BUT Pearl’s hilarious is a very dry humour kind of way.
Near New Jersey? On the East Coast? Looking for a Sweet Pupper?
My name is Jubilee. I’m a 4 year old female husky who has been with Husky House for a long time. I came from a “breeder” who couldn’t sell me because he said I was “weird” looking. Huskies are majestic looking dogs and I don’t know why I don’t look like them.
I wish I was beautiful so someone would want me to be their dog. (Rhys personally thinks she’s gorgeous)
I like other dogs, but I don’t like cats. I love people, but I’m a little shy because people mostly laugh at the way I look.
Doesn’t anyone want a funny looking husky? I wish I had a family of my own who could love me even though I’m not pretty.
GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR INFO
Apply to adopt Jubilee at huskyhouse.org
Pre Order Back in Black’s Audiobook, Narrated by Greg Tremblay! Out Feb 13th!
Hey, Look what’s up for preorder and scheduled to be out on Feb 13th! RIGHT BEFORE VALENTINE’S DAY!
Greg Tremblay is back as Cole McGinnis in Back in Black!
Back in Black, McGinnis Investigations #1
There are eight million stories in the City of Angels but only one man can stumble upon the body of a former client while being chased by a pair of Dobermans and a deranged psycho dressed as a sheep.
That man is Cole McGinnis.
Since his last life-threatening case years ago, McGinnis has married the love of his life, Jae-Min Kim, consulted for the LAPD, and investigated cases as a private detective for hire. Yet nothing could have prepared him for the shocking discovery of a dead, grandmotherly woman at his feet and the cascade of murders that follows, even if he should have been used to it by now.
Now he’s back in the dark world of murder and intrigue where every bullet appears to have his name on it and every answer he digs up seems to only create more questions. Hired by the dead woman’s husband, McGinnis has to figure out who is behind the crime spree. As if the twisted case of a murdered grandmother isn’t complicated enough, Death is knocking on his door, and each time it opens, Death is wearing a new face, leaving McGinnis to wonder who he can actually trust.
Girl Scout Cookie Purchase… OR DONATION FOR THE TROOPS!
I HIGHLY endorse this Girl Scout and recommend you definitely go purchase some cookies!
I know I shall. And well, guest appearances from the Gruntster Pupper and the Baker Cat!
Examining 2019 and Looking Forward…
Wrote a long post then deleted it.
If you’re a close friend… (and I do try to be a very good friend), I value personal connection and support above all things.
People are either a close friend and understand how writing is a part of who I am and support my books and their purchase from whomever I pub with or they are someone I know. Or perhaps used to know. It hurts too much to try to work to maintain friendships with people who are actively turning their backs on me. So, I dunno. It tells me how much I matter.
2020 has to be a brutally honest with myself year. Some people don’t value my presence in their lives and I don’t think they should struggle to maintain that brittle, small-talk civility.
Because I suck at it.
The dog walker is coming and the trash truck is outside. I am hoping they’re gone before she gets here because he’s gonna lose his shit if he has to be walked next to a moving, growling, house sized vehicle.
This isn’t meant to be a “poor me” or emo post. It’s just… I need to work out some demons who are living rent free in my head. Newly moved in ones. Because God knows, I’ve already had a full belfry of bats there already.
Shrimpy Things and Words
There’s a few chapters left in the Kai book so I’m getting that taken care of. Yesterday was Bork Bork day for Gus as it was time for walkies. As many of you know, he has a dog walker named Jessica who takes him out for a HARD trot.
We’ve had to keep him from getting to enthusiastic about his walks. He DOES love them a lot but the problem is, he’s an old man. Or at least should be. Yet, he insists on doing a full power walk… a hard trot. He doesn’t pull per se but he wants to go about his business and demands a healthy pace. Most of the time, she can slow his roll. Yesterday he was having none of it and apparently told her, You’re young, Auntie Jessica, and own two German Shepherds with really long legs. Let’s go. I am a fast walking potato.
He came home very tired but happy. Gus doesn’t stop and smell the roses or where other dogs have peed. None of that. Walks are SERIOUS business and must be attended to. Stopping is done rarely and usually because there is wet grass to be rolled in. But even then, a bit of cavorting and then we are OFF!
He’s a strange little potato.
I’ve never had these. I’m very curious as to how they taste. Turn on subtitles for English words on the bottom *grins*
Welcoming the New Year
Looking forward to 2020, I am excited to see Cole and Jae coming back to my readers in Back in Black but… let’s revisit 2019 for a bit.
Well, 2019 was good and bad. Lots of fantastic things and trips followed by… well, some people really tried hard to make it a shitty end but all of that being said, I’ve written a lot, did a lot of art things, worked through some fucking crappy health things and scares as well as just dealing with people being all up in my business. I tend to be a private person on certain things… well, most things but I will always be honest with all of you about where I am in my head and well, of course, talking about Aspergers and all of that. It was a hard year for that too because dealing with how to change the language when talking about being on the spectrum has become very important. Vital, you might say.
But here’s the thing, despite all the fuckery, there’s been some great fantastic things. Like meeting readers at GRL, going to World Con and really having a great time, having a carnival break out in front of our AirBnB, getting a suntan in the Cotswolds in March while visiting with the Five, seeing everyone in Paris at the Salon and really just connecting and talking with everyone.
I came back to where it all began for me as a Dreamspinner writer by writing Back in Black, Book 1 of the McGinnis Investigations series as well as hit the midpoint of 415 Ink with Hellion. Ramen Assassin gave me a new couple to explore and let’s not forget Kai’s Jacked Cat Jive. I’m beginning the new year with Kai again and just finished doing the blog tour posts for Back in Black with Cole and Jae’s wedding.
Watched a LOT of Guy’s Grocery Games which allowed me to yell at chefs for their food choices, started Witcher and finished a few other shows in between writing. Tool dropped a new album and made me so freaking happy. It’s been a continuous play for my writing.
Picked up a new narrator for me in Kale Williams who did Ramen Assassin and of course my brother from another bloodline, Greg Tremblay kicked it up for a notch for Kai and he powered up to do Cole before the end of the year so the audiobook can drop at the same time as the book. Or close enough for it to count.
So, I’m leaving this post with a blast from the past… the first point of my career as Rhys Ford, a link to the Dirty Series. If you haven’t grabbed this series, I encourage you to do so. AND as a bonus, there’s a free ebook and audiobook on Dreamspinner as a thank you for everyone who followed the first series.
The Dirty Series (Cole McGinnis)
The Free Bonus of Dirty Bites, a gift from me, Greg Tremblay and DSP.
Chinese Food and Holidays
Oddly enough, our traditional holiday meal on Christmas Day has ended up being Chinese from a family-owned place we’ve gone to for years. Today was no exception. The place was packed, not unusual but really packed which made things a bit crazy. Still, we ordered and talked and craned our necks to see if that was our food coming and dismissed the plates being carried out of the kitchen because there was too much green.
I’d forgotten to order veggies but to be fair, it wouldn’t have fit on the table and we were already having a buffet of meat. It was an old school dinner with char siu and bao, crispy roast pork (so good it can make someone from Singapore long for it), beef and daikon hot pot stew, beef chow fun dry style and walnut shrimp.
Oh and rice.
They apologized for the delay in getting food to the table. Dudes, there were like 200 people in that place and from the looks of things, lean on staff. It was way more busy than I’d seen it on Christmas. I mean it’s INSANE on New Years and Lunar New Year but still, this was insane.
It was worth it. Because the company was great. We got the Auntie to take the order of the people next to us because they’d been lost in the shuffle and they chose the duck which was a good choice because damn the duck there is good.
But there is only so much food you can eat. Even if you want all 225 items on the menu.
It’s great having company in and they brought a spare dog. Nadya is an older lady dog who seems to have taken to Gus and Gus in turn has taken to her. He’s been very polite to her and excited when she comes in. She’s no help against the Badger-menace but still, what is?
BUT still, we have had a miracle at our house. This…
All three animals. Within striking distance of each other. That they did themselves! And look how close Badger is to the dog! Okay to be fair, the dog was there first and the cats came by to lie down next to him, sending Gus the Dog into a panic attack but still, he sat there motionless until it became apparent he was in no danger.
Then he noped out of there before another picture could be taken.
So, today has been a good day. I only hope it has been for you and remember, practice self care which includes being nice to yourself. You’re worth that pause in the day and a deep cleansing breath. Drink your water. Tell yourself a joke. *hugs*
Merry Everything!
Canned Peas and Mayo
There are some people who are so very far away from the points I’ve been during my childhood. Being a thrown away kid is… you adapt to different things. You like odd things because that’s what you had. I folded some of that childhood into Miki’s experiences and I remember getting some reviews that were all… These kinds of things don’t happen.Sadly, they do. BUT it was kind of heartening to see and know not everyone knew how any of it felt. Those were experiences they could never truly know. Because they’d been raised safe and loved.
Not everyone has been. And I never ever want to minimize or glorify the struggles of anyone coming up through the system or with crappy parents because there’s no… winning… in having a shitty upbringing. If anything, it’s sometimes harder to normalize yourself into what everyone else does.
I feel uncomfortable around happy families. It was always usually the jumping off point for a lot of pain and blood when things suddenly shifted to sweet-sweet-sweet. That was a trap. A lure to bring you in.
I love canned peas and mayo. I also love sliced up hot dogs with shoyu and a bit of sugar on rice. There are things I do that I know come from just adapting to what is there and doing what I can.
So, please keep in mind that when you see that 30 year old guy eating Captain Crunch and mayo sandwiches, he might be having a childhood meal he really enjoyed.
And yes, raw ramen noodles soaked in hot water are awesome… but being able to cook them is even better.
Spectrums and Rainbows… Or a source to help someone on the Spectrum cope with life…
As someone with Aspergers’ who fights like hell to “human” on a daily basis… and fucking hell does not succeed most of the time :D, I do want to ask you all… especially during the holidays… to reach out and check on the people in your life who are neuroatypical. AND REALLY… if they are kids.
It’s not only a struggle to work within the mirror maze of society and people but also with ourselves. It’s an invisible thing and it’s rare people around us adjust. We’re told to stop being eccentric, being too weird or to just get over it.
If you know of someone who is being shoved into a box of someone else’s making, please see what you can do to help. Sometimes it’s just even listening. Or standing up for that person’s right to exist as best they can.
It’s a Rabbit Hole here, Alice… and it doesn’t seem to end.
