Nice surprises...

I know this post will be a mix of both personal and writing so please bear with me as I ramble on... 

If you just want to read about my writing then you should just visit my WordPress blog as that is purely dedicated to my writing> updates> tips> new ideas> talking characters> answering questions> guest bloggers> or if I really liked a book. You find the link for it on the left-hand side on my blog by clicking on this W symbol... So if you have the time go and check it out. I promise in 2020 I'm going to keep it up to date.

I tried on a dress that I wanted to buy. Remembering the last dress I ever bought myself was a size 22... so I know I've lost weight, I went in and tried on a size 18, but had to put it back and get a size 16> so that was a nice surprise as the 18 was too big under the arms, and in front of the chest.

You can tell by the hair the person in the picture is not me, but this is the dress I got. I just really liked it. I don't think I could ever have hair that long again. I get bad headaches now when my hair grows longer than a cm...  The only problem with this dress is, now I have to buy a decent bra to wear with it. Someone should invent a comfortable bra for people with big boobs>>> I'm a DD cup and I've tried cheap bra's and expensive... I've tried underwire and no wire... none of them are comfortable... and you can forget strapless as my boobs are too big for them.

Besides writing my quota for today, my other job is to make some herbed butter for my brother. You should smell my kitchen at the moment it is awash with fresh sweet basil I just have to wait for the butter to soften a tad for me to combine all the ingredients.

Lastly, the third and final cricket test between test Australia and New Zealand started on Friday so I will be watching that. we need to see if we can make it a whitewash... I feel sorry for all the Kiwi cricketers who have come down with the summer flu... 6 weeks and I'm still suffering symptoms. I hope they get better soon.

Time to embarrass myself...

Okay... We all know I need to lose another 15kg (33.06lbs) this year... here is what I'm starting with... and then at the end of the year I'll share again and we can see how I did... Please keep me motivated. My back depends upon it.

I also have a set of exercises that I have to complete each day. I'm going to liken them to doing yoga. they are muscle strengthening exercises for my back to hopefully stop me from needing surgery... also I'm planning on throwing in a little bit of slowed down Tae-bo just because I can. I always did enjoy doing that form of exercise in the past.

I'm sure I will have to have many doctor appointments throughout the year to make sure everything is still on the up and up. But I figure as long as I breathing all is okay.

Don't ask me why these measurements, but these are the ones I have to keep track of...

Weight> 90kg... Neck> 42cm... Upper arm> 38cm... 

Breasts> 114cm... Waist> 98cm... Hips> 121cm...Thighs> 101cm

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.

Writing List 2020

Happy New Year everyone

I hope 2020 is good for us all.

This is my writing list for 2020━ they are listed in no particular order. So I"ll let you know what I'm working on as I'm working on it, okay? I only know when I have to have the two Christmas Novella's done by... so they are the only ones set in stone at the moment. I have two series I want to finish this year━ so wish me luck.

The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You - 100

Admetus Gaea 2: Broken Serenity - 40

Admetus Gaea 3: New World Alliance - 40

Cotters Girls 1: Tash – 40—M/F

Destiny House 1: Saving Shane - 40

Destiny House 2: Needing Norman - 40

Experimentals 3: Messages from the Dead - 40

Experimentals 4: Movements in the Dark - 40

Intended Mates 2: Dancing to the Sounds of Madness - 40

Intended Mates 3: Take my Hand - 40

Lancaster’s Way 3: Pre-loved - 40

Lancaster’s Way 4: Riding Fences - 40

Lancaster’s Way 5: A Stuart Family Christmas – 40—Xmas Novella/ends series

Sons of Evenmore 4: Life, Death, and Ever After - 40

The Connelly Chronicles 4: Just Good Friends - 100

The Lines of Marsden 5: On the 12th Day – 50—Xmas Novella

The Lines of Marsden 6: And Then You Die – 100—ends 1st line

Toowoomba Boys 4: Securing the Heart - 40

Toowoomba Boys 5: Bending the Law - 40

Wardens of the Guild 4: Guilded cages - 40—Ends series

As The Decade Ends

Normally I'd have a picture of fireworks but this year I'm boycotting them, due to the number of bushfires we still have raging in our country. So I thought I'd give you something else pretty to look at.

I can't believe another decade has come and gone. So the question is did we get done what needed to get done? And you know by my post yesterday that I almost made it but not quite━there was only one on my list I didn't finish. Though, in saying that, I did accomplish a lot.

I managed to write and tweak a few formerly written books to resubmit them for rehousing and so far this year this is what I have accomplished:

1> Admetus Gaea 1: The Gaean Prophecy>>> Formerly Silver Publishing ~ now MLRPress.

2> The Lines of Marsden 4: The Trail of Red Roses

3> Hidden Hearts 1: Harder & Harder to Breathe>>> Formerly Fireborn Publishing

4> Hidden Hearts 2: One Last Kiss Goodbye>>> Formerly Fireborn Publishing

5> Moon Runners 1: Heart-mate Mine!>>> Formerly Fireborn Publishing

6> Moon Runners 2: I Won't Let You Go

7> Sons of Evenmore 3: Fear the Scarlet Moon
8> Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings

Did I make it???

My writing Plan...

That would be a big fat no... I would have if I didn't get sick for the last part of November and the first half of December I'm still not feeling 100% but I can't wait for 2020 to get here so I can put this year behind me.

I know by February I should have caught up on what I've missed out on while sick for the past month and a half. I know I can do it because I have faith in myself. Yes, it might sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but someone has to and mose well be me.

For the end of 2019 by my calculations, I'll have still have about 45,000 words to do to catch up on, but it's doable to be caught up by the end of February before The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of You is finished. I want to start off 2020 right. So playing a little catch up is okay. Luckily for me, I'd only allotted 2 K a day for actual writing and 2 K a day for other things like editing or catch up. 

So I need you all out there to keep me on track over the next year. Drop me a line. Ask me questions. Anything to keep me motivated.

All the best 

See you all in 2020

NJ & Vlad

My Health

You know, I realised I started this year just as I finished it━sick. I had bronchitis at the beginning of the year and I have the flu now. And I've had a whole lot of crap happen in between.

I'm not looking for sympathy... Because I already have a plan in place for what needs to be done. In the last year, I have lost 16kg (35.4lbs) which because I have a major thyroid problem is near impossible to do. I have to still lose more weight. 

Not because I get the flu/bronchitis but because I have something wrong with the lower part of my spine. I also have some exercises that I need to be able to strengthen the muscles in and around my spine━so I won't need surgery. This is probably why I have so many damn headaches, but at least they seem to be under control.

Other than that I'm doing okay. I'm still saying 2020 will be a way better year for us all... and I can't wait to see you all there.

PS: I should also mention Wardens of the Guild 3: Heartstrings is finished and has been submitted.