Lynn Cahoon's Blog, page 16

Refilling the Well

This weekend was filled with reading, fun, and a little work. Coming off hip replacement, I’ve had a lot of time to sit and think, but not a lot of energy to clean. This weekend, I got at least some of that back.Yes, I’m still recovering, but I’m hopeful.What do you do to re-fill the well?I leave you today with two things – one this picture of the creek at sunset this weekend.  And two, an invitation to next weekend’s Author Expo. If you’re in the Chicago area, I’ll love to meet up with you.

Refilling the well

This weekend was filled with reading, fun, and a little work. Coming off hip replacement, I’ve had a lot of time to sit and think, but not a lot of energy to clean. This weekend, I got at least some of that back.

Yes, I’m still recovering, but I’m hopeful.

What do you do to re-fill the well?

I leave you today with two things – one this picture of the creek at sunset this weekend. 

And two, an invitation to next weekend’s Author Expo. If you’re in the Chicago area, I’ll love to meet up with you. I’ll have all my Tourist Trap series available for purchase as well as some cool swag. 

Hope to see you soon.

Slamming on the brakes...at least for today

Every time I get near the end of a book, I freeze. My husband, the cowboy, has to assure me that yes, I will finish the damn book. And I will be mostly on time.  He gently leads me back to the manuscript and away from my casino slot games, reminding me of my task.And each time, I hate him for it.But today, since the book is in my gentle editor’s hands, and she’s even confirmed it’s receipt, I am feeling a little less animosity toward my true partner in crime. By the end of the week, I will have

Slamming on the brakes…at least for today

Every time I get near the end of a book, I freeze. My husband, the cowboy, has to assure me that yes, I will finish the damn book. And I will be mostly on time. 

He gently leads me back to the manuscript and away from my casino slot games, reminding me of my task.

And each time, I hate him for it.

But today, since the book is in my gentle editor’s hands, and she’s even confirmed it’s receipt, I am feeling a little less animosity toward my true partner in crime. By the end of the week, I will have forgotten all about it. Until I start writing the end of the next book.

So, yes, I’m done. My plans for this week are to take it easy, finish a short, write two blogs (one you’re reading), and dig into the edits for my agent on my new series proposal. Oh, and I have a library event on Thursday. Easy peasy, right?

My accountability partner said for a week off, I’ve got a lot of work packed in there. For me, it’s hard to slam on the brakes and take some time off. I’m trying though.

This weekend it’s all about spring cleaning. Do I know how to party or what? 

Then next week, I return to South Cove to see what Jill and the gang have been up too. It’s been a while, and I’m missing my imaginary friends.

How do you relax? I admit, I need some pointers.

Oh, and if you want to get an early copy of Tea Cups and Carnage, Kensington has a giveaway going on over on Goodreads. Click here… Ends April 13th. 

A Day in the Life of an Author

I’m always amazed at the wonderful experiences I get to have as an author.Yesterday, after writing about half the words I needed to get down, I drove over to the grocery store and bought mini cupcakes and cookies for my signing at Main Street Books in historic St. Charles, MO.  I love this store. I’m always finding new and fun things to buy along with coming home with a list of books to add to my TBR pile someday. Right now, I’m suffering from a book abundance (total first world problem) and I

A day in the life of an author

I’m always amazed at the wonderful experiences I get to have as an author.

Yesterday, after writing about half the words I needed to get down, I drove over to the grocery store and bought mini cupcakes and cookies for my signing at Main Street Books in historic St. Charles, MO. 

I love this store. I’m always finding new and fun things to buy along with coming home with a list of books to add to my TBR pile someday. Right now, I’m suffering from a book abundance (total first world problem) and I can’t commit to any new reads for a while. Except one. I did bring one home because you just can’t turn down a Joe Hill read. 

In addition to great product (ask about signed Tourist Trap books while you’re there), the store also has amazing customers. I loved chatting with readers about the series, especially the woman who walked in and said she had all of my books already. Way to make an author smile! 

One woman is moving to the central coastline of California so she saw my author visit as a sign she needed to buy a book. I totally agreed. (grin)

The best part is when I get to talk to kids about being an author. They love the idea of meeting someone who created a book. Someone who weaves stories. And I love the fact that kids still get lost in books, even with all of the entertainment opportunities out there for our new generation.

So bottom line? If you celebrate the season, I hope you stuck at least one book in the Easter basket you built for today.

And if not, random gifts of reading are always appreciated. 

What are you reading?

 

 

Wish in one hand...

This was probably one of my mom’s favorite, if cruder bits of wisdom she passed on to me.I like the more fairy tale version… If wishes were horses, all beggars would ride. But both of them come around to the same idea. You can’t just wish something into being.Here’s where all The Secret and Affirmation fans stop reading. LOL But I believe that works too, IF, you add a little elbow grease into the mix.Luck equals opportunity plus hard work.  Yep, I’m just full of these mantra’s today.I guess

Wish in one hand…

This was probably one of my mom’s favorite, if cruder bits of wisdom she passed on to me.

I like the more fairy tale version… If wishes were horses, all beggars would ride.

But both of them come around to the same idea. You can’t just wish something into being.

Here’s where all The Secret and Affirmation fans stop reading. LOL But I believe that works too, IF, you add a little elbow grease into the mix.

Luck equals opportunity plus hard work. 

Yep, I’m just full of these mantra’s today. :)

I guess what’s got me going off is people saying I get so much done. And then they add, “I don’t know how you do it.” What I want to respond is, “Honey, I get half of what I want to get done.” But instead, I smile and start talking strategies to reach goals. I’m a firm believer in an overflowing to do list.

I woke up thinking about a project (non-fiction) that I have a perfect venue to announce and get it started. All I need is to develop a website and some marketing material. By July. I’ve been thinking about this project for at least two years now, maybe as many as eight years.

Today it’s going on my calendar to be done in July.

And it’s going on my to do list.

It moved from a wish to a task. And if you have had this issue in your life, or the lives of your loved ones, I think you’re going to love the final result.

At least I hope so.

So, after that cryptic intro, what are you thinking about doing? What’s on your bucket list that you need to move to the to do list for today (or this week, this year)?

I’d love to hear your dreams.

Time keeps slipping away

And no, I just don’t mean today where we just literally lost an hour due to Day-light-savings-time. I look forward to the future where we reminisce about that silly Spring Forward-Fall Back thing we used to do.

I’m getting ready for my last full week at home. I’m still attending PT twice a week, I’ve got two other doctor appointments, a lunch with a writer friend, and two talks to local groups. Next week is packed. And I have an end of the month deadline.

I’m not sure I can fit another 40 hour work week into my schedule. But I will. Somehow.

Not my writing desk.

Because I love being an author. And right now, being an author means working a side job too. Hugh Howey, author of Wool, talked about what he thinks you need to be a successful writer. (Check out the full post here, it’s worth it if you’re on this writer’s path with me.)

The skinny according to Hugh? You have to work harder than anyone else.

I had lunch with a successful local self-published author and talked about being a writer. Work we can plan. Word count, how to get the book out there, what to promote, when to go free (if at all), release schedules, conferences, all things we can plan and focus on to be successful.

Then I told her I was having problems planning for the other parts of my life, like developing the ‘other Lynn.’ She laughed and said she had the same issue. Work takes over and Hugh’s right, you have to work harder than the next person. But you also have to live a life outside of your writing.

So that’s my challenge this year. How to balance everything on my plate and still come up smiling when a few peas fall off the edge.

First personal goal? To regain my health. And that means getting up and walking or working out during the day.  I’m putting time on my schedule now. 

 

 

Leaping for Joy

Okay, so that’s a stretch. I’m actually walking unassisted for short periods after becoming a bionic woman with not one but two hip replacements in the last two years. Yay me!“I am titanium…” Yes, I’ve been listening to old X-factor videos with The Cowboy. He’s a lot like me in loving watching people work hard and reach for a dream. He was furious when Adam Lambert lost on American Idol and now that Steven Tyler isn’t a judge, I can’t get him to watch the last season with me. This time of year