My Updated Writing Life
Just recently I became a writer for a website called www.examiner.com. There I write articles about horse care. Some of the ones I've written are: Colic, Choosing a bridle, Enclosures for horses, Grooming, etc. If you get a chance, please check them out!
I have been very busy of late writing to my hearts content. I have started writing "first" chapters on the website www.chainbooks.com. Where one person writes the first chapter and then another person writes the second chapter, etc. until the book is finished and then it's published. But I need help! I need people to go read what I've written and then write another chapter after that. To find my chapters, just go to the website - chainbooks.com, click on the "Our Authors" and go to the "C's" and I'm on the 3rd page. Here is a part of one of my chapters to get your curiosity stirred up:
The Right to Love
“I can take care of myself. I've been around boats and I know how to drive one, thank you.” Helene Thomas said as she glared at the man behind the counter.
“Yes, missy, but you could get lost or hurt and we would not know where you were. It is not safe for a wo . . . I mean a person to go out by herself in a boat,” the rental employee tried to explain in his thick Bahamian accent.
Helene grabbed her receipt and the map and turned for the door, she threw over her shoulder, “Don't worry about me, I'll see you this evening.”
Her employer – O.K. Travel agency in Miami, had sent Helene to this small island. Her job was to take in the sights and make a full report on the amenities, entertainment and accommodations available. She would have three days to soak up the sun, take in the sights, and do some snorkeling in the beautiful clear turquoise colored waters.
Finding the rental boat, she maneuvered the 14 foot Boston Whaler out into the bay and headed for open water. The speed limit was 10 miles per hour until she hit open water. However, once she was there, she opened the throttle wide open and let the wind whip through her short blonde curls.
She looked at the map trying to hang on to it in the wind and plotted a course for a small group of islands about 10 miles distance from the port of Georgetown where she had rented the boat. Her destination promised brightly colored fish and a perfect place to snorkel.
It was a small bay with white sand beach and she had it all to herself. On both sides of the bay were lava rocks forming ten-foot cliffs on each side. Helene stopped the boat and donned her gear – she had her diving gloves, a small shell net, fins, a snorkel and mask. She had made sure to wear light cotton pants and a white tee shirt over her one-piece bathing suit for protection from the merciless June sun. As she fell backward into the cool water, she felt like she was forgetting something, but shrugged it off as trying to be more careful than she had to be.
The landscape before her took her breath away, the vibrant colors of the coral ranged from dark purple to orange and blue. The fish were no less impressive. She saw angelfish with a rainbow of colors and designs and schools of smaller fish flashing silver. Far below where she floated, she saw a starfish about a foot in diameter.
She took a few extra breaths, dove down, and reached for the starfish. She picked it up and held it in one hand as she admired it. She did not want to disturb nature though, so she gently lowered it back to the sand. As she did she noticed the rock wall in front of her, it had an opening, a cave or just an indention in the rocks, she was not sure which one. Helene realized that her air was about gone and she shot for the surface to breathe.
The discovery of the cave, if that is what it was, was too much for her to pass up. Taking a few more breaths, she dove again to explore the opening. She was curious about it and her conscience warred with her, telling her this was not a smart move, but she went against it and entered the cave anyway.
There was a short space of about ten feet of rock walls on every side. Then she could see sunlight again. She shot ahead, needing air.
She came up in a rounded domed cavern. About 5 feet above her was the top of the dome and a hole had eroded through letting in air and sunlight. It was beautiful; she turned in a circle looking in every direction.
She thought about her brother, John, how he would have enjoyed this. However, he had been killed a year earlier. He had been an innocent by-stander in the wrong place at the wrong time, when the police had cornered a drug dealer and a gunfight began. Helene didn’t know whom she hated more – drug dealers or police.
It was time to head back to the boat. Taking a few more deep breaths, she dove down to find the opening she had come through. She found only solid rock. Unlike her trip into the chamber, she did not see sunlight to guide her. In panic, she surfaced again and tread water for another minute, breathing deep and trying to get control of her emotions. The tunnel was there, she just had to find it again. With that, she dove again. She found the tunnel and mentally sighed in relief. But as she swam through the dark tunnel, she realized that this was not the same entrance. This was leading her somewhere else and it was a long passage. To make matters worse the space was narrow and her lungs were starting to protest. She needed to turn back to get some air. However, she found she was trapped; there was no room to turn around. Panic set in and she swam forward because that was the only way she could go. She saw light before her, about fifteen feet; she could make it she told herself. She got to a narrow opening and squeezed through it. Her head grazed a rock as she struggled through the hole and her feet cleared the space, but before she could get to the surface blackness took over.
Bus Stop
Laurie Sheldon checked to make sure she had her lunch and her backpack full of books she would need for the school day before she left the house. She called out to her mother as she headed for the front door, “Mom! I'm leaving! Love you and I'll see you later.”
Her mother shouted back from the kitchen, “Okay, honey. Have a good day at school. Phillip will meet you at the bus stop this afternoon.” Phillip was Laurie's older brother; he was a junior at school while she was just a freshman. Phillip was seventeen while she had just turned fourteen.
At 6:15 am, the sun was barely up and the dense Louisiana fog didn't make things any better. The school year was almost over and Laurie was proud that she had been getting good grades so far.
Laurie walked along the side of the road; there was a ditch to her right and the road on her left. The bus stop was not far, about a quarter of a mile from her house. There were usually other children walking along the road with her, but not this morning, she was alone. The fog made her a little uneasy; it was hard to see ahead more than a few yards.
She thought about the history test she had today. She had studied for it until late last night. Her cell phone buzzed; she had a text message. She stopped walking, pulled it from her pocket, and opened it. The text was from her best friend, Cindy. It said - “Ricky said he loved me, c you n class.” Laurie started walking again. She thought about Cindy and the on and off relationship with her boyfriend.
Laurie did not realize she had walked more into the road than she should have been and by the time she saw the headlights it was too late. The bus hit her. She landed more in the ditch than in the road. Blood poured out of a head wound and there were internal injuries.
The bus driver was inconsolable - crying and screaming. The ambulance rushed Laurie to the hospital. Her family was called, and they hurried to the hospital. The doctors told them that Laurie had to have emergency surgery to have her spleen removed and she had a brain injury. Laurie was in a coma, which would be a good thing for a while. However, the days dragged on and on. They took turns staying at the hospital with her. They read to her, talked to her, even sang together beside her bed. They prayed and hoped that the sound of their voices would bring her back to them. It did not.
I have been very busy of late writing to my hearts content. I have started writing "first" chapters on the website www.chainbooks.com. Where one person writes the first chapter and then another person writes the second chapter, etc. until the book is finished and then it's published. But I need help! I need people to go read what I've written and then write another chapter after that. To find my chapters, just go to the website - chainbooks.com, click on the "Our Authors" and go to the "C's" and I'm on the 3rd page. Here is a part of one of my chapters to get your curiosity stirred up:
The Right to Love
“I can take care of myself. I've been around boats and I know how to drive one, thank you.” Helene Thomas said as she glared at the man behind the counter.
“Yes, missy, but you could get lost or hurt and we would not know where you were. It is not safe for a wo . . . I mean a person to go out by herself in a boat,” the rental employee tried to explain in his thick Bahamian accent.
Helene grabbed her receipt and the map and turned for the door, she threw over her shoulder, “Don't worry about me, I'll see you this evening.”
Her employer – O.K. Travel agency in Miami, had sent Helene to this small island. Her job was to take in the sights and make a full report on the amenities, entertainment and accommodations available. She would have three days to soak up the sun, take in the sights, and do some snorkeling in the beautiful clear turquoise colored waters.
Finding the rental boat, she maneuvered the 14 foot Boston Whaler out into the bay and headed for open water. The speed limit was 10 miles per hour until she hit open water. However, once she was there, she opened the throttle wide open and let the wind whip through her short blonde curls.
She looked at the map trying to hang on to it in the wind and plotted a course for a small group of islands about 10 miles distance from the port of Georgetown where she had rented the boat. Her destination promised brightly colored fish and a perfect place to snorkel.
It was a small bay with white sand beach and she had it all to herself. On both sides of the bay were lava rocks forming ten-foot cliffs on each side. Helene stopped the boat and donned her gear – she had her diving gloves, a small shell net, fins, a snorkel and mask. She had made sure to wear light cotton pants and a white tee shirt over her one-piece bathing suit for protection from the merciless June sun. As she fell backward into the cool water, she felt like she was forgetting something, but shrugged it off as trying to be more careful than she had to be.
The landscape before her took her breath away, the vibrant colors of the coral ranged from dark purple to orange and blue. The fish were no less impressive. She saw angelfish with a rainbow of colors and designs and schools of smaller fish flashing silver. Far below where she floated, she saw a starfish about a foot in diameter.
She took a few extra breaths, dove down, and reached for the starfish. She picked it up and held it in one hand as she admired it. She did not want to disturb nature though, so she gently lowered it back to the sand. As she did she noticed the rock wall in front of her, it had an opening, a cave or just an indention in the rocks, she was not sure which one. Helene realized that her air was about gone and she shot for the surface to breathe.
The discovery of the cave, if that is what it was, was too much for her to pass up. Taking a few more breaths, she dove again to explore the opening. She was curious about it and her conscience warred with her, telling her this was not a smart move, but she went against it and entered the cave anyway.
There was a short space of about ten feet of rock walls on every side. Then she could see sunlight again. She shot ahead, needing air.
She came up in a rounded domed cavern. About 5 feet above her was the top of the dome and a hole had eroded through letting in air and sunlight. It was beautiful; she turned in a circle looking in every direction.
She thought about her brother, John, how he would have enjoyed this. However, he had been killed a year earlier. He had been an innocent by-stander in the wrong place at the wrong time, when the police had cornered a drug dealer and a gunfight began. Helene didn’t know whom she hated more – drug dealers or police.
It was time to head back to the boat. Taking a few more deep breaths, she dove down to find the opening she had come through. She found only solid rock. Unlike her trip into the chamber, she did not see sunlight to guide her. In panic, she surfaced again and tread water for another minute, breathing deep and trying to get control of her emotions. The tunnel was there, she just had to find it again. With that, she dove again. She found the tunnel and mentally sighed in relief. But as she swam through the dark tunnel, she realized that this was not the same entrance. This was leading her somewhere else and it was a long passage. To make matters worse the space was narrow and her lungs were starting to protest. She needed to turn back to get some air. However, she found she was trapped; there was no room to turn around. Panic set in and she swam forward because that was the only way she could go. She saw light before her, about fifteen feet; she could make it she told herself. She got to a narrow opening and squeezed through it. Her head grazed a rock as she struggled through the hole and her feet cleared the space, but before she could get to the surface blackness took over.
Bus Stop
Laurie Sheldon checked to make sure she had her lunch and her backpack full of books she would need for the school day before she left the house. She called out to her mother as she headed for the front door, “Mom! I'm leaving! Love you and I'll see you later.”
Her mother shouted back from the kitchen, “Okay, honey. Have a good day at school. Phillip will meet you at the bus stop this afternoon.” Phillip was Laurie's older brother; he was a junior at school while she was just a freshman. Phillip was seventeen while she had just turned fourteen.
At 6:15 am, the sun was barely up and the dense Louisiana fog didn't make things any better. The school year was almost over and Laurie was proud that she had been getting good grades so far.
Laurie walked along the side of the road; there was a ditch to her right and the road on her left. The bus stop was not far, about a quarter of a mile from her house. There were usually other children walking along the road with her, but not this morning, she was alone. The fog made her a little uneasy; it was hard to see ahead more than a few yards.
She thought about the history test she had today. She had studied for it until late last night. Her cell phone buzzed; she had a text message. She stopped walking, pulled it from her pocket, and opened it. The text was from her best friend, Cindy. It said - “Ricky said he loved me, c you n class.” Laurie started walking again. She thought about Cindy and the on and off relationship with her boyfriend.
Laurie did not realize she had walked more into the road than she should have been and by the time she saw the headlights it was too late. The bus hit her. She landed more in the ditch than in the road. Blood poured out of a head wound and there were internal injuries.
The bus driver was inconsolable - crying and screaming. The ambulance rushed Laurie to the hospital. Her family was called, and they hurried to the hospital. The doctors told them that Laurie had to have emergency surgery to have her spleen removed and she had a brain injury. Laurie was in a coma, which would be a good thing for a while. However, the days dragged on and on. They took turns staying at the hospital with her. They read to her, talked to her, even sang together beside her bed. They prayed and hoped that the sound of their voices would bring her back to them. It did not.
A couple of sample articles
Sedona, AZ.
I’m sure there have been many things written about Sedona, Arizona. It is one of the places that gets the most travelers within Arizona. Sedona has some of the most scenery on the planet. It’s called the “Red Rock Country” for a very good reason. It has vistas at every turn of red rocks.
In Sedona, you can find many things to keep you busy. Stop at the Information Center coming in from the South, and you will be greeted with a sort of history and museum about indigenous life in and around Sedona and the Grand Canyon. The friendly people can guide you with maps and tell you the best places to stay and eat in the area. As you leave heading toward the North you come to Oak Creek Canyon, a wild and wonderful place.
There are many outdoor activities to do in Sedona, such as hiking in the rocks that surround the town, mountain biking, camping and fishing and horseback riding. The town offers a sightseeing tour of the breathtaking scenery.
In Sedona, you can find many things to keep you busy. Stop at the Information Center coming in from the South, and you will be greeted with a sort of history and museum about indigenous life in and around Sedona and the Grand Canyon. The friendly people can guide you with maps and tell you the best places to stay and eat in the area. As you leave heading toward the North you come to Oak Creek Canyon, a wild and wonderful place.
There are many outdoor activities to do in Sedona, such as hiking in the rocks that surround the town, mountain biking, camping and fishing and horseback riding. The town offers a sightseeing tour of the breathtaking scenery.
The Craziest Cat in the World
Blog Post
Yes, it's true I had the craziest cat in the country, maybe even in the world. But of course I loved her any way. Her name was Sassy and she was black in color, not a white hair on her, a domestic short hair breed, and I think she must have been part Siamese. She wasn’t very old when I got her about a year ago. That was when she was two months old. What made her a crazy cat? First of all, she liked to sleep in the bed with my husband and me, but not on top of the covers like a normal animal, but under the cover and she had to be against one of us at all times. Sometimes it got uncomfortable trying to turn over without squishing her. And if you happened to touch her during the night she began to meow as though she was incensed that you would dare touch her while she was asleep.
The second thing was her curiosity; it got her into trouble a couple of times. One night I was preparing our meal and had taken the broiler pan out of the bottom of the gas stove so I could put the chicken on it and add seasoning. I then returned the broiler pan to the bottom rack under the broiler, and turned on the heat. I left the room for a minute to get something from the pantry, and when I re-entered the kitchen I heard the most god-awful yowling you can imagine! I knew instantly what had happened and rushed to the stove and got the broiler door opened. Sassy flew out like a bullet being shot from a gun. The smell was of singed hair and whiskers, and her tail trailed smoke as she shot across the room. She hopped around on her paws for a minute as though they were very hot, which I'm sure they were. But after checking her over, I didn't find anything major wrong, other than curled whiskers and a little hair singed on her tail. Oh and her hurt feelings. I think I was more afraid than she was. But she has forgiven me and forgot about the whole thing, although she hasn't gone near the stove since.
The next thing that caused me to say she is crazy is one morning my husband was applying some salve for his Arthritis on his elbow and had the lid to the salve on the counter in the kitchen. Sassy, being the ever curious cat, decided to jump up and check out what he was doing. But she missed the counter and grabbed the lid, which fell squarely on her nose, leaving a long blue smudge of rubbing ointment. It was the kind that burns for hours. Needless to say, even after we got her nose clean she spent the next few hours trying to rid herself of the burn and smell of that ointment.
Sassy was the best part of my life for 6 months until we moved and after a short two weeks, she disappeared. We lived in apartments and I think one of my neighbors helped themselves to my sweet cat, I hope they gave her a good home and lots of love. I still miss her antics though.
The second thing was her curiosity; it got her into trouble a couple of times. One night I was preparing our meal and had taken the broiler pan out of the bottom of the gas stove so I could put the chicken on it and add seasoning. I then returned the broiler pan to the bottom rack under the broiler, and turned on the heat. I left the room for a minute to get something from the pantry, and when I re-entered the kitchen I heard the most god-awful yowling you can imagine! I knew instantly what had happened and rushed to the stove and got the broiler door opened. Sassy flew out like a bullet being shot from a gun. The smell was of singed hair and whiskers, and her tail trailed smoke as she shot across the room. She hopped around on her paws for a minute as though they were very hot, which I'm sure they were. But after checking her over, I didn't find anything major wrong, other than curled whiskers and a little hair singed on her tail. Oh and her hurt feelings. I think I was more afraid than she was. But she has forgiven me and forgot about the whole thing, although she hasn't gone near the stove since.
The next thing that caused me to say she is crazy is one morning my husband was applying some salve for his Arthritis on his elbow and had the lid to the salve on the counter in the kitchen. Sassy, being the ever curious cat, decided to jump up and check out what he was doing. But she missed the counter and grabbed the lid, which fell squarely on her nose, leaving a long blue smudge of rubbing ointment. It was the kind that burns for hours. Needless to say, even after we got her nose clean she spent the next few hours trying to rid herself of the burn and smell of that ointment.
Sassy was the best part of my life for 6 months until we moved and after a short two weeks, she disappeared. We lived in apartments and I think one of my neighbors helped themselves to my sweet cat, I hope they gave her a good home and lots of love. I still miss her antics though.