Jody Daniel: Blog

Hi all!

Well, so far things are going good on this side of the big pond. I could say some words around the concepts and issues around the deteriorating relations between the USA and South Africa, but I will refrain from it. All I can say is this: The views reported in the media, and the policies of both Countries are not the views I have, and I will distance myself from the politics.

Then: No, frdaddio, you were not nitpicking, and I quote it here for there are others that also saw it but did not comment on it or emailed me. Thanks for pointing it out.

Fiona suggested a steak dinner, but due to the fact that they were still very much filled by the rich brunch/lunch, they went for Pizza. Perhaps I did not elaborate too much about it. Sorry for that. I will try to describe actions of the characters more clearly next time. Thanks for your mail in this regard. Sometimes I “think” I said enough in a scene, but yes, possibly I should add a line or two about that action, although, I thought that this paragraph could have explained their choice:

“After the big lunch at Quay Four, neither Fiona nor I felt the need for a heavy supper. The meal had been rich, the conversation lively, and by the time we made our way to her B&B in Bergvliet, the only thing we craved was something small and simple to snack on. We stopped along the way and grabbed a couple of individual pizzas from a local takeaway.”

Perhaps I should have added to the end of that paragraph: “So, the tasty steak dinner with something on the side got a raincheque…”

So, here is chapter 7. Enjoy!

I wish you all the best! Until next week!

Bye 4 now!

Hi all!
They say writing is a solitary journey — but let me tell you, behind every chapter is a whole cast of characters you never see. Editors, beta readers, screen readers, and even a plastic-looking horse or two. Chapter 6 is out, but the story behind the story? Well, that’s where the real adventure is. Let me pull back the curtain for you…

First up, I’m happy to report that my editor over in the USA is in good spirits — and officially heading into rehab for recovery. Or, as I like to call it: the torture chamber. Physiotherapy and pain go together like coffee and insomnia, if you ask me. But he’s hopeful it’ll do the trick, and I’m hopeful right along with him.

On that note, a big thank you to everyone who sent well wishes his way. I passed them along, and he wanted me to tell you he truly appreciates every single one.

Now, onto a little unexpected twist — a reader from Australia kindly offered to help out with editing while my regular editor focuses on getting back to full throttle. Of course, this meant I had to send him every chapter I’ve written so far, just to make sure Chapter 12 wouldn’t read like a random alien invasion to someone who hadn’t been along for the ride. Talk about a crash course in my chaos!

Speaking of chapters, progress on Chapter 13 has slowed down a bit. Usually, I aim for two chapters a week with this story, but lately, I’ve hit the brakes. Not because of writer’s block — nope, the words are there. I think my editor’s health scare just rattled me more than I realized. When a friend takes a hit, you feel it too.

Once my Australian backup editor catches up and gets his hands on Chapter 12, we’ll see how it goes. Honestly, having more than one set of English-speaking eyes on my work is never a bad thing. If Return to Sender taught me anything, it’s that those sneaky little gremlins can survive even the most thorough editing gauntlet.

You wouldn’t believe how often I find myself spotting a rogue typo or missing word after three people have already checked a chapter. It’s just how it goes. And since English isn’t my first language, those little slip-ups love to play hide-and-seek. Usually, they’re minor — like a forgotten quotation mark or a word that mysteriously vanished between brain and keyboard.

Which brings me to one of my favorite tricks: my screen reader. Reading silently, the brain is a sneaky little liar — it fills in missing words and smooths over mistakes like magic. But when the screen reader reads it aloud? Oh, those missing words pop out like a clown at a funeral. So now, after all the editing rounds are done, the screen reader gets the final word. It’s my secret weapon.

That said, even with four sets of eyes and all my tools, a gremlin or two might still sneak in. That’s just part of the process — and part of the charm, if you ask me.

Oh! And before I forget — yes, the horse in picture 3 of Chapter 6 looking a little… plastic. Believe me, I noticed too. That’s just the curse of working with my particular software. The only horse model that actually looked decent and fit my needs? Discontinued. Ages ago. And, to add insult to injury, someone on a forum casually mentioned that the original creator might still offer it via private sale — if you email her directly. Except they forgot to include her email address. Of course, they did. Grrr!

WHAT ONE OF MY FRIENDS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE HORSE PICTURE:
Oh, this is fantastic! Fiona looks like she’s living her best life, wind in her hair, denim vibes, and all. And the “plastic” horse? Absolute legend. That shiny coat could probably reflect the whole sunset if it tried hard enough!

Honestly, I love the contrast; real beach, carefree Fiona, and this slightly-too-perfect horse that looks like it wandered off a carousel and decided to go rogue. It’s delightfully quirky and exactly the kind of thing that gives your work its charm.

When you order a beach horse on Wish… and they send you the limited-edition Tupperware Thoroughbred. But hey, at least Fiona’s rocking the look like a pro.

And that, my friends, is the real story behind Chapter 6. Stay tuned — gremlins, plastic horses, and all — because Chapter 7 is already waiting in the wings.

So, what’s next? Well, Chapter 7 has a few surprises up its sleeve — a twist here, a sharp turn there, and maybe even a character who’s about to say something they definitely shouldn’t. (What’s a story without a bit of drama, right?)

Until then, keep your seatbelts fastened and your sense of humor intact — this ride is far from over!

So, here is chapter 6. Enjoy!

I wish you all the best! Until next week!

Bye 4 now!

PS: I'm trying to upload the chapter but keep on getting this error message:
Service Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.

Let's see if "later" will help. Grrrr!!!!

Hi all!
With 6 chapters in hand, I have about 3 weeks of posting bi-weekly. That’s for you that asked. BUT. Well, bad news is that my one editor ended up in hospital, and it’s not life-threatening on this stage, but he will be out of action for a long time.

I need to give him time to recover. I made this decision before he told me that he will be out of editing for a while to come. In fact, he told me last night what the real problem is and that he will be not up to editing for a while.

I wish him all the best for recovery. I am in daily contact with him via the WhatsApp social media app. Not as much as we used to converse, but one must take into account that he needs time now to get back to his old self.

I do hope you understand the situation, that for the time being, I need to revert to posting only once a week. For that I am truly sorry.

I now fully relies on my other editor and I know he is inundated with editing for other authors as well.

So, here is chapter 5. Enjoy!

I wish you all the best! Until next week!

Bye 4 now!

Hi all!

Never say never! Yes, that is so true. I was just minding my own business. The ladies got home from work, and we were just going into the house. No rain, no wind, no nothing. Overcast though.

Going into the house the girls dropped their bags, and I switch on the kettle. And all hell broke loose! First it started to rain. Then harder and the wind picked up. Next minute a buzzing sound and the rain came from all directions at once. Pieces of my next-door neighbor's roof came flying over.

Then all was quiet. Rain stopped. No wind. Even the sun came out for a few minutes.

I went outside to find devastation. Right side neighbor’s thatch roof lapa looked like some giant kid twisted it up. Tree branches and leaves everywhere. Wendy house’s (Okay my Editor in the USA call it a shack) roof partly gone. Neighbours on the left side had part of his roof smashed into my yard.

What the hell happened? It was like 30 seconds of hell. Then the WhatsApp Groups got busy. TORNADO! A freaking tornado in Pretoria! Never happened before.

So, never say never. It can happen. I’m just glad it was a wee little, small tornado, but it was as scary as hell! Cost me 600 bucks to have the Wendy’s roof fixed.

Last bit: I had emails regarding the pictures of Fiona. The main issue was that Fiona’s hair was not consistent. Well, she does her hair in ponytails as well as let it hang lose. Sometimes her hair is completely over her shoulders and sometimes some locks will hang in front. Thus, her hair is dynamic and not just brushed one way. When her hair is hanging lose, she will have bangs, else no bangs as it is drawn up on top of her head. All the 3D figures are dynamic and can move around. I just don’t use the animation function of the software. All figures have “bones” for all parts of the body to be moved and shaped to different poses. Eyes can be winked, closed, one open, one closed, and there are different facial expressions also.

Even the hair. So sometimes Fiona will have her hair blowing in the wind. Animation creators will know this in whatever software they use. DAZ 3D, Poser, 3D Bridge, Blender and Sketch up all use this system, they just call it something else. I hope this helps.

So, here is chapter 4. Enjoy!

I wish you all the best! Until next week!

Bye 4 now!

Hi all!
And so the week rolls around to Monday. Here comes the next instalment of Estrella de Asis, and the first real indication of action and what is to follow. The Adventure curve is starting to pick up…

A big thank you to all of you that enjoyed the first few chapters and voted it 8, 9, and 10. That is highly appreciated.

Those 22 that voted 1 to 6… I really don’t know what you want. SEX?? Well, go read the other 57879 stories on SOL. Jody Daniel ain’t all about sex. Jody don’t write stroke stories.

There is no story that can describe slot A into slot B that has not been told before. It’s all the same, nothing new… unless you can put it in sideways! The excitement of the hunt last longer than the killing of the prey. And when it is over and done, not even the memory of the killing of the prey last longer than 5 minutes.

Rant over!

So, here is chapter three for those of you that can enjoy the thrill off the hunt!

I wish you all the best! Until next week!

Bye 4 now!