We'll see where it goes

Song of the day:…hmmm, I’m not entirely sure. I had a weird one in my head during the night, it was there every time I woke up, like a friggin’ echo,  and now that wanna write it down here, for the life of me, I can’t remember which song it was. Ah well, better to be grateful that I don’t have that earworm anymore, right?

Right, what to tell, first  a bit of semi-good news. Big brother has a new job, full time, near the airport, meaning quite a bit of commute, poor boy. It’s kinda good for him, I think, to have to be there without me buffering conversations and such. He’s on his own, needing to make contact and what not. It’ll be cool to see how that works out, whether he’ll gain some confidence in that regard. He’ll be working at a big company, transport and installation of big household machinery. He comes home with stories of his new colleagues, which is kinda weird for me too, considering normally I’m right there when the stories are made, so to speak. It’s different, I’ll say that much for it.

As for me, yes, I had a job interview that seemed to go well enough the other day. If I get it, it won’t start until January, so at least I’ll have some time to write still. Got some serious ideas rolling through my head for the banshee’s story, so I really want to get back to that soon. Added to that, I still need to work on “Gun” a bit, despite having promised myself to focus on romance for a while. I got an idea that might help me to get the story unstuck, so keep your fingers crossed…but I was talking about my job interview, right? Well, it would be as a chauffeur, not a lot of hours, which I like, in particular since they pay relatively well for those hours, so, yeah, let’s hope I get it.

On the down side of it all, with big brother and me soon working at different locations, we don’t have much choice, we’ve been looking around for a very cheap, very frugal car for the past week. That meant loads of driving around for me, test driving, checking rust, (you wouldn’t believe the carpheaps people are trying to sell) booklets, license plates, because yes, you do have to be careful that a car is not legit, and whatnot. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to get the dozen we’d selected online down to three, of which big brother made his decision. It’s the smallest, basically a covered moped, hah. Can you imagine big brother with his 6’ 5” in a teeny weenie car? It makes me chortle. We’ll be picking it up Tuesday, so keep yer fingers crossed that it all works out. I sure look forward not having to get up at six to bring big brother to work. Hah.

Did some sewing lately. This area of the Netherlands I can’t really find stuff that I like at thrift stores, so I get smaller sizes that I do like, and work on them. Let me just say, I look pretty bohemian most of the time. I got seventies jeans, people. As in legs so wide the darn thing practically looks like a skirt. I love it. You can’t believe how comfortable that is after all the silly skinny fit jeans you can get by the dozen these day. Hate that design. I’ve yet to see anyone over a size zero look good in it. *sigh*

Been experimenting with cooking a little. Now figured out how to prep bulgur, which isn’t bad, I tell ya. I might write it down for the cooking blog, one of these days.

Winter is really coming now, we’ve had a warning that the first wet snow might be coming soon, we’ve got lots of northern winds, the trees have already lost more than seventy percent of their leaves, we’re getting a lot of rain, so yeah, winter is close. Don’t particularly like it, but what can you do, right?

Did see a rather lovely movie the other day “Mr. Deeds”  with Eddie Murphy. I was wonderfully surprised to see him in such a serious role, and in such a lovely  little story to boot. I read some reviews of the movie, which were positive toward him, and yet demolished the rest of the story, which I didn’t get at all. It was the whole thing that set a beautiful background for his role, made him shine even more because the story wasn’t from his perspective, like usual, but from someone who loved him dearly and made him better than good, it made him GRAND. Seriously, it is definitely a movie I would suggest you’d have a look at. I enjoyed it tremendously. It brought Eddie Murphy back for me.

I’ve had several requests lately to review books, some of which I agreed to, despite being short on time, as usual, grrrr. But I haven’t gotten around to it, bad Sammi, bad Sammi.

Fitness has been sporadic what with the busy schedule since the last blog. I do squats and such whenever I get sore from working at the computer, or studying…I’ll get to that soon…and push ups, sit ups, stretches and whatnot, so I’m not letting it slide, no worries.

Been in a very strange mood lately. Moody almost. Snappy even. Been missing the dogs like mad, and don’t really understand why it is worse now. Perhaps it has something to do with living out here in the country where having a dog would be totally awesome. But alas. Can’t be done. It is not allowed with anti-squatting. Makes me want to publish a friggin’ book or two so I can have a place of my own where I can do what I friggin’ want, like have a dog! Grrr

Have been studying, don’t have much choice in that regard, since we paid for the dratted course. Hah. But, it’s not going bad. We’re into the third section,  did our second test and only had on of 24 questions wrong, primarily because it appeared to be a bit of a trick question, we could have had it right if we had assumed some things that weren’t actually in the question. I don’t know if that was intentional and that they want you to make assumptions, or if something had been accidentally left out. Whatever it is…not bad, only one wrong. Gotta hold onto that little victory after weeks of frustration, reading boring laws.

Edits…well, that hasn’t changed at all. Seriously, there’s times we’re at each other’s proverbial throats. Nuff said.

Had our father and his wife came for a visit last week. Had a nice afternoon. Had pastries with tea, went for a walk through town, cooked dinner and talked about lots of things, including our new place, their new place and such. It was nice.

Well, we’re going to see how it all goes from here. I got stuff to do, things to arrange and…gotta go.

Interviewed

Song of the day: “A little time” by the Beautiful South. Yay. Such a funny song, and definitely not bad to have in your head like an earworm. Hah.

Let’s get down to business first. Remember the interview I mentioned the other day? The one I got invited to do at Laurie’s thoughts and reviews? Well, it went live yesterday and here’s the link. (Be nice and click “cool” or “helpful” over there, okay?)

http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com.es/2012/06/wi-investigations-by-samaya-young.html

Isn’t it awesome? My first requested interview, and she made it all look very professional and well taken care of. Not to mention that she made it a very pleasant experience, so for any of you indie published authors out there, she’s definitely someone to approach if you’re looking for some publicity. She is, apparently, actively looking for authors to feature, in a variety of genres, so here’s your chance, check her out.

Okay, enough promo stuff. There’s a couple of days to describe and I better get to it before the end of the day arrives (looking forward to that with a fierce passion, in case you’re wondering) rather than keep dawdling.

Yesterday:
Totally overslept, man. Seriously, I forgot to set my alarm and didn’t wake up ‘til nine thirty and had to rush through the morning rituals to get everything back to an even keel. *sigh*

There was laundry, there was dog food and all those other little things that need to be done from time to time. It mattered none to me, mind you, I was already looking forward to writing, so my head was up in the stratosphere thinking of how I was going to continue the scene I started the day before.

Spent quite bit of time with tenant yesterday. First we walked down (caregiver had to be elsewhere) to the basin terrace where I got her settled for the day. Since big brother was fretting over the world economy and surfed the news channels, we skipped Spanish over breakfast, after which I got to work on the book. Added another few pages, having a few more ah-hah moments during the epilogue which turned out to be somewhat different than I’d planned. Still, I think it’s working out. Also, the death scene (no, not in the end. It’s…oh well, don’t ask. I’d spoil it.) worked out, and the first meeting is starting to be somewhat funny. I like…and so far the playlist I put together on my iTunes fits well with the scenes. Not surprisingly, the songs are all somewhat sad.

Since I don’t like all the sitting down for hours on end, I put a bucket on the table and did most of the writing standing up. Hah. Worked out well enough, and my butt didn’t feel like a chunk of wood afterward. Of course my foot (effing plantars) was seriously complaining at the end, but what the hey, gotta chose one discomfort over the other sometime, right?

The dogs kinda liked my choice to stand through most of the writing, it freed up some serious space under the table, meaning that two more of ‘m were trying to use my bare feet as pillows during the course of the day. Seriously, there are days when I truly regret their severe dependency issues. Especially when it’s a tad hot (not now, by the way, last night clouds tumbled in and they’ve been persisting somewhat) and I’m trying to stay remotely cool. Ah well, thus are the issues of our wonderful pack. You get used to them at a certain point.

Once the writing for the day was done, tenant and I joined forces and cut veggies for supper. Went well enough as I told her about the new book, and she told me about the book she was reading. Also spent some time with her reading through a mail from her family, and then writing back a short one. She seemed cheerful yesterday, if a tad distracted. She’s been thinking a lot about the past again (I’m afraid it does her no good since it pulls her away from life at the present, and makes her more than a little vague. But those are her choices to make. *sigh* Sometimes I dislike caring about others, I really do, in particular when you see certain choices are not in their best interest) in particular since she is looking forward to writing to old friends and relatives. It was one of the reasons for the mail, seeing as I was unable to google the addresses she needed.
Once supper was finished and devoured, and cousin Ed got called to give Sally a ride to work, I walked tenant back up to her bungalow. A long trip that passed with chatter and song, the way we usually do. It makes the time pass faster, and she seems to enjoy it.

Once caregiver took over two thirds of the way, I rushed back to the yard to help big brother finishing the watering chore so we’d have enough time to go the city to pick up a computer adaptor for mom (hers died again) and a spare pair of shoes for big brother. While we were on our way home the Land Rover suddenly started to make a weird sound, rather than risk driving further with it, we parked near our garage, phoned cousin Ed and waited for her to come pick us up.

Which brings us to today, where big brother and I rushed through the morning chores so we would be able to take the Opel and drive back to town, straight to the garage, where we explained the problem. Regretfully they were incredibly busy today, so we had to leave the keys there, and drive back home hoping they’d have time tomorrow. It was reassuring to see that they picked the car up within half an hour (we were at the store across the street from it) so I’m pretty confident that they’ll try to fit it in somewhere. *sigh* Dontcha just hate car trouble?

Once home, I headed down to the basin terrace where both big brother and I spent the majority of the afternoon behind the computer. I wrote a few more pages, bringing the story up to eighteen pages and half (approx. 5000 words) which is not bad for day six. Hah.

That done, it was time to head down into the yard where a few more plants got watered (have been stretching our basin water for several days now, due to the clouds, what’s usually for one day, is now going for three. Gotta be frugal!) and stuff had to be harvested. Since grandpa was unable to get anything at the fruit and vegetable distribution center, we took most of it from the yard. A good thing, since a lot of the cabbages are nearing their end. Also cut some Alfa Alfa, which is high on omega three and incredibly good for the dogs.

But first there was our own food to make. Had beets with cheese and rice, which worked really well…overate in fact. *snort* That dealt with, the area cleared somewhat of what we’d used, and my bag stuffed with everything that needed to go back up to my cabin, we went up.
Took a dip in the pool, nothing like a refreshing dunking in the pool (Chaos loved it) and afterward playing a little with the puppy. He’s doing better, by the way. The only thing that remains is the snotty/running nose, which is blamed on an infection.

While I got to work on the dog food, cutting veggies and such, big brother fixed a blower in the car port, and then got out our table so we could start on this final stretch of computer work. Yep. The day has come to an end, and I’m glad for it. I definitely need a good night’s rest.

Asked?

Song of the day: “I can feel your heartbeat” by Enrique Iglesias and Nichole Sherzinger (sp?). I only recently heard it for the first time, so I only have the chorus going through my head, which is a bit annoying, of course. Hah. Still, a nice song.

Well, lots going on again, nothing massively interesting, mind you, but still, life’s busy, as it should be. First off, I had tried to do a workout yesterday, but I overslept so that didn’t come to happen (did it today instead, yay!) before I went down to the house and started on laundry over coffee, naturally. Hah.
Started filling the pool, thank you very much. I’ll be hopping in soon for sure.

There were dogs to feed (twice, naturally) and tenant to help since caregiver was at her other job once more. Went well enough, took only an hour or two to get her ready and down to my terrace where she settled in for the day. Knight II is giving trouble during feeding time again. Seriously, I have never met a dog who’s as picky in eating as him. *sigh*

There was two day’s worth of yard work of course. A good watering yesterday, and then the youngsters again today. Put in a full field of peppers on the lower terrace. Along with a small field of melons that soon will need a construction of sorts that keeps them off the ground. Had planned to do that today, but since big brother has pulled his leg this morning, we decided to postpone ‘till tomorrow. It’ll be sure to take some time, since these are going to have to be pretty sturdy. Those melon vines are strong and heavy, once they start growing.
Since that is of course inevitable, I also harvested. Got our first zucchinis, yay, and tomatoes, as usual, along with broccoli, sugar peas (the last batch, I fear) along with fresh herbs, naturally.

Once everything that HAD to be done in the yard, was done, it was back up to the carport to work on the box we’ve been putting together to transport the decorative classic car. Got it all done, despite the fact that for some reason the box ended up a bit twisted (old wood will that do to ya) so I had to chisel some edged out of the lid, but other than that it worked out splendidly. Put some papers in there to keep the thing in place, and then put it in the storage. If disaster doesn’t strike, mom and the sibs should be able to take it to the market next Sunday.

Big brother did the dog veggies, and since caregiver returned late from her job, I brought tenant back to her bungalow. She helped me make supper. Prepared chili sin carne with large pancakes on the side. It went down well to boot, so it was definitely a successful endeavor.

What followed was the usual editing session of about eight pages. And then started on writing down answers for an interview I’ve been asked to do. Oh, I hadn’t said that yet, had I? Well, Laurie (a blogger/reviewer/interviewer) asked if I would like to do an interview/feature of my W.I. Investigations, so of course I said yes, and am now TRYING to fit in answering the questions she sent to me. I’m supposed to do about six or eight, but I gotta admit that there are some really nice ones in there, so it is hard to chose. Hah.

Was late getting to bed last night, but did manage to get up in time for a workout this morning. Yay. Pounded and kicked the bag, did laundry, fed the dogs, and then had my own breakfast. Like said before I spent the majority of the afternoon in the yard. And checking storage for rats and mice. Only one mouse so, nothing disastrous. Reorganized containers, pallets and whatnot, creating space and a semblance of order down there, before it was time to head back up.

Since big brother did the cooking, I am now doing my blog in the afternoon, leaving tonight for edits…which is good, since we’re only thirty five pages, or so, from the end. Hah. I can’t wait for it to be done. I so much want to get started on the new book. *sigh*

Well, I still have to head out for a donation in about…carp! Thirty minutes! Okay. Gotta go.

Interviewing Tanner Artesz

Well, the time is nigh again for us to divert of our usual routine on the blog. Yep. I’m gonna cheat (I’ll bring the curious ones of you up to date on the ongoing over here in the next blog) and post an interview with an Indie published writer from the States. His name is Tanner Artesz, and I already once reviewed one of his books in the past, FYI.

So, what to say about Tanner…there’s not much to say, really, his bio leaves us guessing, so maybe there’s something mysterious behind it. Hmmm. What do you think? According to the brief bio he’s a math teacher who spent 21 years in the trenches of the school system. Very brave! He was born in Baltimore, MD (you tell me, is that suspicious…oh I hope so, hah) and now lives in Suffolk, VA.

But let’s get to the interview, rather than me just speculating here. First, there’s the scene to set. Once again I have traveled abroad (I know, I keep dreaming regardless of it being totally unrealistic at this particular time) and because Tanner is a modest and somewhat shy guy, I have opted to meet him at a quiet coffee shop. I arrive before him and have already consumed a giga-sized black coffee while setting up writing stuffs and tape recorder. Drat I’ve forgotten my camera, so we’ll have to go with the only picture of Tanner available online (one picture? That screams spy in my world, but he could also just be shy. *sigh*).
Here he is:




A bit formal, for sure, but not bad, right?

But there he is, coming in and getting out of his coat before we go through the howdos and whatnots and get our orders on the table. Since I’m already flying high on my coffee, I’m opting for tea and kindly wait for him to get a few sips of his drink in before I hit him with it.

Interview with Tanner Artesz by Samaya Young

Q:
Tanner Artesz. A writer by heart, but who is he really? It is not an easy question, nor is it easy to answer, but try anyway.

A: Mostly, I'm very quiet and shy. I tend not to be noticed. I prefer to be alone with my music, books and writing.


Q: The Lord of Chaos trilogy is your creation. When did the idea first take shape in your mind?

A: I guess sometime in the late 1980's when I was playing D&D quite frequently. I started many stories about my characters through the years. I think Archos was the star of most of the earlier ones. The little lord of chaos grew on me as I played him. He soon became my favorite character and took over the staring role sometime in the mid 1990's.


Q: Have you always wanted to become a writer? At which age did the thought first occur?

A: I've always wanted to be a musician, but I have few skills and less talent in that field. I can remember writing as far back as 9th grade. A poem I wrote impressed one of my teachers and he had it published somewhere. I never did get a copy of that. Writing was more of a hobby to stave off the frustration of performing music.

Q:
You wrote an intricate trilogy about a headstrong little elf. How did that come about? How did Ky come to be?

A: As I mentioned earlier, Ky was one of my D&D characters. I played him as chaotic as possible. Some of the aspects of the Lord of Chaos series are from Dungeon modules I created as the characters became too powerful for the store-bought versions. Cragsguard was the main base of those adventures. The diary about the battle in the temple was a dungeon I created and played with several friends. And just like in the book, Ky would 'disappear' on occasion during the D&D sessions.
I played him as a very stubborn little elf, and completely unpredictable. The only thing that the group could really count on was his loyalty. He never deserted and always watched their backs.

Q:
Having read the first of your trilogy I know that your plot is a complicated one. Could you tell us how your process of plot development works? Intricate schematics or more “going with the flow”?

A: I have a basic idea when I start. Usually, I'll write three of four chapters, then go back and re-read what I've done. As I interact with the characters new twists and turns in the plot develop through them. The only thing I really know when I start a story is the beginning and the ending. The characters help me fill in the gaps.

Q:
How many years have you been working on the Lord of Chaos trilogy?

A: I started working on the current version of the story in about 2006. The whole trilogy took me about four years to write. There was another version before that. Parts of that show up in the new version as Delmaria's journals.

Q:
You biography states that you used to be a teacher in mathematics. Math and literature, not the most obvious combination; how does that go together?

A: Math is in everything. I really like working with numbers and am very intrigued with Chaos Theory and fractals. I like the patterns in Math as well. Some are buried in the story here and there.

Q:
In your book(s) a lot occurs in Austria. Ever been there? What’s the fascination?

A: I've never been to Austria, though I'd like to go some day. There's a quote from the movie August Rush that I think sums up my fascination with Austria: "I believe in music the way some people believe in fairy tales." I have always loved music and most of the classical music I listen to comes from Austrian composers; Mozart, Strauss, Schubert, Haydn, and Beethoven (who went to Austria to work). I also believe that there is magic in music. Micah is the character I chose to bring forth that belief.


Q:
Can you name a few of your own favorite authors, the ones who inspired you over the years?

A: Terry Brooks, J.R.R. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, Ray Bradbury, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Michael Moorcock

Q:
What is the first book you read that absolutely wowed you?

A: That's hard to say. I've been reading since I was very young. As a kid, probably Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. Somewhere in there I read "The Old Man and the Sea." I think it was a school assignment, but it became one of my all time favorite stories. One of the earliest I remember from teen/adult times is Dandelion Wine, by Bradbury. From there I read Martian Chronicles and an awesome short story of his called "The Skeleton." I think Tolkien was next. He led me to find more books with elves in them. Terry Brooks followed him.

Q:
Where do you get information for your writing? The Internet, or do you dive into some ancient library and get your hands dirty?

A: Most of what's in my stories is from my imagination. I really did not have to research much. The few bits and pieces of historical correctness probably came from my years in college earning my teaching degree. My endorsement is in middle school education and they expect you to be able to teach all four of the core subjects.

Q:
What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have a day job?

A: I'm currently looking for a day job. They're hard to find around here. Evenings I either listen to music, watch a movie or play games on the computer.

Q:
How about a hobby?

A: My hobby is collecting. I collect stamps, trading cards, records and CDs, and autographs.

Q:
No man is an island. Who, through the hardships of creating a fiction saga, stood behind you all the while?

A: My three 'editor' friends. All three books are dedicated to them.

Q:
Do any of your characters remind you of people in real life? Did someone inadvertently get a lead in the Lord of Chaos?

A: Two of my friends did. I won't mention who they are in real life, but the characters are Delmaria, Stumpy, and Fury.

Q: What do you consider the hardest part of writing a novel? Character
interactions? Plot? Other?

A: I guess keeping the plot from getting too complicated. I really get into my characters, all of them. Every one of them wants a solo. Trying to do that makes the plot far too convoluted.

Q:
What inspires you?

A: Music. I like to listen to instrumentals, classical, big band, rock, etc. I let my mind wander as I do. The other main source of inspiration is dreams. Sometimes a story will haunt me night after night until I start to write it down.

Q:
Any particular quirks when you write? You withdraw to a safe haven of silence and tranquility, or you seek out the hubbub of the nearest, let’s say, Starbucks?

A: I write at night when I'm less likely to be disturbed. I have a very hard time writing with outside distractions. I will listen to classical music while I write. It calms me and helps me think better.

Q:
Any other books in the making? What’s it about, and will you be publishing this as well?

A: Three. Two are on the back burner for the moment. Those are kaben nine and Cycle of Death. The first is about two demigod siblings and their plot to rid themselves of their father so they can do what they want. The second is more of a paranormal detective thing. The main character is a detective that can read the memories of objects to solve mysteries.
The third one returns to El'elasia. It begins about two hundred years after Vengeance. This story focuses more on Eldar elves and William and his family are the lead characters. I don't want to say too much about it because it would contain spoilers for Vengeance if I do.
I'm also working on a puzzle book. If it's finished before the new installment, all the puzzles will have something to do with the original trilogy. If not, some of the new story will be included also.

Q:
Last one. You have one free hour to do with as you will, what will you do?

A: I would write, listen to music, work on my stamp collection, draw, bang on my guitar or piano, or play some game. If I had two free hours, I might opt to watch a movie.

That done, coffee consumed, some laughter shared over mutual experiences in writing, we say our goodbyes because let’s face it, I have a flight waiting to return me to reality. It was a pleasure doing the interview however, and I hope that y’all enjoyed reading it.

So that was it, the interview with Tanner Artesz, Indie author with three books just waiting to be picked up by some lucky reader. He’s available on Amazon, so do check him out.

Well, that was it for me, I guess. I’ve got work to do. The book to edit, hilarious chats to join in on on the chat forums and…well, I’ll share the next time round.

Interviewing C.S. Marks

So the time is here, the complete shift of our usual routine here on the blog.

No talk about daily stuff; whining about edits, discussions about grammar and whether or not a scene fits in the plot or not, (big brother and I got into a heated one again the other day. Seriously it was bad, I wanted to conk him on the head with a blunt instrument again…okay, I won’t spill the beans now, but save it for later) but a fun interview with Christine S. Marks, who recently signed on with Sea Lion Books and will have her book “Elfhunter” coming out sometime this spring. Yay.

I’ll be doing a review at that time, thank you very much, and will be looking forward to see what changes have been made.

I hear you wonder, who the heck is Chris Marks? (although, if you’ve been following for a bit you will have at some point read the way-too-long review I did for her) No worries, the questions down here are going to satisfy at least a bit of your curiosity. And who knows, you might be so wowed that you’ll end up buying the book. Hah.

Right. Is that enough yapping from me, or shall I set the scene a little? Hmmm...

Let’s pretend I actually traveled to the States for this little chat, okay. (a girl can dream, right?) I met with Marks…Chris at a nice little pub where a cozy fire burned high in an old hearth. There’s a faint scent of peat in the air, and my Whiskey is golden while her ale…or shall we say mead? (she has a thing with honey...but you'll have to read the book to figure out what it is, hah) is warm.
There’s snow outside, there are a couple of dogs under the table that we occupy, and there’s a burr of other patrons enjoying a quiet evening out. Polished wood galore, and my chair is just a tad wobbly. Let's just say it added to the atmosphere. Hah.
Pen poised, recorder taping, and a secret camera set in the corner…this is what I got for my efforts...



(Aren’t the ears fun?)
We share a toast (gotta lull them with a false sense of safety *chortle*) and then I hit her with the first question...no, no, no actual hitting. Jeez! Have a little faith. *sigh*
Well anyway, plied with liquor, the atmosphere relaxed we got started. Just to be nice, I decided to go with an easy question: “Christine S. Marks: Renaissance woman, educator, writer, competitive horse rider and so on and on. This is how your bio describes you. Deep down, if you had to describe yourself in a single sentence, what would you say? Don’t think about it, just say the first thing that pops up. Who is Chris in one sentence?”

CHRIS: You know that guy, Voldemort? I’m who he runs from.

ME: “Alterra: The world that is”, in your biography you state that the Elfhunter trilogy is dedicated to your father, whose roots in literature clearly left a strong imprint on you. Can you tell us something about how the idea of Elfhunter came into existence?

CHRIS: Welll...it started as a short story involving four protagonists and a really cool villain. The really cool villain forced me to continue until I had told the entire story to his satisfaction (three volumes later). Trust me...I had to do it! Seriously, though, a guy like Gorgon gets into your head and you just have to keep going. Alterra is merely a setting for his story. Elfhunter is much more about characters than it is about world-building.

ME: One cannot help being reminded of Lord of the Rings while reading about Alterra, the world you have created. Do you mind the comparison?

CHRIS: Not at all. I’ve never denied the profound influence Tolkien had on my perception of fantasy. Readers will notice both Middle Earth and Alterra are earth-like, pre-industrialized worlds, and that Alterra is populated with some of the beloved fantasy ‘tropes‘ (elves, trolls, and so on) that Tolkien established. However, the story and characters are quite different. There are many unique aspects of Alterra with respect to magic, cosmology, and ecology (after all--Alterra was imagined by a biologist), but it’s the story and the characters who carry it out that are most important.

ME: Have you always wanted to be a writer, or is it something that just happened over the years?

CHRIS: Honestly, I’ve always loved reading and have appreciated the gifts a good storyteller can provide. I also have always enjoyed writing, but I never really imagined myself as a ‘writer’ until recently. My Dad was the writer; I was the scientist. I have written quite a lot of stuff over the years (mostly fantasy and some nonfiction, but also romance...I even tried my hand at erotica once on a dare). I’ve never had anything published until Elfhunter.

ME: Through the years, who has been your staunchest supporter?

CHRIS: Without a doubt, my husband, Jeff. He deserves a great deal of credit, as I’m probably not the easiest person to live with (especially when I’m really stuck into writing). He’s been there through every nail-biting moment, every bad review, and every major edit. Second place might have to go to Wally, the corgi, whose support has been unwavering for the past decade.

ME: Your characters are very detailed and specifically defined. Are any of them based on people in real life?

CHRIS: Some are, yes. I will say no more, lest my friends start trying to ‘find themselves’ and worry about whether I based Gorgon on them. ;-)

ME: Gaelen Taldin: Your main character is a temperamental, loyal and quite outspoken little spitfire. Any similarities between her and yourself?

CHRIS: At the college where I teach, I am known for being outspoken, independent, and non-political. I have always gone my own way as a pragmatic non-conformist who isn’t afraid to dream and be creative. Those are all Gaelen-like characteristics. I also know when I’m right, dangit! There’s a lot of me in Fima, the Dwarf, as well. I tend to express my world view through those two characters. I will say, though, that Gaelen sings better than I do. Physically, I’m a lot more like Fima (except for the beard, though at my age I won’t always be able to rule that out, either).

ME: Who is your favorite author?

CHRIS: I love Tolkien. For me, his writing is the essence of what high fantasy should be. I have always enjoyed Stephen King, too. The Stand and The Talisman are brilliant. On the gentler side, I love James Herriot and Richard Adams.

ME: Your passion for fantasy is apparent in your work. Any other genres that you might try your hand at in the future?

CHRIS: I have always wanted to write a light-hearted collection of essays dealing with graduate school, endurance riding, and college teaching . I have lived through some hilarious experiences--and some are quite unusual, such as riding the Australian National Championship hundred-mile race. One of these days, maybe.

ME: As a formerly self-published author, you’ve been at the helm (basically) on your own for years. How does it feel to have a full-fledged publishing house backing you up now? Are you enjoying the process?

CHRIS: Oh, my, yes! It’s wonderful to be a part of a team of professionals. I have a top-notch agent ‘watching my back’, an illustrator to die for, a savvy marketing team, and a creative publisher who’s committed to our mutual success. What’s not to like? And, have I mentioned that I love my new editor? She’s one of the best around, she is unbelievably perceptive, and I know we can take Elfhunter to a whole new level. The learning opportunity alone is invaluable to me as a writer.

I will say that I have not regretted my choice to self-publish, and that being ‘at the helm’ was not a bad place to be. I had no one to blame (or credit) for my failure or success. That said, I could only go so far with the project on my own--now there are doors opening that were closed before.

ME: So much has been changing in the publishing world. How do you, one of the success stories of self-publishing, think it’s going to go? Self-publishing: A fad, or here to stay?

CHRIS: Here to stay, but in a state of flux right now. Self-publishing is a more viable choice than it has ever been before, and I believe it will gain even more respect as a legitimate publishing path in the future. However, those authors who are unwilling to make the investment in the quality of their work will soon fall by the wayside. Quality ‘indies’ will be able to vie with the traditionally-published--some are doing so already--and those authors will draw the attention of not only the readers, but the industry as a whole. That’s a major shift, imo.

ME: How did your transfer to Sea Lion Publishing come about?

CHRIS: This is such a cool question, because it illustrates the idea that ‘you just never know’ what chain of events will lead to something wonderful. The short version: Two bloggers happened to be blogging (as bloggers are wont to do) about Elfhunter at the same time. One of the execs at SLB (their marketing chief, actually) happens to follow those blogs. Because he saw the same book on both of them (fortunately, both bloggers were very positive about the book) he checked into it. He went to Amazon, read the reviews from readers, and read the sample. The rest, as they say, is history. I owe my good fortune to those two bloggers, whoever they may be. You just never know.

ME: You’ve always been an avid, albeit modest and tasteful promoter of your work. Is that going to change now, or will you be as passionate about it as ever?

CHRIS: I am passionate about everything I care for. I intend to remain modest and tasteful (thanks for that), but I stand ready for SLB whenever and wherever they need me.

ME: You’re a busy woman. You teach, write, do book tours, have horses, dogs, cats and a significant other: How do you find time for it all?

CHRIS: I can blame several of my grey hairs on this. Thankfully, both my husband and employer are understanding and supportive. I write at all hours--late nights, early mornings--whenever I can (it’s 3 a.m. here at the moment). I have simply resolved to make time for everything that’s important to me, as I’m not willing to give anything up. I’ll retire from the College one of these days, and that will free up some time, hopefully for writing! :-)

ME: Two choices: spending a day out on your favorite horse, riding across sunny, long stretching meadows. Or a day a day inside behind your computer, finally writing down that scene that has been bugging you for ages. What would you do?

CHRIS: Probably get up extra early so I could do BOTH. Riding relaxes me and prepares me for writing. I used to try to get a morning ride in before an exhaustive day of final exams, too. My grades were much better for it.

ME: Your writing process, what’s it like? One big exhausting marathon right until the end. A steady clip that will get you to the end in due time. Or none of the above.

CHRIS: I write according to the time I have available. When I’m ‘on it’, I write for long hours and work really hard. Sometimes my schedule will not permit me to write for several days, but I’ve been known to basically den up in my ‘writer cave’ for several days afterward. The end of Ravenshade was written in two days and nights of almost solid writing--I could not get the story down on paper fast enough! When I’m working on a deadline, I try to write steadily as time permits. Now I’m going through a major structural edit, and I have to work steadily or I won’t meet my deadline.

ME: What about your surroundings. Do you need absolute silence to concentrate on the world your are describing, or do you prefer a more chaotic atmosphere?

CHRIS: Don’t like chaos. I have a pair of noise-canceling headphones for those noisy days at home. I play the same five cds as background...the music automatically gets me into ‘writing mode’.

ME: You’ve had a heck of a week, not a moment to spare. All your obligations are taken care of, those you love are content, and you have one blissful hour of free time to do with what you will. What do you do?

CHRIS: Since I only have an hour, I will probably cosy up on the couch, having built a fire in the fireplace, and cuddle a dog or two.

ME: Any advice for the writers out there with “the dream”? Some words of divine wisdom?

CHRIS: I don’t have any divine wisdom, but if I had to dispense advice to aspiring authors it would be this:
--Write because you love it.
--Work hard at your craft, and strive always to become a better writer.
--Set realistic goals.
--Realize that publishing a quality work takes investment, both in the quality of the writing and in the presentation and promotion of the work.
--Be prepared to enlist the aid of cover artists/designers and editors to help you make your book as professional as it can be.
--Try not to compare yourself with other authors. Learn from them, but understand that your work is unique, your experience will be different, and ‘your mileage may vary’.
--Keep writing because you love it!

ME: A last one about Alterra: What’s next?

CHRIS: A new, exciting Alterran series is in the works! The first book has been written, the second is in process. It takes the characters in a whole new direction, exploring the world of Alterra as never before. Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and I’m really anxious to get on with the writing.
I’ve recently finished a novella that is going in the back of the new Elfhunter--a special treat for my readers.

Naturally, I am looking forward to the comic book and graphic novel series with eager anticipation. We should see the first stirrings in 2012.


(I snuck in a few extra, in case I needed to rearrange stuff…but then of course, Chris gave fun answers so I can’t leave them out, grrr. I had wanted to do "20 questions", darn it!)


ME: For your first publication you created the cover art yourself, and did a fine job of it. What do you think of the cover art done by Ms Hoover?

CHRIS: Well, thanks for that. Ms Hoover is a real pro, she has read the book (and loves it), and she quite obviously ‘gets’ the character. I could not ask for a better cover artist! I will admit that I am a bit wistful to see my interior illustrations go, though. I know the new ones will be on a whole new level, consistent with the upcoming graphic novel adaptations, and so I understand why I must bid farewell to the ‘old’.

ME: Rumors are you’re an expert filk performer. How did that come about?

CHRIS: Ha! I taught myself the guitar when I was eight. I have always loved writing silly songs, I have a decent voice, I love to sing...those are the characteristics of a filker, even though I didn’t know it at the time.

ME: For those who don’t know what a filk is, would you explain?

CHRIS: ‘Filk’ is a musical genre that often includes parody/humorous songs, but also serious ones, with a fantasy/scifi theme. Filkers are most often found at conventions, ‘holed up’ in a room together, playing and singing until sunrise. They will then drag their guitars back to their rooms and not emerge until noon. It’s tough to work an author table and filk all night, but sleep is for the weak and sickly. I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.




That’s it. That’s all she wrote. I turn off the recorder, tuck away pen and paper, and slip the camera back into my purse. It was a wonderfully casual chat, I assured her, and as we exit the pub to head for our respective cars we give a cheery wave of goodbye.

*sigh*
Dontcha just love fantasy. Hah.

I am definitely looking forward to the new publication (I’ll keep you informed about that one) and was much appreciative of this opportunity to interview C.S. Marks, with what I hoped were at least some “genius” questions.

As or the normal routine of the blog…don’t worry, I’ll go all out and bring you all up to date next time ‘round. *snort*

Happy B-day, middle Sis

Song of the day: “Staying alive” by the Beegees. Ah, the good old days, eh? Though, admittedly I have no idea what they were thinking with those tight, white pants back in those days. Hah.

What to write, what to write? On the overall it has been busy the past couple of days, but not so much with anything that is remotely interesting to talk about. We did see a snake the other day, so it really is starting to get essential that we burn an old tire in strategic spots throughout the yard. You see, apparently snakes don’t like the scent of burning tires at all, so for the past few years, whenever we notice snakes in the proximity, we burn a couple to chase them off.

Well, first of all, yesterday I had a job interview. Nothing fancy, just a few hours a week, but we’re going to have to wait and see how it goes. I can’t really say whether the interview went well, or not. It didn’t go bad, I know that much, but to say it went great, I don’t know either. All in all, the job won’t be bad, but I won’t be surprised if it turns out to be a negative.
Ah well...

Okay, other than that, middle sister has her birthday today. Yay. Twenty-seven years old, and going on thirty. Boy are we getting old here. Hah. Seriously, though. I still remember the baby girl she once was, and now I am eye to eye with a fully grown woman. *sigh* Time does pass way too fast.
I started out the morning making apple/pear pie, which turned out splendidly, thank you very much. Gawd, I stuffed myself.

Right. Gardening. There was more of that, of course. Transplanted fifteen more seedling icebergs into pots this very morning. There are a few more plants to put in, in the near future, but then, basically we’ll be done with the sowing and planting, leaving us with watering and weeding for the next few months.

Yesterday afternoon we took our this spring’s last potato harvest, which was plentiful, not to mention colorful. As a matter of fact, they’re a bright pink, which is...interesting to say the least. Now imagine them baked in their jackets with real butter and fresh green herbs. Delicious.
Yikes. I’ve got to stop talking about food. Seriously, my pie is coming back up.

Both yesterday and today the car had to be unloaded. Like this morning, we had a big batch of rocks to bring down to the wall for future masonry. They’re really good ones too, seeing as they have lots of straight edges, which sorta gets grandpa excited. He loves it when the rocks are straight like bricks. Me, on the other hand...I like the challenge of fitting all sorts of shapes together. Ah well, to each his own.

I really had to show Knight II who’s boss yesterday afternoon. For the sheer fun of it, he laid into Arthur, so I chased him up and made sure that he understood this was not acceptable. Of course he proceeded to ignore me the rest of the night, acting all out of sorts and refusing to run when we went out to get that batch of rocks. He’s still upset with me today (he really doesn’t like to be berated for being naughty) but is lying by my feet right now.

Dax’s ear is as good as healed (so’s Knight’s tail, btw) and like Sitabah he is following me everywhere. Tadaika appears to be getting used to me, thankfully. She is drawing gradually towards me and I am patiently trying to wait for her to come up with me (and my dogs) at night when I go to my cabin. She just might do it some day, in particular since she appears to enjoy playing with Sitabah, Dax and Knight II. A miracle that, considering she’s part pitbul and sometimes just a little to enthusiastic. Luckily the other three I mentioned, Knight especially, are more than her equal.

Huh. Okay. I’m done. Oh wow. I managed to keep the day’s blog to one page for a change. Gawd, I just might need to celebrate. Hah.

Ehm, interview and other stuff.

I just saw that my very first official Interview is out with Joey Pinkney, a reviewer who also does interviews with his authors. Rather strange to see your own face on someone else's page this way.
Here's the link for those who want to check it out: 5 min. 5 questions interview.


Song of the day: “The boy does nothing” by Alesha Dixon. Strange song, but sorta catchy.

I’m going to keep this as short as possible, seeing as I’m dreadfully late again. I don’t get it…I don’t really mind, but having to say it every day is getting to be a tad boring, isn’t it?

There are the usual chores, breakfast; dog stuff…the little pup is doing grand, by the way, already fully attached to little brother and sister…and an excellent four page edit that brings us through the first section of the day.

Rather than build on any of the walls today…thank God the big one is done already…we decide to work in the courtyard for now. As it turns out the washing machine burst a tube again, so figuring that we’ve had enough of it, we decide to create an elevated section in the courtyard where the machine can make a mess to it’s heart’s content in the future.

First, there’s laundry to take down. It’s a pleasantly warm day again, with a warm breeze so the big load has dried quickly. Mom and I fold it so there is room to work in the courtyard.

Then, an old closet needs to be removed, because, let’s face it; we haven’t even looked in the thing for years and spend over an hour removing what appears to be a cluster of old rat nests. Aaargh. So gross, how those critters literally destroy everything to make their mess.

Finally, we get everything cleared and loaded up on the back of the truck. Middle sister makes a nice batch of cement by hand and then starts clearing out more mess to lug out to the car. While big brother and grandpa head to one of our rentals to repair a water main leak, so I wile away the time fixing up an old table so if we want to edit and don’t like to be distracted by the TV we can settle in the courtyard.

An hour later…I hate the way preparation takes so much time that you can’t get a lot done…we can start with the actual work of the day.
With large concrete blocks, scavenged from the property by grandpa, I build up a small square in the corner. Big brother repairs the new damage in the washing machine, the younger sibs clear out the pantry that was once again flooded and mom helps out by hosing down the spills from the emptied closet.

The afternoon rapidly draws to an end and we head on out to bring the junk away and get a new load of rocks. It goes remarkably fast today (little sister is with us too) and we have the truck bed full in less than fifteen minutes. Once back home, unloading the truck goes just as fast and we head inside to have a quick snack.

Big brother and I do another edit (the read-through one, rather than the rewrite of this morning), this time in the courtyard so we won’t be distracted by the TV, and add another three pages to today’s quota.

It’s around midnight when we call it a night and I head on up to my cabin to feed the dogs and get online for a bit of relaxation. Not a minute wasted today, which carries a certain amount of satisfaction, I’ll admit.

Hah! Just one page. I’m so proud.

Interview, yard and injury...yeah, that 'bout sums it up.

Warning: This is a long one! Hah.

“You should always have both your feet planted firmly on the ground and keep your head out of the clouds.” It’s a saying that always confuses me (or is that two of them? Hmmm. Whatever).
First of all, I’ve got two feet and excellent balance, thank you very much, and if I want to stand on one foot like the a stork, or something, that is my prerogative, always.
I know, it’s not meant literally, but neither is my response. Hah.
As for keeping my head out of the clouds…whatever for? Some variety can make life in general a whole lot more interesting. If you don’t poke your head into the proverbial clouds every once in a while, you miss out on a lot, to my way of thinking.

Well, that thought over and done with on to the day:
We’ll skip the morning rituals, shall we? It wasn’t any different than usual–pick a random one from previous days and you’ll get the general idea, hah–and move on to switching on the computer this morning.

This doesn’t happen until after I arrive at the house with the pack, of course, but it was a slow day when it concerns the “writing buzz”. I really can’t focus on edits today, and can’t explain why. My head is on different tangents I suppose, so instead I set to the written interview I agreed to do for a reviewer who’s agreed to read and give his opinion on the “W.I. Investigations” in the near future.

I’ve mentioned it before, I think, and though there are only five questions, I wanted to give it the attention it deserved, so seeing as edits were out of the question anyway, I figured I might as well do something useful and be as specific as I possibly can without getting tedious.

I gotta admit that answering these types of questions is a lot harder than answering those of readers. With readers I prefer to be looser, and elaborate, allowing my own enthusiasm about the stories to shine through. With an interview I figure I need to be a little more formal and to the point. Enthusiastic, of course, but not too much so, if that makes any sense?

I do like the fact that one of the questions allows me to explain what I’ve always tried to do with the W.I. Investigations, and since this particular Blog is my personal little world anyway, I guess I can outline it here as well.

You see, the W.I.’s are written in a slightly different tone and style than an average book. I’ve applied–or tried to–set a scene much like a movie or a TV show would. Basic actions and reactions described in graphic detail. With their creation (the W.I.’s) I aimed to bring literature and cinematography closer together, setting the words in such a fluid, or liquid, way that it creates the scenes inside the readers head like a motion picture, rather than leaving it up to the imagination.

From those who’ve read them I have received a multitude of responses that confirm that the technique was successful, but of course I am curious as to what this reviewer is going to say once he’s read the cases of Walsh International.

I wonder if he manages to grasp what I tried to convey; whether he will find the writing style peculiar or if it brings the images into his head the way they are supposed to. I suppose that it requires a certain flexibility in a reader’s mind to be able to shift the reading focus in such a way that the effect becomes apparent. And, one definitely has to be a movie lover to be fully able to appreciate it.

In that regard the W.I.s are a risky experiment to say the least. It is always a matter of whether or not the reader can experience it the way it was intended, or if that reader just gets annoyed with out of the ordinary writing. Hah.

Only time will tell in the end, I guess. I’ve decided to just put it aside for the time being and see when the time’s arrived to read his opinion.

But anyways, I manage to answer most of the questions during the morning session, and decide to leave the fine-tuning for later today when I shut the computer down and head outside to see what we can do in the yard today.

There is a big pile of rocks that still need to be carried to the others that have already been gathered, so while big brother is once again working on the upper fences…Tadayka and Prame, the young monstrosities broke through them again…I pull on my working gloves and start hauling rocks from one place to another.

It is going rather well. The sun is shining, and the temperature is so wonderfully warm that I’m slowly divesting layers of clothes until I finally decide to go to my cabin to change into a sleeveless top. A true spring day; can it get any better?

Not a good thought to have while I’m carrying a forty pound rock down the uneven path and bend down to lay it on the ground in its new spot, I admit.
I’m about to lay it in place, dropping it the last couple of inches and keeping my hands carefully on the top when I let gravity do its thing. The stupid thing bounces a little, which would have been fine if my index finger hadn’t been aiming straight down and got knocked back with the momentum the bounce caused.

Ouch! It feels just like when Knight II rammed straight through my knee and dislocated it.
I swear colorfully under my breath, alternating between cradling the pained limb in my other gloved hand and holding it high over my head. Neither position feels at all comfortable and once the pain has receded into a dull throb I peel off my glove to inspect the damage.

The digit is already swelling and feels sort of numb by the time little sister arrives and starts helping me with the remainder of the rocks. My progress is decidedly slower than it was before but when little brother appears as well, he can take care of the heavier stones that I really don’t wanna lift at that particular time.

Once we’re done, little brother climbs on the roof to tackle the large mimosa trees that surround the house. The massive storm last October did a lot of damage there too, and while he is sawing away at the broken branches he can reach, I head into the house to exit through the pantry door.

It is in today’s plan that we’re going to tackle the overgrown stairs that lead down into the yard from the back, and then go down to the old septic tank for a much needed cleaning. It takes me only a few minutes to figure out that it is going to be quite impossible to get to the stairs from this side, so with that to report, I head back out to where the sibs are still working.

Once I’ve informed big brother–he’s lugging dog food to the carport at this time–of what I’ve discovered, I spent some time hauling the heavy branches off the roof and dragging them to the main path. Little brother, who has reached the limit of his reach on the trees by then, says that he will bring them to the old pool for the next bonfire we’re going to need to light up in the near future, before the hot season arrives.

Seeing that there are a lot of dead branches still dangling down, I take the long saw with me, and head up to the gate so I can check if I can get to them from outside the fence…it’s a level higher. Since the branches are still to high, big brother joins me at that time and actually climbs the trees to do the task.

Within an hour we get most of it done and I head back to the gate. Underway I find the corpse of the white cat that risked entering my cabin a week or so ago. Regretfully it didn’t survive its folly and suffered the consequences. Shaking my head sadly, I return to the carport to share the discovery and then promptly continue down to the septic tank.

It’s been years since we checked it, and for more than an hour we hack through a jungle of reed and weeds until we can finally estimate what needs to be done. There’s a lot of mud…and stuff I really don’t want to name. It smelled pungent, however…to remove and I get to it while big brother starts to examine what needs to be done to the tank to get it in proper working order again.

After I’ve done all I can to clear the top and the stairs leading up to the house, little sister and our friend Danni (she’s joined in on the day’s “fun”) help me fix the reed covered fence. Support beams need to be replaced, and after taking out a quartet of wrist-thick reeds from the massive amount that surrounds the tank, I need to find a way to actually get to it.

Armed with gloves, metal wires and pliers I do a rather risky descend on the steep incline on which the fence is fastened. Mud cakes the steep ground, and it takes me quite some time to find enough purchase to actually be able to do something. I do a couple of impressive slides, a near split, but finally manage it.
So, with middle sister–she’s finished hauling more debris to the old pool–wedged precariously on the edge of the tank and leaning over the abyss to keep the new support in place, I take up position on the other side.

Once I’m settled appropriately, one foot stretched out across as well while my back keeps the majority of the fence straight, little sister uses my booted foot as a step up onto the concrete foundation of the pole. Once she’s there, ready to start wrapping wires around the supports, I lock my arm behind her back to keep her in place.

Danni, who’s using a shovel to help hold the weight of the fence, squeals suddenly and almost tumbles right into the gap over which I’m balancing. The shovel has gone straight through the top part, making her lose her balance. Luckily, no harm done, just silly laughter now that fatigue is starting to set in.

Quickly little sister finishes up wrapping the wire around the supports, allowing me to release, and then help her back to safety. Now comes the “fun” part. I need to get farther down to the other end of the support, and literally slip slide my way to it on smelly goo. Hah.

In the end, we succeed however. And just in time, too, since grandpa attempts to pass through one of the gates when most of the dogs are up there trying to get to us. A chorus of victorious howls fills the air just when we step away from the repaired fence.
Whew.

Since all the repairs took so much time we decide to call it a day by then, especially since dusk is rapidly approaching and head into the house where mom has dinner waiting for us.

The first thing I do when arriving at the house is wash up and stick my throbbing finger under the cold water. The digit is still swollen and gratefully little sister gets the tube of Arnica gel so I can wrap it up properly for the duration of dinner. Once we’ve all caught our breaths, and watched “The Mentalist”, it’s time to resume the task of the interview.

I remove the bandage and examine my finger closely. It is rather weird. The upper two knuckles are completely numb and when I try–time and again–to move them, they refuse to follow the instruction my brain is giving. We debate for a moment whether or not it might be broken, but the swelling along with the bluish color on the inside, give us the impression that it is stunned and bruised more than anything. In the end we decide to wait and see. If it isn’t any better by tomorrow, a quick doctor’s visit might be in order.

A couple of hours after ceasing today’s yard work, big brother and I review the interview, make a few quick alterations and send it off with the requested headshot and book cover picture.
By this time I’m more than ready to call it a day and head up to my cabin for the usual evening rituals.

As is usual with injuries, I slam my finger into inane objects on several occasions, but it’s a good thing in the end. There’s a slight popping sound, and a firm stab of pain, and yes, the knuckles respond again. Whatever caused the numbness appears to be over. Yay.

A good eventful day, in my estimation. Those are the best in the end!