Cynthia Carver - Cynthia Carver

What is an anthology?

With the pandemic and negative news articles spreading around, I stuck my head in the sand with five other women and began working on an anthology. You might ask, “What is an anthology?” Well, let me tell you, it is a fantastic project to be involved in.

An anthology is a collection of writings by various authors in the same genre, time period, or subject. Another type is a collection of selected writing by one author. I will be a part of the first type.

Cabin Fever is what many people experienced while under the stay-at-home order or lockdown during the Covid-19 outbreak, and that inspired the name of our collection of writings.

This is my first attempt into the romance genre. The heat range on this anthology is fade-to-black. While I write erotic short stories, they aren’t formula romance. Halloween Masquerade is my first published attempt in the romance genre.

In fact, we consider each author in this collection a new author. Sunny Abernathy writes A Lie in the Cabin, Renee Pellegrino writes Rewrite, Stephanie Spicer writes Untitled At this Time, Kristy Lynde writes Untitled At this Time, Roxie St. James writes Family Matters, and I wrote Halloween Masquerade.

All proceeds from this book go to sponsor the NaNoWriMo Support Sisters real life writing retreat in November of each year.

Small Bit of Justice Available on Amazon

SMALL BIT OF JUSTICE, now available on Amazon is the first release of the Tracy Richards, psychic investigator series.

Welcome to Brule, Ohio, where the lost is misplaced, the grocery store is more accurate than a newspaper, and the home of online psychic, Tracy Richards, who is a single mother of two high-school daughters. She finds misplaced items for the police department and her neighbors. Her track record for finding the misplaced has earned her the respect and cooperation of the local law enforcement officers and town residents.

Sylvester DeGroff re-enters her life, only to learn history repeats itself. Despite their past, Tracy agrees to help after she learns his deceased brother’s only child is missing. Using her psychic abilities in a capacity she has never done before, she sets off on a course to find her daughters’ only cousin.

Tracy is driven to save the girl and try to redeem her confidence in lieu of the life she couldn’t save. Will Tracy only recover a deceased body, yet again? Or will she actually be able to complete a rescue?

NaNoWriMo

What is NaNoWriMo? It is National Novel Writing Month. Embraced by novelists, authors, and writers. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a story format. Formatting does not matter, genre does not matter, and neither do your typing skills or grammar. This is a goal each person sets for him or herself, and all milestones should be celebrated.

My goal is to write 50,000 words in a new genre. The new to me genre is romance. Romance has a formula and to have a romance novel that means I have to meet the expectations of the industry. To reach the word count is doing what I do already, type 2,000 words a day. My stretch is writing to market and catching all the beats anticipated by the reader and demanded by the publishers.

Write-On, Cindy

YouTube/CynthiaCarver

My RoamingRavenRV YouTube trailer is all about my RV travels. This YouTube trailer is all about the author. October is Preptober for National Novel Writing Month in November. NaNoWriMo is a challenge many people use to write their novel, memoir, or something with 50,000 words in one month. Subscribe, click the bell and be notified when I go live for a writing partner. I’ll offer sprints and chitchat. Writing can be a very lonely profession. It doesn’t have to be 😉

Small Bit of Justice – deleted scene

Annie and Hillary continued to sit on the embankment. Dominick flashed his badge and identification quickly.

“You ladies are safe now.” Sly said.

“Show me your badge again. I want to know that it is real and not from the dime store.” Hillary said.

Dominick held it for Hillary to examine.

“See I knew it was f ning fake. No one from the damn UN would care if I got kidnapped or not.” Hillary said.

Two highway patrol cars parked behind the van and Sylvester’s truck, and one zipped around to park in front of the van. Dominick showed his badge to the officers and Sylvester produced his identification. “We’re looking for two women in a ‘70 orange MG. They go by the name of Tracy Richards and Lehana Jamison.” Dominick told the officers.

“What you want them for?” Hillary said.

“Have you seen them Miss?” The state highway patrolman said.

“Yes, they’re the ones who rescued Annie and me.”

“They did this?” The state highway patrolman asked.

“Yes.” Annie said.

The state highway patrol officers hauled the men out of the van.

“Two women did this,” asked the officer who took charge of the scene.

“Yes sir.” Annie said again.

“The idea that Tracy had put herself in danger irritated the hell out of me. Yet to see the men trussed up like goats at the rodeo makes me proud to know she has capabilities.” Sly said to Dominick.

“Officers, we’ll take our leave and continue on our search for those two vigilantes. Girls, I’m glad your safe and will be reunited with your families in a few hours.” Dominick said.

He and Sly returned to the truck.

“Let’s go.” Dominick maneuvered the truck around the patrol cars and pulled out onto the highway.

As they passed the next exit, there sat the battery to the van. They both laughed.

September 2019

This past month continued being riddled with unexpected RV issues. Yellowstone National Park delivered eye candy galore. Bison and Old Faithful along with the Painting Pots delighted my imagination.
Dispersed camping in the Grand Teton National Park with friends made the experience more enjoyable. Follow me on Instagram: RoamingRavenRV and RoamingRaven.com for photos. The videos will go up on YouTube as soon as I can get it edited to a higher standard than my past.

For a USD $1 a month on Patreon.com/RoamingRavenRV, I post lens’ several times a day and other up-to-the current time postings.

AuthorApprentices is also on Patreon. Their blog is free on Patreon. The video content is extra.

Small Bit of Justice is in the final stages. It is on my ‘to-do’ list to have it published by the end of September. This revision took longer than I originally thought. I just had a thought, I’ll toss up some deleted scenes for your reading pleasure.

This is short and sweet, but I’m still putting in many hours a day on Small Bit of Justice with the goal of it being available this month.

Til our paths meet again …

Why did I collaborate The Missing Locket

Why did I collaborate with Renee Pellegrino to write the novelette, “The Missing Locket”? That’s an easy answer. Her story had an open-ended question that could not be answered and wasn’t the main focus of her story. The collaboration allowed each of us to write our characters in our voice. And what better way to find out what happened to a deceased person than to hold a seance focused on that person.

Our original goal remains the same, we want to offer “The Missing Locket” as a FREE read. We thought that would be possible through Amazon as we witnessed other authors offering free reads via Amazon. Our account doesn’t allow us that option. We’ve made it available for $0.99 USD.

When Amazon allows it, we will offer it Free, otherwise, we recommend reading it on KU just remember it is written in two distinctive voices. You get a sample of Renee’s voice as well as mine.

Am I open to collaborating another book as part of the Seance Series? Yes, I am. What do you have in mind?

What did you accomplish today?

For many years, I have focused on growing this or that business. Nothing has grown from many attempts. My recent focus on writing. Not a publishing business, not a website with merchandise for sale, just plain old writing stories, and typing the end. Then I begin again.

This is my recent epiphany. What did you do today? As I look back, probably busywork. When I ask, What did you accomplish today? A different answer appears. I want to know what I accomplished that propelled me forward to my goal.

Let me share an example. What did you do today? I researched and figured MailerLite might be a better choice for a newsletter distributor. Then I removed the old email distributor and set up the new MailerLite after creating an account, and the first campaign. Discussed the change with my go-to person, and hashed it out as to if this really was a good idea. Now, What did you achieve today? See how that changes your focus from the busy work and went directly to what you needed to accomplish. I put into place a new more productive newsletter distributor.

When I listen to motivational young folks on how they make their first million while I am working on my first hundred, it inspires me when they accomplish so much in a relatively short amount of time. Sunny Lenarduzzi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCbfiEcsGhU) and Steve Jobs (https://getpocket.com/explore/item/one-thing-steve-jobs-did-at-apple-that-will-instantly-improve-your-productivity?utm_source=pocket-newtab) Both removed the distraction.

Using the plan set out by Sunny Lenarduzzi and Steve Jobs, I’ve taken my writing to the next level. Stephen King said in an interview that he writes four hours a day. I’m not to that level of habit, but I am getting cranky if I don’t get at least an hour a day of writing time.

You might ask, what stops me from doing more? Power. Until this past week, I didn’t have reliable power to keep the computer charged let alone the phone and the tablet I do my 9 – 5 job. My creative moments were during the time I had unlimited shore power. In fact, during those times I failed at my exercise program because I lasered my focus on my writing and editing.

What have you accomplished today?

Armchair Ghost Hunting

Many of you, might remember when I created a short PDF of this same name. This booklet is an improved version. Not only does it have the original links, but I’ve also included Amazon Affiliate links to the equipment I use in organized ghost hunts.

Because I know a few of you wanted the PDF in paper form, this is now a booklet with the links in a short format at the end of the book.

After debating whether those who aren’t familiar with me would enjoy this booklet, I gave it a chance.

For the clients that respond, ‘Oh I could never do that.’ This is a non-scary book about ghost hunting. You sit in the comfort of your own home, at your own computer and you watch for the ghost to appear. Some links will request for you to screenshot your ghost sighting and send it to them. They are very proud of the work you do from your armchair. You won’t need any of the tools listed when you hunt from your armchair.

Reorganizing my home office

What am I doing now? Reorganizing my home office at the farm. I moved my desk from the storage utility trailer into the living room and I really do plan on getting at least a couple manuscripts polished for publication.

First I have items to haul to the Salvation Army, Give (a medical give away for vets and others who need help affording their meds), along with heirlooms that family members will be given. To my surprise, I found my #2 daughter’s first violin. It is a 1/16th size. The bow is missing, I seem to remember a fight and her older sister breaking it. Other fun objects include antique metal cars, miniature porcelain flower vases, and my personal highchair my mother purchased with S&H green stamps.

Other things on my to-do-list in 2019 include choosing a couple conferences to attend and welcoming a new grandson. The grandson might arrive in 2018, never can tell with those little ones.