Ivy B...Getting Her Hands Dirty.

Hello my extremely patient Bees...

Yes, it has been a while, but it is really becoming a very old tune is it not? This "Oh my it's been ages since I wrote..." tune. So I 'm going to stop apologizing. I just don't always feel "Ivy" and I suppose I get blocked in a way from time to time. "Ivy" is always around, but sometimes she just doesn't know what to say or how to say it.

You see those who know the girl behind lurking behind the "Ivy"know what I sound like. They hear me and not "Ivy" in  my Ivy posts and interviews. I do know how to help them hear Ivy. She is my pen name. She is not really an alternate personality. Those who know me know that I'm happily married with a child.  If "Ivy" started rambling on in the way she does in her books, being very sexual and what not, would that not be weird?  Anyway, I had a point, but it left me.  I should track it down I suppose...ah yes...there is it...

So, to get to it, here is the excuse I have for taking forever to get to this post. I have a writing job now (writing content for websites)and I also have tendonitis. (yea me!) The combination of these 2 facts is often very trying on my hands. At the end of the day, after writing brilliant content for websites such as "Let my 20 years of experience be the platform on which you will place your trust" I sometimes have barely enough strength left in my hands to lift my utensils off my place-mat to eat my dinner.

How did this unfortunate condition arise? Well...it started a very long time ago and to make my Bees happy, the ones who would like "Ivy" to sound a lot less like me, I will create a little fill in the blanks game for you. Enjoy and feel free to be as naughty as you like.

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Once upon a time, a very__girl desperately needed a job. Unfortunately all that was available to her was__at the local__. It was a job that involved a lot of hand eye coordination, bending over, twisting and smiling at people who were rude to her. Even if the man was a creep, she had to be kind and act as though she was very happy to __his __.

Ivy at first, didn't really mind all the__she had to do. She was very good at it and even if other girls were available, people would wait for her to free because she was just so terribly good at__their__. Ivy was a bit proud of this fact, even if it meant more___.

However, one day her wrists started to ache. After all those months of__her clients__her hands would seize up in the middle of a task and she would be forced to stop____ her customers goods. It was troubling. It was frustrating. It was unnerving. Ivy needed the money. She wanted to return to school. But what else could a __such as she and superior ___ability do to get money if not__?

She told one of the girls she worked about her pains caused by all the __ and although the lovely girl sympathized, she but offer no advice. Neither of her wrists ached even though she worked full time__ and __for her customers.

Ivy despaired and then made a decision. Life was too short to keep___for clients who didn't always appreciate her efforts. She reported her issues to her boss and was delighted to find that Workers' Comp would help her get treatment for her wrist pain due all the __for customers.  The pain subsided for years, but strain with every day tasks will take it's toll from time to time and it's all because of the __and __that Ivy did over 20 years ago.

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There, I hope you had fun with that. Ivy needs to save conserve the energy in her hands now and got work out in the garden. I mean Ivy needs to go___ because those___won't pull themselves.

I will be back soon my Bees.

xoxox

Ivy B.

My Characters Are Being Social!

Hello to you my Bee's


While I have been working on other projects, the hero and heroine from  Between the Lines have been off doing interviews which is lovely as I have been not so hot in the social networking scene of late.

Lara Munroe has an interview up on the Breathless Press Blog today in an entry entitled Character Spotlight #4.

Devin Monaghan, around the beginning of the month made an appearance on Linda Kage's Blog Page. He was as charming as ever and I'm hoping that gain admirers won't go to his head.


And that is all for now by dears. I am almost finished a final draft for my next book and then the editing begins. More news on that later!

Ivy B leaving you to your day. I hope it's a good one.

xoxo

Ivy B Procrastinating….

Hello my Bees

I have been a busy bee myself and have once again have been neglecting my social networking duties. I suppose, if I was better organized in some ways I could get my act together and write regular blog postings. They are after all a good way to promote oneself in the realm of cyberspace, but some days I just don't know what to say.

Today however, I am swimming in the procrastination pool and I figured that while I am here, not doing the revisions for my next book (Yea! My next book!) that I may as well do a quick blog posting just to let you know that I'm still here and thinking of you.

I'm also thinking about a phenomenon that happens once the weather gets warm. Where I live we’ve had a fairly mild winter (although according to the power company it was a very cold winter and that is why, even though my parents were away and everything was turned off in their house, their Hydro bill was higher in January and February than when they were home in December and using a lot of electricity) and we were lucky to have a very lovely first week of spring. Now I don't know about you, but once the weather turns nasty, I tend to stow away my summer clothes and in order for me to take the time to dig them of their plastic tote, I have to know that warm weather is here to stay, at least for a while. I don't keep spare shorts or summer shirts handy just in case we have a heat wave in March. This is clearly not the case for a lot of people in my neighborhood.

Now at the risk of offending people, I have to ask the following question: why is it that as soon as the temperature rises above 15°C, out come the smallest shirts that have ever been made? I'm not talking about T-shirts. I have T-shirts that I keep on hand all year round and in the winter I wear them under very warm sweaters. No, what I'm talking about  are skimpy, spaghetti strapped, tight fitting, and very low cut tank tops. Now don't get me wrong I have tank tops but, I tend to be a bit shy when it comes to letting it all hang out. This is clearly not the case for the folks who keep their summer shirts next to their winter woollies. As I said earlier, in this rambling paragraph, as soon as the temperature creeps close to 20°C out come the tiny tank tops, the super short shorts and flip-flops. Which, when I was a kid, were called thongs but nowadays if you say to someone,

“Hey! I was just walking around town in my thongs!” You'll get a funny look as they try to picture you, or not picture you, strutting around the city streets in a bright red banana hammock.

But I digress… To get back to the point which was tiny shirts… I think. Okay, let's get right to it. The problem I have with tiny shirts in March isn't so much that these people clearly haven't stored away their summer garb, for say June, but that a great majority of the people who keep minuscule shirts close by, are rather well endowed and don't mind displaying their winter white cleavage to an unsuspecting-- still have snow piled up in their yards, are always marveled at the way the giant ice chunks flow so smoothly down the river-- crowd.

I will just be walking down the street, minding my own business, thinking about what kind of treat I may buy from the bakery or do I really need another couple coffee today, when suddenly out of nowhere I'm confronted with a pair of barely covered boobs. I try not to stare or look too shocked because if they really thought that that item of clothing was perfectly appropriate for this time of year, who am I to judge? However, most of the time the question and comment that run through my mind after the shock of seeing a lot of bare skin on full display wears off is “How on Earth did you really think you could get away with not wearing a bra under that tank top? I know that it probably has a ‘built in bra’ but I'm pretty sure that's meant for people who are about four sizes or more smaller in the chest area than you are.”

So there you have it...not so much an official entry but more of a question for the season. Perhaps, this feeling about skimpy summer wear stems from the fact that, as I mentioned earlier, I am a bit shy about my body. It could very well be that I am actually jealous of the people who can boldly display their “gifts” but, that is probably a topic for another day.

If springtime B happening in your area I hope that you are getting out and enjoying it… in any fashion that you choose.

Until next time,

Ivy B getting her butt back to work.

xox

Ivy B... Having a "Fabulous" Day

Hello my Bee's

Please note the quotations around the "Fabulous"...sigh...I don't mean to whine or load you down with my emotional baggage. I'm just have one of those Monday's that created the phrase "Case of the Monday's".

Since my last entry, the one where I apologized for neglecting you all, I've had  a ride on the ol' emotional roller coaster. It was fun while it lasted, but today I've been kicked out of the park and into a carnival dumpster.

I know boo hoo...who doesn't have bad days and I shouldn't complain because I can credit my glorious mood swing to a Performance High which took place on Feb.11th. It was truly glorious. I not only got to act (which in a huge passion of mine), but I got to star in a play I wrote (perks of writing a play), cast whom I wanted and direct it. And, it was for a great cause. The audience loved it, my cast was wonderful, my family and friends were proud (my daughter brought me flowers) and as I stood on that stage while the audience stood up for us, my heart almost burst with happiness. It was one of the most enjoyable theatrical experiences of my life.

And then...after the pride comes the fall...

I'm a moody girl to begin with, but after I have an incredible high, I am guaranteed to have a low. It's a horrible, bottom of the well feeling and this time I was hoping I could avoid falling in it. I thought, since I've other projects on the go (oh yes my Bee's...fear not...Ivy is working on something new), my family and friends to support me, news of nothing but positive reviews about our play I really believed that this time I would be able to artfully dodge the inevitable crash.

However, last week instead of seeing hues of blue, I saw washes of red. I was angry and easily irritated, but not in a piss people off kind of way, but in a "ha, ha...you're witty with a touch of rage this week." It wasn't intentional of course, but I realize now that the grouch in me was acting as a shield. It was trying to keep the sadness at bay.

Unfortunately, it seems that some things are just meant to be. When I woke up this morning to the static sounds our local news, I felt awful, low, sad, spent; no my Bee's it is a fact that you cannot sweep your feelings under the rug when you've been hit by the blues broom...

No it is apparently the written in the universal order of things that I am unable to fight my natural cycle of emotional turmoil.  As I hit my head on a nail this morning, the situation of my psyche really hit my nail on the head; I need to stop trying to fight my natural feelings. This is true for me and it could be true for you. If, like me, your mind feels you need to have a low after a high, you will not be able to hide from it; it will track you down and deliver the goods to you in a big, soul crushing embrace.  

So, the cure? Hop on the broom and ride 'er out. Embrace it back, love it, let it fuel your creative energy and listen to Bad Boyfriend By Garbage. 

The louder the better.


Next time I visit, Ivy will B better.

xoxo

Ivy B neglecting you...

Hello my dear bees

Where has the time gone? Tomorrow will be 2 weeks since Between the Lines became live and ready for the reading and what have I done for you in the mean time?

Not very much I'm afraid. Things in my word outside the shadow of Ivy are very busy, but the event that is currently the main focus of my life will come to an end (or perhaps an epic conclusion) on Saturday. After the performance, more focus will be put on Ivy and the things she needs to be doing.

However, in the meantime, for those of you who would like to learn a little bit more about what makes Ivy tick, I've done another blog tour.

Blrawiyaerotica.blogspot.com

I will return sooner than later.

xo

Ivy B...
a busy bee.

And the Winner is...

Well, I can't tell you that, but a winner of my book has been chosen so those of you who were waiting to see if you were the winner before you went to Breathless Press and bought Between the Lines By me, Ivy Bateman, the wait is over and you are now free to shell out your $1.99 and support a new author. Please...and thank-you!

If you choose to purchase I truly hope you enjoy my first attempt at erotic writing. I have a few ideas brewing so hopefully it won't be too long before there is another Ivy Bateman ebook for sale.

Thank-you everyone and happy reading!

Ivy B...
oh so very proud of herself. I think that's ok.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow...

Hello my Fan Bees.

Hmmm...maybe not...I'm trying to find a good pet name of sorts to call you dear fans.  I'm thinking Bee's...you know...because of the "B" in "Bateman. We'll see.

So the point of this blog entry is, of course, to announce once more time, because I'm very excited, that my first ebook is being released tomorrow! Between the Lines has been available for pre-order for over a month now, but tomorrow it will be available for purchase and immediate read!

I'd like to take this time to thank Breathless Press for saying yes to a brand new author! Well, brand new in the sense that novels are not what I usually tackle. If you're looking for a big of silliness mixed with nonsense, truth and humour, I'm your girl, but the challenge of writing in the tune of erotica was a new number for me. I'm very proud of my first saucy ebook and grateful to all at Breathless Press who helped make my story better. Everyone I've been in touch with at BP has been kind and patient. I'm looking forward to working with you on a new novel very soon! Assuming of course that my next novel is to your liking!

Tomorrow will be a day to go down in the history de moi, a day I will not forget. It's a first and it's easy to remember your firsts. Wwwwwwink!

I must be off, but to those of you who have yet to check out the first two stops on my blog tour the links are:

Shannon Leigh Blog, Jan 21st Interview with Ivy Bateman

Amber Skyze's Blog, Jan 25th Interview with Ivy Bateman

I will be choosing the winner of my book tomorrow morning.

Until tomorrow,
Ivy B...
hoping you have a pay pal account and are looking forward to ordering my book!

xoxo