An August of great memories and big plans!
Aug 11, 2023 3:21 pm
TL:DR
- My week with Mom
- Worldbuilding webinar Aug 28 ($20)
- Webinar on how to load a book on Amazon Aug 29 ($10)
- Idol Speculations comes out on Aug 29!
What’s New in FabianSpace
I promised to tell you a little about my week with Mom. My dad had his 60th high school reunion. It was a small school, with 29 graduates and only 9-14 still living, so he wanted to go. However, it would have been hard to go with Mom, who has Alzheimer's (probably about Stage 5, where she needs a lot of help and attention.) So Mom stayed with us while he went.
It was a pretty special time. We spent a lot of it just sitting on the porch in silence (me being eaten by bugs regardless of how much bug spray I used), but she talked a little about tutoring her siblings and cousins. I made her go shoe shopping at last and we found two pairs quickly. Rob stood in line while she and I cooed over the baby shoes (so glad he went with us!). We also did one of her favorite projects of the past—fleece tie blankets. She has collected yards and yards of fleece material over the years to create these, so each night, I’d cut one in preparation, and the next day, we’d spend a quiet hour or two tying the fringes to connect the two pieces, Every 10 minutes or so, she’d look up in surprise, comment on how pretty the material is, and we’d have a discussion about how they were for the baby ministry. I had to keep dodging her suggestion that she take them home or maybe we should keep one, etc.
Mom doesn’t like to eat but forgets that she hasn’t eaten, so I’d make sure she had meals with me, then just kept setting food in front of her. Lots of cookies were consumed! Every evening we ate and cleaned up.
Some of you may not find this funny, but I do: She’s so concerned about “wasting” napkins that she blows her nose in one and then uses it to wipe the table. I'd follow along with a Clorox wipe.
“Oh, I know you wiped it, but I like to sterilize after, Mom.”
“Okay, if that’s how you do it.”
Mom seldom wanted to watch TV, but we did see my K-drama in Spanish for her with English subtitles for me. (Doom at Your Service is a great show on Netflix!)
Nighttime was difficult, but we started a routine of teeth, prayers, tuck-in, a reminder that the flashlight was within reach and that Dad would join her when he got home. (Technically not a lie, but after the first night, where she woke up a few times searching the house for him, it needed saying.) then I stayed up another hour to be sure she got down.
It was a long, slow week. I didn’t do any work or writing, which is a huge change of pace for me. However, I made some good memories with my Mom. In the meantime, Dad had a terrific time in Colorado. It was a good break for him and a chance for him to be the full-on extrovert he’s always been. He had a chance to talk to people nonstop, drive wherever he wanted whenever, and generally relax.
Next Worldbuilding Workshop Aug 28, 8 pm Eastern
I had a terrific time presenting Worldbuilding Basics last month. Thanks to those who attended! This month, I’m teaching 6 ways to build your worlds. We’ll look at some easy ways that worlds can be developed and cover the basics for presenting a world. This is a one-hour webinar with questions and a handout. $20. (If you are a member of the CWG, email me for the coupon code.)
How to Publish on Amazon – class and demo
The last couple of times I’ve published a book on Amazon, I held a webinar to show folks how it’s done. I’ve had a great response and decided to formalize it into a class. I’ll cover what you need to prepare, some of the basics, and then walk you through a demo, using Idol Speculations as the guinea pig! You’ll leave with an understanding of how to publish using KDP (Amazon’s platform) and a worksheet to help you prepare.
$10 (CWG members contact me for a coupon code.)
Idol Speculations comes out on Aug 29!
It’s the faceoff you never knew you wanted—Vern vs. Godzilla!
When Japanese investors want Vern as the mascot and protector of their new commercial center in Los Lagos, Vern thinks he’s got it made. Finally, the respect he deserves, a cushy job patrolling the store area and amusement park, and a new lair built into the artificial mountain!
But nothing is ever easy in Vern’s world. When an elder god that’s been hiding in the lakes of Los Lagos, grows under the inadvertent influence of Mundanes, it emerges as a monster out of a kaiju movie. Vern gets the help of mages, the national guard, and even a Mechadragon, but in the end, it’s up to Vern to save the day.
Can a dragon the tenth the size of a monster take on a god powered by cliché?
You can watch me load it live on Aug 29 in the How to Publish on Amazon class. Also, to celebrate, I’ll be giving everyone some coloring pages, courtesy of my artist friend Brent Donobo!