BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MyYearBook Layouts »

Monday, November 15, 2010

WhenAngelsSing_Commercial.avi

Recently filmed a short commercial for Shelby Patricks new thriller novel, When Angels Sing. Very good read and makes wonderful gifts :)

Randomness....

It's about time I make another blog post :) Even though I feel like I'm talking to myself, cuz not sure anyone reads it....lol

School is going great, but can be very stressful with the amount of work. I came across a wonderful opportunity to apply for an internship in Florida at Walt Disney World, or California at Disneyland. It sounded so cool, I jumped at the chance. Since I have never been to either one, I couldn't pass up the chance to get an internship there. It's a long internship, about a year. But you can take classes over there and credit will be given, so it sounded like a cool opportunity not to pass up. I watched the presentation and was gonna call the following week for an interview, but turns out they said they were no longer recruiting for the Spring. I was disappointed because they just came into my school a week ago, and talked about it. Then a week later, they no longer are recruiting. So I'll probably not get the chance to go there, because the next time they are recruiting is for the fall and chances are, I will almost be done with school by then.

But anyways the holidays are coming up. My favorite time of year...love when the stores stay open later :) Pumpkin, eggnog, gingerbread, who could ask for more? :) Not looking forward to the freezing weather though. So.....what's everyone doing for the holidays?

Anyone joining in on the Jimmy Kimmel National Unfriend Day on Wednesday?? :)

Friday, September 24, 2010

Can't get any worse....

Nope...it really can't get worse. My kitty, Mercury, went to the vet last week and everything seemed okay at first. I got meds for her infection and everything seemed to pick up. She went from bad, to better and then to worse. I don't get it....but she didn't make it and died last Sunday :(. Poor thing was only 8 years old. Her halloween costume won't get used this year...as Turbo is twice the size of the costume. Mercury always would wear a size small and Turbo had to wear a dog costume to fit anything, such a big teddy bear.

Anyways, shortly after Mercury died, my car decided to give me trouble again, twice this week. My uncle is gonna look at it this weekend, so hopefully I can save some money :)

Ok, time to rant. So....at my school, parking tickets are on the rise. Probably roughly like 300 were issued already and it's only been a couple weeks since classes have resumed. I don't get it, they are getting parking tickets because they are making their own parking spots on the grass. Yes, I get it, the school has had a huge increase in students enrolled this year, so they had to build another parking lot to make room for all the incoming freshman. The new parking lot is a good distance from the buildings, so walking takes time. The students excuse for parking on the grass? There is no parking anywhere. Wrong! I park in the new parking lot everyday, and walk to the buildings. It's no problem and everyday there is tons of parking in the new lot. So why aren't students parking there? Because they're lazy. Yep, thats right. If they are not physically handicap and very well have two legs, they can walk to their building, but yet they refuse to and rather risk getting a ticket (which I hear aren't cheap either). I don't get it. I certaintly don't have the patience to be circling around the parking lot 100 times just hoping someone will pull out of their space just so I can get a place near the building I am going to. It's crazy, but I guess if you rather pay a ticket, than get some exercise, then park wherever you want :)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Problem with my kitty...

Hey guys,

So the story goes like this....I have two cats, Turbo and Mercury. Mercury was healthy as could be until about a few weeks ago. She normally comes up and says hello and jumps all over your lap. A few weeks ago, it stopped :(. She started to walk odd and couldn't walk straight. I immediately called the vet and took her in. He said it could be one of two things--heart or ears. Since he couldn't pinpoint it exactly, he gave me meds for both to cover both of them. A week went by and she seemed to be improving. Started eating more and her walking was a little better. The only problem she really had was jumping. She could not jump and land on her feet when coming back down.

So, I thought there was nothing to worry about, the meds seemed to be working. But then, it gets worse. She started to scratch quite a bit. She was scratching around her collar, so I took it off, thinking it was irritating her. She scratched at her ears quite a bit too. I went off to school, came back home and she had a little cut on her back, just behind her neck. My first reaction was that Turbo had jumped on her and scratched her. So I shrugged it off, and separated them when I went to school the next day. Came home the next day and saw that she was bleeding around her ear. Figured it was from scratching too much or too hard. So I cleaned her ears out pretty good that night. Woke up the next morning and she was bleeding around her neck only on the left side and still had some dry blood from her ears. It looked like they were from scratching, but I'm not really sure.

Obviously, there is something wrong here and no one can give me an exact answer. It gets really frustrating when you take her in, and they can't tell you what is wrong. They give you meds, hoping they work, and if they don't, they give you more, only to have you wasting your money on all these different medications, only to have none of them work. I wish I had tons of money, so I could be taking her to the vet every week, but I don't :(

It can't be dry skin or anything, because she has lived in the same place for more than a year and just a few weeks ago it started. I miss the little kitty that would jump all over me when I get home.......

Turbo is lucky. He is as healthy as can be and has never had any health problems. Every morning he'll follow you around the entire place until you put food in his dish :) I tried running from him this morning and he just walked faster lol.

If Mercury doesn't get better in the next couple days, I'm gonna have to take her to the vet, even if it means cutting off my arm to pay for it....life's not easy :(

Monday, August 30, 2010

Enter for a signed copy of "The Fear Within"




1. How do you come up with ideas for your stories?

From life in general. My mind is an overactive beacon, waiting for something to happen that sparks a creative thought. It could be something that happens with a family member or friend, a newspaper headline, or a dream that I had. Sometimes it’s just a glance at an object that throws my mind into a turmoil and gives me a great idea. For The Fear Within, several story ideas were sparked from a call of submissions to themed anthologies.


2. How did you become interested in writing?

My mind never rests. Its dusty wheels are always turning. My first creative writing class, back in high school, taught me how to deliver those creative impulses as the written word. It was fun and exciting. I never stopped writing after that. It was a way to express myself and to open up the flood gates so that my mind didn’t overdose on crazy and imaginative thoughts.


3. Of the stories you have written, which one is your favorite and why?

In The Fear Within, the most memorable one is The E-fection. I simply adored this story because I have this love/hate relationship with the cell phone. When I was growing up, we didn’t have them. If you had an emergency on the road, you had to get to a pay phone; if you had to call home from school, you went to the principal’s office; if you had to do business over the phone, it was done from your office. Then came cell phone technology. I’m from the old school and believe cell phones should be for emergencies; however, it seems like most people are so addicted to their cell phones these days that it’s absolutely ridiculous. People walk down the streets with their phone glued to their ear, oblivious to their surroundings; customers hold up lines to finish their phone conversations while the rest of us wait impatiently behind them; drivers cause accidents because they couldn’t wait to tell their friend something stupid. Cell phones are a distraction so I wrote The E-fection and threw in the worst possible scenario for cell phone addiction.


4. How long does it take you to write a novel? A short story?

I can write a short story in a matter of hours. Short stories don’t deal with a lot of lengthy descriptions or character creations. They can range from the flash fiction of 100 words, such as my story The Ghostly Stalker, or can go up to 10,000 words. Novels, on the other hand, take a lot longer to develop. Depending on how easy it is for the scenes to play themselves out will depend on how long the novel takes to complete. My novels tend to be between 75,000 and 90,000 words. That’s a lot of words and character developments to go through, but it’s worth it in the end. I’m not as proficient at writing as some people and real life does have a way intruding into my writing world. My goal was to have one novel-length manuscript written every year, so I give myself anywhere from one month up to ten months to start and complete a working novel.


5. Who was your favorite author growing up?

Stephen King, definitely, I could not get enough of his horror tales – Christine, Carrie, Pet Sematary, Cujo, It, Salem’s Lot, etc. There were quite a few of his stories I wasn’t happy with, but for the most part, I loved him.


6. What are some of your favorite books?

The Stephen King books listed above, Christopher Stasheff’s Warlock series, William W. Johnstone’s Devil series, and Kay Hooper’s Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series. I wish I could say the classics like Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but even though I love the stories, I found the books themselves a bit dry.


7. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Descriptions don’t come easy. I tend to jump right in with the action and dialogue. Descriptions usually come later during a rewrite as they never really seem to fall into place during the initial writing phase.


8. How did you come up with the idea for one of my favorite stories in The Fear Within, Under a Watchful Eye?

That idea was actually given to me by an editor friend. He was doing a new anthology and asked me to submit a Lovecraftian-type story using a woman as the main character. I had never even read Lovecraft so I had to do some research. I came up with a few ideas, sent them to my friend, and let him pick the topic for the story. He helped me to hone the idea down until I decided on the prison sequence. What’s more terrifying than a place with no walls, no bars, and no way of escape?


9. When is your next book coming out?

My next book will be a supernatural thriller entitled When Angels Sing. I just did a photo shoot for the cover art this past weekend. I’d prefer to find a traditional publisher for it, but so far, it’s been one rejection after another. This story has been professionally edited and it’s ready to go. As soon as I get the photos back and can create the cover art, I’ll most likely go ahead and put it in print. My goal was to have it out by Christmas 2010, but I’ll try for earlier if possible.


10. I understand that you will be giving away a free prize here. Please give us the details.

Anyone who visits my blog tour sites and comments on my interviews will be entered into a random drawing for a FREE signed copy of The Fear Within. To enter, all you have to do is post a comment. I would like to ask that the winner, after receiving and reading the book, please post a review either on his/her own website/blog or at the amazon.com page, http://www.amazon.com/Fear-Within-1-Shelby-Patrick/dp/1452815356/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283155308&sr=8-3



11. Where can people go to find more information about you and your works?

My website is http://www.shelbypatrick.com. I have a blog at http://www.writershideaway.blogspot.com. You can join my mailing list for updates on me and my works or buy a signed copy of The Fear Within. I can also be reached at blackwidow@shelbypatrick.com .


**NOTE FROM SHELBY PATRICK: I’m looking for people to review The Fear Within and post those reviews on their own site or at the amazon.com page. Also, I’m looking for writers, publishers, editors, etc., to read an early edition of my supernatural thriller When Angels Sing and write a short blurb for it. Please visit my website at http://www.shelbypatrick.com/ for more details. If anyone is interested in helping me out, please email me at blackwidow@shelbypatrick.com . Thank you.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Facebook: Friend or Foe??

Facebook is getting more and more popular everyday. Over the last year, that's all I heard about. Everyone has one, whether it's a business, friend, or family member. It's crazy. People I haven't heard from since high school, friends I haven't seen in the longest time, I can now keep in touch with through facebook. To me, it's so much easier than email or messenger. If I wanted to talk to them, I could just send them a quick hello through the facebook chat or in their inbox if they aren't online.

But is Facebook really that great? I don't post my address, or my phone number. But many of my friends have their phone number listed under their profile or constantly post their number whenever they make a wall post. I've heard so many horror stories about facebook recently in the news. One women lost her job over a facebook post and another one found out about her husband's second wedding.

It's crazy to think that facebook can destroy lives, but it's true. One minute you post a rant about your job out of frustration, and the next day you're fired. Crazy! In my case, facebook hasn't really affected me, but it has caused a feud between my family. Anytime a member of the family unfriends them, they get so upset they act like it's the end of the world. We see them everyday, so maybe we don't want them on our friends list, whats the big deal? If someone took me off their friends list, I bet I wouldn't even notice nor would I care.

I also don't like the fact that young kids are abusing the facebook world. They don't know any better. I believe you have to be thirteen to sign up for it in the first place. Honestly, anyone younger than that doesn't even need to be on the internet unless it was for school or something. They should be outside playing with their friends rather than talking to them through facebook. We are teaching our kids to be less social. Years from now, most kids won't be able to talk to people face to face or have many social skills because everything they do now is on the internet or texting on their phones (texting is another topic lol). It's depressing actually. My cousins talk to me by saying "OMG" or "LOL". I just wanna slap them, lol. Typing is one thing, but saying that to me makes it sound like you're an idiot. Sorry, but it's true. I told them if they wanna talk, we can, but no texting words :)

So, lets start a discussion lol. How has facebook affected your life?

Friday, July 30, 2010

What is happening in this world???

Why can't anyone just be nice anymore? What happened to people just helping others out? I mean, I got tons of bills every month, 2 cats to take care and an apartment to pay for that I do all myself. I mean, adding all that up, it's roughly probably more than I make at my job. But yet, many people seem to think I have all the money in the world. How??? I feel like I'm paying my own job just to work there. It's crazy, and with the economy these days, you can't just quit your job and find another one.

So, as I was saying, why can't anyone ever help each other out? My family, for example, they charge for everything and can never do a favor for just for the fun of it. Well, certain people in my family anyways. How pathetic is it that your own family can't even help out???

And that ends my rant for today lol :)

Monday, July 19, 2010

Cursed?

Sooooo, does anyone actually believe in being cursed?? Well, either my car is cursed or it's me. Maybe I shouldn't be driving? I have only been driving for about 4-5 years and 4 times I have been rear ended. Can you believe that? It's ridiculous having to pay a $500 deductible each time. I don't have that kind of money!

Apparently the majority of the cars that hit me must not have insurance. They keep running away! First my tailight gets smashed, the guy backs up all the way down the road and turns to go another way. UM...HELLO???? It was on a main road, how come no one came forward and became a witness in my case??? Then I get hit in a parking lot and no one sees what happens. I wasn't in the car, so I had no idea who hit me. Crazy!! One of the reasons I hate driving is because I can't stand the other idiots on the road!

Sooooo many people need to take another driving test, because they don't know how to drive!

ok, here ends my car rant ;) Anyone got any other car stories they wanna tell? lol

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Welcome!!!!!!

Hi everyone. Welcome to my random blog of nothingness where I post about the lively world around me, ha! Enjoy! :)