HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 ...WELCOME 2023...

I'd like to start off by saying Happy New Year to everyone. May the year ahead be kinder than the year we just lived through.

This year I'm going to try and think more positive thoughts... and set myself realistic goals... I don't want to be causing myself stress needlessly. So for the last month while I've been out sick I have been working on this year's budget (loose) to keep me headed in the right direction. I've already been sharing some of the other things (monthly planner - to keep track of 6 people 7 pets and two houses)... Yes, I'm my daughter's backup appointment keeper.

My Goals:

1) Finish writing 6 books.

2) Read 10 books off my TBR list.

3) Stick to my budget.

4) Try and be more organized.

5) check in on my blogs more frequently.

Working on now:

1) The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You (starting at 55K/100K)

2) Misty River 1: Calm to My Storm (Starting at 35K/50K)

3) Quaide's Crossing 1: Saving Grace (Starting at 5K/50K)

4) Cotter Girls 1: TASH (40K/45K)

Quick Update

Today I have a massive headache. Not sure if it's just a headache━the start of another migraine━or has to do with the perforation in my right ear. I'm off to the doctor today, so maybe he'll be able to give me something to alleviate it.

On a writing note: I finally finished going through the already written wordage I have on The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You, and fixing a few things here and there. Now, I'm actually on to writing the last 47K of the story.

Also at the same time, I'm re-reading the whole Wardens of the Guild series... Sad to say I need to refresh my memory on where I was actually heading with this story. I seem to have lost the plot notes━I had them written in longhand━hence the reason I need to re-read everything, so I can finish writing #4: Gilded Cages.

Today's Agenda

Today I'm starting back on finishing writing The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You. I'm hoping to be finished with this one by mid-December. If I can stick to this schedule, then I'll definitely get Wardens of the Guild 4: Gilded Cages by the end of the year. Though I'll have to go back and re-read all of this series so I remember where I'm going with this series. Not that I've actually forgotten. I just want to get back into the headspace of all my characters in this series.

Each night, I'm still working through my basic plotting for next year's writing schedule. I'll be happy to just have a basic plan because we all know I never stick to them. but at least I have an idea where I need each series to head.

Time Out

 

I took the time out while writing to just sit, and this is what was happening right in front of me. These things were flying everywhere and some were mating others where I assume laying eggs in holes in wood. I just can't believe I actually managed to take a couple of pictures before this amorous couple flew away. They were actually sitting on the concrete at my feet... and when he was done with whatever round I saw, the one on top picked the other up and flew away and landed in the grass a little ways out from where I was sitting.

I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture but if you zoom in you can see the bottom one is carrying a shit-ton of eggs. It was amazing to watch, as the one on top, its wings were moving so fast. I sat there for at least 45 minutes watching them before they flew off. The whole experience was actually mesmerizing, as I've never actually seen anything like it before.

IN OTHER NEWS: I have just under 10K to go on my NaNoWriMo> Misty River 1: Calm to my Storm. I will be glad when I'm finished, so I can get back what I'm actually supposed to be writing. I still have to try and finish off. The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You, & Wardens of the Gild 4: Gilded Cages for 2021.

I Feel Like Sh!t Today

I feel like total sh!t today. My ears are out of whack. At the moment it is only in the right one, but that could all change. On top of that, all my bones seem to be aching. Especially, in the lower part of my spine.

So today, I have been taking things very slowly. I have been a little dizzy each time I move. I'm going to the doctor on Tuesday, for my bi-annual check-up. I'll figure what's the go then. Until Tuesday, I'll just take it easy.

At least I did manage to write some on NaNoWriMo to keep my daily writing in check. And I worked out what I want to try and work on for next year WIPS wise... I've chosen 4 series that will crossover throughout, the year. They should keep me busy. Plus, I'll still write my one The Connelly Chronicles 4: Just Good Friends to keep that story going.  The 4 series I'll work on will be as follows:

Brother McCrieve MC (6 books)

Mountain Made (6 books)

Quaide's Crossing (6 books)

Rebel Rousers MC (6 books)

Keeping On Track

 

I'm happy to announce I'm still on track and just over halfway through NaNoWriMo... Misty River 1: The Calm to my Storm. I didn't think I would do it, but I'm glad that I have.

This has been my launch back into the writing world. I have been busy in my real life. But, that's enough about that for the time being, because our real lives never end.

Also, I think I may have solved my problem from the last post. I'm in talks with someone on how to do what needs to be done. I won't say too much until I am 100% sure what's actually happening. I'm kind of excited about it all.

This means I'll still be on track to get The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You, and Wardens of the Guild 4: Gilded Cages (which ends the series).

Just When I thought...

 

Just when it looked like we were at the end of unloading all the topsoil. My sister-in-law and I decided to start on the next project. Which has us unloading ute loads more until we are once more done... By the time 2022 gets here our yard is going to look completely different (in a good way).

I'm at 10K on my NaNoWriMo project> Misty River 1: Calm in the Storm. I'm happy that I am a little ahead of schedule there. It's getting me back into the swing of writing. So I know if I can get this done, then I can definitely finish The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You by December 31st

I have to duck downtown this morning and pick up a few groceries for both parts of our household. I want to get there before it gets too hot for walking. I enjoy my time as I walk downtown as it gives me a chance to sort through some of the issues my characters are having in their stories and trust me right now they have some issues...LOL.

I'm still getting myself organised to begin writing fully in 2022. I'm trying to set everything up so that it's easier on me. I really want to reach all of my writing goals in 2022. Not that I know what they are as yet. I'll let you know as soon as I do. When I do I'll once more use my WordPress blog purely as my writing blog.

This Weekend...

 

So, I'm currently filling in all the BIF's (Book information forms) that will eventually get me covers for the books I just resent to the wonderful Kris J at MLRPress. I want to have the 4 of them done and back to her by tomorrow afternoon. 

I couldn't work on them yesterday, as I had my granddaughter's over Grace 2 & Harper 8 months... and poor Gracie wasn't feeling the best. So I spent a lot of the day cuddling and watching Noddy and Cocomelon. 

I also heard my Pride Publishing books have begun preparation of being translated and audio. I don't really know much about that process, but I'll let you know more when I find out. It's all so exciting.

My brother is also sick at the moment, so I have been helping out there wherever I can. For most of last week, I was on chicken duty. Looking after his chickens while he had a few days away before starting his chemo treatment. Weirdly, at one stage, I used to be scared to death of the chickens. Now I can even pick them up.

I'm Back!!!

 

I have been slack━there I admitted it. But that is about to come to an end. I have two deadlines I have to meet. Wardens of the Guild 4: Gilded Cages is due on March 15th, and The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You on April 30th... both are for Pride Publishing.

In other news. Seeing as I haven't heard from MLRPress editor for a while, I got in touch with my EIC and ended up sending everything to her so that I can keep moving forward... So she now has Hidden Hearts 2: One Last Kiss Goodbye... Sons of Evenmore 3: Fear the Scarlet Moon... Moon Runners 1: Heart-mate, Mine!.. Moon Runners 2:  I Won't Let You Go... Also, I realised I had no clue what happened to Hidden Hearts 1: Harder & Harder to Breathe... So, I asked her to check on what was happening to that as well.

Other than that, I still have a ton of doctor appointments with the family, but what else is new. I'm still going through and getting rid of more of the shyte that keeps collecting in my house. I truthfully have no clue where it comes from. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear someone was sneaking it in when I went to sleep each night.

2020: What can I say?

 

Even though I can almost guarantee that most of us have had a shit of a year I did have two books release, two that I'm very proud of having written. I also have 5 in the line up for edits at MLRPress, so I'll update you on those when I know more. I'll email my editor again today and ask what the go is.

I have also decided to write some MF series that I have been thinking about and I'd also like to once again to try my hand at first person. Though I'm not sure how well how that will turn out. I'm hoping it will go better than the last time.

After the horrendous year that was 2020, I've decided to reevaluate my writing schedule for 2021. I may not have had Covid and fingers crossed I never get it, but we have had a shit load of other viruses and illnesses run through our household.

On a better note: I was granted with another beautiful Grandaughter in 2020, and my daughter got married in 2020➖actually she went into labour in the middle of her wedding vows, but still ended up holding off for another couple of weeks before Harper was born. Her big sister Grace discovered what a mistake it is to play in sump oil when dad leaves it down where she can reach it.

With the amount of time we have all been stuck at home, I've come to realise I still have too much stuff. So 2021 I'll do another big declutter I think. My pets are both doing well. Though Robson is a little shitter at times. His favourite thing is to sneak into my closet and try and pull my dresses off of their coathangers. Oliver is still mellow and laid back.

Healthwise: in this past year I've had some ups and downs, but for the most part I've been okay. Just living life and keeping to ourselves and staying out of the main populace so that there is less of a chance of catching anything. Though I have never been more grateful to be an Australian when this pandemic struck the world. I've probably just jinxed us now that I've said that. I don't think they will ever cure the disease, but hopefully, they will find a way to finally get it under control.

I'm hoping the worst is now finally behind us. May our future be better.

Playing Catch Up.

Well, I can tell you I have had some drama. I broke my glasses and had to wait for my new ones to come in. The problem is when I finally got my new ones in, and it took 3weeks... is that I think they stuffed up the placement of my multifocal lenses. So, I'll have to go back and get them to look at it as I'm still having trouble seeing the computer. I can see everything else fine just not the computer, which I need them for the most... But at least this time I'll be able to use my new reading glasses while I get them adjusted... At the moment if I stay on the computer too long I get a freaking full-on migraine that just won't quit.

In other news> I have done final edits on Hidden Hearts 1: Harder & Harder to Breathe and sent back to Christie N at MLRPress... and the final readthrough on Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings and sent back to Rebecca B at Pride Publishing.

Cover Release

 Wardens of the Guild 3

Heartstrings

I've Been Busy

For the past couple of weeks, I've been busy. Not only have I been working on my last 9 books for 2020, but I have been doing a couple of sets of edits for Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings, and sent them back to Rebecca B at Pride Publishing. I've also picked the cover for it, and I can't wait to get the real thing.

I have Cotter's Girls 1: TASH at the beta readers. I hope to have Lancaster's Way 3: Pre-loved finished within the next week. As soon as it is it will be off to the beta readers as well. Then the next one on my list is to finish off The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You.

Not sure what real edits I have coming to me next, but I'll let you know as soon as I get some. I'll also show the cover as soon as I get it. I hope you all like it as much as I do.

Little Things...

Well, I have been busy cleaning up a lot of little things around my place lately. Like...

1: I've done some re-potting in my garden... Some of my plants just needed a bigger home. I'm not that crash hot with flowers and plants and all that sort of crap but I do my best. 

2: I've been culling out the clothes that I no longer have any inclination to wear. I think my dress style might be changing just a tad, but I can't go overboard as I don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe. 

3: I've become a tad OCD in my pantry, making sure everything is in date and can last a long time. I'm not stocking up on ten ton of food stocks, but everything has its place and all my labels are facing forward so everything is easily found. 

4: I'm also babysitting my daughter's cat again... okay, I may have had to borrow the cat to try and keep Robson from going nuts in my place. He and Daisy are nearly the same age and they like to play together and keep each other occupied. Now poor Oliver gets a reprieve he's 5years older then they are and just like to laze in the sun and not run around like a lunatic.

5: Healthwise I'm doing fine. I have my migraines mostly under control, and even my back seems to be playing nice with the rest of my body lately. No use complaining because no one wants to ear it...LOL.

6: On the book writing front... Still working on my plotlines for 2021... to tell the truth, I've lost the little cord that goes from my multi-port to my computer, and I keep forgetting to buy a new one. It's a pain in the arse as I need more than one port. Hopefully, while I'm cleaning up I'll find the damn thing. Any way come August 1st I have to write 2,500 words per day to finish the 9 books I need to by the end of the year.

7: The books are: 

Cotter's Girls 1: TASH

Experimentals 3: Messages From the Dead

Hidden Hearts 3: Going by the Book

Hidden Hearts 4: Couples Cover (ends series)

Lancaster's Way 3: Pre-loved

The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You

Sons of Evenmore 4: Life, Death, & Everafter

Sons of Evenmore 5: Touching Shadows (ends series)

Wardens of the Guild 4: Gilded Cages (ends series)

My brain is on overload.

I know what I should be working on, yet so many other stories are fighting to be put first. so right now instead f forcing myself to work on one story I'm just working on whichever one takes my fancy on any given day. Though I'm limiting myself to five on the go at once, any more than that and it might get confusing. 

That's not counting the ones I'm currently doing edits on for my publishers. So I'll be constantly busy. Here is the list of five, and you can keep track of the wordage on the left-hand side of my blog.

1) The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You (MM)

2) Lancaster's Way 3: Pre-loved (MM)

3) Experimentals 3: Messages from the Dead (MM)

4) Mountain Made 1: Haylee's Mountain Man (MF)

5) Cotter's Girls 1: Tash (MF)

Update time.

I finally finished the 1st edits on The Lines of Marsden 4: The Trail of Red Roses, so I have sent them back to the amazing Christie N at MLRPress, and now I'll have to wait for round 2.

I have some beta edits on The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You from James A to go through today, before I go back to working on Lancaster's Way 3: Pre-loved.

I also have some errands to run. I have to renew my driver's licence, go to the post office and collect the mail, go to the shops and buy some groceries, and mum's weekly magazines. Then this afternoon I'll have to mow the yard before it starts to look straggly. I already went out in the early morning (5:30am) and did some trimming in the garden. I still have a little more to do but I ran out of room in the bin, so I have to wait until they are emptied tomorrow to finish the rest. I'm still not feeling 100% so it's slow going.

What the Frack...

My brain has frazzled. I have finished the first round of pre-edits (if that makes sense) on Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings. I just want to give it one more pass through to make sure I caught everything before I send it back to Rebecca B at TEB/Pride Publishing.

So now it's back to concentrating on my other writing for the next little bit and getting as much done as possible. while I wait for the next lot of edits to turn up.

I feel 2020 is going to be as busy as hell, and I'm going to love it. I really feel good about this year. I just have to get through the hecticness of January. I have my support system in place and I know this is the year everything falls into place for me.

Forgot to say> I signed the contract with TEB on Wardens on the Guild 3: Heartstrings.

Updates

I'm doing edits on Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings, There is a lot of little crap I have to fix up before we have to start on the real edits. Then the major thing I realised was I hadn't done the damn thing in American spelling, so I had to go through and change all of that→so much fun...not!

I'm still working on my current WIPS The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You, Experimentals 3: Messages from the Dead, & Lancaster's Way 3: Pre-loved. Though I might run over my end of January deadline by about a week. Not that I'm too worried about that at this stage.

I've emailed Christie N, my editor at MLRPress to find out about my The Lines of Marsden 4: The trail of Red Roses edits and see if we are any closer to starting them.

Other than that> I'm back at the doctors today for another checkup to make sure my medication is all up to date and they don't need to change anything for me→I'll have to tell him the new stuff gives me headaches, which isn't good.

Almost, but getting there...

Today I received an email saying that I needed to fill in the BIF (Book information Form) and tidy up my punctuation before they send me out the contract on Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings. I've filled in the form and sent it back. I'll probably struggle with the punctuation as I suck at it, but I'll give it a go. It's been a long time since I was any good at this sort of thing and will probably take me a bit to get back into the swing of things. 

Other than that, health-wise I'm doing okay. still have doctor visits ahead of me, and I'm booked into the hospital. I'm waiting for them to get back to me with an appointment time. My back seems to be doing a lot better, not hurting as much. Though my new medication gives me a headache.

I went to Costco for the first time and realised it's not for me. I'd much rather do my shopping locally. Though it is good for every once in a while.

Up & Running...

The new Year has begun and I currently have 3 projects on the go. I will be this rushed for the first 2 months and then things will slow down because I will have caught up and be where I am supposed to be at in my writing schedule.

The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You I started the year off at 50K only another 50 to go.

Lancaster's Way 3: Pre-loved I started off at just over 5K so I still have 35K to go.

Experimentals 3: Messages from the Dead I started off at 1.5K mainly because I lost all my long-handed version and have to start again...go me. so that leaves me with 38.5K to go. 

Even with all of this I still say I will be caught up by the end of February. I will keep you all informed of my progress as I go along wish me luck.