Jennifer Apodaca's Blog, page 159

Weekend Roundup

So…we started having internet issues last Friday and I didn’t want to deal with it. Every time I call our provider I get a massive runaround. Last time I was told that both my brand new computers had massive viruses. Unlikely…it took a over a week to get our provider to admit there was a problem and finally address it and resolve it.

For nine months everything was fine until now.

Now here’s the interesting part — Wizard called yesterday (Sunday!) and got help. The whole call was maybe a half hour, they immediately spotted a problem in our line, did some internal switching and agreed to send us a new, upgraded modem. I was shocked and pleased. Serisouly happy with Verizon AND Wizard. I was thrilled that I didn’t have to call, and that Verizon must have improved their customer service.

Except there’s a little voice in my head saying, “Hey Jen, maybe it’s because Wizard is a man???? Does the world still treat men with more respect than women?”

Never mind, there’s no point in thinking like that. We should have the new modem Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest and the problem with be solved.

Otherwise, the weekend was good but sooo busy. We got to see Bailey yesterday! I didn’t take any pictures but he’s coming to stay with us in a couple weeks and I’ll take pics then. We also celebrated middle son’s girl friends birthday with Kahlua Chocolate Pound Cake — I put the recipe below for anyone interested.

This week I am working! I’m anxious to tackle this first set of revisions on CAGED MAGIC.  And I’m really hoping Wizard’s foot heals. Dang that minor little procedure has turned into a major annoyance for him.

How was your weekend?

Kahlua Chocolate Pound Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix (I use Duncan Hines Devil’s food)

1 – 16-ounce container sour cream

1/3 cup Kahlua

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1 6-to-12 ounce package chocolate chips.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and prepare a Bundt pan. (I spray mine with baking spray that contains flour),

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl EXCEPT the chocolate chips, and mix (I use a hand mixer) until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips.  Pour/spread into prepared pan. Batter will be thick. Then bake for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool

For topping, you can dust with powdered sugar, or what I do is melt some chocolate frosting and pour it over the top, and sprinkle with chocolate chips and let it set. I’ve also made a ganache to pour over the top.

Happy Friday!

One thing I know for sure from years of writing books.

Revisions almost always make a book better.

Yesterday afternoon I was working on editing a file when I got an email from my editor on CAGED MAGIC that basically said, “You need to revise the opening of CAGED MAGIC.” Actually she said it much nicer with more details, but what she wants me to do is revise it and a few other things before she goes on with her edits.

You know what I’m going to do?

Well first, according Wizard, there’s a little bit of wine and whining happening

But after that? I will absolutely do it.  Because this is what it takes to write a solid book, and frankly, right now, it’s not solid. My reply to Sasha (my editor) was send it back to me and I’ll do it. But this is not something I’d automatically do. When I did my final read through of the book before sending it to Sasha, the first few chapters bothered me, so I agree with her on a gut, no-lying-to-myself level. And since I do agree, today I will set aside everything else to carefully read through the all her notes up to this point and figure out how to strengthen the opening, clarify the world building and really make it WORK.

Because that’s what writers do.  When edits are needed, we don’t argue, we do them no matter how freaking hard and challenging. Sasha and I have the same goal here, to make the book shine. And this is just the beginning as there will be two more rounds of edits before ti goes to a proofreader.

In other news, Wizard is healing slowly from his minor medical procedure, and frustrated by his limitations. He’s so bored, he’s even offered to read my opening pages to help me revise I may take him up on it, he’s good at it. But I have to be in the right frame of mind to take more input.

As for this weekend: I’m having lunch with a friend tomorrow, and Sunday we are celebrating middle son’s girl friend’s birthday with Chocolate Kahlua Pound cake.

 

This isn’t a picture of a cake I made, but it looks exactly like it

Oh!! And we’ll get to see Bailey too!

Wizard and I both miss him so much.

So what are you doing this weekend? Whatever it is, I hope you have a great weekend!

Wednesday Worthy

On Monday, Wizard had a really small in-office medical procedure. All’s fine except we’re both tired. It’s amazing how something that sounds so easy in theory, ends up taking more energy that we think Wizard’s healing fine, and it really is nothing serious. But I may be just a tad overprotected. I know, you’re all shocked  Wizard is being a very good sport though about staying off the foot and not worrying me, which I appreciate.

Although by today, I’m betting he’s going to be sick to death of me hovering over him. I’ll back off him a bit. Maybe.

Okay lets move onto Wednesday Worthy. Here’s our candidate:

So what do you think? Is he worthy?

Weekend Roundup

First up today:

Anna owns and operates the Herding Cats & Burning Soup review and book website, which by the way is a very cool website to check out. She is starting today as my assistant, helping me with some social media (mostly FB), setting up my street team (unfortunately we have to set up a “new” team as the I didn’t own the site for the old one and couldn’t do much), and several other things. I’m very excited about working with Anna, and wanted to let you all know so you’d have a clue who I’m talking about when I mention Anna

And for the record, I loved working with Carla, my former assistant. Carla is starting a new venture now and I’m wishing her much luck and success!

My weekend was pretty good, I’m getting a ton of little things done but no real writing. Getting started on a new book is slow going as I’m having to reconsider some plot points. What I really need to do is jump in a write a couple scenes to get a better feel for my hero and heroine. As much as I’d love to be a completely organized plotter to make writing easier, in the end, it’s the characters stories that drive the book and ultimately decide the who, what, where & when of the book.

In the meantime, Wizard and I are considering what we want to do to the house vs what we can afford. Why does budget always have to ruin our fun? And frankly I have to wonder just how insane I am to jump into all this house project on top of my writing schedule? But when has that stopped me before???

So how was your weekend? By the way,  I’ll be gone this morning, but will answer comments once I get him in the afternoon.

 

Happy Friday!

Now I remember why I immerse myself in writing…because when I’m not writing, I do projects around the house.  Since we’re stating to look for new floors, Wizard and I decided to get started cleaning out of a few closets upstairs so we won’t have to move it later. Wow, we’ve accumulated a lot of junk–although most of it is the kid’s stuff. We made a huge dent in the project though so we’re happy. But our house is at that age where it needs  work and apparently…

Which means Wizard and I have to do the work

I’m also juggling a bunch of writing related projects, including looking at re-publishing two of my favorite books from my backlist that I now own the rights to. I’ll talk about that more as the process moves along.

What I want to do this weekend is:

What I DREAM of doing is adopting this guy that I found online:

 

Just ignore Wizard standing behind me saying, “You wish, witch. Not happening unless I walk out into my garage and see a brand new Mustang.”

What will probably happen:

Except that woman doesn’t look anything like me, so maybe this  is more accurate:

So what are you doing this weekend?

Wednesday Worthy

I’m doing a bunch of little stuff that is sucking time like a Hoover vacuum. No wonder I put all this stuff off while writing, LOL! I wish details would magically take care of themselves while I’m off reading a book or something.

At least I’m not obsessing about whether or not the editor likes CAGED MAGIC right? Bwhahahaha! Wrong, I can multitask

Oh that reminds me, I recently read an  article that said authors should never tell readers how “hard” it is for them to write a book. Readers don’t want to hear that because then authors are not communicating a positive message. At the same time authors should never appear “too happy” or they will come across contrived and not a real person, someone pretending to be more than they are.

I stopped reading the article. I’ve chosen to be as honest as I’m comfortable while being aware that social media is a public venue. So you guys don’t get the media savvy version, you just get me.

But also, you get this guy! Our Wednesday Worthy Candidate!

 

So what do you think? Is he worthy? Does he make up for having to deal with honest and unpolished me?

 

Weekend Roundup

Anyone else feeling the time change? I want my lost hour back But other that, I had a great weekend.  Wizard and I went out to dinner–it was an okay dinner but great to get out and relax, then Saturday I hung out with my sister for a few hours, and I finished this round of edits for EXPOSING THE HEIRESS, book three in the Once A Marine series. I believe that book will be scheduled for June or July. I’m really getting excited about the book now — I love Hunt, the former sniper hero, and Alyssa, the famous heiress betrayed by someone she should be able trust.

For the first time this year, I’m semi-caught up until the first round of edits/revisions for CAGED MAGIC come back to me. It’s so awesome to have a bit of breathing room! Oh I have things I need to do, but it’s not that same intense pressure of writing a book on deadline. I’m hoping to start outlining my new contemporary series. Plus Wizard and I need to start looking at redoing the floors in our house. While I’d love new floors, the work involved in daunting, not to mention the expense.

So how was your weekend?

Happy Friday!

I finished CAGED MAGIC! I sent the manuscript off to my editor (Sasha Knight) on Wednesday and I was both ecstatic and terrific.  After so many roadblocks and heartbreaks, finally writing the book is a feeling accomplishment. A SWEATY accomplishment since I’ve spent that last six weeks getting up at 5am, working until I ran out of steam at night and having zero life to finish it. But I didn’t care, I had to tell this story.

All that said, I’m also terrified and worried that the book isn’t good enough, and can’t be saved through revisions. However, I’m going to spare you all my usually belly-aching worryfest! You’re welcome

You know what I’m doing instead? Wizard and I are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate. And tomorrow, I’m going to have lunch with Biker Witch, my long suffering sister, and catch up with her.  Whatever happens with CAGED MAGIC, I finished the book, I fulfilled my promise to Linc and hopefully to readers (we’ll see) and I’m going to celebrate.

And then I have to dive into doing another round of edits on the next Once A Marine Book. I haven’t read through them yet, but they should be pretty straight forward edits and need to be done quickly before CAGED MAGIC comes back for revisions.

So what are you doing this weekend?

Wednesday Worthy

I’m still editing but getting there! In the meantime, I saw this picture of Ryan Reynolds on FB:

And now I have to know–do you think this version of Ryan Reynolds is worthy?

Weekend Roundup!

So my weekend consisted of:

-Working.

-Finally vacuuming out my closet and looking at all the shoes I can’t wear but wish I could.  This week my doctor proclaimed my bad ankle “warm and boggy.” Ugh. If you need that translated, it means a little swollen and ugly. Yay me. Which is why I’m stuck in boring shoes for now. Part of this may be from hurting it a few weeks ago. Time will tell.

-Trying a new place for breakfast Sunday morning. It was great, although Wizard picked a better breakfast than I did. So next time I’m ordering that!

-Me bugging Wizard for a dog.

-Wizard bugging me for a Mustang (the car, not the horse–I’d totally say yes to the horse!).

-And…I finished the draft for CAGED MAGIC! A little over 100,000 pages at this point.

I danced and drank wine late Saturday when I finished that! I have a lot of clean up work to do before I send to it the editor, hopefully this week, but I actually completed the book!  It seems like it took forever, but the way this REALLY worked was that for two years, every time I tried to work on it, something came up and forced me to set the book aside. I probably wrote 300 pages of the book in the last two months and that’s pretty good for me

Now whether its any good or not, I don’t know. We’ll see what the editor says once she gets it. I can’t think about that yet, I just want to fix a couple things and get it as clean as I can very quickly and send it off. Then I need to switch to line edits on EXPOSING THE HEIRESS (working title that will change) the next Once A Marine book.

Plus I have other stuff going on, but nothing fun to talk about yet.

So that was my weekend, how was yours?