Carey Burns

Oh my goodness, I've been such a bad blogger! My toenail has recovered and is almost completely grown back since my first procedure in September. There were growing pains for sure and it is still tender and the tip of the nail is all jagged-looking but soon, I should be able to trim it and it will look like a normal nail again. I did have a titanium stent inserted into my ankle (in the talotarsal sinus, specifically) to correct my dislocations. I had some issues that weren't very major and now that I look back, I know what I should and shouldn't do when I have my left ankle done. It is amazing that I have not had the old pain in my "Witch's Toe" for quite some time. That pain became constant before my first surgery and I thought it would always be that way.  One weird thing is that I really had to force myself not to walk on the outside of my foot. Sometimes I catch myself standing and notice the weight bears on the outside and I have to mentally force m...

I have quite a few stories that don't seem to fit in anywhere. They're kind of like me: dark, but sweet...gorey, but funny...punk, but classic country... Never fitting in with one group of people. Anyway, there has to be somewhere that my misfits can call home so I subbed one this morning. With the subbing comes the waiting and well, we know how well I am with that part. (cue the GERD) Now that the story is out in the world, it is time to finish another piece. I'll need to channel the spirit of NaNoWriMo and just write this sucker without taking time to over-think each word and character. That's the only way I'll be able to get any farther.

I was asked by two author friends to be a beta reader for their respective books and after many months, I am finally done reading! At first, I was hesitant to do it because there's always that nagging voice in my head saying "You're a sham, not a real writer and you have nothing to contribute." So I stuffed that voice in a gunny sack and dropped it into a deep well and just read. I'm glad I did. Reading someone else's work allowed me to see some of the things (good and bad) in my own writing that I had been blind to before. Passive voice...telling instead of showing...over-used plot devices...different uses of flashbacks...all of these things in their work helped me reconsider my own. Their words also rekindled the word furnace in my own mind and I'm itching to get to work on the projects I've abandoned recently. I owe these two writers a big debt of gratitude for the inspiration and competitive itch their books gave me again. I also got to have ...

After a looong absence, I'm back and I have a flash story to share with you, thanks to Chuck Wendig and his hamazing challenge . I present to you....Gravedigger's Thunderhead... (yes,'hamazing' is a typo, but I'm so keeping it) Gravedigger’s Thunderhead by Carey Burns Albert squinted toward the west and rolled up the window of his truck, slamming the door hard against the too-tight hinges. "Gonna be a bad one, Ray." Ray shrugged, leaning against a tombstone. "It don't look like much to me." One look at the towering green-tinged mass of clouds told Albert different. "You know what that is?" He pointed at it, striding toward the small wooden shack nearby. "That's what we call a Gravedigger's Thunderhead. You’re young, so you don't know, but when you see clouds like that, you get your ass to shelter or you end up work for the gravedigger." Ray smirked and followed, staring skyward. ...

Hello, blogland, I've missed you. I'm writing to you from Day One of my week-long staycation/birthday retreat. So much has changed since my last post...I've been working in a marketing office and writing press releases all day, everyday...the hubby took a new job and we're still getting used to his nightshift schedule... Being surrounded by awesome marketing ideas and solutions has given me a lot to think about: I'm awesome at promoting the ever loving heck out of something...as long as it isn't my writing or crafting. I've always known this and have blogged about it in the past, but now I'm analyzing the why of it. Here's my thoughts on why I find it difficult: Putting yourself out on display is scary, scary stuff. Self-doubt is my perfume of choice and I've been wearing it a very long time. I could spend many hours and several dollars promoting my work...and nobody will still buy my books and/or jewelry. It just feels like hawking my war...

So, I've started a new job and the first couple of weeks of January were so insanely busy, I didn't have time to even announce the availability of my book. Here she is, in all her glory. Right now, she's available at Amazon , but I'm nearly done with the Kindle files, so stay tuned!   This new year has inspired me to step out of more comfort zones and I'm waist-deep in writing a screenplay...for a romantic comedy. Yeah, I have no idea what possessed me to start this project, but it is fun. And life should be fun! Here's to trying new things and having fun!

Oh August, you went by so quickly.  My day job sapped quite a bit of my time, energy, and enthusiasm but I'm back now and have my feet planted on the floor and my head is in writer mode. Except for when I have to be in crafter mode.  Or teacher mode.  Let's see what's new, I've signed up for a festival and will be selling my jewelry along with some neato aluminum or copper wall art.  I'm even venturing into the realm of hair accessories, so that should be interesting.  This is one of the pendants I'll be selling.  (if I can bear to part with it) I was a very good girl and turned my contract and class handouts in incredibly early and I even have been putting together the kits for the steampunk-inspired necklace class I'm teaching in November.  Yes.  November.  Can I NaNoWriMo and teach a class in November?  I hope so.  Every year, I declare that I will win and this year is no exception.  I want to say "I finished!" The...

Okay, so recently I posted about being brave and now I'm really walking the walk.  I've schedule an author/artist event at a local book store for the end of March and I'll be contacting the local newspaper for an interview regarding the event.  I am now an official member of The Horror Writers Associaton (at the affiliate level).  I decided to query several small presses to see if they would be interested in publishing my collection "Hair Baby and Other Weird Tales."  If they are not, I'll be self-publishing that.  Now, I challenge you to do something that scares you.  Write a story.  Send that story out to publishers.  Sing in front of a group.  Teach a class.  Skydive.  We spend too much time worrying about what will happen IF we do something.  Sure, we might get rejected or sing off-key or students may tie you up and lock you in a closet or your parachute might not open.  But wha...

Surprise, surprise!  I'm getting better, I promise.  I've been very busy lately formatting my Sketchbook Project and right now it is available on Smashwords.  It is called " Sounds Fishy:  Mermaid Haikus and Wisdom " and is free--free--free!  A lovely handful of quasi-naughty haikus and my own illustrations...just for you!  Hopefully soon it'll be available for Kindle and Nook, etc.  Now that I'm finished with that formatting joy, I'm in the process of putting together my own collection of short stories.  Right now, I have just over 34,000 words accumulated and I'll be adding a couple more stories.  I already have the cover concept done and am getting a few new beta readers lined up.  With any luck, I'll have a PDF to give them within a week or so.  Then I can get back into my novel. Slimming is still a work in progress.  I  haven't gained, but I'm not losing big numbers each week like in the first cycle of The Shred...

Tomorrow is September 1st, which is the beginning of my Halloween season.  When not working my ass of at the gym or working on homework, I shall begin the fun that is decorating my house.  This year's theme is birds and I can't wait to bring my raven friends out of storage.  I'm nearing completion of my Haiku Horror Stories book and with any luck it should be out for Halloween.  That is if I don't screw something up in the self-publishing process...wish me luck with that!  In the past 3 weeks I have lost a total of 6.5 pounds and feel a lot leaner than I did before.  I start week 4 on Monday and hope to lose another 2 pounds.  Slow and steady.  I might even get brave tomorrow at the gym and ask to see what my percentage of body fat is.  As indicated by my latest credit card statement, I believe I have a booth at an upcoming festival to sell my various jewelry and crafty wares.  It will be a family affair with items from my sisters,...

Hi there!  So much is going on right now, it is hard to get a moment to be calm and puke the words out.  Let's see...what to share.... First, I've begun a new diet plan which is amazing me every single day.  I was a huge fan of the Fat Smash, but this is better and (surprise) it is from the same person--Dr. Ian Smith.  I've lost 3 pounds in 7 days and feel amazing.  I started the 2nd week on Tuesday and I'm still going strong with a only one slight "oopsie, did I shove that into my gaping maw" incident with cookies.  Oh, there were cookies everywhere I went on Tuesday...bad day. Second, the haiku horror story is nearing completion and I've been scraping some of the weirder images out of my brain right into this book.  I just hope others find them as weird and creepy as I do at 3:33am when I wake up and get freaked out. Third, I'm back to 8 hour days and working on Fridays so my habits/routines are all squinched up.  I don't like th...

I haven't been blogging because I've been writing, working out like a crazed woman, and trying my best to get done with my haiku horror story book.  I'd like it to be out before Halloween, so I need to get in gear.  One thing I'm figuring out is making a contract for my artist.  We agreed on terms and I'm so very, very excited!  Now for the nitty-gritty paperwork... While on vacation this past weekend, I discovered a very unsettling thing.  On our last morning, I saw a piece of something floating past my head.  I watched it and noticed that it wasn't falling or being blown by the wind, but actually moving.  As I stepped close to it, the sunlight reflected off a long, dangling filament of web.  I looked up and saw the spider and by god, it wiggled the piece of whatever was on the filament.  Was the spider fishing?  If so, what for?  Whatever it is, I don't want to know and I'll never camp at that particular spot again.

I'm 55 pages and 2,351 words deep into my haiku horror stories book and am shooting for a nice, round 120 pages.  The more I write (and type) the more certain I am that I will self-pub.  Right, so now to take a break on that project so I can shift my focus back to the novel.  This Friday I should reach my 5K goal and I couldn't be happier.  Since the Dover contest isn't over yet and they've okayed multiple entries, I'm also working on a little skeleton sign with an original poem.  On a serious note, a writer friend of mine could seriously need help and positive energies/prayers/virtual hugs right now.  His wife is battling cancer.  You can read his story here and if you can help by ordering his book, that would be 100 kinds of incredible.

I've got a collection of horror story "haikus" that I've written and am on the fence about self-publishing.  A dear friend created an amazing cover for it and I just need to take that terrifying leap...but then I read this and once again, I'm not sure.  Perhaps another few days of contemplation will make me decide for sure.

"I haven't made 5K yet, but hell, I'm writing and that's what matters.  Right?" Wrong!  I need to get over this mental state pretty darned quick so I can finish this novel that has itself wrapped around my neck like a too-tight scarf.  Comforting and strangling all in the same breath.  With that, I bid you farewell and a pleasant weekend!

The big clean-up went rather well and the office looks great.  Now I can get back to fun stuff like writing and dreaming up silly Halloween decorations for myself. I went through my flashdrives the other night and rediscovered shorts that I wrote for fun and haven't touched since.  There's a couple gems in there and my goal for Friday (or maybe today...) is to send them out to different publishers.  I will also be starting "Five Thousand Fridays" where my goal is to write 5K words in one day.  If I do that for the rest of the summer, I'll get my novel finished.  Rock.  On.  Looks like some cool things are happening with two stories of mine.  1.  "No More Heroes" might be taken on by a comic publisher, which would be incredible. 2.  The tentative cover of "Zombies Gone Wild" is pretty rad... Should be a great summer!!!