Well, it's been ages since my last post - and ages since I last updated anything on fictionpress.com, too.  I do sincerely apologize to anyone that might actually read these posts and has been checking for any updates from me.  In the second half of my pregnancy I definitely hit a down spot.  I have since had my baby and, though I'd love to get back to writing now that I'm feeling better, I have no time with a one-month-old to write.  Even now she's crying her little heart out.  *sighs*

I have been giving thought to the details of the next chapters of "Dowry of Stories" but might, due to the less mental energy needed, get to revising "Black Nightmares" next and work on the new story as I get the time for it.  I have seen a few of my readers mark my new story on their updates for the site, and wish I could tell them that it will be updated soon, but I can make no promises.

It's also a little sad, now that I have a baby, my imagination seems to have left me!  I have little time now to let my mind wander to fantasies anymore which is usually the start of my stories.  But, as she gets older and I have more time to myself, this will hopefully abate.  Hopefully this will be sooner, rather than later.

Also, of note in upcoming months that will likely affect my writing, is that my husband will be changing duty stations (he's hoping to get sent to Hawaii).  While I hate the thought of going that far away mostly because that means my three cats have to spend hours in the cargo hold of the plane (no in-cabin travel to those nice "rabies-free" places like Hawii and Guam and England for my kitties), it would be nice to go to "paradise" for a few years.  I will probably be going places while I'm there, too.  I'd love to go do all the usual touristy stuff - going to the beaches and the volcano and to luaus.  Being a "tourist" for five years will be nice!  LOL

Well, I must run.  Though the crying has ceased I still have things to do - whether that's going to pick her up or going to clean some - I still have much to do around the house.

And, to any of my readers that might actually read this - I do want to get back to writing, and as soon as I get the chance, I will be sitting down to my computer to work on stories.  Granted, I also need to get around to converting my old stories on diskettes (those "ancient" {or quaint, as my brother-in-law calls them} little hard plastic "floppies" as I call them) to my flashdrive (which I finally bought one of last summer) and that has a slightly higher priority in case my getting-old computer craps itself and I can't find a A:-drive computer or plug-in next time.

I'll try to keep anyone that reads this posted of changes to my story status.

Until then, I wish you the best!  ^_^

Well, I know I said in my last post that I would hopefully get around to revising "Black Nightmares" starting next month, but I'm not sure if I will.  I've been slower writing "Dowry of Stories" than I had originally thought I'd be.  I'm barely into the fifth chapter so I'm only a little ahead of what I'm posting.  But, editing isn't nearly as hard as writing a new story so I might spend some time editing part two of the Dragon's Gift trilogy.

I'm going to be posting the next chapter on Wednesday the 5th so, if I have any readers that check here, be on the look out for that.  I think I'm going to be posting about two weeks apart to give myself plenty of time to get chapters written and edited, though I know that doesn't make most readers happy knowing they have to wait so long between chapters.  I know my husband gets very upset when one of his favorite fanfics doesn't get updated daily...impatient guy...

Wow...  My feet hurt...  I've been up since 6am making cookie!  I'm almost done, thank the gods...  Only about 120 more cookies to go...  T_T  So far I've made about 30 dozen cookies...  My mind isn't capable of double-digit multiplication at the moment so you figure out how many that is...

Why so many cookies?  Tomorrow is my husband's class picnic for his students.  There's about 400 students in the class...not all of them will show, but will be replaced with guys and gals with families, surely.  I'm about sick of baking.  But, at least it's not taking as long as I had feared it would.  I'm glad I can take a few breaks to rest my feet.  I even grabbed one of my Tempur Pedic pillows and using it as a cushion for my feet.  It's working.  Now my feet only hurt when I have to move.  >_<

I'm not going to the picnic tomorrow.  I'm going to spend the late morning and early afternoon writing since I'll have a quiet house.  Once my husband gets home, I won't be able to concentrate on writing unless it's a little editing.  Though all he'll probably be doing is shoting nazi zombies again on his game.  Joy...

And, yeah, I finally got the first two chapters of "Dowry of Stories" posted on fictionpress.com.  Yay!  I'm really trying hard with the story to get it just the way I want it.  It flows so smoothly in my head...but what seems plausible over 8yrs in my head might not do so well in writing.

Hopefully, by the end of the month, I'll get through writing most of "Dowry of Stories" and then I'll start revising "Black Nightmares".  That story probably needs a lot of revision, just like "Dragon's Gift" did.  And I'm positive there's plenty of naked dialouge to fix in it as well.  So, if any of my readers check up on my entries here, look forward to more stuff by the end of the month!  I'm hoping to have "Dowry of Stories" and the revisions for "Black Nightmares" done before the end of September.  Once they're done, I'll start another new story and start revising the last of the trilogy.  ^_^

Don't know when I'll be posting here again.  I usually only post when I have something to say that's worth saying.  Progress on my stories can more easily be seen on fictionpress.com.  LOL

Well, here's a pregnancy symptom I haven't read about...  I can't concentrate.  And that has me worried...  Is it gonna get worse later on and affect my ability to drive before my growing belly does?  >_<  To me, as my title says, my mind feels nauseated...so I guess my morning sickness has moved from my stomach to my brain...  And it's the same type, too.  Unproductive...

Right now I'm having a hard time concentrating (or even thinking of concentrating) on revision or new writings...  I'm still hoping to have the first few chapters of "Dowry of Stories" posted by the end of this week (so that's by July 11).  I had a little bit of a brain wave for the chapter I'm on so hopefully that means some of the mental nausea is going away - even if just for a day.

I know that a few of my fans...if any of them are interested in reading my newest story...are looking forward to it and I'm postponing it.  If any of you readers of mine actually read my now infrequent entries here.  I post more when I'm writing more - if that's any help to show my productivity levels.

I'm going to head off and try to write some.

I've been gone a while, huh?  I've got plenty of reason to be out, though.

The Twilight Saga has kept me away for a while.

Then there's the fact that I've not been feeling well most days after about two in the afternoon.  Morning sickness sucks horribly...  Yeah, I'm pregnant.  @_@  No, I'm not all that excited that I'm gonna have a baby, even if my husband and I had been trying for nine months prior.  But I've been told I'll get excited...eventually...

But, anyway, I'm going to try to get back to writing this week.  I just got around to editing the first few chapters of "Dowry of Stories" and I'm going to post the first two chapters when I get at least five chapters finished.  I always like to be a little ahead of what's getting posted so if I have a bout of writer's block I can still get some stuff posted before I'm dry on material.  It's not an easy story to write, though, trying to keep information from the reader.  I can see how writer's like Rowling feel when writing parts of their stories.

I'll be around.  Looking forward to writing again.  I got a lot to do...  I'll be revising "Black Nightmares" soon, too.

Been a while since my last post.

I got "Dragon's Gift" finished.  I need to get to "Black Nightmares" now.  I also need to start tweeking the chapters of "Dowry of Stories" I already have written to get them ready to post.  I'm hoping to get that going next month.  I've been lazy about writing lately, but there's been reasons for that.

I did take a break from writing after "Dragon's Gift" to give myself a break.  That lasted for about a week.  Then I went to my "forced" reading of the Twilight Saga.  My best friend told me I had to read it.  She only gave me the first three books, though...  I read them in a day each.  Hehe...  They're good, I'll give Mrs. Meyer that.  They're also fairly addictive for romance oriented people (hey, that's pretty much her whole target demographic...).  Sadly...because I only had the first three books and my best friend was gushing all about how wonderful the fourth book was...I broke down and went to buy the entire series...yes, the whole series, because there's no point in getting just one book for a series.  Right?  And, I'll say this much, though it's not one of my favorite books, I am rereading it.  It's good enough for that at least.  Too bad I don't think the movie was worth watching a second time.  They took out my two favorite parts of the book and smooshed them into one scene basically.  Not fair.  Glad I rented the DVD.

Well, I can't think at the moment to write more.  I've been so tired lately.  My mind just can't do much.  Guess it's good I haven't been writing, I might mess something up.  LOL

Off I go.  Suppose it's time for bed.

Well, after about a week in North Carolina doing particularly nothing at my best friend's house, I'm back and getting started on the final chapters for "Dragon's Gift" that need revising.  I didn't get anything really done while I was up there.  I was going to ask my friend to read the starting pages of two of my stories I'm currently writing but I printed up the wrong version of my "Lands of Jahndunia" story!  The other - "Dowry of Stories" - I just never got around to working on or having her read.  I didn't even really get anything done on the map or story information parts for "Lands of Jahndunia".  Only thing I did accomplish was working one afternoon in her garden until my arm hurt - and it hurt for two days after that, too.  Also found a Christmas present for my mother-in-law.  She likes teapots and she likes Santa - so she's getting a miniature tea set with all the vessels and platters shaped like Santa's head and beard.  Very adorable.

Only five more chapters to revise for "Dragon's Gift".  After that, I'm adding a new author's note "chapter" at the end - even though I think that's against FP.com's policy.  I'll also be deleting the old author's note chapter and the "final thanks to my reviewers" chapter.  Once I'm done, I'm going to work on "Dowry of Stories" for a week before going on to revising "Black Nightmares" - or that's the plan at least.  I'm planning to start posting my new story around my birthday - June 14th.  I might not be done with revisions to "Angel of Silk" by then, but I'll have a few chapters ready for posting for "Dowry of Stories" I'm sure so I'll have plenty of stuff to post.

But, one thing that might slow me down some is that I have been told I have to read the Twilight series.  A friend of my best friend (and I guess I can call her a friend, too) loaned them to me.  I've been told Bella is a lot like me apparently, right down to the way we think.  So that has me interested some.  And it'll be good research for my own vampire-related story.  But I think the White Wolf RPG books will be more helpful than a bestseller.  Which I have the entire set of those now - Changeling, Mage, Vampire, and Werewolf.  They should prove very useful.  So "The House and the Grove" might be the next one after "Dowry of Stories" that I post - if I get enough information and inspiration.  We'll see, though.

That's my update for now - though I doubt anyone reads this.  Kinda wish LJ had a "traffic" feature like FP.com has so I could at least see if anyone was reading my entries here.  LOL!  Would probably do better having a blog - or whatever they're called - on FaceBook or MySpace or any of those other more popular sites.  But LJ is quiet and I like quiet.  I also don't like too much hype.  So this is perfect for me, I suppose.

I'm well into revising "Dragon's Gift".  I'm currently working with chapter 14 and it and 15 are going to need a lot of revision to fix the things that are rough or just need reworking to make the parts smoother.  I'm working with one of my major issues with this revision - dialogue motions (or whatever it's called).  A lot of my dialogue has no descriptive elements outside it - how the character is speaking, what their doing while speaking, or reactions of others to speaking.  I'm also adding a lot more description to the story in general, trying to foreshadow to the two sequels (if you can call it foreshadowing after the fact).  So far, it looks like I've doubled the word count in every chapter from the original.  It's amazing how much I'm adding!  I'm really hoping to be nearly done by next Monday, otherwise I won't be working on it any until that next Sunday night.

Starting next Tuesday I'm going to North Carolina to see my best friend.  ^_^  Going to go out to Melting Pot (yay fondue!) and go look at some antiques and help her clean her house/garden some.  And, I'm also going to steal a friend of hers' Twilight series cause they both think I need to read it.  My poor hubby will be home without me for nearly a week!  I feel sorry for him...and the cats.

And, final note...  I can't wait for Wednesday!  Though Square Enix (henceforth SE) isn't releasing any new major expansions (for at least another year and a half probably) so they're releasing what I'm calling "mini-expansions" (and what they're calling "expansion scenarios").  The first one is being released Wednesday!  YAY!  Though I really would like them to open up another area in the past, I have a feeling they aren't (even though the way they have the story summary stuff hints to they should).  I might actually start playing FFXI more with this release - something I've been wanting to do but haven't been able to get myself to do.

Indeed...it is!  I am on my last chapter of "Revelations in Twilight".  And, contrary to what I said in my last post, I did shorten down the story even more.  Chapter seventeen shall be the last chapter (even if it's going to end up being the eight pages I fear it will become...I'm on page four ATM and think it's only half done!).  I'm trying to get it done to be posted on Saturday.  I know what I want to do and where I want to go...the problem is wading through the stuff I sort of need to write in order to get to the final important parts - which includes a two-part fight scene.  I suck at fight scenes...

But, while this shall be the end of one story, it is the beginning of revision on the Dragon's Gift trilogy and severe work on the start of my next story to be posted.

I'm always writing...or thinking of crazy things to write.  And I need to get back to that...just needed a bit of a break from the story.

Yes!  I have done it!  I have gotten back to writing on "Revelations in Twilight".  I've posted two new chapters, too.  Gotten a lot written ahead, too.  But, I've reduced down the length from an original 25 chapters or so (when I first started writing it ages and ages ago) to just 19 at the moment.  I don't think it will be reduced anymore.  I reduced the length to make chapters longer and cut down on too much BS.  I'm not all that great with mystery-type stories, which is what I was trying to pull off with it.  And in a recent chapter (which isn't posted yet) I had an interesting possible twist, but that would just be waaay too cliche if i tried to do it, so I probably won't and just make my readers wonder about it.  Maybe it'll actually get me a review (haven't  had any yet in the past two chapters).  I'd really like to know if I'm doing good or not with it, but at least they have the "traffic" page that you don't have to pay for anymore that lets you know that people are reading your stories.  And they have been.  Someone even added it to their alerts.  That pleases me some.

But, what really surprises me, is that the Dragon's Gift trilogy is still getting LOTS of hits.  I still don't know why it's so popular, but it gives me hope that I am a decent writer.  Yay!  LOL  It does need to be revised, though.  Once I finish with "Revelations in Twilight", that is my next project - to revise the trilogy.  While I'm working on revisions, though, I'm going to work on "Dowry of Stories" as my next story to be posted.  Angsty romance.  And, like I said originally in the description I used to have on my FP.com profile, it was spawned from an alternative story based on "Dragon's Gift".  It really was!  Granted, "Dragon's Gift" spawned from a crazy alternative story based on my oldest story "Karis"...which I do plan to eventually post to FictionPress.com.

Well, even though it's 12:30am on a Sunday morning, I'm not tired at all!  That might have something to do with the fact I just got up from a 6 or 7 hour nap...  I'm probably going to stay up the rest of the night.  Going to write some more.  I can't wait to finish this story!  It's one of my least favorite stories of all time that I've written.  And when I originally started on it I had a great idea and had such high hopes.  But, it's almost done.  Think I was writing on chapter 12 earlier.  Only seven more chapters to go.  Some of them I have a lot written for already, but it needs revision because it was prewritten years ago and I have altered the story a little as it goes.  And I know how I'm ending it!  No romance!  That's a rarity for me!  But, I think I saw doing a story with no romance as a challenge.

Off I go!  Always got so much writing to do!