Happy Halloween!

I'm writing about ghosts, witches and mediums today. =D

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Clarification on my books/eBooks

Just to clear up any confusion about my books. The first two paperbacks I ever published were Indie books (The Mask of Tamirella and Desert Magick: Superstitions). These books won awards, which helped me land a contract with my current, traditional publisher. So all of my other books/eBooks do not fall into the Indie category. Hope that helps. =D

http://www.danadaviswriting.com/

Teadai Prophecies is coming to paperback!

I'm working hard to get the Desert Magick series finished. Meanwhile, my publisher is getting the books into paperback right now. 1 & 2 are available and book 3 will be out this month. 

http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Desert_Magick.htm


In addition to that good news, the Teadai Prophecies fantasy trilogy is also coming to paperback. Yea! Book one is scheduled for release by the end of the year so please stay tuned for updates. 

http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Teadai_Prophecies.htm

I'm a PI without a team.

Sadly, the paranormal investigation team I was with is no more. After long consideration, our director decided to dissolve the team due to chronic illness. She's a wonderful lady and plans to continue teaching those new to the subject. She plans to participate in investigations whenever her health allows, but heading a team had become too much for her. I truly hope her health improves because I know how much she loves being in the field.

Working that many hours together creates a family-like atmosphere, and we were fortunate to have members who got along and worked so well together. Our last investigation together was a while ago, and several members have joined up with other teams, but whenever we're in the same town we plan to get out in the field together. Besides, with social media, we're only a click away from each other these days.

That said, I'm now a PI without a team, so I plan to do some freelance investigations as soon as my uber-busy schedule allows. It's been well over a year since I participated in an investigation and I'm anxious to get back in the field. And who knows, I might even find a new team that's a perfect fit for me. Or maybe I'll decide to start my own team at some point in the future. Either way, I sense that a new chapter in my life is about to begin, and it's going to be fabulous!

Dana's free monthly newsletter now available!

My October 2013 free newsletter is now available. Enjoy!

http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Monthly%20Newsletter.htm

I name houses the way some women name old boyfriends

Hubby and I are celebrating our first year in the new house anniversary this month. Yes, it’s been a year since we moved from Arizona back to Los Angeles. Unlike our desert home, there’s no nature or natural landscape until you get to the beach, so we pass a lot of houses when we walk. Also, unlike our desert home, which was in a new HOA neighborhood and looked like every third house on the street, the homes here are as different and individual as their owners. One of the reasons I’m happy to be back home in SoCal.

I tend to name houses the way some women name old boyfriends. Below are ten of the more outstanding homes in our ‘hood that I’ve named because of their appearances - And yes, they look just like they sound. Even hubby knows which house I’m talking about just by the name I’ve given it. I just love him.

We have:

1. Fire station house
2. Library house
3. I miss Tuscany house
4. I miss England house
5. I miss Japan house
6. Grass is supposed to be green? house
7. Look at those sprinklers go! house
8. All we need is a moat house
9. Agoraphobia house

And one of my favorites

10. Bodies buried in the yard house (This one just might turn up in one of my novels)

Spiders, spiders, everywhere!

Hubby found two brown widow spiders last night, so I decided to go on a spider hunt this morning. Found and killed 6 of the nasty critters hiding under our lawn chairs! I'm sympathetic to living creatures unless they're poisonous. Also killed some of their "land mine" egg sacks on the fence. I then sprayed the house and yard perimeter with poison, which I absolutely hate using but I hate poisonous spiders even more. Now I just need to get some natural stuff for inside the house to keep them out. I've been reading that lemon and peppermint oils work great as a deterrent. 14 years in the desert and never saw one widow. Back home to SoCal coast for 1 year, and wham! Spiders, spiders, everywhere!

Here's one of the nasty critters.

Bad 70s DIY bath needs makeover

When we moved back home to expensive Los Angeles from much cheaper Phoenix, we had to downsize. A lot. Even had to settle for a bad 70s DIY bathroom. The sink and tub are peeling, grout is crumbling, and the old vanity is smelly and falling apart. We've been socking away money since we bought the house a year ago and might have enough to start the remodel in a couple of months. I can't wait! Of course, that means going to a relative's house to shower, so I hope it doesn't take too long. 

I would love a version of this bathroom (see link below) but would paint the walls white so the blue tile pops. 

http://www.nopatternrequired.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/tulsa1.jpg

Quest for Freedom tween/teen eBook is on sale!

Quest for Freedom tween/teen sci-fi is on sale for $1.98 at SynergEbooks Publishing. This week only!

http://synergebooks.com/ebook_questforfreedom.html

Raccoons, Gophers and Skunks, Oh My!

Mr. Stinky

When we moved back to the LA coast from Arizona, we thought we left all the wild critters in the desert. Not so much. Before we ever moved into our new "this old house" here in SoCal, we had raccoons casing the joint. They eventually left once we moved in and started cleaning up the backyard and eliminating any hiding places. Then came the gophers. Boy, what a nuisance! Took us almost 6 months to finally get rid of the last one and we still have to put out castor oil pellets as a deterrent.

Just when we thought we could finally have a critter-free home, in came Mr. Stinky, aka determined skunk. He burrowed beneath the crawl space screen that was protecting (not so much, right?) the opening  and made a nice little home beneath ours. Faint scent of skunk would find us in the yard. We didn't pay that much attention to it at first because skunks are so common here and are always getting hit by cars or spraying neighborhood dogs. Then we saw it. Yikes! Evicting his stinky butt took three nights of diligent watch and resealing the crawl space opening until he finally couldn't get through the barrier.

We breathed a sigh of relief that he was finally gone. Then someone mentioned he might be a she and there might be babies under the house. Aaaahhhhh! So, now I have to talk my husband out of going under the house himself to check. What is it with guys? Okay, forget what hubby wants. Animal control says to hire a licensed trapper so I'm going to call them. Here's hoping there are no more members of the Stinky family under the house. Sheesh! 

This beach bum is loving the LA summer!

Most of you probably read about the big move we did last year, coming back home to LA from Phoenix. It was very stressful, but this week we've been home an entire year. I can't believe it's been that long already. We finally got all the repairs to our "this old house" finished. The only thing left now is the bathroom reno, which will wait until spring when hubby gets his bonus. What, you thought authors made a butt-load of money? That's a good one!  ;)

While I love being home, having the beach nearby, and visiting with family and friends anytime we decide to get together, I miss certain things about the desert. I miss the open desert, the saguaro, and the trails we had near our home there. I miss the mountains.  I miss the monsoon storms and the wildlife. Well, some of it. I don't miss scorpions or rattlesnakes. Phoenix is way less crowded than LA, that's for sure, and traffic is always heavier here. And here in LA, we stand in line for just about everything. But there's one thing I don't miss about Phoenix. At all. The blistering summers.

Summer desert days can reach close to 120 degrees. Here at the coast, a hot day is one that gets in the mid 80s. And we usually stay in the mid 70s during the summer months. So, while my friends are sweltering in Arizona, ducking from the car to the house or grocery store or swimming pool to try and stay out of the heat, we have our windows open and a cool, ocean breeze. We don't even have air conditioning here. Shocked? Well, don't be. It's just how we beach bums roll.

Phoenix Lights on sale and free newsletter available!

Two things for this week.

Desert Magick: Phoenix Lights (Bk 3) eBook is on sale for just $1.98 at SynergEbooks! Limited time only! http://synergebooks.com/ebook_phoenixlights.html

My July 2013 newsletter is now available http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Monthly%20Newsletter.htm

Desert Magick (Bk 2) now in paperback!

It's official!
Desert Magick: Dream Catcher (Bk 2) is now available in paperback! 
http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Magick-Dream-Catcher-2/dp/0744320704/

Desert Magick: Dream Catcher coming soon in paperback!

In case you missed one of my earlier posts, my publisher is putting my eBooks into print. I just received my advanced paperback copy of Desert Magick: Dream Catcher (Bk 2). It will be available for purchase very soon, so please stay tuned for the new release! 

New interview!

My interview at armenpog is live! It will be up all day and night for your reading leisure. http://armenpogharian.wordpress.com/

My Showbiz Heartbreak

A recent online post reminded me of an audition fiasco I had back in the 1980s, with Lynn Dally and the Jazz Tap Ensemble, a prestigious LA dance company. My tap instructor, Louis DaPron, who was already in his 70s by then, set up a private audition for me. I was so excited. All I had to do was show up at the Debbie Reynolds Studio in North Hollywood at the appointed day and time. Having begun performing as a child, I was a veteran when it came to auditions, but this was different. This was a man who had taught Donald O'Conner, Judy Garland and numerous Hollywood legends, a man who, though he chewed me out just about every class for not picking up the steps fast enough, said I had talent. He believed in me and I wanted to prove I was good enough to make it.

Audition day came and I was more nervous than any other time. During my drive there, I started to feel nauseous. So much, in fact, that I had to pull over on the freeway and puke. Twice! I managed to pull next to a blue call box so it would look like I was going to use the emergency phone LA county provided every mile. This was the 80s and we didn't have cell phones like we do today. Luckily, I had an old paper bag in my car and there wasn't a CHP around to think I had car trouble. That would make me late! You might be saying to yourself that I was just nervous, and that's what I told myself, though I'd never gotten sick for any audition or performance in my entire life. After emptying my stomach the second time, I got back into traffic and kept going.

I pulled into the parking lot with 1/2 hour to spare, tossed the sick bag into a nearby dumpster, and headed inside to freshen up. I checked in and stretched out in the hallway, the whole time feeling more and more exhausted, but at least I wasn't nauseous anymore. I jumped around to try and up my energy level, then put on my best face for the audition. This was my one and only shot at this job and I refused to blow it. Besides, the show must go on - I had learned that as a child - and nothing short of death was going to deter me. I tried to dance like nothing was wrong, but my balance was a bit off and I had trouble with one of the turns. I smiled as I danced, even though all I wanted to do was go home and fall into bed. I felt like crap, but they were seeing another girl after me and I had to nail this.

After what seemed like a week but was only a couple of hours, I finished the audition and thanked Lynn and the choreographer, whose name I don't remember off-hand. I didn't puke again, thankfully. But by the time I got home, I had to crawl in the front door and all the way to my room, where I passed out on the floor. Yes, I was that ill. I don't remember anything until the next day when I woke up to my roommate shaking me. I'm guessing the other girl got the job, because Lynn never called me back. I was heartbroken to have to tell my teacher that I blew this amazing chance. I confided to him that I was very sick that day but he still seemed disappointed in me. He died about a year later and I always felt that I had let him down.

Today, I'm grateful I didn't get that company job. If I had, I might never have worked on the TV show Rags to Riches or at Disneyland and I might not be a writer now. In fact, I might not be married to my fabulous husband today, because I never would've taken that much-needed job at Waldenbooks, where I met him. Do I wonder what my life would've been like had I nailed that audition? Not anymore. It's funny how things that seem to destroy our world when we're young, sometimes feel so different when we get older.

Me with my tap teacher, Louis DaPron, back in the day. I still miss him.

eBooks going to print!

Got some exciting news today from my publisher - My eBooks will be going into print! I'm stoked! This means readers who prefer paperbacks over electronic will be able to buy their preferred version. It also means more work for me, since print books require in-person book signings. We're starting with the Desert Magick series. The first book was already in print when I went under contract with SynergEbooks, so book 2 is the one to look for next. I'll blog more about this as things advance and I get publication dates.

If you're on Facebook, you can follow posts from my regular page and/or my author page

https://www.facebook.com/DanaDavisbooks

https://www.facebook.com/DanaDavisAuthorPage  

Longing for a normal work week.

Four weeks of appointments and repair guys and I'm beat. Like a lot of writers, I'm an introvert and prefer lots of alone time, especially when I'm writing. Meeting with friends or family is fun and relaxing, but having to go to various appointments and dealing with repair guys in and out of the house every day isn't my idea of a good time. In fact, it's downright exhausting for me, and I'm always glad when I can get back to a regular writing schedule. Just me and my computer, and my characters of course. Who are screaming at me to get their chapters finished.

Like right now, I'm squinting at my computer because the eye doc dilated my eyes. It really annoys me, not to mention makes it very hard to write because everything is blurry and my eyes are light sensitive. They always tell me it'll wear off in a couple of hours but my eyes stay this way for 4-5 hours each time. I'll plug away the best I can until my eyes return to normal, which should be around dinner time, if I'm lucky.  I hate getting behind on a project - The perfectionist in me cringes. So the rest of the week, I intend to write like a mad woman. And maybe, just maybe, I can get back to a normal work week very soon.

Getting back in touch with my thrifting and crafting self.

Now that we've moved back home - for those of you who haven't been paying attention, home is LA - I'm getting back in touch with my thrifting and crafting self. Buying a home here, which costs a butt-load of money compared to Phoenix, helped push me back into the DIY category of life. In fact, it gave me a hardy shove. Thought I'd share a couple of finds and projects I'm working on for the new "this old house".

I found this awesome storage ottoman at a local thrift store for under $11. Has a dragonfly print, which I love, and a mid-century feel to it. Looks great in our family room and I plan to store my crochet yarns inside.

I got this cute little baby at a yard sale for a whopping $5, brand new in the box. One of my favorite colors and even came with a foot pedal and lots of thread spools. Sewing's not my strong point, but for the price, I figured I could afford to practice on it.

I couldn't find a lamp I liked so I'm painting some of our existing ones. This one is from the 90s. I gave it a mid-century beach feel with a coat of paint. I'm not an artist, but armed with a paint brush or a glue gun, I can get into lots of trouble around the house.

Crazy year and I'm still playing catch-up.

This past year has been crazy. Since last April, here's what's happened:

1. Trip to Holland and Netherlands - our yearly get-out-of-the-country-and-see-something-new trip
2. Meniere's attack - So much for remission.
3. Sold our house in Arizona
4. Trip to LA to find a temporary apartment
5. Trip to Santa Barbara for friend's wedding
6. Moved back to California
7. I published another book - Guess I figured I didn't have enough stress.
8. Bought a fixer-upper here in SoCal
9. Started working on my next book
10. Started repairs on the fixer
11. Moved again
12. Hubby had hernia surgery - I told him not to lift those boxes.
13. I did chores for two while hubby healed
14. Hubby lost his job - He was supposed to be under contract for a year but a reorg took care of that, which meant we also lost our health insurance. Fun, right?
15. Another Meniere's attack
16. Close family member with medical problems
17. More repairs on the fixer
18. Hubby started a new job - Thank goodness he was only out of work for a month.
19. Started landscaping - Maybe the neighbors will stop giving us dirty looks now.
20. And here I am, one year later, still playing catch-up with my writing.

I really hope the next year is not as hectic. Well, off I go to do more writing!