So, this week I lived through my worst nightmare as a writer. I also learned a very VERY valuable lesson. Let me tell you what happened:

I was typing my way through the first draft of The Kingdom Thief and had just crossed the threshold of 41,000 words. (Can I just take a moment to say that I was extremely happy with how the story was shaping up?) I remember thinking to myself "I should probably email this to myself, just in case the Cloud isn't automatically backing this up." I turned off my laptop and put it away for a bit so I could put the kids to bed. I come back a while later and turn it back on to continue working. Well, I nearly had a heart attack as I watch my computer turn itself off before finishing booting up.

I grabbed my iPad and go on Apple Support. They tell me to hold down the shift key while booting to see if I can get to the safety start up. This doesn't work. I then read to hold down the command key to get to the recovery start up. Success! Now here, I am told to reload OSX. Well, my lovely hard drive is locked. This won't work. I call Apple Support and talk to a lovely woman who tells me that my only course of action is to reformat the hard drive. I nervously ask her if I will lose everything I've done on my lap top. We're talking about the first 41,000 words of The Kingdom Thief, the entire first draft of The Dybbuk's Revenge, the first 12,000 words of either a novella or novel (time will tell) set in Hadariah (as yet, unnamed), and pictures, music, etc. But my writing at this point is my primary concern. She tells me that as long as I have the cloud, it will all be fine. Also, everything else should be retrievable. I take a deep breath and follow her instructions. The damn thing STILL won't work!

In the morning, I make an appointment with the Genius Bar at my local Apple store. I also call Apple Support for good measure, because my cloud is surprisingly empty of documents when I look on my iPad. Here's where I start to have palpitations, cold sweats, and uncontrollable crying. The nice lady at Apple Support says "Of course it's all on the cloud. You were using Pages, right?" Of course I wasn't using Pages! I do everything on Word so I know it's all formatted correctly when I send it off to the publishers! I tell her this and she says "Oh sweety, it's all gone." I wonder if she's ever heard anyone having a nervous breakdown over the phone before.

I call the Apple store where I made my appointment and tell them my issue. They get a Genius on the phone with me. He tells me that they will fix my computer and make it work, but they don't really do document retrieval. If it's gone, it's gone. I am then told about a dozen times to "calm down. It's only a book. You can rewrite it. What was this for? You aren't some fanfic writer are you?" I wonder if I can punch someone in the face through the phone receiver. I am seriously having some daydreams along the lines of that scene in Nightmare on Elm Street where Freddy Kruger licks Nancy through the phone, only it's my fist instead of my tongue. I am too polite, and thank him for his help and hang up.

I consider tearing my hair out and call my friend Joel. I think I left him a tear-filled voicemail. He comes by, takes my laptop home with him, dismantles it and sets about using retrieval software on it. I spend the next ten hours compulsively texting him. The end result is that the scan found my documents!

So boys and girls, the lesson here is this: EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE! BACKUP YOUR WORK! EMAIL YOURSELF! Basically, take great pains that your stuff is in more than one location. I got lucky. Also, Joel, I owe you.

Wow. Okay, so it's been a while since I've posted. There has been quite a bit going on, and I have some news.

First thing: I have been asked to contribute a short story to a YA Paranormal anthology called NightLife, that's coming out December 2014. I am hard at work on it, and it needs to be done by July. Keep in mind that short story in this case means 15,000-20,000 words, so not TOO short.

I have been making good headway in my sequel to Sitnalta, and I am hard at work editing The Dybbuk's Revenge. So I definitely have a lot on my plate in the writing world right now. I have also started sending in applications to the various festivals and cons for the upcoming year. Wee! Lots to do.

What I didn't need was for my good friend Julia to give me her Blue Rays of Once Upon a Time. Oy. I'm loving it so far! But I didn't need more distractions! These stories will not write themselves, and I am a master procrastinator!

In completely unrelated news: Next week marks the start of Birthday-palooza in the Goldenberg house. The kids are on the 5th, I'm the 8th, and Brian's the 11th. Lots to do there to get everything all ready. For the kids' birthday, I'm baking a cake and putting figures on it. It's the only way to give them all what they want. How else can I get a cake that has the Avengers fighting Princess Sophia, Jake, and Captain Hook? I'll definitely take pictures when I'm done.

On the 2nd, An and I will be participating in a video blog called "In Bed With Bran" where we will be interviewed about all things Bath Salts. I look forward to it. I get to be filmed in my pyjamas! Maybe I just won't get dressed that day...

I will definitely strive to keep this blog more up to date. I think it needs it. 

Well, Chanukah is over, and the family had an amazing time seeing relatives, getting presents, giving presents, making latkes. I may hate the cold, but I certainly do love this time of year. It's full of so many wonderful excuses to get together, and to see people you may not have seen in quite some time. I know that Brian and I are going to certainly take every opportunity to do just that.


The kids absolutely loved the holiday, and Joseph has taken to hiding dreidels in his bed. He wants to pretend that Chanukah is still happening. He got upset with me when I tried to take down the decorations. He loved watching everyone light the candles (as he tried to blow them out), and he learned several songs at preschool that he, Phillip, and Hailey sang from the moment they woke up in the morning, until they fell asleep at night. I hope they embrace every holiday with the same vigour.


On the writing front, I am making slow and steady progress on the sequel to Sitnalta. I know exactly where the story is going, and in what direction I want to take each and every character, and that's a hugely important step for me. My broken computer monitor (aka my story board) is littered with post-its telling me exactly where I need to go. It's just a matter of plunking the words out on my lap top.


In other news, I will be having another online party for Sitnalta on January 15, 2014 between the hours of 2-4 Toronto time on Facebook. I will be pasting the link as soon as I have it, and if you could all show up and join in the fun and games, that would be awesome! Also happening in January, I will have an official trailer posted online for The Strings of the Violin, and I can't wait to see how it turns out! I am also deep into the first round of edits for the tentatively titled The Dybbuk's Revenge which I finished last month.


Since the holidays are here, how about giving a book (or two) to your loved ones?

The Strings of the Violin

Bath Salts

Sitnalta

And remember, a review feeds an author's soul! :)

It feels like September is such a long time away, but I know that time has a tendency to fly. As such, I am delighted to show you all the cover for the upcoming release of The Dybbuk's Mirror that Prizm Books is publishing in September, 2014! I think the artist Brandon Clay did an awesome job, and it conveys exactly what I'd hoped it would. So without further adieu...

Let me know what you guys think! Are you excited to read the sequel to The Strings of the Violin? I know I'm excited to finally see it in print.

If you haven't picked up your copy of the first book, be sure to do so here or here as an ebook, or here as a paperback. That way you're sure to be caught up by September!

Also, I got a certificate! Isn't she beautiful?

I did it! It's just over 51,000 words, and it's done a week early! Granted, I scrapped the majority of what I wrote before NaNoWriMo started, and I had a little prewritten (making me a NaNoRebel), but it's finished! I have completed the final instalment of the Hadariah trilogy that starts with The Strings of the Violin, goes on to The Dybbuk's Mirror (coming out September 2014), and will finish with (the tentatively titled) The Dybbuk's Revenge. It is so weird to be done writing about these characters. I have had them living in my head for so many years now, from when I first came up with the idea for writing a book based on Jewish folklore, to today. It's strange to me to have this sense of completion. I know that I still have edits to do, and more edits, and submitting it to the publisher, and then more edits etc. But for me, the hard part is over. The series now has a concrete beginning, middle, and end. It feels bittersweet. It's odd to no longer have to return to these people's lives and add more to it, because I feel there is no more for me to tell. I'm at a bit of a loss right now. 

In my other worlds: Sitnalta's sequel is chugging along nicely. I have the playground of Colonodona still to visit. I'm doing well there. I'm also adding up my list of cons and fairs that are to be attended this coming year, and it looks to be longer (and possibly American in some cases)! Bath Salts is offline temporarily. This is exciting news! Severed Press is doing an epic rerelease and relaunch with a brand new cover, and bells and whistles (sold separately). We will be appearing on Bathtub Bran's webcast in celebration.

My own celebration is as follows: