Sunday Update - 2026 Week 29?

 I think it's Week 29, but I'm too lazy to check.  Anyway...

I wrote 8379 words this week.  That's writing 6 out of 7 days.  Woot.  I skipped Wednesday because I was frickin' tired.  I was frickin' tired Friday night, too, but I made myself sit down here and at least try, and I got 875 words down, so yay.  Old Magic is now up to 15666 words.  :muppetflail:  Last night, my brain decided to shift the title to a series title and try thinking up other titles.  I amused myself by remembering an old Bugs Bunny cartoon where he mixes magic words up... ABRACA-POCUS!  HOCUS-CADABRA!  So maybe I'll use one of those.  Teehee.

Marketing... Meh.  I did it, but it didn't result in too much movement.  Only 17 copies of WIOH went out the door, which sucks.  WIOH usually moves more copies than that.  :shrug:  This month, sales started out really well and went downhill fast.  I don't think I'm going to market anything this week.  I'll focus on writing instead.  Let's see if I can't get over 10K words out this week.

In baking news, I made a loaf of Banana-Raisin Bread.  Yum!  I also did another batch of OCCC.  And I did a vat of pulled pork.  Life is good.

On the activity front, I wasn't really all that active - mostly watering the greenhouse garden - then I did some cleaning yesterday and I moved some furniture.  I haven't weighed myself.

On the subject of moving furniture, basically, I rearrange the dining area.  I like what I did, except for the artwork.  When I moved the table, the big painting over it didn't look right anymore, so I put a couple smaller pieces up there, but it still looked wrong. Today, I might rearrange the living room.  We'll see.  

As for the greenhouse, it's still doing okay.  I'm watering every other day to keep everything happy.  The heat means I'm not currently getting produce, but the plants themselves are green, so that's a win.  We'll see what happens when the weather starts to cool again.  Last year, I got my best output from the tomatoes after it shifted toward fall.  Fingers crossed.  Oh, and I moved my last few redbud trees back out onto the deck.  They didn't enjoy being in the garage - mostly because I kept forgetting to water them.  They seem happier outside again, the rat is leaving them alone, and they're growing new leaves.  Yay.

The fawns are getting bigger.  Lumpy still has her adopted kid, which is still weird.  But it seems to continue to thrive, so :shrug:  Our little foxes are still coming around.  They're so funny.  We'll look out the window and one of them will just be sitting there in the yard, staring at nothing or scratching, and then it'll wander off.  It's so cool that they're comfortable here.

This morning, I clipped Sawyer's claws.  He was being a turd and trying to push me out of my chair.  Well, I usually let him do that, so I can't complain, but this morning I didn't want to give up my chair.  I grabbed him up and went to put him on the floor when something startled him.  He ended up perforating one of my boobs and an arm.  I swore a great deal and bled a little.  After I applied anti-bacterial cream, I wrangled him up and clipped those stilettos of his.  Later, I'll do Finn.  Ah, the joys of cat ownership.

Okay, I think that's all I've got on my hit parade.  How's things in your world?

Thursday This n That

 I've woken up after six every morning since I started writing again - even after the nights I don't write.  This isn't doing my marketing any good, but... :shrug:  I'd like to say it means I'm sleeping better, but it doesn't.  For instance, I didn't write last night.  9 o'clock hit and I was TIRED, so I went to bed with Hubs.  And I laid there, and I rolled around like a gas-station hot dog, and I got up several times to 1) take an Aleve, 2) use the bathroom, 3) get an antacid.  The last time was like 12:30 - then I slept 'til 6.  Anyway, by the time I'm alert enough to do anything, it's almost time to call Mom.  I could call her later or skip it, but then she'd worry.  She says she doesn't worry, but when I call later than usual, she always picks up and is all like 'what happened?', and then I feel guilty, so I don't call late.

Hel-LO, rambling paragraph.  

Sawyer's bugging me for treats.  He gets treats at 7, but he starts pestering around 6:15.

Coffee is awesome.

I have a pile of sticky notes for my WIP.  When I write whatever it is they're reminding me about, I toss them, but I've got notes for closer to the end that will sit here until I get there.  Underneath those are notes for Shroudlands #2.  I really should get organized, but I'm lazy.

My greenhouse has become a mosquito sanctuary.  I unzip the door and bzzzzzzz.  And those suckers are HUNGRY.  It takes me about ten minutes to water everything inside and in that time, I get at least a half-dozen bites.  I mean, at least they're not oak mites, but still.  They get inside through the slats in the deck and then I think they're too stupid to get out, so they wait and while they wait, they don't eat, which makes them ravenous by the time I walk in to water the plants.  I need to bug bomb the place, but I don't want to bug bomb plants that will eventually make food.

I'm constantly amazed at how stupid people are on the internet.  I shouldn't be, but I am.  Not that I'm not occasionally stupid, but I usually keep my stupidity to myself.  Or I treat Hubs with it.  I try not to broadcast it for the world to see.  Remember folks, just because you CAN say something doesn't mean you NEED TO.  Comments aren't always necessary.  Of course, if you're here and you'd like to make a comment, go for it.  If you accidentally say something stupid, I'll make sure it doesn't make it out to the world.  ;o)

Okay, I'd better get this cat a treat before he shreds my legs trying to get me to notice him.  Have a great day.  Peace out.

Marketing Monday - Wish in One Hand

 It's Monday, which means marketing, but I woke up late to find that one of the cats had puked all over the office floor.  Hubs cleaned it up some, but it needs my attention.  And it's almost time to call Mom.  Monday is being Monday, I guess.

Anyway, Wish in One Hand is free through Friday.  Go for it.  I'll stop back by later and put in a link and a graphic.  Right now, I gotta go.  

I'm back.  Here's today's copy and graphic:

Woke up late, posting later than I like to, but I didn't want to miss out on telling you that, starting today, WISH IN ONE HAND is free. Grab your copy now! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013RVEF0Y

Sunday Update - 2026 Week 28

 Well, it's morning.  I feel like someone beat me with a stick, and I didn't even really do anything yesterday.  =op

This was a banner week for writing.  I got an idea, I ran with it, wrote for 4 days straight and ended up with 7287 words I didn't have before and a brand new story.  I'm feeling pretty good about it.  Last night, I hit a wall physically and, instead of writing at 9pm, I went straight to bed.  I have been writing from like 9-10 or 11.  It's good work, but this gal is not used to staying up late. That first day, I also did two writing sessions during the day, which is weird for me, so I didn't do any other day sessions.  Night time is the right time... or the write time, I guess.  ;o)

Marketing this week didn't not go well.  Since I was staying up late every night, I wasn't getting up early and early marketing is the best kind.  Thus, I only moved 13 copies of Accidental Death.  :sad trombone:  Not sure what I'll do for marketing this week, if anything.  :shrug:

Let's forget about reading for the time being.

In baking news, I made another batch of OC³ (Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies) and one night I did stuffed chicken breast for dinner.  Yummers.  I'm thinking about teaching Hubs to make the cookies so I don't have to, but I'm a control freak in the kitchen, so probably not.

Not hugely active this week.  It's too hot for too much activity.  I did work in the greenhouse three days, but that's not really that active.  I also vacuumed the office, which involved moving furniture.  And I grocery shopped.  Weight: 179.0

In the garden, I've been trying to water at least every other day.  I repotted some stuff and moved some stuff around.  This isn't the right time of year for exciting gardening news.  It's too damn hot for anything spectacular to happen.  I've been watching a lot of gardening videos lately, and I have plans for a fall harvest, but that planting should be done at the end of July, so not yet.  I'm also thinking ahead to next year.  We'll see.  

The fawns are starting to come to the yard more often and they're getting more independent.  We know for sure we have four fawns, because we saw them all together.  Other than that, I think we might have at least a couple others.  If I were motivated, I'd take pictures of every fawn I see and compare spot patterns.  I am not motivated for that.

Other than that, not much going on.  The cats are well.  Hubs is well.  I'm well... well, other than being fat and achy.  :shrug:  This too shall pass.  Have a great day wherever you are.  Peace out.

Teensy-Weensy, Itty-Bitty Problem

 

Okay, so I'm typing along with wild abandon... or as wild an abandon as my ouchie hands will allow... and not really paying attention to the plot.  This morning, first cup of coffee in one hand and first cigarette in the other, when it occurs to me that I have now written stuff that ought to be so far ahead in the novel that I'm basically painting myself in a corner.

It's a problem, but an teensy-weensy, itty-bitty one.

I could go back, snip off all that and stick it in a file to use later.  I could just forge ahead and see what happens next.  

You know what I say about painting myself into a corner... build a window and climb out that.  Or a door.  Basically another means of egress.  Yah.

I haven't decided how I'm going to approach this yet.  I'll probably just say 'fuck it' and keep writing.  You know me.  I'm a linear writer, so I'll probably just forge ahead.  ONWARD!  When I left my intrepid heroine last night, she'd just gotten a shock and passed out at the end of a chapter.  I started the next chapter with her waking up, but I might change that a bit.  We'll see how it goes.

I'm doing a lot of brainstorming when I ought to be sleeping, but most of that seems to be sticking, so I remember it the next day.  I think I have a familiar for Lynette - a magpie.  She'll probably show up once Lynette (don't call her Lynnie, she hates that) gets home.  

Anyway, I'm still going.  Not as much progress last night, due to hand achies and junk, but I'm at 5630 words, so yay.

Thursday This n That

First off, I'm up to 4421 words. Not bad for two days work.  Secondly, my hands hurt.  I think the two might be connected.  ;o)

I never thought I'd reach a day where I was happy my hands hurt.

Yesterday, I went out to water the plants in the greenhouse and discovered the last time I went out to the greenhouse, I forgot to 'close' the door.  Usually, I unzip the floppy plastic door and, rather than mess with rolling it up and tying the roll, I flip the whole thing up over the top of the greenhouse.  Then when I'm done, I pull it back into place and zip it all up.  It was still all flipped up on top, and everything inside was super dry.  Drat.  I watered everything and now I'm crossing my fingers my tomatoes can recover, because the grape tomato and the Early Girl looked like crap. Derp.

I found a new place to get gardening videos.  The guy is calling himself The Millennial Gardener and he's pretty awesome.  Now that I finally figured out how to get YouTube on my Roku, it's super easy to watch videos like these.  I wonder how many other things I can learn.

We've been seeing Lumpy with a fawn.  Now, we were and still are sure she wasn't pregnant.  She doesn't have visible teats either.  So, we're wondering whether she kidnapped someone else's fawn or whether she's babysitting for Sissy.  I hope it's the latter because, like I said, she doesn't have milk and the fawn is young enough to still need a occasional boost from its mom.  One thing I know is that she will protect that fawn like nobody else could and being a grandma gives her something to do.  

I stayed up late writing last night.  Finn generously took it upon himself to make sure I didn't sleep too late.  Yay Finn. :grumble grumble grumble:

During my trip to Wallyworld, I accidentally bought decaf coffee.  I don't know about you, but for me, decaf is a crime against nature.  The bag is sitting on the counter, judging me.  Still, I'm thinking about keeping it.  Maybe I could drink coffee in the afternoons again.  Then again, why not drink regular?  I'm not sleeping well anyway.

Okay, time for me to get doing stuff.  Have a great day, wherever you are and whatever you're doing.  :waves: bu-bye.

Progress

Okay, so if you read yesterday's post, you saw that I got really excited about a new story idea.  I hit the ground running.  I did three writing sessions and wound up the day with 2780 new words.  

I'm loving this new character - Lynette - and the story is flowing out around her.  I decided first person POV was the best.  I don't know where her story is going - which actually works best for me - but I feel good about it.  

Heh, I'm walking around the house with the song Strange Magic stuck in my head.  I also caught a bit of the song Abracadabra for a while.  (I'd link to those, but I currently have marketing copy on my clipboard and I don't want to have to go copy that again.)  I'm taking this as a good sign.

Anyway, I stayed up late writing, woke up on time for a change at around 5:30, and I'm feeling pretty good about life in general.  If this is wrong, I don't want to be right.  LOL

"If the story feels good, baby baby let me hear you say... ah, ah, baby."

Yes, I do feel kind of manic.  Maybe I should change the name of the blog to The Manic Depressive Writer, but people who actually have that might get their undies in a wad about it.  And truly, it's all part of the spectacle of writing, isn't it?  I'll be depressed again later.  Trust me.

Speaking of depressing, I got an email from someone claiming to be an editor at Harper One (an imprint of Harper Collins), implying that they read and loved Accidental Death, and want to publish it.  It was a really positive email, gushing about the awesomeness of my book.  The depressing part is that it had to be AI and a spammer because editors at big publishing houses and their imprints don't reach out to authors.  :shrug:  At this point, I'm not sure if I'd want a big publishing house to publish any of my work anyway.  Liberal bastards that they are, doncha know.  I can't imagine what they'd try to do to my books.  

Anyway... I'm in a good place right now.  The words are flowing like they haven't flowed in years and for the first time in a long time, I feel like a writer again.  :happy sigh:

I'm Going to Write, Goddamnit.

So, there I was, trying to sleep and failing like I always do, when a story idea popped into my head like a buccaneer leaping onto the deck of a Spanish galleon - sword drawn and ready to do battle.  I dragged my sorry ass out of bed, staggered into the office, and wrote the idea down.  That's usually enough to make my brain stop fixating on it, so I can attempt sleep again.  But no.  This idea wasn't going away.  

I have a title.  I have a general premise.  I have several scenes ready to unfold.  And yes, I still remember them this morning.  

I have no clue if this is an idea that's been done before (or done to death), but it seems fresh to me.  Then again, I haven't really been reading a lot lately.  A hundred similar books could be out there and I wouldn't know it.  Still, I'm going to give it a whirl - if only to make the story stop pestering me like a cat who's meal time is approaching.

The story?  I'm calling it OLD MAGIC.  It's about a gal of witch ancestry who doesn't come into her magic until menopause hits her.  And things happen.  There's a curse, of course, and a line of young deaths in the family, so her granddaughter is at risk.  (Stakes, people, we've got to have stakes.  It also explains how she didn't know she was a witch or anything about how magic works.)  Sure, it's a trope that's been done before.  I think that's why they call them tropes.

Anyway, the plan is to get started today - as soon as I can manage it.  Right now, I'm doing marketing for AD.  In a little while, I've got my daily call to Mom.  After that, I might be able to get a good hour in - if the cats cooperate.  Then while Hubs is out spraying the lawn, I have cleaning to do.  After that, I could probably sneak in another hour.  We'll see.  I don't care.  I'm going to write, goddamnit, and that's all that matters.

Shroudlands #2 is paused.  I'll get back to it eventually.  This - whatever it is and whatever it will become - can't wait.  Strike while the iron's hot and all that, doncha know.

The point is, I'm pretty excited about this, so don't harsh my buzz, eh?  If you already know about a hundred books along these lines, keep it to yourself.  It's my book.  It'll be new and fresh, so there.  =op

Marketing Monday - Accidental Death

Well, I guess I'm back at it again with regard to marketing.  I wish I was as back at it with regard to writing.  Anyway, this week's offering is Accidental Death.  It does have a second book, but this one stands alone.  (So does the next one, but you get more out of it if you read them in order.  If you like this one, read the next one.  If I ever get back to writing like I ought to, there could be more, but I'm not promising anything.)

Now, unfortunately, the title alone may get me shadow banned or actually banned or bitch-slapped by the big FB.  We'll see what happens.  Feel free to share it around.

Starting today, ACCIDENTAL DEATH is free.  (Always free with Kindle Unlimited.)  Pick up this hard-boiled mystery now!  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XM6VJ9U

Sunday Update - 2026 Week 27

First off, Happy Independence Day!  A day late, I know, but it's still a valid sentiment.

The past week was one of my toady weeks.  I didn't write.  I didn't market.  I didn't read.  

I baked.  Earlier in the week, I made banana muffins.  Yesterday afternoon, I made a batch of Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Yeah, it was 90 degrees out, but Hubs wanted cookies... frankly, so did I... so I made cookies.  They were yummy.  And I have AC so what's the problem?  I also did a batch of BBQ pulled pork yesterday.  Also yummy.  

It was an active week, despite my toadiness.  I did yardwork.  I watered everything in the greenhouse a couple times.  We moved furniture in preparation for window installation, and then moved it back.  We tag-team mowed the yard.  Busy busy.  Not weight loss, however, which is kind of a bummer.  I'm blaming the heat and calling it water-weight gain.  So there.  Weight: 180.6

The windows were installed.  They did the big picture window in the front on Tuesday afternoon.  It was a bitch to get out, due to an abundance of silicon caulk.  (The previous owner/builder was big on silicon caulk.  He slapped that shit everywhere.)  Thus, by the time they got around to the broken window in the sunroom, it was already 5.  They took the storm window with them to fix at the office and off they went with promises to return the next day.  I took them at their word, and sure enough, they were there bright and semi-early on Wednesday.  While they were installing the window, I made muffins so I could give them some when they left.  They were very happy.  And I'm very happy because we now have no broken windows... well, except for that one in our bedroom, which I totally forgot about until after they were gone.  Oh well.  Next time.

The yard work was more of me de-weeding the front path.  It's about 75% done now, but now, it's too damn hot to want to finish it.  It'll get done.  Eventually.

Out in the greenhouse, things are going okay.  Despite the heat, the beefsteak is flowering.  Fingers crossed.  The other plants seem to be doing well.  The buckthorn is getting TALL.  I had to move it to the floor so it isn't hampered by the enclosure.  One of the peppers is also getting tall and was moved to the floor.  Fingers crossed I see some produce down the road.

I think that's about it.  It's hot.  I'm a toad.  Nothing new there.  Have a great day and an awesome week.  Peace out.

Thursday This n That

 I've been kinda absent this week.  My brain has been elsewhere, I guess.  Not surprising really.

I have new windows!  Funny story, though... When the gal called to tell me the installers were headed our way, I thought she was from the other company I'd called and was trying to set up an appointment to quote me new windows again.  So, I told her we already had made other arrangements.  Poor gal sounded totally confused.  As soon as I hung up the phone, a blinding flash of sanity told me what I had just done.  I called her back immediately, apologized profusely, and we laughed and laughed.  Hubs was staring at me like I'd slipped a gear, and I don't blame him.  He's really very patient with me and my crumpled brain.  Dude deserves an award.  Anyway, two guys came out and installed out new picture window.  Then they started on the broken window in the back (which was broken when we moved here), but by then it was 5 o'clock AND that window was going to be a PITA, so they said they'd come back the next day.  They came back the following morning - yesterday morning - and installed the new glass and the new storm window.  Awesome guys.  Awesome office gal.  Totally would recommend.  (Wouldn't recommend breaking windows... that's expensive shit there.)

While the guys were working on the back window, I made banana muffins.  They were ready by the time the guys left, so I sent them on their way with a half-dozen piping hot muffins.  They earned them.  Did I mention the windows were a PITA?  Yeah.

On a side note, I realized that I would rather spend a day with hard-working dudes like those two than a room full of intellectuals and academics.  Sure, I probably wouldn't discuss philosophy or metaphysics with the former, but if I want those kinds of conversations, I'll talk to Hubs.  And who knows? Maybe those guys were deeper than I assume.  You never know.  I would venture that people looking at me might think I'm pretty low on the intellectual scale.  (Actually, I'm just low on the 'give a damn' scale.)

I just saw someone posted pictures of quokkas.  Have you ever seen a quokka?  Too damn cute.  But I have heard that they throw their young at predators in order to escape themselves.  (Okay, I just read that they don't 'throw' their babies.  The moms relax their pouch muscle so the baby falls out on the ground, where it flails and cries until the predator eats it, thus allowing mom to escape.)  Cute, but not the best parents.

Speaking of animal parents, the deer are starting to bring their babies together in our yard.  Yesterday, we had four fawns hanging out and playing together.  Awesome.  Deer are not quokka.  They will stand and fight your ass if you so much as think about attacking their babies.  Those hooves are sharp.

And on that note, I'll let you get back to your regularly scheduled lives.  Have a great day, wherever you are.  Find something to laugh about today.  Every day should come with a little laughter.  Peace out.