Life Isn’t Fun Anymore!

July 2020 Blog

It’s now just a matter of survival, and apparently, it can always get darker.

Mirthless: A Haiku

Laughter is a sound

Seldom heard in the bleakness

Encompassing us.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

Yet again, nothing has gone as planned. I have spent a lot of my sleepless night time contemplating things like – do we deserve happiness? I don’t know the answer, but I sure do know that we don’t deserve such a sh*tload of unhappiness. It’s like Mercury is in constant retrograde. By the way, Mercury is retrograde until July 15^th. That surely doesn’t help.

It seems life is now one great big game of Russian Roulette, and you know there is a bullet in the chamber somewhere. If you pull the trigger often enough, eventually you’ll find it.

According to a scene in the movie “Psycho”, “you can’t buy happiness”, but you can “buy off unhappiness”. Lately, we can’t even afford to buy a lottery ticket, where for a few hours or minutes you can dream of the chance for a better life.

It’s gotten to the point where all the “feel good” platitudes in the world can’t help anymore, and it’s getting harder and harder to work on publishing a book which seems to little matter anymore.

But I plod on, and I plan on. “After “Global Warning” is published, I’ll work on publishing a self-reflective Haiku chapbook by the 100^th anniversary of Ray Bradbury’s birth in honor of the man who once told me that I was a writer. I’ll never forget that.

Then I want to publish the prequel to “The Chronicles of Acqueria” and the sequel to “Seasons of Sam Rock”.

That should take my mind off everything else that’s going on, but I’m not sure it will. Although, I am pretty much physically isolated from the rest of the world, it constantly creeps in through the media. I don’t particularly care to keep so well informed, but then I don’t feel comfortable being uninformed either.

So, day by day, I continue to slough on, which has been my wont to do until I no longer can.

I will go to bed tonight almost assured that I will wake up again in the morning and continue on. As long that still brings a smile to my face, I’ll be okay.

This blog this month is shorter than usual, not because I have nothing more to say, but more because I really don’t want to dwell on this topic.

I hope this month finds my faithful readers and fellow writers well and safe. I understand there is a lot more reading and writing going on, so that’s a good thing.

So, until next time, read and write to your heart’s content. I offer a wide variety of reading material for your enjoyment:

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:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

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

As I post this, it appears that COVID_19 is indeed spreading at an accelerated level. Hopefully, science will prevail, and we will soon get a handle on the problem.

What a Month We’ve Had!

June 2020 Blog

As I write this, I am waiting for Space X to launch. It will be the first American venture into space in nine years. I am praying it goes well. We need something to go right, right now.

Fair Wind: A Haiku

I would the breeze could

Blow ill-will, disease afar

And good be anchored.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

Still, nothing has gone as planned.  The world has descended further into chaos. Not only do we have a grossly underrated planet-wide pandemic to worry about, the U.S. is currently under siege.

We are rapidly devolving into anarchy, sparked by a single heinous act of abuse of power. And all that’s happening seems to be fomented by the prevalent attitude from the highest of positions.

So,  who can concentrate on writing, editing and publishing during all of this? Surprisingly enough, I have made great strides toward publication of “Global Warning”. I am within weeks (maybe days) of getting it all together.

Writing and editing on the Sam Rock sequel and the Chronicles of Acqueria prequel? Not so much. Kind of hard to slip into other realities with such a persistent, horrendous real world constantly in your face.

I can’t see anything getting easier anytime soon with the months rolling by and a divisive election looming before year’s end.

Perhaps, I should just keep my head down and dive into my projects, but I feel it would be irresponsible not to keep abreast of what’s happening.  If only for my own health and safety and that of  my family.

No matter what your politics, we need to unite and promote peace and harmony. Cooperation is not a bad word, neither is compromise. And it’s about time the needs of the many really outweighed the needs of the few.  (Remember, Spock died for that premise.)

On a more local and immediate note, I badly need a haircut. Salons are opening on a limited basis starting June 1^st in my state. One probably needs to make an appointment and very few will be served at one time, but I will celebrate when I can get in. And I’m considering getting a  boy-cut, so I don’t have to worry about it for a while.

Next, I can’t wait for the opening of my favorite restaurant in Roswell, “Peppers Grill and Bar”. I will be there with bells on, regardless of the restrictions. They make a great “California Burger” with guacamole on it.  My  mouth is watering as I write this.

I would like to go where I want when I want, but I am afraid that won’t be for a long time.

In the meantime, I am glued to CNN, watching the protests. I understand there are demonstrations in over 30 cities across the nation. I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime.

In fact, just this year (and it’s only 5 months old) I have seen so much I have never seen before – regarding anarchy, raging pandemic, and a general nastiness. It’s all unprecedented.

I’m also sure, when this dies down, we will again discover irreparable damage to our environment. Although, the worldwide shut down of so much seems to have improved air quality throughout major metropolitan areas. We can be thankful that, I guess. But then, I’m sure it won’t last long once we fire everything up again.

I hope all my faithful readers and fellow writers are well and safe at this writing. I wish us all a summer of wellness and prosperity, but I realize that is extremely optimistic.

It seems the Space X launch has gone well and is on its way to being a success. I salute all the  men and women  who have afforded us the one moment of happy triumph in the midst of all this pandemonium.

I hope  I will have better news about better times to blog about next month, but I’m not holding my breath until it comes true. I’m now watching the police in Chicago (joined by the State Police) using tear gas against protestors turned destructive rioters. I’m done for now. I’m turning on a  PBS  show about early rock and roll.

Until next time, sit back relax and enjoy a good book.  I have several to offer:

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:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

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

As I post this, the lockdown is gradually being lifted, but there are still concerns for the spreading of the virus, maybe soon on an accelerated level. I have yet to become stark raving mad, but I am getting closer. Maybe working on “Global Warning” will help.

           

Good Plan – Didn’t Work

May 2020 Blog

No head start this month. What a cruel month it’s been. I’m just happy there’s a future to postpone things to.

Best Laid: A Haiku

I have a plan, so

What could possibly go wrong?

Life beyond control?

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

Nothing has gone as planned. I’m still working on the “Global Warning” book. The “Climate Crisis” does not seem to be that important at the moment. Everyone has something else on their minds these days. Things like making it to the next day – physically, financially or mentally.

I have lived a long and interesting life. Nothing in it however has prepared me for this – the “Pandemic of the Century.” Not sure how things will work out. I only have the feeling, that for the greatest nation on Earth, we are the least prepared to deal with this, and we still do not have a handle on it.

So we sit and wait while the powers that be scramble to get a handle on this with little or no executive level direction. If we don’t literally succumb to this pandemic, it will be by grace alone.

I’d settle for one vaccine that will work to keep us alive and well. Somehow the prospect of 102 of them out there still being studied does not fill me with confidence. Just sounds like we’re throwing due caution to the wind and depending on a Hail Mary to save us.

Nearly everything in Roswell, NM is closed except grocery stores, Walmart and take-out (no dine-in). Oh, the pharmacies are open. That’s essential. No one is going anywhere. I seldom leave the house. I’m one of those older people at the highest risk.

My husband dons his mask and gloves and does the grocery shopping and picks up prescriptions and whatever else we need. In doing so, he risks his own health. So far we’ve been lucky. There’s little or no virus activity in Roswell itself, but you never know. They report by county in New Mexico, without mentioning actual cities involved.

As time goes by, my husband goes out less and less. I went out with him  once this last week. I donned my mask and gloves and got in the car. We drove to Walmart. There was very little traffic on the roads, There were actually very few people in Walmart. Everywhere on the floor were stickers six feet apart, warning everyone to stay six feet apart. A lot of the shelves were nearly empty. You need to take what you can get these days, and I guess that will get worse before it gets better.

It’s just such an eerie feeling. On the drive back I noticed all the closed and empty stores. Roswell is a tourist attraction. No tourists now.  Not even locals wandering about. I won’t be going out again anytime soon.

Everything is on hold, including the publication of my book. If there’s any consolation to any of this, it’s that the Earth herself is breathing a sigh of relief. The air is clearing. The land is healing. But at what cost? Lives are being lost. People are facing financial ruin.

It seems there can be no happy medium. Either we are ravaged or the Earth is ravaged.

I have no idea what the next month will bring. We will all just have to wait and see. Hopefully, we’ll get a handle on this and return to some form of normalcy. But know that life as we know it has once again changed forever as it did after 9/11.

I will do what I can to keep writing and publishing. I’ll keep you posted on my progress and my plans, but I won’t bemoan what hasn’t gotten done. We are for most part doing the best we can.

Hope we all come through this well and intact. For those going through tough times and heartache, you have my prayers and condolences. We will keep on keeping on and do what we can to get to the other side of this.

Until then, sit back relax and enjoy a good book.  I have several to offer:

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:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

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

As I post this, it has become apparent that we will still be on lockdown well into May, possibly longer. I will surely be stark-raving mad by then, and “Global Warning” may still not be published.

           

What A Difference A Month Makes

April 2020 Blog

Got a head start on this month’s edition. Who knows what will befall us in even the next few days?

Wipeout: A Haiku

Life but laughs at lines

Drawn in sand; obliterates

Them at will or whim.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

Wow! All of a sudden last month’s goals don’t seem to matter much anymore. The world has been set on its ear and the “Climate Crisis” set on the back burner for who knows how long. So my “Diary of a #Madwoman on #Deadline has bit the dust, so to speak. At least its launch will not be the “earth-shaking event” I planned it to be.

Don’t get me wrong, it will still be published, if not on time, then close to it. But it will not be heralded as the “balm that salved the Universe.”.

For, at the moment, we have a more immediate problem – how to survive the “plague of the century” both physically and economically. And that with or without appropriate leadership.

COVID19 (to be politically correct) has taken over our lives, literally. We think of nothing else. And now, when we need each other’s support like no other time, we are told to stay away from one another. Not to hold, not to touch, not to be even within six feet of one another. The average person can do little more than obey the directives and hope the powers-that-be can get this pandemic under control.

So far, that hope is tentative at best. Few world leaders have shown marked ability to get a decent handle on the situation. And the problem and its dire consequences continue to escalate.

Day-after-day, the numbers go up and up. We hold our collective breath that it doesn’t come too close, but it does. First cases in the state, first cases in the county, and still waiting for the first case in the city, although the first man in our state has died from it, and could have caught it in our city.

We sit and watch the news and wait, like waiting for “the other shoe to fall”, certain that it will, but not knowing when. We try to fill our hours with meaningful things to do, but they don’t get done. It seems when you have all the time in the world to do something, there are no priorities and (procrastinator that I am) I can put anything off.

Okay, taking a deep breath now. All are well here, and I am thankful for that. All our puppies are happy to have us home. The think we are there for them. That’s okay, it keeps them happy.

All projects are still moving along, if not more slowly than I had planned. I finally gathered all my Universe, Earth, world, nature and weather Haiku from the last six years together. That number was close to 500. Peeling some off for another book on the personal side of writing, I still have about 350. Now comes the fun of putting them together in a cohesive way to present them to a totally pre-occupied world.

At least it gives me something to occupy my thoughts with other than gloom and doom. Oh, wait, that’s what I usually write about, isn’t it?

As I sit here and write this, I’m also thinking of thing to put on my list of places to go when this pandemic is over. One of the first places will be my favorite restaurant (assuming they survive and are able to reopen). Then maybe a few day trips. We live in Roswell and have never made it to the debris field for the 1947 UFO crash here, nor have we made it to Carlsbad to see the caverns. Both are now on the list. Heck, I’d be happy to take a ride without wondering if the guy in the next car is wondering if I’m essential like I’d be wondering if he is.

For the moment, I am sitting in my backyard, enjoying the coolness of spring and watching the clouds wander from west to east as is their wont. I may or may not come back to you in May with the announcement that “Global Warning” has been published, but I am working on it.

I am also working on staying well. I hope you are all well and survive this current madness we have been thrown into. And I  hope to see us all back next month with smiles on our faces.

Until then, sit back relax and enjoy a good book.  I have several to offer here on my Amazon Author Page: https://twitter.com/awlasky/status/1081402168207278080

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:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

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

As I post this, it has become apparent that we will be on lockdown at least until the end of April. I should be a stark-raving loony by then, or I will have published “Global Warning”.

Madwoman on Deadline

March 2020 Blog

Deadlines are not crossed without consequences.

Slippage: A Haiku

Hate it when “By Spring,

I will...” suddenly becomes

“By Summer, I must...”

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

I finally did it! I set some goals in concrete, complete with a “thou shalt not pass this line!” I even made a calendar for each of the two projects I am tracking in my “Diary of a #Madwoman on #Deadline (posted on Twitter).

The new publishing date for my “Global Warning” chapbook is now “Earth Day” (April 22, 2020) and for “The Early Years” prequel to “Chronicles of Acqueria” it’s the 1^ST day of Summer (June 20, 2020).

I’d love to say things are going swimmingly, but of course “Real Life” is already getting in my way. The goals, however, are do-able, and I’m still gung-ho about meeting those deadlines.

“Global Warming” will contain about 125 environmentally inspired Haiku along with other verse and comments.

I will use this picture, taken by my husband here locally for the cover. As you can see we are suffering drought conditions. This winter’s weather has done nothing to alleviate those conditions. It’s been warm and dry, and I fear the coming summer.

Perhaps in some small way, my offering will sway some minds. More people must be convinced  that “Global Warming” is real. Perhaps calling it “Climate Change” or “Climate Emergency” will help. Something must, before we reach that “tipping point” beyond which we cannot survive.

Also, we are already so close to the “Doomsday Clock” that it’s frightening. I wish more people would be alarmed about that. But now, there’s a pandemic to worry about. Unless we stick to the “filtered” news (or rather censored) that will be disseminated to us by someone else’s choosing.

No wonder I prefer to sit in the middle of my fenced-in (privacy fencing) backyard with only my wieners and my birds and the squirrels to interrupt me, as I sit and write about worlds over which I have control.

“The Early Years” manuscript is going well. My protagonist and my antagonist are about to come to life-shattering odds. Hopefully, the good guys win and live to fight another day, to face the conflict again in another novel. Oh, wait, they already do, since this is a prequel to “The Chronicles of Acqueria, Blood Moon Treachery”. (It has not been easy making certain that the prequel matches up with it. But I’ve done my due diligence, and successfully, I hope.

Looking beyond these two projects, I will be reworking my “Sam Rock” sequel, incorporating some great observations from my “Sam Rock” narrator and personification of the detective himself, Steve Hamm, also a Life Flight helicopter pilot in Ohio. (I promise the Audio book is coming soon.)

Next month, assuming the world population survives the Corona Virus, I will offer updates on all my projects. It’s heartwarming to know I have loyal readers and friends out there who are looking forward to my books. It’s nice to feel appreciated for one’s talents.

Until next time, keep the faith. Keep writing and keep reading. Enjoy what makes you happy. There is far too little happiness in this world these days.

This month, I’m again featuring “The Chronicles of Acqueria: Blood Moon Treachery”. It is a young adult coming-of-age story of a strong young lady growing up in a patriarchal society. See how she copes. Available from Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y96zzp9u

My featured poetry for March is again “The Castleweaver's Tales: A Dozen Glimpses of Medieval Madness: 25th Anniv. Ed” – available from Amazon at: https://tinyurl.com/y9d8czj4

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:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

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

As all of my books are available on Amazon, I’m also including a link to my Amazon Author’s page. Feel free to visit me there also:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003SH6HIQ

Residue

February 2020 Blog

No restart is completely clean. There will always be residue from past actions – or inactions.

Own Your Slate: A Haiku

It matters not how

Many times you clean your slate,

You own what was there.

by Ann Wilmer-Lasky

Unfortunately, the New Year has started with flus and rumors of flus and just feeling kind of crappy. Hopefully, that will pass and I can get started on all my sparkling new and tarnished old projects.

“The Chronicles of Acqueria: The Early Years” manuscript is almost complete and ready for its final edit. Then I can get back to revamping my “Sam Rock” sequel. Looking forward to seeing if Sam can get the best of his arch nemesis, Marie Delacroix, and her murder of ravens.

I’m sitting outside in the middle of winter writing this, and it does not make me happy. Since the weather has been so mild this winter, I am afraid the coming summer will be more brutal than last year. I’m not looking forward to that. I’ve also been following the devastating fires in Australia, and I am just heartsick. But that’s another story and an impetus to get “Global Warning” published on time.

So, back to now: I’ve decided to add more promotion to my agenda this year. It’s something that all authors need to do. I abhor it, but it is necessary. How else are your yet-undiscovered faithful readers going to learn what you have to offer?

I’ll be studying places like https://allauthor.com/  and https://eprintedbooks.com/ and https://booksoffice.com/ as well as delving more deeply into what Amazon has to offer. Then there’s https://www.acx.com/ (the Audible.com publishing arm) and their great cadre of talented narrators willing to take a chance on an unproven author.

They all offer promotion ideas just waiting to be taken advantage of.

It takes concentrated effort, though, to follow through on all their concepts and protocols, and one does have to get over the reluctance to “blow one’s own horn”.

Maybe I should try to put on a different hat and pretend I’m someone else blowing that horn.

Also, I’ll be getting back to my copy of “30-Day Book Marketing Challenge” to promote my books (https://smile.amazon.com/BadRedhead-Media-30-Day-Marketing-Challenge-ebook/dp/  )  I never made it past day 3, Perhaps this time is the charm.

I need to make my time spent on social media more productive. I’ve heard it is possible that you can get more results for your likes and retweets and friends than I’ve been getting.

Moreover, if I limit the time I spend on the internet, I can certainly find more time to write. Make all the characters currently rummaging around in my head (basically in limbo) happy to at least and at last take their place on the page.

Then it’s up to Amazon to spread their joy to the world. Well, at least in my little mind it should work that way.

The more I think of it, the more wonderful this age is for independent authors. Everything you ever needed or wanted to know is just a “Google” away.

You can get help with your writing, composition, and grammar. You can research any topic you want from any time period. It’s all there for the gleaning. Then, you can find agents and promoters and editors. It’s all laid out for you.

If you decide to self-publish, all kinds of help is available down to the step-by-step processes and all kinds of templates to format your manuscript.

Even your cover is waiting for you on somebody’s site and at a wide range of prices – from what’s available on https://www.fiverr.com/ to higher priced artists just waiting for you to contact them.

As few as ten years back, you didn’t have such a wide-range of possibilities and “self-published” authors were frowned upon.  Now, there’s just as much chance to be an award-winning author, even if you do it all on your own.

And I surely don’t  mind having my books up there on Amazon right next to Stephen King’s books.             I’d love to have them together on a bookstore shelf somewhere, but there aren’t many of those around anymore.

So, so far this year is full of possibilities, and I am looking forward to exploring as many as I can.

As I cannot erase the past, I intend to use it as a foundation for the building blocks of the present. It may be a bumpy ride, but hopefully it will be somewhat fun as well. At my age a little fun is hard to come by, and I want to embrace all that comes my way.

As to the future, long-range plans are no longer viable, but I should make it through this year, hopefully somewhat intact. We will see what February brings.

This month, I finally plan on finishing “The Early Years” manuscript. I also plan on loosely formatting “Global Warning” and look forward to promoting my backlist of novels and poetry already available for public consumption.

This month, I’m featuring “The Chronicles of Acqueria: Blood Moon Treachery”. It is a young adult coming-of-age story of a strong young lady growing up in a patriarchal society. See how she copes. Available from Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y96zzp9u

My featured poetry for February is “The Castleweaver's Tales: A Dozen Glimpses of Medieval Madness: 25th Anniv. Ed” – available from Amazon at: https://tinyurl.com/y9d8czj4

Until next time, keep the faith. Keep writing and keep reading. Enjoy what makes you happy. There is far too little happiness in this world these days.

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:

https://twitter.com/awlasky

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

As all of my books are available on Amazon, I’m also including a link to my Amazon Author’s page. Feel free to visit me there also:

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003SH6HIQ