S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 9

September 2024 Goals and August 2024 Wrap-Up

Sometimes I really have no idea how the days go flying by so fast!

How did August 2024 go?

I barely even know where August went. It flew by. My favorite season is almost over and fall is right upon us.

Finish the second book for my pen name. I did finish the first draft of this book! I just have to do some quick edits to it and then it'll be done.

Fix paperbacks for An Unforgiving Desert and renumber the series. Well, this was a big screw-up. Ingram Spark gave me a whole heap of problems trying to process my books, and they wanted a significant amount of money to in order to upload new files. Screw that. I ended up unpublishing all of my books from them and I started on the long process of getting my books onto KDP Print instead. But I've been too busy to get them all done. So this is going to take me a few months. Sigh.

Schedule more blog posts for my blog. I've done even more. September will be rocking!

Schedule and make social media posts for my books. I have put this on hold until after Pets in Space 9 comes out.

Start up the Brave New Bookshelf again. We are rocking and rolling on this now.

Continue with my FFA and other business work including the new website. The website I was working on is getting more and more complete. I have a list of things I need to get done this week.

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. Same old.

What else happened?

We spent the beginning of the month at the beach house. It was a ton of fun and we even hosted my lovely business partner, Elizabeth, for a night on her way back to her home. We had lots of great sunsets, delicious food, and fun trips to the beach. It did rain a lot, though, which was to be expected this summer. I miss the beach house already.

I'm still doing my daily writing time from 8-10AM. I'm happy that I'm getting so much done. This next month I plan to focus on getting the next Amagi Series book mostly written.

I was feeling pretty burned out by mid-month, though. It's been a lot of work and barely any rest. It's expected when you run a small business, so I'm trying to just ride with everything and keep getting stuff done.

I scaled back my exercise this month. With my hips, knees, and feet hurting most days, and the brain fog returning, I decided to make my exercise more brief. I hate it because I love being outside and I feel like the exercise helps alleviate stress. I hope to increase my exercise in the fall.

We hosted a tie-dye party here. It was for my oldest child and all of the kids in her flute section. I provided the dye, the space in which to do it, the pizza and food, and they dyed their own shirts. I dyed a few as well! It was a lot of fun.

I got a new car! My Tesla Model Y was coming up on the end of its 3-year lease, and I really loved the car enough to want a new one. So, we ended up buying a new 2024 model in the Quicksilver color. I love it already.

I'm almost done rewatching Battlestar Galactica. It's been great watching this show again. It really fires up my storytelling abilities.

September 2024 Goals

And now it's time to set some goals for September!

Start the next book in the Amagi Series. I'd like to work on the story and the outline at the very least. If I can start writing, that would be even better.

Get some paperbacks onto KDP Print. I'm going to start with the books from my cozy mystery pen name since people have been asking for them. I barely sell any from my S. J. Pajonas name, so those can wait.

Do what I can to promote Pets in Space 9. As you saw on the blog, the next Kimura Sisters book will be in Pets in Space 9! I'm so excited about this! I will be having blog posts and maybe even a video (using some cool AI tools I found) to promote it. It should be fun!

Go to Japan! I will be in Japan with my husband September 14-26th. My parents are coming to stay with my kids while we're gone. We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary there, and I cannot wait! You can expect to see a lot from me on my Facebook page and Instagram while I'm there.

Continue with my FFA, Brave New Bookshelf, and other business work including the new website. I have a lot to get done before I leave. I hope I can accomplish everything!

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. Same old.

That's it for this month! Have a great September everyone!

The post September 2024 Goals and August 2024 Wrap-Up appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.

Pets in Space 9 Is Available For Preorder!

It was hard holding back this news all year! The next book in the Kimura Sisters Series will be available in Pets in Space 9! Woooo! I'm super excited by this year's anthology and I think you all are going to love the stories in this set. Coming up in September and October, I'll have lots of posts for you to read about this story and plenty of behind-the-scenes insights into how I wrote this story, so stay tuned!

If you're new to the Pets in Space world, it's an absolutely stellar (pun intended!) anthology series that combines two of my greatest loves – science fiction adventures and heartwarming romantic tales. Each year, they gather a fresh lineup of incredibly talented authors to craft original, never-before-published stories set in the far future and spanning distant galaxies. However, the true stars of these imaginative tales are always the pets who accompany the heroes and heroines on their thrilling interstellar quests.

I'm honored beyond words to have Winta's Perfect Pair included amongst such a stellar array of storytellers in this year's Pets in Space 9 anthology. Getting the chance to not only share Winta and Daichi's emotional journey with a whole new audience of readers, but also support an incredible cause like Hero-Dogs.org in the process? That's doubly awesome.

For those who may not be familiar, Hero-Dogs.org is a remarkable organization that provides invaluable service dogs to disabled U.S. veterans and first responders in need. A full 10% of all pre-orders and the first month's royalties from Pets in Space 9 will be donated directly to supporting their life-changing work. So by picking up a copy, you'll not only be transported to strange new worlds and epic romances, but you'll also be helping give back to our real-life heroes.

I don't want to give away too many spoilers just yet, but let me just say — Winta's Perfect Pair and its unique take on the bonds between humans and their animal companions is going to fit perfectly amongst the other imaginative tales in this collection. Readers are going to fall in love with the mischievous fox Itsuko, whose seemingly random antics play a pivotal role in forming a connection between Winta and Daichi.

Seriously, whether you're already a fan of the Kimura Sisters series or are simply looking for your next sci-fi romance obsession, the Pets in Space 9 anthology is not to be missed! I'll be sure to share more sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes details as we get closer to the October release date. I think you'll be pleased!

I'm over the moon (and other celestial bodies!) to be a part of this year's incredible anthology. Clear your shelves and mark your calendars, my friends! An interstellar adventure filled with romance, courage, and the transcendent power of the human-animal bond is headed your way.

Blast off with Pets in Space 9, a thrilling anthology that blends heart-pounding sci-fi with swoon-worthy romance! 

Dive into 10 never-before-published tales from award-winning and USA TODAY bestselling authors R.J. Blain, Honey Phillips, Carol Van Natta, Kenzie Kelly, S. J. Pajonas, Demelza Carlton, Leslie Chase, Greta van der Rol, E.G. Manetti, and Evelyn Lederman. Each novella features extraordinary pets — from a telepathic feline on a distant planet to a brave dog in a futuristic city — standing by their heroes through love, danger, and epic quests.

Immerse yourself in worlds where love knows no bounds and pets steal the spotlight. With stories full of action, mystery, and romance, this anthology has something for everyone.  You'll cheer for the intrepid heroes and heroines who fight to save their friends and find their happily-ever-afters. Plus, every purchase supports Hero Dogs, a charity that provides trained service dogs to veterans and first responders. Explore a galaxy of romance and adventure in Pets in Space 9 — don’t miss out!

More Information and Links to All Stores

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August 2024 Goals and July 2024 Wrap-Up

Sometimes I really have no idea how the days go flying by so fast!

How did July 2024 go?

Really well! Summer is fantastic, and even though it's been hot hot hot here, we are loving our life in our beach house and celebrating all the fun stuff at home.

Finish 3 books for my pen name. I didn't finish three books. But I did finish the non-fiction book, the first in a new series, and started the second book in the series.

Upload the new version of An Unforgiving Desert and renumber the series. This is 98% done. The last 2% of this task involves me updating the paperbacks and it's SUCH A PAIN. I don't want to do it. But I must. Sigh. I'm hoping to get to it this weekend.

Finish my fantasy romance, The Blender's Bargain. Did not do this. I've been swamped with other work.

Celebrate the youngest daughter's birthday. We had a blast for her birthday and she celebrated over the span of 3 whole days. Lucky kid.

Continue with my FFA and other business work including the Brave New Bookshelf. I'm on top of my FFA work and we're taking a short break with Brave New Bookshelf.

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. Going well, although the knitting not as much.

What else happened?

So much. I feel like it went by in a blur.

We spent the July 4th weekend at the beach house and we're here now until mid August. There has been beach. There's been boardwalk. There's been jellyfish stings. There's been amazing food. No complaints from me! Lulu, though, had a rough time over the 4th of July weekend. She had an allergic reaction to something and ended up on steroids and antihistamines. So far, everything is okay this trip. Keeping my fingers crossed.

My daily writing time from 8-10AM is going really well. I'm still doing this and having a blast! I'm getting plenty done every day and talking to a friend each morning is nice too.

I shut down a few websites. I deleted the WordPress installation for my Onigiri Press website and made a static page for that. I deleted the WordPress installation for a pen name I was thinking about doing and ultimately decided not to do. I shut down the SFR Station for good, deleted all the content (after backing it up), and shuttered all of that. I plan to also turn my Steph Gennaro site into a static site, as well. I will probably work on that after I go to Japan.

I am building another WordPress website for a press I'm starting. It requires a robust data structure and I'm slowly working on it bit by bit. I wish there were more hours in the day.

I went on lots of walks and my body is tired. I have not been 100% since I had covid two years ago, and it's showing. The back of my right heel hurts. My right hip hurts. Most days I have brain fog. I'm getting through the days but I have so much work to do, it's hard to stay on top of it when I'm not feeling my best.

I've been watching lots of Olympics! I'm loving all of the coverage on Peacock. The highlights are especially nice for getting caught up every day. My favorite sports are gymnastics, swimming, and diving.

Lots of home stuff happened too. We celebrated my youngest daughter's birthday, she was the Candy Man in Willy Wonka Jr., and we've been enjoying the beach house.

August 2024 Goals

And now it's time to set some goals for August!

Finish the second book for my pen name. I'm pretty sure I can finish it, and soon!

Fix paperbacks for An Unforgiving Desert and renumber the series. Gotta get this done.

Schedule more blog posts for my blog. I have 2 done so far and I need to do more.

Schedule and make social media posts for my books. It's time to start using social media again to help promote my books. I came up with a strategy and I just need to schedule it all.

Start up the Brave New Bookshelf again. By the time the month is over, we should have about 4-5 interviews done and ready to go!

Continue with my FFA and other business work including the new website. I have more classes to teach and the website I'm working on needs to be complete.

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. Same old.

That's it for this month! Have a great August everyone!

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Why I Expanded An Unforgiving Desert into a Full-Length Novel

If you’ve been following my work, you know that An Unforgiving Desert started as a novella in the Summon the Stars anthology. It was a thrilling, compact story about Skylar Kawabata and Kalvin's survival in a relentless desert. However, after its initial release, I felt there was so much more to their story that needed to be told. So, this year, I finally decided to expand it into a full-length novel, and I want to share with you the reasons behind this decision and what you can expect from the expanded version.

The First Book in the Series: A Strategic Move

One of the main reasons I expanded An Unforgiving Desert was to make it the first book in The Amagi Series. The first book in a series is always the easiest to advertise and attract new readers. It sets the stage for everything that follows, introducing the world, the characters, and the overarching themes. By expanding this novella into a novel, I could ensure that it serves as a strong foundation for the series, drawing readers in and making them eager to continue the journey with Skylar and Kalvin.

Navigating Amazon’s Guidelines

Another significant reason for this expansion was the challenge I faced with Amazon's guidelines. Many readers were not picking up An Unforgiving Desert because Amazon would not allow me to list it as ‘book zero' in the series. Additionally, Amazon discourages mixing books of different lengths within a series, which made it difficult for readers to understand where this novella fit into the larger narrative. By expanding it into a full-length novel, I could align it with the rest of the series, making it easier for readers to follow and enjoy the entire story arc.

Deepening Skylar and Kalvin’s Relationship

Finally, I wanted to take this opportunity to go deeper into Skylar and Kalvin’s characters and their evolving relationship. The original novella provided a glimpse into their dynamic, but I felt there was so much more to explore. In the expanded version, you'll find additional backstory on Skylar’s training, her family dynamics, and her initial interactions with Kalvin. These new scenes add layers to their personalities, motivations, and the challenges they face. Their journey through the desert becomes even more intense and emotionally charged as they navigate treacherous sandstorms, tricky quicksand, and the looming threat of deadly predators.

Enhancing the Reading Experience

Expanding An Unforgiving Desert allowed me to enhance the overall reading experience. I included more survival scenes in the desert, showcasing Skylar and Kalvin’s resourcefulness and resilience. Their animosity gradually transforms into a reluctant partnership — and maybe something more. By adding these elements, I aimed to provide a richer, more engaging story that readers can fully immerse themselves in.

Transparency in the Creative Process

I also want to be transparent about the creative process behind this expansion. In planning and executing the new elements of the book, I utilized AI to help brainstorm and organize my ideas. This technology provided valuable insights and suggestions, enabling me to refine the narrative and bring fresh perspectives to the story. While the core of An Unforgiving Desert remains true to its original form, these enhancements aim to offer a more complete and captivating experience for both new readers and those who enjoyed the novella.

Looking Ahead

As I look ahead, I'm excited about the possibilities this expanded novel brings to The Amagi series. It serves as a strong introduction to Skylar and Kalvin’s world, setting the stage for future adventures and deeper explorations of their characters. I hope this expanded version resonates with you and that you find it as thrilling and engaging as I intended it to be.

Previous readers, you should be able to download the updated version from your Amazon Content Library. If you were an ARC reader or bought your copy from a different store, please use the contact form to let me know and I will hook you up with the new version.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Your support and feedback mean the world to me. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to dive into the expanded An Unforgiving Desert and experience the full story of Skylar and Kalvin’s adventure. Happy reading!

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July 2024 Goals and June 2024 Wrap-Up

I know it seems like I've done nothing on the blog in a while, and that's because I've been working really hard behind the scenes. Let me detail that below. But first, a notice that I'm combining my monthly goals with my wrap-up posts because it makes no sense to keep them separate.

How did June 2024 go?

Really well, actually! I'm pleased with all that happened and everything I accomplished. Let's get to it!

Finish and turn in the Kimura Sisters book I'm working on. I'm done with this! Y'all are going to love it! I've heard from two early readers that it made them cry and they think it may be my best one yet. I love hearing that! It was an absolute pleasure to work on, and yes, I did use AI as part of my process. I used GPT 4o to help me brainstorm the plot, and then I used Claude 3.0 Sonnet to help me lay out the bones of my scenes and then I filled them all in. No more blank page syndrome! I'm super happy with the output because I feel like my voice was retained and the prose is even better than I could have hoped for.

Work on books for my secret pen name. I have the first book in a non-fiction series completely done. It's great and it will really help authors would want to add AI to their process. And I have the first book in a fantasy romance series half done. It's so good! I'm really enjoying writing it.

Revive the blog and newsletter. Though I did not revive the blog, I have been working on posts for it behind the scenes. I hope to really get it going by September. But I did revive the newsletter. I got it hooked up to my free offerings on BookFunnel and I have added the people who follow me on Ream, though I screwed up my welcome automations when that happened. Oops. I fixed them eventually.

Get through the end of the school year. We got through the end of the year by the skin of our teeth. My youngest graduated from middle school. Phew! She made it through alive! The oldest is going into her senior year next year and we're still actively looking at colleges.

Continue with my FFA and other business work. I did a lot this month. I created a 3-part series on turning your novella or novel into a screenplay, and I taught members how to expand their novellas into a novel and how to pick up a story halfway through with AI.

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. I did all of this, too! I'm almost done with the hat I'm knitting!

What else happened?

So much. I feel like it went by in a blur.

I instituted daily writing time from 8-10AM. This is one of the best decisions I've ever made. I actually get in a zoom room, people show up, and they can see that I'm working! I even share my screen! I got a lot done this month because I stuck to my schedule and didn't compromise.

I also expanded An Unforgiving Desert and made it into a full first novel in the series. I'm proofreading it now and hope to have it up and online and the whole Amagi Series renumbered by the end of the week.

I went on lots of walks and spent as much time outside as I could. It's going to be a really hot summer, and I wanted to get my outdoors time in before it gets too hot.

I've been watching lots of TV. I'm currently watching the Tour de France while working. I'm also watching Battlestar Galactica and the Netflix series on the Tour de France. I watched the last season in the L'Agence (The Parisian Agency), Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Sugar, Dark Matter, Don't Look Up (again), Ready Player One, the rest of Bridgerton, and The Gentleman.

Lots of home stuff happened too. We celebrated Father's Day, my oldest daughter went to prom, and my youngest daughter was in a local production of Thirteen, The Musical.

I don't know why YouTube thought that was a good thumbnail. Lol.

July 2024 Goals

And now it's time to set some goals for July!

Finish 3 books for my pen name. I have the first book almost done. I'd like to finish two more.

Upload the new version of An Unforgiving Desert and renumber the series. This is a big undertaking but I hope to have it done this week. I need to upload the new version, renumber the series on Amazon, ask Amazon to push out the new version to people, renumber it here on the website, post a blog post about it, post about it on social media, set up ads for the series, ask my PA to renumber and update Goodreads for me, and finally, update the series on Ingram Spark. But once it's done, I'll feel awesome about it.

Finish my fantasy romance, The Blender's Bargain. It's not done and I'd like to finish it. I need to change it a little bit because my original word count goal feels a little too much for it. So I need to make some changes before finishing it.

Celebrate the youngest daughter's birthday. She's turning 14! And we have plans to celebrate it with her friends before going down to the beach house.

Continue with my FFA and other business work including the Brave New Bookshelf. I have a lot of classes I signed up to do, and I can't wait to get started on them!

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. Same old.

That's it for this month! Have a great July everyone!

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June 2024 Goals

Where has this year gone? How is it already June??

What are my June Goals?

Finish and turn in the Kimura Sisters book I'm working on. I'm almost done with this book! So close to finishing the first draft. Then I need to go back and add a few things in, copy edit, and go. I have to turn it in at the end of the month, and I'll meet that, no problem.

Work on books for my secret pen name. I realized that I'm really a one-fiction-project-at-a-time girl. I couldn't work on the secret books while I was working on my Kimura Sisters book. I hope to get started on these this month.

Revive the blog and newsletter. I have let both the blog and newsletter go for the last year while I did a lot of AI stuff. Now that I've settled into a routine there, it's time to spend more time back here. I'd like to write on the blog at least once per week, but we'll see what I can manage. I revived my Tumblr, and that's going now. I also reorganized my free offerings and now I have some work to do to update all of my books and get them uploaded.

Get through the end of the school year. June is always tough, but this one will be tougher than others. My youngest is graduating from 8th grade and she'll be in high school next year. The oldest is going into her senior year next year. There are a lot of end-of-year things we have to do. I need to make it through in one piece.

Continue with my FFA and other business work. The usual.

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. The usual.

What happened with May's Goals?

Finish the Kimura Sisters book I'm working on. I didn't finish it but I came very close and I will be done soon.

Travel to Boston for the Subscriptions for Authors Summit. Done! And I had a great time. It gave me a lot of clarity on what subscriptions are good for.

Continue my work with Future Fiction Academy. As always, I got this work done.

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. Got this done too.

That's it for this month! Have a great June everyone!

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May 2024 Monthly Update

I started the month in Boston where I attended the Subscriptions for Authors Summit and got to spend some time with my dear author friends. It was a fun few days! I took the train there and back, which was a nice change of pace from getting on a plane or driving there. But going to the summit gave me the guts to admit that my Ream subscription was not for me and I should let it go. I do know now the kinds of authors that subscriptions will work really well for, and I'm going to keep trying them with other pen names.

Unfortunately, not long after returning, we got word that a friend of ours passed. My husband and I went to Long Island for his memorial service and stopped in to see family as well.

The rest of the month went smoothly! Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 came out and I watched it twice. We had a lovely Mother's Day at home. Everything was in bloom and gorgeous! We had literally 4 school band concerts we had to attend. I went to 3 of the 4, and it was enough.

The month ended busy. I walked a lot with Lulu while the weather was good. I got a lot of writing done by instituting daily writing time from 8-10AM. I started rewatching Battlestar Galactica, and I've also been watching one of my favorite Netflix shows, The Parisian Agency (L'Agence). I'm listening to Day Trading Attention by Gary Vaynerchuk. I've made significant progress on my knitting, too! I'm excited to say that I've restarted ads on my books, and I'm making lots of plans to get back to my blog and start using YouTube, too. Oh! I also restarted my Tumblr! Come join me there.

Goals check-in

Amazingly enough, all of my goals are proceeding as planned. I'm so happy with my writing and the progress I've been making. Yay!

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When Things Don’t Go As Planned

(Photo of Lulu because she's cute.)

As per usual, I'm here to tell you about the grand plans I had that failed. Lol. I mean, would you expect anything less of me?

Maybe 2023 was my year of “delusions of grandeur” because things had been working out so well with the AI business. Really, I couldn't be happier, and I think it's because I got back into technology that marries so well with creativity. The two are what I love the most, so it's not surprising I flourished there.

But you know what else I really like? Fandoms. I'm a huge fan of Star Wars and Star Trek and The Expanse and Bridgerton and many more and all of these awesome shows and properties that foster a lot of fans. Silly me, I thought, “Hey, there may be some fans of MY work out there that would like a subscription-only community!” I saw how this was benefitting a lot of authors and thought it might work well for me, too.

Alas, that did not turn out to be the case. I started a Ream subscription community back in December, and although I got a bunch of followers pretty quickly, my subscription did not grow. Yes, maybe I should have given it longer than 6 months to work. A year, two, ten? Maybe then I would get somewhere?

But I just can't anymore. I can't do endless work on the promise of “maybe.” I'm nearing 50 years old, and I'm tired. I already work every day. I haven't taken a day off since Christmas Day. I hate to admit it, but I'm burned out. I need a break.

Here's what you can expect going forward from me:

1. I will not be taking on any further speaking engagements for the rest of 2024. My work from now on is solely focused on the Future Fiction Academy, Brave New Bookshelf, my own writing, and a new project I have in the works with two of my FFA colleagues. If you need someone to speak to your writing group about AI, I highly recommend viewing the AI videos we have on the Future Fiction Academy YouTube channel. A bunch of us have done these presentations to writing groups and there's now plenty of information online for people to make the decision of what to do or not do with AI. I don't need to be involved in the decision making process.

2. In reference to point 1 above, I have shut down my AI Fiction Coach website and now that is pointing to Future Fiction Academy. The articles I had on AI Fiction Coach have been reproduced on Notion, and I have redirected to them.

3. I will be winding down my S. J. Pajonas name to only one book per year after I'm done with the Amagi Series. And that one book per year will be my pace with this name going forward. It's my aim to finish writing that series this year. Then I will finish the Kimura Sisters Series as well. I'm unsure what to do with my fantasy romance series because, as much as I love it, I don't think it hits the market very well. I'm currently sitting on it.

4. I will be shutting down my paid Ream subscriptions and moving some of the content back to my website, though I will keep Ream around for discovery purposes. I believe in subscriptions, but they do not work for my SJP name. I also don't think my process or stories lend well to subscriptions, so this is the best possible move for me. I made this decision after seeing what people were doing at the awesome Subscriptions for Authors Summit (see my comments above about fandom). I believe subscriptions could work well for pen names of mine, so I don't think this is the last time I will be using Ream!

5. I will be writing under pen names in upcoming months so don't think that I've stopped writing! It's just time to shift focus. Originally, when I hit the 10-year mark as a published author, I thought I would double-down on my SJP name, and I realized sometime in the beginning of the year that I was falling prey to the sunk cost fallacy. It's time for me to stop throwing good money and energy after bad and move on. Don't feel bad! I don't. I learned a lot about publishing and writing, and I will put all of that to good use on other projects.

6. If you want to continue reading what I write, even if it's under a pen name in different genres, please let me know and I will hook you up with advanced reader copies. You can either comment on this post or use the contact form to let me know.

7. I plan to revive and continue to write cozy mysteries under Steph Gennaro. I think those will be coming in late 2025.

All of this is to say that I'm trying to focus on the things that work and mean something to me. I want to stop doing extra work just for the sake of holding things together that never really got me anywhere. I'm looking forward to all the joy of content creation I have in front of me!

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May 2024 Goals

I am so busy, so I'm kind of happy to see my May is not loaded with goals. Lol.

What are my May Goals?

Finish the Kimura Sisters book I'm working on. Once I get in the groove, I'll be chugging through these chapters. I have 5 of the proposed 20 chapters done already.

Work on books for my secret pen name. Hey, y'all, I'm working on AI-forward books for a secret pen name. What does AI-forward mean? It means I work extensively with AI to brainstorm, draft, and edit the books, all with my input and direction. It's an experiment to see if that whole “push a button and get a book” fear that Anti-AI people have is even possible. I figure it's better for me to know than not know. Discipline, Input, Learner, and Responsibility are all high Clifton Strengths of mine, so you can see why I'm drawn to this experiment.

Travel to Boston for the Subscriptions for Authors Summit. I'll be there this weekend through the beginning of the week. I'm looking forward to seeing friends and doing something that I enjoy.

Continue with my FFA and other business work. I'm teaching some classes this month that I need to get working on.

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. The usual.

What happened with April's Goals?

Start publishing my fantasy rom-com to Ream. This is rockin' and rollin' right now. All of my chapters are scheduled and moving along.

Work on setting up a Shopify store. Due to other things we had to setup first, I did not setup the Shopify store this month. It looks like I'll be doing that in June.

Write the first half of my Kimura Sisters book. I wrote the first 25% pretty much. I am behind but I'll still submit on time.

Work on a fine tune model of how I outline. I don't think I need this. Claude 3 is doing a great job with outlining for me right now.

Continue my work with Future Fiction Academy. I have a class I need to record this Thursday!

Stick with my workout schedule, Duolingo, reading, knitting, and TV. The usual.

That's it for this month! Have a great May everyone!

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April 2024 Monthly Update

I really could have used 31 days in April. I have never been so busy in my whole life as I was this month. I thought March was busy. This was a little insane, and I don't think it's going to let up at all in May.

We started out the month at the beach house. We weren't there for very long but it was nice and relaxing nonetheless. My husband came home first to take care of some package deliveries, and only a few hours before we drove home, there was an earthquake here in New Jersey! That was super weird. We didn't feel it as bad at the beach house as my husband did at home.

Once we got home, it was go go go after that. We got a chance to see the majority of the solar eclipse. That was cool. My husband and I went into Manhattan two nights in a row to see The Magnetic Fields perform their 25th anniversary tour of the 69 Love Songs. It was so fun, and I was very happy with the performances.

Spring has really blossomed! My allergies are still pretty bad but everywhere around here is beautiful with flowers. I love it. I started a podcast. My oldest daughter got her drivers license. And then we threw a tea party for her 17th birthday. Taylor Swift dropped a DOUBLE ALBUM and I have been listening to it nonstop for almost two weeks now. I cannot, will not stop. It is pure genius. In fact, I can hear I Can Do It with a Broken Heart playing in the next room as I type this.

Along with all of that, I have been working a lot. I started another new business with a few other people and got that up and running. I've been writing the next Kimura Sisters book and publishing the first in my new fantasy romantic comedy series, The Blender's Bargain on Ream. I've been working on another project too!

Goals check-in

Amazingly enough, all of my goals are proceeding as planned. Like last month, I'm a little behind on my writing, but I still have May before my deadline approaches! Again, I'm still not on the bike as much as I wanted to be, but that's okay. I've been active every single day.

What I watched and what I'm reading

My husband and I watched and finished 3 Body Problem on Netflix, Regime and Tokyo Vice on MAX, and Shōgun on Hulu. Regime was my least favorite of them all. I wanted to like it but it wasn't as funny as people made it out to be. Loved 3 Body Problem and Shōgun. They were both excellent. I stopped watching Alias. The last season is just not any good, so I decided to stop. And now I'm watching MI-5/Spooks on Britbox.

My only fiction is Bridgerton Book 3, An Offer from a Gent, on Audible. On my Kindle, I'm reading up on how to start a Shopify store. If the book proves to be awesome, I'll share it next month.

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