S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 30

Sunday Update – October 24, 2021

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Rough week around here. Ugh. And next week isn't looking any better. (This post explains why I didn't update the blog this week.)

After the alarm snafu last Sunday, I was worried that the lack of sleep would carry through and cause problems all week, and it did. Tuesday evening, I felt head congestion coming on, and I woke up on Wednesday morning with my head filled with cotton. I felt like absolute crap, so I took a rest/sick day, and it was probably the worst day ever to take a day off. My husband was so swamped with work, he couldn't help out. I still had to get in the car and drive everywhere, and by the time dinner rolled around, my husband was a wreck, the house was in upheaval, and the kids were a mess.

I woke up Thursday feeling exactly the same, but I couldn't take the day off after what happened the previous day. Finally, the head congestion was gone by mid-afternoon and I felt almost normal again.

Then Friday evening it came back. I had 24 hours without head congestion. This is not sinus congestion. I am breathing fine through my nose. It's head and ear congestion. So annoying. I could barely hear anything, and it just makes me feel awful.

Saturday was the town marching band competition, and everyone was to volunteer to help at it. I signed my husband and myself up for traffic control from 5-7pm. It was the dinner hour, but I figured we'd be a little more lax about eating and go out to eat after. I wasn't feeling my best due to the head congestion, but we went anyway. It was fine and a little fun, and by the time we were done, my congestion had mostly cleared up. We were stationed at our town pool, which is just up the road from the high school. All the empty school buses were being parked there, so we made sure they were in the right place. And then we used the radios to call for the school golf carts to come pick up people and take them to the event. I hope the event went well and the school raised money!

Afterward, my husband and I went out to dinner, came home to Lulu, watched some Squid Game, and then it was time to get both kids home. The youngest was at a friend's house watching movies. I got her at 10pm. Then the oldest didn't make it home until after midnight, which we were unhappy about. Her curfew for these things is midnight, and we were exhausted. My husband sent me to sleep around 11:30 and he stayed up to wait for her return at 12:30. Then the youngest woke us up at 1:45am, anxious and crying because she couldn't sleep. Then she lets me know that the field hockey scrimmage she has today was actually at 8am and NOT 8pm!! I double checked my email in the middle of the night and realized the coach didn't specify morning or night, so then I barely slept from 2am to 6am because I was wondering if I had to bring her to field hockey early. It was at 8am, and she's there now as I type this.

So basically, the one day that I get to catch up on sleep per week has been screwed now two weeks in a row. I got 5 hours of broken sleep last night. And today, there's too much going on for me to nap and try to catch up. There's another field hockey game in the afternoon. The oldest is going to the movies with her friends so I have to walk Lulu twice today. And then we have a conference call with someone at 4:30pm (I'll explain later).

If the head congestion comes back this week and I'm in a terrible mood, we'll all know why. I want to update the blog this week with my thoughts on DUNE (loved it!) and the last book I listened to, so I hope I can pull myself together to do both. Plus, I have a ton of other work that needs to be done.

I switched over my clothes and now I have a small capsule wardrobe. 8 shirts, 8 sweater/sweatshirts, 4 black pants, 4 jeans, and then 2 nicer pants for special occasions. That's about it.

Lulu sleeping… next to me and in her bed.

We watched DUNE on Thursday night! I loved it!

This is Cookie. She performed a jailbreak from her yard and ran up to my car as I was heading down my street. I reunited her with her family about ten minutes later.

The shadows are long and the leaves are changing.

And finally, wearing my snazzy vest while directing traffic at the marching band event, and then dinner out. I had the crab cake burger with fries and a glass of rosé.

Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.

The post Sunday Update – October 24, 2021 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.

Sunday Update – October 17, 2021

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This is one of those weeks where here I am on Sunday and I have no idea what I did this week. I have just been so tired that the days are blurring together.

From what I can tell, I did all the normal things I usually do all week. I rode the Peloton Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I walked Lulu the other days plus more. I recorded more chapters of CRASH LAND ON KURAI for Instagram. I went shopping at Whole Foods. I got more writing done on Skylar Book 2.

It was definitely a long week. By the time Friday came around, I was so beat I could barely move. Then I did a 75-min bike ride on Saturday morning for a total of 20 miles. Then I walked Lulu in the afternoon because neither of my kids were around. So when I almost hit 400% of my Move goal, I wasn't surprised. My body was so tired.

I was deliriously tired when I went to bed last night, so I was just moving on instinct, and I TURNED ON MY ALARM FOR 6:30AM. WHYYYYYYY? I was so angry when it went off this morning, I can't even tell you. My ONE DAY to really sleep in, and I screwed it up! This coming week is going to suck because I'm going to be exhausted now. I need my weekend catch-up, and I blew it. I'm still pretty angry with myself.

Lots of Lulu this week. She's been snoozing by my side a lot. And then I made her some dehydrated apple slices since we've had a huge abundance of apples lately.

I made chili this week and gluten free corn muffins too. The corn muffins were decent enough, though I miss baking with flour.

I crossed 10k on the new book. I'm trying something new with writing. Instead of setting high wordcount expectations and then not meeting them, I am writing 800-1200 words per day (except Sundays). I did the math and if I write that much every day, I could potentially write a few books per year. I just need to figure out if I can still write those words AND edit other books at the same time. I tried that this year and it didn't work, but maybe I have to be working on different series if I'm going to do that. We'll see.

I checked in on my Peloton challenges this week when I wrote the blog post about my fitness habit, and I'm close to 15k minutes on the platform for this year!

I was getting ready to record my CRASH LAND ON KURAI chapters when I leaned forward to adjust the camera and I saw all of my gray hair in the light. I still like it. But what really surprised me was the shape of my face. It's not round anymore! I'm pretty happy with it.

It was also a week of taking care of all the fruits and vegetables in this house. I cut up apples for two batches of apple crisp this winter and froze them. Then I cooked up a bunch of beets, too. The majority of beets are in a vinegar mix in the fridge, and they go well on salads and buddha bowls. Then the rest got frozen.

And finally, Mercury Retrograde is over today! Huzzah! I hope this leads to better communication everywhere. We could use it.

Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.

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How I Built A Consistent Fitness Habit In One Year Using Peloton

This is obviously NOT book-related whatsoever, but I thought I would share how I managed to build a consistent fitness habit over the last year using my Peloton bike and their app full of fitness programs.

A little history

As you may remember, I broke my leg in March 2019. It was a pretty bad break that required five hours of surgery to put the bones back together. They inserted a ton of hardware in my leg, and I had to do six months of physical therapy after to finally be able to walk a mile again.

Now, before I broke my leg, I was feeling decent. I was definitely overweight but I was walking several miles every day and trying to make that more of a habit. I hated the gym because of the other people there, so I wasn't lifting or doing much of anything. When I was walking, my heart rate would maybe reach 120, so not much. I hated running. It only ever hurt. I didn't own a bike and I had never taken a spin class.

I broke my leg and then I was sedentary for months. I used carbs and sugar to make me feel better, and that, in combination with the sedentary life, made me gain even more weight.

You can see how round my face was in this photo. So much extra weight!

Fast forward to summer 2020 of the pandemic! My husband said, “I think we should get a Peloton bike. It's a cool company and I know some people who have them and love them. Would you ride it?”

I told him maybe. I mean, I had never taken a spin class and didn't own a road bike. Why would I ride the Peloton? I'd give it a try but I wasn't guaranteeing anything.

The arrival of the Peloton Bike

It was a year ago yesterday that I rode the bike for the first time. By this time, I had lost a lot of weight through healthier, lower-carb eating and intermittent fasting, so I was ready to add in more exercise. I remember that my first class was a 20 minute Cody Rigsby Beginner Ride, and I kept thinking the whole time, “Who is this guy?” Lol. He was having a great time and I was completely GASSED after. But I saw the appeal. He kept me entertained while I sweating it out. Huh. It wasn't so bad. It was actually kinda fun!

But I was severely out of shape. I was so sore after that first ride, it took a lot to get me back on the bike. I tried a Robin Arzon class after, and I think that's when I fell in love. Right on the second ride. I loved her positive attitude and the way she talked me through every little thing. I was wrecked after that class too, but this time, I wanted to get back on the bike again.

Building the habit

October through December 2020, I concentrated on just getting on the bike and trying to ride twice per week while also walking Lulu. I didn't realize how severely out of shape I was until I was riding more frequently. My heart rate would soar in the classes, and it would take me forever to cool down. I'm really surprised my body didn't give out!

I learned about intervals in the classes by listening to the instructors. Robin says, “Intervals build athletes,” and I took that to heart. So after my 20 min beginners classes, I would add on another 10 min scenic ride where I would do one-minute speed and resistance intervals, hoping this would increase my fitness.

It worked! By the time December came around, I was feeling good and biking three times per week. I was taking longer classes and still working on my overall fitness. And though I couldn't always match cadence and resistance to what the instructor called out, I was definitely getting better.

And then my friend Kelly said, “You should try Power Zone training.”

What's Power Zone training?

It's a long explanation, but essentially, you take an FTP (Functional Threshold Power) test, which is an all-out ride-as-hard-as-you-can-until-you-almost-puke for 20 minutes ride, and then they take your AVERAGE output (power) from the test to give you 7 zones of power to train in.

Zone 1 is the easiest. It's basically just pedal without much resistance. Zone 7 is the hardest, pedaling like a murderer is running after you up a hill. These zones are specific to YOU based on your test, so you're not competing against others. All the classes are built to zones so the instructor may give a range of cadences and resistances, but it's just a range. They tell you to be in your Zone 2 or Zone 5 or whatever, and you need to be there, figuring out the right mix of cadence and resistance to get there. You maintain your output in your zone at whatever speed and resistance is comfortable to you.

I took my first test December 30, 2020, and then I started the Peloton program, Discover Your Power Zones, and I was hooked. Everything was still hard but achievable, and I didn't have to worry about personal records anymore. In each class I was learning more about fitness and the science behind power zone training and why it works. It wasn't just fun songs and sweating anymore. I was LEARNING, and I found that fun too. I joined the Power Zone Pack (both their website and their FB group) and started my first Power Zone Challenge in January on my birthday!

Starting a schedule

Matt Wilpers always says that you should build a schedule for your fitness. Make a plan and stick with it. He recommends 3-4 core rides per week with your hardest rides first, and always a long endurance ride somewhere in there. I was getting that with the Power Zone Pack Challenges, but I also wanted to start lifting too.

So in January, I started a schedule. First, I used the Hard Core on the Floor schedule in January to get to know more of the strength instructors and what I liked. Then February through August, I planned my own workout weeks using Google Sheets. Four rides per week plus arm strength, core strength, yoga and stretching. If it was on the schedule, I did it. I didn't miss a day. On the days I wasn't riding, I was walking Lulu and doing other things.

I mixed it up too. I added in resistance bands for a while, and then I determined I didn't like them. I lifted heavy for a while, and then I realized I like to lift lighter with more reps. I experimented with shorter core work more often, and I liked that better, too. I gave myself permission to try things and hate them and never do them again. I was committed to EXERCISE not a particular kind of exercise until I was sure I loved it.

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Sure, there were times when I woke up and I was wrecked from my insomnia, or I was just tired and didn't want to workout. Guess what? I did it anyway. IT WAS ON THE SCHEDULE. It wasn't yet a habit, but it was close.

Do it until it's a habit

This summer I finally figured out what I loved and what I would be willing to do long term. Now, the cornerstones of my workouts are the 4 rides per week (3 Power Zone and 1 Climb Ride to build leg muscle), plus 5 Arms and Light Weights, 3 Core workouts, and plenty of stretching. I do it all without a schedule now, except for the Challenge schedule. Even when I'm not in a Power Zone Pack Challenge, I'm still doing the same things.

I've taken the FTP test now 3 times and my fitness levels go up with each test, so I'm progressively getting harder and harder workouts based on what I can handle. I can now recover my heart rate at higher intensities than I ever thought possible, and my legs look better than they ever have. My husband says my legs have never looked like this and he's known me for over 20 years.

This is only the beginning

I have over 400 rides, and over 2000 miles on the bike, and almost 15,000 minutes of workouts for this year on Peloton, and it's only the beginning. People get shoutouts on rides for thousands of rides on the platform, and I want to be one of those people. I'm completely committed to this.

Maybe if you've read this far, you're inspired to pick up the fitness too. I hope you are. I am so much better off than I was two years ago. I no longer have hip or lower back pain. That all went away as soon as I built my leg and glute muscles. Upper back pain has definitely lessened since building my arm muscles (though I sometimes still sleep wrong and cause problems). My metabolism is high and I can maintain my weight now and eat well. It has completely changed my life for the better.

Thank you, Peloton! I am a Peloton cult member for life. :)

The post How I Built A Consistent Fitness Habit In One Year Using Peloton appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.

Sunday Update – October 10, 2021

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

This week felt TOO long. Wednesday rolled around, and I was exhausted like it was a Friday. There was so much going on!

We finally saw Hamilton! On Sunday, after I posted my last Sunday Update, we went into Manhattan and saw Hamilton on Broadway. We'd had the tickets since late 2019 for a March 2020 show. Of course, that didn't happen due to covid. But we moved the tickets and saw it for real last Sunday. It was fantastic. I'm so glad we got to go!

Monday's field hockey practice was canceled due to rain and the whole day just felt gray and blah. I was prepping for PETS IN SPACE 6 the next day, so I spent the whole day on my computer scheduling posts and doing the work.

Tuesday was PETS IN SPACE 6 launch day! It was so exciting watching it climb the charts! It did well and we hit a lot of store's individual lists. Then sales really kicked in the next day on Wednesday, and we hit #1 in several categories. Yay! There are lots of reviews now but none of them mention my book SURI'S SURE THING yet. I hope that changes soon.

I don't know if any of you who didn't buy PETS IN SPACE 6 want an ARC of my book SURI'S SURE THING? My ARC team has kinda dissolved over the last few years and it seemed like no one was interested in reading and reviewing anymore. But maybe there's been turnover here amongst my readers and people are interested now?

If so, please feel free to pick up a copy of SURI'S SURE THING for review on Booksprout.

I also have copies of AN UNFORGIVING DESERT up on Booksprout if you'd like to read and review that too.

The rest of the week went by slowly after Wednesday. Lots of daily tasks and just getting stuff done.

I had an eye appointment on Thursday which I was dreading a bit. I hadn't had my eyes checked in close to 10 years! I got LASIK 13 years ago, and when we moved, I just stopped going. So it was time to put on my big girl pants and get it done. Thankfully, everything was fine! My distance vision is great. No glasses needed except readers which I can buy on Amazon. I was already using them so no big deal. I increased the glasses from +1 to +1.25 on the advice of the doctor. They didn't need to dilate my eyes even! They used this cool futuristic camera device from Nikon that could see everything inside my eyes. It was cool.

I'm continuing to work on Skylar's Book 2 and the next Kimura Sisters Novel, too. The last Hikoboshi book is also on my mind. Lots going on!

Saturday was filled with field hockey and then a marching band competition in the evening. Fun!

Lots of photos this week…

Hamilton on Broadway! It was fantastic!

Celebrated PETS IN SPACE 6 with some good food, wine, and some dessert!

Out for walks and spending time with Miss Lulu.

Working on eating more diverse foods again. I made a salsa eggs bowl for lunch one day, and I am working on a gluten-free biscuits recipe. Version 2.0 was better than 1.0, but it still needs work.

Got my eyes checked for the first time in 10 years.

Knitting and field hockey season.

Marching band tournament! Our school won first place in pretty much everything in our division!

I posted this photo to my Instagram stories because I do a 30-min Climb ride every Friday with Ben Alldis on Peloton. He saw it and wrote me back! We had a little conversation after this and it made my day.

And finally, just trying to sit and read more. I don't do that enough.

Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.

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PETS IN SPACE 6 Is Now Available!

Yay! I have great news today! Pets in Space 6 is now available!

I am really excited to be a part of this amazing anthology. I had wanted to write for this anthology for the last five years, but I hadn't been extended an invitation until now. I'm really honored to be included and to introduce a new series to all my current readers and new readers too. I hope you all enjoy SURI'S SURE THING and the entire Kimura family.

Join the incredible authors in this year’s Pets in Space 6 for another out-of-this-world adventure. This award-winning, USA TODAY Bestselling anthology is packed full of your favorite Pets in Space®.

Featuring 11 original, never-before-released stories from some of today’s bestselling science fiction romance and fantasy authors, Pets in Space 6 continues their vital support of Hero-Dogs.org, the non-profit charity that improves quality of life for veterans of the U.S. military and first-responders with disabilities. Don’t miss out on this limited-edition anthology before it is too late!

10% of all preorders and the first month’s royalties of Pets in Space 6 will again go to Hero-Dogs.org.

Featuring SURI'S SURE THING by S. J. Pajonas, the beginning of a new series!

Purchase PETS IN SPACE 6 Now!

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Sunday Update – October 3, 2021

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

I still have no idea where September went. Like, my kids started school and there was other stuff in that month, right? I don't know where the time is going.

This past week was finally a full week of school for my kids. Every week since they started had been short by a day (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, a Professional Development Day for the teachers) but this past week they actually went to school Monday through Friday. Looking back on the week, it's hard to remember what I did. There was field hockey or band for the kids. I did take them to get their hair cut. I went to see my doc for a usual annual exam. The usual.

As for writing work stuff, I got a bunch of small tasks done. Final proofreading edits came in for AN UNEXPECTED DEBT so I took care of those and uploaded the final files to all the stores. I had some promo images I had to edit and reupload. I had blog posts I had to put together for here. I'm getting more covers made for future books so I had to talk with my cover designer about that. I recorded three sessions of reading from CRASH LAND ON KURAI. I'm banking those up a little and then uploading only Tuesday and Thursday. I started Skylar's Book 2 but only about 2000 words. I'm hoping to get really into it this coming week.

Pets in Space 6 is coming out this week on Tuesday! There's been some prep work for that, scheduling posts here and on Instagram. I hope you enjoy the anthology!

One piece of news that's exciting! A few other authors and I started a new reader group on Facebook devoted to Space Opera Romance, which is what I call my books. Heavy emphasis on the science fiction, world-building, spaceships, etc. but with romance. Lots of authors are in there showing off their books, so if you're a reader and love this genre, come join us! https://www.facebook.com/groups/spaceoperaromancereaders

Not a lot of photos this week. I was just in a weird place all week long and kept forgetting. I'll get more this coming week.

You may have missed my post on Instagram about my favorite non-alien sci-fi romances.

Met up with the local dogs this week.

And I'm back to wearing my hand knits! It's cooler here and I get cold easily. So glad I have them!

Have a great week everyone! Stay safe and healthy.

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The Astrology of SURI’S SURE THING

I'm back with more astrology on my characters! This time, though, we'll be talking about Suri and Erik from SURI'S SURE THING. If you haven't already purchased PETS IN SPACE 6, I would love it if you clicked on the button at the bottom of this post and pre-order it today. 10% of pre-orders and the first month's worth of sales goes to Hero-Dogs.org, so we want to give that charity as much money as possible. Thank you!

Honestly, I wrote this whole book based on instinct and knowing only the Sun Signs of my two characters. Now that I've dived deeper into their personalities, the Moon and Rising Signs for both of them make a lot of sense! Funny how that happens. ;)

Suri Kimura

Suri Kimura is a Taurus, and I'm sure that will come as no big surprise to most of you who read this novella. She is quiet and affectionate, especially to her sisters who she adores. She's very determined and it shows in her work for the Interstellar Agency. She's one of the best Quality Assurance Specialists they have and everyone acknowledges it. She is stubborn and resistant to change though which is why she's still living at home in her late 20s. She wants to be sure she has enough money stashed away before making the big leap to having her own place, but it's taking FOREVER to get to this goal. She's too stubborn to give it up though. Suri's soft and gentle side comes out when she's spending time with either Finn, her dog, or Erik, her best friend.

When it comes to love, Suri is devoted and protective. She would do anything for the person she's committed to. This is what got her in trouble with her ex-boyfriend, Leo. He took advantage of her loyalty by playing with her feelings. But once they had broken up, she was done done done with him. No matter how easily he shows back up in her life.

Suri's Moon is in Pisces, and this gives her an even more compassionate and creative mood. This sign gives Suri deep feelings and an understanding of human nature. It also helps her keep her feelings for Erik, her best friend, well hidden. The Moon in Pisces also makes her indecisive (Hello! Still living at home in her late 20s!) and secretive (what secret is she keeping?).

But Suri's Rising Sign is in Virgo which indicates a rational outlook. Rising-Virgos care a great deal about others, and Suri has this in spades. She cares for her sisters immensely, so much that she gave up almost everything she had for one of them. Work is important to Rising-Virgo's, and Suri believes that hard work brings good rewards. She's not wrong.

Erik Costa

When Suri thinks about a kind and compassionate person, she thinks of Erik, and that's why his Sun Sign is Pisces. Erik is subtle and intuitive, and he's influenced by the people around him. When Suri is with him, he's more grounded and better able to relax. Erik is receptive and romantic, preferring to wait for the grand gesture rather than the small whisper of love. He's also adaptable which makes him great for his job at the Interstellar Agency as an overworked project manager.

In love, Erik the Pisces has only ever been in love with one woman and he hasn't ever wavered. He's tender and loving and wants to take care of whomever he's with. Once he commits, that's it. He's ready to make Suri's dreams come true.

Erik's Moon is in Capricorn and this softens all the Pisces wateriness and grounds him even more. With his Moon in Capricorn, Erik is eager to learn and he's determined and disciplined enough to get it done. He's always reading and enjoying time spent with books and literature. It does turn him into a single-minded robot sometimes, but the Pisces Sun Sign keeps him from obsessing.

And just when you thought Erik couldn't get more grounded, his Rising Sign is also in Capricorn. All of this Earth is perfect for Suri, who also wants stability in her life. Rising-Capricorns are reliable and dependable, the perfect companion for someone very practical. It isn't always easy for Rising-Capricorns to express their feelings though. This overrides Erik's Sun-Pisces until he's sure that Suri is into him. A tough battle of wills!

Pre-order PETS IN SPACE 6 Now!

Be sure to pick up PETS IN SPACE 6 so you can read SURI'S SURE THING and find out more about these characters and their romance!

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October 2021 Goals

So, now it's October and that whole fall thing is happening. I am displeased, but resigned…

What happened with September's Goals

Start Skylar's second novel. I did this at the last moment! But it's started so that's it!

Start the audiobook for SILENT FLYGHT. Nope. Didn't start this.

Promote the SUMMON THE STARS anthology. It's up, it's live, and we're promoting it!

Get the Hikoboshi paperbacks up and for sale. I got Books 1-3 up and a revision of Book 1 after I found some errors.

Start reading my books on IGTV. I started this! I'm up to like Chapter 13 now in CRASH LAND ON KURAI. I'll keep going even though no one is watching.

Make more Reels for Instagram. I did make more Reels but I ran out of steam in the last week of the month.

Go back to school! Kind of… I went through several Amazon Ads modules and my Instagram marketing course too. Still lots to watch.

Kids back to school! Yay! They are in school!

Start the Fall Power Zone Pack Challenge. Started this week and feeling good.

Continue with fasting. Yep. This is my lifestyle now.

Reading and knitting. Did both of these. Not a lot but some.

October Goals

Make significant progress on Skylar's Book 2. I will not be doing NaNoWriMo this year. It's just not going to work with my schedule. So I will work on this book until November, when I'm going to edit the Nogiku Series.

Make the audiobook for SILENT FLYGHT. I'm all prepped and ready for this.

Keep up with the Fall Power Zone Challenge. An easy task! But worth keeping in my goals.

Finish the Hikoboshi paperbacks. Only one left to do.

Continue with my courses. I have a few courses I need to get through. More modules to watch and learn from.

Reading and knitting. The usual.

That's it! Have a great month everyone!

The post October 2021 Goals appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.

Positives and Negatives (and Monocles, too!) – A Pets in Space 6 Guest Post From J. C. Hay

Today I'm hosting J. C. Hay here to tell us more about his novella in Pets in Space 6, SEE HOW THEY RUN. PS, I love mice. Though I'm not keen on them in my house, they are super cute.

“Why Mice?” is a question I’ve heard a lot in the last few months as regards my story for this year’s Pets In Space anthology. I never had mice as a pet personally (though I did have gerbils and hamsters, and had multiple friends with rats), and in general, they’re so much smaller than cats, or my Umbra Wolves and their associated rangers.

Their size, ultimately, is what made them perfect for this story. I envision the independent ships of the TriSystems, like the Sentinel of Gems, to be crowded and have space at a premium. That’s doubly true for the anchoring core around which the rest of the ship rotates. The engineering core of a ship has to house the massive power units that drive the ships, and mice—with their small footprint—feel like a perfect addition to April’s and Baker’s cramped, floating world.

This was reinforced when I found a fascinating article on how mice adapt to microgravity aboard the International Space Station; this included a revised form of mouse tag where they use all the surfaces of their cages to run instead of just the floor. When I read that, I knew I had to include a similar scene in my story. I had three mice this time for several reasons: most obviously, it matches with the nursery rhyme about blind mice (from where the title is also drawn). I’d also found several anecdotes about how mice in lab environments tend to form triads, rather than pairs. It felt like, given their origins as medical test subjects, my little mice would be in much the same boat.

In this excerpt, April—the Sentinel’s non-binary engineer and one of the main characters—gets up early to check on the trio of mice, and how they’re coping in microgravity.

Fluorescent light bars flicked to life as the Sentinel’s systems detected someone in the compartment, the harsh white light casting sharp shadows over everything. April drifted to the conduit maze Baker had created and studied it with a warmth in their chest that felt like pride, mixed with some other softness that April couldn’t put an easy name to. They ran a hand through their short hair and checked to see which of the mice had completed the course and found their food.

In the tank-turned-cage, Negative was doing zero-g laps—racing across the floor, up one wall, over the ceiling and back down the opposite wall. At first April worried it was some kind of panic response, but as they watched Negative stopped and Monocle took off in the other direction. After another few minutes the two mice took turns chasing one another, while Positive watched from the corner. It looked for all the world like play, and neither mouse seemed distressed afterward. April chalked it up to having high energy.

They opened the lid of the tank and reached in to collect up Positive. The mouse hadn’t coughed during the night, at least as far as April knew, but then again it had been on the far side of a thick bulkhead. The mouse could have fired a plasmacaster in the compartment and April wasn’t likely to have noticed. That said, the mouse didn’t look to be suffering any ill effects of its potentially terminal lung infection. April hooked a mask over their mouth and lifted the mouse closer to examine it.

Pre-order PETS IN SPACE 6 Now!

Be sure to pick up PETS IN SPACE 6 so you can read both J. C.'s story, and mine, and plenty more awesome books in this amazing anthology!

The post Positives and Negatives (and Monocles, too!) – A Pets in Space 6 Guest Post From J. C. Hay appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.

Sunday Update – September 26, 2021

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

You're probably wondering, Where did all the color go? Well, there's KIND OF a good explanation for that. Lol. I've been working on my “design aesthetic” since I do so much posting on Instagram now. And I realized recently that, though I love purple and orange, I like them more as accents in my life than anything. I really am more of a black and white and shades of gray person. I like either brilliantly colored photos or black and white. Nothing really in between. So I'm going to double down on this aesthetic both here and on Instagram. That's why my site is now black and white and shades of gray.

Anyway, it was a tough week. I had head congestion pretty much the entire week. I would wake up with my head filled with cotton and I could barely hear, and it would sometimes get better and sometimes not. It was aggravating and really depressing feeling like crap every day but still doing everything I needed to do. By Friday, I was wrecked and near tears. I wanted to wrap myself in a blanket and stay in bed.

I was supposed to finish up my edits on AN UNEXPECTED DEBT by Tuesday. But due to the head congestion I was VERY SLOW, and I didn't finish them until Friday evening. Sigh. Everything takes me longer when I am not feeling my best. I'm disappointed it took so long, but now it's done, and I can move on to a new project. Those ARCs will go out to my readers today. I have the next few months until the holidays planned out with work, so it's time to get to it!

On Friday, my co-editor, Carysa Locke, and I launched SUMMON THE STARS! This anthology was over a year in the making. It was a little rough getting it off the ground and we ran into manuscript hiccups too. But the good news is that the anthology is out there now and selling. If you haven't picked up your copy yet, please purchase it today!

In family news, the kids are still in school and everything is okay so far. I think there have only been 2 covid cases since school started. Everyone is masking and being safe. There have been lots of field hockey games and marching band halftimes and competitions. All in all, my kids are busy and healthy, and that's fine with me.

I start the next Power Zone Pack challenge this week and I'm looking forward to riding with everyone again! This time I'll be adding in more Climb Rides to the competition as I'm working on building more leg muscle.

Lulu has now been a part of our life for two years. I love her so.

400th Peloton ride complete!

These are the faces of head congestion. Yeah, I was feeling pretty miserable this week. I hope it doesn't come back.

It was fun researching for my astrology post this week!

I asked for some YA sci-fi recommendations on Instagram.

Gotta get those edits done…

I've been watching Gilmore Girls, which I never watched the first time around.

I've also been working on getting the Hikoboshi paperbacks online!

Love these sunny days!

I also love these earrings my husband got me for our wedding anniversary.

But I do not like the fact that Mercury Retrograde is happening AGAIN. Nooooo!

I made two Reels this week that you might want to check out.

I made this one for CRASH LAND ON KURAI.

And then I made this one for AN UNFORGIVING DESERT.

I hope you all have a fantastic week! Stay safe and healthy.

The post Sunday Update – September 26, 2021 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.