Karen Jones | Books, Art & Other Creativity

From My Window – Chapter 3

Karen — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:03:15 +0000

I’m frozen. Should I wave back? That would be ridiculous. He can’t really see me. He must think he sees someone. He pauses, perhaps waiting for a wave back, then continues into the house. The house next door.

I’m confused. Did he see me? Is that even possible? He must have thought he saw something or he wouldn’t have waved. Did my spirit cause the curtain to move and he thought someone must be there? I ponder these things the rest of the day while I wait for another sighting of the boy.

I really want to know his name.

When he doesn’t emerge for some time, I decide to go to his mailbox and check out the item he put there. The return address might tell me his name. I wait until dark, then creep outside. The current of air from cars passing on the Pacific Coast Highway makes my skirts swirl around me.

At the mailbox, I carefully reach out to lift the hinged lid. It’s not as easy as you might think, moving things in the living world, when you exist only in the afterworld. But with careful concentration and years of practice, it can be done.

I peer inside. It’s a postcard. I pull it out. On the front side is a picture of the Santa Monica Pier. Water, sand, and the swirling lights of the carousel. I turn the postcard around so I can read the other side. “Dear Lilly, Just arrived at the new house. I miss you. Can’t wait for Christmas break when I can see you again. Love, Mason.”

Mason. Is that his name? Is Lilly his girlfriend? So many questions.

From My Window – Chapter 2

Karen — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:48:22 +0000

It’s the next morning. The new boy next door emerges to check the mailbox attached to his back door, the door facing the highway. He removes junk mail and puts something inside. He reaches out to put the little red flag in the up position to alert the postal carrier that there is mail to be gathered. I watch him with intense focus. His every move is my reason for existing.

He’s wearing old denim. Levis I think. There are worn spots in the knees, one torn completely through, and a paint splatter on the left leg near the bottom. He has on blue Chucks that have seen better days and a t-shirt that would have been rejected by Goodwill as too old and tattered.

As he turns to go back inside, he glances up at me, at my window. I again feel the urge to duck behind the curtains but dismiss the feeling as senseless since he can’t possibly see me. Nobody has ever seen me.

Then he waves.

From My Window – Chapter 1

Karen — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:31:35 +0000

From my window I can see a boy is moving in next door. He has blonde hair that hangs in his eyes. He sweeps it to one side to make sure he can see out. His shoulders are wide. The kind that make you feel safe if he puts his arms around you. I really want him to put his arms around me.

He’s carrying a very heavy box. I can see his biceps straining against the light material of his Aeropostle t-shirt. I can’t help but stare. He’s just so delicious. He looks up at the window where I’m standing, staring. My first impulse is to duck back behind the curtain. Let it fall back in place so he can’t see me. Then I remember there’s no way he can see me. I’m dead.

He looks for a moment, then continues to carry his heavy box into the house next door. I stand there, frozen, awaiting his return for another box. To see him again. To watch him lift, carry, his muscles straining against the weight of a box containing I know not what.

When he emerges from the house next door, he looks again at my window. Just a glance. Does he see me after all? It can’t be. No one can see me. But yet he stares for a moment before resuming his work. Another box. More bulging muscles. Carrying it inside. Back out again for another box.

I watch him for an hour or more. Time has little meaning to me now. But I’m aware of how it passes for the living. I try to keep track. It makes me feel more connected. The hour passes, or something close to it, and he’s done carrying boxes. Done letting his muscles work for my amusement. He goes inside for the final time. And I don’t see him again the rest of the day. I still wait by the window, just in case. It’s not like I’m doing anything else.

Review: The Second Virgin Birth

Karen — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:20:58 +0000

The Second Virgin Birth by Tommy Taylor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Second Virgin Birth was unique. The premise of a virgin giving birth to another Jesus Christ through the magic of science is controversial and intriguing. A variety of characters, including a Pope determined to make sure Christ is never born again, make for a complex story. There are many obstacles, some not fully realized (i.e. too little time spent on them), and a host of personal agendas that take place as events unfold. Some of the problems and near-crises could have been further expanded because the idea of them was that interesting. There are many loose ends left to the reader’s imagination and the book’s finale is open-ended, perhaps for a sequel. Overall, the story is well-paced, believable, and invites contemplation on several modern day topics. Could DNA of Christ be found? Could another Christ child be born? What would happen to the world’s religions in this case? Very, very intriguing.

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2011: A Life Review (Since it’s not a book)

Karen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:25:15 +0000

A lot of people consider making New Year’s resolutions. I’m not one of them. It’s a nice idea, but I really think I’d just be setting myself up for failure and ultimately guilt. So the only resolution I have ever kept is the one to quit making them just because I had to remember to use a new date when I wrote checks.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t seek change, especially for the better. So in reflection of the past year, I’d like to share a few things I actually accomplished. Mind you, some of them were not accomplished alone. But having good people in your life can be an accomplishment in and of itself. The good people in my life take part in the joy of my 2011 accomplishments.

I’m not numbering them because that would indicate I need to accomplish more next year, when really the only goal is to keep moving forward in a positive way.

A. I wrote, illustrated, and published four (count them – 4) children’s books. If you haven’t read them, please take the time now. This post is way less interesting than the books.

Camel Lot was a short story that grew too long for a writing contest. Rob suggested I finish it in lieu of finding a job (I didn’t really want a job but had no easy out until he said this) and we’d publish it. New services, like the one I use – Bookbaby, are sprouting up all the time to help authors get their ebooks to vendors. So I finished the story and did some illustrations and (WOW) got it out there to the ether for people to buy and read. And they have. Not millions, but thousands, and maybe one day, millions.

Bermuda’s Triangle, Area 50 Juan, and Santa Monica (which is FREE) came quickly enough. Each new story allowed me to explore other styles of artwork. Area 50 Juan seemed to need something more dark and sketchy. Santa Monica is a modified anime/kodomo style which I thought would be cute. And with each successive title, we learned a little bit more (a drop in the bucket to the ebook industry knowledge that exists) about getting the books completed, adding the illustrations, what people like (and don’t like), formatting, writing software, pricing, and getting books out to the public. It’s enough to make my head spin. Or it would be if I didn’t leave most of the technical stuff to Rob.

So one of my favorite accomplishments of 2011 is becoming a published author. I didn’t get a book deal, but I have books out there in cyberspace and that’s a heck of a big deal to me.

B. I beat addiction*. You were a druggie?! Well, aren’t we all really. In one way or another. Come on, didn’t you pay attention in high school chemistry class when they discussed caffeine? Yes, I realize some of us out there really do treat our bodies like temples, but the fact is, most of us treat them more like trash bags. Dump in whatever garbage we find and tie a bow in the top.

So what did I beat? Well, drugs. Prescription that is. And caffeine, but more on that later. I began taking prescription pain medication when I broke my ankle (5 places – 5X the pain). It seemed absolutely appropriate that I be on pain medication and even when I’d been taking it over a year, it didn’t raise any suspicions in my pain-medication-soaked brain. Curious, I know. Again, it took one of those people in my life to make me even think, “Hey, there might be a problem here.” I was lucky. The process wasn’t horrendous like some cases you read about online. And I’m so glad I (or Rob) realized I needed to clean the pain meds out of my system. I feel so much better and many of the “problems” I was medicating for disappeared when I got clean.

C. I beat caffeine*. Yes, caffeine is a drug, albeit legal. But it gets it’s own category under accomplishments because if you’re a casual user of caffeine there really is no reason to quit using it. So not using caffeine is more of a personal choice rather than a healthy necessity. Remember, some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others and it could be a healthy necessity to them. But, in general, caffeine is nearly harmless in moderate doses even over prolonged use. I however, was not a moderate user. I was a pot of coffee, 4 large Red Bulls, iced tea into the evening kind of user. Seriously, I don’t see how my jitters didn’t set off seismic waves.

So, how’d I do it? Cold tofurky. That’s the vegetarian version of stopping abruptly. Make a note here: DO NOT do it this way. I highly recommend you take the weaning approach to rid yourself of caffeine. Because, YOWZA, that was one really miserable withdrawal. Yep, I could have given in and had a smooth Green Tea Frappe to sooth my butchered temples. But, no, I decided to stick it out. Ultimately I recovered and all is well, but it was a pain I won’t soon forget.

D. I gave up HRT*. For those out there who are young and nubile, never giving menopause a moment’s thought, or of the male gender, therefore never giving menopause a moment’s thought, HRT stands for Hormone Replacement Therapy. There’s a lot of information (good and bad) out there about HRT. You just have to judge for yourself and decide if it’s right for you. I’d taken it for years because of surgically-induced menopause, but now that I’m really at the age of biological menopause, I’ve decided to quit treating my body as if I’m of child-bearing age. Menopause is a natural part of life for a female. So, I’m moving forward in a more natural state, sans HRT.

E. I finally tried juice fasting*. I’ve always wanted to try juice fasting. I’ve read about it numerous times over the years. I agree it’s an extreme nutritional approach, but with all the chemical changes I’ve put my body through, I felt the overabundance of nutrients common to juice fasting would do me a world of good.

The basics of the juice fast are simple. Buy a good juicer, buy the best produce available (preferably organic), and juice as often as you like (or can stand breaking down and cleaning your juicer), while consuming no foods you actually get to chew. Also no sugar, or other sweeteners in your caffeine-free tea. There are all kinds of modified juice fasts out there and a quick Google search will bring up more than anybody wants to know on the subject. But, I was super psyched to give it a whirl.

Now, I didn’t buy a really good juicer. I bought a centrifugal instead. Because of price. It was a fine juicer, if you’re concerned about quantity and speed and price. It made a lot of juice (not so much with green leafys) and it did it quickly. It wasn’t too horrible in the clean up department. And it was cheap. But… centrifugal juicers chop up your produce into fine bits and spin it faster than a black hole in space, thus damaging (with frictional heat) some of the vital enzymes you’re probably juicing to get. And you have to drink your juice immediately (within 15 minutes) because spinning adds damaging oxygen to your juice making the enzymes die off pretty quickly. So you can’t make a great big batch of juice to last you all day and only clean the juicer once. Ultimately you put a lot of fruits and veggies through your centrifugal juicer and get very little nutrition in return. You get plenty of juice, but that wasn’t my entire purpose.

Did I get any health benefits? Yep. But you’re results will vary depending on how unhealthy you are when you start out. I think I was pretty sad in the health department, so I noticed some results even though I wasn’t using a great juicer. I noticed that I slept better almost immediately. The reason for that could be the lack of digestion going on to keep me awake. I also noticed that I could see better when driving in dark, rainy conditions. When I quit juicing this perk seemed to fade. I also had more energy some days and felt like a sloth on others. No idea what caused either situation.

Will I juice again? You betcha’. I’ve already got my eye on a great juicer touted by many juicing aficionados as one of the best in it’s price category. The Omega J8006 is a single gear, masticating (means chew) juicer which produces great quantities of juice with no spinning (thus no oxygenation) and no heat (thus no cooked juice). I can’t wait to see how the better nutritional quality juice will effect my health.

Oh, I almost forgot. When I juiced, I lost nearly 20 pounds. That’s a perk too, right?

*Please note: This post is opinion and personal experience. It is in NO WAY to be taken as advice. If you need advice, please see a medical professional regarding addiction, fasting, or any of the other topics. Except book publishing. See Bookbaby about that.

Camel Lot: A Misplaced Adventure

Karen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:14 +0000

My very first (why do people say very first, if it’s the first, how does the word very make it any more the first) children’s book, Camel Lot, is available for Kindle, iPad, Nook, and Sony Reader.

Synopsis: Three siblings, Arty, Lance and Gwen, set off for their Mother’s forbidden flower garden to play. They dream up the grand kingdom of Camel Lot with a courageous king, a daring knight and a princess with a pink magical unicorn. But somewhere else in the garden, trouble is brewing. It’s not their orange tabby, Marlin; it’s the neighbor-boy, Dwayne.

Camel Lot is a fantasy adventure for bedtime or anytime. Written to be read aloud to children of any age or read alone by children ages 8-12. Approximately 3,400 words.

Camel Lot was inspired by a short story writing contest. In the contest, a picture was provided and the writer needed to tell a story related to that picture in 1,000 words or less. Somewhere around 2,000 words it was obvious I couldn’t submit mine so I quit writing. I didn’t finish the story. It just sat there.

When I returned from LA, I couldn’t find work. Rob suggested I finish the story and maybe we could publish it. Ebooks were really taking off and there were many distributors cropping up to help you get your formatting correct and get your books out to the different sellers. So I finished the story and did some illustrations to go along with it. The cover is my favorite, closely followed by the cat, Marlin, wallowing in the flowers on his back.

I hope you enjoy Artie, Lance, Gwen, and Marlin in their backyard adventure. A sequel to Camel Lot will be coming in 2012 called Nights of the Brown Table. Per request, I’ll do illustrations including the kids this time.

Buy Camel Lot for Kindle

Buy Camel Lot for iPad

Buy Camel Lot for Nook

Buy Camel Lot for Sony Reader

Bermuda’s Triangle: A Misplaced Adventure

Karen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:46:15 +0000

My second children’s book, Bermuda’s Triangle, is available for Kindle, iPad, Nook, and Sony Reader.

Synopsis: Screeching violins, rasping clarinets, and drums beaten to death were just the beginning. Bermuda longed to be part of the school band. She tried countless instruments, but couldn’t make any of them produce pleasing sounds. Her parents were ready to give up. Her music teacher was at her wits’ end. But, her friends had an idea.

Bermuda’s Triangle is a musical adventure for bedtime or anytime. Written to be read aloud to children of any age or read alone by children ages 8-12. Approximately 2,200 words with full-color drawings.

Buy Bermuda’s Triangle for Kindle

Buy Bermuda’s Triangle for iPad

Buy Bermuda’s Triangle for Nook

Buy Bermuda’s Triangle for Sony Reader

I hope you enjoy Bermuda and her quest for music.

Area 50 Juan: A Misplaced Adventure

Karen — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:39:14 +0000

My third children’s book, Area 50 Juan, is available for Kindle, iPad, Nook, and Sony Reader.

Synopsis: Juan’s goal to save the aliens on Jade Island is threatened by a military search for the downed craft. Juan and his friends; Andy, Davie, and Earl, befriend a young airman named Ziggy who wants to help. With Ziggy on their side, they rush to help the visitors return to their world before the military arrives to search Area 50.

Area 50 Juan is a science fiction adventure for bedtime or anytime. Written to be read aloud to children of any age or read alone by children ages 6-12. Approximately 7,500 words with full-color, full-page illustrations.

Buy Area 50 Juan for Kindle

Buy Area 50 Juan for iPad

Buy Area 50 Juan for Nook

Buy Area 50 Juan for Sony Reader

I hope you enjoy the fun and mystery that Juan and his friends get into. Look for Air Force Juan: A Misplaced Adventure coming 2012.

Santa Monica: A Misplaced Adventure

Karen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:58:00 +0000

Santa Monica, my fourth children’s book in the Misplaced Adventure series, is FREE for Kindle, iPad, and Nook. Santa Monica is a fantasy adventure for bedtime or anytime. Written to be read aloud to children of any age or read alone by children ages 8-12. Approximately 9,500 words.

Each of my children’s books currently has it’s own illustration style. I don’t promise that will always be the case, it just has been so far. With Santa Monica, I found inspiration in the anime and kodomo (such as Hello Kitty) artistic styles. I adapted those to suit me and thought the style was perfect for the characters. I hope you enjoy the illustrations.

Synopsis: Monica dreams of playing Santa in the holiday performance presented by her local theater group. But will her theater coach, Mr. Shelley, be willing to cast a girl as Santa? What will her parents think? Will her friends ridicule her for wanting a boy’s role? Will her super talented friend, Eric, get the role just because he’s a boy? Follow Monica on her quest to play Santa Clause as she prepares for her audition, copes with her friends comments and questions, and ultimately follows her heart to be anything she wants to be.

One reviewer says: “As the tale unfolds, the reader learns about compassion, generosity and friendship.”

Get a FREE copy for Kindle.

Get a FREE copy for Nook.

Get a FREE copy for iPad.

Get it for 99 cents for Sony Reader.

Review: V is for Vengeance

Karen — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:20:26 +0000

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There’s nothing I enjoy more (okay, a few things, but this isn’t the place for that kind of talk) than a Kinsey Millhone mystery/crime/romance. This one had everything.

Kinsey is hired by a widower to look into the alleged suicide of his fiancé who was recently arrested for shoplifting when Kinsey caught her stuffing a lace teddy and two pair of silk pajamas in her bag at Nordstrom’s. What Kinsey uncovers about the woman’s past leads her to more than she ever thought and pulls the reader through a delicately woven plot of organized crime, dirty cops, blackmail, deceit, and romance.

The story opens on a spoiled college graduate, Phillip, with a penchant for gambling. Can he beat the system and pay back what he borrowed from a “financier” named Dante? Can he go to his parents for help?

Nora is an upscale housewife. When she discovers her husband cheating, she sets out to be prepared for the inevitable. While trying to sell an expensive ring, she meets an intriguing man. But is he a crime boss?

Dante runs his family business with an unusual moral code not common in the crime world. But, he’s under investigation and it looks like they might have him this time. Will Dante throw in the towel for a married women with a wandering husband? Will he leave the family business to Cappi, his bumbling thug of a brother?

How are all these lives tied together? It’s a mammoth web of intertwined lives with a full line-up of characters. Sue Grafton has outdone herself. I’ve loved all of the alphabet mysteries, but this one is by far my favorite.

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Review: Mercury Rises

Karen — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:59:31 +0000

Mercury Rises by Robert Kroese

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A sequel to the hilarious Mercury Falls, Mercury Rises gives readers a insightful backstory on Mercury and his relationship to Tiamat who vows to make Lucifer’s rebellion look like a toddler tantrum. I can see satan kicking and screaming now.

And who would have guessed the ark had a name? Noah makes a wonderful appearance with his big boat and been-cooped-up-too-long family and we learn what really happened to certain mystical creatures.

The apocalypse looms large yet again and much-loved characters return. This installment in Mercury’s story is rife with plot lines moving faster than a particle collider and more twists and turns than a Tawani mountain crevice.

Kroese’s whimsical version of Biblical events is pure genius. But will the world survive his next book? Beware the sparkly apples.

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Review: The Deception of the Emerald Ring

Karen — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:36:49 +0000

The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Who doesn’t enjoy a little deception? The third book in the Pink Carnation series was wonderfully entertaining.

The Emerald Ring introduces readers to more characters in the spy world of the 19th century. Letty Alsworthy joins the story in a fun twist on “wrong girl, right time.” Geoff Pinchingdale is the hero of this spy tale. Once in league with the Purple Gentian, he lacks the swagger of the aforementioned and the sardonic humor of Miles Dorrington (book 2), but he has many fine qualities, his poetry writing aside.

Old favorites are also in attendance. Henrietta is impersonating a bobble-head type lady with Miss Gwen in tow impersonating her aunt. And what reader doesn’t want to run out and buy a parasol after a few chapters of Miss Gwen? I’d love to read one of the novels she is forever working on. But, I digress. It seems everyone is someone they’re not in this volume, including our Letty Alsworthy. Is she a spy too?

The plot thickens around Lord Vaughn and the Black Tulip over the course of the book and there seems to be more questions than answers. A trait I love in a book as long as it isn’t the last one.

Things move forward, albeit slowly, for Eloise on the modern-day side of things. Her fidgety demeanor and obsessing about not obsessing over Colin are lighthearted and somber at the same time. This book didn’t give me enough of Eloise’s story, but thank goodness there’s another book.

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Review: Alexander Death

Karen — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:48:56 +0000

Alexander Death by J.L. Bryan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The final installment in the Pox series is pure torment. You can’t stop yourself from turning the pages as fast as possible, but you fear the end as if Tommy has you by the shoulder. It’s like being shoved back and forth between Tommy and Ashley:

“I love it so much.” *crazy grin*
“I’m near the end!” *scream*
“I can’t stop reading, it’s so good.” *maniacal giggle*
“The end is close!” *scream*

Jenny meets Alexander Death (although they’ve met before) and he sets her on a path she hasn’t trod before. It’s interesting to see a character you already enjoy explore other aspects of who they are. Her behavior may seem a little odd at times, but she is being greatly affected by Alexander Death. As am I.

Alexander has powers like Jenny, Seth, Tommy, and Ashley. He has the power to command the dead. Think zombie puppets and you get the idea. He also has a different outlook on life and uses his gifts in unique ways. This takes our heroine to new life experiences, some good. Will Jenny follow Alexander into a new life full of possibility? Will she return to Seth? Ah, what’s a desirable, plague-infested girl to do?

As for this girl, I’ll just patiently wait for my Pox. There is so much more these characters can do. Let’s hope another trilogy is out there soon.

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