tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10568460229926315302024-03-05T13:44:37.527+00:00Dammit KarenWrite, blog, office dog, fitness nerd (and mom)Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.comBlogger492125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-78609322147405476382023-04-23T02:08:00.007+01:002023-04-23T02:20:54.507+01:00The Narrative Wonder of The Princess Bride... twice"When I was your age, television was called books"If you've ever watched (and loved, because how could you not?*) the 1987 film The Princess Bride, you should probably consider picking up the book.The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman is not a novelization (despite the stupid movie-poster cover); written in 1973, 14 years Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-10815610871205283842022-06-14T22:44:00.004+01:002022-06-14T22:56:07.768+01:00New Launch is BittersweetWelp, Ground Control got a second chance at life, launching again on June 1st as a paperback and ebook. I’m excited (of course), but this launch doesn’t have the same feeling of celebration as the first one – 1, because it’s not the book’s birthday, 2, because I had to let go of my original cover, which I truly loved, and 3, because I’m launching without my original team behind me,Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-85734704875731633662021-12-17T18:58:00.002+00:002021-12-17T19:14:31.390+00:00New genre fiction anthology released! (Eds. K.A. Hough & Trevor Williamson)Do you love chills, thrills, and feeling uneasy? It has been my sincere pleasure to work with the staff at Sley House Publishing on their inaugural anthology of genre fiction, Tales of Sley House 2021. These fifteen stories were chosen from many, many submissions, with priority given to current students of creative writing. It's always fun to work in a group of editors, and I had a Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-4192014138378644992021-07-27T12:30:00.004+01:002021-07-27T12:39:58.031+01:00To Sum Up: Transatlantic Moves and Hangovers Make Poor BedfellowsImage credit: authorThis will be short. We move in less than a week, packing up five entire lives into bags and boxes, to travel by air and sea, not sure when we will be in our home or with our belongings again. We've also been partying hard. As London opens, all the events that have been cancelled or postponed have hit with a suddenness that has tasked my wardrobe, endurance, and Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-88119933704371522872021-05-10T15:57:00.003+01:002021-05-10T17:47:01.461+01:00Cranky Book Reviewer Reads RediscoveryI mean, Cranky's gonna crank, but.Image credit: Screenshot from AmazonI've been reading a wider array of fiction lately, choosing genres that I don't normally gravitate towards. This is possibly because my own book was so unaligned with my preferred genres, its very genre defiance has made me question my own prejudices against specific genres. The Cranky Book Reviewer used genre way too manyDammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-14310592272011610282021-04-28T22:00:00.003+01:002021-04-29T12:26:37.977+01:00Book Launches to Much FanfareLocal author is exhaustedSo, that's it, then! My book has launched! My book baby has officially gone forth into the world, and let me tell you, it is nothing like having an actual baby, for the following reasons:An actual baby...Not really that much effort to make, tbh. I mean, I was going to eat and sleep and buy new pants over that nine-month period anyway. Yes, I was tired and cranky, but Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-2142300555454509712021-04-09T18:39:00.005+01:002021-04-09T18:47:57.491+01:00GROUND CONTROL launches April 23rd!Image credit: Lights Out InkSo, my career as a writer has officially reached a new milestone. I'm excited (and more than a little terrified) to announce that my debut novel, Ground Control, will be released later this month, from publishing house Lights Out Ink.Ground Control follows Sarah Harper as she tags along behind her husband's career yet again, this time, to the new colony on Mars. More Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-66536551060642358092021-03-31T22:10:00.003+01:002021-03-31T22:10:36.489+01:00Let Me Entertain Me...It's a lovely lamp, and came with such a nice note! (Image: author's own)If nobody else finds me funny, well, at least I do.Fun is where you find it. Since I've been doing all of my shopping from home for, oh, a year now, I’ve started choosing “This item is a gift” when I order anything online, no matter what it is, then writing myself (or Chris) a nice little note to go with it.(Please start Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-39435559462271727212021-03-05T14:04:00.000+00:002021-03-05T14:04:04.236+00:00Carpe DiemWhen you pull them apart, they vibrate back together again. I think it's a metaphor. (Image credit: author's own)Seize the dayLittle things make a difference. You know how you sometimes have something lying around that's missing one of its parts? Like a dress that came with a belt, and now you have one or the other, but not both, and it's still good, and you'd totally wear it if you could find Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-31035417525197038012021-02-20T13:40:00.000+00:002021-02-20T13:40:04.736+00:00HomeHome Sweet Home (for now). (Image credit: author's own.)What does it mean to you?Home is a concept that most people understand, but it's not the same for any two of us. Whether it's where you hang your hat, where your favourite people are, or the house that you've lived in forever, such a familiar term has a different meaning to everyone.As an expat that will be returning to the motherland this Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-9109020659111070212021-01-20T15:46:00.001+00:002021-01-20T15:49:43.208+00:00Working hard/Hardly bloggingAs usual, this blog goes dark when too much is going on. So, here's what's been going on over here at Huff House East: Too much.We've been celebrating quietly Toonamint turned eightTamsin's whole life has been gearing up towards her First Sleepover Party, which, in our house, is allowed when you turn eight. She's been so excited. She watched Ailsa's June birthday get pushed back toDammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-37601568618762422452020-12-15T11:23:00.000+00:002020-12-15T11:23:23.244+00:00Writing by DiscoveryGuest Post on Ruth Hendricks' BlogI was so pleased when Ruth invited me to write a guest post on her photography and lifestyle blog. She shares inspiring new content every day: images, stories, recipes... and now I'm proud to be on there too. She asked for a short piece about my experiences as a writer, my process and how I managed to juggle writing and family (especially as the bulk of my Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-68326191982539828782020-11-25T14:37:00.022+00:002020-11-26T09:17:24.928+00:00Dear American FriendsAmerican friends, I have some questions for youThat's it. I've had it. After years and years of having to explain and re-explain a certain holiday to my friends from the US, I think we should take back our Thanksgiving. Autumn leaves. Maple leaves, to be specific. (image credit: Greg Shield on Unsplash)(Ahem.)So... what's "American Thanksgiving" about? I mean, what do you Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-81415947011143385602020-11-05T16:27:00.003+00:002020-11-05T16:27:55.661+00:00Oh, The Places I've BeenInstead of being here on Blogger, I meanImage credit: thomas shellberg on UnsplashI didn't mean to disappear; I never do. Longtime readers know that, at least once a year, I fade away and the blog languishes, with no updates on my family, no lectures about exercise and fitness or posts of the (few) amazing meals I make. Sometimes it's because I have news that I'm not ready to share yet, likeDammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-25057620319045143852020-10-30T14:24:00.001+00:002020-11-05T14:43:09.944+00:00My book has a trailer and it's cooler than my bookI love the creative team at Episodic Reading. Before I even sent them a palette of colours and images that I had in mind for my book cover, they said, "We were thinking this but it's just a draft and we totally welcome any feedback or changes." Image credit: EpisodicReading.comIt was perfect. And then, they said, "Also, we made this trailer for your book, and it's just our first pass, Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-82344259352161698962020-09-08T16:33:00.001+01:002020-09-08T16:33:24.828+01:00Early Morning Tails One of these mice is a total jerk. Photo by Nick Fewings on UnsplashAs the elevator door opened, the man was waiting for us. Lin attacked first, a flurry of well-aimed kicks and punches, but the man was faster. And he had a gun.The shot rang out, and she slumped to the ground. I paused for only a second, then leapt over her to take my turn. He caught my ankle on the second kick, but I Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-38375460180995211952020-09-04T18:05:00.002+01:002020-09-04T18:09:33.270+01:00Sending the Kids Back to an Active Lifestyle is More Important than Sending Them Back to SchoolPhoto by Josh Applegate on UnsplashGet them moving. Now. Lockdown, isolation, social distancing...whatever you practiced between March and September, I'm willing to bet your kids aren't as fit as they were.From a global perspective, “prolonged home stay may lead to increased sedentary behaviours, such as spending excessive amounts of time sitting, reclining, or lying down.” Of course it did.Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-43592602874284717542020-08-15T16:23:00.006+01:002020-08-15T16:29:50.471+01:00I'm...Being... Published! Let me start by simply saying, "Squeeeeee," in as high-pitched and long-held of a tone you can imagine. Does your brain hurt yet? Now imagine it going on for quite a while longer.It's my first novel, which started as a NaNoWriMo challenge winner. Remember, winning NaNoWriMo just means that I wrote 50,000 words in 30 days, not that they were good words or in the right order. I thenDammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-58689332949827150362020-07-20T14:46:00.000+01:002020-07-21T10:23:58.904+01:00A Cup of Tea and a Change of Scenery
Mourning my second office
Wait. If I don't drink coffee, does that mean that I'll never be a real writer?
Between pandemic fears and homeschooling horrors, only a very few things have remained constant. I had to give up my running group, and the bootcamps I teach, first due to physical distancing regulations, and then due to my-children-are-always-at-home.
I had to give up the luxury Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com1United Kingdom55.378051 -3.435973-9.9034376338313734 -144.06097300000002 90 137.18902700000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-73976156109383294482020-07-02T18:31:00.002+01:002020-07-02T18:34:40.236+01:00Sheeple vs Freeple: Isolating the Difference Disclaimer: this is potentially a friendship-ending post. Read it if you want. Also, pardon my French.Oh, we've definitely been cooped up together for too long. (Image: author's own)It used to be that people in masks were the bad guys. Now, masks seem to be a simple way to visually demonstrate whether you belong to the sheeple or the freeple, the educated or the ignorant. How you describe it and Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-67845336616884265662020-06-01T12:20:00.002+01:002020-06-01T12:23:11.014+01:00Get Up and DancePhoto by Johnny McClung on Unsplash
A few months ago, when isolation regulations were still feeling new, a friend sent me a funny dance tutorial by Joe Tracini, and said, “Try this.”
To keep active through this, let’s dance together. pic.twitter.com/oLy7RgKogE
— Joe Tracini (@joetracini) March 24, 2020
I was having a terrible day. I felt sad, hopeless, depressed. After all,Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-10536998474476408042020-05-15T09:49:00.003+01:002020-06-01T12:21:28.438+01:00"Better than Timmy's" Ginger Molasses Cookies
The Domestic Goddess hands the Baking Baton over to the Junior DG
Chris liked the size of my cookies.
Unlike what seems like 99% of the world (on social media, at least), I have been baking and cooking less during this lockdown. With everyone being at home all the time, and my homeschooling three kids at the dining room table every day, I have less time than usual to bake and make Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-80889291372543817132020-05-04T11:21:00.000+01:002020-05-06T09:07:07.124+01:00DG Presents: Tea Lattes at Home
The Domestic Goddess takes a victory lap after creating the perfect tea latte at home
Branding matters: Should I call my shop Starhuffs? Huffbucks?
As a freelancer on lockdown, I not only struggle with having my family underfoot All The Time, but also with missing my real office, Starbucks. I guess I'm saving money by making my own tea, but tea is tea, and I miss lattes.
Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-21402720992611484272020-04-28T15:43:00.002+01:002020-04-30T11:38:32.724+01:00Update on Huffling Home Schooling The first thing you'll want to know is whether I've killed my children or husband yet.
I have not.
Proof of Life, as of Friday, anyway. Husband is (probably) just off-camera, honest.(Image: author's own)
That doesn't mean that I don't want to, or that I'm not going to eventually, but that currently, right now, they are all alive and well. Pink-cheeked and healthy, in fact. Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1056846022992631530.post-26638216206281972802020-04-07T15:20:00.000+01:002020-04-30T11:37:26.476+01:00Do As I Say (Not As I Do)
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash
A home for fleas
A hive for bees
A nest for birds
There ain't no words
For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder
Of my...
Of course, I'm referring to the one matter that I allow myself to be openly hypocritical about: hair brushing.
My two beautiful daughters* have beautiful hair: one has straight, shiny, nut-brown hair and Dammit Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13602182575513461215noreply@blogger.com0