Musings

It’s one of those days where I have like, a bajillion errands to run, so this blog post is just going to consist of all the thoughts stomping around inside my head.  I’m writing this in the hopes that getting it all out on paper (or you know, on a computer screen) will alleviate a bit of the ruckus in my brain.  So here it goes.

1) It has been brought to my attention that the Kindle copies of Boy Band had some formatting errors.  I did some research on KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and found out this is a rather common problem, so I went back and uploaded the manuscript myself.  Hopefully the errors will be gone, or at least less severe.  I remember having similar spacing issues when I published Cemetery Tours.

2) I have a lot of fun events coming up!  On Saturday, I’m going to see my friend Paula speak at a writer’s group.  I know I’ve mentioned her before, but she’s just published her first children’s book, Jack Learns to Grill, and her next book, Jack Learns about Bullies, should be out within the next month or so!

https://paulawalkerbaker.wordpress.com

3) Also on Saturday, I’ve been asked to be a guest at the Colony Library’s Friends of the Library Annual Meeting!  I’m so excited and so honored that they would ask!  I love that library.  It’s a wonderful community and so supportive of local authors.

4) Next week is Authorfest in Denison!  I’m a little nervous about it since my Dad won’t be able to attend and it’s a pretty big event, but I think I’ll be able to handle it.  I’m a strong independent woman who don’t need no man.

(I do need a cat, though.  I don’t think I could survive without a cat).

5) I need books.  Lots of books.

6) Sunday I’m going to Scarborough Faire!  Yay!

7) It’s World Book Day!  Yay!

8) Speaking of books, Boy Band has been selling like crazy!  It’s been in the top 15,000 Kindle Bestsellers for three days now, and for a while, was in the top 10,000!  Thank you all to everyone who’s read it so far!  I love you more than words can say!

http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Band-Jacqueline-Smith-ebook/dp/B00WFSE0Z6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429591957&sr=8-2&keywords=boy+band

And did I mention it’s only $2.99?

9) Yesterday was Earth Day!  Happy belated Earth Day, everyone!

10) Lately, I’ve been so inspired to work on the third Cemetery Tours book.  I think taking a break from it and focusing on Boy Band for a bit was really good for me.  I miss my characters and I’ve got a lot of new songs that are providing inspiration for my haunted world.  I can’t wait to get back at it!

For now, however, I need to go pick up my dad.  Since he has a hole in his retina, he’s not allowed to drive.  The eye doctor was SHOCKED that he’d been driving this whole time!

Hope y’all have a great Thursday!  It’s going to be an awesome weekend!

Mars One

Yesterday, my friend told me about Mars One.  If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a non-profit project and its goal is to send the first humans to Mars in 2024.  Hundreds of thousands have applied to be a part of this historic movement and they’re currently in the process of narrowing it down.  Sounds interesting, right?  A chance for civilians to go to space?  To be the first people on Mars?  Why not?

Well, it turns out there’s a catch.  This is a one way flight.  You go to Mars, you don’t come back.  History will remember your name, but you are destined to die on Mars.

Let me say that I really admire the people who’ve signed up for this project.  It’s an enormous sacrifice to make in the name of human exploration, curiosity, and adventure, which are all very noble causes.  I honestly think we need more people like that.  That being said, however, my butt is never leaving this planet.

I’d be terrified of going into space even if I was guaranteed to come back.  I don’t like flying.  I don’t like small spaces.  And I really like Earth.

As a species, we humans really take our home planet for granted.  It’s something I think most of us are aware of, but it’s not something we really take the time to think about.  Maybe because we can’t imagine a world where trees and oceans and blue skies don’t exist.  But these individuals who are volunteering to live and die on Mars are about to experience just that.  No plants.  No oceans.  No nature whatsoever.  Furthermore, they will be saying goodbye to everyone they’ve ever loved.  I don’t know about you, but I could not get by without a cat.  Or my family and friends, you know, but I really need a cat.

A lot of us complain about our lives.  That might just be part of the human condition.  We’re never fully satisfied with what we have, even though we’ve actually been given a great deal.  Earth is a great place to live.  It was designed that way.

What’s funny is this whole Mars One conversation comes only a day after I was forced to explain to my friend why I don’t like sci-fi.  At least, sci-fi set in outer space.  If The Hunger Games is sci-fi, then I love that, but outer space sci-fi is just not my thing.  For some reason, it makes me feel really uncomfortable.  I think it’s due to a couple of things.

First of all, I’m scared of aliens.  Ironically, I love alien invasion movies, Signs, The Fourth Kind, etc… But movies with aliens that walk around like humans and are supposed to be your friends?  They creep me out and I don’t know why.  I love the aliens that are actually supposed to freak you out.  But the Yodas and the Wookies and the other friendly extra-terrestrial types?  Eeeugh.  I’m not a huge fan of robots either.

Secondly, I don’t like not being able to see the ground.  I remember watching Star Trek and Star Wars and wondering, What is holding these space buildings up?  Where is the ground?  Here’s the thing.  If you fall off the edge of the building or the sidewalk, you die.  Or you get sucked into outer space and then you die. I like planets.  I like the ground.  The ground is good.

So friends, this concludes my Why Earth Is The Best Planet To Live On talk.  For the record, I really do love learning about the planets and the stars.  I think they’re beautiful and magical and wonderful and full of new and exciting mysteries.  However, I will be appreciating them from Earth.  It’s just where I belong.

Not Mars, but the best shot of outer space that I’ve got.