Sunday Update - Week 4

Eh, I'm dropping the 2022 out of the subject.  If you don't know what year it is, check the date of the post.  

Anyway, here's the week that was...

In writing news, I took two days off after I finished the last edit pass last Saturday and then dove into the next pass.  I'm making good but slow progress, and I'm really liking the results.  I'm through pg 14 and that's the first chapter.  

A lot of my time this week was devoted to making a cover and finding a title.  I spent 8 days straight making the cover, but I got it done.  Then the title was giving me some trouble.  I thought I had one, but then I got a different idea.  Which then led to a different idea.  I'll talk about that and show you the cover tomorrow on Outside the Box.  Or maybe I'll show you the iterations and let you vote.  We'll see.

On the reading front... well... since I was doing the cover thing and I'm using my Kindle to edit, I didn't read much last week.  :shrug:  Sometimes that's how things go.

In baking news, I made pizza, zucchini bread, and granola bars.  I also made one brick of suet -because we were out and I didn't feel like going to the store.  Have to feed the little birdies, doncha know.

As for activity, I managed 5 out of 7 days.  Two days working in the woods and one day walking around in the woods.  I had one day where we actually took a real, bonafide walk - the first of the year.  And one day I finally vacuumed the office.  Weight: 183.4.  

The woods work this week was heavy-duty.  We're pulling logs out of the piles we've made over the past 8 years.  Some of those logs are under a boatload of smaller sticks and branches, so we have to dig down for them.  Lots of bending and lifting and throwing.  After which, we're dragging or carrying the bigger logs up the hill.  Nothing smaller than say 3-4 inches in diameter.  Hoo-wah, them suckers are heavy.  Of course, I had to go and get my feet all tangled and went down on my ass.  Since I usually only fall once a year, I figure get it out of the way early, eh?  Other than some scrapes, I'm fine.  I didn't even get any bruises.  Yay!

Eventually, there will be no more downed logs on our property.  Then we'll tackle the dead trees that are still standing.  After that?  I may pester the neighbor to let us take care of the downed trees on his property.  But that'll be way down the road.  Especially since we don't do any of this when the weather is warm.  

I think that's about it.  The rest of my life is just more of the usual.  Boring stuff.  How are things in your life?

Sunday Update - Week 2

Well, it was another week of 2021.  I saw something on the webz that went like this: 2021 = 2020 won.  Umm, yeah.  It sure feels that way.  But enough about that...

I'm over here still plugging along.  I wrote 8167 words last week, writing every day but yesterday.  I needed a day off.  All I have left to write on this book is the denouement.  Wrap everything up in a neat little bow.  Anyway, I took yesterday off partly because I wasn't sure how to proceed with the end.  Then, as I was trying to go to sleep last night, it hit me.  I got up and wrote the idea down.  Then shortly after I went back to bed, it hit me some more, so I got up again and wrote that idea down, too.  I can write the ending today.  Yay.

And I think I have a title finally:  Duke Noble: Consequences.  We'll see if I come up with something better before I'm ready to go to publication.

And I've been pondering cover art.  Actually, I can picture the cover in my head.  It all depends whether I can pull it off.  

Marketing?  Umm, no.  My brain is all into the creating right now.  

Last week wasn't bonza for reading.  I only finished one book.  Well, actually, it was a five book omnibus, of which I'd already read three.  So I read two of the others all the way through and the beginnings of two others to the point where I realized I'd already read them.  But yeah, technically, only one book.  Yesterday, I DNF'd four books.  Blerg.

I got in 5 days with active stuff last week.  But I didn't weigh myself at all.  It probably hasn't changed from my last record: 181.6.

In the activity was a bout of clearing the south plot.  And then it snowed, so no more progress on that.  I'm still not sure if I'll do a garden there, but the work will keep me busy.

On the baking front, I made applesauce bread yesterday.  I also planned on making cookies, too, but I ended up vacuuming and then the gumption ran out.

Not sure if I mentioned it before, but Pierre the skunk seems to have moved on.  The leaves we packed around the wood pile haven't been moved.  I'd move, too, if my whole house smelled like moth balls.  Sorry, Pierre, but your stink was becoming an issue.  May you be happier elsewhere.

Yesterday, Lear the buck stopped by for some noms.  He's antlerless now, but that broken ear will always tell us who he is.  He looks good and yay, he made it through all the hunting seasons.

That's it for me for the week.  How did things go in your world?

Sunday Update - Week 46

It's Sunday.  I have coffee. 

I did write a little this past week.  Not much and nothing to jump up & down about, but it's words.

I sent a book off to my editor.  She'll have it back to me on Dec 15th.  Working with that timeline and expected workload with this book, I'm setting a tentative release date as February 12th.  Could be sooner, but probably not.  Could be later, but I don't anticipate by much.

Meanwhile, I have Early Grave to edit and Sleeping Ugly to edit and this Dennis Haggarty Mystery to write.  There's my 2018 in a nutshell.

I spent some time trying to think of a title for DH3.  In keeping with the theme of the previous two books, I have the following ideas: Malice Aforethought, Self-Inflicted Wounds, Involuntary Manslaughter, Apparent Suicide, and Malicious Intent.  I know.  Meh.  Self-Inflicted Wounds gives me an awesome idea of where the story might go.  Malicious Intent sounds the best, I think.  It may be none of those.  As I'm doing my genealogy, I'm paying special attention to Death Records to see if any of them give me title ideas.  So far, no.  Bronchial pneumonia, nephritis, or 'run over by a wagon' just don't have the right rings to them.

This week I have a sale on Dying Embers and Fertile Ground - 99c or .99p each (I remembered to add in the UK this time).  They'll go on sale the 21st and be back to $2.99 on  Monday the 27th.  I also snagged some advertising, so we'll see how that goes.

I did some fishing, but it was unproductive.  Nice mental breaks, but no fish worth mentioning.

Did some reading, but only finished one book - The Boomerang Clue by Agatha Christie.  Fun book.  Right now, I'm in the middle of The Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks.  I read this years ago, but I don't remember much of it, so it's like reading a new book. 

This past week was filled with trying to tackle my to-do list, upon which are many many cleaning tasks.  And as I get one done, I find another I need to do, so it's like the perpetually growing to-do list.  But sooner or later, it will all get done. 

This year, Hubs is mulching the leaves instead of us raking them.  So at least there's not that on my list.  He's about half done.  I'd help, but I hate the lawn mower and the feeling is mutual. 

That's about it for me today.  What's up in your world?  Did any of you release a book this week?  :hint hint, nudge nudge: :cough:deb:cough:

Sunday Update - Week 5

Good morning!

So, last week, I finished the edit round with In Deep Wish.  I think I won that round.  It was a tough battle, though.  Took a lot of right hooks to the chin and a couple deep body blows.  And now I don't have to think about it for 3 weeks.  Well, except for writing the cover copy.  So far all I have is:  Jo does stuff.  ;o)

I settled on a series titles for the genie books: Once Upon a Djinn.  Not sure it's perfect, but it works and no one else is using it.  Besides, it's way better than the losing ideas.  So, I added that to listing of Wish in One Hand, and I took the initiative to add it to my cover art - rather than bother my artist. 

Works for me.

In other news, I raised the prices for Dying Embers, Wish in One Hand, and BloodFlow up to $2.99.  Still not an expensive way to spend your time.  I'll raise the price of Accidental Death after the 6th - because I committed to an advertiser to have it at .99 until then, so if you haven't read that one yet, now's the time to one-click that puppy. 

I started back to work on Fertile Ground yesterday.  Back at the end of last year, I read through it and made edit notes.  Now I'm inputting those.  Stuff like "If the office is new, where did Rick find out about the connected cases? Why is he working it? Solidify the reasoning." and "Where is the office in relation to Detroit and the airport? Between? Livonia?" and "Need to explain her need to transfer better. If reader hasn't read DE the Jace thing is weird and you need to make that the rationalization rather than the reason."  (Yes, I write these notes as if I'm talking to myself - you need to do this, why did you do that, what were you thinking.)

I also started reading through Up Wish Creek yesterday.  I love this book.  I already think I figured out the cover art idea - Jo in her library.  But we'll see if something else jumps out as a snazzier concept.

I got an idea for the beginning of the next genie book. And I got some ideas for the title concept of the next three books.  "Djinn on the Rocks", "Djinn and Tonic", "Straight up Djinn" or something like that.

I did something active 5 out of 7 days last week.  3 days of dance/exercise and 2 days of walk or rake.  Not bad, but I can do better.  Every day is the goal.

My reading kind of fell down.  I was focused on my own words, so I only finished one book - The Flight of the Phoenix.  Good book.  I love the original movie (never saw the remake) and the movie seemed to follow the book pretty well from what I remember.

What did your Week 5 look like?

Die Little Darling

If you've been around this gig for a while, you've heard the phrase 'kill your darlings'.  Personally, I don't like the concept, but I think in this case, I'll allow it. 

I love the title Djinnocide.  To me, it's perfect.  It says what I need it to say about the book - something is killing djinn (basically genocide for genies*).  But it's not obvious about it.  It's witty, but not overly so - like the idea I chucked early on to call this Djinn and Tonic (doesn't fit the story or I would've used it because I'm just that demented).

But I think I have to kill it**. 

It's hard to wrap your brain around if you're not familiar with djinn it's hard to pronounce (djinn = 'gin', btw).  Plus, it's not a real word, which makes wrapping the brain around it harder.  It's an amalgam of two words and will most likely confuse the hell out of people.  (Or already does as the case may be.)

So, I've put up another poll over there.  Go pick the alternate title you like best, if you would. 

*Hey!  Genocide for Genies?  Could that be the title?  I've been staring at this too long when everything looks like a title.

** And with it, kill a page full of titles for subsequent books in this series - Djinnesis, Djinntuition, Djinnuine...  Yeah, I have a few dozen of them.  :headdesk:

PS. I tossed The Third Wish as a title because it didn't fit and I decided I didn't like it.  Sorry for them what voted for it.

Quickie Poll

Hey all.

I just want to run something by you real quick.  Since I've had some comments that the title Djinnocide needs to be changed (one comment from an actual agent), I was wondering what the general concensus is out there.

So, over on the left there you'll see a couple poll questions so you can answer anonymously.  And if you're worried about hurting my feelings - don't.  It's a title.  I think it's catchy, but I'm not married to it.

Anyway, if you could, go over there and answer the poll questions.  I'd be super grateful.  And if you feel like elaborating, you can do that here in the comments. 

Thanks bunches.

-B.E.