I keep catching little words but the meaning's thin

Don't mind me - just closing out the weekend with a brief roundup and update. First, because it's practically the law when you have a new book out (and I apologize for the shilling, I really do) ... here's the usual suspects - when it comes to where you can get Maplecroft and/or where you're welcome to leave reviews. Because I have a mortgage to pay, and kibble to buy - that's why.

Maplecroft at Amazon
Maplecroft on Kindle
Maplecroft at iTunes
Maplecroft at B&N (Nook and trade paperback)
Maplecroft at your local bookseller via IndieBound
Maplecroft at Goodreads

And here's recent progress on my modern gothic ghost story about a salvage crew trapped in a doomed southern mansion - now with a crunchy murder ballad center and Bonus! clandestine cemetery where the stones don't match the bodies (and were never meant to). As inspired by a (semi)true local legend:
Project: The Family Plot
Deadline: January 15, 2015
New words written: 1294
Present total word count: 12,408



Things accomplished in fiction: Showed the guys around the house; got the trucks unloaded; started exploring the grounds. May have hypothetically spotted ghost footprints, and learned that something unseen doesn't want them to leave. Maybe.

Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunts with dog; took Greyson to a neighborhood block party - where a little boy gave him the unwanted half of his hot dog, and a little girl donated half a plate of chicken tacos to the Feed Poor Starving Pooch fund; did some yardwork; took yesterday off to knock around town with the husband a little bit, because I deserved a day off, that's why.

Yardwork Other: Cleared out a bunch of underbrush/low growth on HollyHenge; cleared out a bunch of briars beneath same; weeded the roses a bit; husband dug out some unwanted bricks; would've done more but it looks like it might rain, and also, I'm exhausted.

Other Project's Sample Chapters: Progress continues apace! Another 1000+ words added this afternoon (so today's total is closer to 2500, actually), and I think if I can sit down and just...power through...I might get a draft of these two chapters ready to go in one more sitting. Not sure if I'll get the chance, though. See below.

Other in General: Tomorrow, in addition to The Family Plot and the Other Project Sample Chapters, I have to start cleaning up Chapelwood - for a solid Draft One is due back in NYC on the first of next month. I'm actually feeling pretty good about it; the draft is fairly strong, in my opinion, and there aren't any great gaping chunks that need rewrites. I hope. I ought to be able to get it done in a few days, no worries. Here's hoping!

Bonus! Other: I've got another project brewing in the back of my head. It hasn't gelled yet, but it's about halfway there. This is both good and bad. Good, because it's another arrow in my quiver, so to speak; bad, because I'm already quite busy over here. That's okay. It can be back-burner for now, and within another couple of weeks, I'll have two of these things (the sample chapters and Draft One of Chapelwood) off my plate. I'll tackle it then.

Number of fiction words so far this year: 163,485