I'm back!

So everything's been in absolute chaos for the past several days. If you've been keeping up with me on FaceBook, then you know why. If not, then here's a quick series of excerpts that should bring you up to speed:

August 20

So...I'm having a nightmarish day...

My Web site, representing my life's work, simply vanished today. It was there this morning. Then, about half an hour ago, nothing. I logged in to edit it, and they said I had not yet built a Web site. The tripod site wouldn't give me number to call, because they said I'm not a paying member...but I pay a bill for my URL every month!!! So I sent in an e-mail, and they said they'd MAYBE get back to me in 72 hours...

With computer crashes and damaged disks over the years, some of my work may have existed ONLY on that Web site! I am so devastated right now! I can't even put the horror of all this into words!


August 21, Part I

Day 2 since my Web site...11 years of work...vanished without explanation. The reality is hitting me a little bit harder today. I am devastated.

August 21, Part II

(In response to a comment on Part I) It's not a free service. I own my URL outright and pay a monthly bill for use of the Tripod software. I've checked all the junk mail folders...everything. There was no notice. There was no problem with the automatic bank draft. It is just gone. I contacted them, but only received an automated response. Supposedly they'll get back to me by Thursday. But things are looking up. I've found all of my published short fiction in some form or another off of the site, so I can rebuild. It will just take time. Lots of time. Thanks to everyone for all the love!

August 21, Part III

Still burned...but things are looking up. All of my short fiction exists, either in eBooks that people have downloaded and saved, or those exclusive print editions that I so foolishly discontinued a couple years ago. Guess what's coming back when I rebuild! And of course, all three of my books remain in print. Now I just hope I can get access to my URL without having to go with another one.

August 21, Part IV

As for Tripod/Lycos...we are through. If they can get my site back up, fine, but I'm just going to copy all of the files then and move my URL to another host. There's one I've been looking at for years that allows me more creative freedom, while at the same time costing less. I built a site for someone else with it a few years back. Very nice.

August 21, Part V

I'm going to use Facebook to prove to myself that I'm still in business. Here's my merchandise shop, which is another site I pay for that was only linked to my main site. Web site exclusive print editions of all but two of my short fiction eBooks can still be ordered here, as well as T-shirts, posters, mugs, a baby bib......and a werewolf Christmas tree ornament!

August 21, Part VI

Here's a link to buy my first novel Cry, Wolf in trade paperback at Amazon. It's also still available in hardback. But I don't think you should buy it, since the publishers raised the price so high. I'm planning to publish a second edition early next year under my own label, and I'm adding a prologue. Again, just proving to myself that my work still exists after the death of my Web site.

August 21, Part VII

Here's my book of short stories, The Great Debate, in trade paperback. It too is also still available in hardback. If you happen to read this one, we should talk. The four stories are an allegory, very cryptic, VERY dark. If you don't quite get it, you might not understand what I'm saying about God and the church here. I wrote my early darker fiction for God's sheep outside of the church, the ones the church has turned away, and that is still an important ministry for me.

August 21, Part VIII

Now here's my latest and my favorite! The most fun I ever had writing a novel. Metrognomes: The Shaman's Apprentice. Anyone can read this, and we can discuss it just because I LOVE discussing it! :) It's the first of five novels in a series to come, and the hardback edition will be published later this year. :)

This is also the only one of my three books that currently has an eBook edition. I'll send a link to anyone who'd prefer the electronic format! AND two prequel short stories can be found in print at my merchandise shop, which I linked to a few posts ago. Music of the Metrognomes is the first, and the second is called Worse Than a Gremlin.

August 21, Part IX

Feeling much better now. My current blogs still exist too, since they were linked to the main Web site and not actually a part of it. I'll dig up links to those in a while. Right now, I'm thirsty...sign of life. :)

August 21, Part X

(In response to a comment on Part I, suggesting this catastrophe may turn out to be a good thing) I'm already thinking you're right. I didn't realize how weirdly compartmentalized my "cyber life" was until I started posting my author stuff on FB. I'm already thinking, long road ahead, but its a fresh start, and it has made more people aware that I'm a writer, which is good. Not sure why I've kept part of me that so sectioned off.

August 22

Things continue to look up in what is looking more and more to be an exciting fresh start! Found my phone charger, phone works again, found the damaged disk I've been wanting to send in to have the data extracted from, and posting my writing stuff on Facebook has been absolutely reinvigorating! I love people. :D

August 24

So...planning out the new Web site for my writing has allowed me an incredible amount of creative freedom, and my brilliant ideas have gotten quite ambitious! I can't do it the way I envision it all by myself, however. I'm going to have to call in some talent. Fortunately for me, I have a number of very talented friends. :)

August 30

So...my Web site's back, just as suddenly as it vanished, only now it's covered in ads for tripod, identifying it as a free Web site...which...it's...NOT! The battle is partly won. Now on to to victory...and I'm still building a new Web site.

AND...the damaged flash drive with all of my writing files went in to the doctor today. They'll give me a prognosis by tomorrow afternoon. This whole experience has been so...course altering. I see it now as a new beginning. :)

September 1, Part I

Lycos took all of their pop-up ads and banners down from my restored Web site, when I finally got someone on the phone and they were able to return me to my paying Web master status. Whew! Now...back to building the NEW Web site! :D

September 1, Part II

(In response to a friend's comment) Yes! All the old stuff is back! After much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. I'm still planning to rebuild the site with another host, but now it's not as urgent, and I can take a little more time to indulge my creativity with the new site. :)

***

So now you're up to speed, and I'll add the latest chapter of the saga right here. Yesterday the folks at WeRecoverData.com called and said the data would all be recovered by September 9. I was so happy, I got a little weak in the knees. My dad's been handling that business for me, since their Dallas office is right down the road from his apartment. That news was the most exciting text message I've ever received! :)

So today, I'm back in business on the Internet. I posted the understandably delayed haiku #108 and #109. I also wrote #112, which popped in my head while showering one day this week.

At this point, assuming they mail the CD with recovered files on the 9th, I'm planning to get my big projects back on track starting September 14. I'll have the lost chapters of The Chronicles of Nightfire, Texas back...the second Nod story I was working on...The Penny Dreadful serial I was working on (Not even sure how many chapters I'd written)...as well as EVERYTHING else! I am SO excited! This is going to be a tremendous year to come!!!