This is what the Winter Tree looked like on Christmas Day 2016
SNOW!!!
This is what my friend looked like this Christmas Day just gone.
That bit of blue sky was the last to be seen
To quote Voldemort, “I consider myself, disappointed”.
Just a few kilometers away, (and a few hundred meters of elevation) there’s snow everywhere. It’s several meters high, blocking highways, doing avalanches, and everything. Down here on the river valley floor all we’ve had is rain …lots of rain … floods of rain …way, way too much … rain.
To make matters worse, I’ve been nastily ill since my last post, which resulted in all sorts of bodily functions going haywire, along with a migraine cluster that still sends shivers down my spine when I think about it.
So, all-in-all, not the most auspicious Festive Season.
However … remember ‘Prelude’, the true tales of my Shamaning? Mrs Widds and I are putting it through its very final line edit this weekend, then off to Smashwords and the Zon it goes to become an ebook. Soon followed thereafter by a print version.
It’s been quite a journey, spending most of 2018 reliving a time in my life thirty years past.
I’ll keep you updated as to how it’s all going.
There’s still time for some snow to fall before winter’s over … isn’t there?
Widdershins Worlds 
That is odd. But a few degrees warmer in a valley makes it happen. NJ was like that – we could never tell what our version of the weather would be, because we were near the notch in the middle, and right on the line where snow turns to rain, etc., and our weather always varied. Maybe other people can trust the weatherman, but he was way more often wrong than right for Hamilton, NJ.
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I don’t think there’s many people who would take on the job of weather prognostication these days. 🙂
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Hope 2019 brings snow and good health and the book goes well.
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That’s the Plan. 😀
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I’m sorry to learn you have had such a rotten time
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Heh! Rotten it was indeed! … I think I’m more put out about the snow. 😀
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🙂
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Hope you are feeling better… migraine is hell.
Now, I do hope you will be coming over with a uest post to introduce your book when you are ready…? 😉
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I’ve never had a cluster like that before … a bit scary, and I’m still cautious about turning my head or standing up too fast. It takes me a while to uncroos my eyes! 🙂 … and as to the other, t’would be my pleasure. 😀
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I used to have real stinkers… put my fist through a plate glass window once because someone was making a noise outside and it drove me nuts with the pain, so I do sympathise.
As to the other…good…I’ll have the kettle on 😉
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Not a flake of snow here either. I hope we’re not smoked out again this summer. Congrats on getting the book ready for publication. 😀 Nothing better to do with all the rain!
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And wouldn’t you know it after all my grumbling, the sun is shining! D
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‘Til tomorrow.
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Yeah! 😀 … or this afternoon! 😀
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Where’s the snow when you want it.
good luck with the book…look forward to hearing more.
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Certainly nowhere around here! 😀 … will keep you posted. 🙂
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I’m sorry to hear about your ill health. I hope things start improving for you soon. Your photos of the tree is telling – climate change seems to be becoming our constant reality now. Congratulations on getting your ebook ready. Smashwords would give anyone a migraine.
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The plants are already starting to bud, and if we get another cold snap, or late snow, the poor wee things could be in trouble.
I’ve been slowly working my way through Smashwords style guide, and it seems the choke point is formatting. SW wants very, very, specific formatting, and perhaps it’s because us indie authors are such a well, wild bunch of ratbags really, we all want our formatting to be what WE want it to be, and not what some high-minded computer program has decided it ought to be. 😀 … I remember when I started out, last century, subbing to traditional publishers and each one of them wanted different things in their submission package, and woe betide the neophyte (as I was at that time) who thought their way was better. It’s no different now.
If we choose to play the game, we accept the rules … or start another game … which when you think about it, is exactly what Mark Coker did with SW! 😀
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I published an ebook a few years ago. I think I gave up on Smashwords because I couldn’t understand the formatting. In the end I went through Kindle and used their formatting. It took a while to get my head around but I seem to remember it was the most straightforward. It’s all hazy now – the book sold about 50 copies and I gave away about 200. I didn’t earn any money – because of the way Kindle is structured what little revenue I did earn went to them. My advice – charge at least $10 for your book and resist the urge to give it away until you’ve worn yourself out with promotion. That way you stand a chance of making a bit of money. Good luck. I remember getting really stressed when I did it. The formatting is incredibly hard to understand whatever program you use .
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It’s interesting that my mind sees it as a three-dimensional puzzle to be solved … we’ll see how it goes. 😀 … I’m not a fan of the freebie, not until I have a big enough backlist that it’s promotional value will outweigh the loss of a sale … thanks for the wise words. 🙂
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You’re welcome. Good luck with it all.
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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I was the last in my family to get it and still suffering. My new year might not start until February at this rate. Such good news about your book! (and that you survived the pestilence!)
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It was a nasty one this year … but I made good use of my comfy bed and hot water bottles, and tea! 😀
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It made me seriously angry, too
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Glad you’re on the mend. Can’t wait to see your book!!
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Soon … soon. 😀
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This is an El Nino winter, isn’t it? Warm and wet. Too wet, even for rain-loving me. But like someone else said, I hope we don’t have another fiery summer here in the west. Publishing a book is always exciting. I’ve done the Smashwords meatgrinder thing several times without too much distress, but I can sympathize. One tip: when you get the email telling you your document has passed the first two tests, but go and look at the ePub with Adobe Reader — do it! I found some seriously weird font size issues that way (which I fortunately managed to fix). Wishing you good health too, as you really need that to accomplish anything (like getting out of bed).
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That’s what the SW style guide says too … I’m going to check out every version. it makes sense really to do it, doesn’t it? Rather than get all huffy, just take care of as many things as possible before they go sideways. 😀
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Get well soon and good luck with the book!
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Thanks, Ruth … all digits crossed. Let the adventure begin!!! 😀
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I sympathize with your missing the snow. Although I’m from L.A., in my younger years I moved to NYC for exactly that reason: To experience actual seasons! It was thrilling walking through my first snowstorm.
Back in L.A. now, these days it’s been SO COLD even my hubby, who’s from Brooklyn, is looking at me sideways and saying bitterly, “Where’s my 90-degree December?” He will never miss winter and loathes being cold. But I’m enjoying the chill in the air. It’s invigorating!
Congrats on the book and good luck! I do not envy your journey through the formatting labyrinth, but your synapses are probably firing a lot more than mine are as a result….. 🙂
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The snow-line is getting lower each day, and we almost had a few bits of frozen drizzle, so I’m still hopeful, or completely nuts! 😀 … thanks for the good lucks on the formatting. 🙂
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Whooo-hooo! Congrats on moving forward with your book, Widders. And, yes, you never know, the tree may be surrounded by winter snow yet.
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There was actually a few spit-spots of frozen drizzle this afternoon. 😀
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I am sure you’ll get plenty of snow in the next month
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Hmm … do you know something I don’t? 😀
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The probability of sudden furious flurries of snowflakes does seem rathe remote. Think of it this way: you had your turn last year.
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Harrumph! 🙂
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I’m happy with the no snow scene. Since I live on a steep hill, it creates hassles. Plus I grew up in Miami and don’t know how to drive in it, or deal with it.
On formatting, I use Jutoh and Kindle. Smashwords was a hair-puller. Jutoh helps format and then you tap the box and it creates any configuration you want… mobi, ePub, pdf, etc. splits up the front matter so it doesn’t run together.
Migraines sound horrible. Hope you do better with the warmer weather.
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There may be some snow this week, but I’m not holding my breath. 😀 … I’ve got the hang of ebooks, print versions are the challenge now, but I’ve let go of IngramSpark. They’re not for the self-pubber. Createspace (which is now part of KDP) looks to be the best bet, and a whole lot more user friendly than IngramSpark..
I’m actually a cold-weather gal, hence my wailing and bemoaning the lack of snow, and I tend to get more migraines in the warmer weather.
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