S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 54
February 25, 2020
Free and .99 Fantasy & Sci-Fi – Promo
I have another fun and quick promotion to share with you today! This one ends March 1, so be sure to get in there and pick up some books before the sale expires.
Check out these Free and .99 Fantasy & Sci-Fi!
I hope you find something to read and enjoy!
Viber
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February 23, 2020
Sunday Update – February 23, 2020
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.
Almost wrote 2019 for the title of this post because I’m knee deep in 2019 taxes and I’m writing it over and over! So you can imagine that my weekend is going great! Lol.
But I don’t have much more to write about this week since we returned from vacation. The kids went back to school. I did a lot of laundry and hanging out with Lulu. I also wrote and got back in the swing of things with my writing business.
On Thursday, I dropped Lulu at doggy day care again and went to pottery. While I was there, I decided that I’m going to take the next session of pottery off. I’m feeling very burnt out and not creative at all. I need some time to fill back up the well. I’ll return to pottery again in the fall.
If you’re looking for an update about our trip to Jamaica, you can find the update here.
What else happened this week?
We removed the doggy gates from our kitchen doors and we’ve allowed Lulu into the house proper! She’s been a good girl, and we’re pleased and happy to let her out and give her more room to run around and explore.
Doggy day care gave me this photo when I picked up Lulu on Thursday. She was there over Valentine’s Day so they did a little photo shoot. Gah! She’s so cute.
She was really tired after being boarded for five days. But after a day of lazing around, she got back in the swing of things.
My husband went out to a work dinner this week so I treated myself to a night of Japanese seafood gyoza. Mmmmm.
And here’s one of the little mini vases I made at pottery this session. I’m really pleased with the way it turned out!
Have a great week everyone!
Viber
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February 20, 2020
Back From Vacation
Hey yo! We’re back from vacation! And if you were following along on Instagram, then you’ll know that we spent five glorious days in Jamaica. Yes, they were glorious. The sun shined, the rum punch flowed, and I sat on my butt and read a whole book while I was there. I probably could have read two books, but I decided not to speed read. I just sat by the pool or at the beach, got the sunlight I needed, and read read read. Ahhhh. It’s exactly what vacation was meant to be.
I did very little else while I was gone. A little writing here and there, but only about 2500 words. A little knitting. A little TV watching. But not much else than talking with my family, eating, drinking, and reading. It was blissful.
I also got a lot of sleep on vacation which was a nice bonus. We went to bed early every night and slept past our usual wake-up time. I came back home rested and happy.
You know what else was great about Jamaica? IT WAS JAMAICA. Everyone there was so nice. The food was amazing. The weather was spectacular. We only had one day with rain and it was over in the morning by 11am.
Really, I want to go back right now. Sigh. That’s not going to happen but it’s a nice dream.
But now it’s time to get back to work. I’m feeling creatively drained (more on that in a future/soon blog post) and I need to push past that and finish these last two Flyght books so I can enjoy my summer.
Here are some photos from our trip!
It’s back to regularly scheduled content here on the blog! See you all soon!
Viber
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February 13, 2020
On Vacation!
I have good news! By the time you see this post, we’ll be on our way to a nice tropical vacation for a few days of sun and sand and pool and lots of good food. The house sitter has been booked. Lulu is at her doggy day care. And we’re looking forward to a few days of reading and relaxing by the pool.
There will be no Sunday Update this week. I’ll post about our trip when we return!
Here are a few photos from the last time we went to this fabulous place. Can you guess where we’re going?
Viber
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February 12, 2020
January Reverse Harem New Releases – Promo
If you’re looking for some new releases to pick up and read, I have a promotion for you to check out! LOST FLYGHT is one of several reverse harem releases in January 2020 including other great books by Margo Bond Collins, Laura Greenwood, and more!
Check out the January Reverse Harem New Releases!
I hope you all find something to read and enjoy.
Viber
The post January Reverse Harem New Releases – Promo appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
February 9, 2020
Sunday Update – February 9, 2020
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.
We had a pretty good week around here, if hectic and busy as always.
Highlights include our front yard tree being taken down by the town. It had been dead for two years, and since it technically belongs to the town, we couldn’t do anything about it. But finally, they came to take down another tree two doors down and took ours as well. I’m grateful because I had worried about it coming down in a storm and causing problems for everyone on the street because the power lines went through its dead branches.
We also went and ordered the beginnings of things needed for our bathroom renovation including the vanity and sink. Everything else is on hold but picked out and ready to be ordered as soon as we get the go-ahead from our contractor. We’ve even picked out tile!
I had a massage on Tuesday that was just the best. I hadn’t had a massage in 5 years! So I went to the massage therapist at my chiropractor to get some of these kinks in my shoulders and arms worked out. She knows me well because I also did my physical therapy there after breaking my leg. I felt great for days after! Her massage was just perfect.
Other than that, progress continues on pretty much everything else. I’m slowly working on editing Flyght Book 5 while writing Book 6 and it’s going well right now. Some fun things have happened in writing Book 6 that I didn’t see coming, so I’m pleased about that!
What else happened this week?
Lulu loves some good belly rubs!
Lulu wants to play. She’s ready to play now. NOW. NOW, HOOMAN!
The death of the tree. It was big! But very dead.
Our tile choices for the bathroom.
I glazed these objects this past Thursday in class.
Lulu did not want to go on this walk.
I turned leftover Japanese curry into a soup and then added ramen. OH YUM.
Hit 30k in Book 6!
My husband made me a very strong Mai Tai last night and I was drunk, like, instantly. Lol.
And then today, I went to the Chinese/Asian and Indian grocery stores while my family was out skiing. I got lots of great spices, lots of daals for making Indian curries, and my usual fun stuff from the Asian grocery store including my favorite Kewpie Mayo. Yay!
I hope you all have a great week!
Viber
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February 7, 2020
What I’m Watching – Grace and Frankie, Chris Hadfield Teaches Space Exploration Masterclass
There’s been a fair amount of TV watching happening at the house these past couple of weeks! Refilling the well of creativity is really important to me, so I try to take a little time each day to watch some TV or read a book. Lately, I’ve been enjoying some good TV! Here’s what I am watching…
Grace and Frankie (On Netflix) has been a surprise delight. Jane Fonda is very much the overbearing spouse and Lilly Tomlin has the new-age, old hippie vibe down pat. They’re the opposite but they’re so good together! And Martin Sheen and Sam Waterstein as gay lovers are a hoot. I found the whole premise a little unbelievable at first and then they all surprised me with their humor and warmth. I’m enjoying all the side characters too. Im already on Season 2!
Chris Hadfield Teaches Space Exploration (On Masterclass) has been both informative and heartbreaking. Informative because I am definitely learning a lot about spaceship and rocket design, orbital mechanics, and the way our space programs work. Heartbreaking to see the loss of the shuttle and the astronauts who have perished with it. Space is fickle and dangerous but well worth the effort to explore. I’m hoping this whole class will give me plenty of creative energy for writing into the future!
What have you been watching lately?
Viber
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February 2, 2020
Sunday Update – February 2, 2020
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.
Another busy week! But I feel that will be the norm FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. Lol.
Highlights this week include my husband’s trip to Seattle for work. He went to the original Starbucks and got me coffee (love him). He also went to the bar that I had Lee and Laura go to in FACE TIME. I can’t tell you how excited that made me! First, I was glad the bar still existed (it’s called the Purple Cafe & Wine Bar, in case you ever want to check it out). Second, I’m glad he went and was impressed with the place. He ate dinner there and had some lovely wine and said the bartenders and staff were really nice.
Wednesday was long and busy with a doctor’s appointment for my youngest and then tennis in the evening. Thursday was pottery and doggy day care for Lulu. She is continuing to do well at doggy day care! In another week and a half, she’ll be there boarding while we’re on vacation.
Progress is being made on Book 6 of the Flyght Series. I expect to be done around the first week of March. The story is taking unexpected turns and I’m enjoying it. But I can tell I’m burning out. I have less energy lately for story telling, and y’all, I’m just tired in general. I’ve been battling a lot of headaches this winter, which is preferable to sinus infections FOR SURE, but still debilitating. It does suck the creativity out of me, though. Still, I am determined to finish everything, and first drafts are ALWAYS hard for me. I shine as an author in revisions. I really am looking forward to taking time off, though!
What else happened this week?
Lulu continues to be a great dog. She’s enjoying doggy day care and her donut toy.
I made banana bread with the leftover sour cream from burrito night and it was awesome.
We had a fox visitor yesterday! I think it was a male fox as he was quite big!
And, as you know, we are working on renovating our bathroom, and I’ve been out looking at tile options. I love hexagons! We did hexagons in our kitchen and they are fabulous. Going to do them in the bathroom too.
Have a great week everyone!
Viber
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February 1, 2020
February 2020 Goals
January is finally done. Man, that month just goes on and on forever doesn’t it? TIme to set some goals for February!
What Happened With January’s Goals?
Write Flyght Book 6. I made some progress with this, though not as much as I hoped! This is a complex book to write and 500-1500 words per day is about all I can do without burning out. Still, I make progress on it every day.
Close out my Activity Rings every day on my Apple Watch. I finished out the month with a perfect Move record! (Move is the red ring and is an indication of calories burned in movement.) Yay! Most days I also closed out my Exercise (green) and Stand (blue) rings. I also did 50 workouts this month walking Lulu. Check out the screenshots!
Start some upper body strength. I didn’t get around to this. After walking 4-5 miles every day with Lulu, I was just too exhausted to do anything else.
Reading and knitting. There was plenty of audiobook listening. No kindle reading (like none). No knitting.
Watch at least one Masterclass. Just didn’t happen. I wish I had more energy.
Goals For February
Continue to write Flyght Book 6. Once again, I don’t plan on finishing this book this month. I do plan on making significant progress though!
Close out my Move Rings every day on my Apple Watch. Move appears to be my jam! I’m going to aim for another perfect record this month!
Start our bathroom remodel! Yes, the bathroom remodel will start this month. We’re waiting on permits now but picking out tile and tubs and toilets and all that jazz. I can’t wait to have this done!
Go on vacation. Our vacations for the past two winters have been jinxed. Last year, my broken leg kept us home. The year before, the flu. This year we are going on vacation! I’ll update y’all when I’m there.
Audiobooks, reading, and knitting. I want to read at least one book while on vacation, and get some knitting done too. Audiobooks are happening on all my Lulu walks.
Watch at least one Masterclass. I’m going to download one and watch on vacation too.
Have a great February everyone!
Viber
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January 31, 2020
Book Chat #53 – H. Y. Hanna, Andy Weir, and Martha Wells
Hey everyone! Time for another Book Chat. The current audiobook I’m listening to is going on and on and on forever, so I hope to have that done within the next century (seriously, I’m enjoying it, but there’s so much EXTRA in the book I just wish had been cut). And I haven’t touched my Kindle in a month. Sigh. There’s just no time to SIT and read. Hopefully on vacation soon.
Here are some great audiobooks I’ve listened to recently!
MUFFINS AND MOURNING TEA by H. Y. Hanna
After trying to listen to a horrible audiobook which will remain nameless, I decided to spend a credit on another book from the Oxford Tea Room Mysteries because I KNEW I would enjoy it. And I did. MUFFINS AND MOURNING TEA kept me guessing the whole time. I liked the inclusion of some Russian characters and more about Gemma’s relationship with her boyfriend, Devlin. I didn’t guess the killer until Gemma did, so that was a nice surprise too! I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
Then I tried to listen to some other audiobooks and ended up disappointed. One of them the narration was so bad I actually returned it (and I’ve not done that in the HUNDREDS of dollars I’ve spent on audiobooks before). So, when I heard that Wil Wheaton had narrated THE MARTIAN, a book I had already listened to TWICE in the original audio, I decided SCREW IT, I’m going to spend a credit on this book AGAIN. Yep. I love Wil Wheaton. I love this book. And why not? Then I proceeded to download it and listen to it feverishly in all my spare time. And I enjoyed it again! Amazing, that. I’m happy I spent the extra credit and went back to Mars. This is one of my favorite books.
ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells
So, actually, I listened to this book last year but forgot about it because it was in my Chirp app when I got it on sale. ALL SYSTEMS RED is a story about editing… I originally tried to read this book when it first came out, but I set it down after two chapters because, frankly, the editing was subpar. There were commas everywhere and plenty of other problems. If it was a good book, I wouldn’t have known because I couldn’t get past the editing, and that’s a lesson for publishers right there. Hire competent editors! Then it got nominated for and won a Hugo award, so I decided to buy it in audio instead. At least with audio, I can’t see the editing. And, finally, it was enjoyable! There were a few confusing aspects to the story about who everyone was and why they were on the planet, but overall, I liked Murderbot a lot. I will being picking up more of his continuing adventures in audio.
What have you been reading recently?
Viber
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