Welcome Back to the Month of Me!

It's been one year to the day since I started this blogging adventure. Last October, I gave myself the gift of a blog to help make writing my priority. I began on October 1st as a way of celebrating the month of me. I was born in October, and for those who don't know my philosophy, I think once you hit a certain age, you deserve more than just a day of celebration. I'm currently taking a month, doing things that inspire me, things that will help me move forward toward achieving my dreams, and things that are just plain fun. It seems to be working. 

This year, almost exactly one year later, my first book went up for sale on Smashwords and Amazon. And exactly one year later, my Amazon author page has been approved. It is officially official. Let the celebrating commence. 

Please take a moment to head on over to check out The Ravens Crossing, Season One: The 13. If you press the like button and agree with the tags, or think up and add a few tags of your own, it will help our book get noticed by others. We'd really appreciate it, particularly since this work is a labor of love. A portion of the proceeds from every sale of this anthology go the The Make it Safe Project for LGBTQ youth.

Also, note this is a bit of a different kind of reading experience. It's an anthology of the first season of our online young adult, science fiction series as it appeared in daily short fiction segments. All the stories in season one work separately, but also work together toward creating one larger overall story arc. It's the work of three authors, myself, Andi Lea, and West Thornhill. If you like what you read, you can follow Season Two for free online. We are in week 9 of the season right now.

Thanks to everyone who has been following and supporting me in this journey. Hope the Month of Me is good to all of you, too. You deserve it! 

When Dreams Become Reality

Almost one year to the day after I started this blog, my first book was published today. This is a life long dream come to pass. I can't begin to express what it means to me to officially announce that The Ravens Crossing, Season One: The 13 is now available on Smashwords. Published by Thursday & Co., this is an anthology of the first season of our young adult, science fiction online series. I have been so proud to be a part of this project with friends and fellow authors Andi Lea and West Thornhill. This is a new kind of reading experience. For those of you who have not been following The Ravens Crossing online, here is the book description.

Wildwood may look like a normal, trendy neighborhood along the bank of the Iowa River, a place where equality is the norm, and everyone takes community seriously. But, the Crossing in front of Wildwood High School, where Wildwood Avenue meets Ravens Road, is more than just the heart of the neighborhood. Those who call Wildwood their home are protecting more secrets than anyone would ever suspect. When 13 students entering their junior year of high school at WHS begin to uncover the truth, even those who have lived in Wildwood their entire lives will be shocked.

Lucas, Riley, Morgan, Holly, Kaz, Quinn, Darci, Elliot, Sharon, Alex, Raiden, Hemp, and Tetsuya become involved in a world of danger, while trying to navigate the social scene of teenage life. The 13 uncover what is happening in the Grove, where passing the next test involves more than reading a textbook. Find out who is secretly crushing, who is bold enough to confess, who isn’t ready to commit, and what everyone will have to do to protect Wildwood. Join 13 students as they discover the importance of trust and what it truly means to have power.

The Ravens Crossing (TRC) is a LGBTQ and Straight Ally friendly project. TRC is a continuity story, told through daily short fiction segments, involving multiple authors, characters, and points of view. This is the complete anthology of Season One, compiled from TRC website. Season Two began in August 2012.

I hope you'll head on over to Smashwords to download your copy of The Ravens Crossing, Season One. Then, be sure to catch up on Season Two online weekly at www.thereavenscrossing.org.

Mother Earth, Mother Earth

"She breathes good luck!" - Xavier Rudd.

I had the great fortune to meet Xavier a few years back when he made his big debut at Floyd Fest. I love his music, and I love his message. Why? Well this video of his song, "The Mother" sums it up for me. Enjoy!

Palm Oil: It's Bad Stuff!

Photo by kabils on FlickrSome bad news from Cameroon caught my eye today. One of the palm oil conglomerates, Herakles, has opted to quit the sustainability group they had previously agreed to participate in. Now, as they build their 70,000 hectare palm oil plantation in the heart of one of the most biodiverse rainforests in the world, they may go forward with clear cutting, decimating many highly valued conservation areas. This is something that won't only be bad for the plants, animals, and indigenous people, but for the long-term economy of the area. The plantation will most likely only produce for a short period of time, and then the soil will be depleted of nutrients, leaving behind nothing but rock. That's the way rainforests work, you see. Most of the nutrients are above the soil level in a healthy rainforest. That's why the plants are so huge and lush, and why there is so much biodiversity. Once all of that is clearcut, the thin soil level will only sustain a farm for a few years, and then that's all she wrote. 

So who cares right? I mean it's some forest half way around the globe. It's not as if you have any say so in this. It's not as if you can do anything about it right? Wrong! Here's why I bring it up. Palm oil is in about 50% of what you buy at the grocery store. You will find it in everything from lipstick and shampoo to foods. So, taking a few extra minutes to check your products would be grand. Then, cut back or cut out palm oil from your life. Production for this agricultural commodity has increased by something like  485 % in the past decade. It's time we try moving that number in the other direction. Nobody can do that but the consumer. That's you. That's me. That's all of us. Each individual makes a difference. We really do! 

And, in case you need a good incentive for taking the time and making the sacrifices to cut back on your palm oil use, remember those beautiful Orangutans. Production of palm oil has been linked to their near extinction. So, think of them next time you are wheeling your cart through the grocery, and I'll plan to do the same. Let's try making a difference, starting today!

Determination is Key.

It's been a busy month here on the farm. The Mom and her beau, Jean and Gene, are off RVing across the country. You can actually follow their travel journal complete with fab photos at The Old Pair of Jeans. I love that they are off on their grand adventure. They've been so excited about it. However, this means I am the lone farm girl for three months. Not that I'm complaining mind you. It just means breaking out some determination if I'm going to keep so many balls in the air. But, determination I can do and do well. I guess I come by that honestly. I'm making it work with a little help from my friends. Thanks friends!

Though the blogging has been a little less frequent, the creative writing is going spectacularly. The Ravens Crossing, Season Two is in full swing. Along with my fellow authors and college friends Andi Lea and West Thornhill, and all of team TRC, we have accomplished more than I ever dreamed possible in the past 8 months. Plus, we have so much more fantastic stuff planned. It often amazes me what we can come up with when we put our minds together. Anyway, in the interest of keeping all my balls in the air, you know, things like meeting writing deadlines, getting paintings ready for an upcoming show, and mowing 46 acres of farm, I'm going to have to get a move on. In honor of TRC and the hard work and determination of our team, I thought I'd post my all-time favorite example of Corvid intelligence in action. Even the crows know it to be true. Determination is the key to success.