Jen FitzGerald's Blog, page 11

Is It Time? Am I Ready?

 

To be the published author I play on TV?

Me at GRL October 2018.

There's an author event at a local library in April that I've been invited to and that I actually signed up to participate in. It's a full Saturday during regular library hours.

I've done previous iterations of the event--evening, the romance genre only--and my biggest takeaway is that you have to have physical books to sell. The people who attend seem to want to walk away with something in their hands.

Of course, is anyone going to want to walk away with an MM romance? That's the first question.

Am I ready to really be an ally and represent the genre? Will there be people there who enjoy the genre as much as I do? But what book do I choose to showcase my work and the genre? That's the second question.

I finally picked two books and I worked for more than a week to format the MS Word documents appropriately to upload to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing so that I could order physical copies of the two titles.The covers ended up being more of a challenge, but I finally beat them into submission as well.

I gotta say it was as challenging and, more importantly, as tedious as I remember. Part of me was like "Eehhh, maybe I don't want to do this thing."

But five months out from all the heavy thoughts I was having about quitting writing...well, I don't feel like that's a path I'm quite ready to go down. I want to keep writing for a little while longer. I definitely want to finish my hockey series, but after that, I'm not sure what I want to write.

It's not that I don't have a list of ideas--I do--but they're not eliciting any spark of excitement in me at the moment, so I'll just have to wait and see what my mindset is when I have to make that decision.

Another thing I've determined that needs to happen is a revamp of all six books of the first series. In addition to new covers, I need to transition them to the more traditional third person, past tense point of view. Right now, they're second person, present or something like that.

That project might also be a good way to dip my feet back into the writer mindset and habits.

Between the time I drafted this and today, the day of posting, I got the physical copies--LOOK!

The covers need a bit of tweaking, but the insides look great.

Hope you're well. Have a great weekend.

 

Nacogdoches ~ The Oldest Town in Texas

 

Nacogdoches is a charming little town. At least the part of it I saw, which was a very small part. Its citizenry might say otherwise, but I wouldn't mind another, longer visit.

Last week, while attending my friend's memorial, my writer peeps and I stayed in a VRBO on the town square. I geeked out at the architecture in my immediate vicinity and took a few pictures. Even found a bit of inspiration for the new home of one of my characters.

One of the books in the VRBO said (and a Google search confirmed) that Nacogdoches is the oldest town in Texas, founded in 1779 by Don Antonio Gil Y'Barbo. Its settlement roots begin with the Caddo Indians who lived there before the Spanish.

Also -- fun fact: Nacogdoches is the largest producer of blueberries in Texas. Mmm...

The view from our VRBO...

And some additional images...

This is the side view of the building above. Look at that balcony that runs along the second floor!

 

Below is one of the two buildings I found helpful in picturing what I wanted for one of my heroes in the current hockey work-in-progress. The first being the place we stayed with its open floor plan and all the exposed brick.

 

Look at the decorative elements on this one--not to mention the bank of windows.

 

This building (below) has some lovely exterior brick and it's being gutted / remodeled on the inside. I'm so curious as to what the owners are going to do with the space. I'd also love to know what its shape and size is. Leaves me to image how I might build it out as well. :0)

Hope you're well. See you Thursday!

 

Book Reading Report...

 

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

Do you remember that one of my goals for this year is to read six non-fiction books over the course of the year?

Yeah, well, I'm just about halfway there and we're almost 1/4 of the way through the year, and I already have three more books lined up. Somehow, I don't think I'm going to have a problem completing this goal.

This is what I've read so far... 

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

This book was mentioned by a dear friend who used this book when homeschooling her three kids. She and they all have their financial poop in a group, so I figured "Why not?" It certainly couldn't hurt.

And it certainly didn't.

I learned a couple of new principles and have endeavored to put them into practice...

First, I'm gonna share the Five Laws of Gold:

Put aside no less than 1/10 of your earnings.Put your money to work for you.Follow the teachings of wise rich people.Don't invest in things about which you know nothing.Maintain realistic expectations.

In addition to the those five laws, here are The Seven Cures to Fatten Your Purse:

Spend 90%, save 10%.Expenses grow to equal income, so budget down to 90% of your income.Make the gold multiply. (seek wisdom/learning before investing)Guard your treasure from loss. (again: seek wisdom/learning before investing)Make your dwelling a profitable investment. (own your own home)Insure a future income. (seek wisdom; accept opportunity; work your way up)Increase your ability to earn. (seek wisdom; accept opportunity; work your way up)

There are overlaps, as you can see, but I take that to mean those points are especially important.

* * * * *

The second book I read is...

Behind the Bench: Inside the Minds of Hockey's Greatest Coaches by Craig Custance

Obviously, this is not a personal improvement book like the rest of them... I received it for Mother's Day last year after having it on my Giftster list for several years.

It took me a while to get into it--there's nothing wrong with the book. I wasn't in the right headspace because of my mom-- But the author is someone I now sorta kinda know.

"Know" in the sense that Craig is one of my favorite pod casters and we do occasionally have exchanges via the comments sections of the podcast he co-hosts. We are also "friends" on Goodreads...for whatever that's worth. I think it's cool. Your mileage may vary. :0)

FYI, Craig--if you ever see this--your book was recommended by Greg Wyshinski. For those playing along at home, Greg is one of my other favorite pod casters. And is, in fact, my first pod caster...

* * * * *

I've just started the third non-fiction book...

Eats Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation! by Lynne Truss

I'm reading this to hone my skills as a copy editor / proofreader as I'm fixin' to hustle more business in order to reduce debt and increase savings / investments.

As you can probably glean--it's about punctuation. I may or may not bore you later with any surprising insights I find. However, it's turning out to be harder to get into than I expected. There's just been a few too many anecdotes up front.

* * * * *

And last but not, officially, least--a book I read at the tail end of last year and which I might have mentioned at some point this year:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

I meant to post the whole write up for this book, but other topics came along and it got pushed and got pushed, sooo... I've lumped it in here and created a page with that review, so you can go read about my thoughts on this book if you're so inclined.

Since I read this last year, it doesn't count for this year, but it's close enough that I at least wanted to mention it and share what I learned.

More book reports to come at some point. I do still have those Strengths books to get to!

Take care. Have a great week.

 

Rest In Peace, Dear Friend

 

This past Saturday, I attended the memorial for my dear sweet friend Michelle. We met at writers group way back in the early teens, I think, but quickly became friends outside of that.

She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease in 2015 or 2016 and it got progressively worse, of course. Her husband reached out to me a few weeks ago to let me know. It's funny because she'd been on my mind a lot in the three/four weeks prior to his email.

The world has lost and the heavens have gained an angel.

I miss you, friend. Till we meet again...

Michelle loved Harry Potter, so I stitched her a sampler of Harry Potter spells for her birthday in 2014.

Michelle and me at the RWA Conference in San Antonio in 2014, dressed for the awards show.

The Miss Maple authors in 2016... (The Miss Maple project fell through.)
Michelle is in the short one in the back in the blue striped shirt.

Miss Maple Author Photo Shoot, image two.

Susie, Chrissy, and Michelle (l to r) during one of our early Lake Conroe trips. (2017)

Our last visit with Michelle (in the green) in March of 2019.

 

Captain's Log ~ Supplemental

National Sons Day & National Marching Band Day

is tomorrow--March 4th!

Celebrate your son on Saturday if you have one! Give him a call, send a text or an email...maybe FaceTime or Zoom...

Look at us there-- Look how chubby I was-- Look how young Sonshine was--

Another reason I chose that picture is because Saturday the 4th is also Marching Band Day.

And if you've been around these here parts for any length of time, you know that Sonshine was in the marching band at his high school.

Without further ado, let's celebrate two birds with one stone, er, post!

Love you, Bubba!

And you, dear reader, have a good weekend...

 

Happy Birthday to the Brown-Eyed Girl!!

 

She was just here and we didn't take a new picture, but here are some others in honor of my first-born!

Here she is, in no particular order.

Happy birthday, sweetheart--

You've come a long way, baby girl!! I love you sooooo much.

Have a great weekend. Catch you Monday.

 

The Brown Eyed Girl Came for a Visit!

 

Yes, this is an old picture, because you know what...?

We forgot to take a new one!

Her visit the week before last was a bit overshadowed after the fact by having to put the dog to sleep the day after she left, but she came, we visited, we enjoyed each others' company, she went home. And she's doing so well. I couldn't be more pleased.

We worried she wouldn't make it as a huge snow system was working its way across Colorado early that week, but the severity lessened and the system shifted south just slightly and it all worked out.

She and I just hung out Thursday and Friday afternoon, chatting and watching movies. On Friday we went out for her birthday dinner and had presents. Her birthday isn't until the beginning of March, but she was here, so we celebrated.

Saturday and Sunday was just more hanging out and visiting, although she left Sunday, so that was a bit fraught since she got emails saying her flight was delayed even though the airport and airline website both said it was on time. 

She arrived home safe and sound, and all is well.

* * * * *

Now, let's fill out the rest of this post with a...

Miscellaneous Monday

...round of random tidbits. (it is Monday after all.)

* * * * *

In other news, our Dallas Stars are Central Division / Western Conference leaders. By the skin of their teeth. At some point I could swear I reported that my boys in Victory Green hadn't lost more than two games in a row...

Well, they went and lost five in a row with a demoralizing loss to the worst team in the league last week who posted a come from behind victory after being three goals down... The Stars did win in overtime this past Saturday, though they had to go to overtime to do it, but two points are two points.

If it weren't for the loser point in many of their recent losses (getting a point if making it to overtime even if you lose) and an excellent run at the beginning of the season, we'd probably be on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

** sigh **

* * * * *

Update on Me... 

A)

Finally got back to the ortho doc. It turns out I have bursitis and labral tears in/on both hips.  The doc gave me an easy at-home exercise to do, prescribed an additional round of drugs as well as actual physical therapy. Fun times, we'll see how that goes.

It turns out I also have a bit of scoliosis. X-rays taken at my first ortho visit show a slight curvature. It's minimal and the ortho doc didn't seem too worried.

But I'm worried about it, so I bought a back brace that should help, and, bonus, will help with posture. It's probably related somehow, so helping one one will help both.

I really don't want to head into my 60s, 70s, and 80s with more medical issues than necessary, so this is the year to start addressing whatever crops up in a timely fashion.

B)

I'm also, it turns out, ten pounds over my preferred weight. So, yesterday, I started on a keto-based detox regimen to a) kick start the weight-loss and b) purify my system a bit. 

I went back to a book I'd read (only?!!) two years ago that posits that hormones and stress play a larger role in weight gain/loss in woman of my age. So the detox should also help with that which will help with my emotions which should help with a lot of other things.

It's been a growing season in many areas of my life for the past year or so. Just trying to course correct a bit and keep moving forward.

C)

I finally updated the goals list on the right side-bar column to 2023's version!

* * * * *

I've solidified the plan for DD's and my mini-road trip and booked the hotel. Our funding is still a little short at the moment, but we have two weeks from yesterday...

* * * * *

Our vet's office, to which we've been going for all the years we've lived in this house has been undergoing some decor updates. New foyer paint job and furniture. The back area where the exam rooms are was being painted when I was last in there. I imagine the exam rooms, too, will all undergo a face lift.

I'm glad they're doing well enough to do that.

Not that you care at all about my vet's office. :0)

Have a great week. See you Thursday.

 

Over the Rainbow Bridge

 

We loved our girl the best we could, but love doesn't cure cancer, and this past Monday, we said good bye.

Rayna ~ 02/20/2023

She'd been in increasing pain, whining almost constantly, and not interested in her food unless we doctored it with tuna juice.

We had planned to wait until Saturday, but it didn't seem fair that after a week of being with at least one person 24/7, she'd spend her last week alone and miserable while I went back to work.

I'd taken Monday as a vacation day and DD was off for President's Day, so we took her in.

I know I shared a pic of young Rayna on Monday, but here are a few more from over the years....

Rest in pain-free peace, sweet girl...

 

National Love Your Pet Day

 

So Today is National Love Your Pet Day...a day to show your love and appreciation to the non-human family members. Not that true pet-lovers need a special for that, huh? I read something recently that said that sales at online pet retail sites is growing, so people are already splurging big time on the Fifis and Fidos in their lives.

But as this is a love your pet day post, let me share pics of my babies.

My dear sweet Rayna, you know. This is her when we first adopted her. So young, so dark-furred.

She's been a constant and loyal companion for a decade now, and the house is going to be strange place without her in it.

On the other hand, we've have two new fur babies in residence to fill the void a bit...

And it appears, much to my surprise, that I've never shared pictures of these two? I've searched through the archives of the blog images and can't find a single one.

Huh...

Anyway... Here's Rascal, the little dog... He's a sweetie and a charmer. He still barks a lot because that's what little dogs do, I've been told. But we thank him for warning us of dangers and that usually quiets him fairly quickly.

He's in for a surprise trip to the groomer later--he needs his claws, er, nails trimmed.

And last but not least, our gentleman cat in residence... Waldo.

Waldo is a sweet old man, with a bit of a feisty streak. He can also be a little clueless, sometimes too fearless for his own good. He's a tall lanky cat--stands taller than Rascal, which amuses me.

And we learned, with the Brown-Eyed Girl's visit, that he has a very healthy fear of strangers. He's very affable and friendly with the usual residents, but he went into hiding while the Brown Eyed Girl was up and around during the day.

But as DD said--the last time a stranger came into his house, he ended up with major upheaval to everything he'd ever known and ultimately thousands of miles away in a new state and a new house. Who knows what his situation was before Mom adopted him. He may have some PTSD, poor guy.

If you're a pet owner, today's just an excuse to splurge on your finned, scaled, feathered, or furry friends.

Have a great week.

 

What Would I Do With a Million Dollars?

 

Image courtesy of Amazon.com.

My office mate came back from a networking group meeting and said they'd been asked, as part of that week's discussion, what they'd do with a million dollars.

That's always an interesting question, isn't it?

The usual things come to mind, right? Tithing, taxes, paying down debt, investing, giving to charity. Maybe buying a car or buying property.

But what else would you do?

Well...

I fell in love with the French Quarter while traipsing around the neighborhood back in late February of 2020 right before we went on our cruise, which departed from the "port" of New Orleans. As DH and I walked up and down the narrow streets, I saw, sadly, so many houses up for sale.

Of course, the whole city had been hit hard by Hurricane Katrina (most especially) back in 2005 and then again in 2017 by Hurricane Harvey. It really broke my heart to see the city still bearing the ravages soooo many years later.

A kernel of an idea was born during that trip, and it's burbled in my mind ever since. It could definitely use the likes of a million dollars or two...

I'd love to buy some (three or six or nine) properties in the French Quarter. Fix them up. Hire some folks to look after them. And rent them out as Air BnB or VRBOs.

Here are a few I found with a quick look on Zillow:

Some of these hide amazing treasure inside. They look a little "meh" from the outside, but when you see the interior, they are spectacular. Sometimes they even have courtyards and pools(!) hiding within the confines of the property lines. Those hidden oasis intrigue the heck out of me and tickle me pink.

I've gone on a few retreats over the last few years, and, while not much can compare to the house on Lake Conroe, for many reasons, I have an idea about what would make a place desirable enough for someone to plonk down their hard-earned cash to stay there.

So. That's one thing I'd do if I had a million dollars.

What about you...?