Kim Iverson - Archive site

I took the above image a few days ago. Needless to say, my little poofy face still hasn't begun to feel too much better. He's still sitting and being poofy. Although he has been feeling a bit better with the heater on him every day. Right now he's eating with Zeva, and in the mornings he flies around a bit. I'd really hoped that he would be better by now, but him and Zeva are getting older so I understand that it will just take him a bit more time. I know he's sick, but he is just too darn adorable when he is puffy like above. Also because he becomes mister adorable face and lovey boy. Awww. Over the weekend I was able to finish my dark hair coloring. I know I said I would do stripes of color, but then I stared at my old pictures, and I decided for now, since the blonde wreaked havoc on my hair (as well as switching to Wen for a while as it dried my hair out big time) I would do the one color. I do still have a few streaks of the blonde, mainly in front becaus...

Above photo is on a normal day. This was taken years ago. Jax is still not in top form. I grabbed one of the small room heaters and put it at 70*, then placed near the cage. He's been eating a bunch more, so I gave him one of their treat sticks that have a lot of vitamins and I believe this one has a lot of egg. Zeva isn't really interested in it, but Jax has been eating it all day, like he usually does. The heat has helped him. He is still puffy, but did a little talking a bit ago and is moving around a bit more. Zeva's been singing to him so I know the heat is helping. Gave him some sliced brussel sprouts as well. In other news, I haven't been able to do much editing today. I enjoyed a few hours of showing up older brother in place of it. His exact quote, "When did I become the girl? It's my fault and dad's fault for showing you how to work on vehicles." He doesn't appreciate his little sister being able to change the tire on his 4x4 Bl...

Jax isn't feeling well this morning. Not sure why. He's remained poofed up (they spread feathers to get warm) all morning, fairly quiet, and even climbed up on my finger (being semi wild they rarely want physical touch from me). I'm hoping he feels better later today. Even Zeva is remaining fairly quiet to be nice. I think she gets that he doesn't feel well. I'm going to keep the door to my room closed today so it'll stay warmer than normal. Poor little guy. As for the books I'm working on, I got the note this morning in my email that the proof for Dark Illusions: The Next Chapter has been sent. I should get that within the week (depends on the holiday shipping times). I'm holding off on ordering the proof for the hard bound to make sure the font on the paperback is good. Since I have them both the same (just the size and line spacing is different) fonts, the paperback will let me know if I need to change the hard bound. Working on the edits for D...

Getting close to finishing and ordering proof for Dark Illusions: The Next Chapter in paperback form. Only reason I am this round is because I am changing the font. And when I do that I like to have it in my hand, as they would print and send out so that I know exactly what you guys would receive when you order it. Shouldn't take more than a week to get here and approve (unless I need to change anything about it). I am currently on the cover stage. Then I can move onto the hard bound version. Cheyenne on my lap this morning, refusing to acknowledge that it was time to get up. :) Those are clearly screams from me being mauled by the vicious terror, not giggles. Here are her pictures I took -   

I'm going to start trying to write out the process that I went through to lose weight some years ago. For this first blog about it, I want to focus on how to avoid gaining weight during the dreaded Winter season or Holidays, and even possibly losing weight the way I sometimes do. I think it's taken a while to finally write this out because for me, I feel like I'm being all, "ooo look at me aren't I special," and I hate feeling that way. It's hard for me to talk about and I don't even understand that. Could be me, but I know how much friends and people that I talk about this with, have wanted to know how I did it, so for you, I am committed to writing it out. It took me ten years to go from nearly 200 lbs (or a size 16-18W) down to about 140-145 lbs (or a size 6-8). My method may not work for everyone, and those that go my method may incorporate ideas that help them shed the weight faster. I am not a doctor, either. Clearly. Listen to it, or not, bu...

Kona decided that he didn't want Lucy sleeping anymore. Since momma is busy writing and unable to give him play time, he wanted sissies time. What did he do? That little beast above, walked over to her and grabbed the pink blanket that covered her (below) and dragged it off her, then began "killing" it. haha Meanie. Typical younger brother. Now she's next to me on the chair to avoid him and he's running around the house.

Check out this adorable cat. Don't know if you've seen this or not, but she is precious.

The official page is updated with all the links on where to purchase the eBook. Dark Illusions Official Page Right now I am working on the paperback and hard bound. When I finish with those, I will add those links. As stated before, it may take anywhere from a week (best case) to a few weeks to finish those and get them up. I have to actually order a proof this time to physically see how the book will look in my hands since I'm changing the font I used. This first round of eBooks have a special digitally signed cover. It is my genuine signature. I wrote it down on a piece of paper, took a pic, then uploaded it to the cover image. So it's real! The page with all the scheduling info is here: Schedule

Since I'm busy with formatting Dark Illusions: The Next Chapter, I thought I'd share some posts from the archives. Here is a great post that I wrote back in 2010 (11-4-2010). (Resists urge to edit.) We all need to grow up. Eventually that happens whether we realize it or not. But what's even more important isn't us going from child to adult, but as adult's we grow as people. It's always interesting to me how people can change so much; or not. How some are just completely content being the same as they have always been, rather than to consciously grow as an individual person. Even more interesting is how a person can outgrow people around them. Where you realize that even though that person's situation has changed: maybe they got married, or had children, moved, etc., but yet they haven't changed. Their circumstances and environment changed. They may have even matured more than before. But again, they haven't changed. At. All. They...

  I am halfway through the formatting process, but wanted to quickly post this for those that have missed it.  I'm going to allow the Street Team members to share the book as a holiday gift, to anyone they think may like it. When you do receive the book, it would be so incredibly helpful if you'd let me know of any formatting errors you may catch. I would appreciate that, and the moment you tell me, I will fix it, and re-upload, as always. :) Also, if I disappear here and there this week, this is why. I haven't forgotten about the surprise announcement, just been focusing on this, and the surprise had to do with when this one released anyway. So I'll still be posting that in the next newsletter. I haven't forgotten. And as a final note: If there ever comes a time when you come across a book of mine on a pirate site, or anything that seems "fishy," please, please, please do not download and risk infecting your eBook reader. All you have to d...

Because I mentioned this to my editor, I thought I would mention is on my blog as well since I know a lot of you are aspiring writers, established, or otherwise. There are times when writing, that I find myself working sluggishly through a part of my books. I did this quite a bit with Always Consequences before I learned to fix the hinterdoo that I'm going to tell you about. I also do this when I edit, not just when I am writing, but it makes the writing go much faster. I've noticed that more often than not, I hear authors overwriting, then coming back to remove details. I am the total opposite, which I thought was weird at first, but now I realize my difference in this millionth subject, is a strength. I am impatient. Naturally, I have impatient characters. Anyone who has read Dark Ilusions will assume what it's like to deal with Kat on a daily basis while writing. Tapping her little foot, telling me, "Come on, come on. I don't have all day. Who care what co...

Disclaimer: If you're easily grossed out, and believe raising dogs is all unicorns and sparkles, don't read further. Ah, the lovely life (and oh so totally glam) life I lead with my beautiful pets I truly adore. I have been dealing with a dog who's sick. Sick is a lose term because she is, but she isn't. Kendra has developed these periods of time where food and her are not friends. It appears once a year, and lasts about a week before everything becomes normal once more. In that time, she'll throw up her food (yay for me, it's mostly at night, and she doesn't choose to leave my side, double yay!) and lose weight. I give her Nutri Cal for added vitamins until her appetite returns so her weight doesn't drop too much, and to help her, though she's always her normal goobery self during this time. This is the third time she's going through this, which is why it's not a huge concern for me/us. It's funny. If this was my first dog, or even...

Video isn't the best quality since it was recorded with an old camera phone, but this is one of our beauty's. I call her Black Beauty, and you can see why. SUCH a sweetheart. Cheyenne. She is the oldest of the five Shih Tzu pups we bred.

Some of the most delicious doughnut holes on the planet. Not even kidding. Fairly simple to make too. One winter when the heater decided to stop working, my mom was in Texas, brother was long-haul truck driving, and I was on my own, I used a bag of these to pay my brother's friends for coming out, working all day, and replacing the broken parts for free. They said the doughnut holes didn't last but an hour after they left here, haha.

I think at any time during the year, but especially the holiday's that it becomes important to take care of yourself. Despite writing this blog (I'm being stubborn and shouldn't really be on the computer), I am taking the weekend off. Maybe just today, maybe the whole weekend. Depends on how I feel. Last night I just started to feel extremely dizzy and nauseous, then really cold, and it wouldn't let up. For a person who doesn't get sick, I know why it happened. I overworked myself. My body has this wonderful ability of telling me when I am ridiculous (the only one I listen to, really) and need to take a break. And, as much as I hate taking time off, that's exactly what I'm doing. The dishes have already piled up, which means I will do those (we don't have a dishwasher so there isn't much choice), and I do have to stay on top of some cleaning or else the house becomes total ruin. Same with making dinner, but I do have a pizza ready to pop into t...

A message to the little girl I was, am, and the young child within all of us. A friend asked me what I would say to my younger self and I began thinking. . . . Don't be scared. I know how much fear you hold in your heart, but it's all lies. You're so much braver than you think and you realize. Don't be afraid to dream, to love, to be open and honest with your feelings, to be who you want to be despite everyone around you telling you that you can't. Look at the source of that hate. They want you to fail so you'll be no better than they. Do not ever allow them to win, to hold you back from your true potential. There will come a time when you are a bit older, yet still so young, that you'll be asked a question and you will wonder whether or not you should tell the truth. If you lie, that road is going to be so very hard on you. It will take parts of your soul that you will never receive again. They will never return. People will tell you that was...

Kona stole my vest. Isn't he just the cutest? His head fit perfectly within the arm hole.

As I get older, I find the urge to live on the land grows. To buy (or build) a home on land as far as the eye can see. I was born to be free, to live in a place where you see nothing but earth for miles and miles and miles. To listen to the winds as it whispers along the earth, the eagle's call as it hunts. To hear the sounds of the thunder clapping across the sky on a stormy night, the wind whipping the hair around your head until you don't know left from right. To feel the sunshine warm against your face. I think, in that way, I take after my dad. But how I differ from my dad is how much I also love many animals around me. People find the way they respond to me funny. Maybe it's that I can speak without saying a word to them, I'm not sure. I just know that people have always said I possess a "gift" when it comes to animals and I have learned that it's true. My empathy works as well on animals as it does humans so I see things in them. I find they...

 

I just spent almost my entire payday (which granted, isn't much right now) on . . . the gremlin gang. The Gremlin Gang 4/12 But come on . . . look at those faces! Er . . . bodies. They're cute. Promise. That's okay. They are worth it. And I have a few problems I'm attempting to correct with this round of purchases as well. Drs Foster Smith is currently having a sale on Distaste Plus and while I perused the site, I saw them slash the price further. From $14.99, down to $9.99, then down to $7.99 for a 2 lbs tub? That's almost 1000 treats for coprophagia treatment when I buy two. Since we have to give the treats to the dogs who are having (blech!) their ahem eaten, that amounts to about 2 months worth of the treats. I have found those treats began working when they were younger, but I couldn't continue it (finances). My oldest dog, Sabrina has the potty eating problem the worst, as well as the momma to the ones above. Kendra's main issue comes when I ...

I decided to try these delicious pumpkin cinnamon rolls this year from The Pioneer Woman, whom I adore. Noticed that I do not have any canned pumpkin to speak of--thought I did and was up to that stage of the cooking--once underway so I went ahead and grabbed a can of yams and smashed up a cup worth. I also halved the recipe, so technically I only needed 1/2 cup of the yams, but figured the taste would be better if I used more. I thought since pumpkin tends to be more intense a flavor, that having twice as much for the sweet potato would flavor it better. And cause I like sweet potatoes. I am in the last stage of rising and have to only wait about 15-30 minutes more before I cook and the smell fills the house. If you're looking for a really great cinnamon roll recipe, you should check out Ree's other recipe for the regular ol' cinnamon rolls. I have tried those before and they were hands down, the best recipe for cinnamon rolls I've ever done, tried. For hom...

Isn't this an absolutely gorgeous colored mini rose? I did alter the photo, but only to get as close as possible to the real color of the rose. It is a deep vibrant red, almost black. So incredibly beautiful! And I love my little Irish Whiskey bottle. Lol I don't ever drink, never have, but brother gave me that bottle and it's a great vase for these little roses.

Those of you subscribed will get this first, then tomorrow I shall begin sharing the link all over. This is part of the great news that I wanted to share with you. I have an online store you can now shop at! Skip ahead and check it out here: www.arianabrowningstore.blogspot.com Currently there is a limited stock, but I hope to expand as time goes on. Even bringing in the items I make at home. You're welcome to use the comments section for reviews on the books, questions, or comments. There is a helpful FAQ to find answers and help with uploading your books to Kindle, or what format to choose, or post a question you need answered. Stop by and tell me what you think! I'm so excited to provide this for you! And also honestly for myself since I earn more money when you buy from my own store. You can find the individual links up in my main navigation bar, and a link on the store, to return to this site. :) ARIANA BROWNING STORE

First is the full size cover of all three side-by-side, followed by each individual, including the official cover for Dark Illusions: The Final Chapter. Click to see the full sized version.

Good title, yes? I love tiny little tinkerdinks. They fit anywhere, and are just so darn cute. I am not one who really enjoys tons of "things" around the house or my room, so I don't have much, but there are some that always get to me. The other day I came in from getting the mail and there was this large chunk of perfect moss (yes, we've established my weirdness and I like moss :p) which is the piece you see at the bottom right of the picture. I hadn't been considering a terrarium at all, but when my father passed away my aunt got rid of the one he'd had that must have been over 20 years old, and I've always loved them. I remember it from my childhood. It was this large globe that I often believed little creatures lived within. I'm sure something lived within, but not the fantasy creatures that I assumed. As a child I frequently thought I saw many things that were there, yet others couldn't, so you just never know. But as for the terrarium, ...

This makes an excellent bread for sandwiches because it's sturdy, yet light.

I see this all the time, so I will participate and share a throwback Thursday picture of myself. You can't tell that even back then I hated photos taken of me, can you?

You're welcome to save this image. Right click and "save as." Ah, the girl that everyone loves so much. And yet wants to ring her neck, as well. Kat. I know you're dying to know whether that is her full name or not. Well, you'll have to wait. Unless you cheat and scroll to the bottom, but I know you'll be good. Correct? I can tell you that I never made a last name for her. Most of the characters don't have one. I don't have much of a reason for it. I never find it important unless someone uses their full name for a purpose, as in the case of Julian. I don't do that in any of my books. One thing my editor and I go back and forth with. My hatred of those little details that don't really matter, and hers that some of them do. I compromise sometimes, but that's one of those things that I wouldn't. Who is she? Kat is a strong-willed individual. She never had it easy growing up and always had to stand up to everyone around he...

I always love making these cookies around the winter time, to go along with it being Christmas, and Fall, but these taste practically like doughnuts, so they'd be good year-round really.  Pumpkin Walnut Cookies Yield: About 5 dozen

Writing with the gremlin gang when in their "trouble" mood.  Write ten minutes, run through house chasing one ruler breaker to redirect them from what they're doing.  Write ten more minutes, rush through house after another deviant.  Write possibly 30 minutes, run through house saying, "Would you stop it and let me write," as another demon child breaks the same rule after the other and you redi rect all to the living room with an order to "go lay down." Write another ten minutes, stumble after and block original deviant who thinks nitpicking daddy and getting him to growl at you is entirely loads of fun. Threaten with massive amounts of time out to ALL deviants now regardless of who is and isn't the rule breaker. Because threats work. Not at all, but you release pent up frustration when you stand up and they all scatter. It's a conspiracy I tell ya. Devious little beings. On the plus side, it's good for the butt muscles. Stand up, sit down,...

This is something I do every year here. Especially around fall and winter because I love the scent filling the house. You've seen me post the images of making liquid potpourri much the same way as well. So this is how I do it to use as a home air freshener. What I love about lavender the most is the way the scent will remain in the stems for years to come. It dilutes a bit with each use, but once in a pot of water, the scent releases again and again. Just don't forget to keep checking it so it doesn't dry out. When adding the water, it's best to use warm, but any temperature is fine. The cloves add that great "fall" scent. Cloves and cinnamon alone sort of makes one think of apple pie. At least my nose does. Feel free to steal this image and share it. Or keep for yourself. (Right click and "save as")

(Images used to make picture above from morguefile.com) Repost so that it will POP up in your feed. Then I shall harass you all over the social sphere to make sure you see this. If you don't want to subscribe to blog posts, ignore. My blog posts are now linked in my newsletter so that you truly only need to subscribe to the one universal thing: the newsletter. But when I fixed my feed, all subscribers vanished. My sincerest apologies for that. I did not think it would happen. Speaking of newsletters.  I wasn't, but now I am. If you have not seen my post, and aren't signed up for my newsletter, do so now to gain exclusive first look access to goodies on their way, and a very special announcement that will only be mentioned in my upcoming newsletters regarding Dark Illusions. I am disabling the broadcast of my newsletter to any social sites and it will only come through your email. So again, if you want the one universal newsletter of all my goodies, subscribe now,...

Passion (March 19, 2009) Someone once gave me the prompt for "Passion" and this is what came about. Thanks to Tracy for that. Passion you ask Pure and true What is passion if not truth If not pure If not naked Ripping you apart From the inside out Hold on for dear life Do not let go Find the passion You can sink your teeth into As it lifts you into the air Giving you wings to fly As your mind soars above Ripping you apart From the inside out Crying out in ecstasy As the sweat pours down your back Glistening across your skin Leaving you breathless As you try and catch your breath Passion keeps us alive To know passion is to know life What is yours Find it and hold on

I came across this poem some time ago and it struck me deeply. Love this. Thought I would share it. She Let Go by Rev. Safire Rose   She let go.  Without a thought or a word, she let go. She let go of fear.  She let go of the judgments.    She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head.   She let go of the committee of indecision within her.   She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons.  Wholly and completely,  without hesitation or worry, she just let go. She didn’t ask anyone for advice.  She didn’t read a  book on how to let go…  She didn’t search the scriptures.   She just let go.   She let go of all of the memories that held her back.   She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward.    She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right.   She didn’t promise to let go.  ...