADV strives to make issues relating to battered women and children one of the top ten political and legislative issues in the U.S. We envision a time in the near future when political parties will include progressive domestic violence legislation as a major platform in their local, state, and national elections and use NCADV research and public policy expertise to inform them.

NCADV strives to unite all safe houses, shelters, battered women's and children's programs and local domestic violence services under NCADV's umbrella so that our unified voice is a powerful one and those underrepresented groups are heard.

NCADV strives to expand domestic and dating violence education and services to tribal, immigrant, lesbian, teens, disabled, older, Jewish, Muslim, women of color, and other populations that may yet be unidentified.

NCADV works to expand information on and respond to the impact of violence in the lives of children and youth.

NCADV strives to make the purple ribbon and the on-going domestic violence tragedy that the ribbon stands for an important and recognizable symbol in American life. We envision a time in the near future when domestic violence issues are aired on television, radio, in the press and in magazines with the same level of attention as the national struggles against Cancer and HIV/AIDS.

We envision a time in the near future when NCADV will play a leadership role in exporting to and importing from other countries around the world a model for how all nations can carry out their own efforts to end the global tragedy of domestic violence.

The Structure of NCADV

NCADV is governed by a working Board of Directors comprised of caucus representatives and at-large members who are themselves active in domestic violence programs in their own communities. NCADV represents both rural and urban areas of the nation. Our programs involve and support battered women of all social, racial, ethnic, religious and economic groups, ages, and lifestyles. Active caucuses include Battered/Formerly Battered Women, Women of Color, LBTGQQI, Jewish Women, Child and Youth Advocacy, Rural Women, and Queer Persons of Color.

NCADV serves as a national information and referral center for the general public, media, battered women and their children, allied and member agencies and organizations. NCADV has a strong track record of providing programs with information and technical assistance, and has promoted the development of innovative programs which address the special needs of all battered women, and the battered women's programs. NCADV has sponsored eleven national conferences on domestic violence, which provide a unique forum within the battered women's movement for networking, dialogue, debate, leadership development, and celebration.

NCADV also serves to impact public policy and legislation which affect battered women and their children. NCADV organized testimony for the Attorney General's Task Force hearings on Family Violence; worked with federal legislators to develop priorities for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds for battered women's programs; supported the development and passage of the Violence Against Women Act (1994 and 2005); and was active in the passage of the Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban (1996).

NCADV's main office is located in Denver, Colorado and houses all programs except those related to national public policy and federal legislation. These programs are located in our Public Policy Office in Washington, D.C.

NCADV Programs and Activities

The NCADV Public Policy Office leads other advocacy groups in Washington, D.C in developing cohesive strategies on legislation and policy that address the intersection of issues that often keep battered women trapped by violence, such as transitional housing, cultural issues, welfare reform, and the impact of domestic violence on children and youth. We advocate in Congress on such issues as the full funding of the Violence Against Women Act programs and conduct research on issues affecting victims of domestic violence to compile information for the creation of legislation and policy. We offer general advocacy and support to individuals and groups seeking information on legislation, laws, policy, studies, and other resources about domestic violence.

NCADV's Annual National Lobby Day provides the opportunity for battered women and battered women's advocates from around the country to address their national representatives about the issues affecting battered women in their communities and how they can make a difference when they vote. Lobby Day is a critical component to the passage of key legislation for battered women's safety, visibility of the issue, and public education. We organize battered women and battered women's advocates nationally to participate fully in the democratic process in an effort to influence legislation and policy that affect battered women.

The Public Policy Publications include: legislative updates on current national legislation, policy and efforts to end domestic violence; fact sheets on targeted issues such as domestic violence homicide; dating violence; children who witness domestic violence; domestic violence in the workplace; men as victims of violence; and domestic violence in communities of color. NCADV's Appropriations Briefing Books illustrate how monies allocated for domestic violence and sexual assault programs have been actually distributed and where the deficits lie. Action alerts serve to encourage our constituency to e-mail, call, or write their Senators and Representatives and urge Members of Congress to support legislation aimed at ending violence in our communities. The Legislative Action Guides are used to teach advocates and others about the democratic process and how they can effectively influence their Senators and Representatives on issues that affect domestic violence victims.

NCADV's Membership Program provides discounts on trainings, conference and products, and access to NCADV's National Directory of Domestic Violence Programs, online newsletters and alerts, and the NCADV Voice: The Journal of the Battered Women's Movement, which is published several times a year.

The Financial Education Project addresses one of the main roadblocks battered women face when leaving a violent relationship–financial independence. Through trainings provided across the country, the project teaches advocates and others in the domestic violence field how to start, maintain, and structure financial education programs within their own communities to provide battered women with better financial information to help them remain free from their abuser.

Cosmetic and Reconstructive Support (CRS) Program, in partnership with three medical associations, is the only NCADV program that brings services directly to survivors who have been physically scarred by an intimate partner or spouse. The program offers women who have been injured by a spouse or intimate partner an opportunity to remove the physical scars of abuse, often an important step as they move forward with their lives. CRS includes:

Face-To-Face is a program of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and provides facial plastic surgery for injuries to the head, face, and neck.

Give Back A Smile is a program of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and provides cosmetic dentistry for injuries to the front teeth.

S.C.O.R.E.S. is a program of the American Society of Dermatological Surgery and repairs skin injuries on the body like burns, scars, and tattoos.

The "Remember My Name" Project is an ongoing project dedicated to compiling the names of women and family members killed as a result of domestic violence, and producing posters annually to display the names of victims and building a comprehensive database on cases of lethal domestic violence.

NCADV sells a variety of Domestic Violence Awareness Products that can help community-based programs educate others about the impact of domestic violence. Our "She Only Got Flowers Once" poster, purple ribbons pins, magnets, bumper stickers, clothing, and other items provide a unified message of intolerance for domestic violence. Please visit http://shop.ncadv.org.

NCADV's Information and Referral program provides information, resources, referrals, and technical support addressing a wide spectrum of domestic violence topics and strategies for survivors, service agencies, and interested parties.

NCADV's biennial national conferences on domestic violence provide a unique forum for battered women, battered women's advocates, and others serving victims of domestic violence. At these conferences, participants can network, debate, create new dialogue, develop leadership, and learn about innovative and effective programming focused on ending domestic violence.

The National Directory of Domestic Violence Programs–A Guide to Community Shelter, Safe Homes and Service Programs provides up-to-date information about domestic violence programs throughout the country, each with a comprehensive profile of services. Also included in the directory is a listing of all the state coalitions and national resource centers dealing with domestic violence and related issues.

www.ncadv.org: NCADV's website that provides information on all NCADV programs, activities, and events as well as information on legislative issues, domestic violence research material, and other related topics. It is a widely used tool, attracting over two million visits a year.

Voices Against Violence, a media campaign launched in 1999, unites celebrities and other prominent public figures in the fight to end domestic violence.

Moving images of the world

I'm slowly receiving my amazon order of 7DVDs, so I might rant on movies once a week until I'm done. Or maybe the next posts will simply be reviews – but this one has a short rant at the beginning. That's because on my favorite Italian movie mag, Ciak, they're dealing with the "Dubbing Controversy" again.

I might have mentioned that in Italy all foreign movies are dubbed in Italian. Dubbing is a profession over here, there are very few real actors among the "dubbers". Most Italians fiercely defend this practice because, I think, Italians hate reading. They say they can't watch the movie and read the subtitles at the same time: does that mean I'm smarter?

I'm now addicted to subtitled movies, because I get to see things I'll never find in theaters. And because I buy the DVDs and I like watching movies over and over until I can quote them by heart (how do you think I learned English anyway? ), it's no big deal watching them twice, once to read the story then to admire the rest.

So, I discovered Bollywood, but I'm also exploring other countries' filmographies. The King and the clown had been on my "check it" list since 2006. It never came out in Italy, so I added it to my Amazon cart in my last order for this year. It's historical, so it gave me a glimpse into Korean history of the early 16th century. Clothes were different from China&Japan (especially on women), but the street actors wore masks very similar to the Japanese ones. It was a wonderful trip in a faraway world even if I couldn't understand one single word uttered (my Korean is even worse than my Hindi, LOL).

Now, back to my other great movie love, Bollywood, I've watched Kites. Which has a mix of English, Spanish and Hindi, as it's set in Vegas/Mexico, with a Mexican co-star (Barbara Mori) – a sort of Babel, so to speak!

Now I know why they say Hritik Roshan . I had missed the Michael Jackson part until I saw the Moonwalk and breakdance moves in this flick (link to video).

I didn't like the soundtrack, though, so it's NOT recommended for the songs! The rest is great, though, great action and great story and great humor with the language barriers.

Till next discoveries – have fun at the movies!

New releases

Hope you had a  great, creative weekend. I can't complain!

I've put up two short story collections and updated a couple of shorts that were already out – and were free; not anymore. The only things that will remain free are the ones that showed up on this very blog or Serial Central, i.e. Starblazer and Jessamine, + the two short comics Jessamine and Lady Ice.

So, new titles are Tales of the Southern Kingdoms volume 1 and volume 2. Revised are Arquon, The Orphans, Tarun and The Dancer – all included in either volume as well. TSK is also on Kindle (vol.1 and 2).

You might also notice that Unicorn Productions has another couple of authors, and you might recognize the English short story, but don't tell… that blog post is now private, and the extended edition will eventually come out under the new pen-name. You can let me know your impressions of the covers for the other pen-names that both write contemporary fiction (one in English and the other in Italian).

I'm still mulling about the web page and all that stuff – technophobe me can't make up her mind, sigh. Eventually I'll start one or two "static" web pages, but in the meantime you're stuck with this blog. Meh, I know. I'm learning as I go, hopefully next year I'll do better!

OK, I better go back to writing… and then rewriting Allan de Sayek to adjust it to the book I'm writing now! Both will come out next year, hopefully in February… This year I'll release Books of the Immortals – Earth in December and take a break… from publishing, not writing, LOL!

Happiness is…

Six Sentence Sunday

From my latest release Conall's sons out on Smashwords and Kindle.

***

"Giordano, now that you're seventeen and a man, I need to tell you something important." Mathilda was serious, but Giordano smiled and nodded politely.

He thought she wanted to help him to choose a bride – soon his father would send him to the Capital to pick up a woman and he was looking forward to traveling and seeing some of the world. He expected advice and suggestions also from his mother, who had come from such a faraway town he couldn't even begin to imagine it, or maybe she had messages for her northern relatives she wanted him to carry.

But her words surprised him. "You're the son of a man who doesn't live in this land, or better, he isn't even citizen of the Empire," Mathilda told him, looking him in the eyes.

***

Now hop back to the official site for more six sentence goodies. Have a great Sunday!

Announcement – David Farland new release

Yesterday I got this from Jim Wolverton and I'm publishing his whole e-mail:

Hi this is a group email to all who are helping David promote his book. I just want to let you know we are all set to release the book tomorrow. I believe everyone has their guest blog, if not, please let me know.

Many of you have had to already post your guest blog and that's fine, but if you could mention that Nightingale is now released at www.nightingalenovel.com I would appreciate it. Also, by tomorrow, we will have an on-line ereader at the site so that everyone can sample the enhanced version of the novel, read the manuscript, listen to some of the 45-minute sound track, and enjoy some of the 100+ pieces of art and animations, plus video interviews with David and read his author's notes. So this is intended to be a special advancement in enhanced novels.

David has sought to blend music that is integral to the plot in the sound track and has commissioned art from many different artists in a New York style to use many styles of art together. It's like how the rock operas combined music, dance, singing and acting. I call this the "First Rock Opera of Ebooks."

I hope you find it to be all that David has striven so hard to achieve. He would like to hear your feedback.

Oh, and if you would go the extra mile and ask your fans to go to www.facebook.com/Nightingale.Novel and "Like" it, that would be wonderful.

Thanks for all your help.

P.S. By the way, there are pictures and a Q&A you are welcome to use any part of at www.nightingalenovel.com/press

I'm one day late in publishing it, so everything should be up and running!

Quick reminder: my interview with David Farland is here.

Go check everything and have a nice weekend!

NaNoWriMo and other links

So, it's November and it looks like a bunch of you out there is doing the NaNo. Here's a list of people I know (and who might know each other, LOL) who participate this year: Joleene, Kenra, Leigh, Loralee, Lydia, Melissa, the Storytelling Nomad and even a guy, Terry! Support each other and churn out those 50K… Rooting for ya all! Happy writing!

On to other writerly topics! C.S.Splitter on  writing and trad vs.indie published books. I so love my ellipses and hate those dashes too…

Cat's call on personal safety. But then all her Soap Box series is worth checking. Although I have no idea of where to start to do something about it. New Year resolution?

Loralie on online presence – whether agent or author, what are you like?

Lydia shares some tips she has learned at a Writers Conference, so make sure to check her blog often.

Michelle on book trailers. I don't think they boost sales either, but sometimes they're fun to make! And yes, writing more books sells books more than anything else.

Another charity anthology already out: Indie Chicks. Check this extraordinary adventure!

Shaina on not being lazy when you start indie publishing. I'm still waiting for my latest excerpt to go live on one of her blogs, but I'm not complaining.  I'm grateful for the opportunity she gives me to post an excerpt on an all-excerpts blog.

Blood Red Pencil on fearing fear – and possibly overcoming it. And a great post by Kris Rush to boost that belief in yourself. I think we all need to be reminded this from time to time.

Guest post on Bookends about what to answer when asked "How do you get your ideas?".

Books&Such about why the Battle of the Titans matters to us and why it's an exciting time for authors (and it's an agents blog! ).

First guest post on Dean Wesley Smith's post: hear K.W.Jeter's opinion on this brand new world of publishing! Check also Dean's observation on the same… but don't miss Michael Stackpole's post on house slaves either, or his take on Amazon as the Sauron of publishing (you LOTR fans will know what he means much better than I ever will! ).

Passive Guy's comments on David Gaughran's article on the Future is Indie are worth checking too along with Steve Jobs' 7 rules of success applied to writing by Ruth Ann Nordin.

A fun rant on e-book prices (I like most comments as well, and agree with many). And last but not least Self-publishing for beginners by Ruth Ann Nordin again.

Have a great weekend!

Book review and author interview

So, here's the review of my last (for now) ebook read, The Glendale Witch by Deborah Winter-Blood.

I'm not really in the target audience for this book, but it is well written and fast paced and with some underlying humor (unless it's the cynical adult me who saw it). Recommended for all YA readers, but mostly girls. Ever wanted to be a witch? This is the book for ya!

I can add that there was some omniscient narrator, but it was well done, although some editor might say the head hopping was jarring – it wasn't. Also, if it were me at 17 I'd have jumped at the prospect of being a real witch… those teenagers who don't believe in faeries can only make things harder for themselves, haha!

Anyway, the author kindly submitted herself to my usual nosy questions… ladies and gents, please welcome Deborah Winter-Blood!

Where do you live and write from?

I'm a bit of a gypsy.  I'm from California, but I've lived all over the West Coast of the United States.  I'm currently living in Oklahoma, USA.

When did you start writing?

I started writing stories as soon as I could hold a pencil.  My first published piece appeared in Highlights for Children Magazine when I was a teenager.

What genre(s) do you write?

I mainly write short fiction with rather dark and oppressive themes.  "The Glendale Witch" is my first foray into the Young Adult genre.

Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?

The inspiration for "The Glendale Witch" came from an idea my boyfriend (author Mickey Mills) mentioned to me.  Since I'm a witch and a writer, he suggested that I consider writing a novel about a witch.   I don't put myself as a character into any of my work, but until "The Glendale Witch" my writing was largely drawn from my own life and my own experiences.

Do you have a specific writing routine?

While writing "The Glendale Witch" I set myself a goal of 5000 words per week.  Every evening after dinner I'd sit down to devote at least two hours to writing.  That's the quietest part of my day.

Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?

I'm not an outliner, that's for certain!  Sometimes I'll have no idea where a story or a chapter is going until I'm in the middle of it.  I write quickly and edit heavily.

Tell us about your latest book

"The Glendale Witch" tells the story of seventeen-year-old Celeste Needfyre, a typical American girl whose life is turned upside down when she discovers that she is the last in an ancient line of powerful witches known as Guardians.  The Guardians disappeared almost twenty years before, having been taken prisoner by a demonic creature.  Celeste must travel through the fantastical elemental worlds of fire, water, air and earth to save her ancient kin, but when she arrives at her destination she finds herself in sympathy with the dark creature she is there to destroy.  It's a fantasy tale full of strange beings, some mythological creatures, three love stories and a talking iguana, embellished with humor and touching upon poignant global environmental issues.

Although it was written for a young adult audience, the response to "The Glendale Witch" from readers aged nine years to middle-age has been overwhelmingly positive.

Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?

The publishing industry is changing quickly and indie is definitely the way to go for emerging authors.  The Internet has made self-publishing and self-promotion so readily available that it would be foolish not to take advantage of those opportunities.

E-books are the future.  That's sad to me, since I love the tactile sensation of holding a book – I love the feel of a novel in my hands.  But I foresee a time when print becomes a quaint relic of the past, which will mean the end of traditional publishing houses.  As I mentioned to an author friend of mine recently, independent authors are the new publishing industry.  We find ourselves banding together to promote, assist and inspire each other.

Any other projects in the pipeline?

I'm working on an anthology of my short fiction called, "Angels and Other Dark, Deadly, Silly Creatures" which I hope to see published early in 2012.  And the outcry for a sequel to "The Glendale Witch" is so clamorous that I'll have to start on a sequel very soon.  In the meanwhile, I continue to write short stories for publication whenever the inspiration strikes.

What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?

Like most writers, my goal is to be able to leave my current profession and support myself by writing.  Like any other career goal, it takes dedication and determination.  I keep writing.  I continue to amass publication credits and my fair share of rejection notices, and I never lose faith that someday I'll be a fulltime writer.  I just keep plugging away at it; that's all any of us can do.

Well, then, there you have it… another author plugging away! Best wishes and tons of sales, Debi!

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no more daily prompts

They don't actually inspire me to write posts, so I unsubscribed from the whole blog. Sorry WP guys, not helping me! I'm going to ramble on my own as usual.

So Nov.1st, National Holiday, spent preparing my own private calendars and coloring the next Happiness is… vignettes – and writing, of course. I'm adding a secondary plot that wasn't in the original, so it's like writing a new story. I considered writing the short story of what happens off-stage, but maybe I'll just put it in the novel as the characters themselves figure out what actually happened.

The Calendar has mostly "recycled" drawings from past years, as this year I did only 3. Next year I hope to do at least 2 for the next calendar, but I'm not using pencils much anymore. Maybe when I finish SKYBAND and before starting the next project I'll do a couple more – if I can find pictures that inspire me, that is! Ah, well, maybe eventually I'll change subject, who knows…

I'm still catching up on what happened in the blogosphere while I was gone, but I'd like to link to a great post by Kris Rush on respect in publishing with a cool list of pros and cons of both sides of publishing. It was awesome meeting the people who said those wonderful things, BTW, I wonder if I should relocate to Oregon!

Also Creative Reviewer Cambria posted an interview to her publisher, a small one, but it's another very interesting POV on the matter. Please check Otherworld Publications interview, as it has some interesting answers. Oh, and Creative Reviews is also on Facebook, come and "like" us!

By the way I added my Facebook Widget and too off the old badge… I wonder if it will update faster – at the moment the blog shows 151 likes, the page 150. Wonders never cease… and do you like that Twitter-like new Facebook? I hate it, but there isn't much I can do about it… sigh!

Ah, well enough rambling for today!

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writing updates

OK, where were we? No idea. Did I mention I uploaded a new story during the workshop? It's now both on Kindle and Smashwords.

I'm editing the two short story collections I hope to issue soon – I still have to get the paper copy from my alpha-reader, our meeting having been postponed to tomorrow. I hope to have the two collections up this weekend, or next week at the latest. The Tales of the Southern Kingdoms are set before and after Books of the Immortals – Air, and some are already out there, but will be revised (and priced) after the collections come out. At the moment The Orphans and The Dancer are free, Tarun is not (but the revised version will not be labeled erotica).

I've started (re)writing the Chronicles of the Varian Empire for next year's releases and I'm having a blast. Silvery Earth has changed since that first Italian draft, and I have to figure out plot points and come up with new ideas and make this volume blend with the Books of the Immortals (it's set before Water) which is world-building fun. As soon as I start typing the English version, I'll draw SKYBAND 10 so I can have Omnibus 2 out in December (hopefully), in time for the Christmas rush.

Still trying to figure out how to apply some stuff learned at the workshops to my home country laws – sometimes I wish I could move away from the over-complicated place! Hopefully I can soon talk to a friend who can help me with the doubts and questions I have regarding Italian law. And then I'm all ready to rumble!

It's a brand new world of publishing and I'm very happy to be prolific. I only wish I weren't so ahead of the curve, so that my family and Italian friends wouldn't stare at me as if I was crazy. Sigh. Time will tell who's crazy, I guess!

Have a great week!