Brain Freeze!

 

February 2023 Blog

Cold Thought: A Haiku

There are those days that

Chill the mind as well as the

Body – this is one.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

(1/31/23)

 

There is ice over everything today and almost all over the whole of the United States. In Roswell, New Mecico, we have had a rather mild winter. February 1^st may be the worst of it.

My brain is frozen, too, and I can use only my inside voice. Which is not as free-wheeling as my outside voice writing in the sun and fresh air.

And, I have a deadline (self-imposed for sure), but I have promised to have “Raven’s Roost – A Sam Rock Novel” to my manuscript checker in early March and to my audio narrator this s\Spring.

So it’s coming (come hell-or-high-water) this Spring – my Sam Rock sequel. Yay! Just a few more chapters to finish off and preliminary editing and then off to the printer.

It has not been as prolific a winter as I had hoped, but I did discover some early poetry that is both free verse and rhymed (way before any thought of Haiku). I am seriously thinking of publishing a collection this summer – after a little editing, of course.

Me and mine have survived the winter well so far. No serious illnesses or injuries. I hope that you and yours have all fared as well. Although I know that a lot of the country had had far more brutal weather than we have had here.

I’m looking forward to Spring. I’m really hoping to revive my green thumb this Spring. I used to grow a lot of flowers, vegetables and even trees in California. But for some reason, not in Roswell. Seems I either over-water or under-water them here. Gotta get that straight this year. I want to have lots of flowers for the few bees and butterflies left in the area. Plus they are beautiful to gaze on as I’m writing.

As February is a short month, this will be another short blog post. I could beg off that I must go and write and finish up, but that’s what I said last month. I guess I could say that all my Haiku writing lately has shortened my attention span. Maybe getting back to some regular poetry will help me was more poetic again. I can hope anyway.

I am again looking forward to an entire month of writing. Again, it’s onward and upward.

Please, feel free to check out my eclectic selection of books on Amazon. The list will surely grow this year.

https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky

Until next month, read and write to your heart’s content, and remember we deserve to be much happier this year, and I’m still hoping we will be.

As always, I welcome your reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements. They will surely be forthcoming this year.

https://twitter.com/awlasky

https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky

It’s now February, the second month of 2023. Ten more months to look forward to. Let’s make it a great year.

 

 

 

 

 

Transition!

 

October 2022 Blog

Transition: A Haiku

“That I am” need not

Be. if I change the story

That I tell myself.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

(9/30/22)

 

To paraphrase Anderson Cooper on Stephen Colbert’s late night show: “You can change the story that you tell yourself”. Thank you, Mr. Cooper. Rearranging my story now.

“That I am” has not served me well lately. Need to rethink where I’m headed and head in a different direction. The last two years have just been devastating to so many of us in so many ways. I no longer feel the need to even list all that’s driven us to virtual distraction. Let’s just say our lives have been rearranged for us whether we wanted it or not. Time has come to take back what we can – to take control of those things dangling within our reach and set out again on our own path, believing that we can make our story go the way we want it to go.

Reminds me of what we authors do. We control our novels and their characters. We forge the story to go the way we want it to. Sure, sometimes they grab the reins and force their stories elsewhere...

But wait! Isn’t that what we must do with our own lives now?

Mine, anyway, needs an overhaul. I need better organization and better follow-through – starting with “a place for everything and everything in its place”. That way, when I get around to tackling a project, I’ll have everything I need right where I need it and won’t have to spend valuable time searching for stuff – a definite waste of time.

Starting and stopping projects hasn’t served me well either. Taking too long to restart the project means I often have to “reinvent the wheel” and backtrack before I can move forward – another time waster.

I probably should limit my computer time also. I have a tendency to get caught up in Twitter and solitaire and jigsaw puzzles. It’s amazing how time flies when you’re hyper-focused on those things.

I consider Twitter my window on the world right now, so I probably won’t cut back much on that. However, the solitaire and jigsaws may demand some kind of time limit. I should start setting my timer for fifteen minutes or so, so I don’t find myself glued to the chair an hour later, having spent time that could have been better spent sparring with my characters and recording their stories for posterity.

What a great idea! I can rearrange my story in order to tell their stories! That’s the spirit! Pumping myself up now. I’ve spent way too much time being down in the dumps. I’m smiling a little bit now. Thank you again, Anderson Cooper for your enlightening take on chaning our own stories and living our lives as we want them to be.

What an amazing concept! Building enthusiasm now – and energy. Hope it lasts longer than most of my bright ideas. But then it wasn’t my idea, was it? It was Anderson Cooper’s.

If I can make it work, I’ll be releasing my Sam Rock sequel in time for Christmas, along with Steve Hamm’s brilliant audio version of my paranormal western, “Black Oak: Town of Joy”.

In the meantime, I’m jumping back on the “Fly Lady” band wagon this month to get rid of my paper clutter. Really need to cut down on the boxes and boxes of paper stuff I’ve always thought I needed to keep. Less stuff means other stuff is less likely to get lost and force more downtime searching for stuff. Love that word “stuff”! It’s so much better than the word it replaces: “sh*t”, you know.

Well all of this will start tomorrow. Tonight starts the “Svegoolie” month of horror. Gonna love every minute of it! Oh, and then there’s the season premeire of SNL – Gonna love that, too.

If you care to check out some more horrific stuff, feel free to check out my eclectic selection of books on Amazon. There may be something there to terrorize you.

https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky

Until next month, read and write to your heart’s content and see if you need to alter your own story. There will never be a better time.

As always, I welcome your reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements. They will be forthcoming:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky

It’s now October and the world is cooling off. Unfortunately, its weather is most unruly. Praying for all those affected by the storms. May be a good time to check out: “Global Warning: Climate in Crisis” available from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KWQ6SHK/

 

 

 

Two Years and Counting!

 

February 2022 Blog

Stumped: A Haiku

Nothing comes to mind

But the frustrations of life

As we now live it.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

 

My mind grows tired. My heart grows weary. I’ve been vaccinated and boostered. I wear a mask everywhere I go. I see no end in sight.

I’m not sure we’ll ever be given the “All Clear”, And if we are, I’m not sure there will be a normal life to go back to. (Yep, I ended that sentence with a preposition. Pretty much, I don’t care anymore. It’s how people talk now anyway.)

I Should be used to the solitary lifestyle we now endure. As a writer, I’ve spent a lot of time alone in my own little world. But that was my choice, and I’ve always had the option and privilege to rejoin the human race at any time and share a smile and a hug with a another human being even raise a glass or two at a favorite local restaurant. I’m not doing any of that lately. I’m beginning to miss it.

Also I’ve found that the less social I am, the less inspired I am to explore new avenues of murder and mayhem.             It’s amazing what a chance encounter or new surroundings can inspire. Just seeing an interesting face or  place can lend inspiration to so much of one’s writing, even in the strange stories I tend to spend my ink on.

And I’m still spending ink on my “Sam Rock” sequel as well as my ”Chronicles of Acqueria” prequel. Hopefully they will stay on track to be published this spring and summer respectively.

Once again, Sam Rock will come up against Maerie Delaceroix and her murder of ravens. And in the Acquerian prequel, the birth of Acqueria will be expanded upon.

     The more I think about them, the more anxious I am to get back to work on them, so this will be a very short blog.

I hope with the coming of Spring, we will get back to a normal we can live freely with, if not the normal we were used to. I wish us all a save Winter’s end. I am certainly looking forward to a brighter summer minus the endless precautions we are still encumbered with.

Until next time, read and write to your heart’s content. My eclectic collection of reading matter may take your mind off things. Enjoy.

https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky

As always, I welcome your reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky

Hopefully, this coming month we can recover from the Winter’s bleakness, and the following month will find us looking forward more freely to Spring.

 

 

 Tomorrow Has Come!

December 2021 Blog

Tomorrow Has Come: A Haiku

The time to do what

You put off is now. There will

Not be a better.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

 

Today is yesterday’s tomorrow. The day I swore I would do “it”. Time to do “it”.

Starting to work early on my New Year’s resolutions. I feel I need to catch up and get super-organized before I can’t.

The Sam Rock sequel will be published next Spring, but I need to schedule and complete several more following that. I need to have a prolific year.

I also need to get all my pesky personal life in order.  Medical, insurance, financial. You know, all that stuff – just in case.

Time I guess also to start downsizing my possessions. I really, really, really don’t need all this stuff I have accumulated over these many years. I could never move this stuff again – even if I had to move (which I’m not anticipating any time soon).

I have a closet full of stuff I’ll never wear again and drawers full of gadgets I’ve totally forgotten I have.

 There are also boxes that are still packed from my last move (surely full of things I don’t need and will never use again).

Also, I’ve kept receipts and papers well past their get-rid-of date. The only things I don’t want to want to part with are the original drafts from my novels. I’m kind of fond of those pages.

My biggest problem is that I can’t past making plans to get stuff done to actually doing stuff. You know, that old three-step deal; (1) Conceive, (2) Plan (3) Execute. I’m great in the first two – not so hot in the third.

I’m trying to go back to scheduling my time, but I’m having trouble sticking to it. There are always distractions – including not wanting to jump out of bed in the morning to get started.

     Maybe it will help with winter coming on. I won’t be spending so much time outside. Maybe if I’m looking at what needs to be done, I’ll tackle it sooner. And then there’s the storage spaces we’re paying for. It would be nice to be able to save money this coming year.

Perhaps I’ll even have more brain space to write more and get to publishing faster. Sur couldn’t hurt. Maybe even have some fun next year, when the pandemic is finally over and we can all breathe freely again.

Hard to imagine, but we’ve been at this for two long years now. We’re still wearing masks and keeping our distances. And now we even have  a new and possibly more easily contracted variant ”Omicron”. When will it end? Would sure like to see more people embrace the vaccines that are available. It sure couldn’t hurt.

We actually went out the other day to a restaurant to celebrate my birthday and my friend’s . We went to lunch at our favorite place, which used to be packed for lunch every day. Now, it’s nearly empty. They have even down-sized the menu, and it’s printed on one sheet of paper for a one-time only use. Everyone is still friendly, but there are a lot of new faces, and like everywhere else in town, they are hiring.

No one seems to have the staff now-a-days to service even the most limited clientele.

Well, here’s hoping for a brighter and better New Year. We certainly deserve one – world-wide – all we’ve all been through.

Here’s hoping for a milder, gentler winter also. Not looking forward to nasty weather on top of everything else.

Happiest of New Year’s to us all!

Until next time, read and write to your heart’s content. My eclectic collection of reading matter may take your mind off things. Enjoy.

https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky

As always, I welcome your reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky

Hopefully, this month we can enjoy our holidays and next month will find us actually embracing in a great New Year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing New Under the Sun

 

September 2021 Blog

Unchanged Melody: A Haiku

As the day dawns, there’s

Nothing new under the sun;

It sets as it rose.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

 

Almost two straight years of deadly pandemic, raging storms, endless fires, and angry people. Would love to see something new (and good) as the coming year looms, but I’m not holding my breath.

August has not seen a down-turn in any of the above-mentioned areas. Not sure September will either. But I’m back on track for getting the Sam Rock sequel published by the end of the year. Just a few more tweaks to the final plot points and then on to editing and preparing the manuscript for publication.

     Then I can start wrapping up some of my other projects. Eldreth really wants his novel finished. He says he really needs to be about his dastardly deeds. He hasn’t woven an enemy or a feckless lover into a living tapestry in ages. He’s just itching to get back to in that dungeon.

https://tinyurl.com/y9d8czj4

Come to think of it, I’m pretty much feeling like him down in that dungeon. I’m really tired of not feeling like going out and doing things. Again, I haven’t  been out to a restaurant in ages. Seems like the only time I get out now is for doctor’s appointments (when a doctor is available) and shopping. Even there, I’m beginning to rely more and more on Amazon. There’s not a lot you can’t get on Amazon these days – or somewhere else on line. Whatever you want seems to be only a Google away.

     I’m not sure if that’s good or bad these days. It’s surely convenient. And the choices are vast. Sometimes I just feel like throwing a dart and choosing that way. I’m sure I could get a good deal on darts somewhere.

     The weather here in Roswell has turned dry again. After an unprecedented monsoon season, we are hardly seeing a cloud in the sky. Our extended forecast day after day lately has been temperature in the mid-nineties for the next ten days out and no chance of precipitation.

I’m really looking forward to the Fall, assuming we actually have a Fall and don’t go straight to Winter again.

Seems we are having another year of unprecedented weather all over. Parts of the Earth are being consumed by fire while other parts are being inundated with raging waters.          Unless of course, you are California, which is running out of water and burning. There’s even smoke at the North Pole for the first time ever (due to fires in Siberia).

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KWQ6SHK/

Then there’s the melting ice caps with the release or long-frozen biological entities capable of hatching here-to-fore unknown diseases that will probably surpass Covid in  deadliness.

So far, I’ve seen little about the countries of the world coming together to combat what is undeniable Climate Change rapidly becoming an undeniable Climate Crisis. But then, the countries of the world don’t seem to come together much anymore about anything.

At the start of this year I thought things were going to get so much better, but two-thirds into it, it just seems more of the same with a slightly different cast. Also, I’ve really not seen any progress toward the next year being any different.

I guess I’ll just have to light a candle and hope for the best and do my part to make my little corner of the world the best I can.

Come to think of it, if we all do that, we will improve our little corners and perhaps overlap to help improve more and more expanding corners of the world. At least that is something to look forward to.

I guess I can end this with a smile on my face and a slightly brighter outlook on the near future. September may be better after all.

As always, I welcome your reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky

Also, please feel free to visit me at my Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky

 

 

 

 

Departure

 

August 2021 Blog

No Way: A Haiku

It may seem I’m not

Getting anywhere, yet I

Will not go nowhere.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

 

Stubborn, aren’t I?  As August starts on another rainy note, it also brings an upswing in Coronavirus cases again. My mind has grown tired of living in fear of its own life. I would have peace from this global hell of man’s creation.

I would have surcease of constant sorrow. I would have freedom from constant fear of death, either of mind or body. It also wouldn’t hurt to have freedom from the constant restrictions imposed in the battle to fight this pandemic for over one-and-a-half years.

I would have an end to it all.

I had a dream about nothingness last night and woke up with the tune and words to The Beatles “Nowhere Man” running through my muddled mind. Hence the above Haiku. In the dream, I was choosing a morbid dark-hued cloak with even darker symbols which I don’t remember clearly except for a dark maroon star (and I’m not even sure of its shape).

I also chose a pliable blue mask of a freakish cat face. It all might make a great horror novel some day, but I have no clue what any of it means.

     But that idea will have to wait until the completion of my many other projects . When will that time come?

Sooner than later, I promise. Starting today, I have promised to write every day. At least until the end of the year, if not forever. So far, such a pledge has worked well for me. I’ve posted at least one Haiku a day every day since January 1, 2014 and a blog on the first of every month since January 1, 2017.

So, next month’s blog will herald the progress I will have made during August. Should put me close to the end of the Sam Rock sequel. Would love to publish that by the end of the year, lest I publish no new book this year at all.

Other than that, there’s not much new in my world. Hard to have new experiences when there’s little you can go out and do, even with some of the restrictions being lifted. And sad to say that I’ve gotten used to not going anywhere and not doing much.

You’d think that I would  enjoy the isolation and write and write and write. But I always seem to run out of time or find some way to put I off until a tomorrow that seldom comes.

I so need to get beyond that and get back in the habit of writing ever day. It’s the only way I’m going to get things done what I need and want to do.

And to do that, I would best leave undone that which would waste my time – easier said than accomplished.

But, since I prefer not to be a “Nowhere Man”, I will give it another shot.  We’ll see what happens. We’ll see how far I can get.

July has also been brutal. Looking for so much better from August. Here’s hoping.

As always, I welcome your reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements:

https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky

Also, please feel free to visit me at my Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky

 

 

Will She or Won’t She?

 

July 2021 Blog

Insurmountable: A Haiku

I have hit that wall

Over which I cannot climb,

Yet I keep trying.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

 

Does that make me noble, hopeless or just plain stupid?  As July starts on a rainy note (It’s actually Monsoon Season), I’m vacillating between “hanging it up” or “hanging in there”.

I’m suffering from a really bad case of Writer’s Block. Except for the blog and my daily Haiku, I haven’t made any progress in more than two months.

Sam Rock is not pleased. He wants his new adventures with Marie Delacroix to be published and soon. The natives of Acqueria are anxious to get their early story out there also. And there’s always Eldreth lurking in the shadows wondering why his story isn’t finished.

My muse sits and sulks. She wants us to go outside and write, but we can’t. It’s been too hot (well over 100°F) for most of the month or (lately) raining day and night. She says it’s no excuse, but she knows my inside voice is hampered by the slightest distractions.

And there are plenty of those: the computer, the TV and all the housework and organizing  that screams to be done.

It would be so easy to just hang it up and not make the effort, but I’m not sure the other stuff would get done anyway. And I certainly wouldn’t be any happier.

In fact, I’m happiest when I’m writing , so I guess I owe it to myself to keep at it. There’s always the chance my muse and I will connect, and the words will flow.

My not writing would not lead to a happy me.

This will be the shortest blog I have ever posted, but it’s a compromise with my muse. The alternative would be no blog at all this month, and I’ve posted faithfully since January 1, 2017. I don’t want to break my streak, Hoping for more and better news to report next month. Until then – keep the faith and keep well. Try to stay cool. That’s been difficult in our neck of the woods where the temperature having been north of 100 F° for a while now.

June has been brutal. July promises to be no less. Let’s hope August cools down, but I’m not holding my breath.

As always, I welcome your reactions and responses to any of my blogs. I love to hear from my readers. Also, here are links to my Twitter and Facebook accounts, if you care to share your thoughts with me there or look for my publication announcements:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

https://www.facebook.com/ann.wilmerlasky

Also, please feel free to visit me at my Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/author/annwilmerlasky