Update on my sweet baby boy....

This is my baby boy...Jack.

We went to the vet yesterday and his glucose is down to 268! (a 50% drop so far) and after not even 3 weeks on insulin. We'll need to learn how to test him at home (in the ear! ouch!) but he did great with them doing it.

Also good is that his weight has come up a little from 13 lbs to 14. He lost too much and the fact that he's gained, his coat is shinier, eyes bright, and he looks healthier and happier.

The only worry now is his back paws. He's walking a little wobbly still, but that's due to some nerve damage, but now that he's below 300, it will start to heal :)

I thank everyone for their advice and prayers and well wishes! This has not been easy and it's something we'll likely have to deal with for the rest of his life (he's only 9).

More updates soon (esp if the best news...remission) happens!

Steph

Where do you....????

Find names for your characters? I've read loads of books and have always wondered where the names come from.

Are they family names? Television or movie inspired? Heritage-toned?

Mine are all of the above. Plus sometimes I seek help from either a baby name book or a particular heritage's website for genuine names. Or even religious/biblical names.

For example, in Ranch Hands, Sid is for Sidney, Austrailia. Roger was a coworker's name. Jerry is for Jerry Springer.

Another example is For the Heart of Phillip, Phillip with the 2 L's is uncommon, and that's why I liked it. Robert of course, Andrew, David...all biblical names and/or kings. I will often use royalty/biblical/family/heritage-driven names first over anything contemporary.

How about you? Do you follow the baby name trends and use their list or make up your own?

Sweet baby boy

Hello! This won't be a post about my books or works in progress...it's about something dearer to my heart; my cat. Jack.

Jack has always been a big eater and when he lost weight we thought we had a triumph! Instead...we nearly had tragedy.

Two weeks ago Jack was diagnosed with diabetes. His glucose level was over 500 and if he were a human he would've been in shock! This of course bowled us over and we jumped into action.

We had to change everything from his dry food (not cutting it) to all wet food, protein-rich, and of course, the shots. Yipe! The shots are what I feared the most. But we are committed to this young, kitty life. He's not even 10 years old yet and has lots of life left in him for sure.

Therefore, we got everything from the insulin, the syringes, the food, and I bought him at least a couple of new toys to take his mind of the nasty prick two times a day. He takes the evening shot far better than the morning one for sure. LOL

Luckily, I'd found a site that spelled out everything for diabetic cats, what to expect, what to look for, and support for the pet parents out there who feel horrible that they can't do more.

I implore anyone that has a fat cat to really be aware they will likely become diabetic and to get their weight down (or better yet keep it from happening in the 1st place). Your pet and you will be far, far happier in the long run.

To end on a positive note, Jack's sugar was checked again last Wednesday and had come down (after only 4 shots) to 341...not great, but not the horribly high mark it was. (ideal is 100-200). He has a ways to go, but at least it's working! His weight has come up a little, he got too small. 14-15 lbs is perfect for his frame and he's at 14.2 right now.

Take care of kitty...they only have so long.

Steph

Nanowrimo winner at last!!!

 

I remember last year I had heard of Nano and truly wanted to do it..I was all set and had a story forming in my mind....when tragedy struck. My father-in-law died on November 11th and all hell broke loose in my personal life. Writing was out of the question and wasn't even on my brain again until sometime the following March!

Finally though, working through things and with help; life went on. When this November rolled around, I was determined to do it! I had two writing buddies that would help unstick my thoughts and get me rolling again, plus a wonderful beta that wouldn't let me post until it made sense!

So...long story short, this year I won Nano! 59K words in about 23 days. Ahhhh. I finally did it! 

 

One of the worst words ever, for any writer is to see REJECTED.

I don't know a single author out there that hasn't been rejected at least once. It's heartbreaking, how could they do this to you? It takes a toll, believe me. But it is definitely not the end of the line.

So how do you pick yourself up and dust yourself off after such a blow?

1. It is not a personal attack.
They have seen your words and your story, but they do not know you. It is not an attack on your person or your psyche.

2. If they gave reasons, take them to heart as constructive criticism.
Most good publishers will give solid reasons as to why they did not accept your work. Either it didn't fit, or needed shortening/lengthening, there were story continuity issues, whatever. Keep in mind they have a business to run and will take what they think will sell.

3. Keep at it.
This is not the end of the line, not by a long shot. My first couple of books were rejected but they gave reasons and I worked on them. Dive into your contacts for a good beta (which are worth their weight in gold). With help, polish up the story and re-submit it somewhere else.

4. If you're the Indie type, do it yourself.
If you've got drive, motivation, and a good network, go indie! I've done this with a couple of mine and have gotten a great response. I found that I didn't need a publishing house to accept me to give my story 'worth'. I knew it was good and didn't want to wait. (very impatient person). It paid off for the most part.

5. Keep writing.
No matter what, this is your craft, don't let them rule what you want to do. I've been writing since I was seven years old and minus a couple of years off sporadically; it has been my lifelong pursuit. If you feel it, write it. Go with your passion. The audience will find you.

S. L. Danielson, Author

Coming soon...Ice Fairy!

After over two years of being on the 'drawing board'; my story of a figure skater will come to life by January and I'm very excited to talk about it :)

Ice Fairy is the story of Sam (Samuru) Ogawa; a Japanese-American figure skater who has his eyes and dreams firmly set on Olympic gold.

Unfortunately, someone else's eyes are firmly set on him; those being Brett Zephyr, the hockey player with the irritating girlfriend and a push or shove for anyone else.

On a normal day at the rink, Sam and Brett's world collide, literally. Even though they are classmates; they've never spoken and have never been in the same circles. But things are all about to change when life takes a drastic, cutting turn for one of the boys.

Look for it soon (there will be a big announcement for sure)!

Halloween Contest!

I'm giving away a free ebook copy (in either pdf or epub) of "My Fair Vampire" (my co-work with Julie Lynn Hayes).

Have a spooktacular time!