Erika Mitchell's Blog, page 9

Things People on Crutches Know

Up until May 21, 2015, I had no idea what life on crutches was like. Being possessed of a decent imagination, I could have offered some educated guesses about the various hardships and indignities of life a la crutch, but until two aluminum struts are your absolute best friends every hour of every day, you can’t really know.

That is, unless you read this post. After you read this post, you will have a true insider’s view of the crutch life. It’s the next best thing to being injured enough to need them, really.

The first thing you need to know about crutches is that they’re tricky to learn, especially if you’re high on painkillers while you’re trying to get to get the hang of them. You’ll probably fall a couple times. It’s really best to avoid being alone if you can help it.
Pants/shorts with pockets are now a necessity, if for no other reason than you’ll want your phone on you at all times in case you fall. True story: I tried to get a water bottle from the garage for myself, fell down while trying to go up the steps back into the house, and had to lay there on the garage floor yelling for Wes until he happened to walk close enough by the door to the garage to hear me. A cell phone in my pocket could have saved me a fair bit of indignity.
A wet wood floor is a hazard. A wet tile floor is basically a death sentence. If your crutch slips out from under you, you’re going down and, because the floor is wet, now you’re all wet too. Tiny steps are the only way to escape unscathed.
The palms of your hands will develop calluses and hurt all the time. The worst time is in the morning. The first crutch of the day hurts the worst.
You will also get burns on the side of your torso where the top of crutch rubs against you every time you walk. Fuzzy accouterments like Crutch Buddies can help, but you’re still going to feel the burn.
 Every able-bodied person in the world is doing their best to park closest to the door. Best get yourself a disabled parking pass ASAP or you’ll be doing a lot of resenting as you sweat and hobble to your destination past a sea of people who can all walk and yet are parked closer to the door than you are.
Let people be nice to you. Let them open the door for you. Let them help you bring your groceries to the car. It’s okay to need help, and it’ll make them feel good.
Grocery shopping on crutches is a nightmare and way more work than it’s worth. Riding those motorized carts around the store, however, is a hoot. I highly recommend it, especially if you have little kids who want to ride with you.
If you do happen to have little kids while you’re disabled, know this: They will steal your crutches while you’re sitting down. You will be stranded until they give your crutches back. They will think it’s hilarious.
This might not happen to you, but it sure did to me: Your thumbs will hurt horribly, as will your wrist and forearm. Even someone brushing up against my thumbs was enough to make me suck in my breath in pain. I wince just thinking about it!

All this sounds pretty great, right? It’s not. At all. The great part comes later, when one crutchless day you wake up and realize your palms don’t hurt, and neither do your thumbs. You look at your torso and realize there are no sore red burns there, and you can walk through a narrow doorway without inching through it because you no longer have crutches to either side of you.

I’m so SO glad to be on the other side of my crutch experience. Walking is still difficult and I get tired quite quickly, but man it feels good to be using my own two feet again. If you see someone out in the wild using crutches, remember this post and try to be extra nice to that poor soul. It ain’t easy out there for crutchers.

Thanks for sharing!

Whatever Happened to Erika Mitchell?

Wow. Almost three months between posts. I think that may just be my longest ever break from blogging. It feels weird.

So much has happened since April 20. I survived two weeks of solo parenting while Wes was away on business, my trusty laptop Optimus died right in the middle of writing something, I had surgery on my knee that morphed into something way more intense than I was planning on, I led a session for the PNWA (dream come true!), I saw the new Jurassic World movie, and I developed a deep, fervent hatred for the crutches that have been my more or less constant companions for the last seven weeks.

Where to even start?!

I miss my laptop. It’s really hard to be a blogger without a laptop. I stared at my phone many times, thinking I should really write something, but always talked myself out of it because iPhone screens are small and typing on one for any length of time is unpleasant and exceedingly avoidable.

As for surgery, I went in for meniscus tear removal and woke up to an overwhelming wall of pain that only went away after I smacked it down with a handful of pain pills. It turns out the cartilage on the bottom of my femur was scraped away to bare bone and my surgeon needed to drill some micro fractures there so I could grow new cartilage. It’s really quite upsetting to come out of surgery expecting to be off your feet for a few days only to find out you’ll be on crutches for at least six weeks.

As of tomorrow, I’m seven weeks post op and just today took my first un-assisted steps. My left leg has completely forgotten how to walk and, were it not for my ace physical therapists, I’m fairly certain I’d have a limp for the rest of my life. Lucky for me, my physical therapists are the bee’s knees AND the cat’s pajamas, which means my recovery has been smooth sailing so far.

Yes, I’ve fallen. A couple times. Stupid crutches. I tell you, though, crutches and Percocet do not mix. That’s a steep learning curve and it really hurts to fall off of it.

I’m getting there, though. My first steps went well and I have the feeling that I’ll be really solid on my feet by the time we leave for Cannon Beach next month. My goal is to walk on the beach. Pretty ambitious, huh?

For those of you who have noticed the long lapse between posts, I’m sorry. Recovery and running a family from the couch are somewhat time-consuming. I haven’t worked on anything writing-related (including promotion of the new book that just came out in April {oops}) since May and I miss it. I’m usually in New York City shmoozing with other thriller authors at ThrillerFest right about now and believe me, I’ve noticed that physical therapy and healing are not as fun as roaming Manhattan left to my own devices.

I’m on the right road, though, and am very nearly back to a life I recognize. In answer to the question in the title of this post, life is what happened to Erika Mitchell. The good news is, I survived it and live to write about another day. I’m back! I think. I hope.

Thanks for sharing!

Jurassic Lark

It’s been a busy couple of days for me in blogger land! I had two guest posts go up on writing blogs within a day of each other. If you’re of a writer-ly bent and have some time to burn, head on over to Writer Unboxed to read my advice on handling awkward author situations, or click on over to Live Write Thrive to learn how to craft suspense in a novel. I’m really proud of how they both turned out, let me know what you think!

I was also interviewed on A.C. Fuller’s podcast Writer 2.0 last week (told you it’s been busy!) and the resulting episode is really fun. We cover all sorts of interesting topics like why my first book, PWNED, sucks, whether North Korea is a real threat, and a bonus conspiracy theory about beloved 30 Rock characters. Check it out, if only to hear how often (and loudly) I laugh.

“It’s okay if I touch you. I’m gonna tell the others later that our presence must be antiseptic, but I’m special and the rules don’t apply to me.”

In non-Erika-is-everywhere news, Wes and I watched The Lost World (a.k.a. Jurassic Park 2) and you know what? I remember that movie being a lot better. And making some sort of sense. Then again, I was a child when I saw it for the first time so that might explain the disconnect.

Seriously, though, unless a twelve year old wrote that script, how did that ever pass muster at a major studio? And for that matter, how did Crichton feel about them turning his awesome female lead character, Sarah Harding, into a self-righteous imbecile?

I mean, one minute she’s feeling up a baby Stegosaurus while she arrogantly assures Malcolm she’s been living around predators since she was twenty, the next minute she’s bringing a baby T-Rex back to their trailer and then acting all shocked when the baby’s parents come looking for it and beat the crap out of all of them. Afterward, she concludes that her actions changed the T-Rex’s perceived territory boundaries. Why didn’t she think of that before absconding with their baby? It’s okay, she had a lot on her mind, what with wearing a jacket stained with baby T-Rex blood through a jungle. It’s hard work making it that easy for vengeful two-story tall predators to find you so they can eat you.

I remember The Lost World being a solid, entertaining read. I even recall liking it better than Jurassic Park. Here’s hoping Jurassic World is able to live up to the legacy of mind-rupturing awesomeness set by its predecessor. I seriously still, to this day, get goosebumps listening to the Jurassic Park theme music. Amazing.

Save us, Chris Pratt. You’re our only hope!

Thanks for sharing!

What People Are Saying About Bai Tide

This could be you.

The weekend is coming up, and you know what? You look a little tired. I bet you could use some relaxation time this weekend. Know what I recommend? Wear some comfy clothes, buy something warm and comforting to drink at your favorite cafe, and then get lost in a good book for awhile. Maybe a book with a beach? And some gun fights, to keep you from drifting off to sleep in public? Oh, and definitely a chase scene in an armored school bus through a desert canyon.

Yeah, you’re definitely gonna need one of those.

Lucky for you, I have just the thing: Bai Tide! My own book! I know, I know, absolutely shocking that I’d recommend my book, but seriously? I wouldn’t if I thought it wasn’t worth your money.

I’ve been really gratified by the feedback I’m getting from readers and reviewers alike. There was Txting Mr. Darcy’s review that came out earlier this week, which had this to say:

“Erika writes thrillers for those of us that wouldn’t necessarily characterize ourselves as thriller-readers. If I was stranded at an airport and forced to choose between the latest sugary YA Vampwolf Saga or Steve Berry, you can guess which way I’d go.”

You know, that’s actually exceptionally high praise. Getting someone to hop genres is no small thing, and I’m pleased as punch to have created a thriller that’s enjoyable to readers who don’t necessarily consider themselves “thriller readers.”

Next, there was Dwell in Possibility’s review that just came out today. Bonnie writes book reviews for inquiring minds, and most of the books she reviews are more literary in nature. Imagine my delight, then, when she had this to say about my explode-y little espionage thriller:

“I like Mitchell’s writing. She’s great with a turn of phrase, and she captures the small moments really well. The book is written in the first person, although thankfully not in the present tense which I increasingly find obnoxious to read, so we spend a lot of time with Bai/Alan’s thoughts. This works out well, since Mitchell develops his character effectively by making him vulnerable enough to be a compelling character but not so vulnerable as to be difficult to accept as an intelligence officer. Also, Bai/Alan has a great sense of humor, dry and self-effacing, so it’s fun to read what’s going on in his mind.”

That first sentence is just about the nicest thing a reviewer can say. It’s simple, she likes my writing, but isn’t that all an author wants? To write prose readers can actually stand to read for a whole book?

The rest of her review is rather artful, actually, well worth reading. She manages to summarize the plot without giving anything away, which is amazing because it’s a twisty plot. Really, the whole plot is predicated on the reader knowing only exactly as much as Bai knows throughout the story, and any additional information might very well ruin the whole darn thing.

Hats off to Bonnie for sidestepping that whole problem beautifully!

Both of these ladies are seasoned readers, and I trust both of them to be honest in their reviews. If they enjoyed Bai Tide, why wouldn’t you? Check it out today, and have yourself a relaxing weekend!

Amazon (Print and eBook available!)
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks

Thanks for sharing!

Release Day Trivia

April 6, 2015, a date that will live in…Well, infamy’s not quite right. Remembrance? No, still not right. Acclaim? Ha! I wish. Ummm, let’s just go with mild note. Everyone good with mild note? Okay, cool.

Let’s try this again:

April 6, 2015, a date that will live in mild note, because today is RELEASE DAY for BAI TIDE!

Bai Tide is totally the book James Bond would bring to read on a long plane ride. True story.

It’s available everywhere.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
iBooks
Google Play

(Oh, and don’t forget the giveaway that’s going on over at Goodreads through next week!)

Just in case you’re still on the fence about whether or not Bai Tide is the right book for you, here’s some trivia to help you make up your mind:

Bai Hsu, CIA case officer and main character of Bai Tide, first appeared in fiction in Blood Money. He was Azzam’s handler in London and first demonstrated his inimitable tough guy skills when he helped Azzam escape London with a gunshot wound through his calf.
Bai is allergic to most painkillers. Poor guy.
Bai’s favorite gun is his .22 caliber Colt A1 1911 pistol. It’s also, coincidentally, my favorite gun.
Bai speaks five languages fluently. Cantonese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Japanese. He learned a little Korean for his mission in Bai Tide, but mostly just swear words. He also speaks Pig Latin pretty well.
Bai is tall (6′ 2″) and second generation Chinese. He went to law school at Stanford and was recruited to the CIA right after graduation. His mother is absolutely appalled by his chosen career path.
Bai hotwired and destroyed an old junker when he was fifteen. It was right around then that he realized a suit-and-tie life wasn’t for him.
Bai loves James Bond movies.
I gave myself nightmares while researching the North Korean portions of this book. The North Korean section is as realistic as I could possibly make it.
Book blogger Brooke (of Txting Mr. Darcy fame) makes a cameo appearance in this book, because she won a contest! She looks great in print (and in person too, of course).
If you like James Bond movies, you’ll like this book. Don’t believe me? Read this review.

Thanks for making it all the way to the bottom of this list! If you’re still not convinced Bai Tide is the book for you, I say buy it anyway. Not just because it’s my book, but because the eBook is only $4.95. It’s the equivalent of buying a cup of coffee, and for sure my book will keep you entertained for longer than a cup of coffee. And it’s less fattening! And it won’t stain your teeth!

I don’t want to make the inevitable joke, but I kind of feel like I have to at this point. Bai Tide. ‘Bai’ it today!

Thanks for sharing!

Victory and a Giveaway!

The guest lecture and publishing panel experience yesterday was incredible. Northwest University has grown since I graduated, and I was treated so well by everyone I met. I even ran into a couple of my former professors while I was there!

I had a blast leading a guest lecture in the Writing for Publication class, and then actually learned a lot at the Publishing Panel. The other people on the panel were accomplished, intelligent, and well-spoken, and I enjoyed every scrap of my time with them.

In other news, there’s a giveaway brewing over on Goodreads right now! Enter to win one of fifteen copies of Bai Tide over on Goodreads, all you have to do is click the button. Easy peasy! If you win, you get a free signed copy of Bai Tide in addition to a handwritten note of thanks from yours truly.

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Bai Tide
by Erika Mitchell

Giveaway ends April 15, 2015.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Good luck!

Thanks for sharing!

Ready…Set…Go!

Today’s the big day! I’ve got my notes ready, my PowerPoint deck finished, my nails done, and my hair and makeup mostly under control. I’m ready!

I’m going back to school…Sort of. Today will be my first visit to the Northwest University campus since I graduated eight years ago. I can’t wait!

Thanks for sharing!

Ostriching

The sheer amount of not blogging I’ve been doing is astounding, I know. Truth be told, I was working so much and for so long that I kind of burned myself out a little. Between my tiny humans (whose care and upbringing is my sole responsibility between the hours of 7 AM – 6 PM Monday through Friday) and my writing career (which has been unexpectedly fruitful lately), I was working myself to death trying to cram two separate day jobs into the same twenty-four hour day.

So I did what any sensible, responsible adult does when confronted with burn-out: I hid my head in the sand for a few weeks. I took Saturday afternoons off to spend time with friends instead of hunched over my laptop. I laid down on the couch while my kids napped and watched mindless TV. I painted my nails, and folded laundry in peace, and remembered what it felt like to relax.

It was awesome. I highly recommend it should you have the opportunity.

What I wasn’t doing, though, was blogging, so sorry about that. Even writers get the blues, I guess, except in my case it really wasn’t the blues and was more of a crazy-around-the-eyes.

But now my new book (Bai Tide) is coming out in less than two weeks, and I have a guest speaker gig at my alma mater next week, and suddenly all these commitments I’ve been avoiding are tapping their watch faces and wondering what I’m planning to say to a room full of students for seventy-five minutes.

If I suddenly look like a bird, it’s because I’m winging it at the moment (ha! See what I did there? I made a bad joke!). Balance is not the kind of thing you figure out once and then you’re set for the rest of your life. Especially when you’re a parent. Kids are constantly changing, there’s no point fighting that because that’s the whole point! Still, it makes for some dicey situations.

For now, I’m cautiously back, and if you’ll excuse me, I have a presentation to prepare so I don’t look like an (even bigger than normal) idiot next week.

Thanks for sharing!

Bai Tide Sneak Peek!

If you’ve got a hankering for some spy fiction ala Daniel Craig-era James Bond, skip on over to my website because the first two chapters of Bai Tide are up.

Bai Tide comes out April 7, but you can wet your whistle here until the whole thing is available to buy at an online retailer near you.

Thanks for reading! I can’t wait to share this book with you, it’s a ton of fun!

Thanks for sharing!

Bai Tide’s First Review!

I know I’ve been playing it cool around here about the whole, “I have a book coming out next month” thing, but that’s because I’ve been busy, uh, getting the darn thing ready to come out so that when the release date rolls around I can actually, like, sell it to people.

One of the best parts about publishing a book is getting to see how people react to what you’ve worked on. Especially when you’re trying something new. If people don’t get it? Eh. That’s to be expected. If someone reacts exactly the way you hoped they would, and they love it? Well, sweet googly moogly and heavens to Betsy, that’s just the BEST.

Bai Tide received it’s first review today and…It’s a rave! A Bookaholic’s Fix reviewed the book early (such are the perks of being a book blogger) and had this to say:

“While I love the James Bond movies (especially the ones with Daniel Craig) and TV shows like Burn Notice and Chuck, I’ve never really read any books from this particular genre. After reading this one, I think that is going to change.”

To read the entire review (which is just music to my ears), click here.

The book doesn’t even come out for a month, and it’s already off to a great start!

Thanks for sharing!