Sad decisions

It makes me sad to write this post... but reality is what it is, and being a Domme means facing it for the good of my family.

I am not able to make a living trancing full-time right now. I'm pretty sure it's the economy, but it's not working as well as I had hoped. Had I gotten started some time ago things might have been different. The good news is that I have a new job I start tomorrow.

What this means:

No daytime hours for the present, evening hours as I know my schedule at my new job.
I still love you all.
I will be communicating more by email, less by IM for the next few weeks.
Appointments in the evening are desirable.
Travel is severely cut back.

What this does not mean:
I am still keeping all of my Chosen, playing with my pets, and those Questing for me are still on Quest... that is NOT changing.
I am not quitting D/s.
I am NOT going to miss NEEHU.

I am sorry it has to be this way. Please support me and know that one day, be it six months or three years from now, I will be back doing D/s hypnosis full-time.

I love all of you!

Podcast 5.3 Recorded!

Editing tonight, and then posting tomorrow.

Also, Sleep Ray should be out in the next few days! And Thursday I'm recording my track for the Fetish Fair Flea CD, as well as a track to be launched at FFF. Again, can't wait.

I updated my website last night to include the video of me on TV. Samples of Sleep Ray are going up in a little bit. I'm taking calls tonight and tomorrow, of course.

Thursday is the meeting of the Focus Group in Minneapolis. Email for details! :) We're doing an induction practice.

Lots of little things happening... stay tuned for more!

Back Home Safely...

...and taking calls again! Look for me on the next few days and nights. I can't wait to get back to hypnotizing people!

This week I'll also be recording the NEEHU podcast, updating the list of hypnosis events, clearing out spam comments from the podcast page, and updating the website. And, with any luck, I'll have news on new recordings... just in time for USian Thanksgiving! :)

And I'm going to be doing my first professional photo shoot soon, so there will be more pics up...

Happy Samhain! Plus NaBloPoMo

NaBloPoMo is a thing rather like NaNoWriMo, and I'm doing it this month. Unlike NaNoWriMo, which is one month of the year and has no content restrictions, NaBloPoMo does not admit adult sites or commercial sites.

Tough. I'm doing it anyway. :) I'm just not going to link up to the main site. I could use the traffic, but screw 'em. :) I have a feeling that people will either read or not. I am not sure if I'm going to attempt NaNoWriMo or just knit like a banshee to finish my holiday gifts for my family, though!

On to more important things!

This weekend, I have the immense joy of traveling with Jukebox to the east coast to attend the wedding of Wiseguy and DaniFantom. Theirs is a genuine, dynamic erotic hypnosis love story. I will be unavailable for calls Friday until Monday afternoon as a result.

Wiseguy has been a true friend for a decade. (Gods, has it been THAT LONG??) His stories are incredible - his "Busman's Holiday" is often cited as a primer for budding erotic hypnotists. I am so very honored and delighted to be invited to celebrate with him and with Dani. Yes, I will be posting from the road... even if the post is as short as "I always cry at weddings" or some such. ;)

I'm taking calls today and tonight, by the way... look for me!

A Couple Of Happy Things

One, I'm feeling better today than I have all week. I don't know what bug got me, but I am so very glad to see the back of it.

Two, it's official: I'm going to be in Canada in a couple of weeks, for a couple of weeks! I am very happy about this.

It's caused a change to my appointments calendar, though. Have a look. My phone hours are going to be very different for a bit while I'm up there. I won't say those will be the only hours I'll be on the phone... far from it!... but I will be on for sure during that time. I know they're weird. It's due to scheduling around when Copper can give me the attention I deserve!

The New York trip is definitely on. I'm already realizing that I'll have to go back and just see people, because since I'm attending a training (have to get those CEUs to keep my certification, you know!) a lot of my time is going to be taken up in a classroom. But oh, I do so want to see the awesome NYC crowd. And others in the area: there's always a chance we can get together!

Ahhh... it was a good birthday!

I was greeted with the following IM yesterday when I logged in:

"Happy Ru'mas!"

I gotta say, that made me laugh and made my day at once!

I spent the day with Jukebox going around to various local metaphysical bookstores. I may have found space for my non-ink practice, and that's always a good thing! I want to thank everyone who sent me gifts. They made me so very happy.

Also, HypnoMedia has launched his blog! This is another thing that makes me happy. When you're done here, go there and bookmark. You'll be glad you did.

And in the neatest birthday present of all, I get to widen my horizons with Yet More Travel! I am going up to the Arctic Circle, the furthest west I have ever been, and also going back to some familiar places.

Here's what my travel schedule mostly looks like for the remainder of the calendar year:

• 21-SEP: Leave for Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. During this time, I will still be available for phone appointments. My hours may well change, though, so keep an eye on the appointment calendar! Also, I plan to get some good podcast recording time in, since I'll be in a pretty quiet place.
• 15-17-OCT: New York City for a non-kink hypnosis training! Yep, CHt's have to get training hours to maintain our certifications, but this seminar just plain looks cool: Virtual Gastric Band hypnosis. As a BBW, I wouldn't mind having some of it rub off on me either. (There's another post lurking in that comment somewhere, about D/s and size acceptance and hypnosis. Watch for that.) I would LOVE to get together with the NYC crowd while I'm there! You know who you are!
• 5-7-NOV: Wiseguy and Dani Fantom's wedding. I do not have enough smilies for this!
  
• 2-6-DEC: Charlotte/Raleigh NC for LeatherFet. More details on this as I know them.
  
• Sometime During The Holidays: Raleigh, NC. Available for personal get-togethers, hypnosis by appointment only.

Also, a note that I will be available for phone calls on Labor Day during the afternoon and evening! Bored on the holiday? Relax with me!

I should be in bed!

But no, I'm up blogging. Because I haven't in a while, that's why! :)

I'm getting fantastic feedback on "BHC: Peaceful Sleep." Please, if you got it and liked it, leave comments on the CDbaby page. People wanting to buy it value the opinions of those who have it already. Actually, that applies to any of my recordings! (If you bought it and DIDN'T like it, message me. I want to keep refining my skills, and your feedback is helpful!)

Also, if you have feedback on my hypnosis that you give me permission to put on my website, please let me know that too.

So early this week I was out of town in North Carolina, and the reason can now be told! I was filming a documentary on Sex Robots which has already been picked up by Discovery Health in the US. That article came out on April 15, while WinterRose and I were still working things out for filming with Landmark Films. I did some robotic programming hypnosis and took a Niteflirt call on the air, where in a change from my usual work I became MEG, the Male Entertainment Gynoid, for the enjoyment of a robot fetishist. I was willing from the start, but the session ended up being extremely entertaining and I'm glad I did it.

Obviously, I don't know how much time I'll be in the documentary. They have a story to tell, and robotic hypnosis is only a small part of it. But whether I'm in ten seconds or ten minutes, I have to say it was an interesting and delightful experience. My new pet CaptivePrincess was on hand to do my hair and makeup, my new pet Sleepyhead was in town for something else and dropped by, and a good time was had by all. Since this is due to be broadcast this fall, I'm sure I'll have more information by the time it hits the airwaves.

I actually got stuck at the airport on Tuesday night, and I didn't get in until Wednesday morning. That night I gave an instructional session on erotic hypnosis for a local D/s group. To my delight, the room was packed! There were good questions asked, people seemed interested, and a good time was again had by all.

This weekend I'm attending a wedding, and then Sunday the organizational meeting for what I'm temporarily calling MEHG is taking place. After the D/s group on Wednesday I set out a signup sheet, and to my sheer joy almost 40 people signed up to attend the organizational meeting! We're going to get some good things going in the Twin Cities with hypnokink, and I cannot wait for that!

Thursday at Oh My Gods O'clock I fly out to NEEHU with Jukebox. I have a lot to do this week in terms of getting handouts ready and so on, but I'm looking forward to it. NEEHU will have a lot of hypnosis play. You don't want to miss it!

Then the weekend after that I go to Chicago. After that over the fourth of July weekend is CONvergence, and there WILL be a hypnosis play party there - details forthcoming!

So with all this, when can you talk to me on Niteflirt and Talksugar? Well, I'll be around Sunday night late, Monday through Wednesday most of the day and evening, and after that it'll be till the following Monday. Make sure you get in your appointment emails! I love meeting new people!

And even better news: the rough of Robotics 1.03 is good, which means it'll be a June release along with Museum Heat for Fm and Ff! And I have four Jukebox scripts to record, and then after that is Sleep Ray for Fm and Ff as well. And the robotics series will be finishing in July with the optional 1.X in August. I already have the art done for those... they look wonderful.

You know, looking at all this is making me tired! Bedtime. I'll be posting Sunday!

Um, oops.

...or I could try to push through things, get myself REALLY sick, and end up not-so-happy.

Lesigh. Licentious Malady commented on my previous post that I needed to take care of myself, and boy, was he right. I tried taking calls again this week and ended up taking about an hours' worth total before my voice went right out.

I spent last night and this morning feeling sorry for myself, and then I got busy. I updated the website, adding in Aaronhalt as my new Chosen, links to all of Jukebox's current books, samples for my current CD/mp3s, and corrected a few things. I sent off mail to my graphic designer for the upcoming release graphics. I started getting the business going here in my new city. I updated my wishlist. (And a VERY DEEP thank-you to those who bought me things... you know who you are! Special love to @likeacaress. I am looking for a good yoga studio now!) And here I am blogging, because I darn well needed to.

The bad news right now is that I am probably not going to Dragon*Con this year. With the move on, it will be difficult for me to afford it... especially as I want to be in Atlanta two weeks after that for another conference. The good news is that CONvergence is on, baby! I will be scheduling a hypnosis meetup at that con... check here and on Fetlife for details. Also, the NEEHU (New England Erotic Hypnosis Unconference) is also on. Posting on THAT tomorrow.

I also am going to be recording in about a week and a half. I really can't wait for that. I have a whiteboard on my office wall with a list of mp3s I want to make, and it's not even a comprehensive list!

If you want to catch up with me, do check Twitter. It's not for everyone, but I do tend to post how I'm doing on there. It's a lot easier to post 140 characters than a full, complete blog post.

More tomorrow.

What I shoulda done. :)

I should have taken a week off to regenerate my energy levels and get my head on straight. I didn't, of course, because I'm me. Heh.

I'm still lining up all my ducks. Please check the appointment calendar for open slots, but here is what my next few weeks looks like:

April 1-4: Frolicon - Atlanta, GA. Lots of hypno play and classes going on.
April 16-24: Spotty availability due to move. I will be on here and there, but no promises as to when. Please check!
April 30-May 3: Private function, Vancouver, BC.
Late May: Possible trip to Austin, TX.
June 2: Presenting in Minneapolis at The Lab.
First weekend in June: Wedding in Minneapolis.
June second weekend: Boston, Hypnosis UnConference. More details coming on this - I'm very, very excited!

In addition to this, I'll be wrapping up work on some CDs, recording more, podcasting, and working on my book. So yeah, I shoulda taken some time off. But I didn't yet, and I won't. Just bear with me as I get this show on the road!

A break from the con posts for a Real Life announcement!

Things are moving along on the personal front. It's looking like I'm moving to Minneapolis/St. Paul in late April, and in preparation for that I am quitting the old "day job" March 15 to go fulltime pro hypnoDomme and speaker. I have reached the point where I can do a day job or trance but not both, and given that I am burned out on my old job... hypnosis wins.

Every person who comes to hypnosis and hypnotherapy wanting to do it as a career comes to this point. I really had planned for it to happen long ago, but real life intervened. However, I know that everyone who goes pro fulltime does it as a job as well, and so I'm really only changing career paths.

I am in the process of updating the appointments calendar to indicate appointment blocks during the day, starting March 16. I am excited to be able to do this! However, there are some caveats:

I really want to get back into writing. I have two partially-finished books that need my attention. I could not give them that attention while working the day job. Now I can. But I need to set aside time to do that. Thus, there will be times each day labelled "NOT AVAILABLE-WRITING." If this is the ONLY time during the day you will be available to make a call to me, let me know well in advance. We might be able to work something out.

I also need to script and record, both CD/mp3s and the podcast. The podcast will go back to being at least a weekly affair, with the EMCSA update once a week and other topics every other week or more. To that end, there will be recording blocks scheduled at least once or twice a week. These will vary in length and time of day.

The good news is that this means I can be up a lot later. I am naturally nocturnal, and I really do believe that many of the health problems I've had the past few years are the result of forcing my body onto a "normal 8-5" schedule without regard to what it does best. My most productive hours are between 9pm and midnight, when it comes to writing, inspiration, and personal care. I do very well up to 2am. Having to be in bed at 11pm and up at 5am has just devastated me healthwise. I feel confident that with a shifted sleep schedule things will be much better for me - and that's taking the stress of becoming fully self-employed into account.

So: Everyone wins. I get my health and what passes for my sanity back. You get increased hours, more blog posts, more cds and podcasts and speaking engagements and you even get books and short stories!

But I can't do this without your support. Remember that the next year will stand or fall on your help: reviews in hypno-related forums, calling my lines, buying my cds/mps/books when available, posting to mailing lists (please not obnoxiously!), bringing me to your events to speak and play.

We're counting on each other here. My last few years have, quite frankly, sucked. But 2010 is starting off unbelievably. Let's make it the best year of the last five!

From a mailing list post...

From the Realm of Bliss email list:

First of all, thanks to those who have been obediently posting their experiences. It really pleases me to see them going to the list... And there's even been one really long one that I kept for myself. ;) Thanks also go to all of those who have supported me in the last few weeks - you know who you are. Also, thanks to @sirilyan for continuing to maintain my site.

Second, welcome to our new members! Please introduce yourselves. I love getting a lot of "approve this post" messages. :) Longertime members, please do welcome and greet the new folks. I know you remember what it was like to be new! (This goes double for my Chosen and my pets. I count on you to post when I'm too spammed.)

I'm thrilled that people are now making use of the appointments calendar! http://www.blisstrance.com and click on appointments. (Why do I not link directly? Because I want you to explore the site!) It tells you when I'll be available for phone trance. The best way to be sure you get the time you want is to use that to help schedule.

I record two new files tomorrow, both gender-neutral, and the Fm and Ff versions of Museum Heat are being edited. The new files will be the long-awaited Robotics 1.03: Skins and By Her Command: Peaceful Sleep. I can't tell you how excited I am about them! And I'm scripting Fm and Ff versions of Sleepy Surrender, Breast is Best, Sole Submission, and Fractionation Festival (although that last may end up being gender-neutral).

I'm also looking forward to the Virtual Hypnotist packs for those files to be released. Remember that the VHpacks are adjuncts to the mp3 files, designed to enhance, not replace.

Live appearances are still go, and I can't wait for FFF in ten days! I will be podcasting from there, so watch for that.

Keep watching Twitter (@ruetha) and my blog (http://blisstrance.blogspot.com) for what's going on with me. Add me and say hi!

Wishing you many, many blissful trances...

A busy couple of weeks!

Site updates and news:

The calendar is now up! Go to http://www.blisstrance.com/calendar and have a look. It'll let you know when I'm available for phone sessions. If there's nothing on there, I might sign on but it's not guaranteed. If it says NOT AVAILABLE pick another time. If it says Appointment Block you can schedule time. Please note that I will not *start* an appointment after the time listed as available, but I can and will run over!

I've got a bunch of the next few weeks showing my availability. There are even some daytime slots! Check it out!

Also, the schedule is up at the FFF site. I'm planning on attending the following:

Friday 20:00 - Hypno SIG
Friday 23:00 - Neko-chan
?Saturday 12:30 - Neko-chan
*Saturday 20:00 - Room induction
*Sunday 11:30 - Erotic hypnosis 101

The ones with a star I'm presenting, the one with a question mark I may or may not attend. I'm not going to be doing a lot of personal interest stuff at FFF (that's for DO!), since the munch group pulled so hard for me to attend. I want to be available and in public! But there's so much here for even a novice to D/s, so don't miss it!

Wednesday I'll be recording Museum Heat, Peaceful Sleep, and possibly a third... Requests?

Winter/Spring availability times

I've been getting requests for sessions, and I'm delighted to say that very soon I'll be doing a lot more of them. A lot more. Here's what the next few weeks look like for me:

This coming week: scripting for another long series of recording sessions - times BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, unless I announce on Twitter that I'm taking calls.
Week of the 25th: packing for a personal trip - times BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, unless I announce on Twitter that I'm taking calls.
30-31: personal trip

After that, I will be having regular weekday evening hypnosis session hours. Except when I am at a con or recording, count on me being available from 7pm eastern until 11pm or midnight nightly. I will be leaving Wednesday nights as open nights on my calendar for recording sessions, since I plan to be releasing more files and working more on the podcast, but those times may be available by appointment.

Please do see the previous post for my travel plans. Those will disrupt the normal schedule.

I look forward to talking with you soon.

New Podcast up! And notes for this spring

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