Watering restrictions.

I kind of glad now I'll be having the soaker hoses set up to be kind of a drip irrigation system. Did expect watering restrictions and they are happening. Guess it will only be on Wednesday's and Sunday's and those days are marked on my calendar. Now if I had a full drip irrigation system there is no time limits, but they're so effective getting the water to where it needs to go is why. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford a full drip irrigation system as of yet. The soaker hose system was the next best option. Many more places are going to have issues with water availability in the future.

Why they are happening here is because the reservoirs are less than half full and the temps have been quite a bit above normal. Drought conditions are expected to continue. Quite commonly these days, the humidity levels in our yard is between 20 and 40%.

Here's a little page on the limits.
https://www.csu.org/pages/restrictions-r.aspx

A few projects.

I’ve been taking a little break from writing on purpose. Or trying to, seems some ideas from the next book, “An Ill Wind Cometh,” have been making an appearance on their own so I’ve been writing them down. Soon I’ll be working on the Rip Tide manuscript to get it ready.

~ ~ ~ 

The last few days I managed to plant Cosmo seeds in a number of places where they should work as a windbreak. Even got the strawberry starters in and part of the soaker hoses where they will be for the coming year. These little lovelies are some of the garlic I planted last year (yes, you can plant garlic in the fall and leave it through the winter).

 ~ ~ ~

I finished up part of our porch roof in the last few days. It should be nice to have some times to sit out there and do some writing or possibly reading. Obviously, there's still more to do where that tarp is stretched in particular but didn't have the money for the material so I made do with what I had. I've had many mention the lights, they are solar path lights. Love the fact that they turn on at sunset and turn off at dawn. About once per year I have to replace the batteries, the lights experience severe temperature changes which affects battery life. I think the highest temps are around 120F, the lowest are around 0F.

~ ~ ~

Built bookshelves in the office and they work pretty well, they are made out of what had been some benches at the store I work on my day job. Got the office painted also in this rather nice blue color called, "Timeless." 

Home gardening this year.

Started turning the soil yesterday and my shoulders are letting me know today I did too much of it. Didn't think I worked all that hard on it at the time as I thought the soil turned pretty easy, guess that wasn't the case. A little later I'll do a little more so I can work out the shoulder some more, probably beside the shed where I plan on planting the Cosmos this year. Of course been working on the soil for three years now. 

Going to try soaker hoses this year since it's so dry here, setting it up almost like a drip irrigation system in the garden.  They get more of the water to the roots than sprinklers do, should also keep the leaves free of mildew not that it's been much of a problem since it's so dry here. More there's an issue with not all of the water reaching where it needs to be since it evaporates so quickly. Quite often, the humidity is at 20% which is almost as dry as a desert.

I'm off for now, will post pictures here on the blog of the garden once it starts producing. Might even do another post or two about the garden but that may be a bit yet as I'm about to start on the first complete rewrite of, "Rip Tide." As of last night I even have a couple of elements of the next book, "An Ill Wind Cometh."

Update: Just finished digging up the area where the Cosmos are going to be planted. Now, I will only plant the Cosmos by the fence line, they should make a natural wind break and they seem to grow just about everywhere. Interestingly enough, I planted some garlic right there last year and they've started growing. They didn't seem to grow last year and apparently I didn't dig them out. The tops are about 1 1/2 inches high. They were hidden underneath some pieces of thin pipe that I had removed so I could start turning the soil. I had been using as dividers around the garden the last year or so.

It always nice to find such surprises. Also dug up some very fat worms which I of course buried again so they could continue churning up the soil, they do such a good job of it. Hint: if the soil is loose you'll have less weed problems since they like compacted soil. The worms castings make excellent fertilizer also which is another thing that you need in a garden. Will be using a little fertilizer this year, will be mixing it in a gallon watering can. The issues with poisoning come from the profligate usage of fertilizer, you've used too much and so got it on what you're wanting to eat. 

Rip Tide

Been really busy and I'm making good headway on Rip Tide. Think I'm about 3/4 of the way through the rough draft as of this morning. Will soon be working on fleshing out the story a bit more and will possibly be even defleshing a character or two. Will say this is a rather disturbing story line so far but has been a lot of fun to write. With luck, I'll be releasing the book in May.

Description: Jack the Ripper will return and become someone's worst nightmare in this story of the macabre. From Whitechapel in 1888 he comes to the present day in this horror thriller. This is another twisted tale from the darkest recesses of a very warped mind.

This is the tentative cover. 

 

Meeting today with Tammie Clarke Gibbs

Behind the Scenes with Author Tammie Clarke Gibbs & the Hero of her new Time Travel Romance, Sworn to Secrecy....




Tammie Clarke Gibbs is the author of the #1 Kindle Best Selling Gothic/Time Travel Romance Island of Secrets which has been consistently on three of the Amazon Best Seller Lists for over eighteen consecutive months. She is the author of three novels and multiple non-fiction titles. Tammie resides with her husband, son, and a very spoiled Maltese in South Georgia. She loves to hear from her fans and can be reached at her website and via email

Thank you for dropping by. I’ve put together just a few questions to help my readers learn a bit more about you and your books.

When did you know you wanted to be a published author? I’d always loved to read, but never thought about writing until I was required to take a short story class in high school, and the teacher discovered I could write. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that a teacher cannot influence a student.  He shared my stories each week with the teachers in the faculty lounge. It was pretty neat, and I guess those teachers were my first fans.

 

Were there people that encouraged you along the way or did you have to claw your way where you are? I am very fortunate. At every step of the way, I’ve had people who have encouraged me. One of the most notable was Nanscy Neiman a former publisher with Warner Books and Penguin. She went out of her way to help Island of Secrets my debut novel get a read withPenguin/Putnam. Penguin/Putnam.  Nanscy is known for publishing books such as Scarlett, The Celestine Prophecy and The Bridges of Madison County. She is just one of many very talented people who’ve encouraged me.

 

Is there anything that bugs you about being published? Yes. Finding the time to write is always a challenge. Other than that I love being published.

 

Some authors don’t like to interact with their readers. What are your thoughts on the subject? That’s not me. What’s a book without a reader? I love interacting with readers and love hearing from them. It makes my day!!

 

Are you an animal lover? Yes. I’ve always had animals. When I was small I had chicks, rabbits, hamsters, birds, dogs, horses, cats and pretty much anything you could think of. When I had my son, we added an Iguanaand squirrel to the mix.  For now, we have a very spoiled Maltese named Sissy, who thinks she’s a real girl.

 

Do you have a dedicated office to write in? Yes. Do I write in it? Sometimes. I love the flexibility writing on a laptop affords me. Most days I get comfortable in my recliner and travel to exotic locations. You could say I’m an armchair tourist.

 

Are you married? Children? Yes. March 22nd we’ll celebrate our 27th Anniversary. His name is Mike, but I call him Michael. We have one son, who is 21.

 

What have been some of the highlights of your career so far? I've had many. I am so blessed. I have to say the day that Island of Secrets made the #1 Best Seller Spot in Gothic was one of the best!

 

Scroll down for an excerpt of Tammie's new book SWORN TO SECRECY....

A little something from Tammie: 

Be sure to visit all of the bloggers and authors that are hosting me during the Book Launch Celebration for Sworn to Secrecy for your chance to win prizes and read more about me and my books. I have something special planned with each of them.


During the launch, you can grab a copy for just .99. After March 20th, the price goes to its list price of $3.99.
 

 

  An unlikely alliance...a love born from the ashes of adversity....Dak Bartholomew is a US Secret Service agent. When he wakes up locked in a dark room it's just another day until he realizes that he's not alone.

Elizabeth Porter would like nothing more than to plunge her knife through the stranger's heart for all the trouble he's caused.

Together they'll take an unexpected journey to a time and place they could never have imagined and discover a secret they'll be sworn to protect.

Don't miss Tammie's other novels-
ISLAND OF SECRETS: GOTHIC TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE
KEEPING SECRETS: HISTORICAL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE



Buy on Amazon

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Help spread the word by visiting my blog and participating in the giveaway.

http://www.tammieclarkegibbs.com

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Scroll down for to read an excerpt 

 

 

 

Click on the links below to visit participating
Launch Partners & Read more…

Author Barbara Ivie Green - Live on March 12, 2013
Author Bill Hiatt - Live on March 13, 2013
Author SJ Byrne - Live on March 13, 2013
Author Michelle Hughes - Live on March 14, 2013
 Author Brian Bigelow - Live on March 15, 2013
Author Sheila Deeth - Live on March 16, 2013
Author Regan Black - Live on March 16, 2013
Author Pamela Foreman - Live on March 17, 2013
Author Olivia Martinez -Live on March 18, 2013 

 Wordlovers by Melissa Bowersock - Live on March 19, 2013
Author Andrea Buginsky - Live on March 19, 2013
Confessions of a Reader -Live on March 19, 2013
Author Gemma Wilford - Live on April 7, 2013

Click Here to go to the Giveaway Post and enter for some great prizes


Excerpt of Sworn to Secrecy Copyright Tammie Clarke Gibbs

Dak Bartholomew felt a trickle of blood run a cold wet trail down the side of his face from the open gash at his temple.

He struggled to open his eyes, and after several moments succeeded. Focusing on his surroundings took several more, but eventually, he could see the small, dank-smelling room in more clarity than he even desired.

The only light came from a single window, its pane’s blackened all but for one small section.

He pulled himself off the filthy mattress and felt his way toward the light. The window had been painted from the inside, and it appeared that someone had literally scratched at it until a small stream of light was allowed in from the outside. Instinctively, he reached into his pocket for his knife, but it wasn’t there. Nothing was there.

There was a faint cry from the corner of the room. Startled, Dak stepped back into the darkness.

He felt his way along the bed until he came to what he thought was a wall.

The darkness was deep and black, and the light cut only a sliver through it, leaving the rest of the room engulfed in an ebony sea.

He was weak from having been drugged or loss of blood. He wasn’t sure which. Either would have given him an excuse to forget he wasn’t alone and cower, but the pitiful whimpers stoked within him a steely determination.

“You there,” he called and waited for an answer.

The room was quiet in response. No whimpering. No breathing.

“Are you hurt?” Dak asked this time, and his voice was softer. Still there was no answer.

He took several short steps, feeling his way along the wall in the direction he’d heard the sounds coming from.

“I won’t hurt you,” he said, this time louder. “I…”

Dak felt a dirty hand on his mouth and something sharp at his side.

 

Wounded Warriors Project

I feel this is a really important charity. Many that have served in our military needs some help. You come back from some hell hole that your Government sent you to and things happened. Things you didn't really want to happen and they can be a real burden for the family. 

Here's a little more information about what the Wounded Warrior Project does. http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

A number of authors, including myself, are donating e-books to help raise funds for the project. 

http://authorsforwoundedwarriors.wordpress.com/

Not to Yield

I do seem to be making some headway on the, "Not to Yield" project. Finally managed to get it to the point that I'll need to fill in the bits that's been left out and there are quite a few of those. Ended up having to take a little break from writing because of it. In my head some variant of Alien was running rampant and there were also various paranormal elements coming to life. Basically, it was a trip and I may even write it some day but it won't be yet.

Soon after completing my, "Not to Yield" piece I'll be working on my next book which is tentatively titled at this time, "Rip Tide." Have written the first little bits and they're interesting and disturbing at the same time. Guess the book that's the closest to what I started coming up with would be, "The Dark Half."