Monday, March 17, 2008

Open Book

I'm always debating whether or not to openly talk about my personal life. There's always that small voice in the back of my head telling me not to give out too much personal information for obvious reasons. I also don't want to put my families business out there for all to read.

However, quite a few things go on here worth mentioning. A journal would be the perfect place for such things. With journals/diaries, you may not want someone to read it but sooner or later someone probably will. So, I'm pretty much throwing caution to the wind. I've had this blog for like three years and never knew exactly what to do with it. I'm trying something new. Names will be limited to just initials. The list of characters will be on the sidebar for you to refer to.

Unfortunately, I wish I could start this off on a good note. KL and RA are in another custody battle over my brother MA. He moved out in like November. I'm not surprised my dad rushed to get child support off as soon as he heard. He got some bad news. My mom called the child support office to let them know MA wasn't living with us anymore. They told her that it didn't matter he wasn't living with us. RA still had to pay child support. It wasn't like MA wasn't getting any of the money. He comes over all the time for money, food or whatever. So, even though he doesn't live with us, we kind of still support him.

Anyways, my dad practically threw a fit over all this. He actually called during the ice storm when our power was out, demanding my mom call him. He had called his lawyer and filed papers. He actually thought this was more important than us trying to stay warm and survive the disaster. In January, my mom drove to Texas to sign papers, stopping child support. She even waived the $450 he owed in back child support. She pretty much gave him what he wanted, but yet he's still taking her to court. Why? Because he wants her to pay his court fees. Now, he has tried this a couple of times before and was left paying them himself. I imagine this time as being no different.

If I were to ask him why he is doing all this, he'll give some valid answer to make it look like he is doing the right thing. Everyone keeps telling me he's changed and he's a great guy, but honestly, a great guy doesn't go this far to make his ex pay him some money which will probably go to paying for his next trip.

Posted by Andrea :: 3/17/2008 09:29:00 PM :: :: ::

Thursday, March 13, 2008

WS Post - Website Aids



This is the fourth installment of Internet resources to help you with all your writing needs or fun stuff to play with (Part I, Part II and Part III). This week’s edition is for children/Young Adult writers:

1. Verla Kay - a website ran by children’s author Verla Kay. It’s a great resource for children and young adult writers.
2. To Market - a column for children writers and illustrators written by Susan Salzman Raab.
3. The Source - a slang dictionary.
4. YoungAdultFiction.com -a site for writers of young adult and Middle Grade Fiction.
5. Expense Tracking Sheets - charts to help keep track of monthly expenses for tax purposes.
6. Big Dog’s Grammar - a resource site for your grammar needs.
7. Colossal Directory of Children’s Publishers
8. The Horn Book - a magazine with reviews of childrens books and info on children’s publishing.
9. Writing Young Adult Fiction - About.com
10. Wordswimmer - a blog by children’s author, editor, and writing instructor Bruce Black.

Posted by Andrea :: 3/13/2008 01:42:00 AM :: :: ::

Friday, March 07, 2008

Writing Photo Contest - Saying Goodbye

He pulled up in the driveway as he did on so many occasions. However, this time he sported a new black car. He cringed at the mere mention of giving us money, but never gave it a second thought about spending it on himself. He stepped out as did his new wife, wearing the latest in tourist fashion. I couldn’t help but hide behind the plum curtains, watching them through a crack.

“I see they just decided to show up again,” my mother said, joining me as an onlooker. “It’s amazing how the only time he knows what a phone is used for is when he’s harassing you.”

I knew she was right. He never had any respect for anyone but always demanded it in return. “After today, we may not have to worry about that anymore.” He stated for weeks he would be visiting. I knew I had plenty of time to prepare myself for this moment. Any other time, my heart would be racing as if to break free from my chest. But not today. Grief took the place of fear.

My brother rushed passes me and out the front door. He welcomed our father and his wallet. I waited for a second as they greeted each other. Then, walked, arms around one another, to our picnic table for a chat. They seemed like such a happy family. From a distance, you wouldn’t believe they had any cracks in their foundation. I knew he would be asking of me. Would I or wouldn’t I be joining them as I had refused to so on many prior visits.

Grabbing the dull brass knob, I took in one last deep breath. This would be the first time seeing my father in more than five years. It may also be the last. Leaving my mother behind, I stepped out in to the moist air. I could hear the silent gasps written on their faces. Clouds shielded the sun. The scene was set. No turning back now. He stood, shifting his weight in the gravel. I casually walked the wooden path to join them, trying not to give away my true intentions too soon.

He opened his arms, welcoming me in which halted me on the final step. He attempted to meet me halfway, but I interrupted his quest, “We need to talk…alone.” My step-mother and brother kindly took the hint and went back to the fancy new car.

“I’m so glad…”

“No,” I began. “What I meant by ‘we need to talk’ is I talk and you listen.” He sat in compliance and waited for me to begin my speech. “I forgive you. I forgive you for all the manipulations, the lies and everything else,” I said. Before he had a chance to respond, I continued, “While I forgive you for the worst of it, I’m still saying goodbye. I can’t do this anymore. I want to believe with all my heart you’ve changed but I can’t.”

“I’m tired of feeling guilty all the time because no one else wants to see you for anything but Father of the Year. You’ve hid your double life very well. I’m also tired of being just a dollar sign to you. You care more about how much money you have to give to Mom than anything else. Then, you make it seem like you’re okay with ‘taking care of your kids’. I’m just done with it all.”

“I will always love you, but when you’re ready to be a dad, you let me know. We’ll try and patch up our relationship again. Until then, this is goodbye,” I said, leaving him to take it all in.

His face and heart sank as I was talking. My heart was broken too. I needed a father and after twenty-plus years, he wasn’t being one. Now, maybe he will be.

You can vote for this story and/or read others here. Voting begins at 9 AM and ends at 8 PM on March 10th.

Posted by Andrea :: 3/07/2008 10:17:00 PM :: :: ::

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Published Again!

My short story "The Phantom House" is in the March issue of New Voices of Horror Magazine. I've been editing and submitting this one around a couple of times. I'm glad I found it a home. You can read it here.

While it's a non-paying market, they have a Best of anthology contest. The top 13 stories with the most votes will be feature in it and the authors receive royalties. To vote, you sign their guestbook with the title and author of your favorite story. Voting will be open until August.

I also signed up for Google's latest thing. It's called GrandCentral. It's kind of like a phone company. People can call you or leave a voicemail from your webpage without reveiling your number. You can screen calls, block callers, listen in why someone is calling you, etc. It's kind of interesting. Of course, it's in Beta. So, if you want to try it out too, let me know and I'll send you an invite.

Posted by Andrea :: 3/02/2008 11:41:00 AM :: :: ::