As part of the lead up to April, which is when I will be releasing the second book of The Eternal War series out into the world, I will be giving you all small tidbits about it through the course of this month. The first of this is the title of the book. Later this month will come the cover, the blurb, and ultimately the release date. Some things in between will appear as I think of them.
So, without further ado, the name of The Eternal War: Book Two is...
Friday, March 9
Monday, March 5
Insert Witty Blog Post Here
My propensity to disappear from this blog for extreme lengths of time (it's been four months since my previous post) is something that's going to happen until I can move the writing hobby into a full time gig. I know I've beat this drum before, but between work, school, family, and my own sanity, sometimes it's not possible to find the time to drum up a blog post. Especially since my thought is that blog posts should be somewhat meaningful. Not to mention, there were times when I had the interface open to post something and couldn't come up with anything at all. Not worth posting at any rate. So I stay silent.
With that said, it is time to pick this up again. I'm making an attempt at regimenting my days, insomuch as one can with such a disparate schedule as mine (seriously, I've worked the same job for ten years and my parents still don't understand it, despite numerous attempts at explaining). Plus, I'm staring at the end of the line in regards to Book 2, so it makes sense to start working the blog into my schedule as I build toward the release. This month I am hoping to have a rather set schedule of tidbits for those who read this blog to build anticipation. To that end, I will be releasing the name of the book on Thursday.
Also, this blog post is here to tell people that for the month of March I will be donating 100% of every sale of Spiral X to Child's Play Charity. While those who have read the book know that I already donate 10% toward the cause, for this month (and I'm thinking every March from here on out, we'll see) I will take nothing home from a single sale and will post a screenshot of the Amazon numbers to announce the donation amount when it's all said and done. Please spread the word and help out a great cause.
With that said, it is time to pick this up again. I'm making an attempt at regimenting my days, insomuch as one can with such a disparate schedule as mine (seriously, I've worked the same job for ten years and my parents still don't understand it, despite numerous attempts at explaining). Plus, I'm staring at the end of the line in regards to Book 2, so it makes sense to start working the blog into my schedule as I build toward the release. This month I am hoping to have a rather set schedule of tidbits for those who read this blog to build anticipation. To that end, I will be releasing the name of the book on Thursday.
Also, this blog post is here to tell people that for the month of March I will be donating 100% of every sale of Spiral X to Child's Play Charity. While those who have read the book know that I already donate 10% toward the cause, for this month (and I'm thinking every March from here on out, we'll see) I will take nothing home from a single sale and will post a screenshot of the Amazon numbers to announce the donation amount when it's all said and done. Please spread the word and help out a great cause.
Tuesday, November 1
I Can't Help But Speak Up
I want to take a moment to explain a few things, because frankly, I'm tired of people commenting on the issue of a few things that pop up in Spiral X. I don't want to accuse people of not paying attention, but it's clear that people aren't paying attention. If you haven't read Spiral X, then some of this might be spoilery so proceed with caution if you don't like that sort of thing.
Quick note before I get started though. I do appreciate any and all comments on Spiral X, Split, and The Plan (actually, skip The Plan, I know it isn't that good). However, I've received enough specific comments through reviews on one or two issues that I feel they need to be addressed.
1. On the subject of Cheryl's sudden revelation of psychic powers.
This is why I think people aren't paying attention. It first shows up in Chapter 7, and also coincides with the first time she runs into vampires! Tell me, at what point before then was it supposed to come up? Read the first 6 chapters and tell me exactly where that would fit and seem like it was appropriate to bring up at the time. Go on, I'll wait. Nothing? Thought so. My guess, based upon the general comment of it "showing up halfway through the novel", is that people are missing the mention of it during the encounter in chapter 7 and are instead focusing on when it shows up again (incidentally, the second encounter with vampires) in chapter 12. So really, the point here is that it shows up a lot earlier than I think people are realizing, but they're not paying attention and are missing it.
2. On the subject of Cheryl's hypocrisy.
It's deliberate. Very deliberate. I want to make it clear that Cheryl is a flawed person through and through. She's inconsistent. She's human. This really comes out in the second book but it's still on display in Spiral X. I do this for a few reasons. One, I don't like perfect heroes or heroes that appear to be flawed but really aren't. Anita Blake, for instance, is a fake flawed heroine. She was truly flawed at first but she hasn't felt like a real person since her vagina started being able to solve the world's problems. Harry Dresden, however, is a flawed hero. He routinely does things with seem right and jive with his morals, but which ultimately prove how human he is. I will always strive for the latter.
Let me ask you something. Have you ever had an epiphany? Like, even a minor one? Where you're sitting there trying to figure something out and all of a sudden it comes to you and makes perfect sense? Now, think about chapter 4, which deals with Cheryl's break-up with Thom. Doesn't it seem like she has something of an epiphany? I know it's not explicitely pointed out, but her actions (which follow the path of a lot of her actions, being impulsive and emotional (i.e. human)) clearly follow the lines of someone who suddenly put something together. In Cheryl's case, it was the revelation that trust is impossible for her in a relationship. It took someone else's break in trust for her to realize that this was going to be an issue with her, and ultimately forces her to push Thom away even though she might not want to.
3. Subplots
Speaking of Thom, I read a comment on a review blog that talked about how he could have been cut out and wouldn't have been missed. Allow me to put on my writer hat here for a moment and explain a few things. Within a book there is generally one main plot and a couple of subplots that tie back directly to the main plot. Thom is a subplot and he impacts the main plot fairly significantly. He shows up and affects things in chapter 4. He shows up again about ten chapters later and again has something of an impact. The payoff, however, doesn't come until just about the three-quarters mark of the book. The events that occur in that last meeting have a significant impact on what happens in the chapters that follow. If Thom isn't in the book, those events don't happen (or at the very least I have to figure out a new way to make them happen).
So, analyzing the ripples of the Thom pebble in the pool that is Spiral X shows that, 1) He has caused Cheryl to realize that true relationships are nearly impossible for her, and 2) Is the cause of one major death plus has a psychological impact that will extend beyond Spiral X. So no, Thom wasn't just a throwaway character. His subplot is very important, both for Spiral X and going forward.
4. Showing Vs. Telling.
I'll be the first to admit that I have work to do as a writer in this area. There is a balance to be had here though, and while I know I tilted too far into the telling direction, I figure there's enough showing to go around. In fact, in a few articles about the book that mention this I've had some hypocrisy pop up from the reviewer. They'll chide me for telling too much and then later comment on something they didn't understand because I didn't explicitely point it out for them. You can't have it both ways you know.
5. The stigma of an independent writer
On the whole I think I'm fighting a rear-guard action by going this route with my writing. When someone picks up my book, assuming they know I'm an independent author, they go in looking for problems. Instead of simply reading the book and enjoying it for what it is (which, if the 4+ star aggregate review from GoodReads, Amazon, and B&N are to be trusted, is damn good), they're actively wanting it to fail. Plus, right now the genre Spiral X fits in happens to be overrun by romance and Skinemax level erotica, so it's a double whammy because the people most likely to independently review it might be looking for something else going in. Heck, I've had reviewers actively say it was nice to read something other than romance in this genre, but then go on to make comments in the review that clearly indicate they were hoping to read a romance novel. Can't win.
Final comments.
As stated early, I accept any and all comments on my writing. However, I dismiss the majority of them because they focus on aspects that are intentional within the book, such as Cheryl's hypocrisy. The mechanical ones I do pay attention to, if only to know what I need to focus on the next time around. I know Spiral X has flaws, but despite those flaws it is proving to be an enjoyable read to many people. In the end, the only person I'm truly trying to please with my writing is myself. The final verdict from me is that Spiral X is good, but not great. I will strive for the latter but hitting the former isn't exactly a bad place to land, all things considered.
Quick note before I get started though. I do appreciate any and all comments on Spiral X, Split, and The Plan (actually, skip The Plan, I know it isn't that good). However, I've received enough specific comments through reviews on one or two issues that I feel they need to be addressed.
1. On the subject of Cheryl's sudden revelation of psychic powers.
This is why I think people aren't paying attention. It first shows up in Chapter 7, and also coincides with the first time she runs into vampires! Tell me, at what point before then was it supposed to come up? Read the first 6 chapters and tell me exactly where that would fit and seem like it was appropriate to bring up at the time. Go on, I'll wait. Nothing? Thought so. My guess, based upon the general comment of it "showing up halfway through the novel", is that people are missing the mention of it during the encounter in chapter 7 and are instead focusing on when it shows up again (incidentally, the second encounter with vampires) in chapter 12. So really, the point here is that it shows up a lot earlier than I think people are realizing, but they're not paying attention and are missing it.
2. On the subject of Cheryl's hypocrisy.
It's deliberate. Very deliberate. I want to make it clear that Cheryl is a flawed person through and through. She's inconsistent. She's human. This really comes out in the second book but it's still on display in Spiral X. I do this for a few reasons. One, I don't like perfect heroes or heroes that appear to be flawed but really aren't. Anita Blake, for instance, is a fake flawed heroine. She was truly flawed at first but she hasn't felt like a real person since her vagina started being able to solve the world's problems. Harry Dresden, however, is a flawed hero. He routinely does things with seem right and jive with his morals, but which ultimately prove how human he is. I will always strive for the latter.
Let me ask you something. Have you ever had an epiphany? Like, even a minor one? Where you're sitting there trying to figure something out and all of a sudden it comes to you and makes perfect sense? Now, think about chapter 4, which deals with Cheryl's break-up with Thom. Doesn't it seem like she has something of an epiphany? I know it's not explicitely pointed out, but her actions (which follow the path of a lot of her actions, being impulsive and emotional (i.e. human)) clearly follow the lines of someone who suddenly put something together. In Cheryl's case, it was the revelation that trust is impossible for her in a relationship. It took someone else's break in trust for her to realize that this was going to be an issue with her, and ultimately forces her to push Thom away even though she might not want to.
3. Subplots
Speaking of Thom, I read a comment on a review blog that talked about how he could have been cut out and wouldn't have been missed. Allow me to put on my writer hat here for a moment and explain a few things. Within a book there is generally one main plot and a couple of subplots that tie back directly to the main plot. Thom is a subplot and he impacts the main plot fairly significantly. He shows up and affects things in chapter 4. He shows up again about ten chapters later and again has something of an impact. The payoff, however, doesn't come until just about the three-quarters mark of the book. The events that occur in that last meeting have a significant impact on what happens in the chapters that follow. If Thom isn't in the book, those events don't happen (or at the very least I have to figure out a new way to make them happen).
So, analyzing the ripples of the Thom pebble in the pool that is Spiral X shows that, 1) He has caused Cheryl to realize that true relationships are nearly impossible for her, and 2) Is the cause of one major death plus has a psychological impact that will extend beyond Spiral X. So no, Thom wasn't just a throwaway character. His subplot is very important, both for Spiral X and going forward.
4. Showing Vs. Telling.
I'll be the first to admit that I have work to do as a writer in this area. There is a balance to be had here though, and while I know I tilted too far into the telling direction, I figure there's enough showing to go around. In fact, in a few articles about the book that mention this I've had some hypocrisy pop up from the reviewer. They'll chide me for telling too much and then later comment on something they didn't understand because I didn't explicitely point it out for them. You can't have it both ways you know.
5. The stigma of an independent writer
On the whole I think I'm fighting a rear-guard action by going this route with my writing. When someone picks up my book, assuming they know I'm an independent author, they go in looking for problems. Instead of simply reading the book and enjoying it for what it is (which, if the 4+ star aggregate review from GoodReads, Amazon, and B&N are to be trusted, is damn good), they're actively wanting it to fail. Plus, right now the genre Spiral X fits in happens to be overrun by romance and Skinemax level erotica, so it's a double whammy because the people most likely to independently review it might be looking for something else going in. Heck, I've had reviewers actively say it was nice to read something other than romance in this genre, but then go on to make comments in the review that clearly indicate they were hoping to read a romance novel. Can't win.
Final comments.
As stated early, I accept any and all comments on my writing. However, I dismiss the majority of them because they focus on aspects that are intentional within the book, such as Cheryl's hypocrisy. The mechanical ones I do pay attention to, if only to know what I need to focus on the next time around. I know Spiral X has flaws, but despite those flaws it is proving to be an enjoyable read to many people. In the end, the only person I'm truly trying to please with my writing is myself. The final verdict from me is that Spiral X is good, but not great. I will strive for the latter but hitting the former isn't exactly a bad place to land, all things considered.
Tuesday, October 25
Why hello there!
It's been a while since I've posted anything here. I could make all sorts of excuses as to why, most of them legitimate, but the truth of the matter is that I'm simply not consistent. It's probably my greatest failure as a person overall, and one that will always be a part of who I am. One could argue that the circumstances of my life have dictated this pattern of beavior and they would most likely be right. For instance, the current house we own is the first time I've stayed in any one place for longer than a small handful of years. It's a level of stability I am unfamiliar with but it is something I have always strived for. At any rate, the gist of this revelation is to basically state that part of the package that is J. J. Westendarp is a bit of inconsistency.
Inconsistancy is why, after four months of being "done" with the first draft of Book Two, I have just now finished the initial edit. That's the initial edit mind you, the one I do immediately after the rough draft to find major inconsistencies in the story and get them corrected before I send it off to beta readers. Which is to say that there's still a lot to do and despite my desire to have a regular release of Eternal War books every year, that won't be possible for 2011. Split is the best I can offer for this year (and is a damn good offering if you want my personal opinion) and The Plan (which is mediocre in many ways but was a good try at a genre I don't normally touch) and for that I offer a bit of an apology because I was hoping to do more. I just got in my own way.
The current plan is to work as hard as I can to get Book Two ready for a release before my birthday, which is in early February. To accomplish that I have taken on a divergence of my routine when I'm not at work, which those of you who follow my Facebook feed already know about. Basically, I remove all distractions from my presence and go to the library to write and/or edit. It has worked out wonderfully so far, and it's a shame I can't do it more often. The main reason I can right now is because the kids are in school for a couple of hours past lunch so it allows me to go there without having to bring them with me. It's truly a distraction free environment. So far it has worked out wonderfully. I was able to edit over half the novel in less than three weeks, and was able to put the changes in as well. I anticipate using this distraction-free method quite often moving forward.
Despite my inconsistencies I am still a very imaginative person so when I get an idea I write it down. To that effect, I have the basic ideas for Eternal War books 3 through 6 already set down, plus at least two shorts. As well, immediately after Book Two I will be sitting down to finish some editing touches to a revision to a fan fiction novel I wrote back in 2005. The changes will make the story my own, though astute readers will know where the inspiration came from very quickly. The reason for doing this is because the most important thing for me to do as a new independent writer is to work to get product out there. And not just any product (a lesson learned from The Plan), but quality products that highlight my two strengths: Characterization and Action. I have the story in hand with this other novel, I just need to flip it around to my own making. In the end, you all should have two novels from me in a relatively short amount of time.
I'll hold from going further than that with my plans but know that my recent foray into distraction-free writing has rejuvinated my spirit as a writer and I feel it is something I can be consistent with. That's a good thing.
Inconsistancy is why, after four months of being "done" with the first draft of Book Two, I have just now finished the initial edit. That's the initial edit mind you, the one I do immediately after the rough draft to find major inconsistencies in the story and get them corrected before I send it off to beta readers. Which is to say that there's still a lot to do and despite my desire to have a regular release of Eternal War books every year, that won't be possible for 2011. Split is the best I can offer for this year (and is a damn good offering if you want my personal opinion) and The Plan (which is mediocre in many ways but was a good try at a genre I don't normally touch) and for that I offer a bit of an apology because I was hoping to do more. I just got in my own way.
The current plan is to work as hard as I can to get Book Two ready for a release before my birthday, which is in early February. To accomplish that I have taken on a divergence of my routine when I'm not at work, which those of you who follow my Facebook feed already know about. Basically, I remove all distractions from my presence and go to the library to write and/or edit. It has worked out wonderfully so far, and it's a shame I can't do it more often. The main reason I can right now is because the kids are in school for a couple of hours past lunch so it allows me to go there without having to bring them with me. It's truly a distraction free environment. So far it has worked out wonderfully. I was able to edit over half the novel in less than three weeks, and was able to put the changes in as well. I anticipate using this distraction-free method quite often moving forward.
Despite my inconsistencies I am still a very imaginative person so when I get an idea I write it down. To that effect, I have the basic ideas for Eternal War books 3 through 6 already set down, plus at least two shorts. As well, immediately after Book Two I will be sitting down to finish some editing touches to a revision to a fan fiction novel I wrote back in 2005. The changes will make the story my own, though astute readers will know where the inspiration came from very quickly. The reason for doing this is because the most important thing for me to do as a new independent writer is to work to get product out there. And not just any product (a lesson learned from The Plan), but quality products that highlight my two strengths: Characterization and Action. I have the story in hand with this other novel, I just need to flip it around to my own making. In the end, you all should have two novels from me in a relatively short amount of time.
I'll hold from going further than that with my plans but know that my recent foray into distraction-free writing has rejuvinated my spirit as a writer and I feel it is something I can be consistent with. That's a good thing.
Wednesday, August 3
In a Field Near the Rainbow Bridge
Those of you with pets, especially dogs, probably know what I'm referencing in the title. If you don't, go here and read it and come back. My reason for referencing the Rainbow Bridge is because we had to let one of our basset hounds go yesterday.
I trekked up from Corpus Christi for Christmas with my family in '99. My wife, fiance at the time, also flew down from school in Philadelphia to join us. We were greeted upon arrival by the latest addition to the Westendarp household: A puppy by the name of Blue. She was the cutest little thing, but probably the whiniest little ball of fur I had ever met. She'd whine to get up on the couch, then whine to get off the couch, whine for attention, then whine when we gave too much. We fell in love with her though, and during the week or so that encompassed the visit she spent a majority of her time hanging around us. I'd be playing a game on the computer and she'd come in and fall asleep underneath my chair. Once or twice I'd put her in my lap and she'd fall asleep there.
We left after the holiday and I watched her grow up from a puppy. She earned the nickname of "Boo Boo" because she was always getting into trouble, but it was more mischief than anything. We also called her "Blue bird" because it was easy to get her worked up to the point where she'd start howling. After I left the Navy in 2000, I moved back home and my wife and I started figuring out how we were going to start our life together. Blue was a fixture during our tenure in my parent's house. She had continued along the touchy path of life, and had a very un-basset-like demeanor. Still fun to be around but she liked her personal space.
After we moved into our own place and got married, my parents ended up introducing the world to my baby sister. Everything was fine until she started to move around, and Blue being Blue, she didn't like this little pink thing invading her personal space. So she growled, trying to get her to move away. My parents, not knowing any better, reinforced the growling by yelling at her, and dogs being dogs, she attributed my sister as the reason she was getting yelled at, and continued to growl because she wanted her to go away so she wouldn't get yelled at. Eventually they called us and asked if we would be willing to take Blue in. They were afraid she was going to bite my sister. I thought it was preposterous, because Blue was not an aggressive dog. She growled, yes, but it was all gruff. But we took her in and from that point she was our dog.
For the last eight years she has been a part of our lives. The transition was a bit rough but it did happen. We worked on her with training and we were making some headway in that department. She continued to be a lap dog and she had an endearing way of letting us know she needed to go outside if we were sleeping: She'd get up on the bed and lay her muzzle on our face. It was nice having another presence in the apartment.
When my wife's parents moved down, we agreed to share a three-bedroom apartment for a bit to help them transition into Texas. My father-in-law took an immediate liking to Blue and spoiled her rotten. She was a slightly overweight but happy basset hound. During this time we also added another basset to the family, a puppy from another one of my parent's dogs who we named Buffy. For the first few days Blue didn't want anything to do with her, but on the third day, and I'll never forget this, we had Buffy up on the bed. Blue came up and laid down, facing Buffy, and the puppy started pawing her nose. Then Blue's tail started to wag and in her own way she started to play with our new addition. Blue was the dominant dog in the relationship, and they loved to play together though Buffy always ended up on her back.
After our stint with my in-laws, my wife graduated from culinary school and we moved to be closer to her workplace. The two bedroom apartment we moved into had a patch of grass out back of it, and Blue was an easy dog to herd, she never wanted to stray too far from home, so I would take her out to do her business in the mornings without a leash. For the most part I didn't have to worry about anyone coming through, but when someone did, Blue would start growling and rush up to the person. She'd growl but her tail would be wagging, her own unique way of saying hello to passing people. I'd tell them not to worry and move on, that she was harmless, and they would. Just Blue being Blue.
It was in the two bedroom apartment that we learned we were going to be parents and from there we decided it would be better for us to try and get into a house. We found a place we liked and moved in. My son was born a few months later and while Buffy was interested Blue was being Blue and didn't really care one way or the other. She just didn't want to be bothered. Unlike my parents though, when my son started moving around, we did our best to tell her it was okay, and as my son got older we taught him how to be nice to Blue and to move away if she was growling and didn't want to be bothered. We taught my daughter, who arrived the middle of the following year, the same thing. She was a bit bolder though, and seemed to understand Blue wasn't really serious. They didn't become best buddies or anything, but Blue seemed to appreciate the attention from time to time.
As it is with all pets, Blue got older. She stopped being able to get up on our bed and took to sleeping either on the floor in the bedroom or on the couch. Eventually she became unable to even get up on the couch. She played less and less and seemed less tolerant than normal. Earlier this year we had a bit of a scare when she somehow managed to get out of the back yard and we couldn't find her. Right as the sun was setting I spotted her in the front yard of a house about a quarter of a mile away. We still don't know how she made it that far, or how she lost her way home because she had never been one to wander away. Heck, back during our days living with my parents, she got out and we found her sitting at the front door whining to get back in. But we got her back in this case.
We think the downturn in her health had been going on for a while now. The vet said that dogs can be good at masking internal pain, and in this case we may have attributed signs of pain with the arthritis in her hind legs. The true clue that she wasn't doing well came after our recent weekend trip to Canyon Lake. We noticed she wasn't eating or even drinking anymore, and she was throwing up a lot. I scheduled an appointment with the vet, but we were afraid she wouldn't make it that long without being seen to so I took her to an after hours emergency clinic when I got home one day last week. The vet there gave her some shots to hold her over until we could get into our normal vet, which I did the next day. I brought her in and after hearing my explanation of her symptoms they took her in and performed a blood test.
A few hours later we got the news. Her kidneys were failing. Getting better was a long shot, but we wanted to try anyway and they kept her over the last weekend on a special diet with IV fluids to try and flush out her kidneys. She improved a little physically, and started eating again, but the second blood test done on Monday showed no signs of improvement. My wife and I talked about what we would do if that was the news we got. It was time to let her go. We brought her home and I called my parents to let them know what was going on. They came over to say their goodbyes, and I think the visit exhausted the last of Blue's strength. She could barely stand anymore, and couldn't even make it to the door to go outside. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Originally we were going to wait until today to let her go, but after Monday night, we couldn't bear to watch her in pain for another day. We took her in, and sat by her while we waited. I'm not sure how it's done, the euthanasia, at other vet offices, but the one we use gives them two shots. One to put them to sleep, another to send them on their way. They let us know that we could leave after the first shot, since she wouldn't be conscious, so we did. My last memory of Blue will be of her resting peacefully. No more pain. No more worries.
It still hasn't quite hit me, the gravity of losing her. Part of it might be the fact that the last couple of years, she's been more an object of annoyance than of love. She'd wake us up in the middle of the night to go outside. While in the kitchen she would be under foot and get in the way. She'd get in the way of the kids playing, and if we played with Buffy she'd bark at us from her doggy bed in the living room. I won't miss that Blue.
What I will miss is the Blue before that. The whiny puppy and the heaviest lap dog I'll ever own. The dog who had a unique way of waking me up, and the one that was infinitely loyal. The one who has been with me and my wife since almost the beginning. We have lost a friend and family member.
Rest in Peace Blue. One of these days I'll see you again, and we'll cross the Rainbow Bridge together.
I trekked up from Corpus Christi for Christmas with my family in '99. My wife, fiance at the time, also flew down from school in Philadelphia to join us. We were greeted upon arrival by the latest addition to the Westendarp household: A puppy by the name of Blue. She was the cutest little thing, but probably the whiniest little ball of fur I had ever met. She'd whine to get up on the couch, then whine to get off the couch, whine for attention, then whine when we gave too much. We fell in love with her though, and during the week or so that encompassed the visit she spent a majority of her time hanging around us. I'd be playing a game on the computer and she'd come in and fall asleep underneath my chair. Once or twice I'd put her in my lap and she'd fall asleep there.
We left after the holiday and I watched her grow up from a puppy. She earned the nickname of "Boo Boo" because she was always getting into trouble, but it was more mischief than anything. We also called her "Blue bird" because it was easy to get her worked up to the point where she'd start howling. After I left the Navy in 2000, I moved back home and my wife and I started figuring out how we were going to start our life together. Blue was a fixture during our tenure in my parent's house. She had continued along the touchy path of life, and had a very un-basset-like demeanor. Still fun to be around but she liked her personal space.
After we moved into our own place and got married, my parents ended up introducing the world to my baby sister. Everything was fine until she started to move around, and Blue being Blue, she didn't like this little pink thing invading her personal space. So she growled, trying to get her to move away. My parents, not knowing any better, reinforced the growling by yelling at her, and dogs being dogs, she attributed my sister as the reason she was getting yelled at, and continued to growl because she wanted her to go away so she wouldn't get yelled at. Eventually they called us and asked if we would be willing to take Blue in. They were afraid she was going to bite my sister. I thought it was preposterous, because Blue was not an aggressive dog. She growled, yes, but it was all gruff. But we took her in and from that point she was our dog.
For the last eight years she has been a part of our lives. The transition was a bit rough but it did happen. We worked on her with training and we were making some headway in that department. She continued to be a lap dog and she had an endearing way of letting us know she needed to go outside if we were sleeping: She'd get up on the bed and lay her muzzle on our face. It was nice having another presence in the apartment.
When my wife's parents moved down, we agreed to share a three-bedroom apartment for a bit to help them transition into Texas. My father-in-law took an immediate liking to Blue and spoiled her rotten. She was a slightly overweight but happy basset hound. During this time we also added another basset to the family, a puppy from another one of my parent's dogs who we named Buffy. For the first few days Blue didn't want anything to do with her, but on the third day, and I'll never forget this, we had Buffy up on the bed. Blue came up and laid down, facing Buffy, and the puppy started pawing her nose. Then Blue's tail started to wag and in her own way she started to play with our new addition. Blue was the dominant dog in the relationship, and they loved to play together though Buffy always ended up on her back.
After our stint with my in-laws, my wife graduated from culinary school and we moved to be closer to her workplace. The two bedroom apartment we moved into had a patch of grass out back of it, and Blue was an easy dog to herd, she never wanted to stray too far from home, so I would take her out to do her business in the mornings without a leash. For the most part I didn't have to worry about anyone coming through, but when someone did, Blue would start growling and rush up to the person. She'd growl but her tail would be wagging, her own unique way of saying hello to passing people. I'd tell them not to worry and move on, that she was harmless, and they would. Just Blue being Blue.
It was in the two bedroom apartment that we learned we were going to be parents and from there we decided it would be better for us to try and get into a house. We found a place we liked and moved in. My son was born a few months later and while Buffy was interested Blue was being Blue and didn't really care one way or the other. She just didn't want to be bothered. Unlike my parents though, when my son started moving around, we did our best to tell her it was okay, and as my son got older we taught him how to be nice to Blue and to move away if she was growling and didn't want to be bothered. We taught my daughter, who arrived the middle of the following year, the same thing. She was a bit bolder though, and seemed to understand Blue wasn't really serious. They didn't become best buddies or anything, but Blue seemed to appreciate the attention from time to time.
As it is with all pets, Blue got older. She stopped being able to get up on our bed and took to sleeping either on the floor in the bedroom or on the couch. Eventually she became unable to even get up on the couch. She played less and less and seemed less tolerant than normal. Earlier this year we had a bit of a scare when she somehow managed to get out of the back yard and we couldn't find her. Right as the sun was setting I spotted her in the front yard of a house about a quarter of a mile away. We still don't know how she made it that far, or how she lost her way home because she had never been one to wander away. Heck, back during our days living with my parents, she got out and we found her sitting at the front door whining to get back in. But we got her back in this case.
We think the downturn in her health had been going on for a while now. The vet said that dogs can be good at masking internal pain, and in this case we may have attributed signs of pain with the arthritis in her hind legs. The true clue that she wasn't doing well came after our recent weekend trip to Canyon Lake. We noticed she wasn't eating or even drinking anymore, and she was throwing up a lot. I scheduled an appointment with the vet, but we were afraid she wouldn't make it that long without being seen to so I took her to an after hours emergency clinic when I got home one day last week. The vet there gave her some shots to hold her over until we could get into our normal vet, which I did the next day. I brought her in and after hearing my explanation of her symptoms they took her in and performed a blood test.
A few hours later we got the news. Her kidneys were failing. Getting better was a long shot, but we wanted to try anyway and they kept her over the last weekend on a special diet with IV fluids to try and flush out her kidneys. She improved a little physically, and started eating again, but the second blood test done on Monday showed no signs of improvement. My wife and I talked about what we would do if that was the news we got. It was time to let her go. We brought her home and I called my parents to let them know what was going on. They came over to say their goodbyes, and I think the visit exhausted the last of Blue's strength. She could barely stand anymore, and couldn't even make it to the door to go outside. It was heartbreaking to watch.
Originally we were going to wait until today to let her go, but after Monday night, we couldn't bear to watch her in pain for another day. We took her in, and sat by her while we waited. I'm not sure how it's done, the euthanasia, at other vet offices, but the one we use gives them two shots. One to put them to sleep, another to send them on their way. They let us know that we could leave after the first shot, since she wouldn't be conscious, so we did. My last memory of Blue will be of her resting peacefully. No more pain. No more worries.
It still hasn't quite hit me, the gravity of losing her. Part of it might be the fact that the last couple of years, she's been more an object of annoyance than of love. She'd wake us up in the middle of the night to go outside. While in the kitchen she would be under foot and get in the way. She'd get in the way of the kids playing, and if we played with Buffy she'd bark at us from her doggy bed in the living room. I won't miss that Blue.
What I will miss is the Blue before that. The whiny puppy and the heaviest lap dog I'll ever own. The dog who had a unique way of waking me up, and the one that was infinitely loyal. The one who has been with me and my wife since almost the beginning. We have lost a friend and family member.
Rest in Peace Blue. One of these days I'll see you again, and we'll cross the Rainbow Bridge together.
Thursday, July 21
Thirsty Thursday #11
Thirsty Thursday is my own recurring meme whereupon I lift a glass (metaphorically speaking) to celebrate the triumphs I have experienced in the last seven days. They can be big, they can be small, but there has to be something because I believe life is all about looking at the positive. It's simply too short and too unpredictable to focus on the negative. So with that in mind, here is why I'm raising a glass today:
1. This isn't necessarily news to those who subscribe to my Facebook feed, but I finished off the rough draft of Bitter Nights last week and am into the Read-through edit phase of the process. Here's how it should work from here, but don't hold me to this because the process is organic:
- Read-through edit is merely trying to see early on what parts of the story need shoring up. However, since I'm close to the material, I obviously need help which means...
- ... it'll go to a few Beta Readers once I have the edits in. I'm going to try and be respectful of the schedules of my readers but theoretically they would get right to it, make their comments and I would be back into the comprehensive edit/revision by the middle of August.
- Comprehensive edit/Revision is just that. I start from the back of the book and work my way forward and try to objectively look at each paragraph and see how to make it better mechanically. Along the way I look at ways to take the reader suggestions and incorporate them to hopefully make the overall story better.
- Once that's done, it's off to a couple of select readers who have final opinion on the product. Assuming it doesn't require any more major revisions, I will run the manuscript through Serenity editor to point out where I need to fix things mechanically.
- Somewhere in that process I'll finalize the title and get a cover commissioned.
- Once all these things are done, then it'll be ready for release. However, in order to make sure there's some "buzz" to go along with the release, I will get advanced review copies out to about five blogs that will be set to post a review on "release day".
- No timeline for any of this. Again, it's an organic process.
2. My daughter turned four today. FOUR!! Where the heck did the time go?
3. Quick shout out to my old childhood friend Devon for the birth of her baby boy, and to an old friend of my wife, Diane, for the birth of her baby girl. It's a baby-fest! That's the third person in about a month who has had a kid, and the fifth in the past year. Love babies. Don't necessarily want another one myself, but I'm happy for others.
I think that's it for this version of Thirsty Thursday. I know it's not much but lately I've been pretty busy and haven't been keeping track of a lot of the little things that I used to. Ya'll stay happy!
Saturday, July 16
I have a blog?
I am not a prolific blogger. It's important to note that this is merely an extension of my life as a whole. I only have enough energy to go around, and as the day wears on, depending on how everything went on said day, my capability to form more than single word thoughts starts to deteriorate. Which is why you'll see gaps in this blog and in my twitter and in my Facebook page that encompass days or even weeks. It's usually when I'm too busy to get around to it, or at least busy enough that it's not the first thing I think of when I have a free moment. Family, School, and Work come first. Writing is a distant fourth. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating. Some days I can rearrange the order, except for Family because my wife and kids always come first, but at the end of the week, that's generally how it's all laid out.
Bitter Nights (working title) is currently in the first Read-through Edit phase. In this phase, I attack the manuscript as a reader and do my best to focus on the story and any glaring editing issues that need to be stamped out before moving on to the next phase: Beta Readers. I'm working on my ability to show versus tell, the overall pacing, keeping the exposition down to necessity, and doing my best to keep out major repetition of ideas or events. The more I write, the better I get at spotting these issues, which will ultimately end up making for a stronger read.
A lot happens in this book, both on a personal level and on a wider scale. My hope is that I've properly conveyed the issues Cheryl is facing and that her decisions at least make sense. They do to me, but then I'm biased. There's also an expansion of the lore of the Eternal War and you will learn a lot about Father Harold. He steps up to the role Rev occupied in Spiral X, as a side-kick to Cheryl, but at the same time it's a different dynamic than what those two experienced. All the usual characters are there along with a few more. Some you will like, some you won't. I'm looking forward to showing you all here in the next few months. No firm release date, not yet, but I'm going to do my best to make sure the wait isn't very long.
I guess that's it for now. I'll do what I can to make sure the time between blog posts isn't more than a week though. We'll see.
Have a nice day!
Bitter Nights (working title) is currently in the first Read-through Edit phase. In this phase, I attack the manuscript as a reader and do my best to focus on the story and any glaring editing issues that need to be stamped out before moving on to the next phase: Beta Readers. I'm working on my ability to show versus tell, the overall pacing, keeping the exposition down to necessity, and doing my best to keep out major repetition of ideas or events. The more I write, the better I get at spotting these issues, which will ultimately end up making for a stronger read.
A lot happens in this book, both on a personal level and on a wider scale. My hope is that I've properly conveyed the issues Cheryl is facing and that her decisions at least make sense. They do to me, but then I'm biased. There's also an expansion of the lore of the Eternal War and you will learn a lot about Father Harold. He steps up to the role Rev occupied in Spiral X, as a side-kick to Cheryl, but at the same time it's a different dynamic than what those two experienced. All the usual characters are there along with a few more. Some you will like, some you won't. I'm looking forward to showing you all here in the next few months. No firm release date, not yet, but I'm going to do my best to make sure the wait isn't very long.
I guess that's it for now. I'll do what I can to make sure the time between blog posts isn't more than a week though. We'll see.
Have a nice day!
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