Banging My Head Against the Walls

Back when I was in college, the Harvey Wallbanger was a popular drink. It mixed Galliano (a liqueur) and orange juice. I suspect the drink became a hit partially because of its unusual name.

Or maybe because most of us spend a lot of time banging our heads against the wall.

Or maybe it's a personal problem. Hmmm.

Last week I was trying to format a new version of Happy Homicides 4: Fall Into Crime.




 https://www.createspace.com/7605483

Try as I might, the book did not look right when I loaded it onto CreateSpace. For two solid days, I spent every hour loading, re-loading, changing the format, and trying again. To no available.

Finally, in disgust, I sent it to Linda Gordon Hengerer, my friend and co-editor of the Happy Homicides series. The next day she discovered what I was doing wrong.

I don't know why I didn't see it sooner, but I suspect I was blinded by the metaphorical headache I got from beating my head against my computer. I also ran into a problem with the cover. I couldn't get the right resolution, no matter how many combinations I tried. I was throwing up my hands in disgust when I grumbled about the situation to my husband. He took a look at it, used a different program, and tadah! Problem solved. (By the way, you can buy your copy at  https://www.createspace.com/7605483)

In the meantime, I've been working like a fiend on a room box, which is dollhouse-speak for a one or two room project (as opposed to an entire house).

 I've been encountering all sorts of hassle with it, too. I have come to these conclusions:

1. Always, always paint when you can use natural light.
2. Keep all surfaces as flat as possible and add on panels, etc., only AFTER you get the initial surface done.
3. Sand from heavy grit to lighter grit.
4. Make sure your paint is well-mixed.
5. Make sure your paint is thin.
6. Paint your surfaces flat, because if they are on a 90-degree angle, the paint will want to drip.
7. Keep a small container of water nearby so you can touch up bits with a moist brush.
8. Keep a paper towel or rag nearby for touchups, too.