Time is precious

  Now that my husband has gone off to the great state of Utah, and Idaho, and many other places his new truck drivin' job will take him, I am finding myself trying to catch up on reading, writing reviews, my schoolwork, organizing my computer files, and many other things. Part of the reason I hadn't gotten all of these things done before is procrastination. I suppose the other part would be I just didn't know how to organize my time. When my husband is around, I spend time with him in the evenings, as I work all day. When I come home from work, after cooking dinner, taking care of the animals, and cleaning up, the last thing he wanted to see me do is open my laptop and bury my nose in it for two hours. I am finding that as I am checking things off my list, there are new things being added. Where are they coming from? A black hole? Plucked from thin air? I can picture some troll-like figure sneaking up and adding things to this mysterious to-do list behind my back. I must set a trap for him....

Task Troll

So perhaps with hubby being gone for several weeks at a time now, I can catch up on some much needed writing. I have two WIP's (Work in Progress) that I need to at least get a few more chapters turned out on. I'd like to get some painting done in my house while I have the peace and quiet to do so....

Until next time, remember to always trust what's in your heart, you're never too old to start living your dream, and never give up on YOU! Oh- and if you see Task Troll- hold him there and call me asap!! 

New Beginnings

Howdy y'all! Hope everyone had a great weekend! 
 I have been extremely busy down here in Georgia lately. With Spring, I have been trying to get plants planted and other backyard projects finished. I work a 45-hour a week job, and take care of a household of 5 people (my parents, hubby, son and me) plus 3 Dobermans and my Bug. Bug is my very spoiled cat whom I love very much. Here he is: 

 Anyway, among all of these things, I am currently taking classes for Canine Obedience and Animal Behavior. So, if my writing has suffered lately, well- this is why. However, over the weekend my husband flew out to Utah to start a job with a new company as a truck driver, hauling cars. This will free up at least a few hours a week for me to get back to writing. Women- you know what I'm talkin' about! ;) I also have two books in my library that I am currently reading on that I MUST get finished very soon, for the authors are waiting for reviews from me. I feel horrible that I haven't had time to sit down and finish them yet. 

 So, here's to new beginnings, and tying up the loose dangly thingies on some other things! 

Who is this, please?

So I figured it was time y'all got to know me a little better, don't ya think? Yeah, I thought so....
I reckon we'll start with some basics, and if y'all have any questions, please feel free to ask them!

I am terrified of spiders, but snakes don't bother me in the least. I am a huge dog and cat lover, and my husband even accuses me of loving our pets more than him. (No comment. Haha)  I have five tattoos, love the outdoors, Mossy Oak & Realtree Camo, bacon, country music, Southern rock, hikin', fishin', four-wheelin', hangin' with the family and swimmin'. 

I was raised up an only child in Marietta, Kennesaw & Acworth, Georgia. My parents are my heroes. They adopted me when I was eleven months old. They gave me a great childhood, a better life than I would have ever had otherwise. They are both in their eighties now, and live with us. Not because they have to, but because eight years ago, I asked them to. I told them it was time they enjoy their retirement years and let me take care of them for a change. And so it was settled. They sold their house in Kennesaw and moved in. They travel, take it easy, and have fun. We get along great and there is never a dull moment in our house! 

To say I started writing because I was lonely would be an understatement. As an only child, loneliness definitely played a part. But so did dealing with finding out you were adopted at eight years old. That kind of information in a child's head is as useless as telling a mechanic how to make Crème brûlée!  It doesn't make much sense, and it just adds to the confusion of the situation. So I wrote my emotions and everything else down on paper. And kept doing that for years. Most of it was in the form of poems, which recently morphed into a book,  my latest release Rhymes from Darker Times. For the most part, it helped me deal. As I got older, I was grateful to my parents, and still am today. 

That pretty much sums it up. There's much more, but that will be revealed one day in a book! 

Turning Negatives into Positives

Hello again! Here it is Monday, my least favorite day. But hey- I'm alive and well, so that's somethin', huh? 


It is inevitable that we writers will get a not-so-sunshiny review once in a while. I have come to learn that to be a published writer means you must also develop thick skin. (This was not an easy task for me, but I did manage to develop something that resembles a sort of alien-like covering, although it is human flesh color.)

I have been trying to take those "constructive criticism" reviews and turn them into lessons or advice. In turn, I hope that it has made me into a better writer. After all, I do this for a couple of reasons. 

One: it is my outlet, for if I didn't write, my head would explode and sentence fragments would fly every which way, possibly doing permanent damage to those in their path. 

Two: YOU. If what I write changes, affects, motivates, inspires, helps, mentors, pushes, excites, moves, or touches you at all -especially in a positive way- I have done well and can sleep at night. 
Not everyone is going to like my work. I am well aware that I cannot please all of the people all of the time. But that won't stop me from being me- or from doing what I do. I write what I write. If you don't like it, don't buy it, don't read it. Constructive criticism is okay, but don't be downright rude and mean and cruel. Ain't nobody got time for that! :) 

So, keep on keepin' on, and until next time, I leave you with one of my favorite sayings:

BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOU!! 

Wanted to give y'all a couple of links to my books that are available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle. 

Clicking on the book will take you to the purchasing page for Rhymes.
This collection of poetry came from notebooks I've been writing in since I was a teenager. We won't discuss how long ago that was....

Clicking on the book will take you to the Maters purchasing page. 
Maters, Taters & Grits is a non-fiction about living in the South from a blue-collar point of view, with a slight twist of comedy. Pull up a stool, grab some sweet tea, and sit a spell while you check out some Southern sayings you may not have heard before!





Be sure to to like me on FaceBook, and follow me on Twitter and Goodreads. 

Greetings from Georgia!!
  I started this here blog at the urging of one of my very talented writer friends, Allison Hawn. You should definitely check out her blog @circusplatypus. She is hilarious, charming, and sweet as molasses! 


Anyhoo, a little about me- 
 I am BarbieSue, I write as B.S. Johnson, I reside in a not-so-small-anymore small town in North Georgia with my husband, folks and step-son. You can learn more about me and my published works by clicking HERE. 
Here I am- 

That's pretty much my daily attire- boots, jeans and a shirt. Except in summer. Then I'm barefoot 85% percent of the time. :) And a tank top, and shorts... This Georgia heat allows for that, ya know? 



Here's the kids/grandkids: 

And of course, because anyone that knows me knows I'm a HUGE animal lover, here's a pic for your viewing pleasure. :)

Until next time, Happy Father's Day, and remember to never put the cart before your horse!!!