Joely Sue Burkhart's Blog, page 48

2012 Begins With…

I finished formatting Return to Shanhasson and loaded it to Smashwords.  I've also submitted the file to Amazon, so it should be up shortly.  Once everything's up, I'll create a post so everyone knows and I'll beg for some new reviews or ratings.  *sheepish puppy dog eyes*

I went through Lady Wyre's Reget and added a few hundred words to the end.  I'm still not sure that it's *right* but I don't know how much further to go.  I'll let it sit awhile and see.  I'll probably post it here so you guys can tell me what you think.  I need a satisfying ending — but it should also make you want to go buy Lady Doctor Wyre if you haven't already read the main story.  A tough balance.

I really want this prequel to hook and entice.  I plan to create a chapbook via CreateSpace, so I'll have something to sign…  at the RT Conference in Chicago!  Yep, I'm going, and I absolutely couldn't be more excited!!!

So I've already crossed a bunch of busywork off my list.  Now I'm switching gears to a short project to decide if I have enough to whip it out in the next month or two for a submission call.  More details to come once I figure out what I'm doing.

Still not a lot of words…but definite progress!

2011 State of the Union

As I flipped back through this year, I'm quite honestly horrified by how little NEW words I actually wrote.  Projects I finished this year were the Zombie Category Romance, The Bloodgate Warrior, Ritual Ink, and the initial version of Lady Wyre's Regret.  Altogether, about 100K.  Ack.  That's horrible!

However, I did have four releases this past year:  Golden, Lady Doctor Wyre, Return to Shanhasson, and the print version of Hurt Me So Good, with many rounds of edits and promo to contend with.  Not an excuse, but that makes me feel a little better.

I also lost one of my publishers this year, so the last few months have been spent getting my rights back, dealing with cover art, learning how to format, figuring out how to upload my own files, etc.  And honestly, dealing with the grief and anger at losing so much.  Emotionally, it was a tough loss to deal with, and not much better on the financial front.  Not only did I invest a significant sum of money into new covers, but I'll probably never see my missing royalty payments.

I've definitely been busy….but not writing new words.

Gee, I wonder why I only have two projects currently contracted for next year. 

So the big takeaway for me personally is that I need to write more new words in 2012.  I can't let the business and promo drag me down.  I have to find a way to keep churning out completed works, while dealing with all the other blog tours, giveaways, edits, etc.

To that end, I'm going to go back to tracking my daily word counts.  It might be pretty meager at first, but I've got to see those numbers going up.  I have *so many* projects I want and need to get done — I don't have time to dally.

Preliminary 2012 goals:

Finish uploading the Shanhasson series to at least Smashwords and Amazon.  I haven't figured out how to deal with B&N yet.
Finish Lady Wyre's Regret to my satisfaction.  I'm very close but I have another few scenes I want to add.  I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly how to end it, but I intend to use this as my first Create Space endeavor (if a secret goal works out that I'm not yet ready to talk about), so it's important that I get it right.
Submit the Zombie Category Romance.  Needs one last pass, including the synopsis.

This is all work that MUST be done to keep my momentum going in the right direction.  However, notice there's not a lot of "new words" coming here.  Sigh.  My wishlist of projects is long, but there are a few that I *must* commit to finishing in 2012.

Lord Regret's Price
Mal's book, Mine to Break
Phantom

I'd also like to work on the Keldari Fire novellas later in the year, both to re-release the two novellas that are already complete, as well as write the third I planned to do but never started.  I've also been dreaming a lot about Beautiful Death lately.  A sign that maybe I should work on Charon's book?  I don't know.  But I have a lot of flexibility with self-pubbing these titles.  We'll see.  However, I can't tinker with self-pub stuff if it's going to interfere with my main publication channels, so no promises at this time (sorry Sis – she's been dying for Charon's book for years).

So that's the tentative plan for my direction in 2012.  Here's to a more productive 2012!

My Best Achievement in 2011

Is definitely my weight loss.

I've never been able to sustain any weight loss efforts this long before!  I'll hit one year with Weight Watchers Online on 1/5/2012.  So far, I've lost 61 pounds, and yes, I still have quite a ways to go.  It's taken me the last 6 months to lose 20 pounds, but that's okay.  Slow and steady gives my body time to shrink even if the scale doesn't budge.

You might think I'm joking, but my SIL keeps calling me the Disappearing SIL — even when I swear the scale didn't budge at all.  I need to lose quite a bit more, so even when I maintain or don't lose that much, I tell myself that gives everything time to shrink a little into place.

I went from never wearing jeans — because I refused to buy them so large and be devastated by the size — to wearing almost all jeans all the time.  Last night, I went to Kohl's to spend a gift certificate from my Dad (exactly what I asked for – thank you, Papa!!), and was absolutely tickled to FINALLY get into the next lower size of jeans.  It seems like I've been stuck for months, but I just about bawled with joy when those new smaller Lee's fit!  I still have a pair of Gap jeans in the same size that are too small, but I know I'm very very close.

The key for me was deciding that I don't care how long it takes.  I don't care if I have a small gain.  I don't care if I temporarily slip off plan.  I WILL get back on and I WILL do it.  Again and again and again, even if it takes me the rest of my life.  I will eventually get to goal.  I'll start over every single day, every single meal, if that's what it takes.

Of course joining Romance Biggest Winner was also a great idea.  Having a weekly accountability above and beyone WW has kept me on track.  I wanted to lose 25 pounds I think – which I won't quite make, but I'll be very close.  I hope we run another round in 2012!

My number one goal for 2012 is to implement a consistent exercise routine, something that I've dabbled with this year but haven't successfully committed to on a regular basis.  My plan is to customize Power 90 where I can switch up the "sweat" portion when I get too bored or feel too much hatred for those downward/upward dogs.  I have several other cardio-type exercises I can swap in as needed, but I love the strength portion of Tony's workout.

Cleaning the Desk

As another year winds to a close, I start to look back over the year and gauge how I did on meeting my goals.  And as usual, I don't feel like I accomplished enough, certainly nowhere near what I *hoped* to do.

However, I'm still writing, still submitting, and still selling.  I'm still loving what I'm writing.  I'm so grateful to every reader, both of the blog and my books, who enable me to keep doing what I love.

But I definitely want to work on my output in 2012.  I haven't been keeping good records, so I can't even for sure tell you what books I completed in 2011.  The years start to blend together, along with numerous revisions and edits, until I can't remember when I even started a book, let alone how many actual words I wrote.

So this week I'll be reviewing my to-do list and getting as much pushed off my desk as possible.  I'll also be going over all of my projects, organizing my files, and making a game plan for tackling my wips.  Cleaning my desk, so to speak, and figuring out the best way to track my progress.  I'm thinking I need to go back to using a master spreadsheet.

What's your big goal for 2012?

Mistletoe Madness Winner

Thank you, everyone, for telling me about your homemade gift memories.  They seriously touched my heart.

Congrats to DarkBloodyVamp, the winner of my giveaway!

Happy holidays everyone!

Mistletoe Madness Giveaway

Main Giveaway Hub

In these days of ultra cool electronics and games, I sometimes wonder if people care about homemade gifts from the heart.

 

I always try to make a few things for people on my list, but the busier I get with real life, the more I can't quite pull off my big plans.

I just don't have enough time to make all the things I want.  This year, I'm hurrying to finish some simple cross-stitch Christmas ornaments.  Next week I plan to do a lot of baking to take to family dinners.  One year I made easy flannel scarves, another year crochet bookmarks.

Yet I always secretly fear that people think homemade gifts are a little tacky or cheap.  What about you – what's your favorite memory of a handmade gift someone gave you?

Comment on this post any time Dec. 16 – 23 to be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to any online book retailer of your choice (B&N, Amazon, ARe, etc.) and any book from my backlist, including a signed print copy of either Dear Sir, I'm Yours or Hurt Me So Good.  If you choose print, I'll mail internationally.

Happy Holidays – let the Mistletoe Madness begin!

Bad Blogger

Forgive me, blogosphere, for I've been lazy and busy.  It's that time of the year when every moment outside of the Evil Day Job is packed with something to-do.  Like shopping, getting family pictures taken, hopefully sending out Christmas cards this year *crosses fingers – last time we tried to do this, JC Penney lost our order until Feb!*

Add to that the cold, dreary, darkness of December and I've just not had much gumption to work on writing either early or late.  Sigh.  I've got Rose about 3/4 formatted and lightly edited.  The Horse Master is done, except for putting an excerpt from Rose in.  I was hoping to get the entire trilogy up by the end of the year, but I might not make it.

I also want to get the Zombie story submitted sooner than later.

Oh, and all the bloghop/holiday giveaways to manage, which starts tomorrow!  (So watch here for cool prizes over the next few days!)

Emotional Reads

One of the things I want to work on with my writing in 2012 is making sure I involve the emotions.  I want to take you on an emotional rollcoaster!  Wild joy, the depths of loneliness and doubt, and everything in between.

I've taken Margie Lawson's Empowing Characters' Emotions workshop (I plan to re-read all my notes next year), but I'm looking for highly emotional books you've enjoyed that I can add to Mt. TBR.  Some books I've heard recommended as "emotional" are Lisa Valdez's Passion and E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey.  (Whispers, although I'll admit that I've tried to read both in the past and can't get through the samples.)

When you think of high emotions, what books would you recommend?

Hungry

We were talking about Middle Monster tonight after Upwards Basketball practice (first of the season), and it got me to thinking about something that relates both to dieting and to writing.

Hunger.

What makes Middle Monster so exciting to watch on the court is her hunger for the ball.  We joke that she'd bring the ball out for the opposing team if they'd let her.  She wants the ball so bad she'll risk life and limb to get it.  She's fairly short-to-average height, so she's not going to light up any coach's eyes in that regard, but her HEART is miles and miles long.  She burns with excitement and fire.

Meanwhile, Princess is 5'6″ (taller than me at 12 years old) and still growing.  She has the ability to be a power house under the basket because she's so strong and tall, although she won't set any speed records.  However, she doesn't have that burning desire to get the ball.  She could out leap anyone under the basket to rebound – but she doesn't.

She's more lackadaisical on the court.  She wants to play, wants to participate, but it's not the same as that hunger Middle has.

Now think about that with dieting.  One of the hardest things I personally struggle with is the feeling of hunger at night.  I try not to eat within 2-3 hours of bed, and if I do, it's an apple nuked in the microwave with a little coconut oil, cinnamon, Splenda, and 1/4 c. oatmeal.  It's so yummy it's like dessert.

But tonight I was busy and I didn't have time to even think about eating a snack until 9 PM.  We had Subway tonight (because of practice) and that salad didn't last me too long.  I'm hungry, darn it, and I want to eat!

A lot of us have never really known real hunger.  I'm not comparing normal healthy hunger I'm feeling to kids going to bed with empty stomachs because there's no food in the cupboard.  That breaks my heart.  But a little hunger can be a good thing.

It's uncomfortable, though.  My first instinct is to feed it so it'll go away.  But I felt really thin today, an illusion because I need to lose a lot yet — but I felt good.  I want to see a nice number on the scale tomorrow, and I'm not really that hungry.  I had dinner and snacks earlier.  I got almost all of my healthy guidelines (missed the oil unless there was some in the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki I put on my salad at Subway).

I don't need to eat, but I feel itchy, twitchy, nervous.  I want to go go go – to the kitchen.  Grrr.  So I'm drinking water instead and plan to go to bed soon to avoid temptation.

But hunger isn't a bad thing at all.  It makes me stop and think about my choices.  It makes me think about tomorrow and how good breakfast will taste.  It makes me feel leaner, which also inspires me to work out.  In that regard, hunger is a very good thing.

NaNoWriMo makes me hungry for words.  Signing a new contract makes me hungry for a new one.  Checking my Amazon ratings makes me want to get more books listed.  More opportunities to get noticed, found, or discovered by someone new.  HUNGER.

It's never ending.  It can be annoying.  I'll never be satisfied in writing – I'll always want another book, another great review, another wonderful reader letter.  And oh, if Santa is reading, I'd like an agent to come knocking on my door too.  My hunger drives me to get up at 5 AM or stay up until midnight even when I have to work.  To write when my wrists hurt.  To open my file and keep going even if I got a bad review.

I'm too driven by my hunger to let anything stop me.

What's your hunger?  Do you feed it like a flame?  Can it ever be satisfied?  Do you ever sit back and savor that feeling and think about all that it will drive you to accomplish?

Blog Interview and Giveaway

Today I'm over at Alexx Mom Cat's Gateway Book Blog answering all sorts of fun questions.  Plus I'm giving away books, so head on over!