tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-340730172024-03-04T22:43:37.939-06:00Welcome -- although why the heck are you here?You could be doing other more interesting things than reading what I write, right?J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.comBlogger424125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-28894295841093986532012-03-26T16:13:00.001-05:002012-03-26T16:13:11.645-05:00Retiring this blogI decided to somewhat simplify my life, so I'm retiring this blog and moving my random updates to my other blog, "Writing In Between."<br />
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If you're following me, I hope you'll join me there:<br />
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<a href="http://writinginbetweenlife.blogspot.com/">http://writinginbetweenlife.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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Why, you ask? Just a way to simplify what I'm doing. I have a web site (actually, 4 of them, one for each genre and a main one). I have a mobile app. I have 3 blogs. I decided I don't need 3 blogs, so now I'll have 1 blog (maybe 2. I might keep my Zen blog going). And I figured out a way to simplify my updating of my sites. I think.<br />
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And I guess I thought it was time to move on to a new theme... so join me at WIB and let's see what the future holds.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-86070012092475546652012-03-23T12:56:00.000-05:002012-03-23T12:56:00.043-05:00Revisiting an old bookNot an old book, really. It's one I wrote last fall. I finished it and set it aside because I honestly didn't know if it was any good.<br />
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Well, I just re-read it. I think it's good. In fact, in a couple of spots I said, "Damn. That's really good." When I wrote it, I wasn't sure if I was wasting my time or not. But I read it over these last few days and have decided it's good to go--to my beta reader, for her evaluation.<br />
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Next up is <i>Gilt</i>. I edited it, it's been reviewed, now I have to re-read it, hopefully to catch any errors (grr. That boo-boo in <i>Mist </i>still bugs the crap out of me). Then I'll get a cover for it and hopefully upload it in a month or two<br />
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By then I hope to have a reply from the lawyer I hired to review my plans for <i>Twistered, Woulds, </i>and <i>Dogged </i>(the Classic Childhood Murder series). If I can use the series idea, fine. If not, I'll revisit and rewrite. Won't rewrite <i>Twistered. </i>It's too set in Oz. But the others, yeah, I can come up with something.<br />
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Then it's back to the future with my "The Dystopian American Dream" series. I have made HUGE strides in that and am almost done with the first volume (3 books).<br />
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I am on a roll. Watch out!J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-47379912484417570552012-03-16T07:31:00.001-05:002012-03-16T07:31:05.377-05:00The legal nonsense continuesAfter my run-in with a near-lawsuit (who knows -- it might turn into a lawsuit) regarding the sale of our house, I am gun shy. So I've hired a lawyer to look over the Oz book, on the off-chance I may be violating some copyright rule somewhere.<br />
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Stay tuned. Life may get interesting.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-17417535363649744462012-03-06T07:41:00.002-06:002012-03-06T07:41:18.261-06:00I'm on the road againCue the music.<br />
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I'm traveling to MN this week for business, so will be offline for a few days. Oh, I'll be online. I just won't be on-task to keep blogging.<br />
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I'm looking forward to this trip. A chance to visit friends, go into the office and get some face time with people, and just a nice little getaway. Haven't been out of town since early Feb., so I'm feeling antsy.<br />
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Here's hoping Father Weather will let me travel safely!J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-17109645842680463482012-02-29T09:11:00.000-06:002012-02-29T09:11:00.145-06:00Modest successI'm following a new regimen for writing, and so far I feel it's working. Here's what I do: I limit myself to email/blogs/Facebook, etc., for the first 15 minutes of an hour. After that, I write.<br />
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I also do a quick outline of what I'm going to focus on during my writing. Then I just sit down and do it. My output has increased and I'm finding the energy again to work on things for a long period of time.<br />
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Stay tuned. We'll see if I can make this a habit.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-57287225904199744032012-02-25T07:18:00.002-06:002012-02-25T07:18:48.594-06:00I've put the FUN back in fundamental<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmJJCfEq2UqrjNezavBqXUXBqFnNjF9qe8J0aC13XRf8Vh6lkQzTR90eoYbB54MxpoMap0N0Zu4xheitXCWyLrnEtwr4pLQ3n4UNLwWz8X6sZIprDnngSs1dnKJ9IwHvIyzzf/s1600/magnify.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmJJCfEq2UqrjNezavBqXUXBqFnNjF9qe8J0aC13XRf8Vh6lkQzTR90eoYbB54MxpoMap0N0Zu4xheitXCWyLrnEtwr4pLQ3n4UNLwWz8X6sZIprDnngSs1dnKJ9IwHvIyzzf/s1600/magnify.jpg" /></a></div>
Usually I put the "fun" in dysfunctional, but this is different for a change.<br />
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I'm revisiting how I write, my process, how to improve it, etc. I know, I know: I write books fast, I write them cleanly, etc., so what's to improve?<br />
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There's always room for improvement. Stay tuned here for the next few weeks. I'll update my progress. I kick off a new writing regimen on Monday and I'm looking forward to seeing how it all shakes out.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-41891839234841382152012-02-22T18:34:00.000-06:002012-02-22T18:34:02.183-06:00Never underestimate organizationI have discovered Wiki Spaces and I have not looked back.<br />
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Remember that multi-book, multi-family saga I've been chipping away at for years? Well, I finally found Wiki Spaces and OMG, I am not getting mega-organized. Instead of scraps of paper, notebooks, index cards, I now have linked files and outlines and ...<br />
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Can't stay to chat. Must go upload more info to My Cloud.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-28946844417601399212012-02-18T18:03:00.002-06:002012-02-18T18:03:19.867-06:00Ideas, ideas, ideasI attended an all-day gardening fair today: workshops, chatting with other gardeners, etc. I used to be an avid gardener, but physical limitations make it difficult any more, but today I saw a whole new twist to my physical issues: studying horticultural therapy and horticulture for the handicapped.<br />
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I'm going to use this summer's experiences in my new garden to explore some ideas I have. And I wonder if it's time to take another look at the Master Gardening program. I find I need a new challenge and that might be it.<br />
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Stay tuned.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-88048305191912513862012-02-15T15:14:00.004-06:002012-02-15T15:14:56.771-06:00I'm not fit company for man nor beastWhy?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA68GKnuUrSlScz6Jf5G8AGgbWGLOJDZuIAu6GUWEBDRU1AH2zNrg7kJ8-A4F9dxPYCWIWlNaqeSXIfpSzIzlqU4PzhkQRlH4Kk2yV_6Qz-wNxGIBWbyXqftuD9AGRcA6I2_uyw/s1600/angrycomputeryellow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisA68GKnuUrSlScz6Jf5G8AGgbWGLOJDZuIAu6GUWEBDRU1AH2zNrg7kJ8-A4F9dxPYCWIWlNaqeSXIfpSzIzlqU4PzhkQRlH4Kk2yV_6Qz-wNxGIBWbyXqftuD9AGRcA6I2_uyw/s1600/angrycomputeryellow.jpg" /></a>A Gigantic Annoyance is looming on my horizon. Did I tell you about our legal woes? How the person who bought our house in MN is now thinking about suing us? Even though there was a home inspection, she was in and out of the house multiple times, and even though we provided her with enough documentation on the house to choke a horse?<br />
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Yep. She appears to think we cleverly deceived her about the electrical, the insulation, the status of our trees (all diseased, apparently), etc. Of course, we lived there for almost 20 years and had no problems, but that doesn't count.<br />
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So until I can cool down and think rationally about it all, I probably will post very little. I may, however, share some plot ideas I have for how to kill someone who buys a house then has buyer's remorse ...J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-26337951697908565742012-02-08T07:54:00.003-06:002012-02-08T07:54:48.611-06:00Adventures in travelI'm now traveling out of a small airport, not a big hub like Minneapolis, and traveling small has its benefits. Example? My flight last Thursday was canceled due to weather and I was rebooked on the next flight, about 4 hours later. There are only about two dozen flights a day out of that airport, so when flights get canceled, it's chaos. But it's a very small airport, so it's controlled chaos.<br />
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Me? I went home, had a nap, ate lunch, then came back. It takes about 5 minutes to get through security and another 2 minutes to find my gate, one of 7 in the airport. Piece of cake. <br />
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Yeah, it's inconvenient that I don't have a lot of choices. But a lack of choices also simplifies life quite a bit. And you know -- I'm getting to that point in life where simplified choices is looking pretty darn good....<br />
<br />J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-47324708451288575142012-02-01T07:39:00.001-06:002012-02-01T07:39:36.844-06:00Can I leave my computer behind?I'm prepping to go to my first conference of the year (Love Is Murder) and I'm traveling light, just taking carry-on. It's a low-key conference and I don't need a lot of clothing, etc., and I mailed my books and promo items to myself at the hotel, so hopefully they'll be there and waiting for me.<br />
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I figured I wouldn't take a computer. I mean, heck, it's a 3 day conference and my roommate and travel buddy will have a laptop. Then I had that nagging little thought. "What if?" What if I get stuck at the airport with a delayed flight (in Chicago, not here. If I'm stuck here, I'll just come home. I'm 20 minutes from the airport. Piece of cake). What if I want to keep my momentum going on that story I'm writing?<br />
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Grr. Okay, maybe I'll take a computer. I have 3 to choose from. Well, actually I have 5 to choose from. I know, I'm an over-buyer when it comes to tech. I have 3 very small computers: a Vaio 8", a Toshiba 10" and an HP 12". Then there are my laptops (work, home) but those are too heavy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi8MH_r-wQNy3Xjx6LJT3gsXVXwDOVo5MLG5RgadfoJE-ljwwr8pAQ-krtmy_xrPx7fYPhJhvVUtvNB9KhhVfBUnoiHKr0RzLz-jqe6yaiKUMln59kJ1AWr2lFHTy-5cxE1L-/s1600/coffeecomputer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWi8MH_r-wQNy3Xjx6LJT3gsXVXwDOVo5MLG5RgadfoJE-ljwwr8pAQ-krtmy_xrPx7fYPhJhvVUtvNB9KhhVfBUnoiHKr0RzLz-jqe6yaiKUMln59kJ1AWr2lFHTy-5cxE1L-/s200/coffeecomputer.jpg" width="200" /></a>Okay, I'll give in. I got out the Vaio and I'm updating it now -- Open Office, Windows OS, etc., all needed an update since I haven't used it since -- hmm -- last summer? I'll put it in my shoulder bag and I'll have it and I'll lay you odds, I don't open it once on this trip.<br />
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But hey: better to be safe than sorry, right? Because someday that "what if" scenario will come true and I'll be damn glad I was prepared!J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-9381886550778542032012-01-29T12:16:00.000-06:002012-01-29T12:16:33.027-06:00Well, that resolution lasted about a minuteI really did mean to keep this blog up to date, but damn, I failed miserably.<br />
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Here's the deal: I work full-time. I write in my free time. I have a social life. You do the math. Publishing isn't my first love any more so I don't invest as much of myself in it.<br />
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What is my new love? Damned if I know. I haven't found it yet. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy writing, but I no longer am angsty about how it will be received, if people will love it, if I get good reviews, or hell, if I get a publisher. I'll just publish it myself if I feel like it. Or not. Maybe I'll just write because I want to.<br />
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So this blog will be updated, but hopefully I'll go back to my 2x weekly schedule. That's the best I can hope for, I think. And check my web blog for what's going on with books.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-34399921836951755792012-01-11T18:02:00.002-06:002012-01-11T18:02:59.616-06:00I missed a day because ...I was busy. Icky busy. Icky as in, I had a colonoscopy so I had all that lovely prep to do. Nothing like sitting in the bathroom for a few hours to help you get caught up on your reading, at least.<br />
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Everything went well -- I think. Some biopsies were taken and we'll have the results soon. I don't have any particular worries, but you know how it is -- a curve ball can come at you at any time. So I remain cautiously optimistic.<br />
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As I sat there, doing my business, I was reading Jane Eyre. I have toyed with the idea of writing a kinda Jane Eyre book. I hesitate to say too much about it unless I actually get working on it, but suffice it to say, I found Jane absorbing enough to my mind off my woes. Hats off to you, Ms. Bronte!<br />
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And I spent the afternoon after the Event resting and relaxing. I was so groggy I had to just be limp. I watched some TV then in the evening I indulged in pajamas and a movie: <i>Finding Neverland</i>. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I realized, as I watched it, that I was truly feeling better. I figured out a way to turn <i>Peter Pan </i>into a murder mystery.<br />
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Add another book to my To Be Written stack!<br />
<br />J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-22205737121737963282012-01-07T08:50:00.003-06:002012-01-07T08:50:56.155-06:00Craft versus crapI forgot what it was to Craft a book, not just write one. I'm taking my time, thinking about every word, examining the scene and making sure I have a goal there, making sure the scene is moving the book forward.<br />
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I don't do that when I write a mystery. I tend to get the story down quickly then I go back, fluff it up a bit, then I consider it done. Once Kathy has read it, I add more to it, tweaking it here and there. I don't Craft as I go.<br />
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But this Big Book has to be done that way, I think. Otherwise it's going to become superficial. And Lord knows, this won't be a superficial series if it works out the way I want it to.<br />
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Fingers crossed I can maintain this level of concentration. If I can, I think I'll have a story worth reading...<br />
<br />J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-22817787826700824262012-01-05T19:35:00.000-06:002012-01-05T19:36:14.885-06:00Good Lord, this is hardI'm working on my Big Book. Actually, it'll probably turn out to be 5 books or more.<br />
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I've been working on this for 5 years I think. I've started innumerable drafts, finished some, tossed some away, started from scratch 5 or 6 times. It's a Big Story -- spanning generations, etc. It's all-consuming when I work on it. These characters take root in my head and just live there for months at a time.<br />
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I love working on it but I despair of ever getting it Right. I feel like I'm doomed to always write a rough draft.<br />
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Maybe this time.<br />
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Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Keep writing. Keep writing.J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-3464010546808783852012-01-03T18:33:00.004-06:002012-01-03T18:34:17.818-06:00Deep breath... promoStarted on my New Year's Resolution: promotion. I made a foray back onto some loops to post blurbs about my books. I've decided to focus on 3 different books each month. Lord knows, I have enough of them -- 20 at last count.<br />
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So I'll post something daily about one or the other of the books. Today I did <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ylo9568" target="_blank"><i>If Not For You</i></a> and <a href="http://tinyurl.com/7af2s99" target="_blank">Mist</a>. An old book and a new book.<br />
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Will it make any difference?<br />
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Who knows!J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-27293948105779879852012-01-02T10:13:00.004-06:002012-01-02T10:13:58.863-06:00I liedYep. I'm going to keep this blog going. I'm using it as a record for 2012. I don't expect anything exciting to happen, but a blog is a simple way to keep a record of my doings.<br />
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So here we are, Jan. 2: what's happening? I'm trying to decide whether to get a new car. I wrestle with this question often. I buy a car, I love it, then after 2 or 3 years, I want a new car. My husband thinks I should lease because "I can't make up my mind." He just doesn't understand that sometimes a person just wants a change.<br />
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So I may go out and test drive some cars today. <br />
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On a writing note: I'm not sure what to work on. I think I should write something that I feel like doing, but right now I'm torn between my latest mystery (the Pooh book) or my sci fi series (Booker's book). So I may take a day off and think about it.<br />
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Or maybe I'll go to a movie and say to hell with it all for the day! I'm trying to let my spontaneous side out to play...J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-34188715425354732762011-12-03T07:17:00.001-06:002011-12-03T07:27:33.628-06:00It's the end of the blog as we know it ...I don't think I'll be keeping this blog going much longer. I tend to use my web site-blog (the slog) as my "update" place and because of that, there's not as much need for this one. And to be honest, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be writing. I've lost the heart. Seriously. I'm burned out. No, not burned out. I enjoyed being busy and writing and promoting and traveling and juggling all of that. But I've discovered something that has made me re-evaluate it all: It's just not worth it.<br />
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I'm not getting back in money what I put out in time. Normally that wouldn't bother me. I'd say, "well, next year I'll have a bigger payout. Next year I'll have more books out and people will find me and they'll love my books and ..."<br />
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It is next year and it ain't happening. I'm mostly to blame, I think. I don't promote as aggressively as I could. I don't write erotica, which is the hot (excuse the pun) seller. Of course, even there I know some authors are struggling. <br />
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Let me hasten to say I don't rely on this income in any way except to pay for itself. My writing pays for the promotion (mostly) that I do -- the trips, the ad space and the printed promo I hand out. But it just about barely pays for that.<br />
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But more than the money, it's the sense that there's nothing left for me to do in my writing. It's all more of the same, and I'm afraid that's coming through in the characters and plots and settings. I feel like I'm re-hashing. So I'm going to take a 2 year break (you heard it here first). I have 4 books ready to publish. That's 2 a year for the next 2 years. I'll promote the crap out of those and other back list books and see where that gets me.<br />
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In the meantime, I'll go back to that Big Sci Fi book I've been wanting to write for so long--that "end of the world" book that has haunted me for 10 years. I'm going to spend the next 2 years writing that series and exploring other possibilities for where I'll spend my energy. Will I learn a new language? Will I learn to do yoga or some other healthy lifestyle thing? What will capture my passion, my attention, my ambition the way my writing used to do?<br />
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That will bring me to the end of 2013. I always said I'd try publishing for 10 years. I said that in 2004. So 2014 will be the year I decide: do I keep at it or stop here? <br />
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Only time will tell ...J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-72313550918532671042011-09-29T20:23:00.004-05:002011-09-29T20:23:48.279-05:00Trust (revisited)I posted a lengthy blog about this at my slog (<a href="http://www.jayellwilson.com/">http://www.jayellwilson.com</a>). check it out. I had 3 events lately that taught me to trust again ... a cool benefit of a vacation, I think.<br />
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<br />J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-51925236400593579452011-09-24T19:53:00.001-05:002011-09-24T19:53:33.007-05:00Oh, sad meDid I say I'd set Sept. 1 as my "kick off date" for a new schedule?<br />
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Oops. I guess I forgot about that. Somehow Stuff got in the way: landscaping, some writing, a lot of Paycheck work, family visits, football season ...<br />
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Okay. I'll say it here. On October 1 I'll set my new schedule.<br />
<br />J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-461899273384028202011-08-29T17:11:00.000-05:002011-08-29T17:11:43.537-05:00Promotion, summer-styleI am once again thinking about promo. I took a month off while we moved but I'm going to gear up and get back in the swing of it next week. I set Sept. 1 as my "start off with new habits" goal, and I'm contemplating what my goal should be for promo.<br />
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It has to be fun, something I'll do, and something that won't annoy me. I really dislike strident "buy me" kinds of promotions, so I'll probably try to figure out something fun, like "Avoid my blog on Fridays, that's when I promote" or something like that. I have a hefty back list I can promote, and that's what I'm going to focus on this fall.<br />
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So here's my first blast: the History Patrol series. Buy it (kidding: check it out.) It's got reincarnation, romance, shape-shifters, telepathic animals and great villains (John Dillinger, Jessie James, a mad scientist). Seriously. It's fun and thought-provoking.<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=jlwi-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0050ZGLPI&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br />
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And I had a heckuva time writing them, so I hope you appreciate the effort! <br />
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But they were fun to write, too....<br />
<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=jlwi-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004QTORKU&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-55658233963987203702011-08-25T07:14:00.002-05:002011-08-25T07:14:00.127-05:00Road trip!I'm on the road again, this time going to Minnesota -- what an odd feeling, going FROM Iowa TO Minnesota. This is my first trip back since we moved, and it will be interesting. I'll be staying in a hotel, and it will be a very fast visit: in on Thursday, back on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Mixed feelings, for sure. I wanted to drop by our old house and gather seeds from one of the plants in my old garden. I brought those seeds with me from Pittsburgh when we moved, 20 years ago, and the plant should be seeding now. But the buyer of our house has sent a nasty-gram to her realtor, describing how we "deceived" her about the condition of the house.<br />
<br />
I don't want to get into details in a public forum. Suffice it to say, there was a house inspection done and we corrected any issues that were brought to our attention. The issues being raised are ones we were unaware of at the time of sale.This whole thing has been very hurtful for us, because we really bent over backward, trying to fix the house up and leave it in great shape for the buyer. We put together lists of info about the house (maintenance things, when we bought what, who to contact about what, how to manage the garden)... very detailed info. My husband spent hours (really, days) of time spackling and painting and cleaning and organizing and checking a million little details. We really felt we were turning over an excellent home -- only to be told ... well, I won't go into details.<br />
<br />
Our new home has not been without pitfalls. We've done some repairs we didn't plan on but these things weren't found during the inspection, so that's how it goes. We had an excellent inspector go through the house, but he can't find everything. We expected to spend a bit of cash, and yes, we're spending more than we planned. But it's an older home and that just comes with the territory.<br />
<br />
So I won't be able to go to the old neighborhood when I'm in Minn. To be honest, I don't want the chance of a confrontation. That's sad, because I have friends there I'd like to see. I'm hoping, in time the buyer will realize that this is all a part of home ownership. Maybe she's never owned a home before; maybe she got bad advice. Maybe she'll realize that it really is a great little home. Because it is, a nice home on a nice piece of land in a nice neighborhood.<br />
<br />
That's why this will be a very odd trip -- a mixture of pleasure and worry. I'm looking forward to being there and also looking forward to coming back here -- because now 'here' is home and, as you know, there's no place like home!<br />
<br />
J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-73281549305141549162011-08-06T08:47:00.000-05:002011-08-06T08:47:32.995-05:00Packing and Publishing<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal">I discovered a surprising correlation between moving and writing as I packed up our house of 19 years and prepared for another move. I've moved a lot in my life (28 times at last count), but this time I really focused on weeding out as I packed. As I did, I was also working on a new book and I found myself comparing the two processes: writing and packing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The key question I asked myself as I packed was: "do I want to unpack this when I get there? Is there a place for it?" I tried to imagine using that item in the new house. If I wasn't sure, I tossed it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Okay. Confession. I kept a few things that have memories and will probably stay in a box for a long time, but for the most part, I winnowed it all down to only those things I thought I'd use.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I found that I did the same thing in the book I was writing. I tossed out scenes that just weren't quite right. They were fine as they were, but I didn't think they would move the book where I wanted it to go. I kept in a couple that I'm not sure will stay, but for the most part, I'm editing as I go and I know when I get to the end, I'll have only those scenes that I'm sure will work.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I normally don't edit a lot as I go. I usually slap down a first draft then go back and fix it up. But I think the job of packing made me stop and think as I write, just as I stopped and thought as I packed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What has been interesting is to see are the consequences of my pack-and-toss method. We've been in the new house for two weeks and every box has at least been opened, if not unpacked. What was surprising?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We moved <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">way</i> too much stuff! Despite all of our efforts to weed out, it seemed like an unending stream of boxes came out of that moving van. And when I unpacked items into my new office, I found myself saying, "Why did I pack that? I could have tossed that and not missed it." I moved research books that I used for previous novels, I moved files and folders and ... stuff. I don't <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need</i> it. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wanted</i> to have it with me, though.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It made me realize that, a lot of the time, I'll write a scene in my current WIP because I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i> to write that scene. It may not be useful in that book, but I'm pretty sure I'll use it somewhere, sometime. So I'm not going to restrain myself anymore. I'll write the scene. And maybe when I get to the end and go back to "unpack"(edit) my book, I'll shake my head and say, "What the heck was I thinking?" Then I'll just move that scene to a new folder called "Orphan Scenes" and I'll keep for the next book, or the next one, or the next. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I'll find a place for it -- just like I've found a place for all the things I moved but probably 'shouldn't have.' I suspect at some point in the future, I'll be glad I kept it. And when I get to the next move, maybe by then I can let go of it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Or move it ... we'll see!</div>J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-52394071719081048202011-07-23T11:46:00.000-05:002011-07-23T11:46:44.683-05:00the move is done!We've survived our 250 mile move with 4 cats and a house full of Stuff. Now the fun part starts: unpacking and finding a place for it all!<br />
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I'll be back online full time in a few days once the Internet is hooked up. Until then ... go out and read one of my books, don't bother with this blog!<br />
<br />
Later...J Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04016624838926050085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34073017.post-57649063711023517402011-06-21T06:49:00.000-05:002011-06-21T06:49:59.918-05:00Random updates from the front linesTime for my once-and-again updating as life continues to toss events my way.<br />
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Packing is going very well. We're on target to move in less than a month (eek!) and so far, everything appears to be handled: movers booked, utilities figured out, closing times set. We'll make a trip over the Fourth to drop some 'precious' items at a friend's house (things we don't want the movers to move). Looks like we'll be camping out on air beds for at least 2 nights, and in a hotel one night (with 4 cats: oh, joy).<br />
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On the publishing front: 3 books out in the Deadly Landscaping series (see my Mystery blog for those), 2 books out in the History Patrol series (see my Paranormal/Time Travel blog for those), covers done for the next HP book and the next mystery book, edits done for yet another mystery book (to be released later this year), work in progress going well (albeit slowly because of all the packing).<br />
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All in all: I'm pleased with where I am at this point. Looking forward to starting a new working life as a telecommuter. I have my health issues mostly managed, and I'm looking forward to new adventures.<br />
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Don't know when I'll get chance to update again, but expect to hear from me before we move. Until then: buy a book or two, sit back, and have fun! I'll have more for you in the future....<br />
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