Where has all the drama gone?

When I first starting writing, 7 or so years ago, it was a foreign world to me. Ebooks were not highly thought of and the ebook publishers of the time were little demi-gods that you weren’t allowed to question because they wouldn’t give you a contract if you did. I know some authors who were terrified of a certain diva at the main erotic epublisher of the time. I suspect she enjoyed scaring people with her power. Everyone has to have a hobby I guess.

Today, for some reason Mrs Giggles came to mind. Do you remember her? She’s still going. I remember how terrified authors were of getting a book reviewed by Mrs G. She hated two of mine. It didn’t bother me. Reviews are always just opinion and not fact – but oh, how some people were scared of her.  I kinda liked her. She was a force to be reckoned with then. And there was Karen Knows Best. She’s still going too but – dare I say it and I will – she’s mellowed a lot. I can remember HUGE controversies about authors like Carol Lynne who had ebooks ripped to shreds on KKB and the drama behind all that. It never harmed CL and frankly it made her career and good luck to her.

There were other ‘terrifying’ people as well, but most have fallen by the wayside.  I tend to think it’s because ebooks are more acceptable now than then. A plethora – love that word – of people can write ebooks, there are scads and scads of publishers out there and writers don’t have to rely on the tyrannical whimsy of the only established ones - and let’s not forget self publishing. Look at people like Selena Kitt, an author, who kicked arse and made a huge success of it despite what people thought or said.

Does anyone fear reviews any more? I don’t think so. Not from what I read. Are writers scared of trying other publishers? Not that I’ve heard. Do Diva publishers rule? Probably in their own minds. So, where has all the drama gone? I’m sure writer Anny Cook is nodding her head at this. Is it just age mellowing them or more, as I believe, the world has moved on without being scared of them? Or, do we just not scare as easily?    

         

Messy...

You break up with a lover. It’s messy, mean and awkward – so why would you keep them on facebook as a friend? And why would you have a public fight with them that everybody enjoys gossiping and emailing others about? If you kicked the lover to the curb then kick ‘em off facebook…unless you like the drama. Maybe that’s it. Drama and sympathy. Messy…I hope it’s worth it.

Amarinda Jones
Penn Halligan
www.amarindajones.com
www.amarindajones.blogspot.com
Be daring...read an Amarinda book

Okay…

…so I can tell you there is absolutely no point going to see your doctor and demanding menopause. I’m not saying don’t do it because it is always very cathartic taking a stand and delivering a stunning speech declaring your needs and expectations. I was quite captivated by my “give me menopause or give me death” speech. Yes, it was a tad dramatic because I wasn’t planning on the ‘give me death’ bit but it sounded good at the time. I was in the zone. I would like to blame it purely on hormones but I think it’s a genetic thing. Jones women are just like that when they want something. Anyway, Fairy floss, my Doctor, so called because she’s very calm and ethereal, shook her head and said ‘you’re too young and menopause could be years away.’ How deflating…where do you go after that? It totally ruined my moment…

So after being totally bummed by this I decided to get a foot tattoo. Why? Why not? If I can’t have menopause now, I can have a tattoo. No, it doesn’t have to make sense but what does in life? Hoping you are the same.

I'm here today yakking...

www.amarindajones.com
www.amarindajones.blogspot.com
Be daring...read an Amarinda book

You're not bloody sorry…

No, I’m personally not sorry for anything I do because I am who I am and there it is. However I had to deal with a pernickety phone banking system today. I have two bank accounts – no, I’m not rich. I wouldn’t be working if I was. I would be slumped on the sun lounge on the patio sipping wine and directing some luscious man to fix the concrete I still have not fixed and to wash the car etc. How much time does work take out of your life? Too frigging much. Anyway, one phone system at one bank is so easy to use and I use it all the time. The automatic voice understands what you are keying in and just does it. I like robots like that. The other is a complete bitch. Now while I don’t have a problem with bitches per se, this one with her supercilious voice was annoying as hell this morning. Every time I entered the numbers requested, she kept saying ‘sorry, please re-enter’- so I’d re-enter – ‘sorry, please re-enter.’ I tried 7 times to get this stupid robot to accept the payment and each time she kept apologizing but I just knew by her tone she was not sorry and I believe she was enjoying herself and I swear I heard her giggle. You know there has always been that theory the robots would one day take over the world. I wouldn’t be surprised if this wasn’t the start of it.

‘Ever had to back off from someone because you know you are going to say something you really need to say but you know that if you do that person will be hurt? How much do you keep inside you and how much to you just let out because keeping it in is killing you and you deserve more than what this person is offering you? I generally call a spade a shovel and I know this is confronting to some people. I still do it but of late I have been backing away from some people because I just want an easy life and getting caught up in their melodramas is just too time consuming – and I tired of wasting my time. Sometimes it’s hard to be yourself. I believe you must remain to true to who you are but some people make it damn difficult. You’re all probably too reasonable to think like this.

I have been working with someone who has been in their job since Noah built the ark. While this is a concept I’d don’t understand – the job – not Noah, all legends are interesting – I just wonder what this person has missed out on in their life. Maybe they never wanted more

than what they had. Maybe they were happy to settle – or do they consider it as settling? The whole concept fascinates me as I see this person holding on to the only thing they have ever known with a death grip. What happens when it ends? What do they do with themselves after decades of turning up at the same place every morning? Work, as you have probably guessed, is just a means to an end for me. I get no joy out of it and I don’t expect to. That’s just who I am. I am not my job and I get no added self esteem from it. I just wonder what happens to these people after years of service. What do they do? Are you one of them? Do you know someone like this? Please fill me, the rampant job swapper, in. I’m not saying there is anything wrong in it… I just wonder. Speaking of jobs – spookily on the radio they are asking people to call in about the most boring job they have ever had. I would have to say all…but then I am committed to nothing but myself and those I love.

I was reading a blog where the blogger was pissed off at turning a certain age. I really don’t understand why people worry about their age. Is it because they had certain goals they wanted to reach by 30 or 40 and they did not accomplish them? Is it that their life has not turned out like they wished it to? Well, whose life does? You make the best of what you have. Goals are great but there’s no point falling apart if they aren’t made real. I personally think age is irrelevant and that people who worry about aging make it worse as they get so caught up in what others think of them – who they are and what they should be. I’m 44. I am better and stronger now that I ever was a 24 and hell no, I would never want to be any younger. Work with your age – not against it. To me, it’s just not that big a drama.

Someone asked me today if I had one wish what would it be? My standard answer is another three wishes. They said – “no really, what would it be?” That’s what it would be. What is the point of one wish when there is so much crap stuff going on in the world? So on the whole I think this is a dumb question. Wishes do not come true anyway. Reality is the only thing you can depend on and if you want to change something you have to work at it. Tinkerbell rarely shows up in anyone’s life – though if you have seen her please tell me…I’ll order you some coffee to sober you up.

Speaking of coffee…the mobile barista person comes at 10:30am every day at work. They make damn fine coffee. I like my coffee strong and they make it accordingly. But sometimes it’s bloody hard waiting for 10:30am. Work has free coffee. It is like dishwater. How can one stay awake on that? Do you notice how hooked you get on stuff? One of my fellow coffee aficionados is dead jealous I can get a free coffee tomorrow as my coffee card is stamped 9 times and the 10th one is free. Can you picture it? A bunch of shaking women standing in reception at 10:30am with their coffee loyalty cards hanging out for coffee. I am a big fan of loyalty cards where every time you buy something you get a stamp and collect so many stamps then you get x amount free. Sure, I know that somewhere that freebie is built into the prices but I also don’t mind supporting local businesses who work hard and make an effort to keep customers and free coffee man is free coffee.

Best friend Ethel and I are winning the lotto - $30 million tonight. How do I know this? Because we are the best people to win it. Speaking of the goodly Ethel, she was a tad pissed off today and sent me several emails from her work to mine with some exceptionally colourful language within. She was so upset most of the words were spelt incorrectly but I understand Ethel email speak as she understands mine. Good thing is the job I am in does not have a profanity filter like a previous one I was in – so I did not get called into the IT office to have to explain her colourful emails as I have in the past…though I do enjoy coming up with excuses to explain bad behaviour. Thankfully I have had a bit of experience of that.

Reality is something you rise above -- Liza Minnelli

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Go ahead: Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?