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Valkyrie

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  1. Valkyrie

    2019 Year in Review

    By Valkyrie,

    Overall, I’d have to say 2019 was a pretty good year. Looking back, I’m amazed at everything I accomplished this year.  I did a lot of work in my house, clearing out a lot of junk, organizing, and having some renovations take place.  I got new windows, a new couch, had my bathroom gutted and completely remodeled (something that needed to be done for 10 years), and finished assembling 14 shelves for my model horse room, then unpacked my collection and finally have it displayed.  All of this was done with lots of help from my mom and my BFF. 
    I also accomplished a lot with my writing.  I completed National Poetry Writing Month for the fourth consecutive year; wrote two anthology stories—Perseverance and Beyond the Binary; had two novellas published in Premium—A Leg to Stand On and Deal or No Deal; wrote a Halloween short—Zugrexamok; wrote a week’s worth of prompts with Cole Matthews; and wrote nine stories for Our Christmas Cookbook.  I also did a lot of research and legwork for a new story.
    With so much work being done, I didn’t take a whole lot of time for myself, so my reward for working so hard was having my BFF come visit and help me put the finishing touches on the model horse room, and having Cole Matthews and his husband come visit for a week.  Despite living in this area for the majority of my life, there are some places I’ve never done the whole “tourist” thing at.  So showing them around, taking them to my favorite places, and doing the “tourist” thing was a real treat.  We wrote a prompt together every day and posted them here, went to my favorite restaurants, and went on a few day excursions—including Niagara Falls and Syracuse.  It was exactly what I needed after going without a break for so long.
    I had some lows among the highs.  I was diagnosed with some chronic health problems, which motivated me to make some significant changes in my life.  Those changes have resulted in positive outcomes, so I’m over the moon with that. 
    Looking forward to next year, I plan on writing stories for both anthologies.  One will be a collaboration.  I also plan on participating in NaPoWriMo again.  I have a full length novel plotted out and have started writing it.  So while I may not end up posting a whole lot of stories next year, I will be working hard on the new story.  I’m not planning on posting it until it’s complete.  Fans of Igneous and A Very Wyvern Christmas will be happy with the new story. 
    So I raise a toast to the New Year and wish all my GA friends, family, lurkers, and readers all the best 2020 has to offer!
     
  2. Valkyrie
    October is Down syndrome awareness month, so I'd like to do my part and spread awareness of this often misunderstood syndrome.  In 1866, Dr. John Langdon Down, a British physician described the syndrome and called it "mongolism".  Until the 1970s, people with Down syndrome were called "mongoloids".  In 1959 a French geneticist discovered that individuals with Down syndrome possessed an extra chromosome.  The correct name is Down syndrome, not Down's syndrome.  In the past, individuals with Down syndrome were placed in institutions, hidden away from society in often deplorable conditions.  They were treated as subhuman and not allowed the opportunity to show just how capable they are.  
     
    Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, NY was one such place.  In addition to the abuse and neglect the individuals who lived there suffered from indifferent staff, overcrowding, and even other residents, they also had to suffer from subpar medical care and even medical experiments performed without permission.  I first learned about the horrors of Willowbrook during my orientation when I started working at my current place of employment.  I've had several people on my caseload who used to live at Willowbrook and it breaks my heart whenever I see that in someone's history.  I am thankful to organizations like the one I work for who provide safe and stable homes for individuals with developmental disabilities.  There are safeguards in place to prevent abuse, and while it does still happen at times, it is not the rampant problem it once was.  
     
    People with Down syndrome are actors/actresses, business owners, and athletes.  They can do anything neurotypical individuals can; it might just take them a little longer to learn how.  They are loving, friendly, and full of joy.  Next time you see someone with Down syndrome, give them a smile and a little wave and see what you get in return.  I bet it will make both of your days.  
     
    Information about Down syndrome: 
     
    http://www.ndss.org/about-ndss/our-team/ambassadors/goodwill-ambassador/straight-talk-with-chris-burke/down-syndrome-awareness-month/
     
    http://www.nads.org/about-us/history-of-nads/
     
    History of Willowbrook:
     
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willowbrook_State_School
     
    Link to my April Fool's Day contest story "Downhearted", which, while fictional, is based on the mannerisms and behavior of several individuals on my caseload: 
     
     
  3. Valkyrie

    Life Happenings

    By Valkyrie,

    On August 9, 2013 I decided to take the plunge and join GA as a member instead of reading stories as a lurker.  While I'd dabbled a bit with writing poetry and some creative fiction, I'd never actually finished anything I started writing.  The closest I came was a vampire novel I started writing in the early '90s (which I may yet finish )  The atmosphere on GA was so welcoming.  It felt like a place where I wanted to interact with others, and one of my favorite things was reading the weekly prompts.  There was more participation in the prompts back then, and I felt like they were a good way to ease back into writing.  Bolstered by the positive and encouraging responses to those early scribblings, I expanded one of them into my first novella. I then decided to tackle the anthologies, which helped me develop my writing skills even more.  I was beyond thrilled to be promoted to Promising Author, and then Signature.  I still feel a flash of pride whenever I see the maroon rectangle next to my name.   
     
    Writing and GA has opened so many doors for me.  I love writing and sharing my work with like-minded people.  My editing/beta team have become dear, dear friends. @Cole Matthews, @Lisa, @aditus... I can't imagine a life without you all in it   There are too many to name, but know everyone on this site holds a special place in my heart.  It's hard to believe it's been five years since I de-cloaked and became a member.  Yes, I'm a Star Trek nerd  
     
    Many of you know I have been spending the summer re-doing my house.  I bought new appliances, a new recliner, a giant cat tree, and a boatload of other new things for the house.  My mom and I moved every piece of furniture, scrubbed the walls and floors, and went through every box downstairs.  I threw out a ton of stuff, donated a ton of stuff, and now have a manageable living space.  There are a few reasons we did all this.  One, it needed to be done.  I've done a lot of travelling in the ten years I've lived here, so I let a lot of house stuff go.  Two, I had my BFF planning to visit for a week and I wanted a house that didn't look like it was inhabited by trolls. And three... I am having major surgery this week.  
     
    This has been a summer of reflection for me.  I found a lot of things from my past when going through all those boxes.  Mostly good memories, but some bittersweet.  I don't want to get into all the details of my surgery, since it's rather personal, but I will say I have a pre-cancerous condition which requires the removal of some parts.  The risk of cancer is relatively low, but still there.  I've had two prior surgeries, and admit to being most nervous about this one.  So I will be away from the site briefly while I recover.  I'm hoping my absence will be less than a week, but it all depends on how I feel and what they find.  I won't have my laptop with me until I'm back home, but I will have my cell phone and will keep Cole updated.  He has my permission to post updates here.  
     
    I am hoping to do a lot of writing while I recover.  I'd like to finish "The Hollow Hills" and start my next novel.  I have some editing to do, and something exciting in the works for GA.  I also hope to be able to do some reading... something I've been neglecting lately.  
     
    So that's what going on in my life right now.  Thank you to all my readers, followers, and friends. You guys are awesome   
  4. Valkyrie
    About twenty years ago I stopped at Tim Hortons to grab lunch.  I needed to go grocery shopping, but had to wait until payday and had five bucks to last the rest of the week.  A dollar went further then than it does now, which meant I had just enough to pay for some cheap groceries until I got paid.  It was very crowded due to it being "Camp Day", when they collect donations to send needy/ill children to summer camp.  There were several people with boxes collecting donations and a girl approached me with a big smile and asked if I would like to make a donation.  I looked at the dollars in my hand, did some math, and came to the conclusion that I didn't have any money I could give.  She said "even just a dollar is fine". Or something along those lines.  Giving a dollar meant that I had to skip eating, and at the time I worked 12 hour days six days a week as the assistant manager of an equestrian center.  So it was very physical work requiring lots of energy.  I apologized and said I wasn't able to donate.  The look on her face made it very clear that she thought I was being a cheapskate.  I felt horrible.  I would have been more than happy to donate, had I been in a position to do so.  
     
    Fast forward to today.  It's Camp Day again at TH.  I no longer have to worry about scrimping every dollar until payday.  So I made a donation and included an extra dollar.  I hope that person twenty years ago has learned some empathy.  You never know what someone needs that dollar for.
  5. Valkyrie

    October 2006

    By Valkyrie,

    Ten years ago today, I left work and headed to my car, cursing the light snowfall. While not unheard of, snow in October is rare in my area, especially early October. I headed home, figuring that it would stop and melt off fairly quickly--a dusting, at most. By the time I turned onto my street, it was evident that this was no mere dusting, and we were in for a lake effect storm. On October 12th. I made it home early enough that I was able to park in my driveway. I spent the evening listening to thunder and lightening along with the snapping of branches and crashes of tree limbs. I'll never forget it.
     
    My power lasted until about 9:30 that night. It went off in the middle of a very intense episode of CSI. It would remain off for ten days. I lived in the hardest hit area. The next morning I ventured outside to about eight inches of snow. I had no food in the house because, of course, it happened to fall when I needed groceries. I found that fallen wires saved my car from being crushed by a tree limb:
     


     
    And my beloved hawthorn tree was folded in half like an umbrella:


     
    The street was riddled with fallen trees and branches, along with cars that hadn't made it into driveways. I walked to the corner store, hoping that they were open and doing a cash business, but they were closed. My cat and I ended up staying at my parents' house for a week, since they had a wood-burning stove. My parents' 90 year old next door neighbor also stayed with us. My aunt was lucky enough to still have power, so her house was the gathering spot for us all to get a hot meal and do our laundry.
     
    The area lost tens of thousands of trees during that storm. The weight of the snow was too much for the fully-leafed trees, so the branches snapped like matchsticks, turning the area into what looked like the aftermath of a hurricane.
     
    The storm came during a time of transition for me. I was working two part-time jobs at the time and was miserable at both. I applied for a new job and gave my notice to both my other jobs when I was hired shortly thereafter. To be quite honest, I took that job because I had to. I needed to work to pay my bills, and there was nothing else available. I expected to be there a year, maybe two, tops. Next month will be my ten year anniversary there.
     
    It took ten days for power to be restored, over a month for my phone service to be straightened out, and the landscape was forever changed. When I look back now, I'm amazed at the difference in my life in those ten years. Sometimes change is good.
  6. Valkyrie
    I wanted to give an update to let everyone know what writing projects I have in the works. Chapter 19 of "The Hollow Hills" is almost complete and will be sent to my team soon. I hope to have it posted within the next couple of weeks. I am very appreciative of all the support I've received for this story. I know my posting speed is excruciatingly slow, but it's very important to me that I focus on producing the best story possible vs. cranking out chapters quickly and not being happy with them. I'd like to think that the end result will be worth the wait.
     
    I have ideas for two anthology stories - one for the fall anthology and one for the special anthology. I hope to be able to get both written in time for inclusion in the anthos. I also have two ideas for Halloween stories. Halloween is my favorite time of year, so I'm excited to write on this theme.
     
    I've also started a new novella, but progress on it has been slow. My main focus right now is on finishing "The Hollow Hills" and getting the antho stories written, then I can turn my focus to this one. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I think modern fantasy fans will especially like it.
     
    I'm having surgery on August 25th and will be off work for 2-3 weeks. I'm hoping that once I'm recovered enough physically, I can use that time to really focus on getting some writing done. Oh, and I almost forgot about my zombie prompt story...apparently I have to finish that story as well.
  7. Valkyrie

    Health Update

    By Valkyrie,

    I've been having 'female issues' since the beginning of the year and recently underwent some updated testing. About three months ago, I had an ultrasound that showed a small, septated cyst on my left ovary. I also had a cervical polyp that was removed during the examination. Septated means segmented, and as far as cysts go, that is generally not good. The plan of action was to wait 2-3 months and have a repeat ultrasound. Well, the repeat ultrasound showed that it had doubled in size, so I was told that the ovary will need to be removed. The good news is that my bloodwork came back normal, so it may not be cancerous. I have another appointment tomorrow with the doctor, since they screwed up this appointment and made it with the nurse practitioner. I will have more information then as to how I need to proceed. Needless to say, this is very upsetting to me, but now that the initial shock has worn off I am feeling more optimistic. I've talked to a couple of friends who have had the surgery and they both made it through with no complications. Fingers crossed I will do the same.
     
    Edited for update:
     
    I'm feeling a lot better after my appointment this afternoon. The doctor isn't overly concerned with the cyst. Even though it's septated, all my other tests came back normal so there's a very high likelihood it's benign. I will undergo further testing in a couple of weeks, then we will schedule the surgery. I want to thank everyone for your thoughts and well wishes. GA is such an amazing place and it's all because of you all.
  8. Valkyrie

    Writing Update

    By Valkyrie,

    It's been a while since I've posted anything, so I wanted to give an update regarding my writing. I had a long bout of writer's block, which finally seems to be over. I've had a lot of ideas lately, which is a good thing. Now I just hope I'll be able to write them all! I have three ideas for upcoming anthologies - one of which has been written and beta read. I've started a second anthology story and have jotted down some notes for a third. I have an idea for the holiday story contest, which is still in the fleshing out stage. I've been working a little bit on Chapter 16 of "The Hollow Hills", but it's been hard to concentrate on it when I have so many other ideas bouncing around. I apologize to those who follow THH, but I want to make sure I stay true to the story and put out the best chapter possible. Fingers crossed it will be soon, but I never know which voice in my head will be yelling at me the loudest.
  9. Valkyrie

    Requiem

    By Valkyrie,

    My uncle passed away on Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 69. It's hit me pretty hard, even though we weren't particularly close. In fact, my first memories of him aren't pleasant at all. When I was a kid we lived in a house with an inground pool. I hated that stupid pool. My parents had my brother and I take swimming lessons at the Y because neither of us knew how to swim. Those lessons were torture. I don't have specific memories of the lessons, but I do remember that the instructors weren't very nice. I didn't like putting my head under water, so my dear ol' dad decided that the way to teach me was to hold me underwater. So needless to say, I didn't like swimming. Whenever my aunt, uncle, and cousins came to visit my uncle thought it was great fun to chase me until I ended up jumping in the pool. If he caught me, he'd throw me in. I don't think he had any idea how much I hated it when he did that. And people wondered why I liked to spend time in my room when my dad's family came over.
     
    My uncle lived in a rural area on a non-working farm. They had a goat, dogs, and cats, but that was it as far as animals. I loved spending time there. My brother and I would go spend the day or night with my cousins and we would spend the time exploring the countryside. It was great for a country girl at heart. The only thing that marred those times would be when my uncle got drunk and yelled at my oldest cousin. He was a Vietnam vet and an alcoholic. My aunt was in staunch denial about his alcoholism. It wasn't until maybe fifteen/twenty years ago that he had a heart attack and was forced into sobriety. To his credit, he remained sober until he died.
     
    What always amazed me about his family was that despite his gruff exterior, he raised an exceptional family. My cousins are some of the sweetest, nicest people I know. Two of them followed his footsteps into the military. My one cousin was honorably discharged after a motorcycle accident ended his career. My other cousin is still in the Army, having earned his medical degree and is now completing his service.
     
    A lot has come to light about my dad's family over the past few years. It is the stuff of horror novels. It's no wonder that almost all of them became alcoholics over the years. I always admired my dad for overcoming his origins and not succumbing to alcoholism like both of his brothers and his parents. It turned out that that he was suffering from a different addiction - one we didn't learn about until four years ago, but that's a topic for a different blog post.
     
    The wake for my uncle is Thursday. I am going to go pay my respects to my cousins and my aunt. It is going to be a very difficult day for me, since it will be the first time I'll see my dad in almost four years. I feel like I owe it to my uncle, for despite our rough beginnings, I can see he was a good-hearted man who will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
  10. Valkyrie

    Prompt 381

    By Valkyrie,

    I wanted to give a little background into my response to Prompt 381. The prompt was a challenge to create a detailed scene describing an uncomfortable situation. My response can be found here:
     
    https://www.gayauthors.org/story/valkyrie71/2014promptresponses/38
     
    The image that immediately came to mind when I read the challenge was of a person sitting on a stone bridge over a river, contemplating jumping in. I hadn't completely formulated the reason the person was so despondent when I started writing the prompt. I wrote the initial sequence, then my attention issues kicked in so I browsed Facebook for a little bit and saw a trending article about a transgendered teen who had committed suicide.
     
    http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fix-society-transgender-teen-leelah-alcorn-posted-plea-suicide-n277666
     
    The article broke my heart, especially the part where the parents posted about the death of their son. After reading the article, I knew I had found the reason my protagonist was so despondent.
     
    Rory was patterned after a local bus driver who noticed a woman standing on a bridge and pulled his bus over to help her. He talked to her for hours before convincing her to come down.
     
    So there are good people out there and positive outcomes to difficult situations. I just wish that that Leelah Alcorn had met a Rory before she stepped in front of that truck.
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