Fun posts, today....

Today's post is about book covers, and Nancy's husband is on her latest releasehttp://desertbreezepublishing.blogspot.com/ How fun is that?

And another husband on the cover: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-197/Tamara-McHatton-Deadly-Obligations/Detail.bok

Love this one about following your dream: http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/

I don't know how much editing I'll accomplish, today. I have PTBW to do, and Desert Rose is meeting this evening. I'll leading one of the table topics, and bringing a friend along.

Back in the saddle, so to speak...

Great article by Vijaya Schartz http://arizonaauthors.blogspot.com/2012/01/writing-novella-should-be-easier-or-is.html

There are other great posts to read. Do check them out.

My cold is lingering, and will for a few days, yet. I was stuck on editing the same two chapters for three days, too brainless to move any further. However, today was much better. What a blessing. I'm a little behind on my self-imposed deadline, but not too bad. Live and learn.

There's a lot to learn about balance and deadlines and editing and keeping in touch with friends. I'll figure it out.

Coming next weekend....

If you're in Glendale, Arizona, next weekend, February 3-5, you could drop in on the Glendale Chocolate Affaire...

http://www.glendaleaz.com/events/chocolateaffaire.cfm

Sorting my thoughts....

I find myself in a difficult position. Finances are tight. I've been told about job opportunities in my old career. It would mean I'd have an income immediately, but it also means I wouldn't spend as much time on my current career. I worry about money, especially with what I have dwindling. It's a practical concern. The story about the drowning victim complaining God didn't save him, and God replying, "I sent you a log, a boat, and a helicopter. What more did you want?" Am I drowning and ignoring the log, the boat, and the helicopter? Or am I being asked, "Are you going to give up what you want most for what you can have right now?"

Why didn't I see this before? Maybe I should ask, "Why didn't I believe this before?"

Right now, it is not a good time for me to take on something new. I'm feeling swamped as it is. Why don't I trust that when I'm ready God will provide what I need?

My decision made, my desire to binge has stopped.

I feel like a huge burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Oh.

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come unto me, ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

There are days...

...this is one of them.

Nothing will be done, except I managed to pick up and start PTBW, and I mean START, as in the first paragraph or two. Lots more work to do. Not today.

Scratchy throat. Sinus headache, but at least I can breathe through my nose. Thank you Breathe Easy and Gypsy Cold Care.

Calling it a day, early. No point in beating myself up over it, either.

Tried to edit. Mistake. Really. It's gibberish.

I'll start over, tomorrow.

Working out a routine...

What a fun interview with author Angela Britnell http://creativedaycafe.blogspot.com/2012/01/author-angela-britnell.html

I liked this list: http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/what-to-look-for-in-2012-the-year-of-the-dragon/

I managed to edit six more chapters, including reworking a POV. It's a lot of work, and I'm proud of my efforts. One step at a time.

My first set of business cards arrived, today. I'm really doing this.

Posts I've enjoyed recently...

Awesome: http://weareone-ruth.blogspot.com/2012/01/teach-our-daughters.html

I needed this reminder: http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/2012/01/24/easily-swayed/

Another progress report, to remind me I'm not the only one: http://nicolezoltack.blogspot.com/

Fun! http://candidcanine.blogspot.com/2012/01/miniatures-monday-finished-glass-house.html

As for my own work, I'm working on the word by word final editing before submitting. I've learned so much, and what I've learned has improved my writing.

Tribute to Penny Jordan...

Penny Jordan was a romance writer for Harlequin. She past away recently, from cancer. She was only 65 years old. This is the article at The Washington Post.

Why do I mention her, now?

As I was sorting through papers, I unearthed my magazine "Simply Books," put out by Harlequin. This was the most recent issue, Oct 2011-Jan 2012 issue.

A regular feature, which is always printed at the end, is a one-page question and answer article that spotlights a different author in every issue. It's appropriately called, "The Last Word." Poignantly, this one was "The Last Word with Penny Jordan."

When I saw it, my first thought was that it was incredible timing. Perhaps they knew, and planned accordingly. I don't know. It doesn't really matter. What was important to me was that this interview took place before Oct, in order to be ready for print in the magazine. It was fun to learn her favorite flower was lavender, since I love it, too. I especially like it's healing and calming properties. But that still wasn't what made me catch my breath.

"How many books have you written? I think it's about 185--I can't wait to reach number 200." If you read the article, you saw she reached her goal. Amazing.

I don't think I'll ever write that many. Writing 200 books isn't my goal.

What is my goal?

Once I re-evaluated my life, my goal was to throw myself into my writing. I did.

Then my goal was to submit my completed manuscript for publication. I did.

Now, I want to keep writing, with all it entails.

What do I want for the future? I have several ideas, and writing will be a part of all of them. I have my writing schedule for the next year taped to the wall, where I'm able to see it a glance, reminding me where I'm headed. Right now, I'm learning a routine. Once the routine is established, I'll re-evaluate.

What a priceless gift to inspire another to reach higher. Thank you, Penny Jordan.

Post worth reading...

Sadie, one of the Desert Breeze Publishing family and half of the Sadie & Sophie Cuffe sisters duo, wrote a beautiful and touching blog about an inspirational lady.

http://cuffesisters.com/2012/off-the-cuffe/take-my-hand-by-sadie/

After a trying day, it touched my heart with warmth and light. It's so easy to become lost in worries and things beyond one's control. A well-timed reminder brought calm and reflection.

I feel so blessed to be a part of the DBP family.

Focused on editing...

I did manage to finish my PTBW, first thing this morning, but I've been working on editing all day. It's almost midnight, and I'm sending myself to bed. My eyes are blurry. I'm not done, but it's closer. Discovering a bit of head hopping was not welcomed, but glad I caught it now.

Tomorrow, I'll take a look at all the blogs I missed, today. I truly do enjoy looking at what others are doing. It reminds me the world does not revolve around me (a good reminder), and I'm always finding something interesting.

So much to do, and so little time to do it all in. I'm learning to prioritize.

I was blessed by several people, today, and I'm grateful.

Out of my mind...

Today is one of those days when I'm feeling like I must be out of my mind on more levels than I care to explore. I pray God forgives me my foolishness, and protects me from the same. I also pray for courage to keep taking one more step, even when I feel scared silly.

Sweethearts of the West had a fun post, if you like history.

I put Diane Craver's Marrying Mallory on my book Wish List.

Stephanie Burkhart shared some California coast history at her blog Romance Under the Moonlight.

I've created a schedule for the rest of the year, which books I'll be working on which months. Having made such a commitment, I'm well aware of the fact I'll need to be flexible. It helps me to see it broken down by the month. I don't know why breaking it down by the day feels so much more overwhelming, but it does.

Reminder to self: Your life, when all is said and done, is in God's hands, and He is more than capable of handling everything you face. You are not alone.

Posts and edit update...

Posts I enjoyed this past weekend:

http://morningglorylights.blogspot.com/2012/01/surrounded-by-his-presence.html

http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com/

Since I'm editing, I thought this post was appropriate:

http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/2012/01/self-editing-tips-understanding-beats.html

I'm re-working my editing schedule, giving myself more time, taking off some of the pressure. I'm also shuffling a few things, taking advantage of my working strengths. We'll see how it goes.

There are moments when I wonder what I was thinking, and then it's back into the fray.

Editing and blogs...

I've done a lot of word editing of late. There are a number of mistakes and poor choices I won't make again. It's been a great learning experience. While cleaning up words, I noticed some problems in a few places with point of view. In addition to choosing better words, today, I've also started re-working a few scenes to create a more consistent POV.

Blogs I enjoyed, today:

http://celiayeary.blogspot.com/


http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/

http://barbarajrobinson.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-release-southern-superstitions-by-b.html


http://desertbreezepublishing.blogspot.com/

I love my blog roll. It makes it so much easier for me to check out blogs I want to visit on a regular basis.

Happy Friday the 13th...

No, I have no superstitions about the day, at all. Having it twice in one day cured me. Many years ago, I was flying home from Asia. The flight departed in the morning. I watched the sun rise, and then set over the Atlantic. While over the Atlantic, I watched it rise again, on the same day, and then set at home in America. Gotta love the International Dateline. It was an uneventful trip.

A blog worth reading because it has some great writing hints, today: Writers in the Storm

Spent the day editing. This is taking much longer than I planned, but the book is so much better, so it's all right. Future books won't have the same problems to correct.

Editing, editing, editing...

That's what I'm doing, editing.

So for a change of pace a bit of fun.

Carol has created Havens Creek, Tennessee, for her story, and provided a way for readers to visit. http://carolannerhardt.com/cae/ I think it's a fun idea.

Character interviews are fun, and Desert Breeze Publishing is interviewing Caroline from Twilight Over Moldavia. In fact, it's featured there this week.

I remembered a plaque I gave my sister a long time ago. I think I found it at Hallmark. It shows a bunny rolling on its back, laughing. "A giggle a day keeps the glums away." It still makes me smile thinking about it.

Unexpected...

Last night, I discovered the true motives of the villain in Unexpected Possibilities. It's worse than I thought. Then, this morning, the villain of my short story has revealed how dark he truly is. I've spent the day working on edits.

Another Anne Gracie interview: http://historicalromanceuk.blogspot.com/2012/01/interview-with-anne-gracie.html

If you're interested in a teen book (YA), I enjoyed this interview with the character, Tara Cummings, who finds herself a part of a horse therapy program (something near and dear to my heart): http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com/2012/01/welcome-ck-volnek.html

Another YA book interview, those who enjoy wizards, witches, elves, and other magical creatures: http://www.joramsey.com/?p=1225

Easing into my writing schedule...

I admit that I'm a bit surprised to realize that my writing schedule from NaMo really does work well for me. Formatting and other mindless jobs first thing in the morning. A nap in the early afternoon, and then editing and writing in the evening. I don't know why, but it helps me a lot. As I edited this evening, I was pleased to see the story improve. Sometimes, it was only a change in punctuation, while other times an entire paragraph was re-written, for the better. Editing will be done by the end of the week. Then I'll turn my attention to writing again. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to many blogs, today, and only skimmed FaceBook. With practice, I'll work out a healthy balance.

Today is a new day...

Arizona Authors Association had a great post on writing, by Vijaya Schartz, yesterday.

http://arizonaauthors.blogspot.com/2012/01/reclaim-your-writing-time-in-2012-by.html


Anne Gracie had a guest interview at Risky Regencies, yesterday.

http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/2012/01/anne-gracie-and-bride-by-mistake.html

Editing always takes longer than I expect. It's going to take some practice to better schedule my time for it. I keep thinking it will be easy, and forget how often I end up completely re-arranging a sentence or even a paragraph. I'll learn.

A little more to do...

All week, I've been working through a list of things that need to be done. For most of the week, I've felt overwhelmed. That feeling is beginning to ease. There is much that isn't finished yet, but most of it is close, as in within the next few days.

I find myself having to learn new routines and habits, as I endeavor to fit in my expanding responsibilities. Once I have a schedule, I think it will be substantially easier. Television is disappearing from my life, and I'm fine with that. There are other things that are more interesting to me.

Those who have been so supportive all week made the difference between laughter and tears on numerous occasions. I'm so grateful for all the help and encouragement.

One-day break, sort of...

I'm endeavoring to pull several things together, right now. Overwhelmed was passed long ago, and I'm well into wondering what I was thinking, though in truth, it's really all about going to the dentist. Yes, the dentist.

The dentist is one of my least favorite places to visit. I have horrible memories from childhood, and even more recent. My new dentist and hygienist are great. I no longer face the visit with quite the same trepidation as I did in the past. With Crest Pro-Health, when my teeth are cleaned, it's a half hour of my time once a year, as opposed to an hour every 3-6 months.

Be that as it may, my ability to concentrate has been shot, today, so I've allowed myself to be flighty, working on this and that and the other for short periods of time. Tomorrow will be better. There's a lot of work that needs to be done.

One day at a time; blessedly, that's all God sends.

Another post to share...

Anne Gracie has a new release out this month, Bride By Mistake. As such, she's doing a blog tour. Today, she's at Word Wenches.

There are so many great blogs out there. I can't remember ever being as busy as I am now.

More work was completed on various aspects of settling into my new path.

Sharing a blog and progress...

I've spent the past week endeavoring to work out my bio. It isn't that hard, but I'm struggling. Asking me about my writing, and I'll talk your ear off. Ask me about myself, and clam comes to mind, until I feel comfortable, and then I'm a babbling brook. Fortunately, I have a passel of friends who are willing to give me input and feedback. Bless them.

Over at the Lower North Shore blog, Anne Gracie shared an article titled Just Start. She has some wonderful ideas for those thinking about writing a book. I use them myself.

Back into the fray...

I'm finding it unexpectedly difficult to write my author bio, but it is started now, which is better than yesterday.

Formatting edits have begun. The first page is finished, which looks to be the easiest. One thing at a time. One day at a time.

At the same time, I'm becoming acquainted with the other DBP authors.

All on top of everything else I'm doing, which kept me pretty busy.

I've been complaining about feeling overwhelmed. The feeling isn't unfounded. There's a lot to take in all at once, but I am doing it.

Add to that, I'm also making some serious changes regarding my health, eating better, exercising more, spending more time outside. In truth, I'm doing pretty well, overall. I'm not eating myself into oblivion. I'm not sleeping constantly, trying to avoid the what ifs and worries. I'm not even running the avoidance pattern. I'm doing...

I'm living my life.

Thorns, Roses and Rosebuds 2012...

The above link is to Jana's Thinking Place, where she has issued a challenge to share the bad and the good that has happened and what to look forward to in the coming year.

Though I lost my main client in 2011, it opened the opportunity for me to throw myself into my writing, which lead to a three-book offer. I came to realize that a part of me never really believed anyone would be interested in buying my books. I'm looking forward to learning how to be a good author, which includes a great deal more than I ever truly imagined. I feel like I'm becoming what God always intended. In 2012, I will learn how to be a member of the Desert Breeze Publishing team. Being an author isn't only about writing a book. This next week, I will turn in all the required material, so the process is able to move forward in a timely manner. I will continue writing, so that I have more to offer my team. I will learn to participate, so I'm a blessing and not a burden. This is going to be an incredible year.