Belief

I am releasing all worries, doubt, and negativity.

What I think about, I bring about.

I know I am a good person and I have the skills to take on any job position that I so desire. If anyone is too narrow minded or prejudiced to recognize that then it is best that they not come into my life.

Negativity feeds negative energy and provokes a circle of torment.

I stand by my words and accept responsibility for my actions.

No one can hurt me or bring me down unless I give them the power to do so.

If it makes you feel better to try to chastise me and bring me down – go for it!

I am a strong woman. I am a survivor.

What is meant to be will be.

My heart, mind, and spirit are at peace.

Management Skills

I’m going way off topic with this blog because this is a subject that has been weighing on my mind. For the most part I’ve been happy with my current employer, but dealing with Celiac Disease and learning to control my abilities as a medium have really taken a toll on me as of late. Plus, Odessa seems to come out and speak her mind at the worst of times. I also have post traumatic stress syndrome and when someone gets rude or offensive with me I bare my claws and lash out before I get hurt.

I’m going out on a limb and posting this after a conversation I had with a lawyer regarding my current work situation. In order to prove my qualifications for a Production Editor position I came out of the broom closet to admit I’m a witch, a medium and <gasp> I write erotica obviously under this pen name. Soon after applying for this position, which I am qualified, for I get a verbal warning for not putting a customer on hold to take a call from the lead on our e-commerce team. I didn’t answer his call because he always comes across as a condescending know it all and it wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was doing. Instead of calling the customer I replied to their email mainly because I hate making phone calls to tell people something they don’t want to hear. Anyway, the issue was resolved, the customer was happy, but I got screwed all because in a moment of anger I said to a fellow employee, “I’m a tech, not a customer service rep.”

You don’t build people up by putting them down and the people I am working under in this so-called Christian environment are completely lacking in tack and the company as a whole knows next to nothing about producing and formatting their ebooks. This is something I know about, it’s tied to my passion of writing. My manager sends out emails all in CAPS, yet accused me of being terse. They don’t listen to my suggestions on making the ebook ordering process better and half the time they treat me like I don’t know what I am doing, I can not stand to be micro-managed.

The very best boss I ever had was Van Gerrald, the owner of Boston Pizza. He was a hard ass perfectionist, but he was always fair and he NEVER talked down to any of his employees. I did my college internship while working with Van to compile a new employee training manual. He also pointed out something to me that holds true to this day. I get along much better with male supervisors. Women tend to find me threatening, especially when I know what I’m doing and they don’t.

The very worst boss I ever had was Teresa Ford at Dell. I do not think there are adequate words to explain how much I despise this woman and I don’t care who knows it. She’s a miserable excuse for a human being and had it out for me from the day she took over our team. I even went to HR and asked to go from chat and email to be put back on phone support just to get away from her. She was clueless on anything technical and went out of her way to take everything I said out of context.

When they were imposing mandatory overtime I was working 4 10 hour shifts. That would have meant only being allowed a 30 minute lunch break instead of a usual hour. I offered to come in 30 minutes early or stay thirty minutes over to not lose my hour lunch. It wasn’t that I was eating lunch, I was driving home to walk my dog. It would have been animal abuse to have left my dog home alone for 11 hours without being able to go to the bathroom. This stupid bitch couldn’t comprehend that my dog is my only family. How would she have felt leaving her kids home alone for 11 hours? She’s an animal abuser to expect me to torture my dog in such a manner. I only wish I’d told her to her face what a total and complete piece of shit she is before I left Dell.

Let’s see before she took over our team I was Platinum Employee of the Quarter, not just for Nashville but for all of Dell. She becomes my boss and suddenly I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m a bad employee. I think not.

Dell has this speil about work life balance, but obviously where Teresa Ford was concerned, my family life meant zilch to her. My dog is my child and no way am I going to leave him at home alone for 11 hours not being able to go to the bathroom. I was also dealing with IBS on her team and when you have IBS sometimes when you have to go, you’ve got to go. It’s either run to the bathroom or shit your pants. Sometimes my colon would be spazzing so bad I could hardly keep from crying in pain and she never cared. I got fussed at for logging into an aux code to go to the bathroom with a valid medical problem. That’s how cruel of a person she is.

There are managers at Dell who do know that people have lives outside of work and that life can make or break your productivity. Both Lee Hoermann and Jason Fulford got that. They treated their teams like real people and more than once went out of their way to help me with scheduling when I was in a very bad domestic situation. They got it. They actually treated their team like human beings and did everything they could to make the best of our work environment.

I’m putting all this out there because I am terrified that I won’t get this position because of my spiritual beliefs. That is religious discrimination and that is illegal. I am more than qualified for this position. I could turn their ebook sales around and I know it. If I don’t get this position it will be for one reason, they don’t want a witch working for their company. I never discuss my personal beliefs with a customer. I never mention what genre I write despite coming into work an hour early every day to sneak in writing time, and write through my lunch and my breaks, with my MacBook always there on my desk.

Talk about a lawsuit waiting to happen and if I don’t get treated fairly and with common courtesy it will happen. I’m not a woman who is afraid to speak her mind. I am strong and I am competent. I will not be walked over. I will not be put down. I am going to stand my ground and one way or the other stick this out until I can make it writing full time. Fire me and there’s going to be one hell of a lawsuit and it’s going to get  my name out and it’s going to sell my books.

It’s their call…

Party Time!

 

Odessa and I are partying over at The Romance Studio Anniversary party with a free download of Wicked Desires and a chance to win more of my titles.

Please drop by and check it out – Party Time!

I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got to get busy and put some words on the page for my upcoming release of Dirty Weekend. Courtney and Billy in Puerto Rico – you know this is going to be my hottest story ever.

Happy weekend, y’all…

 

Oopsie

I got so wrapped up in my snake rant yesterday that my beloved gave me a little lecture on tying in a promo. He was after the master of promotion. So, in honor of my beloved…

If you would care to read Shattered you will find an excellent example of the sensitivity of snakes. This happens when my daughter Amalie and her beast of a dog Ginger upset Edna, one of my pet copperheads.

Here’s some snake trivia for you, too. When a copperhead becomes upset they emit a scent much like that of a cucumber.

I’ve been told that I really come across as a bit of a wicked whacked out shrew of a mother in this book. What fifteen year old doesn’t feel that way about their mom? The story is told from Amalie’s point of view.

You can download a copy of Shattered for you Kindle or your Nook and it is also available in all other formats through Smashwords.

So, there I did my little snakes and Shattered promo.

Now, I can address another issue, someone on a wrestling message board made a stupid comment that “real estate didn’t work out all that well” for my beloved. If that was the case, how did his widow buy a mint green Jaguar two weeks after his death? Bitch never suffered financially after his untimely demise. And do note I DID NOT say suicide.

The truth shall come out in Bleeding Hearts.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

Hissy Fit

That creature you see in the above photo is Jez’s extra large beast of a dog named Harry Potter. He’s not all that bad as far as dogs go. Except, he’d got my human wrapped around his furry paw, and believe me he knows it.

He does tend to smell a little funky because Jez lets him wade in the lake or any mud puddles he happens to encounter. We won’t even mention that time he had the run in with the skunk. Or when he got banned from Pet Smart for dragging a cat around in a carrier on adoption day.

Anyhoo… My beloved state of Florida is doing something absolutely insane by putting together an anti-snake task force to rid the over population of Burmese Pythons. You can read that cute little Bronx Zoo’s Cobra’s take on the story right HERE.

These morons apparently think there is such a thing as too many snakes and that they can train dogs to go into the swamps and find them. Let’s get real here, Harry ain’t gonna sniff out anything but a pizza.

These Pythons are just out there enjoying the Florida sunshine and minding their own business. A snake ain’t gonna bother you, unless you decide to bother them first. Then your ass is grass. Because much like me, snakes don’t play nice when angered.

I don’t know too many Pythons, I’m a fan of rattlers and copperheads myself, but I do know that most snakes are very sensitive and misunderstood creatures. They don’t like people or dogs sneaking up on them. I mean would you like some fat smelly dog to come barging in and disturb you lounging around on your vacation? I don’t think so!

For the record snakes make way better pets than dogs. You don’t have to get up early and walk them in all kinds of weather. They don’t lick your dirty panties (Harry dog has that weird little fetish). You don’t have to give them baths. You don’t have to spend a small fortune to keep them in pizza and dog treats.

Snakes are smart creatures. They come and go as they please. They keep your home rodent free. They also creep out people you don’t want messing around with your personal affairs. Not to mention how cute and cuddly they are.

If that Bronx Zoo Cobra would like to take a vacation I’d be glad to host him here in Nashville. Marat, our pet rat snake who for some reason Jez will not allow inside the house, would enjoy the company. And I promise to keep the Harry beast from bothering Mr. Cobra.

Dogs sniffing out Pythons, that’s just the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard…

Beltaine Blessings

I’d like to wish everyone a blessed and beautiful Beltaine. This is one of my favorite holidays because it marks the beginning of the bright half of the year.

This is a time to celebrate fertility, abundance, and love. A day to walk only in the light, leaving the darkness in past, to emerge into the light and bathe in sunshine and the sparkling blue skies of the approaching summer.

One this day I celebrate the abundance my writing brings to my life. Not just in money, but also in connecting with and honoring the voices running amok inside my head.

I am so very thankful to have a spirit guide as loud and well, spirited, as Odessa. She is my mentor, best friend, and the orange sparkle that always has my back. I love her for all her many quirks and her immense guidance.

There are no words to express how honored I am that she picked me to tell her story and set the record straight on what really happened to her beloved. From his visits, I’ve also fallen deeply in love with him and cherish each of his visits from the spiritual realm. I pray that I will be able to do their story justice.

Here is a link to a really nice Beltaine ritual I found on The Wiccan Life.

I prefer to call myself a witch as Odessa has taught me to embrace both the lightness and dark side of our craft. We have a deep believe in Divine Spirit.

There’s no right or wrong way to celebrate Beltaine or any journey of your spiritual path. Listen to your heart. Listen to your guides. Open your mind and your heart will follow suit.

May love and light surround us all.

Blessed Be!

Deja Vu

Last night I got a phone call that a friend’s daughter was in town. Much like her mother, Tara, just called and announced she was on I40 almost to Nashville. 

Her mom, Allison, was was my best friend and mentor in guiding me through the art of dealing with pro wrestlers. She took me under her wig when I was barely legal and she was a senior at UNC-Asheville. We made many a Monday night drive to Greenville and she took me to my very first taping at Techwood Drive in Atlanta. Not to mention all the other places we went on the spur of the moment.

Allie was killed in a car accident close to 22 years ago when Tara was almost three years old. To say that Allie and her baby’s daddy had heat at the time would be an understatement. She wound up being adopted by the man Allie was dating at the time of her death. Tara had a relationship with her biological grandfather, only in the last few years has gotten close to her father. Despite a paternity test and the fact that she looks just like the man it took him a long time to accept his child. He paid his child support, but other than that he was a non-factor in her life. 

Physically she looks just like her father, but personality wise she is Allie all over again. I’m also really glad that in the last few years she and her father have gotten to be close, especially now that she no longer has the grandfather who treated her as family from the day the paternity test results were positive.

I’m not going to reveal his name because at the time he was one of the biggest stars of WCW, but I do have a great story on how he found out Allison was pregnant. They had been having some issues, mainly that he was accusing her of how shall I say, riding Space Mountain. 

So, Allie peed on the stick on a Sunday morning and kinda freaked out when she saw the positive results. I was on Christmas break visiting with her in Charlotte in the apartment she pretty much shared with the future baby’s daddy as he was going through a very bitter divorce at the time.

He happened to have been on the road all weekend and at the Omni in Atlanta that night. I suggested waiting until he came home later that week, but Allie decided we were going to Georgia. Instead of going to the matches at the Omni we went straight to Mallone’s, the local post show hangout spot for the boys.

Allison went ballistic when he came in with a woman on his arm (the woman who went on to become his second wife). He knew he was busted, but tried to play it cool and sent drinks to our table before coming over to say hello. Yes, he had an enormous set of balls.

They started bickering and he basically told her to shut up and enjoy her drink. She threw it in his face and screamed, “I’m pregnant!” loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear. Obviously, not the best way to handle the situation, but so very Allie.

Someone did actually wind up riding Space Mountain that night, but the bun was already in the oven so to speak.That pretty much put an end to Allie’s relationship with her baby’s daddy. They had a couple of kiss and make up sessions in the next two years, but other than the DNA test and going to court to settle the child support deal, it was pretty much a war up until the night she was killed.

I woke up screaming the night she wrecked, knowing something bad had happened. She was on I40 between Memphis and Nashville on her way to see him when it happened. Thank Goddess Tara was at home in Texas with the guy that Allison was living with at the time. 

And people wonder why I don’t believe in fairy tale finishes…

 

Shielding

One of my early gifts as a medium has been the ability to pick up vibes and emotions, kinda like doing a reading from a photo.  Ever since I read Hooker, the story of Lou Thesz, I’ve felt his power bouncing off the pages of that book.

Seriously, I sleep with that book on my nightstand because no one’s gonna come through that doesn’t need to come through if Lou Thesz is shielding you.

I’m not sure on the proper procedure for asking someone to be a spirit guide, but I know Mr. Thesz  knows how to throw up one hell of a shield. So, I have very politely asked him to shield me while I am learning to control my psychic abilities.

I even put a photo of him on my desk this morning because it emits such a powerful “Don’t fuck with me!” vibe. “Roger” isn’t about to come anywhere near me with Lou Thesz handling the shielding duties.

Odessa is a little miffed, but she’s just gonna have to deal because I can’t handle “Roger” while I’m doing my Reiki studies. I’ll ask Mr. Thesz to allow Odessa’s beloved to come through as needed, but other than that, no one comes through, at least not when I am at work.

Carmella is pleased with me for creating my own shield instead of relying on Odessa to do all the work. She keeps telling me that I am plenty powerful enough to do my own shielding and I need to stop being so needy about having Odessa do everything.

I am a lot more comfortable with Odessa in charge, but Carmella is right. I do need to learn to do this on my own to take my psychic powers to the next level. I’m going to need Carmella while I study and progress with my Reiki so Odessa is just going to have to learn she is not the boss.  I have to learn and respect that for now Carmella is the spirit guide head honcho, so to speak.

It’s very empowering to know that I have the ability to call upon a spirit as strong as Lou Thesz and ask him to shield. I think I’ve made a major breakthrough in loosening my dependence on Odessa.

Shattered is Trindie Book of the Day!

My young adult novel Shattered is the featured book over at www.trindiebooks.com today.

If you have a Kobo reader this is the site to find all kinds of great deals.

Fifteen year old Amalie is an outcast brainiac with a psycho witchy bitch of a mom and no magickal powers to call her own until a chain of events turn her world upside down.

She gets her first kiss.

Her mom runs off with a pro wrestler.

Amalie is raped.

Stella decides to come out and play.

Someone turns up pregnant.

In order to survive Amalie becomes Shattered.
Buy from Amazon

Buy from Barnes & Noble

Some Vacation That Was!

 

I just had to post this photo to fuck with Jezebel. She’s got this insane bridge phobia. Mainly because she drove off a bridge into the Hudson river and bit the big one in her previous lifetime. As you can tell, that ain’t the Hudson River. That’s one of my old haunts in Tampa. If you’ve got the least bit of psychic ability you can sense spirits on this bridge. Probably because it’s a pier now due to a little accident with a boat and a Greyhound bus and like thirty some people crossed over when the bridge collapsed.

So, anyhoo… Friday morning I almost had Jez talked into blowing off work and going to Tampa. Even had her suitcase out. Then Carmella pops in and informs me that I need a vacation and to take my sweet little ass down to Tampa all by my lonesome. She’s gonna step in and play spirit guide for Jez while she’s learning this Reiki stuff. I was a whiz with potions and candles, but Carmella was, and still is, the Reiki queen.

I should also mention that while I adore Carmella, she’s a bit of a hard ass. My human can be a whiny little bitch. Girl is a Pisces with a Venus in Aries and a Mars in Scorpio. We’re talking wacko here. Jez just wasn’t ready for Carmella to be in charge. Carmella’s like, throw up your own damn shield. My human is like, but Dess always does that for me… waa… waa… waa… Why, yes, I am the shielding queen.

There I am enjoying the day on the bay, drinking absinthe with my dear friend, when Carmella summons me home. My human is sick and can’t shield worth a crap without me. So, I bid our friend a fair adieu and now I’m back in Nashville. And, no I’m not exactly happy about it. I was having a grand time pranking my friend and doing the spirit sex thing on the beach with my beloved. Goddess knows, we aren’t even gonna mention what they’ve done to the Sportorium. I mean I’m a freaking spirit and even with my beloved there by my side, that place gave me the willies.

Such is life. I am back to work and getting ready to tuck my human into bed. After she puts up the damn laundry. I’m a spirit guide, not a freaking maid. Carmella is still head spirit guide honcho on the Reiki, but no Reiki 2 allowed until she survives the 21 day attunement and we allow her to visit with her human teachers.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get my ghostly groove on with my beloved…