How to Survive a Psychotic Killer Stalking You

 
Some of you may be wondering, how do you keep from losing your mind when your entire life has been turned inside out and upside down? When everything once within the illusion of your control is now running amuck like a bull in a china shop. We here are a few tips, from someone who knows.

If you think you are in control just let go of that right now. The more you try to control the situation the worse it is going to get! If you do find yourself the object of affection for some psycho lunatic, let’s be honest, there really isn’t shit you can do.

Tip # 1 - Buy a Laptop

First, if you don’t have a laptop consider investing in one. Most are fairly cheap  and you will thank your credit card later. This wonderful device will soon become your only link to the outside world, via email, online content and the occasional Facebook posting (although I would limit your exposure). You will also hopefully be able to salvage the remains of your life. Continue to pay bills, work remotely, maybe even buy a new pair of shoes (although you will need to set up a separate destination for delivery as you won’t to give yourself away). Laptops are also portable and can pretty much handle anything you throw at them, and most are water proof for the occasional melt down.

Tip# 2 - Prepare for the Late Night / Early morning crawl.

Next I would suggest you get familiar with Late night TV. Now I am not talking 11 pm David Letterman or Jimmy Kimmel. I am talking 230 AM TCM Abbot and Costello or my personal favorite, Tom and Jerry on Cartoon Planet. Rule of thumb, there is ALWAYS a Law and Order on somewhere. Also, just because it is black and white doesn’t mean it sucks. Best channels for late night / early morning are going to be, TCM, TNT,USA , and Cartoon Planet (does anyone else see a pattern here?). If you go cable you are going to run into soft core and since you probably not getting any at the moment probably not the best idea. 

A second option for your sleepless night dilemma’s is going to be your trusty DVR.  I would suggest, if you can, recording your favorite daytime soap or talkshow that you haven’t been able to watch in years. That will kill at least an hour with commercials. Now you may be thinking that you shouldn’t be prepared for the occasion of insomnia. Trust Me it will happen and better to be prepared than get stuck watching infomercials.

*Note - Do not try and work at 3 AM! First off, people are going to think you have fallen off the deep end. Second, although your eyes are open and your mind is spinning, how coherent are you really? Do be stupid and try to ‘keep up’, you don’t need to be sending drunk emails to your boss. (They found that people who drive after being awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those with a blood alcohol level of .05 percent.)

Tip# 3 - Keep the little constants in your life alive and kicking

Moving on, try and keep some fragment of your life stable. (Impossible, right?) They say that children need a schedule for a sense of reassurance. Believe it or not Adults do as well. So obviously if you go running every morning you are going to have to put it on hold for a while (yes I know it totally sucks!) but things, small things, like your favorite creamer in the fridge or keeping up with you favorite blogs online. Even something as small as having Taco’s on Wednesdays can make all the difference in your ability to cope with the upheaval.

Lastly, and most important, DO NOT GIVE UP, it will end eventually. As you are already realizing, your friends and family are going to be supportive and wonderful but the fact of the matter is, you are going through this, not them.

So, do not give up, give in or let go of anything you want, wish and hope for. Those are the things that will keep you going. Things are never completely hopeless. There is always a glimmer of hope smiling back at you when you look into his eyes…hold onto the warmth of the memory, the sliver of belief that if it is meant to be it will happen.

God please make it meant to be…

So here are your tips to survival. I could go on and on but these are the must have’s in my opinion everything else is negotiable.

Stick to your guns and as Scarlett said…tomorrow is another day!

Author Amy Romine writing as Rebecca Gailen the Heroine of Trust Me Book 1 - Serenity Lost available at Amazon.com

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Saturday Seven ~ April 6th 2019

Happy Saturday, what have you been up to this week? Here is a rundown of highlights for the week. I hope you find them useful in your life! My goal as a person and a writer are to always Pay-It-Forward so please let me know how I can help you. YES, YOU!
Enjoy your weekend & this post! Amazing things to come!
~Amy

What am I Reading? – I am addicted to the Curiosity App (a must for your mind) Curiosity offers quick 5-minute articles on everything from space exploration to time management.  This week I read all about how Jupiter’s Red Spot is Shrinking, The Simple Technique that will instantly make you a better Listener & Daruma Dolls are a Japanese tradition for achieving goals. Good stuff!!

·       What am I Listening to? –  Exciting news! I have been asked to be on a podcast! The amazing host of Write Away, Natalie Lockett, has asked me to be a part of a creativity panel and I am thrilled! We will be talking about inspiration and creativity resources. It airs on May 1^st! Check out previous episodes now here.

       

·       What Quote am I pondering? – Pay it forward ~ not really a quote but been thinking a lot about my own blessings and good fortune. I am a big believer in karma and what goes around comes back around. I try to keep this in mind with every action I take, personally and professionally.

·       What am I Researching? –  Interesting enough, kink. Yes, I said kink and yes, I mean that kind of kink. One of my fellow writers is writing a book on alternative lifestyles, specifically, polyamory and kink. Not something I have ever considered for myself but interesting none the less. I am looking into understanding the lifestyle and choices of the community. Here is a terrific article I found if your curiosity is at all piqued.

·       Yummy Meal of the Week – Baked Feta Crusted Salmon – Holy yum! Love fish, and super love this amazing dish! Get the recipe here.

·       What did I Learn? –  Choosing our battles is important. There are lots of reasons to fight back, draw the line and state enough is enough and there are just as many reasons not to. Some people use the fight as a vehicle for drama, attention, and even distraction. Either way, it is used energy --positive or negative. As I have gotten older, I am realizing I need to choose how best to expend my energy and what battles (good and bad) are worth fighting and which are better spent unfought and even ignored.  This is a difficult choice at times, but definitely necessary because in the end not battles are won in the fight, some are won in the strategy to ignore, compromise and or resolve without conflict.

·       What am I Watching? –  The Rookie on ABC. I have always been a fan of Nathan Fillon, he got my attention in Serenity (Firefly) and then again in Castle. I was recently challenged into watching the pilot episode of his new ABC show – The Rookie about a 40-something man who is looking for a clean slate after his divorce. Showing bravery and a knack for de-escalation he moves to Los Angeles and becomes a police officer.  Obviously, I was not initially interested in the show but after the pilot, I have to admit I am intrigued. I am a fan of 911 and this has a similar feel. I am putting it to the three-episode test! (if you are curious, the deal was I have to watch The Rookie and they had to watch Blindspot – they are almost through Season One!)

Have any thoughts on my week’s activity or want to make a recommendation? Drop me a line, or a tweet. One lucky commenter will win a free Romine book of their choice! Never want to miss a blog post or a Saturday Seven? Join my mailing list and I will be happy to send it straight to your inbox!

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Friday Food Love! ~ Baked Feta Crusted Salmon

Found this one on Food Network, love the tart feta cheese against the buttery salmon! YUM!
No pic for this one, so I just used a beautiful piece of Wild Salmon...

Dinner, Seafood

Contributed by foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
4 (7 to 8-ounce) wild salmon fillets
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces feta cheese
6 ounces white wine

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small baking dish arrange the sprigs of thyme along the bottom.
Wash the fillets and dry them with paper towels. Rub the fish with the extra-virgin olive oil and the lemon juice, and then season with black pepper, to taste.
Arrange the fillets in the baking dish on top of the thyme. Next, break up the feta and sprinkle on top of the salmon. Add the white wine to the dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven and serve.

I Love Cozi

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Saturday Seven ~ March 30th 2019

Happy Saturday, what have you been up to this week? Here is a rundown of highlights for the week. I hope you find them useful in your life! My goal as a person and a writer are to always Pay-It-Forward so please let me know how I can help you. YES, YOU!
Enjoy your weekend & this post! Amazing things to come!
~Amy

·        What am I Reading? – So very much!

The 13 Most Chilling Horror Books of 2018 – Very interesting, as someone who is releasing a horror novel in the near future I am going to try and read a lot of the books on this list ~ what makes them so chilling?

  

·        What am I Listening to? –  Awesome Podcast called Talking Messy by a friend of mine, absolutely hilarious and just amazing. New episodes every Thursday ~ Definitely check it out.

     

·        What Quote am I pondering? –  Not really a quote. I was working on interview questions for a blog post on a fellow author’s sire – Seelie Kay. The questions were really original. Made me think. One was a choice – choose one Perfect Health, revisit a day in the past or get a glimpse of heaven. I chose visit a day in the past because I realized how much I miss my Dad. He is always in the back of my mind and yet I also know I make a conscious decision to NOT think about him. Hurts to much, I think? Will need to ponder this some more…

·        What am I Researching? – Holy Prom Batman! My daughter’s prom is tomorrow night so this whole week has been about the dress, the shows, the hair, make-up and good lord $$$. It is craziness. I went to three prom’s and all of my dresses were under 50$. That is NOT the case now, holy mother of an industry! Next year we are Prom shopping in January—and by the way who has Prom in freaking March! Oklahoma, apparently.

·        Yummy Meal of the Week –  Eggbert’s Ultimate Chicken Sandwich. Greasy goodness! Fried chicken with Bacon, lettuce and tomato on a bun with mayo. OMG! So good. Takes me back my time in PA, there was a restaurant called Friendly’s and their chicken sandwiches were amazing. This is the closest I have come to finding something as good.

·         What did I Learn? –  BANG! is the new Monster and I love it (energy drink, Google it) & The Feynman Technique: The Best Way to Learn Anything

·         What am I Watching? –  Literally no time to watch anything this week, it has been nutzoid! Lots of shows I need to add to my list. One little thing I did watch that was very entertaining was here – There is no celebrity on earth today who would be able to get away with this in 2019 ~ Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra on the Tonight Show with Joey Bishop.

Have any thoughts on my week’s activity or want to make a recommendation? Drop me a line, or a tweet. One lucky commenter will win a free Romine book of their choice! Never want to miss a blog post or a Saturday Seven? Join my mailing list and I will be happy to send it straight to your inbox!

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Friday Food Love! ~ Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken

I LOVE my slow cooker / crock pot and this is a super-easy dish for a night when you have a little extra time. Chicken is savory and so yummy all by itself as the sauce and delish! Shown in the picture with regular noodles, I prefer egg noodles.

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken pieces
1 (2/3 ounce) package Italian salad dressing mix
4 tablespoons melted butter (divided)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces cream cheese
1⁄2 cup chicken broth

Preparation

Place chicken pieces in crock pot and sprinkle Italian seasoning over chicken. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan and sauté onion and garlic. Add Cream of Chicken Soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Stir until smooth.
Add this mixture to crock pot and cook on low for an additional hour.

View on food.com

I served this with some wide egg noodles and broccoli! Yummy!

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Writing Warriors Wednesday! ~ To Blog or Not to Blog

This is a universal question and one we all struggle with when building our

empires. I have struggled with the same thing for years. Tossing and turning in conflict over how to spend my precious time. If I am blogging, I’m not writing, and I should be writing, right?

Yes and no.

This is the chicken and the egg scenario, unfortunately.

Working on your next book is KEY but you need to be able to sell your current book and the next one etc. The only way you are going to do that is to be out there. One venue is not enough! Just posting to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even just blogging is not enough. You have to link them all together and run at full force to get your name out there.

The other thing you need to remember and a friend of mine recently pointed this out to me, you are selling you. There was a time – before social media—that an author was popular because we LOVED their books. Half the time we didn’t know what they looked like, their hobbies or their political affiliations.  I mean seriously have you seen Stephen King – that mug had to be a huge debate in marketing his books early on.  

This is no longer the case. The internet, Amazon and social media have changed the landscape dramatically and thus was born the word BRAND.  Yes, I used it and I know you all cringed and looked away.

A brand is simply what pops into a person’s head when they see your name. 

Nothing?

Well, that is a problem.

That is where social media and blogging come into play. More specifically this is where content comes into play. Blogging does not have to be a full-time job. Most of us have full-time jobs already that are not writing. Two blog posts a week works. Easy-Peasy. 

Okay, Amy, I get it – but I still have no clue what to blog about?

Keep it simple. What are your passions? What are you working on? What do you do outside of writing? For example. I love television so I started a blog series of favorite television shows A to Z. This gave me a sustainable topic to blog about every week and is also something I really enjoy talking about.  The blog will attract other people who also enjoy television and will then see all of my books on the blog (you get the idea). So now when that person sees my name they will think – oh yeah, Amy Romine is a huge fan of the Dukes of Hazard. I’d completely forgotten that show until I read her blog!

There are a TON of things to blog about, you can literally Google it and get thousands of topics.

The other challenge I have heard about blogging is the length. Guess what? Length, or lack thereof, is not a problem. The entire world has ADD now so the shorter the better, right? 500 – 750 words works great. (I just hit 500 words int his post BTW)

Do you read? Write book reviews! – This is a GREAT way to give back and support your fellow authors.

Saturday Seven – This is a weekly rundown of what you did the previous week. I pick seven topics (Reading, Researching, Listening To, Yummy Food, Learned, Quote I am pondering and Watching) and I write a little one or two sentence line about each. I link to recipes, books, music, articles etc.

Crafts / Hobbies – If you are into crafts and or some kind of hobby other than writing talk about it. Give tips, how to’s, what it is about the activity that brings you joy!

Writing – Excerpts, inspiration – I am writing a romantic suspense horror novel and I post what’s called a Finder’s Bucket List (Finders is the name of the Ghost Hunting Team in my book). I blog about locations that are on their list of want to do – I give a brief overview and then link to the website of the location. These are short and sweet blog posts but will attract anyone interested in ghost hunting.

Character Blogging – This is a fun one and I have used it a few times. Blog as your character! What are their likes, obsessions, hobbies, etc. It is an interesting way to give your blog reader an alternate look at a character you are working on or have already created.  (750 words)

So, dear teammates that is my take on blogging. Obviously, I am of the opinion that for brand marketing it is a must-do. On top of that though, it is writing! 

Like it or not it counts toward your 10,000 hours to become a writing expert!

Any kind of writing is a good thing for all of us writers. Flexing muscles you do not normally use gets the blood flowing and the creative juices moving in new directions.

Don’t over complicate it or overwhelm yourself. Ask for help, set a schedule and just do it.  Using programs like Triberr will extend your blog’s reach and push your posts into the social media mix.  Lots of little things like blogging add up to more exposure, more sales and that makes us all happy writers!

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!