D.B.’s Comments (group member since Feb 07, 2018)

D.B.’s comments from the Dawn Writes Too Many Books group.

Been busy since May and I apologize for skipping a month!

Two books are in the works right now -- "Virtues Versus Values" is one half of the book that "Temperance" started out being. It's going well, but I've had my long pauses on this one thanks to some other priorities requiring my attention, first. I feel blessed that it's the first time this has happened since I set my original book-writing goal. More to the point, I am happy to know that my inspiration for writing has yet to run out. I have a feeling that I'll have many more books ready to be released in the years after 2018 is behind us.

Also, I wanted to invite you guys, if you haven't done so already, to visit my re-imagined website at http://www.dbeshleman.com for further writings on my blog. Hope you enjoy it and I'm looking forward to putting more things up there in the very near future.

All the best!

DB

We're done here.

Years of Ashes is as finished as I care to finish it, at least until I get a physical copy in my hands. Looking at a release this week.

Sounding a little bitter, I know, but I came to the conclusion that the more I work on this book, the less book I have. It just became this monster of a task to rein in all that I wanted to say that I realized I had been adding more than I was subtracting during the editing process. If you've ever written anything, then you know this is exactly the opposite of what editing is supposed to be.

As always, in finishing one book and trimming the fat, I find material for at least one more book. In this case, several more. Frustrations aside, this is going to be a good one, and I am confident I have a good message permeating throughout.

I'm experienced enough now, to know that finishing a book is not really a thing. Glad to be putting it on the shelf for the moment, though.

I'm pretty sure all of you who follow me here are also following me on Facebook. I'm therefore certain I don't need to tell you all that's gone on since February, but an update on how it all ended up working out might be in order:

Grandma Pat's memorial was really nice and moreso, it was great to see family and friends during this time after her passing, and learn more about this person whom I'd only gotten to meet and know in the past five years.

Layney was in and out of the hospital right after we got home -- twice. Both times for the same intussusception which seems to have recurred due to some unknown reason, as it always is with this condition. Kids tend to grow out of it. This marks the third time it's happened, but the doctors are confident she doesn't need major surgery to correct it at this point. Still, three times is enough for one *lifetime* let alone a year.

Writing has been a challenge, as you may have guessed, but editing my books in their current state (both those already released and the ones I have yet to) has been easy! I've learned a lot about myself, too. I seem to have a handicap of swapping lead for led and vice-versa. I mix metaphors a lot, but I'm not always inclined to change them. "Therefore" and "apparently" are my favorite words.

My leap into authoring self-help isn't polished, but I've forgotten how much fun it can be to throw oneself into imperfection. I strangely feel as if I'm growing as a person, for how readily apparent the flaws of my work become, mere days after I think I've finalized something, and how it doesn't perturb me one bit. I'm pickier about the words I use, as well, and considerate of how many. I'm quick to axe things and slow to add them. Too, my vocabulary has gotten bigger. That's always nice.

Looking forward to the release of 'Years of Ashes' in April. Next up, revisions for Backbone's Edition 1.5!

Up, up and away.

So, today I am actually NOT writing. I'm taking care of big chunks of other things, like taxes (ugh) and my passive income streams (mostly mailing lists... not so ugh)

I did get two more ideas for books, today. One book is going to be an attempt at fiction along the lines of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Another is going to be about creativity and applying some of the duality principles I seem to have such a fetish for, at the moment.

This coming week, I'll put the finishing touches on Years of Ashes, my long-awaited (to me at least) account of the days surrounding my mother's death and my husband's suicide attempt, and all the lessons I learned through them. It's basically done and about 25,000 words (150 pages or so).

Lots to do, but so far, things aren't driving me crazy!