Summer is coming to an end.

Here we go again! Summer is coming to a close and the kids are getting ready to go back to school. A lot of schools around the country have already started back, but our county doesn't start until the day after Labor Day. Therefore, my kids have three more weeks to do stay up late, have no schedule, and watch way too much YouTube.

We've had a lot of rain this summer, making it difficult to enjoy outdoor activities, like swimming. Our pool is constantly being cleaned because of the rain, and now the nighttime temps are dropping into the 70's. Thus, pulling the pool's water temp down into uncomfortable zones for me. I like my water to be at least 80 degrees, and if it's below that it makes my (warning: sounding like an old lady here) legs hurt. And that's no fun. :( So it won't be long before I have to close it up for the winter because it'll be more cleaning and less swimming. So what's the point?

On the upside, the kids will be back in school and back on their schedules. I won't have to worry about them waking Tim up during the day while I'm at work (he works nights), or have the teenager running all over creation with her boyfriend because I'm not there to say "Whoa there, missy."

Speaking of the kids: my oldest is still in college; my middle will be starting her senior year in high school; and the youngest is heading into middle school. Eek! This time next year I'll have two in college!! That's just crazy to imagine, but....

It means I'll finally be getting my very own private office!! Woohoo! I can't wait to move all my book stuff into one room. I'm looking forward to having a room where I can close the door and get my writing done without as many interruptions. All my cover art will decorate the walls. Bookshelves will be plentiful. My desk will be an actual desk instead of the kitchen table. I'm already planning paint colors, a new ceiling fan, and even window treatments. I'm still trying to decide if I want to rip up the carpet and put down hardwood to match the rest of the house. But, hey, at least I have time to think about it. LOL!

Overall, things are going well in the Silvers' household. I even added to my tattoo collection over the summer. If you're on my Instagram you've probably already seen it.  ;)  I hope you're all having a great week and that the weeks to come bring you peace and happiness.

InkPop and Teen Writers

I don't normally advertise for other companies, but I was contacted by an employee of Harper Collins wanting me to check out the site called InkPop.com and possibly mention something about it here on the blog. Even that isn't usually a good enough reason for me to share stuff I don't use or like

However... this site is very cool for the teen writer! InkPop focuses mainly on YA and teen writers, and as I don't write YA and certainly not a teen writer any longer, I had my teenager check it out as well. She's 14 (almost 15, she says) and loves reading and writing. Her words were, "It's cool, Mom. I like it and will definitely use it."

From what she told me, the only thing she didn't like is how difficult they have the password section of registration. It has a specific requirement on how your password should be. Something like 6 letters, 1 has to be a number and 1 has to be capitalized... or some such nonsense. She made it through though and moved on into using the site.

Anyway, the site seems to appeal to teens with ways to earn "badges" during your time there by doing things like writing short stories, writing poetry, helping out with critiques, writing fiction and even just trying out everything once. There are 25 badges in total, so there's plenty for the aspiring teen writer to try their hand at.

If you have a teen that enjoys writing, send them this way. They'll find lots of other people who enjoy the same things they do and possibly lead the way to a lifelong enjoyment of the written word. As an author, I like to encourage others to give it a try. I know my teen is.