Jamie DeBree's Blog, page 42
May 2, 2012
Writer's Notes: Priorities & Talent
When was the last time you knew you'd be good at something before
you actually jumped in and started doing it? I bet most of us don't feel
that way all to often - and I know for me, the things I *think* I'll be
good at always seem to end up being harder than I thought they would,
whether or not I'm competent at them or not.
The
fact remains though, that the only way to truly find out whether you'll
be good at something or not is just to do it, whatever it is. Some
things will be harder than others, and we either enjoy it well enough to
stick with it and keep trying until we gain a satisfactory level of
knowledge, or we decide it's not really our cup of tea (so to speak) and
either drop it all together, or put it aside for the oh-so-ambiguous
"later".
Sometimes though, the
hard part is knowing when to let something go. Maybe because we *want*
to get better, and want to give it more time, but just can't at that
point in our lives. Or maybe because we don't want to admit that it
really isn't our "thing"...and that the work we're putting in isn't
going anywhere. Or maybe we have more *natural* talent in another area,
and fostering that would be more lucrative and (more importantly)
satisfying.
I'm sort of in a
"re-prioritizing" phase at the moment (you may have noticed), so I've
been thinking about where my talent(s) lie (lay? Carol? Anyone?) with
regard to writing. The only real gauge I have of "talent" with regards
to writing is sales - and my sales tell me I'm more talented in some
areas than others, according to readers/buyers. This will definitely
factor into the types of projects I spend the most time on for the rest
of the year - and it's also given me some ideas for new projects going
forward. So it's kind of a bad news/good news sort of thing. Gotta love
that karmic balance.
Do you know where your
talents (in any area) lie (lay, whatever LOL)? If you've got a minute,
tell me what one thing you know you don't have a "natural" talent
for...and then one that you do.
Just to step
outside the writing bubble, I have a natural talent for crochet. I have
no talent whatsoever when it comes to scrapbooking (yes, I learned by trying).
you actually jumped in and started doing it? I bet most of us don't feel
that way all to often - and I know for me, the things I *think* I'll be
good at always seem to end up being harder than I thought they would,
whether or not I'm competent at them or not.
The
fact remains though, that the only way to truly find out whether you'll
be good at something or not is just to do it, whatever it is. Some
things will be harder than others, and we either enjoy it well enough to
stick with it and keep trying until we gain a satisfactory level of
knowledge, or we decide it's not really our cup of tea (so to speak) and
either drop it all together, or put it aside for the oh-so-ambiguous
"later".
Sometimes though, the
hard part is knowing when to let something go. Maybe because we *want*
to get better, and want to give it more time, but just can't at that
point in our lives. Or maybe because we don't want to admit that it
really isn't our "thing"...and that the work we're putting in isn't
going anywhere. Or maybe we have more *natural* talent in another area,
and fostering that would be more lucrative and (more importantly)
satisfying.
I'm sort of in a
"re-prioritizing" phase at the moment (you may have noticed), so I've
been thinking about where my talent(s) lie (lay? Carol? Anyone?) with
regard to writing. The only real gauge I have of "talent" with regards
to writing is sales - and my sales tell me I'm more talented in some
areas than others, according to readers/buyers. This will definitely
factor into the types of projects I spend the most time on for the rest
of the year - and it's also given me some ideas for new projects going
forward. So it's kind of a bad news/good news sort of thing. Gotta love
that karmic balance.
Do you know where your
talents (in any area) lie (lay, whatever LOL)? If you've got a minute,
tell me what one thing you know you don't have a "natural" talent
for...and then one that you do.
Just to step
outside the writing bubble, I have a natural talent for crochet. I have
no talent whatsoever when it comes to scrapbooking (yes, I learned by trying).
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
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April 30, 2012
Weekly News, Goals & Prompt - April 30, 2012
Prompt o' the Week: A breeze rattles a chandelier in a junk shop, sending the crystal
baubles tinkling against each other as the door swings open. The woman
behind the counter slips off her thick-rimmed reading glasses and looks
up with a friendly smile. Her eyes grow wide and the smile fades as she
recognizes her visitor...
Bonjour!
I know, I know...entirely too chipper
for a Monday morning, but optimism is a state of mind, right? I hope
your weekend was relaxing, productive or both. Mine wasn't nearly as
productive as it should have been, but I did get some necessary clothes
shopping done (yuck!) and managed to squeeze in some crochet time while I
was at it. So it was a good weekend, although too short, as usual.
I
really don't pay much attention to blog stats at all (I post as much
for myself as much as for you, dear readers), so I was a little amazed
when on a whim this weekend I decided to look at how much traffic this
blog gets in a day. Wow. I had no idea that there are between 400 and
900 visitors here every day of the week (according to my analytics,
anyway)...to say I'm flattered would be an understatement. I had no idea
so many of you were lurking out there, but thank you for reading...I
appreciate your company. While I might not always have time to respond
to comments, please know that you're welcome to use them or not as you
see fit. I suspect many of you are just as busy as I am, and prefer to
just read and move on, and that's just fine too. I'm just happy you
dropped in.
In any case, the reason I
decided to look at my stats was that I'm toying with how I want to redo
the layout - header & sidebars, mainly, and also whether or not I
wanted to add a post or two to the line-up. I hope to work on that later
this week (assuming I can get my writing done *on time*), so you may
see some changes around here as early as Friday night. All the current
posts/topics/serials will remain the same, and I'll be adding one post
starting this weekend titled Writer at Play. It will be a
Saturday feature wherein I share what this particular writer does when
not writing (or working). There will be a wide range of topics covered,
including crafts, "field trips", TV/Movies, research findings - whatever
I happened to do the week before that I find interesting enough to
share.
I think I'll reinstate the Weekly Round-Up
post as well...that one will go up on Sundays, and recap the week in my
blogging world - including my serial stories, as well as posts I found
interesting on other blogs. Aside from putting everything in a nice,
easy-to-reference format, it's also a good way to keep myself organized.
I've been slacking off in that department rather badly lately. It's
laziness, more than anything else - and I need to knock it off.
So
that's the plan...if you have requests or suggestions for the blog or
posts, feel free to make 'em, though I can't guarantee anything. And of
course Tuesdays and Thursdays are still open for guest bloggers, so if
you want a spot, email me and I'll schedule you.
Other than that - here's what's on my to-do list this week:
- Get the serial chapters done and scheduled *early*!
- Update web sites/layouts (including blogs)
- Get back into a regular writing rhythm at night (I've been "off" lately with a sick hubby...so I need to regroup)
- Newsletters
- Restart the BSB blog
- Research digital cameras online
- Get some housework done *sigh*
-
Lovingly pet my new complete series of Dr. Quinn DVD's when they get
here, and then put them away until Saturday night. No peeking until the
weekly writing work is all done! Same with the polymer clay book I have
on order...
You'll all be surprised to know I have another
dentist appt. on Thursday - just a cleaning this time, but annoying,
nonetheless. I'll have to schedule more actual dental work then too.
*sigh*
So that's my plan, and my week. Here's to spring cleaning and new focus, eh?
baubles tinkling against each other as the door swings open. The woman
behind the counter slips off her thick-rimmed reading glasses and looks
up with a friendly smile. Her eyes grow wide and the smile fades as she
recognizes her visitor...
Bonjour!
I know, I know...entirely too chipper
for a Monday morning, but optimism is a state of mind, right? I hope
your weekend was relaxing, productive or both. Mine wasn't nearly as
productive as it should have been, but I did get some necessary clothes
shopping done (yuck!) and managed to squeeze in some crochet time while I
was at it. So it was a good weekend, although too short, as usual.
I
really don't pay much attention to blog stats at all (I post as much
for myself as much as for you, dear readers), so I was a little amazed
when on a whim this weekend I decided to look at how much traffic this
blog gets in a day. Wow. I had no idea that there are between 400 and
900 visitors here every day of the week (according to my analytics,
anyway)...to say I'm flattered would be an understatement. I had no idea
so many of you were lurking out there, but thank you for reading...I
appreciate your company. While I might not always have time to respond
to comments, please know that you're welcome to use them or not as you
see fit. I suspect many of you are just as busy as I am, and prefer to
just read and move on, and that's just fine too. I'm just happy you
dropped in.
In any case, the reason I
decided to look at my stats was that I'm toying with how I want to redo
the layout - header & sidebars, mainly, and also whether or not I
wanted to add a post or two to the line-up. I hope to work on that later
this week (assuming I can get my writing done *on time*), so you may
see some changes around here as early as Friday night. All the current
posts/topics/serials will remain the same, and I'll be adding one post
starting this weekend titled Writer at Play. It will be a
Saturday feature wherein I share what this particular writer does when
not writing (or working). There will be a wide range of topics covered,
including crafts, "field trips", TV/Movies, research findings - whatever
I happened to do the week before that I find interesting enough to
share.
I think I'll reinstate the Weekly Round-Up
post as well...that one will go up on Sundays, and recap the week in my
blogging world - including my serial stories, as well as posts I found
interesting on other blogs. Aside from putting everything in a nice,
easy-to-reference format, it's also a good way to keep myself organized.
I've been slacking off in that department rather badly lately. It's
laziness, more than anything else - and I need to knock it off.
So
that's the plan...if you have requests or suggestions for the blog or
posts, feel free to make 'em, though I can't guarantee anything. And of
course Tuesdays and Thursdays are still open for guest bloggers, so if
you want a spot, email me and I'll schedule you.
Other than that - here's what's on my to-do list this week:
- Get the serial chapters done and scheduled *early*!
- Update web sites/layouts (including blogs)
- Get back into a regular writing rhythm at night (I've been "off" lately with a sick hubby...so I need to regroup)
- Newsletters
- Restart the BSB blog
- Research digital cameras online
- Get some housework done *sigh*
-
Lovingly pet my new complete series of Dr. Quinn DVD's when they get
here, and then put them away until Saturday night. No peeking until the
weekly writing work is all done! Same with the polymer clay book I have
on order...
You'll all be surprised to know I have another
dentist appt. on Thursday - just a cleaning this time, but annoying,
nonetheless. I'll have to schedule more actual dental work then too.
*sigh*
So that's my plan, and my week. Here's to spring cleaning and new focus, eh?
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotic Romance | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 28, 2012
Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 48
This serial novel is posted in draft form every Friday.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38 | Ch. 39 | Ch. 40 | Ch. 41 | Ch. 42 | Ch. 43 | Ch. 44 | Ch. 45 | Ch. 46 | Ch. 47 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 48
Eddie realized his mistake shortly after he waved up at Holly and started jogging toward the tail of the plane. Tall green stalks blocked the view in every direction. He should have plotted a course while he was still on the aircraft. He tried to remember what they'd flown over coming down, and what he'd seen from the cockpit before they got out, but in his mind, it all seemed like a vague Monet painting.
Whoever owned the field would surely notice the rather large plane in the middle of it, he thought. Unless it was one of those big companies, but still, someone should notice. And when they did, it would only be a matter of time before Sean's men got to them - and Eddie didn't think it would please them to find out that their boss was dead.
A niggle worked at the back of his mind as he started jogging between the rows in the soft dirt. He should have checked to make sure Sean was dead, or at least still tied up. Stopping for a moment, he looked back at the plane, leaning on it's left wing with the nose on the ground. It looked far more dangerous from the outside perspective, like it could tilt back onto it's landing gear or worse, back the other way with a strong enough gust of wind under the wing. What had he been thinking, leaving Holly there?
Conflicted, he hesitated a moment longer, and then kept moving away from the plane. With her leg she'd never be able to navigate the beach-like texture under his feet. There just wasn't a good choice either way - he had to get help, and get it fast.
He loped into an easy jog and pushed hard, running for what seemed like miles until he finally came to a dirt road. Relieved to step onto the hard surface, he remembered seeing paved road somewhere to the left as they landed, so he turned that direction and forced himself to keep moving. By the time he found blacktop, the sun had sank below the surrounding hills leaving him in near-darkness.
Sitting on the shoulder, he downed one of the water bottles he'd brought and rested for longer than he thought he should. The complete lack of traffic was disconcerting, and he struggled with the utter stillness that he never experienced in the city. Looking both ways down the road, he watched as a few solitary lights flickered on as the very last bit of light faded away. Choosing the nearest one, he abandoned the pack he'd brought and started walking, too tired to be hopeful, but unwilling to give up. The moon rose as he walked, casting a dim glow on the world as his goal got brighter. When he finally found the driveway and approached the run-down farm house, he could barely pick his feet up from sheer exhaustion.
There were two vehicles parked near the side of the house - a pickup and a sedan of some sort. Pausing, he considered his options. He could hot-wire one, and just take it, though that would certainly wake up the inhabitants. Or he could knock on the door and ask to borrow one and use the phone like a normal, honest person would do. Walking past the vehicles, he glanced in the windows, and the keys hanging from the truck's ignition made the choice for him.
He heard the someone yell as he peeled out of the yard, but didn't bother to look back. They'd call the police, which was good. In the meantime, he had to get Holly off that plane and somewhere safe.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38 | Ch. 39 | Ch. 40 | Ch. 41 | Ch. 42 | Ch. 43 | Ch. 44 | Ch. 45 | Ch. 46 | Ch. 47 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 48
Eddie realized his mistake shortly after he waved up at Holly and started jogging toward the tail of the plane. Tall green stalks blocked the view in every direction. He should have plotted a course while he was still on the aircraft. He tried to remember what they'd flown over coming down, and what he'd seen from the cockpit before they got out, but in his mind, it all seemed like a vague Monet painting.
Whoever owned the field would surely notice the rather large plane in the middle of it, he thought. Unless it was one of those big companies, but still, someone should notice. And when they did, it would only be a matter of time before Sean's men got to them - and Eddie didn't think it would please them to find out that their boss was dead.
A niggle worked at the back of his mind as he started jogging between the rows in the soft dirt. He should have checked to make sure Sean was dead, or at least still tied up. Stopping for a moment, he looked back at the plane, leaning on it's left wing with the nose on the ground. It looked far more dangerous from the outside perspective, like it could tilt back onto it's landing gear or worse, back the other way with a strong enough gust of wind under the wing. What had he been thinking, leaving Holly there?
Conflicted, he hesitated a moment longer, and then kept moving away from the plane. With her leg she'd never be able to navigate the beach-like texture under his feet. There just wasn't a good choice either way - he had to get help, and get it fast.
He loped into an easy jog and pushed hard, running for what seemed like miles until he finally came to a dirt road. Relieved to step onto the hard surface, he remembered seeing paved road somewhere to the left as they landed, so he turned that direction and forced himself to keep moving. By the time he found blacktop, the sun had sank below the surrounding hills leaving him in near-darkness.
Sitting on the shoulder, he downed one of the water bottles he'd brought and rested for longer than he thought he should. The complete lack of traffic was disconcerting, and he struggled with the utter stillness that he never experienced in the city. Looking both ways down the road, he watched as a few solitary lights flickered on as the very last bit of light faded away. Choosing the nearest one, he abandoned the pack he'd brought and started walking, too tired to be hopeful, but unwilling to give up. The moon rose as he walked, casting a dim glow on the world as his goal got brighter. When he finally found the driveway and approached the run-down farm house, he could barely pick his feet up from sheer exhaustion.
There were two vehicles parked near the side of the house - a pickup and a sedan of some sort. Pausing, he considered his options. He could hot-wire one, and just take it, though that would certainly wake up the inhabitants. Or he could knock on the door and ask to borrow one and use the phone like a normal, honest person would do. Walking past the vehicles, he glanced in the windows, and the keys hanging from the truck's ignition made the choice for him.
He heard the someone yell as he peeled out of the yard, but didn't bother to look back. They'd call the police, which was good. In the meantime, he had to get Holly off that plane and somewhere safe.
Enjoy
this post? Support your author: Tempest
| Desert
Heat | The
Biker's Wench
| Flash Fiction
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note - comments take a few moments to appear. If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated.
April 25, 2012
3 Ways to Explode With Writing Ideas by Dolly Garland
Today please welcome Dolly Garland, writer and founder of Kaizen Journaling, a site you really should check out. Links after the post! Take it away, Dolly....
Do you ever have a creative block (click for post at Random Writings)? Do
you get stuck not knowing what to write about? Do you start writing a
word or a sentence and then have no idea what you want to say?
How would you like to explode with
ideas? Have so many of them that your mind always feels like a rich
mine that you can pick and choose from? Don’t worry about being
overwhelmed, because ideas when gathered methodically merge and
evolve. They take shape into something that you might not even have
considered.
Anyway, I personally think it’s
better to have more choices than less. So today, I’m going to talk
about 4 powerful ways in which your journal can be an explosive idea
factory.
Perhaps you’ve heard of some of
these, and maybe you have even tried one or two, but I would be
surprised to find that you have tried all four of them, consistently.
That’s why using a journal is an ideal medium, because you can
develop a habit of doing these exercises and experiments in one
place.
3 Ways to Explode With Ideas
Free Writing
You could use something like Julia
Cameron’s Morning Pages method, or just your own style of free
writing. It doesn’t have to be about anything specific.
Write about whatever you like. Write
about your day, write about what’s going in your head, write about
your dreams and hopes and fears. Write about the story you want to
write or a job you want to have. Write about anything and everything.
Don’t censor yourself.
Write for at least ten minutes
straight. The purpose behind is to give your mind a chance to
properly get into the zone
List 100 Things
I’m a big fan of lists. You don’t
need to limit yourself to boring grocery lists or to-do lists. Get
creative.
Whatever you can free write about, you
can make lists about. And even more.
For example:
100 things you want to do before you
die
100 places to see
100 memories
100 people you’ve met (I bet you have
met them)
I encourage you to push for 100. To
make it easier, number the page with 1 to 100 first, and then start
writing. Don’t stop until you get to the end, even if you have to
keep repeating the previous item.
If you make a list of simply 10 or 20
items, it will be a predictable list, things that are at the
forefront of your mind. By pushing to write one-hundred different
things, you will go beyond the obvious. You will dig deeper and reach
for ideas that are outside the box, or at least outside of your
normal thinking patterns.
One Liners About People You Meet
This could be a really fun experiment.
Do it for one day, once or twice a week. Every single person you
meet, whether you know them or not, write a one-liner about them.
If you know them, write about your
interaction with them. Or you could just write about their behaviour,
personality, or even clothing. You can do the same with strangers.
What about these people attracted your attention?
Write in detail. Be Specific. Be
Outrageous.
Action You Can Take Today:
Apply at least one of these three
techniques straight away. Get in the zone, and then plan some time to
do all of these this week, and see what works for you.
Dolly Garland is a writer and founder
of Kaizen Journaling, where she helps a community of Kaizen Warriors
create their personalised arsenal for success. Find her on Facebook.
Writer's Notes: Creative Outlets
Sometimes, writing isn't enough
of an outlet for my creativity (I know - blasphemous!). I love writing - more than just about
anything, but it's not very visually or tactile-y (?) stimulating.
Craftiness
runs in my family, and I don't mean the sly, super-spy type (although
it would be really cool if that did too). My maternal grandparents are
both crafty sorts who have had many different hobbies throughout their
lives (quilting, leather working and wood working being top choices), my
paternal grandmother was a crocheter like myself, my dad isn't
"crafty", as per say, but he gets rather creative with computers, and my
mom does stained glass, but she's also had a myriad of hobbies ever
since I was young. It's really not all that surprising that I've got
that same "urge to create"...although oddly enough, my sister seems to
have escaped it for the most part. My husband likes woodworking, as well
as coming up with new Halloween props and infrastructure, which is a
lot of fun too.
Over the years I've done quite a few crafts
myself - embroidery, scrap dolls, soap making and crochet. I don't care
much at all for embroidery - I don't have the patience for it, and the
scrap dolls were fun, but tedious after awhile. I hate to sew, so I
don't quilt or do any kind of fabric work (including hemming my dress
pants, of which one leg has been "hemmed" with safety pins for nearly a
year now).
But I do really love to crochet...I
can't even begin to tell you how much I love the feel of different yarn
textures running through my fingers and the motion of stitching with a
hook. I had to stop when I started writing seriously, due to a lack of
time, but I've been wanting to start again for quite awhile now. I think
if I do get to start again, it will have to be a weekend project,
considering how full my evenings are already. Still, I can't make myself
get rid of my yarn and thread stash, so hopefully I'll get back to it
soon.
I've also dabbled in some fimo clay
sculpting...just small projects for our Halloween party invitations, but
now I have a couple of much larger projects in mind. In my smurf
collection, I have several "sets" of themed smurfs, and I'd like to make
some clay houses and settings to stage them on/in for display, so
they're not just sitting there on risers. Scenes from Smurf village, as
it were. I've tentatively planned out a beach/waterfront setting, a
baseball stadium, and a bar/concert hall to start, as well as a simple
residential area with mushroom houses and flowers and such.
You
would think that spending brain power on all of these "alternate"
creative projects would be draining, and take away energy that
could/should be spent writing, but for me, it actually helps to get away
from the stories for awhile and let my mind gnaw on something
completely different. When I engage in a more tactile art form (working
with yarn/thread or clay), it actually kind of infuses my thinking with
all of these new ideas, and at the same time, it takes the pressure off
my stories for a little while. And that's when I get those "lightbulb"
moments that really add to whatever story I happen to be working on
subconsciously.
It's true that writers never
really stop writing - it doesn't matter what we're actually doing, the
stories and characters are always in our heads. And I think that's why
working on something else for awhile can be so beneficial...it helps
shift my perspective so I can see things in a way I might not have before.
Now that we're all thinking about creating stuff...what do you like to create when you're not reading or writing?
of an outlet for my creativity (I know - blasphemous!). I love writing - more than just about
anything, but it's not very visually or tactile-y (?) stimulating.
Craftiness
runs in my family, and I don't mean the sly, super-spy type (although
it would be really cool if that did too). My maternal grandparents are
both crafty sorts who have had many different hobbies throughout their
lives (quilting, leather working and wood working being top choices), my
paternal grandmother was a crocheter like myself, my dad isn't
"crafty", as per say, but he gets rather creative with computers, and my
mom does stained glass, but she's also had a myriad of hobbies ever
since I was young. It's really not all that surprising that I've got
that same "urge to create"...although oddly enough, my sister seems to
have escaped it for the most part. My husband likes woodworking, as well
as coming up with new Halloween props and infrastructure, which is a
lot of fun too.
Over the years I've done quite a few crafts
myself - embroidery, scrap dolls, soap making and crochet. I don't care
much at all for embroidery - I don't have the patience for it, and the
scrap dolls were fun, but tedious after awhile. I hate to sew, so I
don't quilt or do any kind of fabric work (including hemming my dress
pants, of which one leg has been "hemmed" with safety pins for nearly a
year now).
But I do really love to crochet...I
can't even begin to tell you how much I love the feel of different yarn
textures running through my fingers and the motion of stitching with a
hook. I had to stop when I started writing seriously, due to a lack of
time, but I've been wanting to start again for quite awhile now. I think
if I do get to start again, it will have to be a weekend project,
considering how full my evenings are already. Still, I can't make myself
get rid of my yarn and thread stash, so hopefully I'll get back to it
soon.
I've also dabbled in some fimo clay
sculpting...just small projects for our Halloween party invitations, but
now I have a couple of much larger projects in mind. In my smurf
collection, I have several "sets" of themed smurfs, and I'd like to make
some clay houses and settings to stage them on/in for display, so
they're not just sitting there on risers. Scenes from Smurf village, as
it were. I've tentatively planned out a beach/waterfront setting, a
baseball stadium, and a bar/concert hall to start, as well as a simple
residential area with mushroom houses and flowers and such.
You
would think that spending brain power on all of these "alternate"
creative projects would be draining, and take away energy that
could/should be spent writing, but for me, it actually helps to get away
from the stories for awhile and let my mind gnaw on something
completely different. When I engage in a more tactile art form (working
with yarn/thread or clay), it actually kind of infuses my thinking with
all of these new ideas, and at the same time, it takes the pressure off
my stories for a little while. And that's when I get those "lightbulb"
moments that really add to whatever story I happen to be working on
subconsciously.
It's true that writers never
really stop writing - it doesn't matter what we're actually doing, the
stories and characters are always in our heads. And I think that's why
working on something else for awhile can be so beneficial...it helps
shift my perspective so I can see things in a way I might not have before.
Now that we're all thinking about creating stuff...what do you like to create when you're not reading or writing?
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
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note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 23, 2012
Weekly News & Goals, April 23, 2012
Prompt o' the Week: A young man is out jogging, ear buds in, digital player blaring loudly.
The sun is shining and it's early, so the dirt path is quiet. A woman
approaches, sporting a body that garners a second look. As she passes,
the music stops abruptly and a voice begins to speak...
Last
Friday was more like a Monday for me, so here's hoping that Monday will
be more Friday-like this week. That's a fair trade, right?
[image error]
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the new cover for The Biker's Wench
is finally finished. Yay! And thank you to the two people who bought
copies when the new cover/blurb went up too - the best validation I
could get on the new design. I hope you enjoy the story too.
I'm
happy to say that the new print cover is done too, and the printer
approved it, so any print copies of TBW should be shipping with the new
cover from now on. Which means your old-cover copy could be a
collector's item someday, if I ever get famous. I do have a few books
with the old cover still in inventory, and I think I'll give them away
as opposed to selling them. So watch for more on that later this week.
I'll have books with the new cover for signed copies in just a couple of
weeks.
I'm still trying to decide whether Desert Heat needs a new cover or not...any comments either way? The Tempest
cover stays...I love it, and I'm also a bit nostalgic about it since it
was my first book/cover ever (it helps that it's still the best-selling
book I have out under this name). I will be designing a new cover for The Minister's Maid before it comes out, as well as Falling in Public
(which will probably get a new title too, now that I'm well into the
story and it's gone places I didn't really see it going). So...much
cover swapping going on...do we call that a book orgy? Anyone object?
In any case, a nice cover deserves an even better story, so focus is back on the writing this week, as usual. The Minister's Maid
took a rather shocking turn last week that completely changes the
psychological game...and now I'm second-guessing my strategy considering
how difficult it's going to be to bring everything back into alignment
for the necessary happy ending (yes, both kinds...geez! You guys have
dirty minds...). Ah, well. The thing about serial writing is that you
can't exactly just change your mind once a piece of the story is written
down...one has to keep moving forward, so forward we'll go, and with
any luck, it will all work out in the end. It usually does, somehow. A
new chapter Tuesday for Betsy & Ian at FantasyRanchNovels.com.
Falling in Public is getting a bit
freaky...Holly's in an off-kilter, grounded airplane with her
not-so-friendly stalker, and she's got to figure out how to survive
until Eddie can get back to her with help. If you guys knew how this
story was originally supposed to go, you'd be pretty shocked right
now...never in a million years did I see this coming. This was supposed
to just be a lighter contemporary romance, but I think I've effectively
proven that I *can't* write one of those to save my life...they *always*
turn into some sort of suspense/romance blend. As with TMM, it will all
work out eventually, but at the moment I'm trying to figure out how
Holly's going to deal with this whole mess, and whether her stalker has
to die or not. Good stuff, people - check back here Friday to see what
happens with her.
Wednesday is, of course, my thriller serial day, and Animal is
Alex's latest rather freakish and unpredictable story. Read at your own
risk - there are quite a few rather disturbing things going on in this
one...
And then there's Thursday - where things have gone from confusing to dangerous in Irish Cream , Trinity's latest ownership/submission story.
Yes, I do believe this is going to be a good week...
What's on the to-do list? Let's look:
- Four serial chapters
- 2 newsletters
- New web site graphics
- A little editing
- Possibly start a short story
- Cover art image search contest (?)
- Send out some review copies
- Rearrange my writing time (again)
- Household chores (been neglecting those)
I
think that's plenty, really. My husband has pneumonia with a side of
gnarly antibiotics, so we've got that going on too, which is a bummer,
but hopefully he'll start feeling better soon. I swear sometimes the
cure is worse than the disease...
Here's to a great week!
The sun is shining and it's early, so the dirt path is quiet. A woman
approaches, sporting a body that garners a second look. As she passes,
the music stops abruptly and a voice begins to speak...
Last
Friday was more like a Monday for me, so here's hoping that Monday will
be more Friday-like this week. That's a fair trade, right?
[image error]
Unless you've been living under a rock, you know the new cover for The Biker's Wench
is finally finished. Yay! And thank you to the two people who bought
copies when the new cover/blurb went up too - the best validation I
could get on the new design. I hope you enjoy the story too.
I'm
happy to say that the new print cover is done too, and the printer
approved it, so any print copies of TBW should be shipping with the new
cover from now on. Which means your old-cover copy could be a
collector's item someday, if I ever get famous. I do have a few books
with the old cover still in inventory, and I think I'll give them away
as opposed to selling them. So watch for more on that later this week.
I'll have books with the new cover for signed copies in just a couple of
weeks.
I'm still trying to decide whether Desert Heat needs a new cover or not...any comments either way? The Tempest
cover stays...I love it, and I'm also a bit nostalgic about it since it
was my first book/cover ever (it helps that it's still the best-selling
book I have out under this name). I will be designing a new cover for The Minister's Maid before it comes out, as well as Falling in Public
(which will probably get a new title too, now that I'm well into the
story and it's gone places I didn't really see it going). So...much
cover swapping going on...do we call that a book orgy? Anyone object?
In any case, a nice cover deserves an even better story, so focus is back on the writing this week, as usual. The Minister's Maid
took a rather shocking turn last week that completely changes the
psychological game...and now I'm second-guessing my strategy considering
how difficult it's going to be to bring everything back into alignment
for the necessary happy ending (yes, both kinds...geez! You guys have
dirty minds...). Ah, well. The thing about serial writing is that you
can't exactly just change your mind once a piece of the story is written
down...one has to keep moving forward, so forward we'll go, and with
any luck, it will all work out in the end. It usually does, somehow. A
new chapter Tuesday for Betsy & Ian at FantasyRanchNovels.com.
Falling in Public is getting a bit
freaky...Holly's in an off-kilter, grounded airplane with her
not-so-friendly stalker, and she's got to figure out how to survive
until Eddie can get back to her with help. If you guys knew how this
story was originally supposed to go, you'd be pretty shocked right
now...never in a million years did I see this coming. This was supposed
to just be a lighter contemporary romance, but I think I've effectively
proven that I *can't* write one of those to save my life...they *always*
turn into some sort of suspense/romance blend. As with TMM, it will all
work out eventually, but at the moment I'm trying to figure out how
Holly's going to deal with this whole mess, and whether her stalker has
to die or not. Good stuff, people - check back here Friday to see what
happens with her.
Wednesday is, of course, my thriller serial day, and Animal is
Alex's latest rather freakish and unpredictable story. Read at your own
risk - there are quite a few rather disturbing things going on in this
one...
And then there's Thursday - where things have gone from confusing to dangerous in Irish Cream , Trinity's latest ownership/submission story.
Yes, I do believe this is going to be a good week...
What's on the to-do list? Let's look:
- Four serial chapters
- 2 newsletters
- New web site graphics
- A little editing
- Possibly start a short story
- Cover art image search contest (?)
- Send out some review copies
- Rearrange my writing time (again)
- Household chores (been neglecting those)
I
think that's plenty, really. My husband has pneumonia with a side of
gnarly antibiotics, so we've got that going on too, which is a bummer,
but hopefully he'll start feeling better soon. I swear sometimes the
cure is worse than the disease...
Here's to a great week!
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 20, 2012
Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 47
This serial novel is posted in draft form every Friday.
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38 | Ch. 39 | Ch. 40 | Ch. 41 | Ch. 42 | Ch. 43 | Ch. 44 | Ch. 45 | Ch. 46 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 47
Breathing shallowly, Holly listened for any sound at all. The air was still and cold, and she struggled not to shiver as she sat there in the dark.
Waiting.
It was too quiet. She couldn't hear the birds in the forward part of the plane any longer, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She imagined this was what it was like when a predator was nearby as she clutched the fake knife in one hand and the flashlight in the other. There was no way to tell whether Winston had passed out again, or if he'd gotten free, and she sure wasn't going to go look for herself.
Trembling again as another draft blew through the open hatch, she wondered if she'd be safer on the ground. Judging from the wind, she'd definitely be colder. And who knew what kind of animals might prowl the fields at night?
Shifting carefully, she took as much weight as she could off of her wounded leg, freezing in place when something scrabbled just above and to the right. Something or someone was crawling along the edge of the seats on the aisle, and would be right over her head in just a few seconds.
As quietly as possible she pulled the blanket up over her nose. Hopefully the navy material would hide her skin from any residual moonlight. Her best hope was to stay invisible and hope Winston went for the hatch. If he went down, there would be no getting back up.
A large black object moved over the row, blocking out any light from the windows above. Holding her breath, Holly watched him crawl by. A leg slipped when he was almost across the gap, and she had to dodge quickly to avoid being hit. That's when he stopped. She could feel his curiosity, see him starting to turn around at what little noise she'd made.
Thinking quickly, Holly tossed the knife over the first row of seats where it hit the bulkhead wall. Immediately his head whipped forward, and he moved forward. She watched as he gingerly stood up on the last seat, steadying himself on the one above him before jumping across to the forward galley. Holly couldn't help but wish he would have missed and plummeted through the hatch.
Muffled sounds of him rifling through the cupboards told her where he was, but she heard him coming back all too soon. Then the noise stopped, and a bright flashlight switched on, illuminating her part of the cabin with a warm yellow glow. She peered through a space between the seats at his profile, and realized that time was up when she saw the gun in his hand.
One of them needed to get off the airplane, and Holly didn't care which one. She tried to consider the options, but it seemed like the best one she had was to distract him somehow, and then slip around the seats and down the slide before he could get to her. There was no way to remotely detach the slide though, so he'd just follow her.
If she could just get him off-balance somehow, and out that door...
Ch.1|Ch. 2|Ch. 3|Ch. 4|Ch. 5|Ch. 6|Ch. 7|Ch. 8|Ch. 9|Ch. 10|Ch. 11|Ch. 12|Ch.13|Ch. 14|Ch. 15| Ch. 16| Ch. 17|Ch. 18| Ch. 19 | Ch. 20 | Ch. 21 | Ch. 22 | Ch. 23 | Ch. 24 | Ch. 25 | Ch. 26 | Ch. 27 | Ch. 28 | Ch. 29 | Ch. 30 | Ch. 31 | Ch. 32 | Ch. 33 | Ch. 34 | Ch. 35 | Ch. 36 | Ch. 37 | Ch. 38 | Ch. 39 | Ch. 40 | Ch. 41 | Ch. 42 | Ch. 43 | Ch. 44 | Ch. 45 | Ch. 46 |
Falling in Public
Chapter 47
Breathing shallowly, Holly listened for any sound at all. The air was still and cold, and she struggled not to shiver as she sat there in the dark.
Waiting.
It was too quiet. She couldn't hear the birds in the forward part of the plane any longer, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She imagined this was what it was like when a predator was nearby as she clutched the fake knife in one hand and the flashlight in the other. There was no way to tell whether Winston had passed out again, or if he'd gotten free, and she sure wasn't going to go look for herself.
Trembling again as another draft blew through the open hatch, she wondered if she'd be safer on the ground. Judging from the wind, she'd definitely be colder. And who knew what kind of animals might prowl the fields at night?
Shifting carefully, she took as much weight as she could off of her wounded leg, freezing in place when something scrabbled just above and to the right. Something or someone was crawling along the edge of the seats on the aisle, and would be right over her head in just a few seconds.
As quietly as possible she pulled the blanket up over her nose. Hopefully the navy material would hide her skin from any residual moonlight. Her best hope was to stay invisible and hope Winston went for the hatch. If he went down, there would be no getting back up.
A large black object moved over the row, blocking out any light from the windows above. Holding her breath, Holly watched him crawl by. A leg slipped when he was almost across the gap, and she had to dodge quickly to avoid being hit. That's when he stopped. She could feel his curiosity, see him starting to turn around at what little noise she'd made.
Thinking quickly, Holly tossed the knife over the first row of seats where it hit the bulkhead wall. Immediately his head whipped forward, and he moved forward. She watched as he gingerly stood up on the last seat, steadying himself on the one above him before jumping across to the forward galley. Holly couldn't help but wish he would have missed and plummeted through the hatch.
Muffled sounds of him rifling through the cupboards told her where he was, but she heard him coming back all too soon. Then the noise stopped, and a bright flashlight switched on, illuminating her part of the cabin with a warm yellow glow. She peered through a space between the seats at his profile, and realized that time was up when she saw the gun in his hand.
One of them needed to get off the airplane, and Holly didn't care which one. She tried to consider the options, but it seemed like the best one she had was to distract him somehow, and then slip around the seats and down the slide before he could get to her. There was no way to remotely detach the slide though, so he'd just follow her.
If she could just get him off-balance somehow, and out that door...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author: Tempest
| Desert
Heat | The
Biker's Wench
| Flash Fiction
**Please
note - comments take a few moments to appear. If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated.
April 18, 2012
Writer's Notes: Romance In, Romance Out
I was hoping to have the new cover for The Biker's Wench
to show you today, but...well...I kind of got caught up in smurfing on
ebay last night. Ebay is evil. And my Smurf collection is growing. But
enough about that. Tomorrow we'll do the big cover reveal...I'm really
excited to show it off, though a bit apprehensive about the print cover
(since that's a little more complex to lay out than an ebook cover).
But, the best way to learn is by doing, right? Jump in with both feet,
and all that...
Anyways, I was thinking last
night about how my romantic suspense novels have been a little less
"romantic" of late. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing - romance is
something that can't be forced, even on the page. And blending romance
and suspense dictates that some parts of the book just won't lend
themselves to those mushy-type moments. But even for me, the romance has
been lacking, and I think I've figured out why.
Some
authors don't read in the genre they write in while they're writing,
claiming it influences their own story too much. I've never had that
issue, and actually, reading romance while I'm writing romance tends to
"get me in the mood" for those more emotional connections. So for me,
reading romance equals more romantic output, while reading other things
equals more of that style (say, suspense, or erotica, or horror).
The
unfortunate thing about being the very eclectic reader that I am is
that I can only read so many books at once (dang it!). And when I get
into longer books with a more literary style that require more focus to
read (like, say, American Gods ), or engaging non-fiction ( Coconut Cures ), and then we happen to buy a copy of The Devil Colony
by James Rollins (which I have been *dying* to read and waiting very
patiently for in paperback, since hubby reads those too)...well, romance
gets squeezed out for awhile.
And
honestly...well...I go through periods where nothing much in the
romance/romantic suspense book sections really catch my eye. I'm kind of
in one of those reading slumps at the moment - it usually means I've
sort of "overdosed" on that genre of books for the moment, and need a
break from them.
So recently, I started re-watching the Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman
TV series (thank you, Amazon Prime). The romance between Sully and Dr.
Mike is so perfectly done, so subtle and well-paced that it just makes
me swoon with every episode (and I'm a sucker for a historical setting
too). I think I'm actually going to buy the complete set one of these
days, so I can go through the entire 6 or 7 seasons again.
This
has been nicely filling that romantic "void" I was in...replenishing
the romantic well, so to speak so that when I sit down with my
characters, I'm not *so* focused on throwing new suspense issues at them
that I forget they're supposed to be falling in love (or have already
fallen). When I'm taking a frequent "dose" of a romantic storyline in,
it's easier for me to actively look for the romance between my
characters so I can highlight those for the reader. It's not that I
really have to do anything...my characters tell me their story, but I
can zoom in or out on certain aspects, and in my romantic suspense, I
try to make the romance a "zoomed-in" moment.
So...romance
in, romance out. Suspense in, suspense out. Erotica in, erotica out.
Horror in, horror out. Too bad I can't quite seem to make that happen
with literary writing...not that I really have time...
to show you today, but...well...I kind of got caught up in smurfing on
ebay last night. Ebay is evil. And my Smurf collection is growing. But
enough about that. Tomorrow we'll do the big cover reveal...I'm really
excited to show it off, though a bit apprehensive about the print cover
(since that's a little more complex to lay out than an ebook cover).
But, the best way to learn is by doing, right? Jump in with both feet,
and all that...
Anyways, I was thinking last
night about how my romantic suspense novels have been a little less
"romantic" of late. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing - romance is
something that can't be forced, even on the page. And blending romance
and suspense dictates that some parts of the book just won't lend
themselves to those mushy-type moments. But even for me, the romance has
been lacking, and I think I've figured out why.
Some
authors don't read in the genre they write in while they're writing,
claiming it influences their own story too much. I've never had that
issue, and actually, reading romance while I'm writing romance tends to
"get me in the mood" for those more emotional connections. So for me,
reading romance equals more romantic output, while reading other things
equals more of that style (say, suspense, or erotica, or horror).
The
unfortunate thing about being the very eclectic reader that I am is
that I can only read so many books at once (dang it!). And when I get
into longer books with a more literary style that require more focus to
read (like, say, American Gods ), or engaging non-fiction ( Coconut Cures ), and then we happen to buy a copy of The Devil Colony
by James Rollins (which I have been *dying* to read and waiting very
patiently for in paperback, since hubby reads those too)...well, romance
gets squeezed out for awhile.
And
honestly...well...I go through periods where nothing much in the
romance/romantic suspense book sections really catch my eye. I'm kind of
in one of those reading slumps at the moment - it usually means I've
sort of "overdosed" on that genre of books for the moment, and need a
break from them.
So recently, I started re-watching the Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman
TV series (thank you, Amazon Prime). The romance between Sully and Dr.
Mike is so perfectly done, so subtle and well-paced that it just makes
me swoon with every episode (and I'm a sucker for a historical setting
too). I think I'm actually going to buy the complete set one of these
days, so I can go through the entire 6 or 7 seasons again.
This
has been nicely filling that romantic "void" I was in...replenishing
the romantic well, so to speak so that when I sit down with my
characters, I'm not *so* focused on throwing new suspense issues at them
that I forget they're supposed to be falling in love (or have already
fallen). When I'm taking a frequent "dose" of a romantic storyline in,
it's easier for me to actively look for the romance between my
characters so I can highlight those for the reader. It's not that I
really have to do anything...my characters tell me their story, but I
can zoom in or out on certain aspects, and in my romantic suspense, I
try to make the romance a "zoomed-in" moment.
So...romance
in, romance out. Suspense in, suspense out. Erotica in, erotica out.
Horror in, horror out. Too bad I can't quite seem to make that happen
with literary writing...not that I really have time...
Enjoy
this post? Support your author:
Romantic Suspense
| Erotica | Suspense/Thriller
| Flash Fiction | Non-Fiction
**Please
note - If this is your first time posting, your comment
will be moderated. Once you have been approved, future comments will post automatically.
April 17, 2012
Check out Kaizen Journaling!
Tonight there will be a new chapter of The Minster's Maid up at the Fantasy Ranch blog. In the meantime, you should go check out my friend Dolly's new venture, Kaizen Journaling, launching today. You won't want to miss out...she's put a lot of work into it and I'm betting it will be a life-changing experience for all who participate (free, of course!).
Kaizen Journaling
Kaizen Journaling
April 16, 2012
Weekly News, Goals & Prompt, April 16, 2012
Prompt o' the Week: A
man sits in a tree as dusk turns to dark, and lights come on in the
house twenty yards from where he's hidden. Several figures pass the
bright windows, but never the right one. Footsteps crunch in the snow
somewhere nearby...
So
tomorrow is tax day here in the states...which means, of course, that
like many of my fellow procrastinating Americans, I spent all weekend
catching up on my business bookkeeping and then working my way through
TurboTax. My husband, who is ten years older than me still prefers to
send out tax returns in the mail, but I took advantage of his not
feeling well and gently convinced him that e-filing would be easier for
me (because it is...no stapling forms, finding thick envelopes, affixing
postage, dropping them off...). He figures there's no point in letting
the government have our money for any longer than necessary, and sending
a check puts it off longer. Which is true...but once you write the
check you have to consider the money gone anyways, so I don't really see
the difference.
In
any case, we got enough of a refund from the state (less the $20 I had
to pay in e-filing fees...which is a total rip-off), to cover the cost
of what we owe to the feds with a teeny bit leftover. Which I consider a
win in any tax year.
I
made a fair amount on the book business last year (don't get all
excited, it's not much, but it's way more than I made the first year,
and this year already looks better still). I'll be doing a post on my
business blog later this week with sales numbers, income and expenses
for anyone who's interested. These are not the numbers general to those
authors who sell a bajillion copies at .99 cents their first six months -
these are the numbers of an author trying to build a slow and steady
business, rather than worrying about sending books to the top of a list
(Would they make it? I have no idea, since I don't put any effort in at
all.). I still took a loss after all was said and done, mainly due to
the amount of cash I put into maintaining my online presence (filed
under "advertising" on tax forms), and because I tried an experiment
that failed last year that cost me a considerable sum (and it still may
be salvageable...we'll see). It's all good though. I won't be quitting
my day job anytime soon, but I never really expected to either. I'm
content with the way things are at the moment.
In book news, I'll have a new cover for The Biker's Wench
to reveal later this week. I think it captures the tone of the story a
bit better than the current cover, and I'm excited to show it off. I'll
be using that same cover style to create a new design for The Minister's Maid
as well, and all the future stories in that series. I'm working on some
new blurbs for these books too, and as per review feedback on nearly
all of my romantic suspense books, I'll be adding a warning to the blurb
that the books are rated "R". Hopefully this will help ease readers'
minds about kids stumbling onto something they shouldn't.
And
my current serial stories are finally starting to come together again
as I work my way gingerly through the Valley of the Dark Middle on all
of them. Of course now I have a few messes to clean up, and I'm not
really sure how I'm going to manage that since I didn't exactly see them
coming. But hey, that's what I do. I'm pretty comfortable with the
process at this point.
What's on tap this week? Hmm...let's see...
- Serial installments written and posted *on time*- One extra scene written on one of the serial stories- Finish the cover art/new blurb for TBW and get it posted/replaced everywhere- Mock up the concept cover for TMM, write blurb- Update JamieDeBree.com and this blog- Start revisions on Indelibly Inked, a novella (novel? We'll see what happens in revision...) I plan to release early this summer.
Oh yeah. It's gonna be a fun week, methinks.
man sits in a tree as dusk turns to dark, and lights come on in the
house twenty yards from where he's hidden. Several figures pass the
bright windows, but never the right one. Footsteps crunch in the snow
somewhere nearby...
So
tomorrow is tax day here in the states...which means, of course, that
like many of my fellow procrastinating Americans, I spent all weekend
catching up on my business bookkeeping and then working my way through
TurboTax. My husband, who is ten years older than me still prefers to
send out tax returns in the mail, but I took advantage of his not
feeling well and gently convinced him that e-filing would be easier for
me (because it is...no stapling forms, finding thick envelopes, affixing
postage, dropping them off...). He figures there's no point in letting
the government have our money for any longer than necessary, and sending
a check puts it off longer. Which is true...but once you write the
check you have to consider the money gone anyways, so I don't really see
the difference.
In
any case, we got enough of a refund from the state (less the $20 I had
to pay in e-filing fees...which is a total rip-off), to cover the cost
of what we owe to the feds with a teeny bit leftover. Which I consider a
win in any tax year.
I
made a fair amount on the book business last year (don't get all
excited, it's not much, but it's way more than I made the first year,
and this year already looks better still). I'll be doing a post on my
business blog later this week with sales numbers, income and expenses
for anyone who's interested. These are not the numbers general to those
authors who sell a bajillion copies at .99 cents their first six months -
these are the numbers of an author trying to build a slow and steady
business, rather than worrying about sending books to the top of a list
(Would they make it? I have no idea, since I don't put any effort in at
all.). I still took a loss after all was said and done, mainly due to
the amount of cash I put into maintaining my online presence (filed
under "advertising" on tax forms), and because I tried an experiment
that failed last year that cost me a considerable sum (and it still may
be salvageable...we'll see). It's all good though. I won't be quitting
my day job anytime soon, but I never really expected to either. I'm
content with the way things are at the moment.
In book news, I'll have a new cover for The Biker's Wench
to reveal later this week. I think it captures the tone of the story a
bit better than the current cover, and I'm excited to show it off. I'll
be using that same cover style to create a new design for The Minister's Maid
as well, and all the future stories in that series. I'm working on some
new blurbs for these books too, and as per review feedback on nearly
all of my romantic suspense books, I'll be adding a warning to the blurb
that the books are rated "R". Hopefully this will help ease readers'
minds about kids stumbling onto something they shouldn't.
And
my current serial stories are finally starting to come together again
as I work my way gingerly through the Valley of the Dark Middle on all
of them. Of course now I have a few messes to clean up, and I'm not
really sure how I'm going to manage that since I didn't exactly see them
coming. But hey, that's what I do. I'm pretty comfortable with the
process at this point.
What's on tap this week? Hmm...let's see...
- Serial installments written and posted *on time*- One extra scene written on one of the serial stories- Finish the cover art/new blurb for TBW and get it posted/replaced everywhere- Mock up the concept cover for TMM, write blurb- Update JamieDeBree.com and this blog- Start revisions on Indelibly Inked, a novella (novel? We'll see what happens in revision...) I plan to release early this summer.
Oh yeah. It's gonna be a fun week, methinks.
Enjoy
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