Tag: Moments in Nature

Hermit Grumbling

by eileentroemel, posted in Crochet and crafting, Writing

Finished another student worker gift and am half done with another, as well as discovered I’m more productive listening to an audio book than I am watching tv.  This is probably due to my not having to look up to see what’s going on while I’m listening to a book.

Last night Ken and I went to supper with two of my sisters, a nephew, uncle, mom and brother-in-law.  It was a good supper and a good time with the people.  I thoroughly enjoyed being with the people.

Having said that, when I was getting ready to go all I wanted to do was stay home and keep working on my stuff.  I was grumbly about having to go outside my house and my comfort zone of being a hermit to go out to supper.

Now I do laugh at myself because we did have a good time and a good meal.  It was really nice to spend time with Aimee and Jerry because we don’t get a lot of time with them.  I enjoy their company and can have a good conversation with them.  It was just me being grumbly about going out.

Today the plan is to stay in all day.  Yes I’m going to be a hermit and work on writing and on crocheting.  I want to finish the student worker gift I’m working on and hopefully start the last one.  I have an idea in my head and I want to see if I can make it work out like I see it in my head.

I’ve been entering the Writer’s of the Future contest every quarter.  This quarter I haven’t entered because I didn’t love my choice for entering.  I have taken a lot of criticism on the piece and I’m not sure it is up to par for submitting.  Then last night I had a really good idea for a piece that might work out nicely – going to see if I can crank it out in the word limit they have.

It promises to be a full day with crocheting and writing.  There is so much I want to get done and I know I’ll be lucky to get like half of it done.  On a positive note, I’m now reading Rapture in Death and enjoying it thoroughly.

Not sure what Ken’s plans are for the day but he grumbled something about chores he wanted to get done.  I know he got out the snow blower because they were calling for six inches.  With it being weather, they have of course changed their minds on that.  But the lawn mower is put away and the snow blower is out.  We are switching gears with the season.

Come check out my web site and the books I have available at:  http://eileentroemel.weebly.com/

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. 

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!  

Going with the Flow

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

When I finished my degree last December, I had goals.  I had specific goals I wanted to accomplish every month.  I was going to step up my submissions.  I wanted to have five to ten submission each month.  It shouldn’t be hard to maintain that as I wouldn’t be doing school work.  I wanted to get my romance novel and my meditation book published.

Looking back at how I felt in January facing these tasks, I thought the submissions would be the easy part and the book publishing the hard part.

I’ve flip flopped.  I have almost no submissions this year, maybe four or five, and none of them went through to publication.  It’s annoying and frustrating.  However, not unusual.

On the book front, I’ve published the two I hoped to.  I also have published six more and will probably publish one more before the end of the year, possibly two more.

It seems like every time I turn around, I’m working on another manuscript of some sort.  Currently I’m actively writing in two manuscripts and editing a third.  Last night I finished a rough draft.  Today I wrote an outline for the next book in the series.

I’ve made a lot of mistakes.  I discovered that I’ve got a lot of my page numbers on the wrong side of the pages for a few of my books.  I’ll have to fix that and see if there are more fixes before I upload a new file.  I’m enjoying the process.  I love almost all aspects of it.

I freely admit I’m obsessed with checking sales and hoping that the little line is above zero.  I get a thrill when I see one of my books has sold.  It’s exciting to me to know that someone in Canada or the UK (or any of the other countries) has bought my book.  I wonder if the story will cross the culture differences and if they will enjoy it.  I hope so.

My goals have flown out the window but I don’t really care.  I’m loving what I’m doing.  I’m thrilled with the work I’m doing and loving telling a story – hopefully a good story.

Come check out my book page at:
eileentroemel.weebly.com

Wayfarer Clans

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

My new book came out!  Wayfarer Clans is the second installment in the Wayfarer series.  Adara, Decker, and more are back in this new edition.

Recovering from her ordeal with the Barions, Adara faces new challenges when her oldest brother is captured on a stolen Science Corp vessel.  He, his maite saol and son were kidnapped and forced to fly the ship.  Young girls from group homes and small children are kidnapped.  This rash of kidnappings leads Adara to suggest to Franklin that a Wayfarer clan is adding to their clan.   
Adara struggles with family relations as she meets up with her oldest sister who tells how the clan she joined treated her.  Seduction and rape, Bedelia faced hardships worse than Adara could imagine.  Adara tries to forgive and heal the family relations. 
Decker and Adara struggle to cope with her family relations when it’s discovered that three of her siblings are with the clan who is kidnapping all the children.  Wayfarer and human relations are strained between the couple and on a larger scale.  Admiral Chesnik tries to work with the clan leaders to bring the rogue clan in to justice.  
Available at:

Defenders of the People

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

This book is the first in a series and has been four years in the making. I started writing it in 2010 and am still working on the third in the series.

Bear went into the mountains and found himself a woman to love and two kids to raise. After six years of love and security near the small town of Nettleton those two kids – Tof and Bri – have gathered a small group of friends – Benry, Alex, Liza, Molly, and Bic – to aid them in their quest.

Criminals, rapists come to the town and ravage two small girls. Seeing the injustice the friends take matters into their own hands and hunt them down. Bringing the rapists to justice, Tof and Bri risk all they have as they are fugitives from the council and have been for fifteen years.

Setting aside their own safety, they forge forward to defend the people of their small village and other villages nearby. Using their abilities in magic, sword fighting, as archers, and trackers, they bring criminals to justice in the small villages and towns in their small province.

The small group of friends become known as the Defenders. They fight and assist the villages to make life easier and safer. They become the Defenders of the People.

Available on:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/477423

Or at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NO83MJQ

Coming soon to Barnes and Noble

Check out my other books available on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble:
Moon Affirmations
Moments in Nature
Moments in Spirit
Moments in Life
Secret Past
Wayfarer

Sleep On It

by eileentroemel, posted in Life, Writing

Whether it is about writing or life, my best advice when you can’t get something done is to sleep on it.  I was writing last night and the scene was going but plodding along.  I wanted sharp, witty, argumentative.  I’ll read what I wrote and decide if that is how it turned out but I didn’t feel it was that way.

I talked to one of my daughters last night for quite some time, just chatting about life.  It was a good conversation and when I was done, I realized I wasn’t going to write much more.  I know where the scene is going, could see it in my head even last night but the flow was not there.

I opted instead to go to sleep.  This morning I woke up and not only do I know where the current scene is going but I also know how the over arching plot is going to end.  Interestingly I even know where the next book is going to start (at least right now).

Being so involved in a story is always fun and a bit tiring.  Sometimes I feel like conversations going on around me are intruding on the story and I just want them to stop so I can go back to writing.  At the same time, I know I need that time away from writing to decompress.

I’m sure if I talked to some science geek they could tell me that the chemistry in the brain (or whatever) is what helps the creative process.  Here’s what I know, if I’m living a story like I have been, I need to sleep on certain aspects to create a good story.  It gives my brain – my inspiration a chance to catch up with the story I’m typing.

On a Roll

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

Even though I wrote till almost five in the morning, I got a lot done yesterday.  I got all the errands organized so Ken could take care of them.  I got coupons organized and grocery lists made.  He went to the post office.  I got bills paid.  I cleared off a card table that has been in my office for years.  I cleared off some of my desk (it is still a mess).  I got a book published.

Then I crashed and burned.  I was going to take a nap but was too wired to nap.  I was going to write but I was too tired to write.  My evening was just blah.  Ken and I watched a couple episodes of West Wing.  I opened up my current story and knew where I wanted to end but not how I was going to get there.  As I normally do, I just moved to something different.  I putzed a bit with a couple of stories but nothing really clicked.  I ended up doing more reading / editing than anything else.

At eleven I gave up and tried to go to sleep.  Laying in the dark, I can’t say I thought about anything in particular.  My mind wasn’t overfull of things as is normally the case when I can’t sleep but I couldn’t sleep.  At midnight I called it quits and opened my computer to work on writing.  I wrote a scene and a half before my brain said enough.  It was two in the morning and I slept pretty good until six and dozed until nine.

I’ve been working on writing.  I got descriptions written for Defenders of the People.  I got a cover created and worked on production.  I have a couple of steps left but I’m in wait mode on them.  In my head, I think I know the next few scenes for story that I’m working on.  As my legs are getting sore and tired, I’ll probably hit the recliner shortly and work on it.  I have over 21,000 words in this story which is nearly half written as they are smaller novels.

I’ve heard nothing but grumbling from Vicki over when I’m going to get this one done.  I’m enjoying working on it but I also have ten other projects to work on as well.  It’s been a productive weekend and I’m hoping I can keep the ball rolling and work on writing .

Wayfarer

by eileentroemel, posted in Writing

During a period of insomnia, I wrote two stories in about five weeks.  Wayfarer is a short novel set in the future in space.  Here’s the description:

Adara Stone youngest pilot in the Interstellar Planets Union survived one ship’s destruction only to be treated like a jinx.  Being half human and half Wayfarer, she’s always been set apart.  Captain Decker Flannery thinks she’s too young, too solitary, and too sexy to be on his ship.  He needs a third pilot so he has no choice. 
At twenty Adara has flown in service for seven years in everything except the Manu service.  The Pritchard is an investigatory ship that helps keep the peace.  Adara covets being in space and the Pritchard.  She loves the feel of the ship in her hands. 
Adara finds friendship and validation as a pilot aboard her beloved Pritchard.  Along with her fellow pilots, Lisa Sorenson and Jack Norris, she flies the investigators where they need to go.  The three explore worlds and become fast friends.  From bar fights to taking on Barion Battleships, they work well together to keep the Pritchard and her crew safe. 
Captain Flannery doesn’t like his youngest pilot.  She’s a mouse.  When she flies, she creates magic in space but she is argumentative and insubordinate.  Flannery finds fault in every action but at the same time finds himself drawn to this quiet, strong young woman.  He doesn’t like other people touching her and he finds himself protective and attracted. 

One emergency after another draws the pilots, Commander Hal Beltzon, second in command, and Captain Flannery into a tight knit group willing to fight and die for each other.  Adara’s past puts her and her crew in danger.  She fears her “jinx” will harm those she’s come to love but they love her and are willing to fight to protect her.  In the end, Adara finds a home and a family.

From my earlier post, this is what I did with my day.  I have one more publishing version to go through to have it available on Smashwords, Amazon, and in paper form.  In another hour or so, I hope it will be ready to go in the paper form.  
It has been a good day – a very good day!  
Come check out my books on my web site at eileentroemel.weebly.com