A Temporary Normal (update: All ebooks still .99! Happy Reading!)

Have you found it yet? A temporary normal amid all this change? I haven't either, but I don't think it's our fault. Something seems to change every. single. day. We don't have time to get ouIt started with my husband's business trip canceling and it's been a steady slope of change ever since. As it sits now, we have school work for one child and will pick up another child's tomorrow. Our third is homeschooled so he's out of luck on much change! He doesn't seem to mind. Our church has been focusing on a home-centered-church-supported theme the past year and a half or so. We are really putting that to the test with all meetings canceled which certainly changes a lot for this family.

For the most part, I've really not minded these changes. In fact, with each new change I breathe a little easier. I guess I'm in that "training-for-this-all-my-life," camp. Still, late at night when the kids are asleep and the house is quiet, my mind begins to spin and worry creeps in. Worry for my mother, my Aunt who is battling cancer, my friend also battling cancer, and more, along with irrational fears that I won't give a voice to. At least not until you tell me yours!

I have seen a bright side to all this. Our community has pulled together so quickly providing meals for kiddos who may go hungry without school meals, teachers and administrators working so quickly and efficiently preparing school work for our kiddos, and businesses donating money so packets of school work can be printed for those who can't print them at home, just to name a few. It's all been awe-inspiring to say the least. We feel so blessed to be a part of this small, tight-knit community.

I wish I had a brilliant idea to change the world and send my own piece of love and help out in a totally helpful, non-threatening nor covid-19 spreading way! I don't. But, turns out I have a TINY thing I CAN do. I've lowered the price of all three books in the Ordinary Series to 99 cents. That's the lowest Amazon will let me go and retain my copyright. So, if you're looking for an action-packed, love story, young adult fantasy novel for you or someone you love, head on over to amazon by clicking the links on my sidebar. I plan on keeping them at that price for at least two weeks (probably longer. Seems like we are in this for a while). Feel free to spread the word!

I hope you all find and settle in quickly to a temporary normal and find peace and comfort during this crazy time. I hope you feel my love and prayers. And I hope you enjoy The Ordinary Series!

Karen

Quick reminder of series order:
The Ordinary, book one
The Heir, book two
The Time Between, book three

Epilepsy Update

I scrolled through my posts this afternoon and clicked on Here we go again. I'm so glad I took the time to write all of that down. Those feelings and fears have somewhat faded. I don't flash to his tonic-clonic seizure when I sweep that part of the kitchen or put shoes in their cubby anymore. I leave him home now without too much thought. The thought is always, always there, but I pray every day to help keep him safe and allow him as much normal as possible at the same time. However, reading through it all brought me right back to that moment and reminded me of the emotional journey we've been all been on. That truly was just the beginning and I decided to take a minute and give a little update.

I'm happy to report Kaleb has not had any seizures since that night. He is just over eight months seizure free. I used to count the time Kaleb was seizure free as if it meant something. I felt the longer he went without a seizure, the chance of having another one went down. I learned the hard way that wasn't necessarily the case. Kaleb had been four years seizure free (two off meds). I thought he'd outgrown them. I thought we had gone through the seizure woods and stepped into the seizure-free-for-life sunshine. I was wrong. At one of our neuro appointments, our doctor told us that when it is someone's time to have a seizure they will have a seizure. To make matters worse, we never know if the meds worked and stopped working and a seizure occurred or if the meds never worked and it just wasn't that person's time to have a seizure. How am I supposed to wrap my head around that piece of information? I'm not sure I ever will. But, for now, he is seizure free and I'm grateful for that. He's driving again and living a normal life. I am terrified. Not gonna lie.

The road to now has not been easy. The meds the ER started Kaleb on is called Keppra. If you are in the epilepsy world at all, you've probably heard the term Keppra Rage. Our neurologist described it as an emotion magnifier. It took everything he was feeling and poured gasoline on it. He was hurting so much. It was heartbreaking and so very difficult for everyone. I won't go into details of that time here. It isn't really a place I want to revisit. However, I don't want to forget it either. It was such a difficult, dark time and some days I wasn't sure how we were all going to get through it. It. was. hard. But you know what? We made it through. We walked through it and I think we are all better for it. We spoke with our neurologist about changing his meds and began the switch. However, it ended up being a two-month process. You can't just stop one and start another. Slowly the rage left and he worked through what he was going through without the extra emotional fuel. He also reconnected with his birthmom during that time and I think it brought him a peace he really needed. That's an entirely different post that I most likely won't share--it's his story to tell.

Kaleb had six-month check with his neuro this week. I had six months worth of questions and one was if these new seizures were related to his first diagnosis or completely different. (He was diagnosed with childhood-onset absence seizures and in Feb 2018 he had partial complex and a tonic-clonic). He said Kaleb was just unlucky because most don't have both. That sucks. I'm really not complaining, though. So many live with uncontrolled seizures and deal with so much more. I keep you all in my prayers, by the way. I truly do. You fight the battle every single day and night. We call you warriors for a reason.

So, in our home, we live like epilepsy isn't hanging out in the closet, waiting for a moment to strike. We set alarms to help remember to take meds and send texts threatening to call 911 if he doesn't respond. Seriously, kid. You need to respond! ;) We make plans to go to the beach and spend hours attempting to figure out geometry while we countdown to the end of high school math! We watch for signs, hug our children tight, and pray our epilepsy guest stays comfortable in the closet.

Sneak Peek

I haven't written in a while. Part of it is a bit of writer's block--I'm not exactly sure where I want the story to go--and part of it is the fact that I can't seem to get out of my own head. Those voices that rear up when we put a piece of ourselves out there are screaming and I lately haven't been able to tune them out. What those voices are hollering about shouldn't matter. Writing is therapeutic for me. I'd do it even if no one ever read it, but those closest to me see a potential in me I'm afraid I won't ever achieve. Those voices.

I do not have a grand resume in author terms (Ok, any terms!). I almost finished my bachelor degree in Elementary Ed but stopped when we adopted our son. I always assumed I'd go back...and I will. It's just taken much longer than I'd imagined. However, in two years when I do get back, I'm going to ditch Elementary Ed and go for something in the English world. Something that will help that resume of mine and hopefully make me a better writer. It certainly can't hurt, right?

I absolutely do not regret my life decisions. I look at my kids and even though they beg to be left in the after-school program at school, eye roll, I know they would miss me. I know they needed me present in their lives just like I know I need to write. It should be obvious, but I'll say it just in case--  if you chose differently that doesn't make either of us wrong. If your kids thrive in that after-school program and you held on to that career just as hard as you hold on to those babes, kudos. I am grateful life has taught me the grand notion of to each their own. I truly mean that. I know that what is right for me may not be right for you and that doesn't mean anything other than our choices needed to be different. I'm glad I stayed home but sometimes I do feel so far behind in the race. Those voices.

I pushed through those voices today and pulled up my latest project while I sat in the car rider line in front of the school. I scrolled to the top and began to read and guess what? I liked it. It is not perfect, but it is GOOD. I would read it! Ha! And with that thought, the voices were a little harder to hear. Before long, the line was moving and I was scrambling to get my seat where I could reach the peddles because goodness knows that car behind me won't wait long. The car rider line is serious business! As I tucked my laptop on the seat next to me, I marveled at how quickly time flies when I write. Seriously! I've begun writing and not realized darkness settled around me with the setting of the sun until I look up from my screen and find the room pitch black illuminated by only my screen. I truly hope I'm always surprised at how quickly time passes when I write. And those voices? Well, they are completely gone when I'm lost in the story...lost in time.

And, if you're still reading, I'd like to share the preface of my next novel. I THINK it will be called THE LAST OF THE DRAGON KEEPERS, but I reserve the right to change that name! Hope you enjoy.

*****

She slipped through the large battered door quickly, closing it behind her. She fumbled with the reluctant latch, eventually securing it in place. The room was dim, lit by only one candle. The scent of hay and the chicken she’d cooked earlier for dinner hung in the air. She leaned against the door while her eyes adjusted to the low light. She couldn’t see him, but she knew he must be there. She hadn’t expected him to be back so early. Her heart sank.

“Well?” His voice boomed through the silent room, startling her.

“We lost her,” she said quietly, head down. She knew what this meant. 

The man stepped from the shadows across the room and flipped the small table in the center of the meager space, causing the remains of her modest dinner to clatter across the floor. She jumped involuntarily. The solitary candle that sat on a small table next to her bed flickered and went out. Darkness wrapped around her. It didn’t matter. She focused on a tingling within her chest. Her senses immediately heightened. She didn’t need light to see the remnants of her dinner scattered on the floor or the upturned table now laying on its side, one leg broken. She didn’t need light to see him. She didn’t know what else to do, so she immediately began picking up the mess.

“Leave it,” the man said. The fire once in his tone settled into resignation. He stepped toward her and rested his hand under her chin. She reluctantly gave in to his gentle tug and stood. He brushed the tiny stray curls of hair that had refused to stay in her braid off her forehead. She let out the breath she was holding and melted into his arms. “It will be okay,” he whispered near her ear.

“How?” she asked as tears streamed down her face. “The Emperor won’t listen. He refuses to stop using the dragons as weapons, but I thought we could at least convince him to let them rest.” She lifted her head from his chest and wiped her face with the backs of her hands. “He will not acknowledge the dragons’ connections. When one is in battle, they all may as well be. How can he not see that?” Anger burned through her. She wiggled out of her husband’s arms and turned her back to him. “They are all going to die! If not from war, then from a broken heart!” 

He stepped around a chipped bowl and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I will not let that happen.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. With her back pressed against him, she could feel the beating of his heart. “What about her babies? Are you going to be able to save them?” he asked.

She turned and faced him. “She protected her eggs until the very last moment.” She shook her head and choked down her emotions. “There are six. If we can keep them from the devastation their family members are feeling they should survive.” She ran a hand across her face. “I’ve successfully hatched dragons before, but never under these circumstances. She lifted her eyes to her husband’s. He looked so tired. She rested a hand on his cheek, fingering his thick beard. It had begun to turn gray these past months. This war was taking its toll on them all. “And your travels—I’m surprised you are back so soon. How many are left?” She held her breath not sure she wanted to know the answer.

“Four,” he said grimly. 

“Four! Only four Keeper families remain?” He nodded. She pushed away from him and began to pace. “That’s six down from only a month and a half ago. At this rate— ” She stopped pacing and rested her hand on her bulging belly. He stepped toward her and placed his hand on top of hers. He bent and kissed where his child grew. Normally, when he did this, she would ask him to use his Keeper senses to see how the baby was doing. She could and did so herself, but his extra assurance kept her worry at bay. At this moment, however, her mind spun so fast she couldn’t keep up. “What—how are we…” she stammered.
He stepped in front of her and clasped his hands around her face. “We, my darling, are getting out. All of us. We are taking the dragons and running. Tonight.”

In Case You Forgot...

It's done! The Ordinary is .99 for a limited time! Perfect time to give it a try. I'd love to hear what you think! 

And, in case you forgot...

NOW IS THE TIME

Have I mentioned before that I'm a Southern transplant? I am. I grew up in the desert where hot is hot and humidity isn't a factor in anything. Well, except the rainforest exhibits in the Zoo and the Aquarium.  If you would have told the six-year-old me that I'd basically live in the Zoo rainforest I would have kicked you in the shin and ran. But, big sigh, I am here and I am trying my best to bloom where I'm planted.

However, it's August and summer has been brutal. I'm so ready for the temps to drop and take the humidity with it (like that ever happens but whatever!). So, I'm doing what any logical southern transplant would do, and I'm trying to send mother nature some subliminal messages by dropping everything I can think of. That includes the EBOOK price of THE ORDINARY! If you've been waiting for a good time to try out the series, this is it. Next week, probably 8/29 or 8/30, the price will drop from $2.99 to .99 for a limited time. There is a handy-dandy link on the right that will take you to Amazon where you can purchase it. I'll post here when the price has for sure dropped!

And, just for fun, the photos below inspired a scene in THE TIME BETWEEN.

Can you guess which one? 

Comment below! Happy Friday!!

Facelift

I gave The Ordinary a tiny facelift. 

I really love it. I changed the font. It doesn't look like a horror book now. I actually never thought of it as a horror-looking book, but my teenager sure did. After he mentioned it did, that's all I could see. I was hesitant to change it since copies had been sold, but I decided it was time. What do you think?

I also added a sneak peek of THE HEIR at the end of the ebook version. I may include it in the paperback version as well. Do authors do that in paperback? I'm having a hard time remembering now that I mainly read ebook!

The Time Between UPDATE

I've been neglecting the blog! I feel like I've had a newborn in the house demanding all my attention. Instead of bottles and diapers, I've been up to my ears in edits and decisions. It's not really demanding to give attention to a newborn...sign me up for the sleepy little bundle on my chest. Yes, please. The decisions and editing didn't really feel demanding to me either. Putting the final touches on a cover I so painstakingly worried over for MONTHS...yes please! Crying while reading my own book...um yes again! See the pic above? Tears! It's been so fun and rewarding to feel it all come together. AND I cannot tell you how excited I am for all of you to have it in your hot little hands. Please comment here, message me, send a pigeon carrier, whatever, and let me know what you think. I can't wait to hear from you!

I've been editing like crazy wondering why I gave myself a deadline. And then I hear from a reader telling me they cannot wait to read it and wondering if I knew when it would be out yet and I remember why. I've had to get creative juggling my sweet family and editing. Good times!

Did you know my husband is a budding artist? He began to really draw (he's doodled his entire life!) a few years ago and it's been so fun to watch him grow his talent. He drew the above picture and it can be found in The Time Between! It looks so great. It wasn't easy getting it there though! Here's what it would look like in my document. Great, right!

Here's how it would look when it uploaded to kindle. What?

I'm almost ashamed to say how long it took me to fix. But, eventually I got it! Ta-da!

I discovered Chik-fil-a was my favorite place to edit. It feels like winter in there!  I couldn't feel my toes by the time I left. It was awesome!

My husband not only took the kids countless times so I could edit, but he brought me home flowers too. Love him!

If you follow me on facebook or instagram you know I agonized over the cover for The Time Between. 

I was so relieved when my proof copy came and I LOVED it! It was all I had hoped it would be.  

 

It soon disappeared, though.

This is where I found it! My twelve year old had swiped it. She finished it in a day and a half. It doesn't get better than that! Although, there was one point where she threatened to stop speaking to me. Ha!

The Time Between is now out and available in paperback or ebook! For some reason, it won't let me link it here yet, but I will as soon as it's available. In the meantime, you can search The Time Between Karen Richardson on Amazon or click The Ordinary or The Heir links on the right side of the blog. Once it takes you to Amazon you can click on my name and find it. If you're still having trouble after all that, comment and I'll see what I can do.

And lastly, THANK YOU, and HAPPY READING!

The Time Between - COMING AUGUST 6, 2018

Finally! I was extra indecisive when choosing the name and cover for the LAST book in THE ORDINARY SERIES. Each book has a level of expectations to meet (or hopefully exceed!). Maybe I got in my head a bit this time, but with each book, the level gets a bit bigger. This was no exception. I mean come on! It's the last book. You want to LOVE the last book. It needs to leave you feeling like reading the series was totally worth it! I've wanted each and every part of it to be just what I envisioned it to be...especially the cover and the title. I'm so happy with both!

Drumroll, please! Ok, we don't really need a drumroll. I mean it's right there!

AND did you notice the title? Love it! I think it fits the book so well.

I have more news! The release date is set! (Should I have a release date party??)

AUGUST 6, 2018!!

You can preorder an ebook copy now if you'd like. It will be delivered on August 6th. Paperback will be available on August 6th. Also, if you'd like BOTH versions, wait to order until the 6th. You will then be able to order a paperback at regular price and an ebook version for .99! If this doesn't make sense, let me know! I'll add a handy-dandy link to the side of my page when Amazon will let me. In the meantime, you can click on The Ordinary and then my name and you can find it.

Thank you all for all your support and excitement. I LOVE to write. You all loving what I write is beyond a dream for me. THANK YOU!

Perk or Curse?

I'm not sure the kids have figured it out yet, but I have learned if you want a "yes" from my husband,  wait for him to be huddled over a pile of papers to grade and go in for the kill. Do you want to go_______? He will drop that pen so fast you will wonder if he ever had it in his hand. Anything to get out of grading. It's pretty awesome. Want to go to the park? Yep. Want to clean the bathroom? Yep. He loves his job. He loves lecturing. He loves working with the students. He loves it all. All except the grading. I tell him every job has to have at least one downside--this is his.

A few weeks ago, he was deep in the end-of-semester-crazy, as we like to call it. He was up to his ears in papers to grade, worried students to console and diet coke. Okay, he's always up to his ears in diet coke. This time of the semester may be the exception to the above rule. Deadlines loom and have to be met. He keeps his head down and sometimes doesn't even hear our want to requests (noise canceling headphones in place!). So, when he asked for my manuscript I was kind of surprised. I thought he'd want to wait until his plate cleared a smidgen...even though he'd do just about anything to get out of grading. "Are you sure?" I questioned at least a dozen times. He was sure. He sent me this picture. He was hiding out at Hardee's reading and enjoying some non-grading time.

I worry though, is being married to the author and getting first dibs at the manuscript a perk or a curse? I guess we'll have to ask him. Either way, I'm super grateful for his excitement, enthusiasm, and expertise. I'm one lucky girl. Thanks Kim!

Guess What I Just Did?

The third and final book in The Ordinary Series is DONE! Well, except for the editing. For now, I've traded my laptop for THIS. The editing has begun!

Coming this summer! Check back for updates.

And, just because you've all been on my mind lately...thank you! Thank you for supporting and encouraging me. Thank you for taking this journey with me. I appreciate you!

With love,

Karen

Courtney's Reads Author Interview

A couple weeks ago Courtney, over on Courtney's Reads, contacted me and asked if I'd like to do an interview on her blog. Um, yes, please! It was fun answering her questions and sharing some of the goings on in my brain! So much fun! Click here to check it out. Thanks Courtney!

On another note...sort of...Courtney is an avid reader, reviewer, AND author. You can check out her Worlds with Ruby here!

Girl Smarts

There is a character in The Ordinary who is witty, fearless, and sure of who she is. She makes her debut partway through The Ordinary. She doesn't play a huge role in book one or book two, but she's pretty center stage in book three (still working on #3!). She's kind of who I'd like to be, in a way. I'm talking about Ky, Jordan's sister.  I admire Ky in so many ways, but the way Ky doesn't let fear hold her back is definitely what I admire the most. I tend to sit right in the middle of fear. Paralized and crying! Haha.

Now I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Kyleigh. She is almost twelve (four more days, actually!) and she is fierce! We call her Ky a lot. Made a connection yet? Ky was born from this little lady right here. She stands up to her brother even though he can be intimidating at times. She's quick to forgive, easy to love and is a terrific friend. And she is fearless. She isn't afraid to be who she is regardless of the circumstance. She's awesome.

This is her first year in middle school. She's a social little gal and I was kind of surprised she hadn't found a club or group to join. But, right before Christmas, she informed us she wanted to join the Academic Challenge Team. The what now? We'd never heard of that. At first, she wasn't really sure either. We didn't get much information out of her except they push buzzers and answer questions. Before long, we were able to attend her first meet and got to see first hand what exactly the Academic Challenge Team was. We. are. impressed.

Have you seen The Chase? If not, google it and then come on back. It might be awhile because it's a pretty addicting show. It's okay. I understand. The Academic Challenge is kind of like that except without the Beast. And the chasing. The team who answers the most questions correctly wins. I could never, ever, EVER join this team. My brain would freeze and I would be dead weight. Dead, I say. 

Kyleigh, on the other hand, it's like she doesn't know she's supposed to be scared. She doesn't know it may be embarrassing to get the question wrong (which it's not. My brain would tell me it would be!). Our Ky started the first meet as the team captain and has been the entire time. No one else will do it. See. They know fear. 

I'm not just saying this because she's my daughter, but that girl carries the team. I love her little teammates and wish I could help them have Kyleigh's confidence. They got this! They just don't know it yet! 

Their last meet was yesterday and there were only three of them there. Normally, each grade level is separated into different rooms to compete but because of the flu epidemic, they were short staffed. They announced they would all compete in the same room and take turns. Sixth grade was up first. My fear swelled for her! If she noticed my wide eyes as she stood to take her place at the table, she sure didn't notice. She didn't seem intimidated by that packed cafeteria at all. She killed it in the first two rounds, which is the team challenge. They all discuss the question and she gives the answer (because she's the team captain). The last two rounds are the buzzer round and the other team had a really fast buzzer pusher. That kid was fast I tell you! 

Ultimately, they lost this round, but she was recognized as our team's high scorer. She didn't gloat or even tell her dad when we got home. She's humble, too.

As Ky's (Jordan's sister) character progresses, she may have some fear. She's up for a challenge and I'm anxious to see how she handles it all. More on that later! In the meantime, I'll keep watching my fearless girl and all her girl smarts and hopefully gleen some from her.

Happy Anniversary!

It's late. Well, technically it's early, I guess. Our house has been hit by a nasty bug and I'm on watch tonight. Our oldest had/has (I never know if since he's still a child I can say had) childhood onset absence seizures. He hasn't had a seizure for a few years now, but I don't mess with fevers. They lower the threshold and make having one more likely. In ten more minutes, I can check him and give him more meds to make sure that fever stays down.

I turned to facebook to entertain my weary eyes and clicked on, on this day. I love that little facebook gem. I'll take that walk down memory lane every day. Thank you very much. Today's caught me off guard a bit. Memories definitely flooded over me and I began writing a facebook post about it. I realized quickly that it was turning into a very, very long post and decided it should be on the blog instead.

A year ago today, I did the hardest thing I'd done in a long time and clicked the publish button on Amazon making The Ordinary available to all. Almost a year before, I began writing it to pass the time while waiting for my son to do his homeschool work. See, that firecracker, amazing kid of mine needed me to be close by. Laundry and housework had to wait until he was finished and one can only plan and grade so much. I was bored. So, I did something my husband continually encouraged me to do. I began to write. One page turned into ten. Ten to thirty. Pretty soon I wasn't just writing while Kaleb worked. I wrote every chance I got. It was so. much. fun. My husband would say, "I'm taking the kids. Go write." And I did. And I loved it.

I, however, had no intention of ever showing that creation of mine to another soul...well, besides my husband! My husband read it as I went and encouraged me, but, he's my husband. He loves me. He never criticizes me and thinks everything I do is amazing. I'm not exaggerating. Really. I love him and his support, but I didn't believe him. I really wanted to. But, remember, I called this The Ordinary for a reason. I felt extraordinarily ordinary. I felt beyond ordinary. I couldn't see past that.

The day I finished it was amazing and so anticlimactic all at once. I typed the end, pushed my chair back and stood up. My hands shot in the air and I exclaimed to my empty house, "I did it!" I quickly texted my husband and that was that.

I spent the next few months editing it. My middle daughter wanted to read it, so I handed her the latest, marked up, edited version. I had gone through it once again and was putting the corrections in the computer. I gave her the first couple chapters and off she went. She came back not long after and said, "I can't read this with all your writing on there!" That was the start of something amazing. I read it to her and watched Natalie's journey come to life in one of my favorite people's eyes. She would come home from school and beg me to read it to her. She'd give me pointers, like Essentials and Ordinaries should be able to have Essential babies. :) And at night when it was time to tuck in, she would beg for just one more chapter. It. was. awesome.

It put me in a bit of a pickle, though. We were about 3/4 of the way through and my mom was coming for a visit. I live 2,000 miles away from family so they were none the wiser. I knew Kyleigh was going to ask me to read it to her and my little secret would be out.

We took the kids to Universal Studios that year for Christmas. We surprised them with the trip and also with my mom coming with us. She came out to the car with me to help bring a few things into the hotel. As we walked in, I said the words. "Hey, I wrote a book." She looked at me and asked what I meant. I tipped my folder holding the 200+ manuscript in her direction and said it again. "I wrote a book."

Her reaction was beyond amazing. She didn't care what it was. She was just so impressed I'd written it. Before she left, she asked to read it. I told her she didn't have to. I knew it was a genre she didn't necessarily like, but she really wanted to. The morning of her flight, I quickly printed it and she tucked it in her suitcase.

After that, I told a few more people. Five total. I looked into Kindle Direct Publishing because it was an easy way to get it to those five people who lived across the USA from me. I was going to put it up for free, but my sister said she wanted to be the first person to buy my book! Thanks, Vickie! So, after looking at the button for what felt like an eternity, I clicked publish. 

Look! There it is!

My husband had been on a business trip and returned home that day. We picked him up at the airport and stopped for dinner on the way home. As we sat there, I received a text from my sister that my book was live on Amazon! I can't tell you what I was feeling. It was a jumble of good and bad emotions I'm still sorting through. My husband declared he was going to post it to facebook and I wanted to die right there. All three of my babies looked at me waiting for my response. Had it been he and I, I would have told him no way. But, how could I say no with them watching? I want them to be fearless. I needed to be fearless. So I nodded and fought the urge to throw up. I didn't sleep well for the next two weeks. Seriously. I have never felt so vulnerable in my life. I hadn't realized how good I was at sitting on the comfortable side of fear.

What happened next was really pretty amazing. So many friends and family responded with surprise and support. So many people bought my book! I couldn't believe it. And the kind words and great reviews that followed buoyed me up and pushed me to do more.

One thing this journey has taught me is that kindness and support doesn't always happen. Truth be told I've been pretty surprised at some who have been radio silent. Those of you who stand in my corner and accept me, flaws, uploaded rough draft and all, I truly love and appreciate all of you.

I feel the love and am so very grateful!

Seriously! Thank you!

This next picture is just because I need to prove to you all that I do know a thing or two about grammar...despite my rough draft upload and editing blinders! You know. Because facebook tests are real. Muh-ah! Love you!

Clips

We moved to our little town nine and a half years ago. Up until then, we'd had T-Mobile as our carrier for...years. Probably ten years before that. But, our little T-Mobile did not have good service in our area. We struggled for a year or two not willing to give up the amazing price. Too many failed and dropped calls later, we caved.

Enter Verizon. My husband got a work discount, but it was still much higher than T-Mobile. Much higher. It was sad but we did really enjoy the coverage we received.

Every now and again we would stop back into T-Mobile and they would pull up our address on their coverage map and we slowly watched it fill in. Last Saturday we stopped in again and were pleasantly surprised. The difference between Verizon and T-Mobile wasn't significant enough we felt we couldn't switch! Yay. Doing so would not only pay off almost $1000 in phones but drop our bill by almost $100 a month and give us unlimited data (we had 12 something or other...I need to pay closer attention to details!). Oh and free Netflix for life.

We made the switch, but one thing we hadn't counted on was needing to purchase a new phone for my daughter. In order to move it to T-Mobile, it needed to be a 6s or higher. She had a 6 plus. It was on its last leg anyway. It wouldn't work half the time and randomly called people. And it never randomly called her mother. Rude.

The solution to our little predicament landed me with a new iPhone 8. My husband knew I'd enjoy the camera (He is the sweetest!!) and insisted I take the new phone. This leads me to CLIPS! Maybe I missed that little gold mine on my iPhone 7, but I don't think so. I. Love. That. Thing. Mainly because I'm easily entertained and that thing is definitely entertaining me.

That being said, I'm going to upload a little something I made for my husband last night...that so sounds different than what I mean! Haha. He teaches an evening class about an hour away on Tuesdays. My youngest has been really sick and needed some extra snuggles which means my house is falling apart. Which is fine. I'd rather snuggle my baby, but it was a great opportunity to have a little fun. This is what I sent him. My only regret is not seeing him watch it.

Riverbed Road

My mother grew up in a little town in southern Utah. Right next to her little town was an even tinier town, Greenville. I talked about it and shared some pictures here. When we would visit my grandmother, we would always take a trip to Greenville. There were two ways to get there but our favorite was by far the riverbed road.

First of all, to get to the riverbed road you got to drive past the coolest nursery ever. A nursery in the front and a small farm in the back. Sometimes we would get really lucky and the peacocks would have their feathers out for us. As we followed the gentle curves of the road and we would listen to mom and grandma share their memories. The pictures they painted were so vivid I could imagine I was there with them.

I love that place and the area around it. So many memories are wrapped up in the smells, sites and sounds of that place. So. many. I still can't drive on gravel and not think of my grandmother.

I've shared a bit about my husband and his newfound love of art. The past year or so he's been nurturing that hidden talent and growing so much! I've been trying to get him to sketch my memories and he did! He's awesome like that.

To say I love it is an understatement. I mean, come on. My greatest love created one of my fondest memories! Does it get any better than that?

It Takes an Army

I have a small army behind me. They push me to continue, cheer me on and most importantly, get down in the trenches with me. Several people have edited my manuscripts for me. I am so grateful. Seriously. Remember editing blinders? I need other people to edit.

I mentioned to my husband I was going to take a little writing break and edit The Ordinary again. A friend had recently reached out saying she'd found some mistakes (THANK YOU!) and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I needed to clean up The Ordinary. I printed it out and got a couple chapters in and then he asked if he could do it. Um, yeah. Remember my editing blinders? Ha!

We had a snow day here yesterday which means today, too, even though the sky is clear and the roads appear dry. We are in a small town in SC and snow is rare. The children bused to school come from mostly rural area's in which the roads aren't cleared nor treated before a storm. The snow sticks on those small, tree-covered roads. My husband is a professor and school was canceled for him as well. He has had his head tucked in the pages of my manuscript for hours. Yep. He's a keeper! And this is the best part...

Thanks, Kim!

Breakfast Pizza

Poor time. No one seems to accept it for who it is. We are constantly asking it to hurry up...my daughter is almost twelve and cannot wait for that birthday. Twelve is a big number in our house. You get to start wearing makeup at twelve. Hurry up time.

On the other hand, my babies are growing so fast. Those newborn, sleepless nights are long gone and I have said at least a million times, please, time--slow down. It's all going too fast.

Traditions, for me anyway, seem to ease the pain of time. Traditions somewhat let us pause a cherished moment. Traditions are the ultimate walk down memory lane all while creating a few new memories along the way while bringing those you love the most right along with you. Traditions are time beating (really celebrating) superheroes. Yep. Sign. me. up.

Traditions come in all shapes and sizes. Some are big, loud, in-your-face-extravagant and others are so subtle you might not even realize they are a tradition until a little person in your house points it out. "We can't go to bed without reading! It's a TRADITION!" Silly me. I thought that was a routine. But, somewhere along the way it became just that for that little person in our home. Ok. Tradition it is.

Breakfast pizza is a subtle tradition in our home. I'm not sure where exactly it originated but my mom used to make it for us when I was a kid. It always takes me back to her kitchen when I make it. We loved that stuff and now my kids do, too. You may be wondering where exactly the tradition is in breakfast pizza. The tradition comes in the fact that we never actually eat it for breakfast. We may have growing up but here in the Richardson household, I don't believe I've ever made it for breakfast. 

One aspect of writing The Ordinary Series that has been so fun for me is including some of our favorite traditions. Breakfast pizza is one of those that made its way into the series. I thought it might be fun to share the recipe here. It's super simple. PRINT RECIPE

Breakfast Pizza

1 egg                           1 cup regular pancake mix

¾ cup milk                  1 cup rice cereal

¼ cup oil                     cinnamon and sugar mix

Combine egg, milk, oil and pancake mix in a bowl; mix well until well blended. Pour into greased 12-inch pizza pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mix and cereal. Bake in preheated oven, 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until top springs back when lightly pressed.

*Note: I double the ingredients and use a cookie sheet to feed my crew. Hope you enjoy!

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