Lisa Vaughn's Blog, page 4

Congrats to Daniel A Kaine - Oct Indie Book-Cover Winner! See Deets Here..

Last week Shannon Mayer ran an awesome contest for the best Indie Book Cover Art. Daniel A. Kaine received the most votes and the honor to be October's winner! Please take the time to check out his book, 'Dawn of Darkess' at the links below.
Main site: http://danielakaine.com/

Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12353556-dawn-of-darkness

eBook release giveaway (ends 22nd Oct): http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/153510-dawn-of-darkness-ebook-release-and-giveaway?tab=yes

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-STawcn6SFM

And again, Thank YOU for supporting Indie Authors & Artist! The future of The Arts depends on you!

MondayMindset Of A Hippie-Chick: Life In Your Forties-The Decadent Years?

Turning forty.  I'll admit it...I dreaded it with every fiber of my being.  I remember when my mom was in her forties...and she was, well OLD!  As I approached this milestone birthday, I just couldn't imagine being anything but 30-something, as it truly seemed as if I'd been in my thirties forever. In fact a lifetime within itself seemed to happen in that decade. 
Let me briefly recap: My 30's
*Settled down to a more 'responsible' way of living
*Landed adult jobs that paid adult money
*Marriage ticked along on auto-pilot
*Son became old enough to fend for himself
*Moved 1000 miles away from my hometown to a place I actually wanted to reside
*Body was young and strong - no physical limitations
*Guys gave me the once-over when I passed by
Then...
*Divorce
*Started over...AGAIN
*Dated...AGAIN
*Got married...AGAIN

By the time my 40th rolled around I feared my life was done, and truthfully so was I. I had had it! Fed up...done. Done with the rat race, done with life's demands, done with society. Done-Done-DONE! A period we now affectionately refer to as my 'Breakdown at Forty'. I personally refer to it as my 'Push-Back Stage'. 

After I escaped for a week of self-pity, I eventually realized this might not be a bad decade after all, and I now anxiously tell anyone about to enter their forties to be prepared, as something magical happens on that landmark birthday, at least for women I think. 

The biggest 'light-bulb' moment was when I finally realized, 'Hey, I'm an ADULT. I do not HAVE to DO anything if I CHOOSE not to. It's okay to say NO. Such a simple word, but so hard to say...and pull off...when you're in your thirties, that is. But I was now a more mature, more feisty forty - it was high time I 'pushed back'. And boy, did I! 

Lets recap again: My 40's
First off, realized I was NOT my mother, so I....
*Quit my 'responsible' unfulfilling cubicle job with a steady paycheck 
*Took a leap and started a pet-sitting business
*Cut ties with people that did not make me feel good about myself
*Learned to say NO to things that did not fulfill me 
*Stopped feeling obligated to be the 'go-to-good-girl' 
*Started living my life on MY terms...period.
*Dove back into my art with a vengeance, creating pieces just for ME
*Wrote and published a memoir! Something I never saw coming! (See synopsis above)
Basically, I finally listened to my true, authentic self. 

Whew! What a relief! It took some time to get used to, but I quickly learned the key to happiness is actually very simple. By simply being true to your authentic self and living an authentic life - surrounded only by things you believe in and stand for (and saying 'No' to things you do not) you will be amazed at how awesome your forties can be! Things that I loathed - wasting my time, self-indulging greed from others, handed down beliefs, family encouraged obligations - all got the 'push back' from me.  
I'm now 48, and happy to report this has actually been my BEST decade to date, although there were some lows - like burying both my parents - I didn't like that part, of course, but I accept it as part of the life cycle - something we will all go through if the cycle remains in chronological order, as it should.
And thanks to my 48 years of experiences (the good, bad, and ugly) I now know myself better than I ever have, and have the confidence to be my best advocate...on my terms, standing on my own two feet. No matter what the world throws at me, I know I will be okay.

And now, looking back, I remember a younger me thinking I'd never live to see 30, as that sounded SO old! Luckily I have taken pretty good care of myself over the years - even better so now - and I'm still in good physical health.  Sure, I feel some signs of wear and tear, and definitely notice an older version staring back in the mirror...but that's okay, I accept that too.  I've earned every wrinkle and every greying hair - besides, I know I'm still cool inside, where it counts the most!(ha)  I know my attitude, and my 25 year-old son, keeps me young and up-to-date with the tunes, trends, and techy stuff, so I'm confident I can keep up as I ebb-and-flow along in this ever changing, evolving world I live in now.

And today, as I teeter on the brink of the next decade, I surprise myself as I type this, realizing I can hardly wait to see what the 'Decade of 50' brings!  Sure, I'll slow down a tad, get a few more grey hairs, add a couple more wrinkles, and deal with the 'M' word (Menopause-EEEKKK) but I know one thing for sure...it will be full of surprises and it's sure to be AMAZING!  Bring it on baby...this hippie-chick is ready! 

What has each decade taught you? Share your light bulb moments below! 

It's Here! SixSentenceSunday! *BonusEdition w/xtra Sentences!* 'TheGiftedOnes'

Taken from Chapter 19: Fade To Black

What was once something I couldn't get enough of, had now become a chore to me. She had also made a few comments concerning my odd friendship with Rod. Guess I wasn't as sly as I had perceived myself. Can't shit an old shitter, huh? The game was up, and it was time to show your cards. Trouble is, I wasn't quite sure of the hand I was holding anymore. But I think Selina peeked at them while I wasn't looking. And now she was forcing me to take a look too, revealing my true hand.
The next span of time resembled a bad made-for-TV-movie, except this was no movie, it was our real life. Our own weird life - getting a whole lot weirder before the curtain fell on the final act.

Wait For It..Wait For It: SaturdaySamples! It's Here! Snippet From 'TheGiftedOnes'

Excerpt from Chapter 19: Fade To Black

The night went on, and the drinks poured. Laughing and enjoying each other's company came easily as time flew by, suddenly finding ourselves in the wee-hours of the morning, down to the bottom-of-the-barrel in party guests - most stumbling and mumbling nonsense - still clinging to the exhausted keg. One by one they were ushered out by our resident bouncer, Selina. Soon after the last guest was shown the door, the most shocking words I had ever heard in my life filled the room, "Hey Rod, why don't you take Lisa home with you tonight?" We both stood there, in pure shock. What the *#@%? Did those words just come from Selina's mouth? I knew I was drunk, but my hearing still worked...I thought. Did I actually hear THOSE words? Was this a trap? Was she calling my bluff? Was she about to go ape-shit on us, beating the crap out of him if he said, "okay"? We remained standing there, stunned, not knowing how to react.

Turns out, this wasn't a joke. She was dead serious, for reasons unclear to me at the time. Like two naughty children, we sheepishly agreed to her offer. I know I was drunk, but a very sober side of me was tremendously excited! And yet another side was equally confused, and kind of scared. Again, she convinced us of her sincerity, and that being enough for Rod, swiftly whisked me to his car. Separating me from my soul-mate, from the only lover I had ever known.

Rod took me home that night to his apartment.

I lost my virginity for the second time in my life - at age nineteen.

FridayFeelGood: Vote For Your Fav Indie Book-Cover! Win Copies Too!

Thanks to Shannon Mayer for hosting this fun contest for Indie authors! 15 covers to choose from - all different genres with different art concepts...see which one grabs you the most! Simple to enter - just leave a comment on her site indicating the book # you choose, which in turn will automatically enter you in the drawing for FREE ebook reads! WIN WIN for everyone!

Hurry, contest ends on the 15th I do believe!

http://shannonmayer.blogspot.com/

And again, thank you for supporting INDIE!

Discussing Author James Frey..Did He Get What He Deserved?

Ahhh James Frey...remember him? The 'Million Little Pieces' memoir guy? The one that Queen Oprah built up via her bookclub, launching him to literary stardom - only to turn around just as quick and take it ALL away - his credibility as an author, his pride, ego, and manhood? All based on one rumor...he had 'lied' to Oprah, and apparently, the world! Gasp! His memoir, it seems, had a bit of 'fabrication' woven into the unbelievable text. I guess his crazy days as a drug addict needed a little 'beefing up' to make legendary status, as it did.   

I remember seeing his original interview with Oprah, plugging his newly discovered memoir - long before I ever dreamed I would one day write one of my own.  I have to admit, he captivated me also, with his painful story of past struggles and triumphant come back. I rushed out like the rest of the world and bought his colorful book.  I read it, and although I do not remember a lot of the details now, I thought it was a good, entertaining read.  Yeah, he had gone through a lot for one man, but hey, we all have our stories, right? 

Then the news broke. James Frey was a LIAR! People that he had named in the book were supposedly stepping up, claiming parts of his memoir were fabricated or embellished. But worse than lying in his memoir, James had dupped Oprah! Well we all know one thing for sure. You do NOT dup the big O and expect to get away with it. This sleeping dog was not allowed to lie still, quite the opposite - he was publicly embarrassed. Drug through the coals for allegedly lying in a memoir, which by definition means a slice of one's life - a TRUE slice, to the best of their recollection.
If the allegations weren't bad enough, the worst was yet to come - public humiliation on the Queen's stage!  He was summoned to face Oprah...again, but this time he would see her evil twin - pissed off Oprah. 

We all tuned in, anxious to see what James' fate would be - public stoning, firing squad, the gas chamber? No, none of that would happen. Instead he got the big stink-eye from the big 'O', and was told how disappointed she was in him.  Oh no she didn't! Yes, she gave him the guilt-ridden, 'mother's disappointed in you' speech. I nervously watched as James sat helpless with his publisher, who did not say much - neither putting up much of a fight when confronted by Ms.O. You could tell this poor lad was in-between a rock and a hard place! I was disappointed that he may of lied, but more disappointed that he didn't put up much of a fight for his defense. Maybe the whole book was a lie? Maybe his hands were tied? Maybe O just scared the crap out of him! Who knew? I just knew I felt really sorry for him for some reason, and at the same time was thanking my lucky stars I was not HIM! 

Nevertheless, time went on - refunds were made to those who were totally appalled, the offending liar dropped out of society, and we all forgot about James Frey. 

Fast Forward: Oprah's retiring. She has a need to have James back on the show, perhaps she over-reacted, and wanted to make amends, having him on the show one last time to clear the air, reset her karma. Of course I had to see this! Would there be fists flying this time? Would there be more jumping on those couches?  I could feel the tension on the set, or perhaps it was just coming from my own couch!
 
It took some time, but finally midway through the interview I started to see the light, as the REAL truth behind the disaster of 'A Million Little Pieces' started to come into focus.  Turns out, it wasn't his fault so much as his publisher's! Apparently he never intended to write a 'memoir' in the first place. HE wrote a novel loosely based on his real life experiences. It was his publisher that strong-armed him into classifying it as a memoir in order to get noticed and boost sales. In fact, that was the only way they would sign him. Aha! The evil marketing machine once again! Now it was all beginning to make sense. And again, I felt sorry for James. He was not a liar at all. The only thing he was really guilty of was being a newbie author that was excited to find someone that agreed to publish him - at whatever costs - even if it meant magically changing his work into a memoir.  Like he explained to Oprah, what could we have expected him to do? What would you do in his shoes? He knew this opportunity may be fleeting, so he'd better jump while he had the chance. So James sold a little piece of his soul...a million little pieces, to be exact.  

And you know what? I can't say I wouldn't have done the same damn thing!  

Bottom line: I don't blame James at all, in fact I empathize with him. Now that I am an author, of a memoir no less, I totally understand his actions. I'm sorry he had to sacrifice his work for the sake of the almighty dollar, but understand his actions. Did it outrage me as a reader that I had bought the book and it wasn't totally on the up and up? Of course not. I did not ask for a refund because it was still an enjoyable read to me...regardless of the hoopla. In fact, years later James would inspire my style of writing as well. I admired James' unique approach to telling his story, noticing he did not follow 'the rules' of accepted grammar and proper sentence structure...and I liked that. A fresh, indie approach that greatly influenced my writing style, and something I look for when choosing a book to read myself. 

So yeah, I think everyone came down on ole James a little too hard. I think he was/is an indie author that just got caught up in the marketing steamroller. I think his hands were tied contractually and he, unfortunately, had to take the knocks. I was pleased to learn he has since moved on to great success - publishing more books, and owning his own publishing company that helps out fellow struggling indie authors, just like he once was.

I'll close by saying, 'Thank You James Frey!'  First, for getting me back into reading, rediscovering my favorite genre - memoirs and biographies. And for inspiring me, as an author - reminding me that we don't always have to follow the rules. After all, isn't that what indie means? But mostly, for reminding me to stay true to myself, as THAT is what it's all about in the end...not the almighty dollar. 

Do you think James got a raw deal? Or did he deserve what he got?
(Please vote..there should be a poll directly below this post)

In Honor of WriterWednesday: Give Indies A Shot! See Listings In Every Genre!

Are you tired of mainstream? Do you think outside the box? Then I bet you'd love to find a new indie read, maybe discover a new fav author! We have a slew of independent authors - newbies, like me, to seasoned pro's! Almost 300 to choose from on The Independent Authors Network.
I've copied the link to the bookstore, where you will find all books sorted by genre.

Take a gander and see what you find. Many at very reasonable, almost unbelievable, prices! If you find one, let me know...I'd love to hear what you think!

http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/book-directory.html

And if memoirs are your thing, don't forget to check out mine before you leave my page!
Thank you for supporting indie artist and authors. The future of art depends on you and me.

FYI: Top Questions NOT To Ask A Vegetarian!

Okay all you carnivores, listen up! I know you don't mean to, perhaps you're just short on information, so as a public service I will publish the answers to those burning (and annoying) questions we vegetarians get asked most often, thus eliminating the need for you to ever ask them again...hopefully...maybe? Please. 

First off, I have not always been vegetarian - although I swear I was born to be one, but like most families raised in the midwest, I was brought up on a permanent menu of 'meat and tators'....ground meat, pulled meat, shredded meat, MEAT, MEAT, MEAT. Even as a child I remember separating the hamburger clumps from my mac-and-cheese (YES, my mother even put meat in our mac-and-cheese! Which I lovingly dubbed 'Cheese Crap' - and that's how we referred to that dish from that point on) I knew I didn't have 'the taste' for this odd food item, as early as I can remember, but I definitely lost my taste for it when I learned where meat actually came from. Surprisingly it didn't just magically appear from the back room of our grocer's meat department, as I always pictured...no seems it came from a dark, hidden, sinister place of which we did not, and should not, know the details of.  But it was clear to me, those innocent cows and pigs I saw happily grazing in the fields of my hometown, were soon to be somebodies 'Crap' in their Cheese-Crap! Holy Crap!  Nevertheless, children did not have a say back then, so I ate what I was served - hiding meat under potatoes or in napkins every chance I got.

Fast Forward: It's the early nineties. Oprah is going through her 'Mad Cow' fiasco. For the first time I sat and watched in horror as hidden footage revealed sickly cows and pigs being drug by their necks up ramps to begin the slaughter process. I was mortified. I was outraged. But more than anything, I was so impacted by this display of animal cruelty, that I vowed from that moment on I would never, ever eat red meat again. How could I? Even though I was never a big meat eater as an adult, I must admit I'd absentmindedly wolf down a Big-Mac or a plate of bacon if you put it in front of me.  Not anymore. That 60 minutes of TV gave me the incentive I needed to boycott red meat once and for all. It would take a few years, but eventually ALL meat - including chicken and turkey - became obsolete from my diet. And ever since that day...the questions. Oh the constant questions a vegetarian receives! The odd, sometimes insulting, questions. From my experience, here are the most asked - usually at mealtimes - and always in front of  large groups of friends or family:

1. You're a vegetarian? Do you eat fish or seafood? 
My fav by far. First off, I've always hated seafood - even when I was a carnivore. (My mother used to force me to eat salmon patties, which I choked down whole chunks, drenched in ketchup, while pinching my nose closed to avoid the taste!)  This question always amazes me. What does vegetarian mean? Aren't fish and seafood of any kind living creatures? Hello. My response? "I don't eat anything with a face or a mother". End of discussion...unless you have a smarty pants in the crowd that insist a head of lettuce has a face.

2. If you don't eat meat, HOW do you get enough protein in your diet? 
Surprisingly there ARE other sources of protein out there for us that don't want to involve a bloody carcass. Beans, legumes, nuts, peanut butter, soy, and a lot of vegetables are rich in protein. Don't worry, we get enough, and probably more than most meat-eaters, if the truth be told. 

3. What do you eat when you go to McDonalds? 
I just have to laugh. First off, if you're a veg-head, chances are you are not frequenting these places unless forced to. Most vegetarians are health-minded as well, so unless you hold a gun to our heads, you will probably not see us taking up a booth at the Golden Arches...but if we do, there are always the salad choices I guess. Which leads me to my next fav...

4. Don't you get tired of eating salads ALL the time?
First off, I love a good salad, but it certainly isn't on my menu every meal. These days products like veggie burgers, soy bacon, and meatless 'hamburger' crumbles allow us to eat pretty much like everyone else. 'Morningstar' products are my savior in the freezer section - those green-boxed items of goodness supplement my menu and keep it varied and interesting.  Hats off to you Morningstar! Thanks to them, there is no reason to deprive myself of any meat items I used to enjoy.  Bacon, turkey, pepperoni, corn dogs...they have it all!  For every meat item, they have a faux version! 

5. You're a vegetarian? Oh that's how you stay so skinny.
BIG myth! Vegetarians are probably more prone to weight gain! Because some might not realize all the choices we do have - or get lazy like I do sometimes - they rely on carbs to keep them full and going. And everyone knows what a continuous bread-basket will do to your waistline. Twinkies, cakes, and cookies are also vegetarian...you get the picture. So no, sorry, I do not get a free pass...I have to exercise and sweat just like the meat-eaters. I only WISH that one were true!  

6. Why? Why are you a vegetarian? Is it because you feel sorry for stupid farm animals? But that's why they are here...for us to eat.
Now I really don't loathe this question, because it does give me a chance to explain and educate. I realize it's different for every veg-head, I'm sure, but my personal explanation is simple. I truly believe, in this day and age, that nothing needs to die to feed me or keep me alive. Maybe in the cave-man era, but no longer. To me, every living thing that is born, deserves to be alive. We all serve a purpose in this world. The cockroach, the snakes, the pigs, the cows, the humans. Just because we supposedly have a higher thinking capacity (do we?) doesn't give us the right to destroy what Mother Nature has put here for her purpose. Taking a life of another is murder. Plain and simple, whether it be an animal or human. And murder in my book is wrong. I'm sure if you were raised on a farm, you became accustomed to this practice, but does that make it right? 

7. If we didn't eat animals, there would eventually be too many and they would take over or starve out due to lack of food.
Three words: Supply and demand. If no one ate meat, we would not have to breed more meat, thus cutting out unnecessary births. I know this is a pipe dream, as I will never see the day no one eats meat. And as far as wild game, like deer...well, just as nature intended, the strong will survive, the weak will not. I don't think the eco-system needs our help to balance nature out...I'm pretty sure that's already built into the design. What wasn't built into the design is our abuse of the design. 

8. Is it okay if I eat meat in front of you?
Actually this is sweet. And yes, of course, it is okay. If I told you how to live, I'd be quite the hypocrite. 'Live and Let Live' is my mantra. I'd be thrilled if you suddenly declared your vegetarianism, but I do realize it is not for everyone. So no, I am not offended. In fact I live with a carnivore. He does eat less meat than your average Joe, but I have not convinced him to jump on my bandwagon, and it's been 15 years. But I still dream...

Bottom line:
Every night we lay our heads down to sleep. When I lay mine down, I am pleased to know nothing had to die that day to sustain my body for another day. I take great pride and pleasure from that. I know we are all different, and I respect that. I'm just asking for you to be conscience of how you are feeding yourself. There will always be meat-eaters. But I have to wonder, if every meat consumer were forced to tour the packing plant from which it came, would there be less? I could only hope for humanities sake, the answer is yes. 
Like Paul McCartney once said, " If slaughterhouses had glass walls, there would be more vegetarians"...Amen Paul! Amen. 
   
Thank you Oprah and Morningstar for changing my life for the better! I (and the animals I have saved in my lifetime) will be forever grateful!

MondaysMindset of a Hippie-Chick: Halloween-Are We Too PC Nowadays?

If you are familiar with me at all, you know I love Halloween. In fact, I'm dubbed 'THE Queen of Halloween' within my social circles. The love for this holiday is deep-rooted from my childhood of the seventies. Ah those carefree days when we were free to be ghouls, goblins, and monsters if we chose,walking up to any house in the neighborhood that had that welcoming front porch light on to receive 'full' sized candy bars and sweets, or perhaps nickels and dimes from the 'richer' houses on the block. The days when you wore your costume to school and goofed off all afternoon attending the Halloween parade, showing off your scary alter-ego...and you know what?  No one was offended! 

That's right...no one was offended.  Unlike today. No one accused us of devil-worshipping or witchcraft. No one demanded that children only be allowed to dress in cheery outfits resembling story-book characters, only to be marched around the mall to receive the most dreadful candy of all - hard candy - from less than enthusiastic teen mall employees! Where's the fun in that? Where did it all go? Why did it change? I think it all changed when everyone started getting a little carried away with this 'PC' thing. 

And I only bring this up on this particular Halloween because two strange things happened over the weekend that made me realize I am NOT living in my 1975 Halloween-World any longer. 

For the past thirteen years we have put on quite the extensive scary display for our neighborhood, consisting of a graveyard, our stuffed monsters, lit up pumpkins and hanging skeletons - you know, the typical haunted house on the block. (See Fridays post - http://thegiftedonesmemoir.blogspot.com/2011/10/fridayfeelgoodassignmentget-your.html ) We do this every year, and every year we are overwhelmed with praise and high fives for our contribution to the neighborhood. Many of the local children have grown up with us, looking forward to each year's display. So imagine our surprise when we woke Saturday morning to find our graveyard had been robbed! Yes, modern day grave-robbers! But these thieves stole more than just property, they stole two of our long-term monsters - Devil Man and Ghouly Guy.  And also did what damage they could within the time constraints they apparently had, strewing plastic pumpkins all over the yard, and smashing ceramic gargoyles. I have to admit, my heart sank when I saw the damage done, but also a sadness filled my soul - who would get pleasure in doing such a thing? We've never had problems in the past. In fact, I thought we were immune to teenage pranks because everyone seemed to have a certain respect for our efforts every year.  Well it didn't take long to get a sneaking suspicion of the culprit. 

As I was painstakingly re-doing our setup, a car idled by with a voice singing praises out the window of her gratefulness for our yearly effort. I nodded, thanking her for the kind words - words we were accustomed to hearing time after time. Five minutes later another car pulled around the corner. It took a minute for me to comprehend her words, for they were words I was not accustomed to, completely taking me off guard. She was spewing words of hatred for our display of Halloween art, calling it 'Awful', 'Horrible', and a 'Disgrace'. WHAT? I stood dumbfounded as my friendly neighbor smile turned into a confused scowl. Did I hear her right?  Was she actually OFFENDED? I helplessly stood there, confused...but then heard myself defending my holiday as she drove away..."It's HALLOWEEN! Lighten up!", are the words I believe I used. Had I had more time, I'm sure I would of added a few more in there that I would come to regret...but maybe not. What was her deal? Why was she so 'offended'? Our depiction of the afterlife? Our light-hearted version of a graveyard? Our theme this year involved Oprah...was she offended because we made her black? But she IS black! Was it a racial thing? A religious thing? Who knows. But it did make me think, has this world become TOO Politically Correct? Too uptight?

But I already knew the answer - long before this incident. Of course we have. I don't know when it happened, but it did. And believe me, I know we need a certain level of compassion when it comes to the PC thing...I get that. But there is a point where it just gets ridiculous. I don't believe in Christmas, but you don't see me tearing up nativity scenes or ripping down colorful lights signaling Santa is coming! Or smashing all the Easter Eggs on Easter Sunday, calling it a 'disgrace'. I don't even make a scene when they come to MY door 'hell-bent' on converting me to their religion of choice. Why? Because I live by one simple mantra: Live and Let Live. 

By contrast, I've heard that Halloween is the second money making holiday for retailers, coming in just under Christmas itself. Categorizing  it more of an 'adult holiday' now more than ever. So what does that tell you? That there are more Devil-worshipers now? Of course not. It tells me there is a great need for adults to let their hair down one night a year and 'be' whatever they want to be! (And yes, it allows that seemingly 'shy' receptionist in your office to dress in the sluttiest attire she can muster up the guts to wear!) Fantasy...Fun...A magical night! Just like in the seventies! We need that as a society. To be free to choose, not worrying if we'll be dubbed as an evil person for partaking in a fun ritual that, for now, has stood the test of time. I'd hate to think my future grandchildren will never know the magical thrill of Halloween, in all its gory-ness, because some over-excited groups have banned it, or at the very least taken all the fun out of it. The world is one giant melting-pot with many beliefs and customs. Why would one person even fathom putting down something I am doing (in my own yard, I might add) or believed in? Who gave her that right? If you don't believe in a certain holiday, then don't partake - just like I do.  But there's no need to inflict your opinions on me via car window, my dear neighbor, whoever you are.  I'm not saying you had anything to do with the recent shenanigans, you are obviously new around here, so I'll cut you some slack...this time.  But in the future, remember - Do not, I repeat, DO NOT mess with the QUEEN OF HALLOWEEN!  Just let me have this ONE holiday and we'll get along just fine. 

Lighten up people, it's just Halloween! :)  

Live and Let Live! 

SixSentenceSunday! Get Your 6 Fix from The Gifted Ones!

Six short sentences from Chapter 8: The Nightmare Continues ~

They were both sitting there - around the table of doom - anxious to reveal the depth of my long-term sentence. Their stern faces indicated they were not going easy on me. "The Plan" would start with a short isolation from school. They realized it wasn't feasible to keep me home forever, or send me off, so I would be going back in a few days. That is, only after they contacted Selina's mom to warn her of this latest "crime", counting on her help to devise a plan that would keep us apart.
***

Thank you for visiting and getting your Sunday Quick Fix!
If you're intrigued, please follow my links above for purchasing options. Ebooks now only $.99! Print on sale @ Amazon for under $10!