Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 75

Weather Updates, Buzzers, Cards, #HarryPotter Boxes, And #Crafting

Still no sign of my snow. Plenty of wind and frost. A fair amount of rain too. But still no snow. Some places not too far from us - though a bit more inland - have had snow, but the closest we've had has been a thick frost. I'm keeping my fingers crossed my snow comes soon. Maybe it will come this week? I really hope so! They do say it might. But they've been saying that all month, so I'm not holding my breath. Hoping, and crossing my fingers, of course. But not holding my breath.

In other news...

The intercom buzzer thingy still isn't fixed. Turns out the repair guys hadn't even gotten around to asking the landlord and neighbour for access to the other apartment to be able to work on the buzzer issue. I only found out about the message not getting passed on when we were arranging for everyone to be around so someone could come to do an inspection to make sure the fire alarms are working. Kelly saw the downstairs neighbour, and he knew nothing about the situation, other than that the buzzers haven't worked properly since he was here. I spoke to the landlords when we were arranging for the fire alarm guy to come, and they were under the impression the buzzer had been fixed the day the guys were here. They actually asked me if the buzzer works fine now, and when I told them it didn't, seemed surprised. So I told them what the repair guys said. Hopefully, now the neighbour and the landlords are aware of the situation, the buzzer will finally get fixed. I think I'm going to have to send the landlords a message to tell them what the repair guys say in future. Maybe then things will actually get done.

Anyway...

I got a couple of late Christmas cards. One came nearly the middle of January, and the other came at the end of last week. One is from my Nan (Dad's Mother) and the other is from Deanna. Here they are:


I also got a thank you card from Rita, which I mentioned in an earlier post, but didn't get around to sorting a photo of until now. So, here it is:


Also, my January Harry Potter box arrived. I missed the December one because of a payment glitch we didn't notice in time (the money was there, but for some reason their attempt to take it failed... We were a day late fixing it). But my January box came right on time... I got it on the weekend. So, here's what was in the box this month:

A Hogwarts print t-shirt:


A Harry Potter themed cushion cover:


A pendant that's a frog - looking something like the frogs on the chocolate frog cards I have a collection of, so I'm calling it a chocolate frog - on a chain:


A wintery owl pin:


A little snowy owl figurine:


A "three brothers" movie print:


And some tea, which is made of apple, rosehips, and a few other fruity and herby things I don't remember (Kelly did read the packaging to me, and it is all natural ingredients, so I'm looking forward to trying it... Good thing I have one of those thingy's you can use for loose tea):


Not a bad haul, in my opinion. Apparently... According to a note that was in my box this month... Starting from next month, they'll be personalizing the boxes better, and they'll include more "handmade items" too. I like the sound of that. Not that I have any problem with the contents of the boxes I've received. But handmade and personalized sounds even nicer still.

Anyway, speaking of things I got in my subscription boxes...

Guess what? I finally finished the Autumn themed table runner kit I got in October's SewMine box. So, at long last, here's the finished table runner:


Here's a close-up of the edging of the leaves, so you can see it in more detail:


Please forgive any sloppyness in the stitching. I haven't done the kind of stitching needed to do the edging for the leaves since I was making my camp blanket when I first started Girl Guides. That was about 23 years ago, when I was about 11. So, I'm a bit out of practice with blanket stitch, and I personally think it shows in some cases. I did my best though, and feel good for finally being able to say it's done.

I haven't decided which of my kits I'll work on next.

By the way, for those who happen to be interested: My January Makerly box contained two kits. One was a kit to make a heart rag rug decoration, and the other was a cardmaking kit for a Valentine's Day card. I'm rather behind on making the kits, but never mind. I'll get to them when I get to them.

That's all I have to say today, since the only other things I've done during the past week involve my share of the household chores, caring for and playing with the furkids - especially Lilie, who loves regular games of fetch, and Maizie, who's been really cuddly during this past week - and all of those other things I do every day (like reading, sorting eMails, etc).

Before I end this though, here's a random photo of Lilie... Just because:

#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For January 28th 2019

Do not let the memories of your past limit the potential of your future. There are no limits to what you can achieve on your journey through life, except in your mind.
~Roy T. Bennett

What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.
~Alexandra Stoddard

We’re all called. If you’re here breathing, you have a contribution to make to our human community. The real work of your life is to figure out your function–your part in the whole–as soon as possible, and then get about the business of fulfilling it as only you can.
~Oprah Winfrey

The surest way to lose your self-worth is by trying to find it through the eyes of others.
~Becca Lee

Taking good care of YOU means the people in your life will receive the best of you rather than what is left of you.
~Lorraine Cohen

The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been.
~Madeleine L'Engle

The secret of getting ahead is starting. The secret of getting started is breaking your tasks into smaller manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.
~Mark Twain

Friends Of #FurkidFriday: Frankie

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

When I heard Mummy was going to go for one of those hospital trips again, I thought I'd invite a couple of friends over while she'd be gone. Except, there were lots of friends I wanted to invite over, and they were all happy to come for a visit. So I'm starting to introduce my friends early, and this is going to be more than just something for while Mummy is going to the hospital place again. In fact, Mummy says we can do it after she's home too, if there are any writers' pets who want to come over for a visit. Although, because we'll need to be able to do our regular "Furkid Friday" posts some weeks too, there will only be one spot a month available as from March, though February will be full of new friends for you to meet.

So, if you're a writer's pet - regardless of species - and you want to come over and talk to me, or one of the squeaky things in cages, you can get in touch with us, and we'll send you the questions you need to answer to do it. Send us an email to keroberous2004@gmail.com with the subject "Friends of Furkid Friday" (you have to do that bit, or Mummy might think it's junk and delete it by accident). Just be patient with Mummy while she deals with the hospital thing, because it's going to make her slow doing things on the computer, and probably off it too.

Back to today though, and the first friend I want to introduce you to is Frankie Boyack.

So, Frankie, for those who don't know you, what species and breed are you?

I'm a bulldog girl.

How nice. Describe your appearance. I've got a photo of you with your Dad to show people, but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can’t see the photo.

I look a lot like my older brother in that we're brindle with white. I'm smaller than he is, and a bit darker too.

Dad calls me a monkey, because I like to climb all over the furniture. If anyone tells you bulldogs are lazy, it isn't true.

I'll bear that in mind. By the way, here's that photo of Frankie and her Dad I mentioned just now:


So, Frankie, what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?

First, there's Mom and Dad. They feed me and give me lovin's. There's also my brother, Otto. He's the one who got me started on chasing squirrels out of the back yard.

I love to chase things too. It's birds I chase most though... Don't see many squirrels. Anyway, what’s your favourite thing to do?

I really like to play ball. It's so much fun to run after and chase. I like it when it bounces, and I have to slide on the hard floor.

Ohhh... I love balls! Speaking of toys, do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

Ball, of course. There have been others, but I tend to eat them. I had surgery last year because I swallowed something bad for me.

I'm sorry to hear that. Mummy and I remember reading about that on your Dad's blog. We're both really glad you're OK now. Yeah, best to stick with balls. Speaking of eating things though, what’s your favourite food?

Mom makes Sunday breakfast. Sometimes she breaks an egg, then gives them to Otto and I. I think she breaks a few on purpose, just so we can have some too.

Sounds great, and that's really nice of her to break some on purpose for you guys to have some too. Speaking of your humans, what’s the one thing your humans do that you love most?

I really like to play, but I like belly rubs too. I won't lay down for them, so I stand on the arm of the couch so they can reach.

Good idea standing up where they can reach you like that. Of course, we dogs never like everything our humans try to do with us. So, tell us, what’s the one thing your humans do that you hate most?

I don't like it when they go to work. Otto and I hang out, but there's nobody to throw the ball for me.

I can see why you wouldn't like that. By the way, I know your human is a writer. Has he written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think he will in the future?

I don't know if he ever will, but I've been on his blog before. One of Dad's friends borrowed Otto and wrote him into a short story before. It was too scary for me though.

That's great that you've been on his blog at least. I hope someone writes a story about you soon, whether it's your Dad, or one of his friends. Speaking of writing, what do you do while your human writes?

Sometimes I like to cuddle with him, but sometimes I find one of my Nylabones, or watch for the squirrel.

Those all sound like great options. Cuddles with humans are great, aren't they? One last thing before we end this: is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

Just that bulldogs are a lot of fun. We like to hang out and play hard too.

Good to know. Anyway, thanks for visiting today, Frankie. I'll let you get back to chasing those balls and squirrels.

***~~~***

Author bio, links, etc

I was born in a town called Elko, Nevada. I like to tell everyone I was born in a small town in the 1940s. I'm not quite that old, but Elko has always been a little behind the times. This gives me a unique perspective of earlier times, and other ways of getting by. Some of this bleeds through into my fiction.
I moved to Idaho right after the turn of the century, and never looked back. My writing career was born here, with access to other writers and critique groups I jumped in with both feet.
I like to write about things that have something unusual. My works are in the realm of science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy. The goal is to entertain you for a few hours. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Craig
Blog My Novels  Twitter Goodreads Facebook Pinterest BookBub


Blurb:
An honorable man is mistaken for his disreputable father. Now he's pushed into a political scheme to start a war that will spread across multiple kingdoms. James Cuttler's fiancé is being held captive to ensure he goes through with the plan.
He soon decides his skills are at sea and procures a ship to wage war upon those who disrupted his simple life. He can't do it alone, so he recruits a band of cutthroats to help him. But first, they need guns and munitions to outfit the ship properly. Deception and trickery will only get them so far. Eventually, they're going to have to engage the enemy.
James' goals aren't necessarily the same as his crew. It's a delicate balancing act to collect enough loot to keep his crew happy, while guiding them back to rescue the girl.
Voyage of the Lanternfish is filled with adventure, magic, and monsters. Lots of monsters. Hoist the colors and come along for the ride.
Purchase Link: http://a-fwd.com/asin-com=B07MP8V633

***~~~***

I hope you enjoyed meeting Frankie, as well as her human, Craig.

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#AmReading + #AmWatching - January 24th 2019 #Reviews

It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during the past week.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.

OK...

Here's what I read this week:

Snake Face by Amber Foxx
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an excellent addition to the series, and a fantastic book in its own right. It's well-written, and the character development is nicely done. The plot moves at a faster pace than in the previous two books, but this isn't a bad thing, since it makes it all the more difficult to put down. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, and likely would have started the next book as soon as I finished this one if I already had a copy of it.

Fairies, Myths, & Magic ~ A Summer Celebration by Colleen M. Chesebro
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a delightful collection of stories and poems. Those who follow one of the paths where they already believe the Summer Solstice is a magical time will especially enjoy it, though it will appeal to anyone who enjoys stories of fairies, myths, and magic, regardless of age or path.

Wolf by Denise M. Main
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I thought this book sounded like a great read. Werewolves, spiritual awakenings... Things I enjoy reading about. Well, those things were part of the book, and I did enjoy those aspects, as I'd anticipated I would. However, the fact the main character couldn't seem to speak without cursing was irritating, and I couldn't believe how naive she is - especially for someone who hasn't exactly been living a sheltered life. Not to mention, I was uncomfortable with the freedom of partner selection, and the fact it was explained away as being acceptable because shifter morals are different to most human's morals. It's a shame, because the plot had potential, and all the twists and turns in it might have had me loving it were it not for those issues. I'd have still been a bit disappointed with the abruptness of the ending though, since that was so sudden I had to double-check the book really was over. Clean up the language, don't let being shifters be an excuse for encounters that even the characters themselves agreed would be frowned upon by most people, give the character the street smarts she should have aquired during recent years (even if she hadn't before) and give us an ending that's not so abrupt, and this book could be a five star read.

As for what I've been watching:

I've got no movie or TV show reviews for you this week. In fact, I didn't watch a single DVD this week. Nor did I watch anything on TV - new to me or otherwise. At least, not unless you count snatches of TV shows caught while doing other things that had me in and out of the living room, which I don't.

#WriterWednesday - January 23rd 2019

There are dark (and not so dark) parts of writing no one ever sees. We writers don't talk much about them for whatever reason. But they exist. So, maybe we should talk about them more? What do you think?

Anyway, if you can't write consistently, here's how to fix that. Reward systems aren't just for kids, you know. *wink*

Remember: the only one holding you back is you.

Do you write for children? Are you looking for story ideas? How about tapping in to your childhood... With a twist, does that inspire you enough? I'll be very surprised if it doesn't.

Whatever age you write for, if you're a writer who writes in the fantasy genre, you may like to take a look at this list of fantasy sub-genres, to help you get your book listed right when you're publishing it.

Regardless of what kinds of stories you write, do your characters speak with different accents? Then take a look at this post on how to convey accents in fiction writing.

Next, here are some tips on ways to build suspense in your novel.

So, here's why you'll never write everything you want to write, and why that's OK.

But, what do you do when a story is tough to tell? You find a way to tell it anyhow, because that's the thing with stories: they need to be told, so they can be shared, maybe touch a few hearts, and make the world a better place.

With that in mind, it's only natural that now you've written your book, you want people to read it. Some people price their books... Or some of their books... Free to encourage this. But, the big question is: should you really offer your book for free? That's totally up to you. Personally, I do have one book that's permafree, which - if you don't know, but are interested - is "Frank The Friendly Ogre" (available from Smashwords, Amazon, iBooks, and some other eBook retailers).

No matter how much you price your books for on most retailers, if you're looking for another platform to potentially get a few extra sales, you might consider publishing book bundles with Bundle Rabbit. I don't use it myself, but I've heard good things about it, and it's an option, if you're interested.

So... What is your dream, and how will you make it come true?

Buzzers, Weather, #Crafting, Twisted Ankles, And #Hygge Days

They did come back about the buzzer thingy, but it's still not working properly. The repair guys need to access the downstairs place to fix whatever's wrong with that buzzer first, which is a problem for some reason. We don't know details, only that this is the reason for the delay. We can't ask the new downstairs neighbour either, because we haven't seen or heard him. If he's been around, we keep missing him. Anyway, the point is, we're still dealing with a broken buzzer thingy, and not entirely certain when that will stop being the case. Soon though, hopefully. Maybe this week? I won't hold my breath, but I will cross my fingers.

It's not weather issues stopping them from coming though. I mean, the weather reports said we might have snow Friday or Saturday, so that might have been an issue. We didn't though, so it wasn't. It got real cold... It's been around the freezing mark all week... But we didn't get any snow. They got some further North, and some places further West got some too. But not here. Figures. Oh well, that's the price I pay for living near the sea, and I mostly think it's worth it. Anyway, Winter's not over yet, so there's still time. I just hope it comes in the next two weeks, or waits until towards the end of March (which has happened in the past). I don't want to miss out on playing in it, after all.

In other news...

I've almost finished the Autumn themed table runner. Just got the last bit of sewing to do to secure the backing piece, and then I'll be done. I'm hoping to be able to finish it in time to post pictures next week.

With how close to being done the runner is, I might have been finished with it already. I'd actually planned to finish it this past weekend. But we spent the weekend doing some stuff around here we'd been putting off, but wanted to do before I went in to hospital. Of course, me being me, it couldn't all get done without incident, and I managed to twist my ankle. Actually, from the pain, and fact it's still hurting so much, I think I might have sprained it. I'd guess, based on past experiences, that it's just a light sprain. But it's my bad ankle, so that does randomly happen sometimes. It will get better. It always does. At least it will get a nice rest when I'm having to take it easy while dealing with the surgery and recovery, which I'll be doing before you know it... It's only just over two weeks until my surgery date now.

Anyhow, other than that, and playing with Lilie - and Joshua and the chinchillas too, of course - I haven't really done anything else. In fact, I've had a couple of days where I pretty much spent the whole day just playing with the furries, because that's what I felt like doing at the time. It felt great to do it too. It may not have been very productive, but they were very hygge days, and the furkids and I enjoyed them, which is what matters most.

#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For January 21st 2019

Beauty is so quietly woven through our ordinary days that we hardly notice it.
~John O'Donohue

A man’s first care should be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart.
~Joseph Addison

If you develop a pure and sincere motivation, if you are motivated by a wish to help on the basis of kindness, compassion, and respect, then you can carry on any kind of work, in any field, and function more effectively.
~Dalai Lama

Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out.
~John Wooden

Be a true representative of the goodness in your heart, and don't expect it to be easy or even noticed.
~Adyashanti

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
~Mahatma Gandhi

Every situation in life is temporary. So, when life is good, make sure you enjoy and receive it fully. And when life is not good, remember that it will not last forever and better days are on the way.
~Jenni Young

#FurkidFriday: Maizie The #Chinchilla Celebrates Her Third Birthday

Hi everyone. This is Maizie the chinchilla.

I had one of those birthday things on Sunday. I'm three years old now, just like Mollie.

The human caretakers got me and Mollie a new bowl as my birthday present, and filled it with some of my most favourite nibbles when they gave it to us. There's some of our actual food in there, along with Cheerios, oatmeal, raisins, and dandelion roots.

Here's a photo of me enjoying my birthday nibbles from my new purple bowl:


I don't mind that my birthday present is something for both me and Mollie to share. We share everything anyhow. Besides, I got first pick of the nibbles in it, which I'm happy about. Plus, we did need a new bowl.

So, that was how I celebrated turning three. With a new bowl, and some of my favourite nibbles. It was a nice way to celebrate my third birthday. At least, I think so.

I love these birthday things!

Squeak soon,
Maizie

#AmReading + #AmWatching - January 17th 2019 #Reviews

It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during the past week.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.

OK...

Here's what I read this week:

The Calling by Amber Foxx
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an excellent and well-written book, with a fantastic cast of characters. There was less mystery than one might expect to find in the first book of a series where the word "mystery" actually appears in the series name, which is why I hesitate to give it the full five stars. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and I look forward to continuing the series. Perhaps, as I continue the series, the mystery of the presence of the word "mystery" in the series name will be revealed?

Shaman's Blues by Amber Foxx
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Having enjoyed book one, I was eager to read this book. I was not disappointed. In fact, this second book in the series is even better than the first, since it actually involves more of the mystery aspect the series title led me to expect.

As for what I've been watching:

I managed to watch two DVDs this week. I watched the final disk of season seven of NCIS. I also watched the "Incredibles 2" movie. Since it was a new to me movie, I've reviewed it below.

Incredibles 2 (2018 movie):
This was a really great movie. It's action-packed, often entertaining, and also contains some touching scenes. If you enjoyed the first movie, you'll enjoy this one too. I give this movie five out of five stars.

#WriterWednesday - January 16th 2019

Are you planning to self-publish a book in 2019? If yes, you might be interested in reading this series of posts by a fellow self-published author. She starts you off with the basics, and then tells you a bit more about guidelines for if you decide to publish with KDP, as well as the basics for if you want to publish with Smashwords. She also talks a little about marketing.

Oh, and here's another author's step-by-step guide to publishing a book on KDP.

Of course, before you worry about publishing, you have to write that book, which is sometimes difficult to find time to do. Take it from someone who happens to be struggling with that exact issue at the moment (which I've talked about before, so I won't go in to details of again). If that's the case for you too, check out this advice on how to write when you're busy and stressed, and everything is chaos, because there's always something in your way. Remember: if whatever writing schedule you set doesn't work, just admit you failed - then start over.

Don't forget you need to take care of your physical health while writing. Especially if you're a full time writer, or someone else who spends a lot of time sitting down (whether because of writing or not). So, here are some ways to keep yourself moving throughout the day.

Now let's talk about the actual writing of your story. In fact, let's discuss the writing of scenes. Or, perhaps, I'll just let you read this post containing questions to consider when writing a scene. Yes, that will be easier.

By the way, if what you're writing is the kind of story where your character needs to find various items to complete their quest, you might want to read these tips to working with a collecting quest story.

Do you write poetry? Or, perhaps, you'd like to? Then check out this list of poetic forms.

Thinking of writing a series? Jemima Pett shares the things she learned while writing hers, which you can use as tips for writing your own.

Whatever you write, don't forget to back up your writing!

Oh, and here's a writers' guide to boats and ships, and a writers' guide to martial arts, which are part of the writers' guide series and may be of use to you. Or, if they aren't, some of the other posts in the series might be.

Finally, always remember: just start the thing - even if you're not sure you'll keep doing it.