I can think again

My neck pain is gone, like magic, but most importantly I am back to feeling like I can think. Before the medication made me feel sleepy and for lack of a better word, drugged. I got some of the best sleep ever, but my mind was so foggy. I walked around feeling like what I can only assume zombies feel like, aside for eating everyone of course. Thank you so much for all your well wishes.

I read a post by Stephanie Faris the other day Body Problems You Never Knew You Had and this post really struck a nerve with me, because as a woman I don't look like the women in magazines and find it hard to love my curvy body when most people advocate for the skinnier form. To my surprise there were so many people advocating for the curvy form, which cheered me up. Even better, Alex J. Cavanaugh gave a wonderful response to that post on his Blog today, which made me feel even better about the whole body issue thing. Thank you Alex.

What are you up to today?

I blame the aliens

My head feels a little funny and I kind of feel like I have been floating for most of this week. I have to take medication for the inflammation in my neck muscles and the medication is kicking my butt. It is really strong and I just end up sleeping or staring at everyone as if they are speaking in tongues. According to the doctor I must recently have received trauma to my neck to have hurt those specific muscles, but I can't think of anyway that could have happened, so I am just going with the theory that I was abducted by aliens and they had forgotten to put me down gently when they brought me back.

I am still on a resting period between edits, which works out perfectly for me, because I would have been so angry with myself for wasting good editing time. On the downside. I had to use some of my hard earned editing money to pay for my doctor's visit and medication. Damn aliens. Back to saving every penny.

The Messenger (IWSG)

If you feel insecure or down on your luck today, I hope the message of this song will cheer you up. The lyrics are beautiful and it is one of my favorite songs of all time. 

The Messenger by Linkin Park

The Insecure Writers Support Group was created by the wonderfully talented Mr. Alex J Cavanaugh, so that writers can share the insecurities they have and/or encourage others who need support with their insecurities. You can visit Alex Here, or if you want to join us in discussing our insecurities on the first Wednesday of each month, you are welcome to join by going Here.

Sitting in front of the fire

It's a wonderful rainy day and the best thing about it is that I get to curl up on my favorite chair in front of the fire. Yay! I love the rain.

This weekend I devoted most of my time to working on my blurb and I actually came up with a version which I liked very much. I even asked my sister, who loves romance novels (my target audience) and she liked it as well. One less thing for me to worry about.

My savings for editing is coming along nicely. I haven't saved as much as I wanted yet, but I know I will. It might take a while, but I'm in no hurry.

I blame the ghost in the machine

I am kind of embarrassed to mention it, but my computer had to go in for repairs. For some reason my computer screen went black and stayed that way for days. So I took it in for repairs and guess what? The computer suddenly started working perfectly and the tech guy blamed me for not shutting down my laptop properly. I am convinced that me and computers don't get along. There is a ghost in the machine that plays all kinds of havoc and makes me look bad. Bad Ghost.

Back from holiday

The holiday was great fun and I have gotten a lot of rest and have even finished my second round of rewrites. It was something about the solitude that really stimulated my creativity. As promised, I have some photos for you guys. The camera wouldn't work, so I had to make due with my phone's camera. 

View from our balcony

View from the balcony

View from my room

On the beach

On the beach

I also wanted another ear piercing, so when I got home I got an upper ear piercing to both ears and no, it didn't actually hurt that much. I love the way it looks though.

My ear

I feel re-energized and I got to see my writing in a new light, which was refreshing. I also got to catch up on my reading and I read Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs, which I liked and I finally got to read Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, which I loved. It was so hot.

So, what have you been up to while I was gone? 

Effigy by M.J. Fifield available now

It's Effigy Release Day!

EFFIGY (Epic Fantasy), Book One in the Coileáin Chronicles
by M.J. Fifield

Release date: July 22, 2014

Now available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon and CreateSpace (other editions to follow soon!)

The survival of a once-mighty kingdom rests in the hands of its young queen, Haleine Coileáin, as it slowly succumbs to an ancient evil fueled by her husband’s cruelty.

A sadistic man with a talent for torture and a taste for murder, he is determined to burn the land and all souls within. Haleine is determined to save her kingdom and, after a chance encounter, joins forces with the leader of the people’s rebellion. She gives him her support, soon followed by her heart.

Loving him is inadvertent but becomes as natural and necessary as breathing. She lies and steals on his behalf, doing anything she can to further their cause. She compromises beliefs held all her life, for what life will exist if evil prevails?

Her journey leads to a deceiving world of magic, monsters, and gods she never believed existed outside of myth. The deeper she goes, the more her soul is stripped away, but she continues on, desperate to see her quest complete. If she can bring her husband to ruin and save her people, any sacrifice is worth the price—even if it means her life.

Add it to your Goodreads List!

About the author:

Armed with a deep and lasting love of chocolate, purple pens, and medieval weaponry, M.J. Fifield is nothing if not a uniquely supplied insomniac. When she isn't writing, she's on the hunt for oversized baked goods or shiny new daggers. M.J. lives with a variety of furry creatures—mostly pets—in New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley. Effigy is her first novel. Visit her online at mjfifield.com, find her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

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