tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90924369157489324962024-02-18T22:19:00.581-08:00The Life of A Fantasy WriterThe journey of an ordinary stay at home mom, on a quest to become someone's favorite fantasy author.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-35379884762283294752015-04-20T11:57:00.001-07:002015-04-20T11:57:54.028-07:00Yes I am still writing!So I know I have been promising that I would get this darn second book finished but its been tough. I'm not going to whine or make excuses, it's just not finished yet. But I will give you a little something just to let you know that yes I am still writing! <br />
<br />
This is part of the first chapter and Yes Ashia is still alive. I know some of you were worried that I killed her off but she is alive and well, full of secrets in fine dragon style. This is her attempt to reconnect with Ililsaya's aka Karah"s brother...yes I said brother.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Come out mother, I know you are
there.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">My voice bounced and grated of
the rocks and I watched in silence as a dragon emerged from behind an edifice
of rocks. She was small compared to most dragons but what she lacked in size
she made up for in power, at least that is before she became mortal. Her
golden, bronze and red scales where muted in the deep of night but I knew that
when the light graced her body she was as beautiful as the dawn. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> She kept her head high as she approached
me, with her twin platinum horns twisting together, pointing to the sky. They
matched my horns but that was where the resemblance stopped. Ashia came to
stand beside me and together we stared back out across the sea. When she chose
to speak, it was mentally.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Hello
Ashny, it has been a long time”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept my contempt in check as I tried to
decide what she wanted. I faced my birth mother and stared into her eyes.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Yes
I suppose it has. Please don’t pretend that you care with your feeble mortal
emotions. Say what you came to say and leave me be.” <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ashias golden eyes flared with
magic but in the end, all she did was drop her head in shame. The display of
mortal emotion was sickening and I was already losing interest in this reunion.
Ashias voice once again invaded my mind.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I
know what I have done, you can never forgive me for, but that is not why I chose
to find you. I can help you.”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I snorted blowing steam into the chilly night
air. My voice carried through the night and I didn’t care who heard me.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“Help me? How?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last I checked it was you that needed help!
You chose a mortal soul over your own flesh and blood. You abandoned me to the
wrath of my father and let him take away what was most precious to all
dragons…my magic! Now after all these centuries you want to help me? Why should
I trust you or even care what you have to say?” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I managed to leap out of the way
as my mother came at me teeth and claws flashing in the moonlight. I pulled my
lips back in a snarl and prepared for the attack but it never came. Ashia
regained her composure and I was disappointed to see her bury her natural
dragon emotions. For a moment, I almost believed she was my mother again.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“What
I did, I did to protect Ililsaya. You know this, and you also know that it was
not my choice to loose everything that I was, including my memories of you. You
may never understand but I’m not here to reopen old wounds. I have discovered
something that you may be interested in.”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">I faced my mother with hatred in
my amber eyes.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“And
what is that my dear mother?”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">“I
have found your magic essence…and I believe I know how to get it back.”<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-6059085116518774542015-03-31T06:54:00.000-07:002015-03-31T06:54:15.144-07:00I'm going home For those of you who don't know me I was born and raised in a small town called Uxbridge. I grew up on a hobby farm with my parents and grandparents and of course my horses. It was awesome. Then I grew up met my wonderful husband and started a new life. I moved away from Uxbridge when I was 21 which was 17 years ago. At first it wasn't so bad. Ajax was a town really not much bigger than Uxbridge but it soon exploded with growth and now is a very heavily populated area. We used to have green space near us but now all you can see are houses and lately it has been weighing on me.<br />
Not too long ago my grandfather approached us and asked if we wanted to buy the farm where I grew up. He is 82 and he just wants to travel and he can't take care of the place the way it should be. Immediately I wanted to shout yes...OMG yes! but there was so much to consider. I was going to have to leave a home that had been mine for most of my adult life. I know it sounds like a no brainer but I suffer from anxiety and a change like that is very hard to swallow, almost impossible actually. I stayed awake at night thinking of the worse possible scenarios because hey that's just what I do. What if we couldn't afford it? What if Hannah hates her new school? What if I can't find a job? What if my husband ends up hating it there? And the list went on. <br />
Finally I sat down and just started looking through some old pictures and I saw what I needed to see. Horses. Unless you grew up with these wonderful creatures you really won't understand. Being around them gives me a sense a peace that I never knew I needed until I moved away from them. And that is what finally put doubts at bay. Yes I'm going to miss this house like crazy but home is where your heart is and mine is on that farm. So this summer we are heading to Uxbridge and I'm moving back to my family home where I grew up. I'm scared but also very happy. Its going to be a lot of work but in the end I can say that this is mine and my soul can breath in what its been craving for a long time.<br />
Well I guess it's back to work! We have a lot to do around here to get this house ready to sell and Easter is this weekend too. It will be our last big family get together here and I know I'm going to cry. But Thanksgiving is next and nothing compares to a beautiful fall day on the farm with friends and family!<br />
Cheers<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-17682868468824660402014-07-03T07:50:00.000-07:002014-07-03T08:39:39.650-07:00An open window<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwKoopdSWQNSVMuMLjyV2uCqB7lgxvI49O4fv6Gz-BqFc6Eo_wi65PTAKHP_q5S_DwMBpJbMRwUEPHCbqndCteEtlJXHeMpj0yb4bQLvrGRPqMnkcwgGtVYyG4Qq-pzDVqdnd_dOxAdDS/s1600/10300029_10154146722700533_101843453075807083_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwKoopdSWQNSVMuMLjyV2uCqB7lgxvI49O4fv6Gz-BqFc6Eo_wi65PTAKHP_q5S_DwMBpJbMRwUEPHCbqndCteEtlJXHeMpj0yb4bQLvrGRPqMnkcwgGtVYyG4Qq-pzDVqdnd_dOxAdDS/s1600/10300029_10154146722700533_101843453075807083_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is an image of one of my beautiful horses. If you look closely you can see the sky and trees! It was taken by a friend of mine and it inspired me to write. Horses have been a passion of mine since I was a child and I wish everyone respected them as much as I do. Enjoy!<br />
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<div align="center">
An Open Window</div>
<div align="center">
</div>
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When you look into my eyes tell me, what do you see?</div>
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Do you see what is only on the surface, or can you see deeper?</div>
<div align="center">
Can you see the sky and the clouds?</div>
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Can you see the trees?</div>
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I was born under that sky, like so many of us before me.</div>
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We once ran wild and free, until one day we became a part of you.</div>
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Do you see our history, do you see our paths?</div>
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We are courageous and brave, so we came when you asked.</div>
<div align="center">
We eased your burdens, and became your friends and yes sometimes your slaves.</div>
<div align="center">
We helped fight in your wars, costing many lives.</div>
<div align="center">
My heart breaks at what we lost on both our sides.</div>
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We were there when you rebuilt, and when you chose to leave.</div>
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We travelled with you across great seas to lands we had never seen.</div>
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We started over and helped you shape that too.</div>
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We pulled your buggies and carts, sped to doctors when your children were sick,</div>
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worked your fields even when you were too tired and needed to sit.</div>
<div align="center">
Many years passed and what we did seemed to fade,</div>
<div align="center">
our ultimate price seemed to have been paid.</div>
<div align="center">
We got to rest and some of us were forgotten,</div>
<div align="center">
we didn't understand but we knew you would return.</div>
<div align="center">
When you did, it was mostly for fun,</div>
<div align="center">
we were glad our fighting days were done.</div>
<div align="center">
I wish I could tell you how I feel, and show you what I have seen.</div>
<div align="center">
I wish you knew what flows through our souls.</div>
<div align="center">
Horses and humans have been together for a long time,</div>
<div align="center">
We began this journey together and that will be how it ends.</div>
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I am happy I am yours but understand you are mine as well.</div>
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We all chose to be with you, if your hearts are true.</div>
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So tell me is that what you see when you look into my eyes?</div>
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I know that it is, otherwise I wouldn't be here, </div>
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and you would just be looking out an open window.</div>
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</div>
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</div>
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Cindy Lyle</div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-41079434188907658022014-04-29T05:28:00.001-07:002014-04-29T05:28:22.331-07:00The end.... just for a little while!Hey everyone! I first of all wanted to thank everyone who voted for me during the public voting stage of the RONE awards. I didn't make it to the final round but it was still pretty awesome to be nominated! Thank you so much for your support, I wouldn't have made it this far without you! So with that being said I hope I don't disappoint some of you with what I am about to write.<br />
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I have been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching and I 've come to the conclusion that I'm going to take a break from the novel world for a little while. Please understand that I'm not quitting or giving up because I have worked too hard for that! I just have other things happening that I want to focus on more. I'm currently about 3/4 finished with the second book of the Creation chronicle but you will have to wait a little longer than I planned to read it. I know for some of you its been a long time coming but circumstances and just life in general are getting in my way. I'm finding it's causing me quite a bit of stress and it's time for me to walk away for a little while.<br />
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So I will make you all a promise. I am going to finish this series and I am going to publish it, its just going to take longer than I wanted. I'm not going to give you date because I honestly don't know, but it will get done, I promise! I wish you all luck with your current and future works in progress! Believe in yourself, work hard and stay positive. Have an amazing summer and I'll talk to you soon.<br />
<br />
CheersAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-6525989437368753232014-03-11T15:42:00.001-07:002014-03-11T15:42:32.945-07:00The Dragon Within is nominated for a RONE Award!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikaPrgBZDua-MyaKdhGV7FfccKT4RlFWpn7KuW_KP6aKMybkU72wvswbhyphenhyphenwzq57kq518ivYNuoHq501LtFPqKjs4IkBu_Vjk_hXf2asSO7glfVxztkbDglgIS_s8e2ovNinqMetwBK0Iz/s1600/2013_RONE_Nominee_200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikaPrgBZDua-MyaKdhGV7FfccKT4RlFWpn7KuW_KP6aKMybkU72wvswbhyphenhyphenwzq57kq518ivYNuoHq501LtFPqKjs4IkBu_Vjk_hXf2asSO7glfVxztkbDglgIS_s8e2ovNinqMetwBK0Iz/s1600/2013_RONE_Nominee_200.jpg" /></a></div>
Hi!! Look what The Dragon Within got! I'm so excited. Public voting for my category starts April 14th to the 20th at InD'Tale magazine. At the end of the six weeks, the books with the highest number of votes will
become finalists and proceed to the professional judging round which will
determine the RONÉ Award winner of “Best Indie or Small Published book of
2013.” The awards will be presented at the gala RONÉ awards ceremony and event
July 11th at the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. in conjunction with the
huge RNConvention. <br />
<a href="http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-six">http://indtale.com/2014-rone-awards-week-six</a> this is the link you can follow to cast your vote.<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">(The voting can also be found under the “Fun Stuff”
tab on the homepage of the InD’tale website.)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I will post reminders closer to the date and I hope you will take the time and vote for me!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Talk to you all soon!!!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; margin: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Cheers!</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-83964435474958720782014-02-14T07:23:00.001-08:002014-02-14T07:23:54.808-08:00Happy Valentines Day and other newsHey Everyone! I hope your day is going fantastic! If you celebrate Valentines day I hope you are spending time with the ones you love. You should be doing that everyday anyway but today for some reason gets special attention. I really love the idea of this day but I wish that everyone would devote more days to love and peace than just once a year. Love is one of the most important emotions we have and we don't nurture nearly enough. <br />
<br />
Anyway on to other news! I will be part of daughters school Literacy night this coming Feb. 20TH, which is my b-day! I'm really looking forward to it, but I'm also nervous. This will be my first public speaking event as an author and it's giving me nightmares. If any of you are in the neighbourhood here is the link for the invite <a href="http://whoozin.com/W67-96W-XAPX">http://whoozin.com/W67-96W-XAPX</a> . I would love to see you there.<br />
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Also this month I'm featured on Fantascize.com. Here are the links for my interview and their FB page. <a href="http://bit.ly/1ehmioN">http://bit.ly/1ehmioN</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fantasyscifi">https://www.facebook.com/fantasyscifi</a> . I would love for you to check it out and give it share!<br />
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Finally I'm almost done the second instalment of The Creation Chronicles. I know it's taken me a long time and I'm sorry but republishing The Dragon Within took up a lot of my time. So don't worry I promise The Dragon Calls should be in your hands sometime in the summer.<br />
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So I guess that's it, short and sweet! Please stay tuned for more updates and enjoy this wonderful day filled with love and life. Enjoy it and never take it for granted.<br />
<br />
Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-55131894491729043662013-12-04T06:35:00.004-08:002013-12-04T06:35:59.173-08:00Christmas, my favorite time of year!Sorry for the silence lately, but I really suck at blogging! I think its mostly because I don't think anyone will find what I have to say is interesting and the fact that I don't want to bombard you with annoying promotion for my book.(The Creation Chronicles book one The Dragon Within) Hahaha.<br />
So what better thing to talk about than my favorite holiday, Christmas! <br />
No matter what religion you are or what you believe, this time of year holds magic for everyone. It's a time of year when people give more freely, enjoy the wonder they see in their children's eyes, and experience the love that we all have in our hearts. I know this holiday season causes a lot of stress for people. The fear of not providing a happy Christmas for their families can be very overshadowing. But I think that if we all learned that age old saying that "its better to give than to receive" perhaps we would all be a little less worried. Sometimes the simplest of gestures is enough to make someone's Christmas magical.<br />
I remember when I was a kid my most fond and vivid memory had nothing to do with gifts, it was putting up the tree. My parents had these scented ornaments that had a unique smell that I loved. I can't remember what it was called but as soon as I smelled it I knew it was Christmas. I loved throwing that cheap tinsel all over the tree until it looked like a shaggy silver dog, and I remember when my mom made us pick it all back off to save it for next year! I remember all the times my bother and I would wake up insanely early and snuck out to get our stockings. We would always sit in my room or his and excitedly go through what Santa brought. When we were down we would quietly hang them back up and try and go back to sleep, but we never could quite fit everything back in the way it was, so we almost always got caught! You know I honestly don't remember any specific gift that I got a Christmas. All the things I do remember are the times I spent with my family. It's not what material thing you receive at Christmas that's important, it's the gift that someone gives your heart that you should cherish and hold on to.<br />
Now I know that when I was a kid hearing all of this would have went right over my head because lets face it when you are a kid life lessons don't apply to you yet. It is getting harder and harder these days to try and teach our children these things. There are so many distractions like, cell phones, tablets, video games, and computers. Our kids are always looking for the next best thing and we give it to them. I think we forget to stop and take a breath and realize that we are forgetting to teach our kids about what's most important about this time of year and that is to give. Not just the gift of toys or money, but the gift of love and perhaps even just their time. I know that spending time with my daughter is a priceless gift and I wouldn't trade that for anything.<br />
This Christmas while you are worrying about what to get everyone stop and listen to your heart. Your brain gets assaulted everyday and frankly needs a break sometimes. Do what your heart tells you and chances are the gift you give will be the best one of all. <br />
Merry Christmas!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-44216427292800509842013-11-12T07:40:00.001-08:002013-11-12T07:40:17.786-08:00Books, Books, and More Books: Book Review of The Dragon Within<a href="http://dream-reader-dreamer2229.blogspot.com/2013/11/book-review-of-dragon-within.html?spref=bl">Books, Books, and More Books: Book Review of The Dragon Within</a>: Book Review of The Dragon Within S ponsored by Enchanted Book Tours Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books. I am pleased to...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-6088996961189221362013-10-16T06:46:00.002-07:002013-10-16T06:46:43.307-07:00One Crazy Thanksgiving!So if you live in Canada like me, this past weekend was Thanksgiving. I have so many things to be thankful for especially my wonderful family, but this Thanksgiving will always be one I remember for all the wrong reasons. Its taken me a few days to get over it and being the writer I am I thought I would share it with you. What you are about to read is not fiction and please don't feel bad if you start laughing, I did... eventually.<br />
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It was a rainy, gloomy day when I woke up Sunday morning and I should have took that has a sign to stay in bed. Rainy days and I normally don't get along, but I knew I had a large number of people coming over and I had a turkey to prepare. My turkeys are slightly famous and I had a reputation to uphold. So I pulled myself out of my nice warm bed and started getting everything ready. I had already been through this once this weekend with my side of the family on the Friday night. It went great! The food was perfect, the company was amazing and I got to spend some time with my family. Today was my husbands side's turn which is considerably larger but I've handled it before. My husband and I did some last minute cleaning, set the table, made the apps, and finally prepared the turkey. I personally don't mind preparing a turkey, which can be attributed to my youth growing up with a poultry business, but my husband hates it and I think its hilarious watching him squirm!<br />
<br />
So sparing the rest of the mundane details, in no time my house was filled with the delicious aromas that comes with thanksgiving dinners. It wasn't long before my family started to arrive and that's when my luck took a dramatic change. I love my sister in law and her husband but for some reason karma chose him to start off my roller-coaster of bad luck. As he bent in for a hug the rather large and full bottle of wine fell out of the bag he was carrying and landed on my big toe. I swear I had never wanted to kick a man so bad in my life! Thankfully he didn't break my toe, and my toe managed to save the bottle from breaking, but I couldn't stand on it for an hour. <br />
<br />
Thinking that nothing else could happen I gingerly hobbled around my kitchen, trying to finish dinner. Everything was fine until I tried to flip the roast potatoes. I reached down, pulled out the rack, took my hand away for a second to grab the spatula, and in that second the baking sheet filled with hot oil and potatoes decided to slide out, hitting my one leg and splashing the scalding oil on the other. I was stunned, and it took me a second to realize what had happened and that I was in some serious pain. Someone got me up on to the counter and put my legs in the sink. Oh did I forget to mention that I was wearing a skirt so my legs were bare! After a few minutes of very cold water therapy I wanted nothing more than to crawl up to my room and disappear for the rest of the night, tending my burns. I felt so embarrassed and really I just wanted to hide before anything else bad happened.<br />
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You may think that nothing else could possibly go wrong but, surprise it did! I had told my husband to carry on with dinner with out me. My leg was in too much pain and I just wanted some time alone in my room to recover. Half an hour passed and my husband returned from downstairs. He had a horrible look on his face and my guts went south. I asked him."What's wrong and why wasn't everyone eating yet?" It was then that he informed me that the baked mashed potatoes I had made had been placed on the stove when I had my accident with the roast potatoes. They kind of got forgotten about. My husband carved the turkey ( which was perfect) and placed the plate beside the stove. Now this part is a mystery. I don't know why but the glass casserole dish that the mashed potatoes were in decided to shatter. It literally exploded showering my beautiful turkey with glass. This dish that I had used hundreds of times picked this special moment to almost destroy dinner. <br />
<br />
At this point I really couldn't keep it together. All of my hard work ended up in the compost, but after awhile I calmed down enough to go downstairs and I was greeted with something I didn't expect. Everyone was happy and having a wonderful time! My bother in law had gone out and grabbed some pizza and they ate it with the stuffing, veggies and ham that didn't get ruined. It was not the perfect dinner that I had envisioned in my head, but it didn't matter. We were together and that was a beautiful lesson I learned that day. No matter what situation you find your self in, its your family that will always pull you through it. <br />
<br />
So that's my Thanksgiving story for this year. I hope yours wasn't as eventful but I also hope that you got to spend it with your amazing families as well. After all that's what Thanksgiving is really about and I think we all need to be reminded of that sometimes.<br />
<br />
Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-66798397038668916592013-10-04T07:45:00.000-07:002013-10-04T07:45:07.428-07:00Proud to be a Stay at Home Mom<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For quite a while I questioned the fact of my worth to my
family. I know that sounds horrible and you must think my self-confidence is
sitting in a toilet somewhere, but hear me out and you may find some of you
feel the same way. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m a stay at home mom and I found that this sacred and
elusive job does not get the credit it deserves. I’ve been at home for over
nine years now and it’s hard for most people to see the accomplishment in that.
Being a parent is the best job in the whole world, but it is a job that doesn’t
make you any money. I felt guilty about that for a long time (which drives my
husband nuts). I was surrounded by family and friends that not intentionally
made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I sat and had drinks or dinners,
listening to their stories about work and how stressed they were, and tired.
They worked all day, went home to take care of kids and do housework. They said
that I wouldn’t understand, that I was lucky and could just stay home all day
and…what? Do nothing? Is that what they wanted to say? Some probably, yes, but
they are wrong. Just because I don’t bring home a paycheck doesn’t mean I don’t
work. I work very hard for my family every day and to think that I haven’t sacrificed
things is a gross understatement, one such thing is my identity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I used to love going out and having drinks with friends. Believe
it or not I was once quite a social butterfly, but over the course of the years
of me staying home I lost that. Now whenever I think about being social my
stomach ties up in knots and I have a panic attack. I’m not a therapist, but I
do know some of the reasons I’m like this. One reason is the fact that I do
spend so much time alone now. During the school months I spend the majority of
my day by myself doing what needs to be done. Sure I have the computer and
phone but it doesn’t take the place of interacting with real people. For a time
a volunteered, and I even joined a gym, but for some reason I fell in a rut. I
didn’t know how to talk to people anymore. I felt judged and I was so afraid I
would say something stupid, so I isolated myself and it’s been hard to pull
myself out of this pit I fell in. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to
write my book. I wanted people to know that I was still here even though I had
felt like I had disappeared. Things are getting better though. I have friends
at my daughter’s karate and I’ve met some pretty cool people by promoting my
book. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My husband is my rock and without
him I think I would have lost it a long time ago. He is the only person in my
life who has never judged me and accepts, no, encourages the lifestyle <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we </i>have chosen. I’m not back to the way
I was but I’m working on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel like I’ve gotten off track with my mental breakdown,
so let’s get back to the main topic here shall we? Through all this rambling my
real point I wanted to make was that I’m proud to be a stay at home mom. I’m
proud of the fact that I’ve helped raise a beautiful daughter on my values and
not someone else’s. She learns things from me, not a babysitter or daycare and
it’s her parent that she always knows will be there when she needs them. Please
all you working parents don’t get angry with me because I am in no way criticizing
how you raise your families. I just don’t want to be criticized anymore either.
I want to be accepted for who I’ve chosen to be and not what everyone else
thinks I should be doing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jobs </i>are all the same whether we get
paid or not. Our job is to provide and take care of our families. We all have
different ways of doing this and as long as we are doing right it shouldn’t
matter how it gets done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">am </i>I working mom
and I’ve learned that I don’t need to get paid to feel justified. My worth to
my family is priceless and I wouldn’t change a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-11984098245435967262013-09-27T11:28:00.001-07:002013-09-27T11:28:34.934-07:00I Need some Blogger Help!!!Hi everyone! I hope your day is going great and you are outside enjoying this beautiful fall weather! I was wondering if there were any bloggers out there who would like to help me with my up-coming re-launch of The Dragon Within? I'm looking for some promo and I'm willing to offer free copies for review and do some interviews. If you are interested give me a shout back or if you know of anyone else who might be interested please direct them my way. Thanks so much!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-60888007159703308012013-09-17T06:51:00.001-07:002013-09-17T06:51:17.725-07:00New AuthorHey everyone! I thought I would introduce myself. My name is Cindy Lyle and yes I am yet another self published author trying to make a mark in the world. Don't worry I'm not going to sit here and plug my books or tell you why you should read them, I just wanted to say hi! I've actually been published for over a year but recently I've changed publishing companies and I plan to re-launch my first novel The Dragon Within. I did a lot of work on polishing my first book and I've added a series title and changed the cover. <br />
<br />
This experience has been a lot of fun but as many of you know is bloody hard work! I hope someday to have at least three books in The Creation Chronicles series and I encourage every budding author out there to never give up! Your dreams are attainable and so very worth the journey to get there.<br />
<br />
Cheers!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9092436915748932496.post-24494321367601039692013-09-17T06:33:00.001-07:002013-09-17T06:42:31.968-07:00Why I write Fantasy<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Someone once asked me why I choose to write fantasy. At the time
I thought it was a very odd question. Why do any authors write what they write?
Why is Fantasy any different? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I think for a long time people associated Fantasy with
"geeks, or weirdo's". You know the people that hung out in their
mothers basement and played D&D, or the people that would dress up as their
favorite characters and act out a scene. I think what you have to look at is
why do these people choose to do these things? It's an easy answer, its an
escape. Haven't you ever dreamed you could just pick up and leave your life
just for a little while? To go somewhere no one would ask you "When is
that report done? Hurry up we have a deadline. Mom, can you drive me to the
mall?" That is what Fantasy is for me. I can sit down in my little quiet
corner and open my book and be whisked away to another world. So you might be
thinking, "Yeah, but I can do that with any book, and don't have to deal
with all the magic, monsters and gore." I agree with you, you can do that
with any well written book, but there is always that level ground of the places
you know and the people you could imagine to be real. The illusion is very
thin. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Fantasy is different but the same in many ways. A lot of people
think that all fantasy is, is magic, epic battles, and fantastical creatures,
with no relatable characters, but that is not true. Of course Fantasy novels
are filled with all of those things, but there is also a story. Everything that
a person goes through in their lives can be found in a Fantasy novel. Just
because our characters may not look quite human, that doesn't mean they don't
act like it, after all a human created them. The characters fight for whats
right, make mistakes, fall in love, and yes sometimes do unspeakable evil. When
you were children didn't you ever imagine you could fly, or that you could be a
knight and defeat a dragon, or maybe if you were lucky catch a glimpse of a
unicorn? I know I did, and I guess maybe as we get older that part of our
imagination dies along with our childhood innocence, but that doesn't mean we
can't remember it and secretly enjoy the feelings we had when we thought
monsters were real.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Writing Fantasy for me was an easy choice. I wanted to create my
own world, that no one else could touch. I wanted to control what happens and
not worry about messing up facts or history. Everything I write comes from my
heart and I bleed that into my characters. To me they are very real and go
through very real emotions and trials.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">I want you to know that I didn't write this to convert anyone
into reading Fantasy, I just wanted to try to answer that long ago question I
was asked. I hope I did. So next time you see a book cover and see a dragon, or
vampire, or wizard on the front, don't automatically pass it by. Pick it up,
read the back, and listen to that child inside your heart. You never know you
might be pleasantly surprised. <o:p></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14206661478432969778noreply@blogger.com0