Tag: coffee

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weekend tidbits

I woke up this morning to my publishing contract for Where Shadows Fall, which is not a bad way to start a Sunday morning, you know?

Yesterday I woke up to a small cold, and ended up taking the day very easy.  Today I plan on writing for a few hours, then getting the housework tamed a bit.  Seems like there is always housework, doesn’t it?

At the moment, I’m slowly waking up.  I have a cup of coffee and it’s quiet outside my window.  I imagine the kids next door will be shattering that silence before long, but for the moment it is quite nice.

I can’t wait until I can share new cover art with you all!  For now though, I seem to have reached the bottom of my coffee cup, so I’m off to refill it.  Hope your Sunday is filled with fun and imagination, Readers!

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where shadows fall

I received word yesterday that my manuscript for Where Shadows Fall has been accepted by my publisher.  This means it should be ready for release in time for holiday sales.  Where Shadows Fall will serve as the ending of the Shades and Shadows trilogy, though not likely the end of stories in that world.

I have at least two short stories I want to write with these characters, possibly more, so I won’t be leaving it for a long time.

There aren’t really any new characters for me to introduce to you this time around.  The story moves from where In Gathering Shade left off and drives through the gathering darkness without really picking up any new characters.

We do get to see more of Emily and Victoria in this book, and some of the side characters really get ot shine as well.  I can’t wait to see the cover because I know that my publisher always comes through with great covers.

I hope you, dear Readers, are as excited about this as I am!  But for now, I have to go get another cup of Death Wish Coffee and get some work working.

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the fury of women

I’m sure you can feel it.  The anger seething just beneath the surface.  The anger of women who have been ignored, belittled, harassed, abused, assaulted, raped and the status quo has failed them time and time again.

If you can’t feel it, you must be living in a cave.

The swell is coming.

I’ve been told not to be too political on my blog because it will scare readers away.  But if you read my work, you should already know where I stand.  I hope you are voters, Readers.  I hope you will vote next month and in two years and in two years after that.  I hope you will vote in every election, no matter how small.  Make your voices heard.

Let that rage fill you up and burst out in that voting booth.

I tend to fall to poetry when the need to express myself is greatest.  Here’s one I wrote last night/this morning:  Self Destruction.

With that, and my last cup of coffee, I’m off to write and edit for a bit.  New book coming soon!

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time to hit the road

By the time you are reading this, I will probably be somewhere on the road between Paris and Milan with my good friend and some good music at the start of our epic Italy road trip.

I figured since my normal Wednesday post would be pre-empted by a travel day, I’d pre-write it!

I’m such a nut for traveling.  I love to visit new places and meet new people, as long as I can control certain aspects of it, which is why we’re driving and not taking the train.  The agoraphobe in me balks at not having SOMETHING under my control.

Our first stop is Milan, but we likely won’t see much, as it’s mostly a stop for sleep before we head south.  Our first real touristy day will be when we get to Pompeii.  I’ve been wanting to visit Pompeii since I was about 9 years old.

Here in the states, or at least in California, it’s just starting to think about leaving summer behind for autumn.  The mornings and evenings are cooler and the wind is brisk.  I love autumn, it’s my favorite time of year.  I’m looking forward to being cold enough for sweatshirts!

But first, epic road trip through Italy, and a chance to see sites I’ve only dreamed of until now.  By the time I get home, it should be properly fall, and time to pull those sweatshirts out of the back of the closet.

I hope you are all having some fun too, Readers!  I’m off to finish my packing and have another cup of Death Wish.  I have a new book to read on the plane.  I hope to tell you about it once I’m done!

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where no one has gone before

I recently discovered that Star Trek: The Next Generation is on Netflix.  This fills me with a ridiculous amount of glee.  I have been watching it every evening this week, starting right from the beginning.

Star Trek is a part of my DNA.  Some of my earliest tangible memories are around watching the original series with my father.  It was the first Sci-Fi for me, and it influenced a lot of the person I became.

But, it’s been a long time since I watched any of the shows and I’d been craving a bit of nostalgia, so I climbed in and made my home there this week.

It’s amazing really, how much you remember…and how much you forget.  Last night I hit the episode where Tasha Yar dies and I’d forgotten really that it was in the first season, and I didn’t anticipate the bit of tears that came upon me during the funeral scene.  Tasha was never one of my favorite characters.  I never felt that they really gave her any real structure or sense of completeness in her character.  Shame, because she really could have been an amazing character with the depth that only comes from the kind of childhood that they hinted at, but never fleshed out.

I also suddenly remembered that my early female crushes were all red-heads.  Gillian Anderson of X-Files was the first one I remember actually figuring out that what I was feeling then for her was the same as it was for any male celebrity…but rewatching the first TNG episode set on the holodeck and featuring Captain Piccard’s favorite fictional detective, Dixon Hill, I was suddenly reminded that Gates MacFadden is a gorgeous woman.  gates

As evidenced here!

Well, my Saturday calls.  My coffee is gone and it’s time to get moving.  I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, Readers!

 

 

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early morning in the office

I’m the first one in the office a lot of days.  Today is no different.  I’m the only one here, at least for a little bit longer.  Outside the window, the sun is bright and blinding when the scattered clouds aren’t hiding it.  The alarm system on the door was tripped before I got here, and I can hear it beeping, which is highly annoying, so I’m hoping someone gets here soon who can reset it.

The coffee is hot and fresh, so that bodes well for the day.   It’s a busy one, with lots of meetings and training a few folks to take over some of my job duties while I’m out on vacation.  I doubt I’ll manage to write much this trip, but I’ll be collecting ideas!

I’m going to be working on a post that I’ll set to post on the 13th of September, when I turn 50 years old.  I’ve been pondering it for a while, and my notes are extensive!  Expect it to ramble a little bit.

In other news, I started re-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation last night while I was busy organizing stuff for my trip.  I don’t think I remembered how clunky those first few episodes were.  I know, it takes any show some time to find its footing, and with such a diverse cast, it isn’t surprising.  However, it is still a favorite, and I love the story telling of Trek.

Makes me wonder how something I’ve written would fare on the screen.  Could it hold its own while the cast found their footing?  Ah well, a dream I suppose.  Not a bad thing to have on a Wednesday morning.  It goes will with my coffee.

Ah, and there’s Ted to turn off the alarm.  Thanks, Ted.  I guess that’s my cue to return you to your regularly scheduled Wednesday, and get back to that cup of coffee, and meeting prep.

Happy Wednesday, Readers!

Remember, if you want to follow along on my upcoming shenanigans in Paris and Italy, you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook Photography Page or my travel/photography blog.

 

 

 

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sale time

As I was looking for a book, I came across a small cache of copies of Through Shade and Shadow with the original cover.  If you recall, when we released In Gathering Shade, we redesigned the cover.

through-shade-and-shadow-reders-favSo here I sit with a bunch of the old covers and I thought that would be a good time to run a quick sale!  From now until I run out of copies, I’m going to sell them for $5 each plus shipping!

But wait, there’s MORE!

While I’m at it, I have a bunch of copies of Forever as well! Those are also $5 each while supplies last.

If you’re interested in either of these, drop me a line at forever-complete_tcc-readers-favoritenatalie@nataliejcase.com and let me know what you want to find in your mailbox.  That’s also my paypal address, so you can forward payment that way.

And, just because I can, I’ll toss in my poetry book for $2 each, because I can.

Now then, I best get myself busy with work and a second cup of coffee.  I hope y’all have a great Thursday!

 

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saturday means writing

My weekends, when not completely eaten up with familial or other obligations, usually begin with writing.  I drink coffee and throw words at the page on whatever project I’m working on until either (or both) the coffee or the words run out, then I get on with the day’s chores.

This morning I woke up with a headache, so I’m hoping the coffee will help chase it away.  I need to go out eventually today, to pick up some prescriptions and a few groceries, but hopefully the headache will be gone by then.

I haven’t decided yet which project to work on, but I haven’t quite finished that first cup of coffee either.  I’m leaning toward the fun of the epic fantasy story, because my two primary characters are my happy place right now and the plot that was previously a bit vague has come more strongly into focus this week.

What about you, dear Readers?  What are your plans for the weekend?  I hope they include a good book or two!

Have all of mine yet?

Forever– For the vampire lovers

Through Shade and Shadow and In Gathering Shade – For those who like their contemporary fantasy with a taste of reality.

Looking to follow me socially?

Find me on Facebook or Twitter!

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exhaustion on tap

The last three or four nights, I’ve had really segmented sleep that totals to less than five hours per night, most of it in one to one and a half hour increments.  I’ve also needed to be in the office and at all day meetings this week, plus had social engagements with coworkers from out of town.

To say that I’m tired is not enough.

I’m here in the office again today, though today’s meetings aren’t a solid nine hours long.  We have our monthly all hands meeting, followed by break out sessions, which largely means smaller groups of people hashing out issues that were raised in the meetings. Because I’m the technical writer, I’ll likely float between the groups, which means I might find some time to actually squeeze in some actual work.

Which is what I should be doing right now!  I love being in the office this early, when I’m the only one here and I can rock out in my chair to some tunes  and power through stuff I can’t get to once the distractions of the day start pouring in the door.

Happy Wednesday, Readers!  May it be spectacular! I’m off to pour that first cup of Death Wish and kick this day into gear.

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the first harvest

It’s hard to fathom that we are here at the first of August.  For those who follow various Pagan religions, today is the First Harvest, known by various names in various traditions, with different ways of marking the holiday.

Despite their differences, most of them are ways of celebrating the first fruits of the planting done in the spring, and largely we are talking about grains; wheat, corn, etc.

In times past I might have baked bread on the first of August to share with friends, but this year it’s just plain too hot in my little kitchen!  Although, I have to admit, it’s been hotter where I live than it is right now.  I anticipate there are still some warm days ahead too.

There may be a little harvesting though, at least in the area of writing.  I have a weekend in which I don’t have to run out to Stockton to help my mother, so I am anticipating that some words will happen!

I am also starting to gear up for my trip in September!  This weekend I am doing a thorough cleaning and inventory of my camera equipment so I can decide what all I am taking with me.  When I travel, I try to post to my travel blog (when I can get internet anyway), which you can find here.

I will also be posting pics to my instagram account, and either of my Facebook Pages: My Author Page or my Photography Page.

On that note, I should get to the day job, and the cup of Death Wish Coffee sitting there seducing me.  May your harvest be plentiful, Readers!