FB just offered me an ad about getting pregnant in my 40's, which is disturbing on many levels. One, what indicates that I'm that age (other than using FB messenger). Two, who fool of a Took would think I want more kids. My last pregnancy nearly killed me. I don't want another. Ever.

I took a nap and now there are three Very Urgent Things competing for my attention that need to get done before 5pm that did not exist at 1pm.

Why is life like this?

The Expat Accent leans more towards a very bookish English with well-enunciated speech patterns because the people you're speaking to probably know some English, but it's Book English, with a limited accent and minimal slang. So Expat English comes across as Formal English to native speakers.

At some point I want to sit down and dissect the Expat Accent English-speakers get. It's not quite the Airport Accent of the well-traveled (named because you pronounce words the way you hear them the most in different regions rather than using the same regional accent), and it's fascinating.

Right... onto edits!

"But, if you're Christian, how do you know about Buddha?"

I live in Korea, which has a lot of Buddhists, and I'm getting emails from my local shops reminding me about holiday hours and free events to celebrate. Also, choosing a religion does not make you forget other religions exist.

Happy Birthday to Buddha and everyone celebrating!

*Clarification*

The closest we have to Hell is choosing to cut yourself off from the divine and reject God. It's 100% your choice, not His. But, if you choose it, you'll be happy there. So it's not really Hell, it's just eternal sameness.

Religion is weird. Sorry.

My branch of Christianity doesn't have a hell. We do believe that you will eventually have to face God and have a sit down chat about your life choices, but we also believe He loves you and supports you, so He's okay with me throwing a temper tantrum like the immortal toddler I am.

I do pray. I am Christian and religious. But the older I get the more my prayers resemble something from Penric (World of the Five Gods by Bujold) in which I pointedly explain to my deity of choice that this is His problem and He needs to fix it.

By the miracle of ice and multiple kinds of allergy meds my jaw feels better. (there might also have been some prayer and bargaining with God going on)

I can at least move my jaw without hurting, so we have progress. Yay!

#LittleWins

I need to get breakfast so I can take allergy meds so I can try to function. What I actually want is a zombie apocalypse because the idea getting bitten once and not feeling pain ever again is super appealing right now.

I'm currently booking editing clients for the second half of the year. If you need an editor between August and November, let me know!

https://www.lianabrooks.com/editing-services/

#LianaEdits #AmEditing #AmWriting #CoSoWriters #CoSoPublishing

The problem with dealing with Korean won all day is I automatically put a decimal point where the comma is to calculate the USD equivalent.

So 10,000 KRW become $10.00 USD.

THIS DOES NOT WORK WITH EUROS AND I FORGET THAT REGULARLY.

No, I'm not over how Euro-centric my education in the USA was or how much it tried to reduce the non-white parts of the world to cater to racists. Why do you ask?

Anyways, yes, there are entire national parks in the Americas that could eat a small European country and have room for the UK leftover. Then there's Algeria in Africa which could take up the western half of the continental US and China is the size of Europe.

In the Americas, we have space. Lots and lots of land and fairly big countries.

In Europe they have lots and lots of recorded history that's widely taught in English-speaking schools.

In Asia and Africa they have both land and history, but it isn't taught in English schools.

Quick Editing Tip:

Read the chapter out loud and see where you stumble.

Reading it aloud slows you down and makes you see the words on the page. It's a great, cheap way to find missing words and bad phrases.

#LianaEdits #AmWriting #CoSoWriters

https://www.lianabrooks.com/editing-services/

I told me family there is a new family rule: No Cave Diving In Icebergs

Two of my kids have reported that they don't need this rule.

Two are mad they didn't think of it before I made the rule.

My youngest sister sent me a video of her cackling and told me I can't make the rules.

This is why the universe nerfed my family.