M.J. Fredrick's Blog, page 20

Catching Up on Series

I was trying to organize my Nook (not easy, let me tell you) and I noticed I have a lot of series that I’m behind on. A. Lot.

I’m behind on Sookie Stackhouse, but don’t actually remember where I left off.

Behind on the Virgin River books

And the Lucky Harbor books.

Haven’t even STARTED Trish’s Blue Falls books.

And I have a ton where I’ve read the first book but never got around to the second.

I’ve even bought several books in a series because they were on sale, but haven’t had time to read them! It drives me a little nuts. Now I don’t want to start any more series until I catch up with those I’m caught in the middle of! And then what do I do? Start WRITING a series, adding to the frustration!

Does this happen to anyone else, or am I just that slow?

Goals for the New Year

Last year I wrote 8 novellas and 2 novels. This year, I plan 4 novels and 6 novellas. That doesn’t exactly balance out, but I’m pretty determined.

Writing

New series

Finish up other series and write a paranormal novella with Trish.

Life

See Josh graduated and employed

Declutter

Exercise to keep off the weight I lost last year

Continue paying off bills so I can be done before I retire!

Top Ten Events of 2013

This was a good year for me. A very good year. It had some stress, naturally, and I lost my favorite kitty, but mostly it was good.

Here are the best things that happened to me this year.

Singing onstage with Hayes Carll–absolutely number 1. Every time I think about it, I think I can do ANYTHING!
Getting voted Teacher of the Year by my campus. A great honor, but very stressful!
Going to Nashville to visit Trish, then driving down to spend the weekend in a condo on the coast. Was. Awesome.
Getting an Amazon liaison this summer, which netted me an audiobook and a print book for free!
Listening to said audiobook. Trip. Py.
Going to my first Longhorn game. I wanted to go to MORE, but it wasn’t in the cards. So. Much. Fun.
Going to visit my dad in MN.
Surviving this past fall–Veteran’s Day, updating the school website, coordinating the United Way, planning the Christmas program–my favorite word next semester is going to be NO!
Paying for Josh’s spring semester and his dorm from ONE Amazon check last year.
Moving Josh into his apartment. Okay, I didn’t do anything but pay for it, but it was neat to go see him in his own place.

What were the best things to happen to you this year?

My Top Ten Books of 2013

This one was a tough one. I’d challenged myself to read 75 books this year, but since I wrote 6 novellas and 2 novels, I didn’t make that goal!

Thank goodness for Goodreads, though, so I can keep track of what I read and liked!

Can’t Hurry Love by Molly O’Keefe–I was actually torn between this one and Crazy Thing Called Love. I totally glommed her books this year. Her writing is just so layered and wonderful
Comes the Night by Norah Wilson–I don’t usually enjoy paranormal romance, but this young adult book about 3 girls at a boarding school who learn how to cast their spirits from their bodies was compelling and tense
Out of the Night by Trish Milburn–Again, not usually a paranormal fan, but I LOVED this vampire book from my bestie.
Cold Dish by Craig Johnson (Longmire)–I got so addicted to the show Longmire this year that I started reading the books. I liked the first two best.
A Perfect Distraction by Anna Sugden–a debut romance by a friend, between a hockey player and a recent transplant from England who is struggling for custody of her daughter.
Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox–a book recommended to me, different from any romance I’ve read, about two people riding bicycles across the US.
Under the Sassafras by Hattie Mae–a debut book from ANOTHER friend, set in Louisiana. I read the original a few years ago, and was completely charmed once more. Looking forward to the sequel.
A Better Father by Kris Fletcher–another debut book from ANOTHER friend! This one is set at a summer camp, a man struggling to be a father to his toddler, and the woman he’d left behind years ago.
Unattainable by Leslie Garcia–ANOTHER debut from ANOTHER friend, set along the Rio Grande. I loved the guarded heroine and her house full of troubled teens.
Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas–a richly detailed marriage-of-convenience story gone wrong. (but when do they go right?)

Goals for the Week of the New Year

 

WOW, last week went fast! To be fair, the week before did, as well. And I imagine this week will, too.

1) Finish novella

2) Start new Starfish Shores story

3) Day trips with Fred

4) Celebrate our anniversary, our 27th

5) Work on revisions

6) Work on decluttering

7) Enjoy time with the boy before he heads back to Austin

8) Go see Catching Fire

9) Get both Fred and Josh new shoes. Why I have to go, I have no idea.

10) Work on some promo.

11) Work on plotting my new series

Wow, that’s a lot to cram into one week!

 

My Top Ten TV Shows of 2013

So, I watch a LOT of TV, and have a TiVo, so I kind of made this list based on how quickly we watch shows from the TiVo.

Sons of Anarchy (though I actually watched it on Netflix and Amazon, I did watch it ALL in 3 weeks.)
Scandal–crazy. Crazy. LOVE the crazy.
Walking Dead–We watch this pretty much live every week.
American Horror Story: Coven–I didn’t like last season, but I LOVE the witches. LOVE. Also, so much crazy.
Arrow–Start watching for Stephen Amell, keep watching for the action and plot. And Ollicity!
Longmire–If a cop show can be relaxing, this one is. I love the small town, love Lou Diamond Phillips and the friendship between Henry and Walt.
Witches of East End–also crazy, but so much fun. And pretty.
Rizzoli and Isles–This isn’t one I always watch right away, but it’s consistently good.
Falling Skies–Love this post-apocalyptic tale!
Downton Abbey–Except the last episode. Damn you, writers!

Hell on Wheels, Justified, Big Bang, The Middle, Modern Family, Mom, Raising Hope were all good. I gave up on Grey’s Anatomy and am :thisclose: to doing the same with Supernatural. It should have ended two seasons ago. Glad it’s the last season of How I Met Your Mother.

What are you loving? What did you give up on?

My Top Ten Movies of the Year

Keep in mind, I’ve not gone to the theater since June or July. I don’t remember the last movie I saw–either Man of Steel or World War Z. We want to see Catching Fire and Desolation of Smaug and Walter Mitty. Maybe next week.

Pacific Rim–good fun. And Charlie Hunnam. I didn’t expect to like this movie and loved it. Bought it for me and as a gift.
White House Down–good fun. And Channing Tatum. I liked it better than Olympus Has Fallen. I think it was the humor. Own.
World War Z–very tense, and other than the annoying daughters, I loved it. We thought about buying it but it was pretty intense. Maybe for a good price.
Lincoln
Perks of Being a Wallflower–LOVED. LOVED. Cried. LOVED. Own.
Star Trek Into Darkness–Own.
Rise of the Guardians
Great Gatsby
Warm Bodies
Man of Steel–saw twice in the theaters. And Henry Cavill. Own.

What did you see? What did you love?

What I Wish My Nook Did

 

I love my Nook, I do. I love ebooks, too. I really really love ebooks. I have a LOT. A. LOT. I am embarrassed to say how many.

I wish my Nook would let me organize them better. I’d love to be able to order them like my Netflix queue, you know, in the priority I want to read them. Barring that, I wish it would let me shelf them in easy steps, not the multiple steps I have to use now. Then you have to GO to the lists, which I can never remember how to do, so I just scroll through my endless pages of books until I find something that looks good.

And I wish it would let me archive them once I’m done reading, just to clear up my list.

Am I missing something? Is there an easier way to organize your TBR on the Nook?

Merry Christmas!

 

I love Christmas Eve! As long as I can remember, that’s when we celebrated with our family. Everyone would come to our house and we’d eat sandwiches (for a while we could get red and green sandwich bread!) and wait for Santa, who always came earlier to our house than everyone else’s. Sometimes my brother and I would watch Christmas shows while eating on TV trays. One I remember, and no one else did, was “The Night the Animals Talked.”

We still all gather at Mom’s, eat, drink and be merry, then sit around the tree and open gifts. Some years it’s hard to fit everyone, which is a blessing in itself.

Then tomorrow, my little family will wait for everyone to wake up (I’m never the last, but you might have guessed that!) and exchange gifts. Josh has to work tomorrow, so Fred and I will go to my brother’s for dinner on our own, and bring him back a plate. Tomorrow’s the first day of Fred’s vacation, so yay! We’ve never had such a long stretch of time when we’re both off.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and SAFE Christmas!

Goals for the Week of Christmas

 

Josh is coming home tonight for 2 weeks. Fred will be off starting Wednesday. It’s not feeling like a particularly productive vacation.

1) Christmas baking

2) lunch with an old friend

3) finish my novella

4) finish watching SoA (6 more episodes!)

5) celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

6) Take down Christmas decorations

7) Make an eye appointment

8) exercise (see #1)

9) Plot my new Starfish Shores story so I can start it next week.