Tag: Defenders of the Land

Catching Up

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

We know where mom is going when she’s released, but we aren’t positive when she will be released.  This week she sees the doctor and hopefully she will be done with the antibiotic.  Then it’s up to the nursing home to say how long they need her for therapy to prep her for release.

It’s been a crazy time with a lot of extra tasks – finding paperwork for the Medicaid application, paying her bills, and working with the nursing home for her care.  I got a request for more information for the Medicaid application.  I’m working on gathering that information so I can fax it in.

Thank goodness for my daughters.  When I’ve needed to rant, they’ve listened and not judged.  When I needed a reminder that I can only do what I can do, they’ve let me know.

In amongst all the craziness of the last few months, I’ve managed to finish Defenders of Magic.  It’s available on Amazon and Smashwords.  I’m also working on a few manuscripts to get them ready for publication.  Wayfarer Home will come out next month (hopefully).  After that in the series, I have Wayfarer War and two more.  TJ Jahns did the covers for the Defenders series and I like how they turned out.  This one is the conclusion to the story.  It took seven years but I finally finished the story.

The writing tasks and the crocheting I’ve been doing help keep me balanced.  I need this more than ever now as I’m handling so many other tasks.

Today I’m having a snow day – or more precisely an ice day.  We had rain and then snow.  The roads are bad from what Ken said.  We didn’t get a lot of snow but it’s the ice underneath which causes me problems.  The most hazardous for me is the parking lot.

While I’m off, I’ve checked my work email, personal email, and have done some writing / publishing tasks.  I’m going to make some changes to the paper version of Defenders of Magic (format changes) and then submit it for the third time.  Hopefully this time it will be how I want it.  Once I’m done with that, I’m going to work on my crocheting projects – dishtowels, daisy coasters, dresser scarf.  I’m waiting on thread to arrive.  I might check on the orders to see when they will get here.

I’m hoping to get a lot accomplished today on the writing and crocheting front.  Then when I face the world again tomorrow, I’ll be ready for more of the other stuff – mom’s tasks, work, and so on.  Also I’m hoping the roads and the parking lot at work are in better shape.

Book and Publishing News

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Wayfarer Contentious is out and available on Amazon and Smashwords.  This is a continuation of Adara and Decker’s story.  More turmoil and trials with the Command withdrawing their support and racial tensions rising.

Change and conflict surround the Phoenix.  New trainees and Nancy O’Neal Finnegan arrive to board the Phoenix.  The Command mandates keep coming provoking the unrest amongst the crew.  Racial tensions rise with many attacks on other races.  Trainees complain about Adara, leading Command to issue and ultimatum.  Allies are attacked, humans only group is on the rise.  Have they reached a tipping point?

In addition to publishing the book, I’ve updated covers for the Defenders series.  TJ Jahns created new artwork for me (see her web site).  I think they turned out well and are a decided improvement.

Defenders of Magic is coming soon.  I have the cover done (I think).  Final edits went on the computer but I still have to read through one more time and do a spell check before I can publish.  I have to find a few hours of free time in order to do the actual publishing.

Behind the scenes, I’ve been updating my files so I can more easily market my crochet patterns and my short stories.  Part of this was to find links for my web site in order to make it easier for people to buy from their preferred vendor. 

Over and above my own writing, I’m working on reading some books to write reviews.  I’ve completed six and have two more to read.  Out of the six, only one of them was enjoyable enough to keep.  I’m hoping the other two I have are more enjoyable but I’m not holding my breath.

Lazy Night

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Why is it when I’m tired and try to be responsible by going to bed early, I sleep horribly?  It’s probably my messed up brain.  I went to bed early but woke up on and off all night.

I worked longer yesterday as we are coming into the new academic year.  I got home later, received an order from Amazon only to be disappointed with it.  I tried buying some hemp rope for a project I want to do.  I guess I might have to go to Farm & Fleet to see if I can find what I want.  The crochet hooks I got a great deal on did actually turn out nice.  I’m looking forward to trying them as they have the ergonomic handles.

This week will start to speed up and next week will be insanely busy.  Meetings are abundant right now.  I don’t mind if they are productive but if you’re sitting there listening to people blather on, they are tedious.

I pulled out my binder with Defenders in it so I can start the review process.  I’m hoping it will spark a creative way to move forward without having to write a bunch of battles.  Battles are all right if you have a unique perspective but the book / series isn’t about the battles as much as the magic and so on.  Maybe I’m over thinking it.  Either way, I’ll work on the review and see if I get inspired.

Ken and I were both so tired last night.  We were sitting in the office helping the girls with some information and neither of us had the energy to either go to bed or do something else.  Eventually he went to bed and I played solitaire on the computer.  It was a lazy night for me.

Overloaded and Overwhelmed

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Things are speeding up at my day job which is putting a stress on my writing and crocheting because I have so much I want to get done but I’m tired when I get home.  My pain level isn’t helping but I’m hoping for milder weather in March.

Mentally I have a long list of things to get done editing, writing, brief descriptions, press releases, production for the manuscripts and that is just the general list off the top of my head.  I still have a gift to make and a few other things.  My daughter is grumbling about people being put before her afghan so I need to focus on her project.

I have a LONG LONG list of to read books.  So many I can’t even begin to say.  I can’t seem to make myself read Cast in Peril.  I guess I’ll go back to making myself listen to one chapter (at least) before I start the next JD Robb.  I’m on book 15 of the JD Robb series.  I want to get all the way through them and move on to other series.

The nice thing about crocheting is that I can listen to books and crochet so I’m doing two things I love at once.  Unfortunately when I write, it is the only thing I can do.  Tonight I worked on two stories and considered the start to another one.  I want to finish the final Defenders book.  I need some quiet weekends to be able to do it though.  I’m in the middle of writing a battle – a turning point in the book.  It takes my revolutionaries from thugs to respectable people attempting to change the rules of a society.  It’s turning out good for now but I need some quiet time to focus on it and think about where I am with all my large cast of characters and where I need to be and how I’m getting there.

I probably wrote about 3000 words tonight, maybe more.  Not bad considering I’m tired and cranky.  I’ve got too much in my head to not write and too much in my head to write and get the stories down.  It’s a matter of whittling away at my to do list.

Tomorrow promises to be another busy day.  We are coming up on advising followed inevitably by registration.  I’m sure it will be no worse or no better than other semester but just long days spent trouble shooting why people can’t register.  I managed to get a variety of tasks off my desk today and that felt good.  I like being busy while I’m accomplishing things.

This weekend is busy, very busy.  I’ve got things scheduled for most of the day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  I’m hoping I can get some down time with my feet up during all the chaos but we will see.

I made a call to one of my student loan places today.  I was supposed to get a tax form.  I didn’t and called them about ten days ago.  They said they would mail me one and still haven’t gotten it.  I called back today and got someone who was very helpful and got my form.  It was the largest chunk of the interest I paid so it was an important document to have so I can do our taxes.  I’m going to have to try to fit them in some time soon.  Normally I like to have them done by this time but with the schedule I’ve had and the missing document it was difficult.

With all this stuff in my head, I just need to make a comprehensive list and start working on it.  Part of the reason I haven’t is I don’t want to overwhelm myself with the list.  I have too many projects going right now and I need to finish a couple off.

Tonight – I’m going for an early night (for me) and hopefully a little more sleep than I’ve been getting.  Hopefully that will lower my pain level and keep me moving forward with my long list of things to do.

Coupons, Crocheting, and Juggling…

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

After I finish a manuscript and switch to something else, I feel like I’m not accomplishing anything.  I have to remind myself there is more to life than writing. 

Sunday, I spent the day listening to an audio book and going through the stack of coupons.  Since my stack was so large, it took me most of the morning to go through them.  I got the three piles done (one for me, one for my middle daughter, and one for my Atlanta daughters).  I talked to my middle daughter for a bit to sooth her pre-test nerves. 

Ken came home from helping his sister with a car that wouldn’t start and we had lunch.  I worked on a throw and finally finished it last night about 8:30.  I started another crochet project but realized I had done the first row wrong so I have to tear it out and start over.  I like the pattern, I just got the count wrong – at least that’s my hope because otherwise the pattern is screwy.  It’s a new book so it could be the pattern but I’ll try the first row again tonight. 

I’m still listening to Obsession in Death.  I’m up to chapter 13 and enjoying it.  Robb does a good job in drawing in the reader and even though this is the 40th book in the series, it is still an interesting story. 

I have editing to do.  I’m trying not to think about writing so I don’t get more manuscripts to edit but the third book in the Defenders is calling to me.  I know what the next two or three scenes will be.  I just need time to write them.  However, I also want to make sure I get the editing done.  I’m juggling again, juggling projects for both writing and crocheting. 

Often I feel like I have too many things to do and not enough time to do them.  That is when I remind myself it will all get done in time.  I have to remember to not be too hard of a boss to myself.  I get annoyed when I know I should do things – like marketing – and find myself opting to do things I know I like more – like writing.  It is a matter of balance. 

Late Night or Early Morning

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

It has been a week of late nights and last night I stayed up writing (and waiting on my computer to shut down) until Ken got up. 

Ironically, he always asks me why I’m still up.  It’s a silly question because mostly I stay up writing.  It could also be that I can’t sleep but lately it’s that I’m writing. 

I’m working on the fifth Wayfarer novel.  The fourth one is done and needs editing but I’ve been really busy with writing the fifth one.  I did some rewrites on Friday to the fourth one.  I sent them off to my test readers and they liked them.  After I was done with the rewrites, I realized I knew the perfect opening for the fifth book.  I wrote it hoping it would get it started and get it out of my head so I could work on other things.

I wrote it and the next scene seemed to follow in its heels.  And the next… and the next… and – well you get the idea.  I now have 42,000 words written and two more scenes to write.  One will be a big scene with lots of smaller scenes leading up to the culminating scene.  The other will be a summing up scene, not quite an epilogue but a scene that says essentially – hey this is where we’re at and maybe hints at what comes next. 

Hopefully when I’m done with the obsession five has become I’ll be able to go to the last Defenders book and finish it.  Unless the sixth Wayfarer takes over my brain, that is entirely possible.  I’m going to try to put my foot down though because I don’t want to have three books to edit in one series. 

Two of my test readers are cranking at me to finish the fifth book.  They apparently want to read it.  Of course they will read it and ask for the sixth book.  It is just a neverending round of demands from them.  They are such slave drivers.

Crocheting to an Audio Book

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

Books are amazing.  They take you to a place you can’t go on your own whether it is in the future, the past, a distant location, or some other fantasy.  I adore a well told story.

Last night I worked on crocheting again.  I spent four hours working on gifts and got two and a half gifts done.  At the same time I listened to a book.  There is something about having a book read to you that is just entrancing to me.

I find I crochet more, getting more accomplished while I listen to an audio book.  I finished off Immortal in Death and thoroughly enjoyed the entire book.  Today I want to work on more gifts.  This means I’ll be finishing the half gift from last night and then I have a larger gift to work on for a student worker who is graduating.

I’ll have one more (I think) to finish for student workers and she asked me for something warm as she hates the cold of winter.  I’ll work on something for her next.

After that I’ll be working on gifts for my faculty.  I’ve got a huge stash and I’m hoping to be able to pull out of my stash to create all sorts of goodies for them.  I’ll have to see what colors I have and such.  I also have new books that I want to try different projects so I guess they are going to be guinea pigs for my crocheting.  I hope they don’t mind.

For this weekend, I’m hoping to finish the student worker projects and maybe a little bit of writing projects.  I have to copy stuff over from my flash drive and see what the plan is for the day.  Ken has already run errands and I didn’t have to go with.

I’ve decided that at heart I must be a hermit because once I get into my house, I just want to stay in my house and not go wandering around too much.  It’s good to snuggle in – especially as we are getting colder – and just work on projects at home.

I’m going to make sure I take pictures of the projects I’m doing and I’ll post them after I’ve given the gifts.  It is definitely a colorful year for gifts.  I like almost all the colors I have been working with and when I look in the bag of gifts that are done it is great to see the rainbow.

If you’re looking for a good gift to give, check out my books at my site:  http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/

Change of Focus

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

Starting tonight, I’m going to crochet instead of working on writing.  I need to get a number of gifts made in the next month. 

This weekend I’ll probably work on two manuscripts which are close to being done but during the week this week I’m going to either watch tv and crochet or listen to an audio book.  I have three Michelle Sagara books to catch up on.  I also have a ton of JD Robb and Nora Roberts audio books to read.  I’m sure there are other audio books I can listen to as well.

Interestingly, I was listening to Glory in Death and taking note of certain scenes and how she handled certain types of scenes.  I respect her as a writer so as I’m reading her books I’m also researching writing techniques. 

I guess as I’m listening to the books I’m also doing research on writing techniques.  It will be fun to read a book while I’m crocheting.  Two of my favorite activities will get done all at once. 

It is the whole NaNoWriMo but this month doesn’t work for me.  I’ll be working on crocheting this month.  I wonder if they have a craft project month?  I’m sure they do – they have a month for everything it seems. 

In all likelihood I’ll still work on writing on the weekends.  I will go stir crazy if I don’t write, especially since I’m almost done with three manuscripts.  Marketing will have to be a focus.  I need to promote more to a wider audience. 

So the plan – I’ll see how well this one works – is to crochet and listen to audio books during the week.  Work on manuscripts on the weekend as well as crocheting and listening to audio books.  In the next month I have to finish a lot of presents, three manuscripts, and keep my sanity.  Well okay – the sanity is probably too much to hope for.  I’ll have to see how the plan goes. 

Relaxation!?!

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Life, Writing

Yesterday I was busy with writing.  I published a book, downloaded reports from the companies who I publish through, printed a manuscript for editing, finished editing one manuscript and got a third of the way through another.  It was a busy day.

In addition to all the writing things, I talked to all three of my daughters, organized coupons, and spent time with Ken.  It was a good day with a bit of balance in the day.

This morning I’ll be putting edits into the computer for the manuscript I finished a round of editing.  I have more coupons to go through.  I want to work on croheting.  I also have to get stuff ready for work this week.

I now have nine books under my name.  This is way beyond what I thought I would do in a year.  In the next two months, I’m hoping to get two more books out.  The two manuscripts I’ve been editing need to have a nice polish put on them and then out for readers to enjoy (I hope).  The one will be Wayfarer Immemorial, the third installment of the Wayfarer series.  The other will be a new book about magic, love, good versus evil, betrayal and a bit of redemption.  I’ve not named it yet but it will hopefully be ready by the end of November.

I’ve been submitting short stories and other items to other places and having absolutely no success.  I don’t know that I’m successful with the books but they are at least out there for people to try.

My relaxing weekend has been full of writing and hopefully today a bit of crocheting while I catch up on the tv shows I’m behind on – NCIS LA, Dr. Who, Person of Interest.  I hope I can finish the current scarf I’m working on and then start some of my holiday crocheting.  I’ll just have to see how things go though because the editing is really calling to me.

I started the fourth Wayfarer book and have struggled with getting more down.  It’s in my head, I just can’t seem to decide which scenes to write first.  I realized last night the moon is in the full phase.  This is almost always a non-creative time for me but a productive time in getting things done.  I can only assume as the moon shifts to the dark moon I’ll get back on track with the fourth Wayfarer book.  I also have a bunch of information in my head about the last Defenders book and the second book in another series I’m working on.  I just need the time to get it all into the computer.

Defenders of the Land

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Book two in the Defenders series is out and available on both Amazon and Smashwords.  It will be available in paperback by Monday (I hope).

  If you read the first book – Defenders of the People – you know that Tof, Bri and the rest of the Defenders are just getting started.

The Defenders grows into a group of young adults who protect against any and all evil, including the agents of the council.  The council’s magic seekers bring perverted magic to capture and return victims – mostly children and pretty women – to the Chancellor Ravick. 
Tof with his lieutenants, Bri and Alex, work with the villagers in their province to protect against these agents.  They learn as they go.  Mistakes are made, lives lost as the group becomes a cohesive unit. 
Magic is key to their success and they don’t know enough.  The magic seekers bring perverted magic to the province with magical illnesses and a sleeping spell which holds people docile in their captivity. 
In the end, Tof and Liza must become joined with the land to complete the healing Queen Sirina did during the plagues.  As the time for the joining draws near, Tof worries he will be weak and spoiled like his father.  The land demands sovereigns.  The two suited for it are Tof and Liza.  Tof overcomes his concerns with a threat or two from his friends.  
See this book and all my other books on my web site http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/
All the books are available on Amazon and Smashwords.  Most are available on Barnes and Noble.
Coming soon – the third Wayfarer book!