What is your favorite Latin-flavor recipe? Sherry Ellis posed the question and after much thinking, I may have an answer:
ALL OF IT! Okay, that's a bit of a cop out, but here's the thing. For the past four years, I have been bending over backwards and into pretzels trying to find my food triggers for the chronic pain. Every month, I would think I had a handle on it only to have it derailed the next month. Nothing I ate or didn't eat didn't seem to impact my pain levels. As I dug deeper into my issue, I'm starting to think I've been misdiagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis and my problem is more muscle related. This past month, I haven't been worrying as much about what foods I eat, and it hasn't impacted my pain levels at all. Recently, for the first time in four years, I ate Mexican food. It was so delicious, even the guacamole, which I normally don't like. So, yeah, my answer is a bit of a cop out, but there's a reason for it. I am so excited to eat more and find an all time favorite dish. 
Page Count: 96
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BLURB: An Ancient Mayan civilization! That’s what Bubba and Squirt find when they travel through the mysterious vortex for another wild adventure. There they meet archeologists who are unearthing priceless artifacts. But someone is stealing them. And an encounter with the Tate Duende awakens magic within Bubba. Throw in the mysterious Alux and a new discovery and things get sticky. Will Bubba and Squirt solve the mystery, or will they be stuck forever in the jungles of Belize? 
About the Author:
Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano. When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Ellis has previously published, Bubba and Squirt’s Big Dig to China; Don’t Feed the Elephant; Ten Zany Birds; That Mama is a Grouch; and That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN. Ellis lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Author Links: Website / Blog / Goodreads/ Facebook / Twitter / Amazon
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The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner, Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Louise - Fundy Blue!
I have a lot I could talk about, and honestly, I have no idea where to start. Things happened in my life and most of it got in the way of writing. All my focus was on either family or my health issues, so much so, that I pretty much forgot I had a book releasing at the end of August. I've said it elsewhere and I'll say it again, if not for Jemi Fraser, I would have forgotten about Influenced coming out on August 22nd. Thank you, Jemi! This ties in to last month's IWSG post/blog hop about writer's burnout. I had someone in the comments say if you decide not to write to not leave it for too long. You don't want to fall out of habit. He is right, but most of the time when I say it's okay not to write, I'm not talking about not deciding to write. I'm talking about being unable to write because of circumstances outside of your control. I deal with chronic pain every month, and I'm not deciding not to write during my flares, I'm in so much pain that I can't. I can't do anything. Laundry piles up. Dishes go unwashed. I don't even shower. All my energy goes to surviving the day because I know the pain won't last and I'm lucky to not have to deal with it 24/7. If I can just make it through that short time, then I can get back to writing. That's a different beast to deciding to take the weekend off from writing. That's my point I'm trying to get across when I say it's okay not to write. Yes, it is healthy to write routinely (and to take a day off) but it's also healthy to realize that sometimes, despite our best efforts, other things will get in the way of writing, and if we want to get back to writing, we have to take care of those things, whether it be health, family, jobs, whatever. PS: It's my brother's birthday today. He would have been 44 if not for cancer. PPS: I recently redesigned my young adult book covers and I want to do a reveal. If you'd like to help sign up below.  We all know about vampires, werewolves, kelpies, and demons. Some creatures just capture our imagination and hold on. But they aren't the only being lurking in the darkness. Here are thirteen lesser known mythical creatures to keep you up at night. (Source and Source)
1. Leshi (Slavic) This spirit is often a guardian of woods. If you stumble upon one, it will take you to its cave and tickle you to death. Not a bad way to go, but if you’d rather not die, you can protect yourself by turning your clothing inside out and putting your shoes on the wrong feet. 2. Aqrabuamelu (Mesopotamia) These guardians of the sun god, Shamash are also known as Scorpion Men. Their heads touch the sky and have glances that cause death. Despite that, they’re known to be benevolent creatures who warn travelers of upcoming danger. 3. Baku (Japan) Originating from Chinese folklore, the Balu is also known as The Dream Eater. This spirit will devour bad dreams and nightmares. But beware, it may also devour your hopes and dreams. 4. Caladrius (Rome) The Caladrius is a white bird that is able to absorb sickness from a person and make them healthy. (I need one.) The bird then carries the sickness toward the sun where the illness is burned away. (Seriously, I where do I get one?) 5. Cadejo (Central America) Be wary if you stumble upon a Cadejo, for there are good and evil versions of this creature. The good, naturally, will help, such as leading lost travelers to safety. Unsurprisingly, the evil version will lead you to your death. 6. Peluda (France) We’ve all heard of a chimera, but France has it’s own version. A Peluda is an assortment of different creatures and beasts mashed together to make a terrifying monster. It is often hairy or shaggy. 7. Bal Bal (Filipino) This monster is an eater of the dead. It slinks around graveyards and even funerals and steals corpses to feed on. It is a sneaky monster that, after eating the dead body, places a banana in the coffin to make it appear as if the body is still there! 8. Kinoly (Madagascar) The Kinoly is a ghost who preys upon the living. In Malagasy folklore if ancestors were not well tended or forgotten they turn into Kinoly. These angry ghosts haunt their own graves and will cause misfortune on those who have wronged them. 9. Gjenganger (Scandinavia) The Gjengager is one ghost you don’t want to find in a haunted house since it spreads plague and disease. It has a special power known as ‘dødningeknip’ which means ‘dead man’s pinch’. Don’t let the name fool you, as the effects are harrowing. The victim’s skin turns blue and infection spreads. Eventually, the flesh becomes necrotic, and the infection works its way to the heart, killing the victim. All this happens while the victim is asleep and helpless. 10. Fetch (Ireland) Have you ever seen someone who you swore was your twin? It may have been a Fetch. These doppelganger spirits from Ireland take the appearance of someone about to die. The Fetch will look identical, but appear distant or distracted. Some believe they are born when we are and live alongside us in the hopes of replacing us. 11. Bakhtak (Iran) Bahtak is the Persian word for nightmare. This creature sits on your chest while you sleep and aims to suffocate you to death. Victims will wake unable to move or breath with a heavy weight on their chest. Often, it’s depicted as a goblin or stout, little man. 12. Futakuchi-Onna (Japan) The name literally means two-mouthed woman. At the back of her head, hidden under the hair, is a large mouth with a sharp tongue that eats as much as it finds. Her hair acts like tentacles that searches for food. If the mouth isn’t fed, it threatens the woman or screams, causing her tremendous pain. There are a few variations on how the woman is cursed with a mouth on the back of her head. 13. Domovoi (Russia) This household spirit found in Russia is believed to represent the former head of the family such as a grandfather. It has the appearance of a tiny, old man. Every household has a Demovoi. They are tricksters and mischief-makers who tickle sleeping people. Displease it and it will cause noise by throwing dishes, but it also protects the house and family. Keep it happy and it might do the chores or feed the pets. I hope you enjoyed this list. Have you heard of any of these creatures? Let me know in the comments. Soooooo, I almost forgot about this release. Didn't I have this same issue with my last release with A Quick Bite? If not for Jemi Fraser emailing me about the interview she did with me, I would have forgotten. In my defense, I've had health crap to deal with. (What else is new?) Anyway, Influenced is out and ready to grace your ereaders. You'll find me around the web, pimping the book. Be sure to check them out and take the quiz I made to find out which Influencer you are.
Which one will win? Influenced is a sweet romance fantasy short story collection about the angels and devils who sit on our shoulders and whisper in our ears. Grab your copy on Amazon for $1.99 or read for free on Kindle Unlimited!
The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Susan Baury Rouchard, Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jennifer Hawes, Chemist Ken, and Chrys Fey!
I'm going to skip the monthly question because it assume I plan anything with my writing, and I YOLO it. The only exception is promotion and marketing because panstering that doesn't work too well. ? I was a bit stumped as to what to write about today, but thanks to Chrys Fey, I'm going to share what I've learned about dealing with writing burnout, writer's block, and depression. I've been burnt out and had writer's block before. It's not fun. The first time, I got really stressed about it. Why couldn't I write? Was I never going to write again? The catch-22 was stressing made it worse so it was a vicious cycle. Eventually, it lifted and I was writing again. What a relief. Until it happened again. Only since then I had learned an important lesson: Let yourself rest. Instead of stressing about not writing, I let myself relax. Writing would come back. It's okay to take a break. At times I still felt guilty, but it was nowhere as near bad as the first time I got burnt out and blocked. It changed the answer I'd give about what advice I'd give to new writers. I now say it was okay not to write, that sometimes we need a break. We don't expect any other profession to work 24/7, so why are writers insisting that's how we work? This is a realization that many can only learn through experience, but I want to reiterate here: It's okay NOT to write. Life gets in the way and there's no time. Sometimes we get burnt out and can't. That is okay. It doesn't make you less of a writer. It makes you human. 
Catch the sparks you need to conquer writer’s block, depression, and burnout!
When Chrys Fey shared her story about depression and burnout, it struck a chord with other writers. That put into perspective for her how desperate writers are to hear they aren’t alone. Many creative types experience these challenges, battling to recover. Let Keep Writing with Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer's Block, Depression, and Burnout guide you through: · Writer's block · Depression · Writer's burnout · What a writer doesn’t need to succeed · Finding creativity boosts With these sparks, you can begin your journey of rediscovering your creativity and get back to what you love - writing. BOOK LINKS:
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