Jennifer Apodaca's Blog, page 121

NINC Conference Roundup

I’m writing this blog from my hotel room in Florida, and hoping that we get home Sunday night. It will all depend on whether or not Hurricane Nate delays flights. Of course, that would just be an inconvenience for us. Hurricane Nate apparently caused multiple deaths in Central America, and could possibly cause more destruction in the U.S., so I’m not complaining. I really hope everyone is safe!

So lots of things to talk about.

On Saturday my middle son (G-Man) proposed to his long time girlfriend!! We are ecstatic! We love his fiance! So for anyone keeping track, I have three grown sons: Oldest is married to Special K, and they are expecting their first baby (my grandbaby!!!) in March. Middle Son is newly engaged. And Youngest is already engaged (another girl we love!), but they have put their wedding off to late 2018 due to her mom’s serious health issue (she is recovering, thankfully). So to sum up, our three sons have brought us three amazing daughter-in-laws! And yes, I’m a tad excited!!

The NINC Conference: It was awesome! I could only last until 2 p.m. as far as workshops go, but I got a lot out of this trip. I’m just going to give you random thoughts off the top of my head.

I love this specific conference because it’s very, and I’m mean very business and success focused. If someone is a hobby writer who is just happy to publish a book or two and talk about it, this conference would not be right for them. But if you consider your self a business, with you as the CEO and Content Provider (the books), and you are looking to grow your company, then you’d love it here.
The big thing this year seems to be collaborations (two or more authors writing together).
Everyone is looking for a great Assistant. Okay, seriously people, if being an author isn’t your thing, but you enjoy being around authors and books, you may want to consider becoming a Virtual Assistant. You will likely need a strong skill set in things like newsletters, formatting, uploading, creating spreadsheets, doing promo campaigns, running street and review teams. It can be a demanding job that requires constantly growing your skill set, but it’s also fun and challenging.  And sometimes there are great perks, there were quite a few assistants here at NINC.
Writing faster is always a goal. It’s pretty much the same advice: Write a dirty first draft without editing, then revise. Use tricks like a setting a timer and sticking to it with no interruptions. Turn off the internet and don’t answer the phone or doorbell. (Um..what about retired husbands? LOLOL. Getting a writing buddy to keep you on track. In my case, I’m talking to an author friend about working together to keep each other accountable, talking over plotting and business issues weekly or so via Skype or something like that. Figure out what works for you and do it.
Set office hours and try to stick to them. THEY WERE TALKING TO ME!! That’s one of my goals. We will be more efficient if we know we only have certain hours to work, then we can play later.
Create a Strategic Production Plan: 1) Figure out your plan like I’m going to write three books in a sexy paranormal serious about dragon-shifters trapped in their dragon form until they find a witch to release them. 2) Determine how long it takes to write each book.  3) Develop a launch strategy, like write all the books first, then release them all at once, back-to-back releases or release them as written.
Set up a yearly calendar with deadline and your production schedule. I have a simple calendar, but I’m going to get a huge calendar and put it in my upstairs office where I can see it at a glance. In a nutshell, my calendar will be color coded and able to see at a glance: 1) 1st draft finished and due to editor. 2) Revision from revision letter and date due back to editor. 3) Line Edits done and due to editor. 4) Copy Edits sent, received and finished. 4) Proofreading. 5) Arcs/Reviews sent. 6)  Formatting digital and print. 7) Release Dates. Marketing Plan (pre-release, release day, blogs, advertising, etc.)  And that’s for each book.
Onto audio books. ACX has been the only game in town for a while, but now there are two new players: Findaway Voices and ListenUp Audiobooks. That’s exciting news and I’m really pleased to see these two companies creating more audible book opportunities. They allow writers to keep more rights and distribution options, and seem really excited to work with authors on their projects. However, it’s still very expensive. If it costs $350.00 (conservative cost) Per Finished Hour then it would cost me roughly $10K to put the three books in my Savaged Series in Audio. I didn’t even want to do the math on my Wing Slayer Hunters Series. Audio is a growing market but expensive to do ourselves.
There was a two hour, very intensive workshop on newsletters. The take away from that is pretty simple–we all need a newsletter mailing list. It’s out most valuable tool in reaching readers who really want to buy our books. For anyone just starting out with a newsletter, look at Mailchimp–they are free for less than 2k subscribers. I started my mine there and do pretty well with it.

Okay that’s enough for now I think   How was your weekend?

Wednesday Worthy

Wow what a week. The mass shooting in Las Vegas is on my mind almost every moment. Wizard and I have watched the stories of so many heroes emerging, from strangers shielding one another with their bodies, coming together to find any method to get the wounded to hospitals, to the story of the woman who sat with a dying man and talked to his family on his cell phone.

They are all my heroes.

Today I’m hopefully in the air on my way to Florida. I’m crossing my fingers the nerve pain and tinnitus (which causes pressure, dizziness & nausea) cooperates In the scheme of things going on in the world, this is a very miniscule thing to worry about.

Okay for Wednesday Worthy, we have a surfer dude with a sexy grin. I think he could be a Navy S.E.A.L. hero in a sexy contemporary romance!

So what do you think, is he worthy?

I don’t know if I’ll be able to post on Friday or Monday, but I will try

Weekend Roundup!

I’m back after being taken down by a stomach virus.  I was so sick, I think I saw my spleen…ugh. And in the lovely process of performing an up close inspection of my toilet, I wrenched something in my back, probably the latissimus dorsi muscle.

Wizard just shook his head in disbelief and muttered, “Only you.” I know he meant that I’m a rare gem and he’s incredibly lucky to have such a uniquely beautiful and amazing woman as his wife.

Anyway, the nausea mostly abated by early Friday morning and all day Friday and Saturday, I was a zombie, mostly eating saltines and drinking water, weak tea and Seven Up. Finally yesterday I bounced back, Yay! The pulled muscle still hurts, but I can deal with that and will still fly to Tampa on Wednesday. The only thing that will stop me from getting on that plane is either getting distracted by a herd of adorable puppies, or Wizard getting sick. So far Wizard seems fine, but we’ll see.

Now for a sad and somber moment, most of you probably know the wonderful and kind romance author Carrie Ann Ryan’s husband suddenly passed away last week. He was only 32 years old. My heart bleeds for her, and all his family and friends. What a sad tragedy. I can’t even image that her heartache. Here is the link to the funeral obituary and information. Carrie Ann is so very kind and positive, she’s been lovely to me any time I’ve talked to her online, and she once wrote a business focused blog for us here. Please keep her in your thoughts as the days, weeks and months ahead will be difficult.

Okay and a little book news. After getting so ill, I knew I had to step back from my book so I reached out to my editor to discuss it. I had two options, I could give her what I had which is over 350 pages, or deliver later. It turned out to be the perfect timing for her to delay my delivery so it’s a win-win, and I’ll deliver the book in another month. We’re both excited for this book, and she’s been wonderfully supportive as I’ve struggled to write around health issues.

Oh!! The shots…they are helping! I’d say I have about a 20% improvement and while it may not sound like much, it’s an excellent indicator that the full three-session series will provide real relief. The medical staff told me the once the burn on the right sight eased up, I’d probably start feeling it more on my left side and they were absolutely right. The intensity of the right side pain was masking the left–all very interesting. Which tells me they know what they are talking about. Again, all the burning is coming from my cervical spine, but this is all moving in a positive direction. There’s other issues with my rotator cuff we’re working on in PT. And one day, I will make it off the injured list!

I’m going to tell you all about my secret, fun news (non writing or grand baby related) when I get back from NINC. I’ve babbled on enough for today. Just for fun, here’s what happens when I get a bright idea during a pedicure. I saw the pretty blue polish and said, “Can you do a starfish?”

The girl looked up a picture on her phone, showed me and I didn’t love it. But I figured I’d try it. I was right that I wouldn’t love it, but it’s fun

Okay if you made it through this long chatter fest of a blog, how was your weekend?

Wednesday Worthy

Happy Wednesday! It’s the battle of the dog tags

#1

#2

So which do you think is more worthy, #1 or #2?

Weekend Roundup

That was a fast weekend! Friday I did my first in the series of three sessions of pain shots. I talked about it a little on my FB and hate to bore everyone with a repeat of the details. I’m still a little sore from having six needles inserted into the neck joints and moved around to position correctly, and I’m continuing to experience some nerve pain, but it may improve. I was also told that it may take at least two times before I feel real relief. I’m going to try to schedule the second set of shots, which is a little tricky as we’re going through a health insurance change in October.

So much of my weekend was resting and watching dog training videos which is one of my weird obsessions

Yesterday I went out for a walk and got to meet a new dog-friend. I’m not sure of his breed, maybe a pit bull and lab mix? It was hard to tell but he had beautiful brindle coloring and was super friendly with excellent manners. He was off leash in a front yard with his people. Off leash is something I’m normally not thrilled about (as much for the dog’s safety as people’s), but this dog was a sweetheart. I kind of hoped he’d follow me home, but nope, he was too well-behaved, darn it.

Sunday I tried to work, and frustration set in, which resulted in:

I made chocolate oatmeal cookies. They taste okay. Normally, I’d prefer oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but I didn’t have any chocolate chips and was too lazy to go to the story. But I still ate enough.

Too much really.

Yeah, let’s not talk about that. Or about how much it hurt my arm to stir the oats into the batter.

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

Happy Friday Five!

It’s the end of another week! I don’t have enough pages to show for it, but it’s been a much better week! On to our Friday Five!

I keep meaning to ask Anna (my awesome virtual assistant) to make a graphic for Friday 5, but then forget to follow through with her no matter how many times I talk to Anna during the week. That may be a metaphor for my life lately.
So how do you guys feel about forgiving people who hurt you? I’m working on recognizing when the situation wasn’t really about me, but the person’s own personal struggles and demons. (Thank you to Wizard and Young Son (BLB) for helping me sort this out.)
I’m listening to a Nora Roberts audiobook WITNESS and loving it! I can’t remember the last time I read or listened to a Nora book (I’m not including her JD Robbs).
Tomorrow morning, I go for my first pain shot. Fingers crossed it works. I’m not nervous at all as I’m writing this, tomorrow could be a different story. And if anyone is curious, I’ve decided to do it under a local block rather an IV anesthesia.  Yes, I am that much of a control freak
I have a non-writing, not family secret and it’s killing me. And nope, I’m not telling you unless (unless a chocolate bribe is involved!)

Okay that’s my random five things about my weekend, now it’s your turn to share yours!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Worthy

We went out to dinner with youngest son (BLB) last night, then dropped in to see Wizard’s mom and it was late when we got home. Well it was 9:00 p.m. and that’s late for me Anyway, I pulled the first guy I spotted out of my files for our Wednesday Worthy Candidate, and here he is.

What do you think?

Weekend Roundup

This week will be better than last week! You know that one relative who is usually fine but sometimes decides to create a hurricane of family drama? Yeah…let’s not do that anymore, okay? Who’s with me????

In other news, I’m writing! Savaged Devotion is taking shape. I can’t write fast enough, and I’m getting frustrated at having to stop due to my shoulder, but at least I’m writing! My plan was to keep this very short and tight third book in the Savaged Illusions Trilogy but..can anyone else hear the characters laughing their butts off as they take over the book and tell the story their way? The length is heading towards longish, but I can tighten it up in the editing process so I’m just going along with the characters.

This Thursday I finally have my appointment for the first pain shot in my cervical spine. Physical therapy has helped about 20%, at least allowing me to write and think more than I was. We (my RA doc, my physical therapist and myself) are hoping this pain shot will target that stubborn swelling causing so much of my pain and nerve problems. Then I’ll be able to push even harder in PT and hopefully make more progress. Right now my physical therapist is keeping my PT somewhat restrictive due to the swelling she can clearly feel. (Shhh…I may push just a little bit when I do the exercises at home).

So that was my weekend, how was yours?

P.S. To everyone I didn’t answer on Friday, I’m sorry! I read all the comments,  I just didn’t get a chance to answer.

Happy Friday

And another week has flown by! Okay let’s do our Friday Five

I have to get this book done before I go to Florida, and I’m full on panicked, hating my shoulder, constant interruptions and endless frustrations. I am getting snarly mean trying to write.
I’ve been thinking about gumballs. I have no idea why.
Wizard was my hero this week. He’s also driving me crazy. LOL!
My nails are lavender.
There are brownies in my house. BROWNIES!! There was supposed to be a reason for those brownies, but the reason didn’t show up, leaving me with chocolate decadent squares of temptation. Sigh… The good news is Wizard is eating the brownies. The bad news…he’s not eating them fast enough.

Okay that’s my Friday Five, the stressed stupid edition. Now it’s your turn to share your Friday Five.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Worthy

Yesterday was one of those days that started off fine, then went all fun house mirror weird. Since I’m still distracted trying to find my way out of the fun house, I invited two comic book heroes to help me out with Wednesday Worthy. Now your job is to figure out, who is MORE worthy?

Wolverine

**OR**

Thor

 

Who do you vote for?