Gratitude

*teary eyed*

I just wanted to take a pause and thank everyone who commented that they loved my stories. Each bride is different and each one has her fans. But *hand to heart* it really means a lot to me that there are people out there that enjoy reading these stories. I really appreciate knowing what people liked and didn't like about the stories.

I'm just really touched and all in my feelings that people took the time to tell me how they felt. Even those who didn't like it. I don't take it personal as I know not every story is for everyone. I've read books I didn't particularly like either. So it goes that there would be some who didn't like my stories.

Just to those who did and took the time to say so, thank you so very much. I am really humbled and touched. *waves hand in front of dampening eyelashes*

Okay, now I will get back to work before some folks come shoo me off the internet. If I spend too much time online they always find me (Jill, Monica, Barbara, and Wanda) and send me back to story land. I've got sequels to write!

Thank you and my best to you all,


Sunshine

Elyrian Brides II: Sancecrea is FREE today on Amazon!

And it's live! You can pick up your free copy of Izan's and Crea's revised story on Amazon here: Elyrian Brides II: Sancecrea

It is free today only!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Inspiration, vacation, and pictures!

*yawns and stretches*

Man! I am burning the candle at all the ends these days. Since I came back from my vacation my muse has been on a roll. She is double thinking! Maybe even triple thinking!

I try to sleep and she’s talking kings, queens, and things unseen! *chuckles* Truly, she gave me two new story ideas on vacation. She’s showing me my next series. She’s mapping out the story that I’ve had in my head the longest. That heffa, the character not my muse, snagged yet one more song! *lqtms* She has a soundtrack going on now!  When I publish the first story in her series, I need Tyler Perry or someone to call me about making her movies.  Seriously.  Her tale is epic!

Plus, being on vacation made me see Baltimore differently. I took a cruise with my sister who is not a partier so I ended up resting more than I normally would on vacation. I even *gasp* left my laptop at home! You have no idea how much I did not want to leave it behind. But my muse wanted me to leave it and I did and I'm glad I did. I actually relaxed and when I relaxed the ideas flowed like water from a babbling brook. It was and still is just sweetness!

I took all the tours at each port we stopped in.  I realized that I didn’t know nearly as much of Baltimore’s story as I should. I found each little town fascinating for different reasons.  Baltimore’s history is just as rich and it is where I live.

So I have started doing the touristy thing with Baltimore. *chuckle* I took some pictures too! I uploaded them to my Facebook page and I figured I might as well put them here too.  A few of the pictures are of the buildings and one place in particular mentioned in Elyrian Brides: Sancecrea.

And yes they were taken from inside my car! Stop playing! The hood is real. People were looking at my parked car funny as it was. *chuckle*

Really funny and strange thing is that while I was debating if I wanted to take more than two quick pics of Crea’s spa, from inside my car, two little Caucasian girls jogged by me just as unconcerned.  I watched them in awe and shock. My thoughts were: What the hell are y’all doing out there? This is the hood! *smh smiling*

They jogged on by seemingly oblivious.  Or maybe they were shadows of things to come. Seriously they looked like two college girls, no older than 19-20.  There is a revitalization project going on but as you will see, it ain’t reached that part of North Avenue yet. I don’t expect it for another 20 years or more. But one never truly knows what the future holds, do they?

But several blocks down from the building are some new condos. Still, that was a far jog and I wouldn’t have advised it. *shrug*

The picture above is the Baltimore Cemetery that is mentioned in Elyrian Brides: Sansecrea. It is where North Avenue dead ends as if to say that if you stay here too long, it is waiting. But then Death is waiting for us all but it would be nice to die somewhere a lot nicer if you got the chance.

This is the front building of Crea's spa. I know I took a few liberties in the book but that is how I would redo it if given the chance. And no I would not make it into a spa. *smirk* You may be seeing more of this building in other stories.

Here is the side view.  As you can see there is a front building, a connector and then the back building which is three stories tall. Man the things that could be done with this whole block. As you see there are more houses just past the buildings. Most are boarded up and empty. Not a good spot for me to park or two little Caucasian girls to jog past. However, I did and they did. *still smh*

There are more pictures of Baltimore on my Facebook page here: Baltimore to my touristy eyes.

So that is what is going on with me. Oh! One more thing! I've started what a friend has entitled #RatchetStoryHour on Twitter. *chuckle*

It is basically a very ratchet and hood fairytale about two fairies named Shawntiqua and Booty and their quest to restore Majic to the hood. Yes, Majic. If you have a chance, do tune in. I do it on the fly. Seriously, with the other stories I am working on I don't have time to write anything out before hand. I just type what my muse shows me and hope it makes sense.

I do story telling Monday thru Friday from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm EST in the USA. So do feel free to check me out if you are looking for some free entertainment. My Twitter screen name is still CCDreamz.

Just a reminder, I'm human and have human things to do.  So I sometimes have to skip a day or two. Or like with my vacation a week! So have patience with me when I'm not able to get online. I do try to announce if there will be no story hour that night so people can plan accordingly.

That is all I can think of for now.

My muse called me boring...

*chuckling* Well, that's what it seemed like. I was doing some editing of book two of The Elyrian Brides and I kept falling asleep! *chuckles*  It finally dawned on me that some of the action scenes that I alluded to but never went into need to be hashed out.

I thought they were going to be ugly to do but it turns if the scene I saw open up yesterday is any indication then it won't be as bad as I thought. I just hate throwing drama and hard times at my characters. Yes, I know, without struggle there really is no plot. I just wish that they could sail simply and easily into their ever afters. But that is not reality. Heck even fairytales have strife in them. And anything worth having is worth fighting for. Love is definitely worth the fight when you have the right person.

So while I'm hashing things out with Book II of EB and Seven's tale because I finally figured out where I was going wrong on her story too take a look at a short story I worked out with some people I know in real life. The names have all been changed except for one and she's a ghost so I hope it doesn't matter much. She's my friends' ghost and that is the name they gave her. We really don't know her name for sure. *chuckle*

This story was borne out of the belief that black folk wouldn't do horror stories. Well of course we can! And we would. You just have to have the right circumstances. *chuckle* I've even got a paranormal story floating around in my head. I hope someday to have the time to write it all down. For now, have a peek at The Weekend Getaway.

Soooooooo…

I am sitting here on pins and needles.  I just uploaded my first story to Kindle Publishing.  Elyrian Brides: Octavia by Sunshine Taylor Reddick.  *shaking my head in wonder*

I can’t believe it.  The pen name is a nod to my father, maternal grandfather (love that man who I never met), and my mother.  I like it and it suits me.

So now I sit and wait to see if anyone is interested in what I have to say.  It would be nice if at least one person liked the story.  It is part of a series of stories that I’ve been working on for over a decade.

I know, a decade! *chuckle*  It all started one day when I was watching a talk show.  There were men and women from each skin color represented.  They were all discussing why they didn’t date their own skin color.  I think that is the weirdest craziest thing in the world but I digress.

Anyway, when they got to the black man...I don’t even remember what he said.  I just remember how sad he made me feel with his words.  I turned away from the tv and started to write a story about a world where black women are adored.  That is where I came up with the idea for these stories.

It is such a hateful world out there.  It seems like so much of it is directed at women right now.  There are so many books worshipping every other woman on the planet.  Black romance novels are just that, black romances.  I thought it would be nice if someone put us on a pedestal or at least tried.

I really like these stories and characters.  I just wish I was a writer.  *chuckle* I am not a writer.  I am a story teller.  I love telling stories and dreaming them up.  I just wish my writing skills were better. *sighs*  If wishes were money…

Anyhoodles, may the Lord God grant me a receptive audience and my own little niche…or big niche.  I’m not choosy.  I’ll take a cottage industry like Tyler Perry’s to quote Time Magazine.  *cheesy smile*