Friday, May 18, 2018

Seven Things I've Learned About Me In Seven Years #Authors4ALSA #ThinkBlue4ALSA #BlueCovers4ALS


Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of sci-fi and supernatural stories with a romantic soul. Since it's the 7th Blog-o-versary and we're blogging about things we've learned about ourselves in the past seven years, I thought I'd go one more seven and make a list of things that you may not know about me that I've discovered in those years, or at least not guess on meeting me in real life.

1. I'm addicted to chickens. What started out as a pet suggestion from hubs because I don't like dogs, we still remember the massive vet bills from our cats, we have no spare room for rats who like to be active at night, and neither of us are into rabbits or guinea pigs, has become a big obsession. I went from helping out but mostly leaving it to hubs to completely taking over, falling in love with, planning a massive run, hatching eggs and now collecting different breeds of bantams. I pretty much don't go a day without posting something about my little feathered fiends...I mean friends!
My newest babies, nine days old today!
2. Finishing a book is the hardest part but I can do it. I finished my first book when I was eighteen, prompted by the axing of Doctor Who. For three weeks coming up to Christmas I scribbled away at a DW story (I suppose it could be called fan fiction now, though I did submit it to the then publishers of the DW novels) and finished something for the first time ever at about 40K words. It took another twenty years before I was able to repeat that success, but I did it!

3. Music is my muse. I can't go a day without listening to it and have my mp3 on constantly when I'm alone. But I absolutely can't have anything on when editing.
My latest obsession, Starset, rock music with a definite scifi theme!

4. I love cosplay. I went to a couple of conventions dressed up as a teen, but it's not until my kids have got interested in conventions and cosplaying that I've taken it more seriously. Now I try to make everyone a new cosplay each year, although I've been stuck with the same one three years running...
Nor-Con last year, with a fellow Jedi.
5. I hate housework but I love it when it's done. I've never been particularly houseproud, but in recent years I've grown to hate it. It feels like such a time waste when within five minutes of the kids coming home the place is a mess again! But it is satisfying to sit down after a thorough session and look around a room to see it clean and tidy, however briefly!

6. Hubs is more romantic than me. That became very evident this particular year as our 25th wedding anniversary approached. Hubs suggested going away just the two of us (our monsters are now old enough for us to do that) but I was worried about the money. He insisted on going for a meal at the very least, and booked us a table at the pub we had a drink at on our first date (a fact he remembered but I didn't, oops!).

7. Don't be so hard on yourself. Last year I experienced burn out on the whole publishing process, and it's taken me a long time to recover, the more so because I felt I should be doing this, that and the other. I realize now that the guilt of not doing those things I felt I should only made the situation worse. Sometimes we really just need to give ourselves permission for time off, to give ourselves a break and focus on a little self care, even pampering. And we shouldn't feel bad about that. If we fall, we can't help anyone else so we need to help ourselves first, sometimes at least.

And speaking of helping others...May not only sees RTG's blogging anniversary and my wedding anniversary, but my anniversary as an author too. It's been six years since my debut novel Keir released, and this year my book is part of a special blue book event in support of ASLA.



Looking for Blue skies and smooth sailing to cure ALS
May is ALS Awareness Month and twelve sci-fi/paranormal/time-travel romance authors will be donating 25% of their May book sales to the National ALS Association (including me)! Help us raise money to support the ALSA in their mission to provide care for ALS patients and continue their research to find a cure for this heinous disease.

Look for these hashtags on Twitter to find and help support our efforts:

#ThinkBlue
#Authors4ALSA
#ThinkBlue4ALSA
#BlueCovers4ALS

Find more information and links to all the participating authors and their books on the landing page (Lea’s site):
http://www.leakirk.com/supporting-als.html

Or check out the Blue Book Cover Brigade Team Page on the ALSA Site (where you can also find more information on the condition, the association and their work, and more ways you could help):
http://webgw.alsa.org/site/TR/Endurance/GoldenWest?team_id=367681&pg=team&fr_id=12950
ALSA Twitter: https://twitter.com/napaALSride
ALSA Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/RidetoDefeatALS/?hc_location=group

Psst, if you buy any of my other blue cover books (like Gethyon, Keir's Fall, or Reboot, I'll add that money to my donation too). Happy reading, and may all your skies be blue!
And finally, in honour of our Blog-o-versary I'm also doing a giveaway. Comment below with something new you've discovered about yourself recently that the world may not know, and I'll pick one winner to receive a digital edition of my latest scifi romance release Unexpected, in whatever format the winner requires (to be chosen by random.org at the end of May).
Love can come when it’s least expected... 

When an injured alien crashes on her planet, Soraya follows her instinct to repair and restore it despite the challenge of their differing physiology. But as she gets closer to her patient and he recovers, Soraya confronts a whole new form of existence...and a desire that could destroy her completely. 

Yoran chose exile in order to release the woman he thought his soulmate from a marriage contract she had no wish to fulfill, and almost paid for it with his life. Now he finds himself drawn to his alien savior. But how can he ask her to give up the only existence she knows when he’s already suffered the consequences of such a sacrifice himself? 

1 comment:

Judith Ashley said...

Love this post, Pippa! Such fun to learn your hubs is more romantic than you. And I totally understand and support your journey through the guilt to taking care of and pampering yourself. What do you do to pamper yourself? I get a pedicure and, depending, a mani also.
Last but not least, I'm with you on the housework! Love when it's done. I'm grateful I'm now mistress of my home so the only clutter, etc. is mine (until the grands and great grands come to visit).