Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Writing

Life seems to be giving me curveball after curveball lately. Writing has been nonexistent, along with reading, reviews, or really anything outside of work, looking for a job, and more work. I'm frustrated with it, but trying to go with the flow.
This morning, I started yet another new story that will be placed on the back burner with the rest of them. I'm intrigued by it and hope you will be too. One of these days, I'll get to finishing Origins and start on the other books I have in limbo. Until then, thanks for hanging in with me, and know I appreciate each and every one of you.
Blessings!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Strange Dreams

I typically have strange dreams, but some days are stranger than others. For example, my husband went on a REALLY BAD B-movie (or less) zombie movie marathon a few years ago, and I had a few strange dreams about zombies. I wrote them down and created Zombie War. This was all before I'd even heard of The Walking Dead.
I have also had prophetic dreams since I was a kid - all about death. You can imagine that predicting and watching someone die repeatedly in your dreams, and then having it happen exactly how you dreamt, is rather disturbing. I started sleeping with a Dreamcatcher. It works miracles. However, for some reason, I have more trouble remembering my dreams in the morning than I used to. I'm usually okay with that, but sometimes, I really miss the insanity that my brain comes up with.
Last night's dream really stuck with me.
I was doing yard work, clearing out a rather overgrown parcel of land that was just covered in plants and crap. I had to pull out an arch that had ivy covering it because it was being replaced. This arch was completely covered in thick spider webs. It was a challenge to pull it out of the ground, and move it to the garbage heap without any help and without disturbing the creatures that belonged to the webs. I hate spiders. Granted, some I'll tolerate, but black widows scare the crap out of me.
The yard was really starting to look nice, and I needed Jennifer Aniston's opinion on something. I was climbing into the window to get into the house and talk to her when the sun started to set. The arch was near me, and the rest of the gardening crew had left for the day. There was only Jennifer, who was in her room doing whatever it is that celebrities do in their room (it wasn't important to the dream, so she was just this famous figure I needed to communicate with but never could reach), a brown-haired guy I can't remember, and me.
Black widows came from every crevasse of the arch to perch on their respective nests. They ranged from the size of a dime to the size of a very healthy apple. I could feel my pulse race through my veins as I tried frantically to reach the window before one of the spiders could reach me, or realized I was a mere two feet away. I tapped quietly on the window to no avail.
One of the largest spiders heard though. She tilted her body towards me, waiting.
I froze, unsure of what to do, but knowing I didn't want to stay there the whole night. I glimpsed the brown-haired man inside the house. Taking a huge risk, I pounded on the window. He saw me, but so did the widow. She came at me quickly and I knew she would reach me before the man would. I screamed, pounding on the window and trying to open it, praying that someone would help me before she killed me.
It was then that I woke up.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Hysterectomy at 29 by Candy O'Donnell




Women, you are not alone! 

Decisions, decisions, we are surrounded by them. Life is full of complications, and at times what we are contemplating can be life altering. I changed not only my life, but my entire outlook on family, work, and how I view myself. Somehow I found the strength within to decide what avenue was best for me. 


Check out this new short non-fiction by Candy O'Donnell.



Candy O'Donnell was born in Carmichael, California where she immediately encountered her grandparent's dogs. Her parents did not have much to speak of, and her grandparents were always there to pick up the slack. Pets quickly became a huge part of her life and still today many animals reside in her home and stories.At the age of twelve, she wrote her first mini book. Filled mostly with what took place with her mother and her long tedious bout with leukemia. It was a short story told as extra credit when she suffered a sprained ankle and had to be out of school for over two months. School officials refused to believe a word of what she had written until her grandmother, her guardian back then, entered the school with the truth. Everything she had written down was exactly what took place. Unfortunately her mother succumbed to the disease.

She earned a Bachelor's degree in History and Culture. After living with her aunt and uncle for over five years she wished to explore her uncle's Native heritage and did so with vigor. She also has 6 Grad units in Criminal Justice. Someday she might go back and finish her Master's.
Candy O'Donnell resides in Northern California with her husband & two children.