Quarterly check in: April showers, fur babies & serial killer?

As I sit at my desk contemplating what I might want to blog about today, I’m hearing the constant downpour on the rooftop just outside my office window. The forecast for today indicates 100% chance of rain, but I really don’t need a weather app to tell me that.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest means this much rain doesn’t faze me all that much. In fact, I find it kind of soothing. Of course, what I really mean is that I find it soothing when I can remain indoors, warm and dry. If I have to venture out and drive in it, I’m really not all that thrilled. And, to be honest, as much as I don’t mind the rain, I’ll admit I longingly look forward to warmer days when I can spend more time outside or when I can take part in a vacation to a warmer climate.

Until those warmer days or my next vacation, today is a day when I’m staying put so if Mother Nature wants to treat us to an excessive amount of rain, so be it.

Since rain does mean staying put on a Sunday afternoon, I’m taking time today to go through my writing tasks to get a sense of where I am with them, or how far behind I might be, in order to run through a quarterly review. I’m already aware of the fact that I’ve had good days and bad days when it came to staying on task the past few months, for various reasons, so the fact that I’m behind isn’t a surprise.

Koa & Kai - inseparable

Having a puppy and two kittens that constantly demand my attention is obviously one of the biggest reasons I’ve been distracted the past two months. 

From the kittens chewing or scratching up papers, to digging miniatures out of my dollhouse, to sitting on my desk right in front of my computer screen, and from Jozee needing regular potty breaks and chewing on shoes and walls and the kittens themselves, I’m up and out of my chair more times than I can count. If I had a dollar for every time I said the words, “no” or “stop that,” I’d be set for life! But then the kittens eventually settle down, Jozee does her best to behave, and I keep telling myself to just breathe…it’s temporary…it’s just temporary…eventually I’ll get back on a regular schedule. And at least I’m moving more regularly and keeping up a good step count. J

Jozee

January was a productive month, and I was able to complete the tasks necessary so that the fourth book in my series was finally published the first part of February. Just in time, too, since the beginning of February was primarily focused on Jozee. 

The rest of February and much of March were hit and miss when it came to making real headway on my projects, but between my young adult, another book in the series, and a short story, when I do find the time to work I have plenty to work on.

Between watching Jozee and the kittens to working on my books in between naps and play time (seriously!), here are just a few other notes with regard to my recent progress:

I shared in one of my last blog posts that I had started reading “The Artist’s Way” and that I was going to try to make use of the morning pages idea – that didn’t really pan out for me. I was too busy with Jozee first thing in the morning and by the time I was able to sit down to work on anything, I wanted to use my limited free time to work on my books. I’m probably going to try the idea again in another month or so.

I did, however, begin reading again “The Writer’s Workout” by Christina Katz. Right now this type of book is easier for me to stick with and the daily tips will continue to push me as I move forward and continue to adjust my new writing schedule around the daily distractions of fur babies and whatever else pops up.

I also shared in a past post about my attempt to start using a bullet journal – I’m finally getting the hang of it and I really enjoy it. It’s messy, compared to all the pretty examples I see others sharing, but it works for me and I love the freedom I have to make it my own so that it works for me.

I got our taxes done – have to celebrate that one! J

And, odd fact, I was running through and updating information on all the characters in my series – I found it interesting that I’ve killed off 12 characters so far. I’m a virtual serial killer. Not sure what to think about that!

Although I feel behind on some tasks, I’m still making progress as I’m able, and as long as I continue to do that, all will be well. Just like the little saying I have at the beginning of my bullet journal, “A little progress each day adds up to big results.”

Have a great day!

My desire to inspire has no shelf life

I’ve been sharing blog posts for over six years now…ever since I decided to shed my fears and share with family, friends and the online world that I had a secret desire to write and that I had completed my first novel.

Sharing that news was probably the bravest, and scariest thing I have ever done.

Why? 

Because I was sharing a part of myself that I had kept locked away from everyone for a fairly long time, even my closest family members. Because I wasn’t sure how others would react to my passion to write and become a published author. Because I wanted to share my excitement in what I had accomplished and while I wasn’t in search of validation, I couldn’t deny my apprehension and how I might react should anyone decide to stomp on my dreams.

When my news began to spread, the response from both family and friends was amazing and encouraging. I realize I shouldn’t have expected anything less, but when you open yourself up in a way that makes you vulnerable, it’s going to cause some anxiety. Unless you don’t give a crap what anyone thinks or have the biggest ego of all time, you’re going to hope others will be happy for you and will share your excitement for what you have accomplished.

But what might have happened if I hadn’t received such a positive response to my news?

I would like to think that I would have plugged away, because writing is my passion and because I thoroughly believed in my story and wanted to share it with others.

But there’s also the chance that I might have lost all confidence in my dream and deflated like a balloon, only to go back to writing for myself and never sharing anything again.

I shudder to think of that possibility.

Except it does happen…how many people have a dream they would like to explore, only to be shut down by their closest family members or friends? How many people fear sharing that part of themselves because of that possibility so that they never even try?

I’m sure the number is too high.

When I was working through my reflections for 2017 and my intentions for 2018, there was one area I kept coming back to: it was my desire to inspire. Not only the desire to inspire others, but to constantly inspire myself, as well. Writers have issues, such as being creatively blocked, dealing with procrastination and ignoring their own inner critic. I deal with those issues and work though them the best I can and I’ve learned a lot from other authors who have already been through this process for many years. Based on what I’ve learned, I don’t believe it ever changes, the issues writers face, but knowing what to expect and finding ways to work through the difficult times will keep me inspired and on track.

When I first began this blog, it was my intent to share my writing journey where ever it may lead and my hope was that others would follow because they wanted to see where the journey would take me. But over the course of the past few years, even as I’ve dealt with some of the most difficult times in my life, I discovered that I had another desire. That desire has merged from sharing my thoughts as I continuously inspire myself while I write through the highs and lows of life, to the hope that I inspire others who may be dealing with their own issues while working on making their dreams a reality.

My desire to inspire will be a continued effort for as long as I carry on with writing and sharing my passion. So…

Cultivate your dreams.

Rediscover what boosts your motivation.

Find what energies your inspiration.

Be confident in yourself.

Continue to pursue your passion and be happy.

And have a great week!

Out like a lion, in like a lamb

We left February after getting quite a bit of snow and moved into March with some nice spring weather. Yesterday was no exception…it was beautiful, with temps in the high 60’s and today we apparently might hit 70 degrees. It makes me happy to have a laptop so that I can sit outside rather than having to choose between writing and enjoying a warm sunny day.

End of February

I don’t doubt that we’ll be back to normal Washington weather soon: rain, rain and more rain. It’s only March, after all, and we still have to get through “April showers bring May flowers.” It’s what makes the PNW so green and beautiful.

So we enjoy the weather when we’re treated to it, knowing that soon enough we’ll be stuck indoors again.

Even with easy access via my laptop, the past two weeks were not as focused on writing. I did complete some admin tasks with regard to updating information on various sites, narrowing down additional tasks and timelines for the projects I want to complete this year and I took part in a marketing webinar, which then added another project to my list that I want to begin when I can make time for it.

Beginning of March

Other than that, my writing focus slipped due to a number of personal tasks, each taking up space on my to-do list. However, the past two weeks were very productive when it came to finally checking off my list those tasks that have been hanging over my head for awhile. The benefit is that I will have more time to focus on my writing, which is a great thing because I feel very unsettled when I don’t get to spend regular time with my characters.

I’ll share one thing I was focused on the past two weeks…tidying up a few things with regard to my mother-in-law’s estate. It’s been long enough and I finally decided I just need to get it done. In addition, I’ve had boxes of photos and family documents to finish going through, and having those boxes sitting on the floor in my office has been, honestly, distracting. I have had a constant reminder of a task that I needed to complete, but usually I found I wasn’t emotionally prepared for. Going through a loved one’s personal items can be difficult if you aren’t ready.

But I’m glad I finally did, and that I was finally able to get through the material with more curiosity and less sadness.

Old school photo of my mother-in-law's

I found undeveloped film rolls and was pleased to discover photos of my in-laws that none of us had ever seen. I found old photos, birth certificates, death certificates, and school records from the 1950’s. I also found very old pages of family history typed up by a family member back in 1967 describing in great detail my father-in-law’s parent’s family history. I’m amazed any of these are in my hands, as they made it through a nasty flood we had in Chehalis back in 2007 (the original pages of the family history show proof of that fact), multiple moves throughout the years and even possibly a house fire the parents had many years ago. What’s even more amazing is that the family history dates back to the early 1800’s on his father’s side and the mid-1700’s on his mother’s side. It’s really a fantastic find and with the addition of little stories about some of the family members, the historic details about what some of the family members dealt with is really quite amazing.

As a reader and as an author, you can imagine how this type of find really peak my imagination!

So I begin this new week fresh and ready to get back to it as I imagine that maybe someday, many years from now, a distant relative will be reading details about me or my family’s history and what we made of ourselves.

Have a great week!

What happened to February? Let’s call it, fur baby February.

January was a pretty productive month, while February was a completely different matter.  Okay, wait, back up. Now that I look at my calendar, where I track my WIP, I feel more accomplished than I thought I was entitled to feel. I was able to publish Cross My Heart, both in paperback and as an eBook, I took part in an online summit for work-at-home entrepreneurs, I worked on some marketing material for an upcoming book event, took part in a writing workshop, and was able to work on my young adult novel and also another book in progress.

So, maybe February wasn’t as unproductive as I first believed.

The month has flown by, admittedly, not only because it’s a short month, but because I had much more to focus on than just writing…a very small thing requiring a lot of attention.

What would require so much attention?

Jozee at 7 weeks

A puppy.

Yes, a puppy. I’m not sure what the heck I was thinking, except that I have missed Piper terribly and her sister, Mandy, has been lonely these past six months, so we finally decided to get a puppy.

It’s been three weeks since we brought little Jozee home, and I don’t think Mandy has quite forgiven me yet for upsetting her days so drastically. She’s an old lady who isn’t too fond of this little feisty fur ball, but my hope is that soon they’ll be best friends. After all, she finally tolerates the kittens and has forgiven me for radically changing her world with the introduction of new cats. J

It has been a long time since I’ve had a puppy. Mandy and Piper were born not quite ten years ago, and at that time I had their mom and was raising the whole litter (ten puppies!). It was crazy, but I had my private investigator business and was working out of the home so was able to find the time needed to care for them. Still, a decade can dull the memory, and I had forgotten what having a puppy was like. It’s like having a baby again! 

What it looks like to feed 10 puppies

Eventually we’ll get past the puppy stage, I know this, so I’m “going with the flow,” realizing it’s temporary, and getting work done as I’m able in between keeping an eye on her and what she might be in to (right now she’s napping).  

In the meantime, the benefits of bringing Jozee home far outweigh any doggy deeds for which I am constantly on alert. She has brought laughter and joy to our household, and she and the kittens (who are just over six months old), are becoming great playmates. She’s constant, unless she’s napping, and she keeps me hopping (I’m getting more than my fair share of steps in each day) but she also provides a gift I remember receiving from Mandy and Piper and also our boys when they were little. It’s the gift of taking in the moment, enjoying the little things, cuddling just because, feeling pleasure and wonder in something you might otherwise overlook because you are experiencing the moment from their first-time perspective.

Those reasons alone make February productive in its own way.

Well, my time is up – Jozee is awake and I’m on puppy patrol.

Have a great week!

Break out the confetti! Volume 4 in the series is now out!

Yes, I’m excited, if you aren’t able to tell from the title – the 4^th book in the Jorja Matthews mystery series, Cross My Heart, is out and available on Amazon. It’s pretty early in the game and both the paperback and eBook may not yet be found on my Amazon author page, so I’ll provide the links for the paperback here and the eBook here.

The process last month and up to this point was more time consuming than I had expected, and I blame that on how long it took to receive my copies of the proofs in order to physically hold, review and note any issues with the paperback before allowing it to become available. The first proof copies took 10 days to get to me so that I could review it, then I provided copies to and waited for feedback from beta readers, made a few changes to the manuscript and decided not to take any chances so I ordered another proof copy to make sure those changes didn’t screw anything up with the formatting. I had to wait another 10 days before receiving that paperback copy. Seriously, I’ve become spoiled with Amazon, where I can order and receive almost any item in a matter of days. That makes it more difficult for me to remain patient when waiting on an item from another source, especially when it’s one of my own books!

Since the 4^th book took me much longer to write and publish than the other books, my review of it was different than when I reviewed the other three books in the series. Mainly, I felt more removed from the story and could relate more as a reader, rather than a writer reviewing their own work. Even so, I don’t believe I’ll ever tire of what it feels like to read my own writing – it is extremely surreal to review paragraphs and pages of material that I’ve written, especially when I surprise myself at what I come up with. I think I could have added more to this book, especially when it comes to Jorja and a few issues she’s going to be dealing with, and also about Fritz’s past, but that didn’t happen, and I didn’t want to force it just to make it happen. I will let it come out organically when it feels right to do so, because as a writer, that’s just how I roll. J

If you’ve been waiting for the 4^th book in the series, check it out and if you can remember, please leave a review on Amazon. It’s really one of the most important things you can do to help any author you enjoy reading!   

Happy Sunday and have a great week!

January - a great jump-start for 2018

We’re at the end of the first month of this New Year…and you can probably guess from my title that this month has been a good one for me.

First and most exciting is that the 4^th book in my series (Cross My Heart) is complete, as I mentioned in my last post, and it will be available very soon. I’m thrilled beyond words to finally have this book out – it has been a WIP for much too long. So far, the feedback on this story has been very positive and I can’t wait for others to finally read it.

Now that Book #4 can be checked off my list, I’ll work on getting myself out there to attend events to meet readers in person and to share my books with those who don’t yet know about me. And so far, with only a month in, I’m doing pretty well after scheduling two meet the author/book signings…one in March and another in June. It’s a bit of a wait but the upside is it gives me more time to prepare. Either way, it feels great to have two already scheduled.

Since there aren’t any writer’s conferences scheduled until later in the year, I will continue to find other ways to learn from like-minded individuals. For example, I’m currently participating in a week-long summit showcasing multiple speakers including writers, bloggers and business entrepreneurs who are sharing advice on multiple subjects, some of which include time management, marketing, branding and productivity. With a packed schedule on various subjects, I look forward to learning useful tips from others who are willing to share their experiences.

I received my copy of The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and I began the process of taking part in morning pages three days ago (stream-of-consciousness writing in longhand). I already know there’s an artist in me; so my purpose in trying out this process is to tap deeper into my creativity. It could be interesting to see what I discover and eventually I may share if or how this process helps me.

Completing a novel is one of the most liberating feelings for me as a writer – I really enjoy closing one project and beginning the next. Now I can freely focus on my next projects. And yes, I’m do mean multiple projects when I say that…while I don’t want to overextend myself, I have the time and ability to manage several projects so I will take advantage of that. Even so, the lists of books and other projects I want to complete only continues to expand, so I will use time management and goal setting skills to prioritize and stay on task.

So how am I doing that? While I mentioned using a bullet journal in my last post, that book will be used primarily for my personal life and tasks…with a few pages set aside for writer stuff when a thought hits me if I’m out and about and I need to make a note. Then that note will be transferred to my writing planner where I track all sorts of items: writing projects, ideas and task lists, weekly/monthly/yearly goals, social media ideas and to-do’s, marketing ideas and to-do’s, book events and conference information and anything else writing-related. I use a weekly calendar to track my schedule, daily word count, social media tasks, details relating to phone conferences or e-mails from book event coordinators and my weekly focus.  I also keep track on a larger scale with regard to items I need to complete on a monthly basis.

There is a lot of information to track, which is even more of a reason to stay organized. 

I was both excited and a bit anxious when I finally decided to make a big change this year with regard to my schedule and my desire to live a creative life. January has been a test month for me – but it did not disappoint and I’m thrilled to continue to move forward and especially to begin working on some other projects that have been put on the back burner for too long.

Month one is done – now on to the next. And I will be posting soon when the 4^th book in the series is available for online purchase. 

Have a great day!

Two weeks in & this writer is making headway!

Cutest beta reader, ever. :) 

These first two weeks in January have been telling for me as I moved into a new schedule and routine when it comes to my writing life. I have to say…I am so pleased with how it’s progressing so far!

First of all, the best news I can share is that I finally completed all the edits and the final tasks necessary to finally publish the fourth book in the series! I ordered some proof copies so I’m waiting for those…and then I’ll need to review it, while also have some beta readers give me feedback, and my hope is that any necessary changes can be made easily and the book will be ready and available by the end of this month. That’s the ideal plan anyway. Wish me luck!

Besides getting the fourth in the series completed, I have also been up to the following:

Writing stuff – after completing the final edits on the last novel, I researched more about style sheets and the em dash, both of which I’d honestly not been too familiar with until after receiving feedback from my editor. I also read articles with advice on must-have tools for writers, writing advice from established authors, and I decided to purchase another book on writing (The Artist’s Way) that keeps coming up as a recommendation in various articles I’ve read recently.

Author stuff – I spent time reviewing my stats for the past year and researching books comparable to my own, I researched a few indie authors who had success stories to share, and I reviewed tips about book promotion and author platform building. I also read up on some self-publishing tips for 2018 and what upcoming conferences I might be able to look forward to during the coming year.

Of course, it’s easy to get sidetracked when researching on the web but the most significant subjects of note that I found myself reading about was information with regard to 2017 death penalty cases and the recent horrible train derailment that occurred just north of where I live. This accident was completely awful, to the extreme, especially since deaths were a result and it apparently could have been prevented.

My bullet (or dot) journal: I’m finally getting the hang of it and while it will be a work in progress for a while still, I have been enjoying it and I especially appreciate the fact that all of my lists and notes about weekly tasks and everything in-between are all in one place, versus random pieces of paper in various places all over the house. It might also help that I no longer have a regular day planner handy to keep going back to since I did not give in the urge to buy a 2018 planner.

Organization – I spent time organizing my author marketing to-do’s, cleaned out my in-box and unsubscribed to a number of people/companies if they landed on the list of usual suspects when it came to those I usually deleted without reading, and spent time reading up on goal setting (I have a lot I want to accomplish this year) while mapping out my goals for the next 300+ days.

I’m happy to note that the past two weeks have been pretty productive, even given the fact that I have two new “housemates” – my son’s kittens who just can’t help themselves when it comes to being extremely cute and distracting while I’m trying to work. But I’ll forgive them for their demanding ways, because a kitten cuddle can result in only positive vibes when I am ready to get back to work. It’s a win-win, as far as I’m concerned.

I hope your New Year is in full-productive swing, as well. If not, we’re only just now two weeks in so there’s plenty of time to make up the lost time. 

Either way, enjoy the upcoming week!