Over the years, especially the last two and half decades, (this year marks twenty-five years of wedded blessed), I have been unfairly labeled a procrastinator.My Mouse Needs a Battery
I begin a day of writing by reaching for the mouse. In short order, I discover said mouse is unresponsive and in need of a battery. Moving to retrieve a AA dry cell, I pause; then reclaim my seat.
As thoughts bombard my cranium, an all too familiar noise wafts through the air. Shaken, I glanced toward my animated cell phone. Could it be another battery-operated device taunting me for a charge, not to mention the cordless, landline telephone?
My brain continues to fill my overflowing, anxiety level. We just changed the car battery; perhaps we should contemplate an electric car? I think not at this particular juncture in time, for it seems my lawn mower is battery powered, along with our weed eater, hedge trimmer, and power tools. I’m not yet ready to upgrade my electrical power to accommodate a charging system.
I glance to the right and can’t believe my eyes. My Dragon head phones and blue tooth also have a need to be charged.
Will this ever end? Our bed controls are cordless. Our T.V. remotes (we need two) require batteries. On our bedroom wall, hangs a battery that we use to power a lift.
I can’t take much more of this; my temperature is rising! Please help me–my thermometer is battery-powered. Monitors throughout the house are powered by . . . Dare I say it . . . what choice do I have . . . BATTERIES! Other medical equipment, including a blood pressure cuff is battery powered. Our laptop and iPad . . . well, you know.
Even, my toothbrush requires an occasional charge to keep my teeth sparkling clean.
I give up. I guess our A.C. world is slowly changing to D.C. Why fight it? I best stock up on batteries, cause they’re on the way, if not already here.
Have a wonderful week and may God bless!
Filed under On writing
People Insist on Texting Me Instead of Calling
As I look around my writer’s room, I see a familiar friend, I am beginning to despise. I reach for my associate/nemesis and wonder, “How could something so useful become so despicable?” Then, it hits me, I want to use my cell phone to make calls; however, people insist on sending me text messages. Having to type a message in order to communicate is abhorrent to me. It takes forever to finish a conversation; one that could be completed in short order talking with the person instead of sending portions of the message through typing.
Although I realize texting has its place, it is in no way a means to an end. I, also, do not want to use my phone to access the internet, play video games, or strain my eyes attempting to watch a movie. I guess I’m just the exception to the rule. I often ask my wife, “Why don’t you just call them and get it over with instead of wearing out your thumbs over an extended period?”
Being the sweet person she is, I’ll get an answer such as, “Hush.”
Down-trodden and put in my place, I turn to my computer and begin to type on my present task, be it novel, short story or blog.
Then, I think, hmm, Perhaps I jumped the gun, ragging on the typed word as I did. It seems as though I have written myself into dire straits overthinking the practice of texting . . . Nah, my way of thinking is always correct. If you don’t believe me, just ask me.
For now, have a great week and may God shine his light upon you and yours.
Filed under On writing
“Deadly Reign,” the Third Novel in the Rising Tide Series
Deadly Reign is the third novel in the Rising Tide series. It was one of the most comfortable books I’ve had the pleasure to pen, as it wrote itself. I was fortunate just to go along for the ride. I’ll cut to the chase and share an excerpt:
“I see your men are back,” Ben said.
“Bearing gifts, no less,” Orac added.
“What have we here?” Ben asked, moving closer to the provisions.
“Warmth,” Caleb replied.
“Warmth?” Ben asked.
“What’s all the fuss?” Eve asked, emerging from her sleeping quarters.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Ben replied.
“Hides,” Pete exclaimed, holding up a large pelt.
“Nice,” Eve said, as she brushed her hand through the fur.
“I bet you don’t use these very often,” Ben said.
“This is the first time we have needed such things,” Caleb replied.
“I’m glad you had the foresight to store the essentials,” Ben said.
“We store nothing,” Caleb said. “Thalyn and Korell hunted these creatures, removed the skins and then cured the hides for our use.”
“That’s impossible,” Pete said. “You can’t get fresh animal hides to this point in twenty-four hours.”
“Thalyn,” Ben said, “how did you accomplish the impossible?”
“Such things take time,” Thalyn replied. “We have been away fifty-three risings of the Great Light.”
Ben thought for a moment. “That’s almost two months,” he said, refusing to believe his own words.
“My brother and I have explained to you how time passes for each of us,” Caleb said.
“Well, yeah,” Ben said, “but how can it be different when we’re together doing the same thing?”
“When we are in the presence of any of The Three,” Caleb said, “time passes at the same rate. If we are apart from The Three, time moves at a different rate. So inversely, in fact, that soon after you leave this place we will cease to be.”
I hope you enjoyed this small sample of Deadly Reign. Take good care, have a wonderful week, and enjoy God’s bountiful blessing’s!
Filed under On writing
After the First Draft of, “Eden’s Wake,” I Took a Much-Needed Rest.
After the first draft of, “Eden’s Wake,” was complete, I took a much-needed rest before delving into the world of rewrites. Happy with the initial manuscript, I set it aside to work on another project.
Taking a month or so to clear my head with another set of characters and situations, I felt ready to return to “Eden’s Wake,” and begin the first round of edits.
“Eden’s Wake,” being the second novel in the “Rising Tide” series, had me jonesing to get back to work.
I read the entire book, finding holes in my original evaluation of the first draft.
This began the process of rewriting; however, I was pleased to see improvement with each stroke of my virtual pen. I took periodic breaks to clear my head, before returning to the steadily improving, “Eden’s Wake.”
During this period I completed, “Deadly Reign,” the third book in the “Rising Tide” series. I decided to embark on a set of final rewrites, knowing this would prepare, “Eden’s Wake” for the publishing process, and more importantly be the perfect follow-up to, “Rising Tide.”
After an extended, but much needed amount of time, “Eden’s Wake” was published, taking its place on the shelf as the second book in the series. I’m including a short excerpt featuring Ben Adams.
“FIRE!” Ben hissed.
Three arrows left less than a second apart. The first struck its target and shattered. Projectile two touched the same point, bouncing away, but leaving a second chink in the overseer’s armor. Number three mimicked the trajectory of the first two sinking deep into the neck of the Overseer.
The creature jerked, sank to the ground, and shook violently. It shriveled into a black wrinkled mass that bubbled and exuded wisps of smoke as it spread in a puddle onto the cave floor.
On my next post, I’ll continue with an overview of the, “Rising Tide” series, moving into the third novel, “Deadly Reign.”
Have a wonderful week and may God bless you and yours!
Filed under On writing
Introducing a Character From My Flag Ship Novel
I would like to introduce a character who figures heavily in three consecutive novels (soon to be four.) His name is Ben Adams, and he first appears in my flagship novel, Rising Tide.
Ben is a saturation diver in a dystopian world. His present job has Ben, along with his cohort, cleaning up the debris field from an oil platform. The oil rig, known as Oz, was damaged in a category 6 hurricane.
Here is a small excerpt as Ben makes his monthly excursion from the ocean floor to the surface:
Another blast ripped through the Orion, cutting all power and knocking him to the floor. Ben lifted himself off the deck and found it impossible to stand. He felt his way along the floor, to the COM panel.
“Ben, are you there?”
“Marty! All systems down! All systems down!” he repeated.
“Your umbilical has been severed. Power up onboard support.”
“Understood,” Ben responded. “What next?” he whispered.
With my next post, we will delve deeper into Ben’s exploits as he finds his way through the world of Rising Tide.
Have a great week and may God bless.
Filed under On writing
Each Week I Set Out to Write a New Post for My Blog
Each week, I set out to write a new post for my blog, sending it along the cyber waves to a host of readers. “Why?” I ask myself. “For a host of reasons,” I reply. Bored with this conversation I move on, determined to answer this need to blog.
Having written on a multitude of different subjects and no doubt repeated many of them over the years, I am constantly on the search for new topics.
Humor plays a large role when working on a post. I like to think it will open up a smile, a chuckle, and possibly add a bright spot to a reader’s day.
Face it, I’m a blogger and a blogger’s gotta blog, else he aint a blogger. I do take time to pen novels, which is my passion; however, through blogging I have met several unique individuals.
So, I’ll keep plugging away . . . or should I say blogging away, hopefully, in an interesting manner that will keep you wanting to read.
I would like say thank you to an individual using the name of Consumer for their recent review of the second edition of my novel “Rising Tide” on Amazon. Your kind words are much appreciated.
Have a great day, a great week, and may God bless each of you richly.
Filed under On writing
The Holidays are Over for Another Year
Well, the holidays are over for another year, least wise speaking of the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years’ timetable.
Thoughts turn a bit melancholy over the loss of the festive holidays, especially Christmas. If we delve a bit deeper into these feelings, we will locate multiple sighs of relief or regret . . . and I mean to the power of ten. These laments come on the heels of money spent and the reckonings of another year before said money will be spent again.
Massive amounts of food, savory, sweet and otherwise, will be missed, along with the massive amount of calories that will be saved. In case, you failed to notice, it is time for the weight-loss commercials to begin.
Another thing, post-January 1st is the ever prevalent New Year’s resolution. These will run the gambit from quitting smoking, alcohol and over-eating, to running, lifting weights and filing your third toenail the second Tuesday of each month containing an “R.”
Being an author, the worst injustice I could possibly impose is literally leaving a character hanging precariously over an abyss for several days. This occurring while I join in the festivities, giving little thought to the life I have chosen to discard.
Pardon me while I shove my head into a closet for the shame of it all.
On a lighter note, I hope your week back to work has been enjoyable or at least tolerable. Remember, if you did not have a job at which to return . . . you would be unemployed and could not have gone in debt to finance your Christmas gifts. See, you win all the way around.
May God bless you and yours throughout this New Year!
Filed under On writing
2nd Edition Release! Free E Book Available on Amazon Jan. 1
Rising Tide, 2nd Edition release, e book only, free on Amazon, January 1 (follow link below) Print Edition Coming Soon
If reluctant to use this link, then go to Amazon.com Search Rising Tide, author, Lynn Steigleder. Rising Tide is the first in a three book series with a fourth to follow.
Another blast ripped through the Orion cutting the power and knocking Ben Adams to the floor. Alone in a decompression chamber suspended between the raging category six hurricane above and the habitat below, he sees little hope of survival.
Then he receives a mysterious message: Seek C.7. Ben has no idea what the message means nor whom it came from. This innocuous event points him toward a preordained course unknowingly under the watchful eye of an supernatural forces.
Rising Tide, the first book in the Rising Tide series, begins a dangerous journey of battling evil in a post-apocalyptic world that has been corrupted by the collapse of morality.
Filed under On writing
Merry Christmas!
I would like to take a moment to wish my followers and readers a very merry Christmas and most wondrous New Year!
And remember Jesus is the reason for every season!
Filed under On writing
Author Lynn Steigleder 