themartianchick

Happy Birthday Miki!!! I'm gonna get some cake on my way home and eat it in honor of you!! :bdaycake: Any excuse to have cake, you know! But Miki's birthday is a darn good one!

It's coming, Michael! I promise. I got the formatted cover back and uploaded it to Amazon. There is one more read through that I need to do and then I'll be able to order the proof, check it over and then make it live on Amazon. Then I can focus on the third (non-Bystander) book. I just home and my eyes are pretty gritty. Yesterday evening we traveled to Rochester to see Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at the Rochester Jazzfest. We got to bed around 2am, then got up at 5:45 am to drive to the Saratoga Jazzfest. I hope that I can sleep in a bit to try to recoup sIeep that was lost. However... The concerts were awesome and we wouldn't have traded a single moment, since we even discovered some new music from a pianist named Hiromi.

Thanks for the tip, Amber! I paid Amazon to format it last time due to all of the computer issues that I was having and paid too much. I might have someone else reformat it again if the price is right, of course! (My computer actually ate my word doc for Bystander and then ate Christmas in Bystander because I had forgotten to back that one up. CIB had to be re-written from scratch! I no longer go near that particular computer, though I plan to have someone look at it next week. The third book has about 6 different copies floating around between three computers, so I shouldn't lose that one, at least! Thanks to those of you that purchased a copy. I really hope that you like the stories! Edited to add: I just realized that you were referring to formatting the cover, Amber, and not the whole formatting for an ebook thing! The catch with the covers is that they all use details that are local to me. I can design the covers, but I can't seem to get the hang of sizing them properly for Amazon to accept them. I've been paying someone a few dollars to get them to the right size since the size has to correlat to the number of pages in the book. I will probably contact April for a quote for the third book cover because it is a different concept and not part of the Bystander series. I have an idea in mind for the cover, but don't have the means to do it myself.

Thanks, Arby & Mt. Rider! I spent some time struggling with the file for Amazon. It is now live, as well!! You can find it right here: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Bystander-Other-Village-ebook/dp/B008G07V7G/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1340993759&sr=1-3&keywords=carolyn+evans-dean

Good morning! Something occurred to me yesterday while talking to a dear friend. I realized that there was no need to wait for my consultant to correctly size the cover for the paperback version of the story. I could actually format the book for an ebook and release it immediately, since I had a pdf of the cover. Soooo... Christmas In Bystander & Other Village Tales is now available!!! I stayed up late last night in order to get the second Bystander book up and out. I struggled with getting the formatting correct for ebooks. (Who'd a thunk that you couldn't use the return key/enter key in order to make spaces between the paragraphs?) It is not available as a physical paperback yet, but there should just be a few more days wait for that. The book is not available on Amazon.com yet, but it is available on Smashwords.com . I will try to get it up on Amazon today, but there are no guarantees since this is another (hot) jazz fest weekend and we will be traveling. For those that are not familiar with Smashwords, it is a hub for independent authors. All of the books that are available there come in multiple formats to suit devices like the Kindle, Nook, iPhone, iPad, etc... They even have an html version of each book that you can download and read right on your computer screen. I figured that if I was going to try to get this out last night, then I should get it out on as many formats as possible. Smashwords ebook titles also end up on Barnes & Noble, the iTunes Store, as well as many others. You can find the link to the Smashwords page below: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/177136 I wanted my friends at Mrs. S to get the scoop first! I haven't shared this news with anyone but my husband. He pretty much figured it out due to all of the muttered curses as I fought with the formatting. I hope that you all enjoy it!!

We're kinda dry here but there's no real danger of fire. Our lawn is turning brown, so we don't have to mow it right now. Keeping the prayers going for all of those in the path of the Colorado fires and Florida flooding. Yesterday, I weeded one of my overgrown raised beds that I'm not really using. I'm just trying to break the cycle of weeds that hubby created by blowing grass clippings into it last year. We have a few ripe strawberries on the canes, but not enough to make anything with,yet. Fires, floods and droughts, indeed! Please stay safe everyone!

I'm so very sorry for you and your family. I will keep you all in my prayers.

Yay!! I haven't moved in a looong time, but I do remember the feeling of getting settled in and it is PRICELESS!! Enjoy your new home!

I'm so glad that you've come to this decision. It is what you need to be able to live your life to the fullest. Wishing you nothing but happiness once this burden has been lifted. I would imagine that you're feeling better already, just knowing that the end is in sight. You tried your best and you've given it your all. Now it is time for someone else to step in, so that you can have a more normal relationship with your parents.

Welcome back, Drumrunner! I love your links...and the CliffNotes version of recent events! I hope that you plan to stick around...

We don't eat pork in our household either. We tend to substitute smoked turkey for pork in most recipes that call for it for flavoring. I've never canned any, though.

So that's why it's raining today... I had planned to spend the majority of the day toiling in the backyard. Now, I think I spend the day writing and reading! If the weather clears up, we plan to go to a local festival this evening. I hope that everyone has a wonderful relaxing day (especially Cat!)

Congratulations! I have no advice about packing... I still have a couple of boxes in the basement from when we moved in here 20 years ago... Hoping that you have a smooth and easy time of settling into your new place.

Thank you, Arby! You've just mentioned most of the reasons why I wrote it. It can be so hard to introduce some folks to prepping.

I am back to editing it today... I am also hoping to get the cover art design finished. There is now a third book that is not Bystander-related that is also in the editing phase. I haven't figured out what that cover will look like, nor have I settled on a title.

My stepson used to use my favorite mixing bowl for a cereal bowl. He could fit 3/4 of a box of cereal in it! Yep...he definitely had a hollow leg because he was as skinny as a rail!

So nice to have you join us! I look forward to reading your posts... As others have said feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like. We're a fairly friendly bunch and we all like to help others.

Sending my prayers for a smooth move and a most happy housewarming!

It was absolutely wretched for the families that lived near there. Though my bus traveled through the town, we lived miles away and probably upwind!

Just check 2 Library Systems database (that is 82 Libraries total) and nobody has it. I am very sad! OK, So now at least 1 Library System has it! Lori got her Boss at the Library to let her order 1 for the system! AND THEN............................ She surprized me by getting a copy for me for Fathers Day! And even gave it to me early - BUT now she is Reading it! I wonder WHY I got it early? So remember it is a great book! and would make a great gift! Thanks for the commercial, Michael! I'm sure that Lori promises not to crease the book before you get a chance to read it!

I also have amaranth seed. It is nothing that I set out to buy, but I received many free packs from a friend a few years ago. I've grown some and it does grow rather easily. I haven't tried eating it, but I have fed it to my quail for the past two years. If I had more land, I'd probably just sow a patch and let it grow wild. It reseeds itself, so it fits with my lazy gardener persona! Darlene's post reminded me that I purchased a few 1 lb bags of flax seeds at Dollar Tree last Fall. I have been feeding a handful or so to the chickens and quail from time to time to boost the nutrition in their eggs. I wonder if any of that seed will sprout? I think I will have to test some today. It would be good information to have. I believe that I have about 3 lbs of flax seed left. If it works, I might make a run to the store to see if they still have some.

I have a habit of hiding the "good stuff" or at least some of the good stuff in order to ration it. If I don't, there is never any left when I want some!

Yaaayyy!!!

I would think that a blender and water would be the thing but...Won't it smell funny and attract feral cats and the like? Off-topic As a kid, my schoolbus used to pass the house that is featured on the cover of my book. I always loved the house and hoped to own it one day. However, the fields that surround it were always fertilized with turkey manure from the nearby turkey farm. It smelled so bad that the kids would all put their windows up (even on the hottest early summer days) when we rode through that area.

I have been harvesting a pint of strawberries per day for the last few days. I don't think that I've ever seen them so early in my garden.