S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 78
August 12, 2018
Sunday Update – August 12, 2018
WHAT. A. WEEK.
I don’t have these hectic weeks very often, but when I do, it’s a lot of things happening all at once! This week I had to contend with pottery camp, pool, lots of rain, launch of DESTINATION: MURDER, optimization of all the images on my website, setup at the CSA (which ran late and harried as it has been recently), and finally, so much rain that our basement flooded for the first time in six years.
We’ve had so much rain for the past two months that the ground is completely saturated. This has… well, never happened as long as I’ve lived here, which is coming up on 7.5 years now. Then yesterday, we got over 2 inches (5cm) of rain in less than an hour! It was so much rain that it flooded everything around here. The streets were rushing rivers. Local car dealerships lost their cars to water that just carried the cars away. And we got tons of water in our basement. For reference, we didn’t even flood during Hurricane Sandy. The last time we flooded was Hurricane Irene in August of 2011 (the year we moved here).
We spent most of last night and this morning cleaning up the basement. Thankfully, my treadmill was spared! Hooray! And now we have two huge bags of trash ready to go out for pickup tomorrow. I still have clean up work to do down there tomorrow. So I need to rest up.
Let’s get to the weekly photos…
My kids are making fun stuff at pottery camp! I can’t wait to see it all on Friday!
It’s been a week of good food. I added thinly sliced zucchini and balsamic onions to my pizza, and then for breakfast I had fresh tomato with melted cheese and a veggie sausage. Mmmmm.
My husband’s garden is really coming along this year now that we figured out how to put up high fencing to keep the deer out.
There were lots of good pool days this week! I read and enjoyed the outdoors.
I also have been knitting a lot. I’m glad I took August off from writing!
I had a few sleepless nights which meant I needed a big iced coffee, and then a nice alcoholic beverage.
And DESTINATION: MURDER launched this week! I’m excited that it has done so well and that, hopefully, I’ll have lots of new readers from it.
Coming up this week on the blog: a Japan post definitely, and I’m not sure what else? Maybe a WIP Wednesday? I’m doing a lot of maintenance on my website this week, so even if I’m not posting, I’m here working. That’s what this August is all about!
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August 9, 2018
Book Chat #41 – A. C. Crispin, Mary Robinette Kowal, And Neal Shusterman
I’m happy to have a few new books and audiobooks to share in this edition of Book Chat!
STAR WARS: THE PARADISE SNARE: HAN SOLO TRILOGY by A. C. Crispin
I needed to get back in the groove of reading after trying to read several books and failing. So I pulled this one out of my bookshelf and decided to give it a go. For what it’s supposed to be, it’s a good book. The action never stopped, and it was a decent origin story for Han Solo. I didn’t love it, and I think it was mainly because I’m tired of reading distant third person stories. I just find the style to be generic and not very compelling. That and it seems like the only animal worth comparing anything to was a very angry “vrelt.” Lol. I wish that had been edited out or made a little more diverse.
THE CALCULATING STARS by Mary Robinette Kowal
This book captured me from the very first page! I could not put it down; I didn’t want to put it down; I wanted it to last forever. This was a great “what-if” alternate history idea… Let’s go to Mars on 1950-1960’s technology. I loved all of the historical politics, too. It felt like it really happened! And thank you, Mary, for providing a really loving and wonderful relationship between Elma and Nathaniel. THANK YOU. I just adored that to pieces. The next book in this series is out soon, and I have it pre-ordered already!
This is my new favorite YA series. Dude. This made me THINK. It made me wonder what life would be like if we never died unless someone randomly took our life. I found the whole society of Scythes to be fascinating and thought-provoking. I was really rooting for Citra and Rowan, and I had issues with these New Order Scythes… Oh yes, I take issue with them. Lol. I really got into this book and the audiobook was so well-narrated, that I went right to the second book!
THUNDERHEAD by Neal Shusterman
I was on the edge of my seat for this second book in the series. I love that we pick right up where we left off, and now the Thunderhead is more of a narrator. I did not see the ending coming! I was listening to this with every chance I had, and it killed me when it was over. Damn. I really need the next book, like pronto. So, so good. Definitely pick this series up!
So, it was a good few weeks of reading and listening. I’m continuing to listen to a great book right now and I’m reading on my kindle too! I love the summer!
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August 7, 2018
DESTINATION: MURDER Is Now Available! Includes A New Miso Cozy Mystery!
Well, the day is finally here! This box set, DESTINATION: MURDER, is now available! And it includes MATSURI AND MURDER, a new Miso Cozy Mystery novella, plus seven other awesome travelogue mysteries. Learn more about MATSURI AND MURDER.
I’m excited about this box set as it’s the first time I’ve had the chance to really capture new readers into my Miso Cozy Mysteries universe. We’ve sold a lot, but we need to sell more to (hopefully) hit the USA Today Best Seller list! If you haven’t purchased this one, especially in a non-Amazon store, please consider supporting the set and purchase one today for only 99¢. We plan to raise the price after our initial first week, so you’ll get it now for a bargain.
Order Now For Only 99¢!
MURDER NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY!
Pack your bags and buckle up! We’ve got eight exciting tales of mystery and murder, each with a twist you won’t see coming. Destination: Murder is a limited edition, cozy mystery boxed set with eight full-length, never-before-published novels. Available August 7th, today!
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August 5, 2018
Sunday Update – August 5, 2018
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.
So, here we are in a new month! July just flew right on by, and I’m sure August will too. That’s just the nature of things now that I’m in my 40s. Lol.
We had a pretty good week here EXCEPT FOR ALL THE RAIN. I swear to you, it rained almost every single day this week. There came a point when I looked at our deck and I saw moss growing on the wood. Gross. The rain has been out of control!! We’ve had lots of local flooding, and the tomatoes in my husband’s garden are starting to split from over-watering.
So there wasn’t much pool this past week. My husband was out of town, and with the pool off the table, I did my best to entertain the children at home every day. We are really enjoying The Flash and Supergirl, to say the least! We got more veggies on Tuesday, the cleaning ladies came on Wednesday, and I did my best to walk outside between rain showers and thunderstorms.
The good news is that I finished my WIP this past week! Woo Hoo!! The first book of the Flyght Series is a go! I love the way it turned out. Now I just need to give it a rest for a bit before I read it over and make some changes. Then I can move on to Book 2 in September.
What else happened this week?
I did some emergency surgery to “Beary” (aka The Flash).
There were lots of nights on the couch, trying to get my words in.
Yay for CSA! Beautiful tomatoes this week and lots of veggies that I used in a Shrimp and Vegetable Coconut Curry.
The park has these beautiful flowers growing right now. I think they are or are related to hibiscus flowers.
I bought some Stella D’oro “Breatfast Treats” and have been enjoying them with my afternoon coffee.
I’m so happy that I finished my WIP this week! I went to Panera on Friday to redeem my free breakfast sandwich and write the last chapter on this book.
I celebrated on Friday and Saturday night with some tasty drinks!
And here’s a little warning… REMOVED will be going back to its regular price of $3.99 at the beginning of September. It’s usefulness as a magnet to readers has come to a close. If you’ve forgotten to pick it up in the past, now’s the time to do it. You can find all the ways to download REMOVED for free here.
Coming up this week on the blog: the publication of DESTINATION: MURDER, a Book Chat, and maybe another Japan post!
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August 3, 2018
Kanazawa’s Higashi Chaya District – Traveling In Japan 2018 Series
This is one of those posts in my Traveling in Japan series where I’m going to have to defer to the photos and video. This stop was later in my day in Kanazawa. By the time I reached Higashi Chaya, I had already been to Nishi Chaya, walked along the river, walked all over Kanazawa Castle, and then had lunch with a beer (the beer was needed). I was exhausted to say the least!
But that didn’t stop me from falling DEEP in love with this section of town. I stepped into the area and lost all sense of self. The buildings are so beautiful! And in the quiet rain of the day, everything was hushed, almost reverent.
This is Kanazawa’s Eastern geisha district. According to what I gathered from the signs here, there are regular geisha performances and you can even arrange to have dinner or drinks with geishas here too. Remember, that Kyoto is not the only place in Japan with a deep geisha tradition!
Needless to say, once you look at these photos, this is the perfect place to get some wonderful shots like these two ladies and their selfie stick.
I was really charmed by all the dark wood, the lanterns, and the quiet back alleys.
This place had a large sugidama (cedar ball) hanging outside of it, which usually indicates that they’re brewing sake inside. This is something I mention in MATSURI AND MURDER since Kayo’s family has their own brewery.
And don’t miss the Tanuki here! What an adorable store front! I love seeing places like this!
From Higashi Chaya, I took the bus back into town and circled around to go to the Nomura Samurai House which I shared in another post. I wish I could’ve stayed there all day!
But instead, I took this wonderful video I can watch over and over again. Enjoy!
Please pin this image:
The post Kanazawa’s Higashi Chaya District – Traveling In Japan 2018 Series appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
Kanazawa’s Higashi Chaya District – Traveling in Japan 2018 Series
This is one of those posts in my Traveling in Japan series where I’m going to have to defer to the photos and video. This stop was later in my day in Kanazawa. By the time I reached Higashi Chaya, I had already been to Nishi Chaya, walked along the river, walked all over Kanazawa Castle, and then had lunch with a beer (the beer was needed). I was exhausted to say the least!
But that didn’t stop me from falling DEEP in love with this section of town. I stepped into the area and lost all sense of self. The buildings are so beautiful! And in the quiet rain of the day, everything was hushed, almost reverent.
This is Kanazawa’s Eastern geisha district. According to what I gathered from the signs here, there are regular geisha performances and you can even arrange to have dinner or drinks with geishas here too. Remember, that Kyoto is not the only place in Japan with a deep geisha tradition!
Needless to say, once you look at these photos, this is the perfect place to get some wonderful shots like these two ladies and their selfie stick.
I was really charmed by all the dark wood, the lanterns, and the quiet back alleys.
This place had a large sugidama (cedar ball) hanging outside of it, which usually indicates that they’re brewing sake inside. This is something I mention in MATSURI AND MURDER since Kayo’s family has their own brewery.
And don’t miss the Tanuki here! What an adorable store front! I love seeing places like this!
From Higashi Chaya, I took the bus back into town and circled around to go to the Nomura Samurai House which I shared in another post. I wish I could’ve stayed there all day!
But instead, I took this wonderful video I can watch over and over again. Enjoy!
Please pin this image:
The post Kanazawa’s Higashi Chaya District – Traveling in Japan 2018 Series appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
August 1, 2018
August 2018 Goals
I’m kinda glad July is over! We had a vacation, a birthday, and lots of rain. It was stressful!
What Happened With July’s Goals?
Get back to my for-fun writing project and finish it. I’m not finished but I’M VERY CLOSE. I should be done by Friday! So, close enough on this goal.
Start selling direct. I’m not selling direct yet, but only because it’s taking a long time to set things up. I’m working on it bit by bit though. I’ve uploaded a lot of books. I’ve set up BookFunnel to work with PayHip. I just need to get some more books up there and test all the webhooks out.
Continue to keep away from sweets and keep practicing intermittent fasting. I’m not doing a great job with this. I need to be better.
More of the same: walking, reading, knitting. Okay! I’ve been great about this one! I’m walking. I’m doing yoga again. I’m reading! I’m knitting!
A Look Back At July
Business Goals For August
Take a break from writing. As soon as I’m done with this book, in just another day or two, I’m done with writing for the month. I’m taking time off. I need it for my sanity! Of course, knowing me, I’ll be thinking about all the revisions I want to do on the book I just finished and what I want to write next. That’s okay. I’ll save those for September.
Get through the launch of DESTINATION: MURDER. This is a big deal for me. I haven’t been in a box set in YEARS. So I’m doing my best to help out with the marketing and advertising. And there are Facebook parties and giveaways and lots of other stuff. But the launch week will be over soon.
Clean up the website. I won’t be writing this month because I have a ton of website stuff to do. It’s time to get rid of the titled image headers across the site. It’s time to make all of my old posts Pinterest friendly. It’s time to add more reviews and pinnable images to all my books’ pages. It’s time to just clean stuff up. My website is now my main marketing vehicle. It needs to be tip-top.
Set up my direct store. By the time September rolls around, I want to be selling everything I have direct. I also want to pull down stuff from other stores that’s not selling and just sell that direct.
Take a break from my sales. I’m stepping back from being a full-time author (something I’ll talk about later in August). I’ve terminated most of my ads that weren’t doing me any good. I’ve left a ton of Facebook author groups. I deleted everything from Instafreebie. I unsubscribed from all the book discount emails. I deleted all of my book marketing help books from my kindle. Closed all of my sales channel browser windows. I’m going to keep this up and not check my sales again until the end of the month.
Personal Goals For August
Continue to keep away from sweets and keep practicing intermittent fasting. It’ll be hard this month, but I’ll give it a shot!
Finish my knitting project! Without writing, I hope to take more time to listen to audiobooks and finish this knit.
More of the same: walking, yoga, reading. Looking forward to this!
Have a great August everybody!
The post August 2018 Goals appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 31, 2018
Introducing MATSURI AND MURDER, A Miso Cozy Mysteries Novella
The final file has been turned in, the cover has been designed, and the book goes out to my ARC Readers today! So I thought I’d introduce this new story in the Miso Cozy Mysteries universe.
Even on vacation, Mei can’t get away from murder. Traveling to Kubako for a three-day matsuri festival and fireworks, Mei, Akiko, and Kayo are just looking for some relaxation and tasty food, not a weekend full of drama. But when a local celebrity is poisoned in Kayo’s family brewery, Kayo’s father is the main suspect. Now, Mei, Akiko, and Kayo must put their meddling ways to the test. With the help of Kayo’s mother and some local friends, they gather evidence while dodging hotheaded detectives and another dead body. But time is running out and the murderer has everything they need to bury the evidence and deflect suspicion onto someone else. How will they find the murderer when the matsuri is in full swing and everything points to the wrong suspect?
MATSURI AND MURDER is a Daydreamer Detective novella that will keep you on the chase and rooting for Mei until the very end!
So, I got the idea for this novella from a few avenues. Funny to think that I actually used this book I have, 500 MYSTERY MURDER SCENES FOR WRITERS, to get my murder and victim all set. It suggested a “opera soprano is poisoned” and that gave me the idea to make the victim the star of the matsuri festival that Mei visits with Akiko and Kayo.
As for the matsuri, I loosely based it off of this Benkei Matsuri that’s held the first weekend in October every year in Wakayama. Kubako, Kayo’s hometown, is a fictional town, one I based off of Kumano, in Mie Prefecture, which is just across the peninsula from Wakayama. It’s a bit of a mashup of places, names, and festivals, but it gets the job done. I wanted Kubako to be a fictional town because of what I plan to do with it in the future…
Because, this novella is also the start of a new series I hope to get going in 2020! In MATSURI AND MURDER, I introduce you to Kubako and Kayo’s family and friends, and they will be the stars of a new series centered on Kayo! So not only is this a novella in the Miso Cozy Mysteries Series, but it’s also a prequel for this new series I’m planning (I have no idea what I’ll be calling it, so hang tight there.)
I hope you enjoy MURDER AND MATSURI! It’s a 40,000 word novella with a true beginning, middle, and end, a full mystery, and plenty more fun and travel in Japan. It will be available on August 7th for a month in the DESTINATION: MURDER box set, where you’ll get 8 cozy mysteries for only 99¢! Once MATSURI AND MURDER is on its own, I will sell it on all the usual vendors and direct for $2.99.
Pre-Order Now For Only 99¢!
MURDER NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY!
Pack your bags and buckle up! We’ve got eight exciting tales of mystery and murder, each with a twist you won’t see coming. Destination: Murder is a limited edition, cozy mystery boxed set with eight full-length, never-before-published novels. Available August 7th!
The post Introducing MATSURI AND MURDER, A Miso Cozy Mysteries Novella appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 29, 2018
Sunday Update – July 29, 2018
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.
Hopefully you all have been enjoying my Japan posts. I see that they don’t get a lot of comments or views, but maybe they’ll be more interesting as time goes on? I don’t know. I enjoy putting them on the blog and sharing my trip with you all, so they’ll continue into the fall!
This week was a little hectic. Monday was fine. Then Tuesday the kids had dentist appointments so I decided to keep them home from camp for the day. We did the dentist (no cavities) and then had lunch, went to get our CSA vegetable share, then to the park to check out the newly built playground there. In the evening, we enjoyed more of The Flash and Supergirl.
Wednesday, I was beat but I had promised to take the kids to see the summer musical, Crazy For You. It was great fun and we really enjoyed the performance, but it was late and my kids always get grumpy at night. So I was happy for that day to be over.
Thursday, I did the grocery shopping after going for a walk in the morning. Getting out and walking was tough this week due to the abundance of rain we’ve had. It rained for almost a week straight! In the afternoon, the kids took a quick dip in the pool and then we came home for piano lessons.
Friday, I drove my car to the dealership to get some repairs and maintenance done on it, and I picked up the loaner car. I made it back home by 9:15am so I was able to fit in some yoga before my usual 10:15am breakfast. I’m now waiting for the dealership to call me, probably Monday or Tuesday, to let me know what needs to be done on the car and how much it’ll cost.
Yesterday, it was nice out! FINALLY! So we made it to the pool all day, from 11am to 5pm. Of course, that wasn’t enough for my youngest. She complained when it was time to leave and I had to remind her that we had been at the pool for SIX HOURS STRAIGHT. Mommy loves the pool, but I have my limits.
Today, we’ll be at the pool later again. I plan on getting some writing done and some reading too. I’m reading a really great book right now! I can’t wait to talk about it in a Book Chat.
What else happened this week?
My new mascot, Domo-kun, approves of fish tacos.
Lots of good veggies from the CSA this week!
So much freaking rain! I made it out to walk between thunderstorms, but it wasn’t pleasant at all. Very wet and humid.
Crazy For You was a lot of fun and the kids enjoyed it.
My husband made good use of the eggplant we got from the CSA by making eggplant parmesan.
I crossed over 50k on the WIP. Only a little more to go!
My knitting is coming along! Since I’m taking off August from writing, I plan on knitting a lot during the month.
I had my once yearly treat of fried Oreos at the pool! Yum!
And my Kindle… It had been acting REALLY slow. REALLY. To the point where I didn’t want to read on it anymore. So I decided to tackle it this weekend. I deleted a whole ton of books off it of (they’re still in the Cloud) to free up some space, then restarted. Then the poor thing got stuck in a restarting loop. It restarted itself at least five times before it found a system update, installed that, and restarted again. I thought it was a goner! But it’s working great now. It has much more room on it and it responds to touch much faster. Phew!
Coming up this week on the blog: a post about MATSURI AND MURDER, Monthly Goals, and another Japan post.
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July 27, 2018
Learn More About Japanese Tea At Obubu Tea Farm – Traveling in Japan 2018 Series
When planning out my trip to Japan this past May, I decided I wanted to do something different, something I didn’t see many tourists do in Japan. Something a little more intimate and educational. So I did some searching and I ended up booking a reservation to Obubu Tea Farm, which is in Wazuka about an hour from Kyoto. Obubu only runs their tea tours Monday through Friday, so after moving around some of my reservations between Kanazawa and Kyoto, I made it happen for the Friday of my travel week.
From Kyoto, I had to take two trains and a bus to get out to the farm and the office of Obubu Tea. I’m glad they had such great instructions on their website! Thankfully, I made it there with a few other people at the time the tour starts. I didn’t get lost! Hurray!
Once inside the office of Obubu, we learned a little about what we would be doing that day. We met the head of the staff, Hiro, and some of the interns there who would be teaching us about tea. After ordering what we would eat for lunch, we got in the Obubu vans and headed out to see the tea farms!
Pretty much all of Wazuka is tea. The people who live there are involved in tea from birth all the way through death (to the point that their remains are buried right next to the fields).
Obubu shares the mountainside with several other tea manufacturers in town, but Hiro knew which ones were his and which belonged to others.
Tea is a very interesting plant. Only one species is grown here, and how it’s grown and then processed gives you the different kinds of tea you drink. If you look at that photo I posted above, you’ll see that some of the fields are covered, or shaded. Shading the bushes make the chlorophyl multiply and gives the leaves a very dark and rich flavor so that they can become the dark green matcha tea.
Tea is also a plant that is not irrigated, at least not here in Wazuka. These bushes are planted alongside the mountain and into the valley in pretty rocky conditions. In the morning, the mists that form along the mountain fall on the tea plants and give them the moisture they need from above. Fans mounted on poles help circulate the mist so that all the bushes are thoroughly watered (you can see that too in one of the above photos.)
Here I am enjoying the view. It was such a beautiful day! The sun was shining and the breeze was just wonderful. I got so lucky with the weather that day!
Here is Hiro showing us which leaves they pick first and which ones come later. The first flush of tea is the most delicate and full-flavored. It’s also usually the most expensive, of course. Obubu usually takes the first flush and does a hand-steaming and hand-rolling event every year. We watched a video about it and it looked really fun.
And here’s a final photo from the fields. This is a matcha field all covered up. They have a system of covering them for a few weeks before harvesting them, and some get more shade than others.
From the fields, we went to their processing facility to see the machines they use to process the tea. When we arrived, there were a few huge containers of tea leaves that were set to be steamed. I put my hand in them and they were already warm just from the pressure of sitting in the big containers.
With tea, you can do any of these things: steam it, oxidize it, wilt it, dry it, bake it, and smoke it. Many combinations of these bring you different flavors. Green tea has been steamed. Black tea has been oxidized (basically, allowed to sit in the open and become brown like apples do if you leave them out.) Many Chinese teas are smoked. This is a simplification, but you can check out this pretty thorough Wikipedia article on Tea Processing, if you’re interested.
Most of the tea from Obubu is steamed green tea or matcha, but they do have a lovely black tea as well. I bought some to bring home, of course.
After lunch, we returned to the Obubu offices to taste test many different kinds of tea including Hojicha, Sencha, Kocha, and Matcha.
Hiro taught us that temperature is the most important part of brewing tea. Though all tea in England is usually served boiling hot, this is not the case, and should not be the case, with green teas. Green teas should be brewed at around 80ºC. The higher the temperature, the greater the bitterness. So if you like a smooth, mellow green tea, go for 70ºC. That was my favorite, along with the cold brewed sencha using only ice cubes melted over it into a glass.
When pouring tea for several people, it’s important to go back and forth across all the cups from beginning to end of the tea pot. This way, the first person gets the same strength of tea as the last. Here, my table-mates from Czech Republic practiced pouring for many.
The harvesting season for Obubu is pretty long. So depending on what time of year you go, you’ll get to try other kinds of tea!
Now, here’s my favorite part of the day! After we had brewed the sencha at cold, 70ºC, and 80ºC, we then took the tea leaves, put them in a small bowl with a few drops of soy sauce, some puffed brown rice, and then we ate them! They were pretty tasty. I had never eaten tea before, so it was a new experience for me.
Then finally, Hiro taught us all how to make matcha properly. Guess what? It’s all in the wrists, of course. Lol. This matcha was so smooth, very little bitterness. I had to buy some to take home!
After a very long day at the tea farm, I took the bus and two trains back to Kyoto with the new friends I had made TOTALLY buzzed from all the tea I drank. Honestly, I drink plenty of caffeine, but this was a lot all at once! Lol. Be prepared should you decide to make this trip yourself!
All in all, Obubu Tea was a big highlight of my trip. I loved seeing the tea for myself, meeting Hiro and the rest of the Obubu team, and learning all about tea. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.
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