Sunday, February 27, 2011

How to Head off Computer Problems

I'm by no means an expert, but over the years I've picked up a few things. These steps will not fix every problem, but, in most cases, they can prevent major crashes if done regularly.


ONE: download this and set it to run WEEKLY

When you start it up, about 1/3 of the way down you'll see a drop down menu that is set to "defrag only." If you'll click the drop down and select "fast optimize," THEN run it, you'll get much better results.

TWO: download this and run it EVERY NIGHT BEFORE YOU QUIT WORKING.

This cleans all the "crap" from your computer you don't need. and you'll be AMAZED at how much stuff is collected daily. it has a bunch of stuff in the program that you can use, but the cleaner part is all you need. Select EVERYTHING, even stuff under the advanced tab, except maybe your desktop and start menu short cuts. 

THREE: download this and run it at least once a week

This program will fix alot of the little things that, while are not harmful now, can become harmful months from now after buildup of a bunch of little things.

ALL of these programs will auto update or prompt you to download the latest version when one becomes available.

Lastly, let me point you to one resource I've found invaluable

If you will print out this page, bookmark it, and follow it EXACTLY TO THE LETTER AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE, it will prevent you from having to do this again. It is VERY user friendly and even someone as technically challenged as myself can follow it. It reminds you, not so gently,  not to skip steps. The first time I read it, it was like someone was inside my head KNOWING I was getting ready to skip a step because it was right there in HUGE bold letters DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!! I didn't. My computer was resurrected from the dead. This step by step guid goes all the way back to Windows 95, so it will work for just about anything pre dinosaur erra. if you're using a comador 64... yeah, you're outa luck there...

Don't laugh. I have one of those.

Teeka

It's raining 300 men



I'm feeling... INSPIRED!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

A Matter of Trust

How do you establish trust between your heroine and hero? Especially in a contemporary, non-paranormal book. Most of my books have characters who have known each other for a long time—several years at least. But I find my paranormal and sci-fi books are having the same theme. As I get older, I'm having a hard time having my hero and heroine "meet in a bar" and hook up or whatever. Why? Cause people are just bitch assed crazy! I mean, what if he's a serial killer? What if he takes her and just disappears or sells her into slavery to some third world drug lord? What if he drugs her and cuts out her liver for the illegal organ market?

I mean, seriously!

I have a kid. I guess I'd just be alone with him for the rest of my life if I no longer had my husband because I simply don't trust people. If he's not someone I've known all my life, forget it. I'm not going anywhere with him that's not public and nowhere with my son with us.

As a younger woman, I didn't think twice about a new boyfriend. It was great. 

So, is this something others feel strongly about? As an author of fiction, where anything can be true and the hero really is a knight in shining armor, I find myself compensating. In my latest book, as I was reading the proof, I noticed it quite a bit. The guy is on the run and suspected of being a cold-blooded killer, but she "just knows and trust him." I repeat several times how she trust her gut, and that she made her living by trusting her instincts. To me, it wasn't comfortable. If I had been the heroine, he stays chained to the wall, even if he is my only hope of living through the day. I'd rather die on my own terms than have someone make me miserable before I die.

Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else struggles with this.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Sunday, February 6, 2011