DEAD EDNA by D.J. Runnels is earning good reviews on Amazon.

Six months into launch, DEAD EDNA now has a 5-star rating on Goodreads and 4.9 stars on Amazon.  My novel is available as an e-book, paperback and hardcover. 

And you can follow my exciting journey by searching on @d.j.runnels on Instagram, Facebook and Threads or by searching on @d_j_runnels on X (formerly Twitter).  

My social media followers have multiplied over ten-fold in just a few months and I appreciate each and every one of you.  Your support has been very much appreciated.

Here are a few excerpts and reviews you may enjoy:

I'll be back! Happy reading.

d.j. runnels

DEAD EDNA by D. J. Runnels has launched on Amazon

 

Here's the gist of my new novel:

Conniving antiques aficionado Maggie Pall coerces her adoring husband into buying her dream house in a trendy Chicago neighborhood. But no one shares her enthusiasm for the creepy mansion. Pragmatic husband Dwight argues that it's not a sound real estate acquisition and her surly son would rather live in a tent. Amidst the chaos of their hostile relationships, a trashy resident ghost named Edna interferes by manipulating Maggie into having lustful thoughts for a handsome podiatrist. After a Thanksgiving dinner goes absurdly wrong, someone ends up dead. Now conflict, lust, an incompetent police force and a snarky lawyer pivot the family drama into a murder mystery. Anyone who has ever dreaded going home for Thanksgiving will find this darkly humorous social satire relatable. Throw in a charming ex-spouse, numerous disastrous affairs, an obsession with baseball and Michigan Avenue advertising, and you're left with a farcical view of upper-middle-class life in pre-social-media 1996.

It's only been out there for 14 days, but I do have sales and downloads.  The paperback is still in the works.  More details here.

d.j. runnels

I renamed my Instagram account as @d.j.runnels 

Fibromyalgia, Part 2: Potassium likes me. A lot.

I'm just winging it here, sister, but potassium seems to be helping with my Fibromyalgia-related symptoms. Most notably, my digestive issues and sleep and muscle aches. I stumbled across something about potassium being necessary for stored fat metabolism, then looked for a list of foods high in potassium and realized...ACK! I haven't been eating any of those. It seems I was consuming fewer than 1,000 mg of potassium each day.


Next I learned that potassium and sodium levels are supposed to be balanced with magnesium and calcium and other electrolytes. And I began to wonder if low potassium was causing electrolyte imbalance--sweating, dizziness, nausea--during my bike rides. Or maybe I was merely inducing illness in myself because of the cacophonous color scheme of my cycling jerseys?

Admit it. I look like Spiderwoman.

By now you have forgotten to give a flying fig about me, my bike rides and my nausea. Instead, you are wondering, well, 1,000 mg of potassium a day, is that, like, low? Is it very low? Give us some context here. Stop talking about yourself, girl, and tell me, How many milligrams of potassium does one need each day?
I'm so glad you asked. I just wish someone on this planet had the answer. If you do an internet search, you will find answers ranging from 3,800 mg per day to 4,500 to 4,700 to 5,100. I guess the amount of potassium you need depends on your age, gender, physical condition and which country you live in and/or are brainwashed by.


But all of those numbers are higher than the <1,000 mg a day I was taking. This may not be an issue for you.  Potassium rich foods include bananas, potatoes and fries.  If you eat those regularly, your potassium level is probably fine.  If you don't eat those, and you want to raise your potassium levels, I have a few caveats for you.

In the United States it is illegal to sell supplements that contain more than 100 mg of potassium due to the fact that some people with kidney and/or heart conditions tend to take too much--probably because of some stupid advice they read on a blog post like this one--and it makes them very ill or dead. Maybe both.  So right now, while you are still alive and/or conscious, would be a good moment for me to reiterate:  rather than take any capsules, just try to eat more eggs, chicken, spinach and melon.  And get your electrolyte levels checked by your doctor. Because potassium citrate supplements (which I take) could land you in the Emergency Room.  Just because I'm doing them doesn't mean you should. If I jumped off a cliff, would you do it, too? Depends on how long our bungee cords are, am I right? Just kidding.  We don't have the energy for bungee jumping.


No, seriously. Your medical conditions may not be the same as mine. You'll want to do your own research and talk to your own doctors before changing your routine because both magnesium and potassium can really do a number on IBS-D as well as other conditions that tend to show up in people with Fibromyalgia. If you do end up taking potassium supplements, there are many types. Check the Mayo Clinic web site. They list a staggering number of them. Also, why does this blog program keep changing my freaking font and spacing? But I digress.

I could have been in 
Tour de France if I'd had 
enough potassium.

I bring up potassium for another reason. Potassium deficiency can cause weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps and constipation. Those symptoms are pretty common in those with Fibromyalgia. What if--just humor me, here--what if some people who have been diagnosed with Fibro actually have potassium deficiency instead? What if eating bananas, baked potatoes and spinach omelets--which all contain potassium--makes all or some of the Fibro symptoms disappear? What if donuts and cheesecake contain potassium? What if eating large amounts of decadent pastries cures us of potassium deficiency and then Random House contacts me and demands that I sign a half million dollar contract for the rights to publish one of my novels and then everyone dashes into my Etsy shop and buys five tastefully handmade scarves in shades of green and/or teal blue and Santa Claus brings me a BMW for Christmas and world hunger gets solved tomorrow and Democrats and Republicans all start to work together for a brighter and better America? We just don't know. But I will keep eating spinach salads and hope for the best.

dj runnels

Visit my Etsy shop, pretty pleeeeeeeease.

If your Etsy shop has low views and low sales

Beaded detail on

one of the handbags

 in my Etsy shop

I just received my 1,111th feedback review on Etsy and I am honored that so many people felt compelled to say something nice about what I shipped them. They didn't have to. I appreciate that they did. I posted this in the Etsy forums along with the following insights.

Sometimes people come into the Etsy forums and ask, "How can I get customers to leave a review?" My answer to this is, "By providing a good product, shipped on time, with a friendly note of thanks." That's it. I know many of you are tempted to ask customers to leave you a review, but that's awkward, not necessary and could even backfire on you. Just do a good job, ship fast and be friendly. My customers know that I am a cheerful sort. (Okay, maybe more wacky than cheerful, but whatever...) And your customers will pick up the vibe you convey, too

I know many of you are discouraged by sagging views and decreasing sales. And you come to the forums seeking advice. Most of the advice you get will be to improve your SEO and photos or to add more merchandise. The sellers who generously take the time to study your shop and offer this advice are often giving you very good advice. Please listen to them. Don't tell them why you can't do it. They are often telling you what you need to know, even if you don't agree. But please also remember that with 53 million listings on Etsy, you may need to make more ruthless changes than simply modifying the SEO. I will never say the following to your face when you come to the forums begging for help, but getting good sales goes beyond tags and photos. (Deep breath.)

Many jewelry makers are creating a style of jewelry that is allllllll over the site; consider branching out into making lanyards and eyeglass holders and pieces less ubiquitous so that you can be found in more categories. Make jewelry for women, men, children. Branch out. If you want to make hand-stamped metalwork bracelets, make yours different from what is already out there. 


If you are addicted to crocheting scarves, try to make yours a little different from the many solid-color acrylic ones so you can compete with the HALF MILLION scarves that are listed in the fall/winter. I know it's comforting to make what you like, the way you like it, in the cheapest yarn you can find, using a solid color. But you do not stand out when you do this.

Be nice. Don't copy my work!

If you're going to make calligraphy farmhouse signs, try to come up with fresh quotes that other sellers are not using. Choose quotes that have a searchable word in them and aim for specific rather than vague. Target demographic groups: nurses, Capricorns, step-families, soccer moms, fishing enthusiasts. Make sure your sign is legible because many of them are not. (You think that they are. But they're not. I see them all day long and I can't read half of them.) Consider using a different font so that you will stand out.

If you make greeting cards and your sales are screeching to a halt, it might be because some demographics are buying fewer greeting cards than they used to, in part because they believe in sustainability and it feels wrong to them to buy cards when they can simply send an email instead and, in so doing, save a tree. Stop! I see that you want to argue with me. You are wasting your breath. I didn't single handedly change our culture. It is a trend and you must find a way to adapt and face reality. Try making greeting cards that are targeted to a much narrower niche. "Happy Birthday to my favorite teacher." People search on the word teacher. And rock climber. And football. And doctor. And Nevada. Incorporate searchable key words into your work and watch the rock climbers and doctors and people of Nevada flock to you. You may be thinking, "Those take forever to sell." But nobody wants a generic birthday card. Or if they do, you have too much competition already and you will not be found in search. Alternatively, consider making some other sort of paper products.

What was popular in 2010 may not be in demand any more. It isn't a condemnation of your skills. It's a matter of supply and demand.

Fail.

It was a sad but realistic day when I realized that few people want my clever hand-felted coasters. There's nothing wrong with the ones I make. There are just too many coasters on Etsy and the supply exceeds the demand. Coasters appeal to an older audience, eager to protect their valuable wood furniture, whereas Etsy shoppers are skewed towards the under 50. Please don't write to me and say, "Oh, yeah? Well, I'm over 50 and I shop on Etsy!" That may be, but the majority of Etsy shoppers apparently are less concerned about leaving latte rings on their Ikea coffee tables. I have other stories like this. Numerous stories. I tried something; it underperformed; I moved on. I don't just blindly continue making something that isn't selling well. I try to figure out why something isn't selling. But if I can't figure it out, that doesn't mean I stubbornly keep on making it.

Fail

This happens to all of us. Here is a cowl neckwarmer that can also be worn as a hood or dread wrap. What's wrong with that? I don't know. It sells, but slowly. Do I go into the Etsy forums and wail, "What am I doing wrongggggg? Why isn't this selling? Is it my tags?" No. I tried adding accents to them, such as felted leaves. I made them in a variety of colors for men and women. I used a male model for some of the listings. I changed photos. Finally, I faced reality and I quit making them. Do you like it? Go look in my shop. You can get one at a reduced price. You're welcome.


dj runnels

Visit my Etsy

Wait, what? Multistrand yarn? What is that?

French Morocco by Life's an Expedition.

Exclusively on Etsy in the lifesanexpedition store.

Life's an Expedition multistrand yarn is composed of multiple strands that have not been plied. If your jaw is on the floor right now, pick it back up while I wait...Okay? Ready? It's not hard to use. I knit with it in a dimly lit room while watching TV using double-pointed needles and trust me, I am not the greatest knitter who ever lived. Granted, if you just learned to knit last week, you won't be able to use it without practice, but if you are an advanced beginner, you should be able to get the hang of it pretty quickly.  I've been winding it and selling it online since 2003 and only know of two people who simply threw up their hands and gave up.

Proof that it can be done. Ta da!

Beginners: I recommend getting comfortable with a single strand first.  If you feel you know what you're doing with one strand, you can eventually handle two.  Then three.  Then more.  Begin with large needles and work your way down to medium needles.  I don't think I have ever used my brand of multistrand yarn on size 4 needles or smaller, but that's not a big concern, since I seldom make any multistrand yarn in a gauge smaller than DK.

Your biggest challenge will be to knit each stitch in its entirety, without dropping a couple of strands. But if you get most of the strands into the stitch and drop the rest--I know, I know, the very thought creeps you out and I feel uncomfortable writing this--but even if it happens, your project will NOT unravel and with all those colors going on, your mistakes will be less noticeable.

In some ways, it's actually easier than single strand knitting, in which every stitch counts and every mistake shows and every dropped stitch means chaos and frogging.  And I'm the sort of person who hates to rip out rows and redo it. (Admit it.  You hate it, too.)

Visit Life's an Expedition on Etsy.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LifesAnExpedition?
A second problem you may encounter when you're using multiple strands is that one

One of my customers made this with Medieval Violets.

strand will sometimes be stretched out or seem "longer" than the others as you work your project.  Chenille yarn is notorious for this.  If you reach the end of a row--that is, you're on a seam--and your piece has a right side and a wrong side, go ahead and tie up the slack on the pesky strand that is too long. Then when you sew up the seams, you can incorporate the slack into the seam. 

What if you don't have a seam?  What if you're making something like a blanket, without a right side or wrong side?  You can loop the "longer" strand around the needle a second time as often as needed to make it catch up with the strands. I have created yarns in which I never had to do this at all throughout the entire project. But sooner or later, most multi-strand knitters face the problem of uneven strands. 

 

Zenith Star. Only in my Etsy shop: LifesAnExpedition

Or sometimes I see it happen when some of the strands are much thinner and/or a different fiber than the others. It has not put me off of multi-strand knitting, but someone who is using multiple strands for the first time might freak. Just remember, most knitters DO get the hang of it and if you are clever about fudging the yarn a bit here and there, you will relax. 

Knitters and crocheters who are really into elaborate stitches sometimes resist the notion of multiple strands, because they have so much going on just following the pattern.  I can understand that.  Multistrand knitting is easier when you are doing a straight garter or stockinette with minimal increases, decreases or shaping. But I've done seed stitch and ribbing with multiple strands and loved the results.  And I've had customers go on an entrelac binge with Life's an Expedition yarn. And I wove countless scarves with it, despite the special challenges that a weaving loom presents.  I'm not good at crocheting with it, but frankly, I'm not good at traditional crochet.

Lastly, someone who is super-picky about their craft might never enjoy it.  Also, anyone who is devoted to knitting socks or anything on very small needles might not have the patience for multi strands.  Good luck to you.  I re-post this same article every year or two so that people can find it more easily.  If I haven't convinced you yet that you will likely get the hang of multistrand yarn and actually like it, I will point out that I have a number of customers who have purchased over $1,000 worth of it from me over the years.

dj runnels

Follow me on Instagram: lifesanexpedition

Fibromyalgia, Part 1: I'm fighting it, dammit.

I hold back from mentioning that I have Fibromyalgia because a lot of people jump in with, "Oh, yeah, I am tired, too."  And this comment will generally come from someone who does not have debilitating chronic fatigue--one of the hallmarks of Fibromyalgia--and the only reason they're tired is because they stayed up binge-watching Game of Thrones until 3am.  These people probably don't mean to be insensitive by glossing over my massive fatigue issues, but they still irritate me. I struggle not to stab them.

So I don't mention Fibro very often.  Also, I don't want to be viewed as someone with medical issues. I prefer to be treated as a feisty person who fights back when there's an illness.

Fibro is like the Walking Dead.  But with lying down instead of walking.

Some people sit and listen quietly in the doctor's office and take whatever prescription is handed to them, no questions asked. I'm not that way. I do exhaustive internet searches, go to the doctor with a list of blood tests I think I might need and try every supplement or food group that I suspect might make me healthier. One year, I drank carrot juice virtually every day. For a year.  I do not go down without a fight or... at least, I fight when I have the energy. Energy is a key concept here.  It's hard to fight when you don't have any energy.  Coffee can only do so much.  Sometimes coffee doesn't do anything.  And sometimes, coffee actually makes it worse.

This is it in a nutshell:  two of the biggest components of Fibromyalgia are fatigue and pain.  That's on a good day.  On a bad day, it's bone-crushing fatigue and flu-like body aches. 

 There will be a sunrise tomorrow! But you will sleep thru it.

But there are many other symptoms of Fibromyalgia, plus over-lapping or "comorbid" conditions that go along with it.  These include: Multiple Sclerosis, Celiac Disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid Lupus, Hypothyroidism, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sjogren's Syndrome, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Interstitial Cystitis, Adrenal Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Gulf War Syndrome, Restless Leg Syndrome, ADD, ADHD, PCOS,  "Fibro Fog" and problems with cognition, (I'm getting tired of capitalizing letters, so...) weird allergies that come out of nowhere, migraines, gluten sensitivity, rheumatoid arthritis, hypoglycemia, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, multiple chemical sensitivities, osteoarthritis, insomnia, sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, paresthesias, psoriasis, swelling, inflammation, urinary problems, a lot of digestive issues, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, extreme sensitivity to touch or temperature or light or noise or barometric pressure... Read more about co-morbid conditions on Wikipedia. 

I won't get specific, but I either had or still have roughly 28 of those conditions.  Oh, I'm sorry, you don't seem to be reacting.  28! [Painful emoji.]  So with that many issues going on, my research and trial treatments are an ongoing juggling act. Because lying in bad 24/7 doesn't fix this thing.  Sometimes it's necessary, but sometimes I get up anyway and try one of my many little secret half-cures. And I have found ways to feel better, at least regarding the Fibro symptoms. So I want to share those in a series of short blog posts, because I'm too tired to write long blog posts. 

Corn sensitivities are NOT fun, just in case you wondered.

Corn sensitivities are one of my key issues. If I eat corn, corn muffins, popcorn, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup or any of the seemingly billions of food products made from corn, I feel worse.  It might be because of GMO corn problems or because corn is high glycemic.  I don't know what the reason is.  But corn is an issue.  So I lug around a list of corn products to avoid when I shop for food or eat out. 

Such a hassle.

No, no, wait. That sounds negative.  So let's find another way to word this: Good news! I found out corn triggers my Fibro symptoms! That means all I have to do is avoid corn products and I will feel better at least some of the time, even if I change nothing else! You see what I did there? That's called being positive and proactive instead of giving up.  It's not easy to stay positive, but I have no intentions of writing a horrible, whiny, downer of an article that makes both me and you feel hopeless about Fibro.  I do not feel hopeless every day, all day long. And it is my wish for the world that no one with Fibro will feel hopeless 100% of the time. I can't make you put a positive spin on this. I'm just saying that there are ways to fight back. I'm doing it. Maybe you can, too. I don't know how bad your symptoms are, of course, and I don't know how many co-morbid conditions you have, but maybe I have some insights that will help you.  

Did I mention Fibro migraines? Oy!

Now let's talk about magnesium.  Apparently, many people with Fibromyalgia have magnesium deficiencies and don't know it, so taking a larger dose may help you. It helps me enormously. It decreases my pain and my insomnia especially. I can't say enough good things about magnesium citrate. (Other forms I tried were less effective.) But please keep in mind that your conditions may not match my conditions and you'll want to do your own research and talk to your own doctors before changing your routine. Magnesium can mess up your guts if you also have have IBS-D. 

Also you might not have corn sensitivities, so just because I am depriving myself of the sweet buttery goodness of big, brimmin' bowlfuls of grits doesn't mean you have to.  Please, don't just blindly follow what some humorous, witty, beautiful and talented stranger like me does.  (Stop! You're too kind.) Be proactive and find out what works for your set of conditions. Fight back when you have an ounce of energy and maybe you can make this experience a little less miserable. For now, if you want to slink back under the bed covers, I will understand. Talk to ya later.

dj runnels 
Despite having chronic illness issues, I somehow magically manage to run a large and successful shop called Life's an Expedition on Etsy.  Go figure. 
 

Figuring out fiber content in fabric and yarns

Whenever I try to diagnose the fibers in "mystery fabrics" or yarns with missing labels, I find the information online to be very hard to follow, so I came up with this flow chart to make it slightly simpler.  It's only accurate for fabrics and yarns that are primarily one fiber.  An awful lot of yarns are blends and those are harder to test.

Hope you can read this.  If it's too small, you might try holding the Control key and clicking the plus sign next to your backspace key.  The plus sign enlarges; the minus sign decreases.

Casablanca

Castle Gold

The two yarns shown here, by the way, are by Life's an Expedition yarns and are listed on Etsy.  But the chart above won't help you discern fiber content of Life's an Expedition yarns, because they are mostly blends.  Many of them have four or more different fibers in them.  Then again, most of my yarns already have fiber content listed on the label unless it's one of our big destash listings.

Have fun.
dj runnels

Visit Life's an Expedition on Etsy.