S.J. Pajonas's Blog, page 98
July 7, 2017
My Publishing Schedule For The Rest Of 2017
Happy Tanabata everyone! Now that we’ve hit the mid-year mark, it’s safe to say that I know what I should be able to publish the rest of the year.
When I started out 2017, I had hoped to bring you 4 books this year. But now, I think there’s a strong possibility I will only be able to publish 3 books this year, with a new book in early January 2018.
The reasons for this change are time, novel length, and money.
Though I’m continuing to write and edit, there are only so many hours in a day, and I get burned out if I spend too much time working. I see tons of authors doing really well, working 12 hours a day or more, and I’m super impressed by them. That was me in 2014 and 2015. I worked really hard but saw very little growth of my business, which left me feeling very depressed in early 2016 and then I didn’t write for six months. I want to avoid that at all costs, so keeping a healthy schedule is really important to me. Since I do the majority of my own edits too, I always have to leave time to whip a manuscript into shape. I wish there were more hours in the day, but there aren’t! 
July 6, 2017
Teaser Thursday – Seeing Red
It’s Teaser Thursday! And I’m excited to get back to talking about CRASH LAND ON KURAI!!
I remember writing this scene and how it just came into being so quickly. By this time in the book, Yumi has faced death at least a dozen times already, but this time is worse than all the others. She’s beaten. She’s tired. But this quote shows how even on the brink, she’s still willing to fight. That’s something I love about her. She always has the fighting spirit.
Want to pre-order CRASH LAND ON KURAI? You can pick it up for a dollar off the retail price now on Amazon.com! Kindle Unlimited subscribers will be able to borrow the book on July 18th.
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited on July 18th!
(You’ll be able to choose your bookstore on the following page, if you have not chosen a default Books2Read store already.)
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you again next week!
The post Teaser Thursday – Seeing Red appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 4, 2017
Teaser Tuesday – The Building
First, Happy 4th of July to those readers in the States! We’re taking it easy today, so I decided to schedule this post ahead of time. Two weeks from today, CRASH LAND ON KURAI will be available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited! So, I plan to have a teaser posted, Tuesdays and Thursdays, for the next three weeks. Let’s go!
Yumi Minamoto, the main character of this series, is a journalist, and it’s always been her goal to both (1) seek out the truth, and (2) be the best at her job. She has an older brother who’s set to inherit the family business, so that’s off her shoulders. And she also has a twin brother who’s super smart and gets a lot of accolades. She’s always felt like she has to compete not only with other journalists, but with everyone in her influential family.
She’s also been quite a screw up with a testy temper. She has a lot to prove.
So when she goes on the Hikoboshi mission to document the trip, she’s feeling both on-edge, excited, and ready to rumble. When she happens upon this mysterious building after crash landing on the moon, Kurai, and its occupants, she’s blown away by what she finds there. The excitement doesn’t last long as the building crumbles over her top news story. Lol.
Want to pre-order CRASH LAND ON KURAI? You can pick it up for a dollar off the retail price now on Amazon.com! Kindle Unlimited subscribers will be able to borrow the book on July 18th.
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited on July 18th!
(You’ll be able to choose your bookstore on the following page, if you have not chosen a default Books2Read store already.)
Thanks for stopping by and I’ll see you again on Thursday!
The post Teaser Tuesday – The Building appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 2, 2017
Sunday Update – July 2, 2017
Compared to last week, this was one was anti-climatic. Lol. I spent a lot of time at home, cleaning up, working, and just trying to recover from Disney.
Monday, I took it easy. I went for a walk around the park in the morning and then worked on cleaning up our crafting corner at home. Cleaning the crafting corner, though, took THREE HOURS. It was a mess and had been for several months, so it needed work. I set aside a giant bin of paper to be recycled, went through all the coloring books and determined which to keep, and organized two spaces into one. Then in the afternoon I took the kids to the pool where I read and worked a bit.
Tuesday, I went for another walk in the afternoon after lunch. I spent the morning cleaning up the house and putting stuff away from vacation. In the afternoon, I took the kids to the pool again.
Wednesday, I ran errands and went to the chiropractor. I then worked for a bit and took the kids to the pool. (See a pattern here?)
Thursday was the only day I didn’t take the kids to the pool. They had piano lessons in the afternoon so we took a day off. It was also a good day to work on hydrating their hair, as the pool tends to suck their hair dry and brittle. For me, I spent the day painting the front door and threshold!
Friday was a usual day. Went for a walk in the morning, went to Whole Foods for groceries, and lunch. And then took the kids to the pool for the whole evening and even fed them dinner there.
Saturday, we slept in and spent the day at home because lots of storms came through. I got some walking on the treadmill in, but I took it easy too.
The whole week my husband was gone to Europe and the UK, so I had to stay busy! Work-wise, I put together all my teasers for CRASH LAND ON KURAI, read what I’ve already written of Daydreamer 4, and I’ve been reading lots of non-fiction on plotting and Amazon ads. I hope to start writing on Daydreamer 4 again tomorrow!
What else happened this week?
Before and after of the crafting corner. Much better now!
Enjoying one of my new Disney shirts.
New veggies from the CSA means salads!!
Summer thunderstorms bring double rainbows.
Got some home improvement done.
Husband brought me back my favorite candy from the UK.
The coolest watermelon on the block.
And I dyed the tips of my girls’ hair on a rainy Saturday.
Hope you all have a great week!
The post Sunday Update – July 2, 2017 appeared first on S. J. Pajonas.
July 1, 2017
July 2017 Goals
Boy, June was busy!! I don’t think I’ve had a month like that in years! I’m glad we’re coasting into July which is nothing but summer summer summer and pool pool pool.
What Happened With June’s Goals?
Finish edits of Hikoboshi 1 and get it ready for publication. DONE! I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown before I finished but I did finish right before we left on vacation. I’m glad to have it done now. The deadline really motivated me but next time I’m going to loosen it up a little bit. I ended the deadline by having a night of tears. I’d rather celebrate next time! Lol.
Cover, blurb, and title reveal of Hikoboshi 1. Done! This went great and I love that the cover got some love online.
Make six teasers for Hikoboshi 1. Done and uploaded to my blog. I’m going to spend some time this weekend scheduling these all out for the month.
Get all book blitz materials to Lola by June 14th. Uh, I did not get these to Lola. I had hoped to, but it didn’t happen. I’ll be getting these to her this coming week.
If I have anything left in me, brainstorm more for Daydreamer 4. I did brainstorm for Daydreamer 4 a bit and I’ve gone back to read what I’ve already written.
Knit in the evenings. I didn’t knit as much as I wanted to because of the insane deadline. I did knit on vacation, though!
More walking, reading, and audiobooks. I did well with this this month! Mostly because walking around Disney made me hit all of my walking goals easily.
As you can see from these charts, I’m 54% complete with my walking goal for the year and I was ahead of my miles for the month!
Sit outside more. I did sit outside more and it was good for me.
Go on vacation! I finished pretty much everything before we left and then we went to Disney! it was a lot of fun and it was a good trip, both for my family and me personally. I was present the entire time, rode almost all of the rides (no Tea Cups because motion sickness), and re-energized myself for the road ahead.
Business Goals For July
Write 40k on Daydreamer 4. That’s approximately 1300 words per day which I think I can do even with some ramp up the first few days of July. I need to do some plotting and planning.
Launch CRASH LAND ON KURAI. This includes getting everything together for the book blitz, Facebook and AMS ads, newsletter, launching the paperback and asking the review team to review, etc. Plus sacrificing something to the Book Sales Gods.
Finish reading up on plotting and Facebook ads. I have a few non-fiction books I’m reading that will help me with advertising. Now’s a good time to advertise in the summer when rates are low, so I’d really like to get them going.
Personal Goals For July
Read every day. Not only am I reading a bunch of non-fiction books for work, but I’m also reading ANNE OF GREEN GABLES with my oldest daughter. I’ve, of course, read it before, but reading it with her is fun too.
Knit more. Now that most of my hard deadlines are past, I’d like to go back to knitting a few rows every night.
Walk more. I’ll be writing so I can walk on the treadmill and either dictate or type.
Enjoy summer. It’s my favorite season, so I plan to be outside at the pool as much as possible, even if I’m working there.
Have a great July everyone!
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June 25, 2017
Sunday Update – June 25, 2017
I’m back from vacation!! Though it was a vacation from work, it wasn’t one of those on-the-beach relaxing vacations. It was a DisneyWorld vacation! We walked a lot every day. We came home exhausted. I’ve spent this whole Sunday recovering since we got home late last night. I’m going to share what we did but because many of the pictures are of my kids, which I don’t share publicly, I’ll be sticking to the highlights.
We flew out on Monday and the trip down to Florida was rather pain free. We took the Disney Magical Express (a bus service) from Orlando airport straight to our hotel and Disney took care of our luggage for us. Day one went really well! We explored our hotel and the properties around us, had an awesome dinner at the Contemporary and stayed up to watch the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom. They happen every night at 9pm like clockwork.
On Tuesday, we went to the Magic Kingdom and figured out where everything was and how our Fast Passes worked. If you don’t know about these, they’re wrist bands that let you get into rides that you select in a faster line so you don’t have to wait. You make reservations ahead of time and you’re given an hour window in which to use your slot. We figured out a good strategy for us using the app on our phone. We waited for some attractions like the Pirates of the Caribbean ride when we had the time to spare, and others we zoomed right to the front. The kids really loved the Seven Dwarves Mine Train (so did I)! We saw the treehouse from Swiss Family Robinson and rode on Aladdin’s Magic Carpet. Then we had lunch with the Winnie the Pooh characters. Then story time with Belle in the afternoon.
On Wednesday, we made it back into the Magic Kingdom super early so we could hit a bunch of rides before there were lines. We rode on Dumbo and then my family did the Tea Cups (Alice was there!), and then we went to meet Ariel (also no line!) Then we had our Fast Pass for Space Mountain which was just as much fun as I remember it being as a kid! Loved it! After that, we met Tiana and Rapunzel. I love Tiana. She’s one of my favorite princesses. She’s a businesswoman!
June 19, 2017
ALL THAT GLITTERS by Tracy Krimmer – Book Blitz
This post is for all of my romance readers! I know there are some of you out there.
June 18, 2017
Sunday Update – June 18, 2017
Guys, this was the busiest, most stressful week I’ve had in a long time. It was the last week of school. It was also the last week I had to get CRASH LAND ON KURAI ready before we leave on vacation. Every day was PACKED with stuff to do. By the time Friday rolled around, I was crying at dinner time because I was so stressed out. BUT I feel much better now, so no worries! Obviously I just needed a good cry to get things out.
Monday was one of our last normal days. My oldest kid had a class trip for the whole day and my youngest had a normal school day. It was hot and muggy, and I worked while on the treadmill in the basement.
Tuesday was the last full day of school. The kids had a good day and then we picked up our CSA veggies afterward. Not too bad.
Wednesday, things started to get crazy. I had to go to school for a Flag Day assembly in which my youngest sang songs about the U.S. and was all patriotic and stuff. Lol. It was really cute. Then I ran errands, picked the kids up at 12:30pm, fed them, and took them to tennis in the afternoon for their last lesson until Fall. I worked every spare minute I had.
Thursday, I was at the school pretty much all morning for the Fourth Grade Farewell. My oldest is graduating from her elementary school. It was both sweet and sad, and there were many tears. She was awarded the Aspiring Author Award for wanting to be just like her mom (omg I’m so proud) and always being on Google Docs penning her next best seller.
June 16, 2017
Introducing CRASH LAND ON KURAI, My New Sci-Fi Series!
Today is the cover reveal for my upcoming sci-fi novel, CRASH LAND ON KURAI! This series, The Hikoboshi Series, is a space opera, action adventure series, and it’s a spin-off of my Nogiku Series. The main character in this series, Yumi Minamoto, is the daughter of Kentaro and Namika from the Nogiku Series, and she’s a rash and brash journalist. She’s made some bad decisions, and this trip to Hikoboshi is her chance to make up for a lot of what she’s done wrong. It’s a make or break moment for her.
I started writing this book last November during NaNoWriMo. It’s been through a few revisions and I’ve written the second book in the series too, which helped me refine this book. I’m so looking forward to writing and publishing this whole series. There’s a lot in this world to uncover, plenty of places to go.
Let’s get to the cover! CRASH LAND ON KURAI was designed by Najla Qamber of Najla Qamber Designs. I love Najla. We work together really well. I told her what I wanted and within a revision we had exactly what you see here. She also designed the cover for Book 2, which I already have and love.
Big thanks goes to Lola from Lola’s Blog Tours who organized a cover reveal for today. I’m so grateful for her help throughout the years I’ve been published. I couldn’t do these things without her.
Yumi Minamoto has the shortest fuse on the ship. She’s just whipped a bully and been confined to quarters, but she’s not staying there. A disgraced journalist trying to clear her name, her job is to document the mission to the Hikoboshi system, and she’s determined to get it right, despite all the trouble she causes. But when unknown vessels fire on their ship, and Yumi’s life pod crash lands on a dying moon, she’s separated from her family and friends, and her mission falls to pieces. Now she must navigate the unfamiliar and deadly terrain, deal with a society she doesn’t understand, and try to stay alive until rescue comes… if it ever does.
Crash Land on Kurai is the first book in the Hikoboshi Series, an action adventure, space opera series that explores the worlds settled by the Japanese who fled Earth a century ago. Culture, history, technology, and swords clash in a fast-paced future society on the brink of war.
Currently, I do not have any pre-order links ready for this book! I’m holding off a little while waiting to see if some promo clicks into place. Rest assured that as soon as I have links, you’ll be among the first to hear about them.
I hope the cover and blurb delight and astound you! 
I can’t wait for you to read the book!
Want to get a free four-chapter preview right now?
You can download a preview right now from Instafreebie! 
Just click on the link and download your preview right now! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
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June 11, 2017
Sunday Update – June 11, 2017
I don’t remember much about this week because all I did was work and get children to and from their various social obligations!
Monday, the kids had a playdate after school, so I spent the time working, of course. Tuesday, my oldest daughter had her last tutoring session of the year. I went grocery shopping and worked.
Wednesday was the Girl Scout pool party during which I tried to work, but Amazon went tits up on Wednesday and the site I use to help identify grammar errors in my books also went down, so I socialized instead. I was so sore, though, from all the walking I’d been doing (I walk and work at my treadmill desk) that I had to come home that night and soak in an Epsom Salt bath. I felt much better afterward.
Thursday, I worked and took the kids to the dentist. Friday, I worked (are you noticing a pattern here?) and then took one kid to another pool party and the other kid to gymnastics.
Saturday and Sunday were spent at the pool! Yay for pool season! Guess what I did there? I worked, of course. Lol. But at least I was outside and I did socialize some.
The good news is that all the working paid off, and I finished the major copy edit of CRASH LAND ON KURAI. Now, I’m running it through Grammarly and listening to it. I should be done by Tuesday evening if all goes well. Then I plan to send out ARCs by the end of the week! And it’ll be off to my proofreader then too.
This is also the last week of school coming up! I can’t believe how quickly the year is flying by! Then the week after next, we’re off for vacation which is the main reason I’ve been pushing so hard to get this thing done. I’m right on track!
What else happened this week?
I tried this lovely apple green tea that came in last month’s Bokksu. It was really tasty. Very strong apple scent and flavor. I loved it!
This week has required quite a few alcoholic beverages.
My breakfast has changed and I’m enjoying cereal now. This is a mix of regular and honey nut cheerios. Mmmm.
The ugly tree next door came down this week. Yay! I never liked it.
And I enjoyed a new salad yesterday and today. My buddy, Amy, suggested this. It’s arugula, apple, sunflower seeds, and shaved parmesan, with lemon and olive dressing. Really delicious!
And that’s it for the week! On Friday, we’re having a cover reveal for CRASH LAND ON KURAI and I’ll send out a newsletter as well. Have a great week, everyone!
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