Writing Strike

I've found myself in a bit of a writing strike as of late. I haven't been on here giving folks an update, or deep in my next novel. Of course I have a plan for what I want to write next, but the project scares me a little. There is a darker story line than I have used this far, and I wonder how writing that way will affect my own spirits. I might be thinking too deep about it too. Knowing November is National Novel Writing Month might get me going on putting words down.

But here I am again, after a time away, writing while the boys do their homework. I don't remember having this kind of homework when I was their ages, but a lot has changed since then too. 

At my last vendor event, I went back to proofreading my next novel. I am thinking about making it just digital so I don't have inventory to keep, but am not rushing to get it out either. I'm starting to see how fast time goes, and how busy I tend to stay even without getting out to sell books. Sadly, that also keeps my sale numbers low, but I'm not counting on that income at this point.

I had a good laugh last week when I received a letter from my great aunt with a newspaper clipping inside. It was about some of the mistakes found in books (she said it made her think of me. If I find a good news story, I'm sending something back to her). Sadly, I know how some of those writers feel. No amount of proofreading will catch each and every mistake in a book, but we try. 

Wrapping up Summer

It's amazing how quickly the summer can pass. I scaled back on events this year to spend more time with my family, and don't regret it one bit. We took our first trip and spent the better part of a week in South Dakota. The picture above was at Bear Country. Sadly, this is the best family picture I got. It still looks kind of cool.

Monday the new school year starts up again. I will have a first and second grader! 

I've been asked to be a godmother again too. It's an exciting honor to get asked, and I had hoped I would. Now I have 2 godsons, I think my family knows me well enough to know I am better off with boys than girls :)

The writing has been slow. I finished up my first draft of my third book, not any connection to the two I have published. I haven't decided what I want to do with it once I get it polished up. I know more now about publishing than I did when I finished writing my first one, and might try another option.

The garden is still producing. I picked beans tonight and we had them with fresh potatoes. I've pulled a few carrots, and they are still growing but are bigger than I have ever mangaged to grow. The tomatoes aren't great this year, they seem to crack or split before I get to them. The chickens don't seem to mind. We've been collecting at least one egg every day too.

Fall approaching is also a good thing. Deer hunting starts in 20 days, I need to get my sights set before then. At garage sales this summer I purchased a pile of books I plan on reading when I bike in the basement (it makes the time pass faster). And of course, the food gets better as the temps get lower.

Long Time, no see

I knew I had been putting this off, but until now I didn't realize how long it's been since my last post. I'd like to think I've been doing something productive, but not so sure. I guess it depends on how you look at it.

My last post back on June 1st, I talked about the goals I set for myself at the start of the year. I have been working on them, and have some progress to report. I did get my permit to carry, and learned a lot from the class. We had to shoot to get our certificate, and I somehow managed to get one dead center, no pun intended.

The carrots are growing, and probably won't need too much thinning. The garden might be a focus for tomorrow, depending on how hot it ends up getting. We might need to set up the pool to cool off too.

I have just under 350 miles on my bike, and only 20 days left to reach my goal. I took the afternoon off yesterday and put on 22 miles. When the alarm went off this morning to take my ride, I turned it off and fell back asleep. 

I dug out the goal jeans tonight looking for another pair, and got them on, buttoned, and zipped, but couldn't move. That doesn't meet the goal but is still a good sign. 

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not, but I've taken it pretty easy this summer on events. I was gone too much last year from the family, and that needed to change. We've been finding plenty to do, there hasn't been a quiet weekend yet. Tomorrow's event I was signed up for ended up not working out for me- the hubby signed up for something, and we couldn't leave the boys alone. Cost wise, it made more sense for me to stay home than him. But this is the only weekend in who knows how long I will be able to get to the swapper's meet, and I need more tomato cages.

It's going to be a hot weekend, and I will either be sewing, typing or laying out in the sun. I can't wait!

The (almost) Middle of the Year

I revisited some of my goals for the year the other day and came to the realization that I haven't done much yet, and the year is approaching half over. Sounds crazy to think of it like that on the first day of June. Anyway, I got to work. 

The carrots are planted, and with a little luck, I will be able to harvest them. My second book was published in May. Brian and I are signed up for a conceal and carry class, and I've done a little target practice trying to decide what the best gun will be for me. In the process, I ended up with a battle-wound. No, nothing major, but an empty shell hit my forehead and cut it. I am not getting that kind of gun, in case you were wondering. 

The biking has been slow with the odd weather we've had. I was out tonight before supper and ran over a nail. It cut the bike ride short, but I did walk the rest of the way after I stashed the bike. I purchased an indoor bike trainer in the fall, and love it. If you don't know what that is, it's basically something that holds the back tire of your bike up and you can adjust the resistance. I've used my bike more in my basement with that than I have outside. If I hadn't thought it was such a nice day today, I wouldn't have had a flat tire. Oh well.

It's been busy around home, part of my lack of posting. As I type, the chickens are getting butchered. The vegetable garden is in the ground. I may have gone overboard on the tomatoes planting 32 plants for us. I hope the pepper plants survive their abuse from the kittens.

School is out for the summer, and the boys are excited for our family trip this summer. I am too. I made the choice to scale back on summer events after last year and plan on making it a point to do more with the family. I sold more in the fall anyway, but there are still a few summer venues I plan on going to. 

My third book is almost complete. It may be a while before I get it published, but I'm a few nights away from writing the ending. It's not connected to the two I have published, except for having some firefighters in the story. Honestly, I'm more excited about this one than the first two. I really like the storyline and the twists :)

Touchdown in Kimball

It's been an interesting week, to say the least. My launch was Friday night, I spent the weekend with some friends having a craft weekend, my wedding anniversary, and there was a tornado touch-down very close to my house. The damage started less than half a mile from my house, with the most destruction happening on our high school football field. Normally, I can see the uprights on the South end of the field from my dining room window. Now they are just gone.

It was confirmed as a tornado, with about a mile long path. Our house and property was fine, and oddly enough, there was minimal damage through out town. The bus garage was probably the second worst damaged, and even that wasn't major.

I got my vegetable garden cleaned up tonight and hope to get it planted this weekend. With the strange weather I haven't wanted to transplant the plants I have started just yet, but I've been told after Memorial Day they should be safe. It will be nice to harvest food we grew ourselves and know exactly where it came from and if there was any products used on them. 

Mother's Day

Today is a big day for many people. I am no exception. I have two little boys who both drive me crazy and make me wonder why some people choose not to have children (maybe the two go hand in hand). I didn't think I would become a mother as early in my marriage as I did, but looking back I wouldn't want to change a thing. The boys are close in age, and they are best friends. Over the weekend, they have kept busy with their super hero costumes and imaginations.

I've also been blessed with an amazing mother of my own. When I was younger, she worked only a few days a week. She made clothes for me and I still remember one home-made mermaid costume for Halloween when I was in kindergarten. There was a lot of time spent in the kitchen and garden. To say I've learned a lot from her would be an understatement. 

The days she worked, I would go to my grandma's house. She is also a wise person who has impacted my life in positive ways. Being a farmer's wife, Grandma had plenty to do, and encouraged us kids to play outside. Unless it was raining, we were outside in the sandbox or riding bikes.

 Mother's Day ties in nicely with my new book. The major theme to the story is wanting to become a mother and having family. I was lucky enough not to struggle with having children, but many of my friends have. Children can bring so much joy, it's hard seeing the people who desire it the most not have the opportunity. 

Friday night is my book launch, and I am both excited and nervous. At least I've done one before so I know what to expect. Hopefully the weather is great and we can be outside on the patio at Triple R. If not, they have a nice room where we can go. Hope to see you there!

Spring Clean-up

I love this time of year. There is always something to do around home, and after staying inside most of the winter, it's great to get outside and working again. We purchased our house less than 2 years ago, and this is now our second spring here. There were projects we didn't get to last year, but we're getting a few more done now. 

I got a new flowerbed worked up this past week, and mulched over the weekend. The boys have a new swingset and club house. The chickens are now in their new coup, and the pumpkin patch planted. The brush piles are growing, and once it isn't so dry, we'll be able to have a few nice bonfires. 

With all this, it seems crazy to think my new book will be in my hands within the next 7 days! It seems too soon, but will be nice as I start my round of summer events. I am not doing as many events as last summer- it got to be too much for me and the family. And I want more time for writing my next book :)

Plumbing is not my side job

There are some things nice about old homes. They are built stronger in some ways than new homes. I think back in the 60's when my house was built, the builders used better materials than they do now. Out bedroom has the old thin wood flooring that is hard to find. There is a now unusable laundry chute. 

Then there's the headache of old technology and the fact that things get old and at some point, they need to be replaced or fixed. We've said after this house, and once the boys are out of high school, we're building a house and not fixing any more houses up. We'll see about that.

Enter my Friday night. I was doing some laundry, and found at the end of the washer cycle some very wet clothes. The washer was not draining all the way into the sink, and the sink was clogged. I did my best to open the drain with a wooden spoon handle that was in reach. No progress led me to more ideas. The plunger came out, and I had to try to get one side of the sink covered to make a tight seal for the plunger on the other side. When that didn't work, I realized there was a hose in the sink. Thinking it might work as a snake, I shoved it down the drain. Maybe a little too hard. Water started to leak out of the pipe under the sink.

 This wasn't your normal fiberglass sink. It's concrete and the left side has the old washboard in the side of the sink. I called Brian down to see if he could do something about the pipe leaking, and after some grumbles about old houses, he said the trap needed to be replaced. He started to take it off, and I headed back upstairs. A little while later, he came up and said we had to replace the whole sink because when he tried to get the trap off, the whole drain broke out of the sink. 

I guess I just wasn't meant to do laundry on a Friday night :) 

Better news: my book launch for Trying is scheduled for May 15th at Triple R in Kimball. I'll provide some snacks like I did at the launch for Moving On. Feel free to stop out and watch for more info.

Sometimes I live in a Zoo (or Farm)

It's been a crazy week at our house. There were 2 birthdays and 2 birthday parties. I spent a night away with the boys, treated one for pink eye and got it myself. We also grew our critters by leaps and bounds. Mittens had 5 kittens Saturday/Sunday. There is one that looks just like her. 

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​And then these came along Monday night. The 4 yellow ones will be chicken dinner, and the 3 brown ones should be laying hens. They are currently in my basement, and by the end of this week should be moved outside when the temps are higher. 

Last weekend, I pulled the taps from our maple trees after collecting around 75 gallons of sap to make syrup. I did get some of it cooked down, but it's sure a long process. Friday night I had my fire going for 7 hours, and cooked 10 gallons down to about 2. That's still a long way from being syrup. I even had the fire hot enough to make my blocks around the fire crack.

New book cover and proof should be to the printer by the end of this week.... I can't wait!

Book Progress and signs of Spring

Last week, I was one of many people enjoying the beautiful spring-like weather. We really didn't have a bad winter like last year, but it was long enough to appreciate warm temps and sunshine. The boys and I went for a few walks and a bike ride over the weekend. 

Proof #2 came to me yesterday, and I'm making pretty good progress on reading it over to make any additional corrections. This book is a little shorter than the first one, but without adding too much fluff, I feel it's a complete story. This book takes the same characters from the first book but is told from the perspective of Becca and her husband Boone. They are trying to grow their family with difficulties, and is aptly titled Trying. We're still on track for a May release, and hopefully (fingers crossed) it will be avalible in time for Mother's Day. 

I tried to tap my trees last year for maple sap to make maple syrup, but didn't follow through with it. This year, with a little more knowledge, I have collected over 30 gallons of sap. That sounds like a lot, right? It takes 40 gallons to make 1 gallon of syrup. You can learn more about the process and some fun facts at the Minnesota Maple Producers website: www.mnmaple.org

Why Valentine's Day is not Overrated

If someone would have told me a few years ago I would write a romance novel, I would have laughed at them. I never thought of myself as a romantic. I was more of a tomboy growing up, not into girly things. I still know very little about hair and make-up, and I'm fine with that.

Then I met a boy, who was like no one else I'd ever known before. There are some things that happen to us by a strange twist of fate I suppose, and meeting Brian was one of them. I had a date fall through, and met him at a party for the first time. A few weeks later, I saw him somewhere else, and we got to talking (ok, and kissing too, much to my brother's dismay). The next week we talked every night for hours at a time. It was strange for me, but apparently there was something between us neither of us could ignore. He brought out the romantic side of me I didn't realize I had.

Our first Valentine's day was unique. He had a dozen roses delivered to my parent's house- not cheap, I'm sure. We had plans to go sledding in the afternoon and reservations for supper. When we got together that day, I think I gave him a huge oatmeal raisin cookie in the shape of a heart. He also gave me a teddy bear and a necklace he made just for me. Back on our first date, we went to Perkin's in St. Cloud before a movie, the night before my birthday. He found a dime at the table, and we joked about it. Brian saved it, and drilled a hole in it. He found a chain, and gave the dime to me as a necklace. I still have it in my jewelry box (he made that too).

The reservations fell through that night, but after trying a dozen restaurants, we found one we could get into. We had a great time that night. Young and in love is a fun place to be.

We're busy people, and it's hard to make time to show our appreciation and love of each other. That's why I think it's important to take Valentine's day seriously. Brian still gets me flowers every year, and they always make me feel special. I don't care what some women say, flowers are nice. We don't always do gifts, and don't go over the top with going out to celebrate. But we still do something. And now we have two boys to share the day with too.

I love quotes, and there are tons out there about love and relationships. The one on the side is great. We've made the choice to show each other our love and respect on Valentine's Day.

And on a side note, my next book has a scene that ties in with my first date with Brian.

50 Shades of Grey and Valentine's Day

 

Valentine's Day is coming up, and there are 3 things on many women's minds: flowers, chocolate, and a certain movie. I read the book trilogy, more than once to be perfectly honest. Hear me out: they are not going to win any awards any time soon, but there is a very good love story under the sex and fantasy of some rich dude taking interest in an everyday lady.

I want to see the movie, but don't want to put my husband through the pain of 100 minutes of a cheesy romance movie. I'll find some of my girlfriends to see it with instead. I do not have high expectations for the movie, I was one of the people disappointed when Charlie Hunnam stepped down from the role of Christian Grey. If' you've ever seen his acting, he would have done the role much more justice than the guy they replaced him with.

I can't help but wonder if they will try to cram all three books into one movie or string it out into three movies too. Only 10 more days until we know.

In high school, I did a speech about Valentine's day. It was fun to research, and I thought I would share a few facts about the holiday here.

-Approximately 190 million valentines are sent each year in the US. Half of those valentines are given to family members other than husband or wife, usually to children. 
-Teachers receive the most valentines.
-60% of red roses grown in America come from the state of California
-Romance novels make a great gift for your Valentine :)

Motivation

I had an event tonight, and had a good time. It was an author panel at a library. There were 4 of us, and a pretty good sized audience. The librarian had to cut off the questions at the end because of closing time. It's amazing how going to events and talking to other authors and the people in attendance gets my brain going.

Another thing that amazes me is the many different genres and ways to get a book 'out there'. On the panel tonight, we had short stories, young adult fiction, memoirs, and romance. One is self-published, strictly digital, one in various mediums, and contracted authors. There are so many options when it comes to books.

I've been at a bit of a stand-still on my current novel, but feel like tonight helped me gain some motivation. Of course now I don't have time tonight to write (I could if I wasn't doing this, but I need to stay current too) so tomorrow night I will carve out some time.

Just like with my last book, I have to finish what I am working on before I dive into another project. I've been thinking more about my next book than I have the one I am working on, and that's hard. The current project is another romance, and I think it is a very strong story. I can't wait to share it with everyone else. The next one I want to do is going to be a bit darker than what I have been doing, but the format I want to use is going to be fun to write.

The worst part about having motivation this time of night is going to sleep. I know the second I lay down for the night, my mind will kick into high gear and keep me up. I don't want to shut it off, that's when all the good stuff comes out. And it's about time for that to happen :)

2015 Goals

I have always been one to keep a list of goals. It's been something I started in junior high. The summer camp I went to recommended having a list of 25 goals. As you reach a goal, cross it off and write a new one. That way there is always something you are working towards. Every once in a while, I flip through some of my old notebooks and come across some of these old lists.

It's a new year, and many people start the year with resolutions. I'd like to think my goals are the same way, but more likely to happen. Resolutions seem to usually only last a few weeks, maybe a month or two for the more determined.

Goals have to be specific and attainable. The whole point of setting a goal is to blow it out of the park. If I set a bunch of goals and don't get any of them, I would be letting myself down. I'm not doing a list of 25 for this year, but here are some of the things I want to accomplish.

1. Get second book published. It is something scheduled to happen, but still one of my goals.
2. Shoot a deer with my bow. Somewhat out of my control, but I am going to take steps before the fall season to help increase my odds of getting one.
3. Take a conceal and carry class. It's something I have wanted to do, but haven't taken the time. It doesn't mean I plan on carrying all the time, maybe even at all, but I think it is a good class to take.
4. Get more than 500 miles on my bike this summer. In 4 months last year, I hit that number.
5. Get back into my Silver jeans from high school before my birthday. This might go hand in hand with #4. I turn 30 in October, and would love nothing more (okay, that's not true) than to get my butt into a pair of jeans I wore in high school. I probably wouldn't still have them if it weren't for remembering spending $78 a pair on fast food income.
6. Visit 6 wineries this year. I want to help support local/Minnesota wineries. It's kind of neat getting to meet the people who make the wine and to hear about what they put into their product. It might be sort of an artist thing.
7. Grow carrots. I fail to get anything to grow underground aside from potatoes. It was awesome having a large garden this last year, and I hope this year is even better.

I think this is a pretty good list to start with.