Sunday Update - 2026 Week 33?

 I think it was week 33, but what do I know?  Anyway...

Last week was not the best week by any stretch of the imagination, but it also wasn't my worst week, so what the hell am I bitching about?

I only wrote 1629 words last week.  Again, better than nothing.  Things happened.  I fell down a blackhole of not feeling good about myself.  And, as you can see from the last sentence, I'm having word-finding difficulties, which makes writing not good.  Also, I got it in my head that a couple of characters need name changes, and I got stuck on that hamster wheel.  (It's still spinning like the hamster is mainlining Red Bull.)

Marketing was depressing.  I moved 12 copies of SSS.  I did wake up this morning to two overnight sales - DE and WIOH - but that only gets me 70c profit.  "I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm a wealthy miser!"  But seriously... Not sure what I'm going to do for the coming week.  Something.  Nothing?  :shrug:

I thought about reading this week, but right now, I'm afraid if I pick up a book to read, I'll be less likely to want to write.

As for activity, I watered the plants 3 times, exercised twice, and spent some time reorganizing the spare room.  Let's not talk about weight.  I'm fat.  It's affecting my joints which lessens my gumption to exercise, which makes me hurt more, which makes me... It's a vicious cycle.  The short invective is I NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT.  :mumbles:lazyfatfuckgetoffyourass

Speaking of being fat, baking happened.  I did a batch of OCC cookies, but being lazy, I turned them into bar cookies.  They turned out okay.  Then Friday, I made pizza.  Also last week, I did a vat of BBQ pulled pork that turned out pretty yummy.

In case you missed it, Lumpy died.  Hubs found her under the sunporch first thing in the morning, so we assume she died in her sleep overnight.  He moved her body into the woods using our firewood sled, so nature could run its course.  Nature is, of course, a bitch.  Trying to keep a more positive perspective, Lumpy's genes now run through the majority of this herd, which strengthens it and makes it better.  In this way, Lumpy will live forever.  Her daughter, Sissy, is now one of the leaders of the herd, and Sissy's twin, Sonny, is one of the leading bucks.  Sissy's son, Scout, is the new buck on the scene, and will be breeding next year along with his wingman, and probable cousin, Ranger.

In garden news, I had moved some plants out of the greenhouse and the garage to give them more sun and fresher air.  They were doing fine.  Then something started eating my redbud trees and digging in my carrots.  I put the trailcam out, and it was a fucking squirrel.  The redbuds are back in the garage.

The rest of the garden is okay.  It's been too hot for flowering or fruiting, but there's hope that once the temps drop, I'll start seeing peppers and tomatoes.  The heat killed my last potato, though.  And, like I implied, the carrots are pretty much toast.  Here's hoping next year will be better.

Okay, I think that's it.  Life is life, and all that rot.  Have a great day and an awesome week.  I'll try to be more betterer this week so you have something positive next Sunday.

Thursday This n That

I remembered!  And on the right day and everything!  Nothing's gonna stop me now.  (Crap.  I started this at 6am and now it's almost 11.  I guess I suffered from an excess of exuberance there.)

This morning, we heard what I think was a screech owl.  It was calling and calling and calling, and then it made this really weird downward trill and went silent.  Suddenly, it all made sense.  Fledgling was calling for its parents to feed it and when one of them arrived with food, it was really excited.  :shrug:  I could be right.  Anyway, against the early morning light, I think I saw one of them fly past.  

On another note, if you've ever heard a screech owl, you know why people thought there were such things as Banshees.  

Man, this heat is sucking the will right out of me.  I mean, yeah, we have AC, but we're still going out back to smoke, so there's that.  Okay, maybe it's all in my head and I'm just lazy.

The post office is pissing me off again.  This new guy they have on Mondays when my regular guy is off (he works Tues-Sat) is as bad as the last Monday guy.  Derp.  

Sawyer just tried to jump into my lap, missed slightly, and skewered my leg.  I love him, but dang, he's a spazz sometimes.

Like I said, I start this early and now it's late morning and I am bereft of things to add, so I'll just wander off.  Bye.

Marketing Monday - Song of Storm and Shroud

Another Monday, another week of a book for free.  It was asked in comments yesterday if I ever see residual sales from any of this. (Which I tried to answer in comments, but Blogger wouldn't let me comment on my own blog.  Turds.)  Short answer: Yes.  Longer answer: sometimes, but not always.  It's a crap shoot.  However, I see residual sales often enough to keep me doing this over and over and over, even though it's time consuming and sometimes a bit of a thankless (sales-less) job.  

So, here goes today's Marketing Monday...

Starting today, SONG OF STORM AND SHROUD is free.  (Always free with KU.)  Pick up your copy of this epic YA fantasy now!  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09W745M6P

Lumpy Watch 2026: She's no longer suffering.  Hubs found her this morning under the deck.  It looks like she died in her sleep sometime last night.  He'll transport her into the woods as soon as it's light enough for him to not trip over anything or run afoul of snakes.  Rest in peace, Lumpy.  You were a good deer and an excellent mama whose genes have spread and made one hell of a healthy herd.

Sunday Update - 2026 Week 33

 It's been a hot week with more hot expected.  I've basically been hiding in the house, absorbing the AC.

Writing this week went well.  I mean, of course, it could have gone better, but still, 6923 words ain't bad.  I meant to write last night, but the will got sucked out of me, so when 9 rolled around and Hubs asked if I was staying up, the answer was NO.  (I should've just stayed up because sleep was elusive anyway.  Derp.)  The book is now at 40001 words.  Let's see if I can hit 50K by this time next Sunday.  Good lord willin' and the wrists hold out.

Marketing was lame.  Too many days waking up later than I should've for optimal marketing postage.  I only moved 20 copies of UWC, but that's better than a sharp stick in the ass, so yay, I guess.  Tomorrow, Song of Storm and Shroud goes on the freebie train.  

This week, the baking bug hit me.  I made cinnamon rolls, double-chocolate oatmeal cookies, and chocolate banana bread.  The house was hot, but the treats were worth it.  Yesterday, I made a vat of pulled pork drowning in BBQ sauce.  Yum.  

On the activity front... Did I mention it was hot?  I did manage to get out and get the plants watered (less often than I should've but they're all still alive).  I also braved the heat and did the groceries on Friday.  Something new on the activity list is that I'm trying to run through my simple set of exercises - 5 reps each, no weights - at least every other day.  It's nothing major, but it's a start on the road back to not being an atrophied lump of muscle covered in a generous layer of fat.  Weight: 180.6

The greenhouse... the tomatoes are looking a little pitiful, but I have hopes for better news once the temps take their downward turn.  The peppers are happy, if unproductive.  I have two potato plants left that are trying to survive.  The carrots are pathetic but not out of the running yet.  The little trees I have left are mostly happy.  I think one of the redbuds is pooping out on me.  Live, damn you, live!

Lumpy Watch 2026: She holed up under the deck.  I keep expecting to find her dead, but yesterday, she was looking up at me through the slats while I watered my plants.  I really wish there was more I could do for her, but I don't want to run afoul of the government.  The best thing we can do for her now is to leave her alone and let her die in peace.  She is pretty old for a wild deer, but all the same, nature is a bitch.  

In other deer news, the five fawns all seem to be doing well.  The circle of life and all that.  Yesterday, three of them were sleeping in the yard while they waited for Hubs to bring food.  There were also two does sleeping and waiting.  I'm glad they think of our place as safe enough to catch some Zs.  

The cats are good, the Hubs is good, and I'm good.  What else can a gal ask for?  I mean other than rising book sales and calorie free chocolate that still tastes good. ;o)

Have a great week, everyone.  Hasta la bye-bye.

Friday This n That

And it's Friday again.  This week, I was so turned around on what day it was, I didn't even think to say my usual Thursday morning 'talk to you Saturday' to mom when we finished talking yesterday.  I think I was thinking that yesterday was Wednesday.  Derp.

I'm one big, apathetic, atrophied lump.  To that end, I'm trying to do some basic exercises every day or every other to work on building myself pack up to normal.  Which reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where George gets the summer off (The Summer of George) and decides to do nothing, but then he gets hurt and his muscles are so atrophied from doing nothing that it's way worse than it should be and there's a long road of physical therapy ahead of him.  

Yeah, I've watched every single episode of Seinfeld multiple times.  It wasn't my fault, I swear.  Pre-Hubs, I was with two different guys for years each that were addicted to Seinfeld.  I haven't watched any of it since before I got married 22 years ago, but they're all still up there in my head.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, be really careful of what you let into your head, because it'll never come out.  I wish I could go back in time and walk out of the TV room where all the girls sat and watched Sybil together.  Horrible movie that's in my head forever.  Even the car accident couldn't knock that out.  More's the pity, I guess.

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.  ;o)

This morning, I heard a weird noise.  Well, a series of weird noises on repeat.  My guess is that it was some kind of bugs bouncing on the aluminum flashing we tacked up to keep the squirrels out of the eaves.  And every once in a while, the bug or bugs would miss the flashing and hit the wood instead.  Plink, plink plink plink, plink plink, bonk.  Once the sun came up all the way, it stopped, but it was weirding me out.  Not sure what kind of bugs, because I could see them from inside and there was no way in hell I was going outside to look.  Bugs... :shudder:

I'm really better about bugs than I used to be.  I mean, living in the woods cures you quick of being bug-jumpy.  Now, it's 'oh, look a centipede' instead of 'EEK! a centipede!'  I still don't want them on me, though.

This week, my daughter turned 33.  I still maintain that I am not old enough to have a 33-year-old kid, but there it is.  

A few days ago, I posted something to Facebook about being fat.  It was just a statement, followed by some personal thoughts on being fat and steps I could take to not be fat, but I suddenly had people telling me what to eat and offering support.  I went and re-read what I wrote and nowhere in there was anything that could've been construed as asking for help or feeling bad about myself.  :shrug:  I guess I was just trying to make a statement that others might find useful, you know if they themselves are feeling bad about being fat.  Anyway, it turned into a kind of sociological experiment.  Can someone just make a statement anymore without people offering advice and opinions?  I don't know.

Ugh.  I have to go grocery shopping today, but it's going to be like 100F.  The plan is to get out of here as soon as the sun reached a height where it won't blind me while I drive east, but it'll still be in the 90s by the time I get home.  Wish me luck.

And on that note, I bid you adieu.  Have a great day wherever you are.  Stay cool, my friends.

Marketing Monday - Up Wish Creek

 This week, it's time for Up Wish Creek to go on the free block. 

Starting today, UP WISH CREEK is free. (Always free with KU.) Get your copy of this snarky paranormal mystery now! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LVU03BV

Sunday Update - 2026 Week 32

 It's Sunday again.  How does this keep happening?  Yeah, yeah, time... social constructs... the inevitable march toward death... Wait, what?  Never mind.  It's time again to wrap-up the week, so here goes:

Writing went pretty well, but not great.  I got 4271 words out during 4 writing sessions.  Old Magic is now at 33078 words and 101 pages.  That title is subject to change.  I thought Hex After 50 sounded awesome, but then I googled it and saw that someone else has a whole series with a similar series title, so nope.  Hex in the Ozarks?  :shrug:  I'm not even sure if I want it set in the Ozarks.  Eh, it's neither here nor there.  Right now, Old Magic works as a title/filename.  I hate not having a title of some sort - hence my irritation with DN3 that still has no working title*.

Marketing occurred.  UNEQUAL moved.  Only 15 copies, but better than nothing.  And someone is reading UEQ in KU, so I've got that going for me.  This coming week, Up Wish Creek will be free.  After that, Song of Storm and Shroud will be free.  Then my KDP 90 days resets and I can start all over again.

No baking for me this week.  Hubs made a batch of my chocolate chip cookies on his very own, which is good.  The man wants to learn to bake, I'm not going to harsh his groove.  Otherwise, it's been too damn hot to bake.

On the activity front, last Sunday, we washed the windows out on the sun porch.  Just the insides and the storms, but it took the two of us an hour to do that.  It looks so much better.  I convinced Hubs he didn't need to climb the ladder to do the outsides.  Maybe when the temps drop sometime this fall, we'll revisit the outsides.  I also did a little other cleaning and the groceries.  Otherwise, it was a lot of greenhouse stuff, every other day.  Weight: 180.4

The garden is doing well in the greenhouse.  The beefsteak tomato is taking over, and has been named Audrey II.  As I told someone recently, Audrey II is encroaching on the peppers, but the peppers are mounting a counter offensive.  I planted carrot seeds and they're starting to come up.  One of the seed potatoes I planted is coming up, too.  If all goes well, I might still have a good harvest, but fall instead of summer.  Yesterday, we ate the fingerling potatoes I harvested last week.  I sliced them thin-ish and sautéed them in butter with a little black pepper, and we ate them with pork chops.  Yummers.  Next spring, I plan on trying to grow strawberries in the greenhouse.  And maybe a blueberry bush.  We'll see.

In deer news, most of the deer are doing well.  The fawns are getting big and they all look healthy.  We saw Sonny this week.  Yay.  We were pretty sure he didn't live through the last deer season, but there he was in the yard, looking awesome.  On the other hand, his mom, Lumpy looks like shit.  I'm pretty sure she isn't long for the world.  Her foster baby isn't with her anymore - although that could mean it's back with its own mom or transferred to another foster mom.  Lumpy is mostly just laying around in various spots, and when she has to move, it's the deer version of shuffling down the nursing home hallway.  It's sad to watch, but there's nothing we can do for her.  We figure she's probably about 9 years old, which is pretty old for a wild deer.  Still, it's tough to watch.  

On a happier note, the twin little foxes are doing well.  I need to come up with a name for them - Frick and Frack maybe.  Rusty and Dusty?  :shrug:  I'll think of something.

Other than that, not much is going on around here.  Life, the universe, and nothing (to riff off Douglas Adams).  How are things in your world?

*Maybe that's why I can't seem to get excited about editing that sucker.  It doesn't feel like a real book if it doesn't have a title. Derp.