Big Dreams Blogfest

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by Misha Gericke and myself.

When we started this blogfest, my goal was to write a million words and make a million dollars. After my unproductive 2014, I've decided to focus on smaller stepping stones this year. However, I'm finding even that difficult. Mostly because I've started a new day job and most days I'm working like 12 hours and putting additional hours on the weekend. The good news is I work with books, writing and language a lot during the day job. The bad news is after an 11-12 hour day, I'm exhausted and don't feel like writing. In the morning before work, I'm exhausted and don't feel like writing.

I've been working on a children's story for a month now. And it's not done. I have learned that if I can start writing in 20 minute sprints, I might get somewhere again. I can write about 400 words in 20 minutes, so pulling even one or two 20 minute sprints a day would make a contribution to my day count. There was a time when 400 words a day seemed like someone who didn't take writing serious to me, and now I just hope to hit that. But I only managed to get 20 minute sprints in a few times.

So that's me. How are your goals coming along?

Monday Mishmash

1. HELP!!!! - If you happen to be a Mommy writer who also works full time, please give me advice about how you do it. Lately, it's like I either decide to be a parent or a writer, but I can't be both. Since I can't abandon my child, my writing loses out every single time. Advice. Please.
2. Children's Story- Yes, I'm still working on the children's story I mentioned the last time I posted. I didn't blog last week because I had a massive asthma attack a week ago today. I was out of school due to the asthma attack, and the sub my kids had got them way behind. So it was crazy catch up.
3. Writing Class- The Ohio chapter of RWA has asked me to teach a class this summer, so I will be teaching the blurb writing workshop again in July. Right now, it's the only one I'm planning for the year since teaching young people is taking so much of my time right now.
4. Gross- I seriously look gross. I cannot remember when I last had time for a hair cut. I'm off work today and trying to decide if I should write or get my hair cut and my brows waxed. I should write. I worked six hours Saturday to be able to write today.

That's what I have going on this week. What's up with you?

Monday Mishmash

1. Goals- So one of my goals was to blog five days a week and stay better connected this year. yeah. So far, that's not happening.
2. Children's story- I'm up at 4:00 am to finish my children's story. But I just remembered it's my week on the group blog, so that might not happen either. I need to get this story done, so I can plan what I'm working on for the rest of the year. Blah.
3. Health- Because I don't have enough to do, I've decided to joing weight watchers and a gym this week. (I've been woring about 11 hours/day).

That's my week? What's up with you?

Big Dreams Blogfest

The Big Dreams Blogfest is hosted by myself and Misha Gericke, which makes it ridiculous for me to be posting this late in the day. So sorry guys! My dag job has been INSANE.
So my big goals are to write a million words and make a million dollars. But I've started breaking that down into chunks to make it easier to accomplish. My goal for January was to write a children's story. I'm only 1000 words in, butI'm hoping to get up early in the morning and knock out the rest of my short. I'll update this post with February's goal, once that happens.

What's your goal for this month? How close are you?

Monday MIshmash

1. House- We haven't moved everything out of the apartment yet, but we moved into our house this weekend. I love it! The last time we bought a house, as soon as we moved in we found twenty things we hated about it. This time the opposite happened.
2. Goals- I've added a new goal to my list for 2015. I want to win a writing contest. 
3. Hope- Which brings me to number 3. To enter into contests, I need a paperback of Finding Hope. My current cover doesn't work for that, so Hope is getting a facelift. Since we are getting a new cover, I'm going to relaunch it.
4. Writing Class- If Savvy Authors ever lets me login, I'm registering for a writing class today. Hoepfully, this will help me get my career back on track.

That's me for this week. What's up with you?

Romance Roundup

Here's what I'm looking forward to this week.

Okay. So I love this cover and the blurb (below) but based on the other recommendations with this book--I hope this is PG-13.
"Buh boom, buh boom.
My heart thrusts with a force that takes me by surprise. Telling me something I don’t understand. A splitting pain, a longing to slip back under. They tell me I was in a hit-and-run, but I can’t remember what happened that night. All I know is that I woke up with pictures in my pocket, a card from one of those photo booths in the mall. And I’m in the pictures. Cody Rush. Me and…
Julianna.
Her brother was there that night, and my dad, the FBI agent, was the one who put her mom behind bars. What’s the connection? And why won’t Julianna talk to me now? Somehow, she holds the key to it all, and getting close–real close—to her for the answers I need will be no hardship at all…"

Another beautiful cover & blurb. I love brooding boys, especially if they sparkle!

All Hannah wanted was a summer break from being “perfect Hannah Cohen” and a chance to forget about the devastating family secret that could ruin her seemingly perfect life. So when she takes off for her eccentric aunt’s house in the mountains of North Carolina and everyone makes one big (wrong) assumption about her past, Hannah figures that it’s easier to live a lie than have to face the truth.
She never expected to make any real friends, like the hilarious and spontaneous Kate and Ashton, who drag her to late night bonfires and ice cream marathons. And she especially never counted on meeting Jude Westmore, the brooding bad boy next door with gray eyes and permanent oil smudges on his fingers, or that he would ever take an interest in her.

Between moonlit movie nights in the bed of Jude’s truck and nearly romantic Ferris Wheel rides, Hannah’s old life seems father away then ever, but can she keep her secret, or is the truth worth the risk of losing everything, including Jude?

Monday Mishmash

Monday Mishmash was created by Kelly Hashway.

1. Goals- Yeah. It turns out the week you both start a new job and start packing to move is not the week to go off sugar and write a children's story. There is always next week, I guess? And while we're talking about goals, I learned my university doesn't have summer classes which is going to make getting those classes knocked out much more difficult.
2. Easy Reader- I want to write an easy reader, but my agent is no longer represent them. Does anyone know of a magazine or anthology I could submit to?
3. House- I just bought a house Friday. We are moving in this weekend. It seems like things have completely turned around from last spring.

That's me this week. What's up with you?