After some searching I found a great little program called SharpKeys (I actually found this because I’ve been using one of my Mac keyboards on my desktop PC and it doesn’t have Printscreen buttons or some other buttons key to just windows computers). I happened upon a forum and an artist there was talking about loading sharpkeys and using it to tweak the keyboard while on his pc so he could use the same keyboard on all his computers without a problem. Any of you who do a lot of photoshop and bounce between a mac and a pc know know confusing the quick keys can get.

Anyways, to make a long story a little less long, I gave it a try on my laptop.

The program allowed me to toggle off the up arrow key. I’m still trying to figure out a way to possibly tweak that option so it doesn’t apply while Photoshop is the active program but if I can’t, that’s fine. I’m willing to live without the up arrow key for the sake of my sanity.

Big thanks to randyrants.com for the step by step instructions he lists as well as tips and tricks.

I’m attempting to use AutoKeys to narrow down the issue but I’m a little lost. Cross your fingers for me.

I know I’m not the only one who is having a love/hate relationship with certain keys on my keyboard. My Samhain editor, Angela James, is having trouble with a key on her asus. I’ll let you know if she’s able to get it working to her liking as well.

Taking Care of Business
By N.J. Walters

Time. What happens to it all in the run of a week. Every working woman, whether she works from home or out in the world, understand what I’m talking about. There never seems to be enough time to get it all done.

Work, kids, husband, family, friends, and various groups we’re all part of—everyone wants a piece of us. Where in there is the time for us?

It’s an epidemic in the modern world and women are slowly killing themselves trying to do everything. It’s more prevalent among younger women, I think. As we get older, I’d like to think we gain a little more perspective on the world and realize that we can’t do everything. Nor can we be all things to all people. And we shouldn’t be.

Ultimately, the only person we’re responsible for is ourself. If we have families, sure we want to take care of them, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of ourselves. If we wear ourselves out and have nothing left to give, how does this enrich our family? It doesn’t.

It’s hard to find time for ourselves in this day and age. It seems as if each “time saving” device leaves us less time. Think about it. Computers, cell phones and Blackberries make work much easier, but it also means that we never truly leave work at all. Instead of saving time, they take all our time.

So here are 5 simple, and cheap, ways to pamper yourself. Ways to take care of the business of taking care of you. Some of them don’t require much time, which means you have no excuse not to do them.

1. Take a hot bath. I mean it. Turn off the cell phone and tell the kids they’re only to knock on the door if someone is bleeding to death. If they’re too young to be left on their own enlist your hubby’s help. Belive me, he’ll be happier to have a relaxed and happy wife when you go to bed. 

Showers are for the morning when you have to get clean in a hurry. A bath is all about pampering and relaxation. Before you step into the tub, brush your skin with a loofah or soft brush. It will slough away dead skin cells and help your circulation. Buy a sample pack of bathoil or bubble for your bath. You can buy them for under $1 a piece so there is no excuse. Slip into the tub. Relax and enjoy. You can sip on a cup of tea, a glass of wine, or whatever you’d like. When you get out, dry off with a clean fluffy towel and take the time to moisturize your skin.

2. Indulge in a piece of good chocolate, or whatever other treat is your favorite. It’s yours. You’re not sharing it with anyone. Furthermore, you’re going to go off by yourself and eat it. Whether it takes you ten minutes or a half hour, I don’t care. Take a bite and let it sit in your mouth. Savor it. If it’s chocolate, just let it melt in your mouth. Let yourself really taste it. Again, good chocolate now comes in bars under $3. Indulge.

3. Read a book. I know that this is a retreat for many women. I love browsing the bookstore to find my new book. With computers, you can also buy books on-line whenever you want. If new books aren’t in the budget at the moment, hit the library. But remember, you can buy e-books fairly inexpensively. I read before bed. It helps me unwind and relax.

4. Turn off the computer and television. Do not have either in your bedroom. Your bedroom is for sleeping, relaxing and being with your partner if you have one. It’s not for work or television. It’s your sanctuary. Treat it that way. Removing all electronic equipment will give you a much better night’s sleep. The only thing I’d keep is possibly a stereo. But no news, just soothing relaxing music.

5. Take five minutes, close your eyes and just be. Don’t allow yourself to think about anything. This is much harder than it sounds. We have a tendency to always be multitasking, always thinking two or three tasks ahead. Let go. They’ll all still be there five minutes from now.

There are many more ways to relax. These are just a few. What do you do to relax and unwind? Inquiring minds want to know!

Emotional~Sensual~Satisfying Reads!
http://www.njwalters.com
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
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A Legal Affair—Samhain Publishing—July 15th
Jackson’s Jewel—Ellora’s Cave—July 25th

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THE WORKING MOTHER’S DILEMMA
By: Sara Reinke

One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make came early last year, just prior to the birth of my daughter. Already the mother of one, I had decided three years earlier to quit working full-time and be an at-home mom. Of course, along the line, I pursued some freelance writing and editing work and was employed part-time at a local college three nights a week, and in the end, I felt like I was working full time even if I wasn’t getting paid like it. But in any case, this schedule allowed me time to spend at home with my son — time I cherished and very much enjoyed.

My husband and I were fortunate in that the small house we own has an even smaller mortgage. Between the two of us, we had little if any other debt, and this allowed me the chance to get by primarily on his income. But when I found out I was pregnant the second time around, I had to do some serious soul searching. Our house has only two bedrooms, and while two kids can get by sharing the space for a few years, at some point, they’d need their own rooms. Which would mean moving. Which would mean a bigger house, bigger mortgage and bigger financial strain on our already limited budget. To me, two kids seemed to necessitate two full-time incomes, and it was with a heavy heart that I started to look for a job.

While I was fortunate enough to land the job I’d held for almost seven years prior to my son’s birth in what can only be described as a strange twist of karma (the girl who’d taken my place quit), and I love my coworkers, so was delighted for the chance to rejoin them, I have to say it broke my heart to bring my daughter to daycare for the first time. She was only six weeks old, and on that initial day, I came back to visit her at lunchtime, holding her in my arms and bawling like an idiot because I felt like the worst mother in the world.

One thing that helped me get over that impression quickly was my older sister. When her daughter was born, she went back to work, too, and I was able to see first hand that it didn’t hinder their mother-child bonding at all. My niece is growing up normal and affectionate, and that was really a comfort to me.

So almost a year later, I can say that I’ve enjoyed the best of both worlds. I treasure the opportunity I had to be able to afford to stay home when my son was a baby, but likewise I treasure the time I spend with my baby girl now that I’ve returned to work. I like the security that comes from rebuilding my savings, from having a full time paycheck again, along with full time benefits. It also helps me enjoy more time with my family — all of us, including my husband, because when I was working from home and at night, I felt like I never got to see him, much less all of us spend any time together. Now we can go on vacations together, go for a walk, hit the playground, have a picnic — anything we can think of, and all without trying to juggle my husband’s schedule with mine.

I know a lot of women out there are faced with the same decisions I have, and I can honestly say there is no right or wrong. The choices I made were based on my circumstances at the time — I left my job to care for my son because we could afford it; I’d built up my savings for more than a year and already a plan in mind for supplementing it with my freelance endeavors. The stars were all in perfect alignment for that particular situation, just like when I was carrying my daughter, they seemed to align again when I realized it would be best for us financially if I returned to work.

Based on my experience, here are some tips and advice I can offer work-from-home mothers:

- Before leaving your full-time job, talk to your employer to see what, if any arrangements can be made to allow you to work from home, even if it’s only in a part-time capacity. A friend of mine did this and has been able to work from her home office for more than three years.

- If you’re freelance hunting, contact small local newspapers and/or magazines in your region to see if they are seeking freelance writers. Pitch story ideas to them and be willing to supply your own photographs to accompany the story. Inquire as to whether or not they offer any long-term freelance arrangements. (Steady freelance work is a godsend and you don’t wind up shopping around story ideas all over town.) Use a standard freelance agreement for any assignments you take and for which you are paid. Keep accurate records of payment for tax purposes.

- Be wary of potential work-from-home scams. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

- Work while your child is sleeping: naptime, early morning, late at night or (optimally) find a daycare that offers part-time services so you can bring your child once or twice a week. This not only gives you a break and allows you some uninterrupted work time, but allows your child some critical socialization experience, as well.

- Remember you’re not a stay-at-home mom. You’re a WORK-from-home mom, even if you’re strictly caring for your child. Being a parent is a full-time job, especially for an infant or toddler. You become caregiver, playmate, chef, chauffeur, laundry worker, bottle-washer, maid and more.

- Make time for yourself. No work, no kids, no husband — just YOU. Go see a movie. Get a manicure or facial. Hit the gym. Don’t allow your pre-baby identity to be lost.

- Make time for grown up conversations, too. Be it with your husband, neighbor, best friend, former coworkers, whatever — do more than ga-ga-goo-goo or sing Doodlebop songs. Try to remember what you used to talk about before you had kids. (Yeah, I know. I often wonder myself.) Try to keep in touch with your pre-baby interests and talk about them, be it books, music, movies, politics, what have you. Again, don’t allow your pre-baby identity to be lost.

And for you mothers who choose to go back to work, here are some tips you might be able to use, too:

- Remember first and foremost: YOU ARE NOT A BAD MOTHER FOR GOING BACK TO WORK.

- Visit your baby at the daycare on your lunch break, if possible, at least for the first couple of weeks upon your return. (I visited my daughter for several months, in fact.) As long as it’s not interrupting the nursery nap schedule, your daycare shouldn’t disapprove of this, and if they do, find another one that won’t.

- Find a pediatrician with evening or Saturday hours. My pediatrician has Saturday hours, and we live within driving distance of an after-hours pediatric care center. These have both come in handy since I returned to work more times than I can count.

- Don’t try to be a superwoman. Let the laundry slide. Don’t worry if dust accumulates a bit or you can’t vacuum every week. Instead of fussing with housework, go outside and play with your kids. Make the most of your time with your family and enjoy yourself. Along those lines, convenience foods are fantastic — skillet dinner kits, frozen casseroles, quick-and-easy stir fry meals, these are all great ways to throw together a fast but filling and healthy dinner. (Because eating out is very tempting after a long day at the office.)

Do what is best for you and your family and you’ll never go wrong!

~***~
Sara Reinke is the author of several books, including Dark Thirst, the first in a
new paranormal series from Kensington/Zebra Books that Romantic Times
Book Reviews magazine calls a “new twist on the vampire legend” and “a
fascinating and unique romance.” Other available titles include Tethers, a
science-fiction thriller, the historical romance, An Unexpected Engagement
and the fantasy series, the Chronicles of Tiralainn. A member of Wild &
Wicked Authors, the Dark Muse Society and the Louisville Romance
Writers chapter of Romance Writers of America, Reinke is represented
by Nephele Tempest of The Knight Agency.

Please Remember, Raven Radio is now on it’s evening schedule

11PM - 12AM EST

~***~

Paranormal authors Mandy M Roth and Michelle M Pillow talk books, industry, paranormal, and take reader calls. Today’s guest is Author Yasmine Galenorn!

Wed June 25, 2008
11pm –12am EST

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Behind the Story: OohRah! by Tilly Greene

The most straightforward description I can come up with for OohRah! would be that it’s an erotic love story with two people who come to love each more deeply after a stress filled separation.

The hero is Warrant Officer Dale Smythe and he loves being a Marine. The job he does for the Corps is a challenge, physically and mentally, and requires him to be at the top of his game or die. This possibility doesn’t bother him, danger and adventure were exactly what he’d been looking for when he signed up at eighteen and he hasn’t changed his mind it yet.

The story begins with him just back from a tour through Afghanistan and deciding it’s about time he made a few changes in his personal life. No more one-night stands. A real relationship with a woman he cares for, who will help him keep touch with life off the battlefield and will be there when he returns from his next tour of duty.

Lady Luck has her way with him and he finds exactly what he was looking for in the most unlikely of places. Volunteering at the local Run for a Cure race, he sees a young woman who has all the physical attributes that ring his bell. The hormones and testosterone racing uncontrollably through his body once again take over and lead him out onto the course. Eager to enjoy her body, he puts the idea of change on the backburner and runs at her side. What he doesn’t realize until they finish is how impressed he was by the effort she spent in order to finish. By the time they cross the line, he’s entranced and needs to know more about her.

Confident in her and their budding love affair, he’s sure this is the woman who will help him keep his soul intact, no matter how difficult the situation. There is, however, one thing my Marine isn’t so sure about. How will he handle leaving her behind when he heads back to the battlefield?

That’s right, the meat of OohRah! is the man inside the uniform.

This love came about after having been bombarded by the harsh reality of war for too long. For the sake of my sanity I decided to put a different spin on what was happening and focus on who the men and women were that joined up for this difficult job. There were many things I wanted to know, like how they acted when not deployed. Was it difficult to keep things normal when you’ve spent months facing the horrors found in the midst of battle? Tied in with that was what they look for in a partner who would keep the home fires burning for their return.

Yup, the inspiration for OohRah! was that simple. Humanity. Mortality. Legacy. All of these things and much more have been wrapped up into one Warrant Officer Dale Smythe and his quest for a fulfilling life. After I’d decided what to focus on, next came the most important question of all: Soldier or Marine?

That turned out to be an easy one as well. While I was mulling this question over I thought about a conversation I had with a friend who happens to be a Marine and Vietnam Vet. He once mentioned something that’s stuck with me ever since. “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” There’s such power behind that one statement I didn’t look any further. The dedication and strength these men and women have in their souls to serve their nation is an incredible gift that shouldn’t be overlooked or pushed aside.

Link to Book: CLICK HERE

Tilly Greene
Official Website

We were at it again. The boys and I collected river rocks and made sets of Rune Stones. They had a ton of fun painting them and making the bags to hold them in. We used leftover material from our voodoo dolls and yarn. I’m hoping they see good things in our future.