Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  The first draft of Coming Home is done. Whew! I wrote it in 10 weeks. That's the fastest I've ever written a first draft. I will edit it this week. I used a new plotting method which not only helped me write the first draft faster, but also helped me write cleaner so I'm hoping there won't be a lot of revisions or rewriting to be done. 

 Motivational Quote: "I'm always trying to be better. Better, better, and better...in all ways and in everything that I'm doing in my life. And it's not about [being] perfect. It's about [being] better." ~ Evgenia Medvedeva

What I'm Reading:  I started The Body in the Backyard by Lucy Score yesterday afternoon. It's the 4th book in the Riley Thorn mystery series. This isn't a typical mystery or cozy mystery series. It's like a rom-com and a cozy mystery were mixed together resulting in a fun and engaging series. 

Random Thoughts:  I tried a new recipe for chocolate orange swirl bread. It came out well. I think when I make it again, I'll add a touch of orange extract for a bit more orange flavor. The recipe only calls for orange zest and 2 tablespoons of orange juice so you can taste some orange, but it's like a subtle hint. I'm baking banana bread this afternoon because I have two bananas that are a little too ripe to eat as is. 

Random Photo:

                                Here's a photo of the chocolate orange swirl bread

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I met my weekly goal and picked up the pages I was behind so it was a good writing week. I'm pretty sure I will finish the first draft by this coming Friday. I'm don't remember if I told you all the title of this book, last book in the Echo Company series. It will be Coming Home.

 Motivational Quote:  "...We must be ambitious, and we must have the will." ~ Kailash Satyarthi

What I'm Reading:  I'll be starting On Her Watch by Melinda Leigh tonight. This is the 8th book in the Bree Taggert series. It's shelved as romantic suspense at my local library, but I consider this series to be more suspense with a dash of romance than the usual romantic suspense type books.

Random Thoughts:  I made another ginger cookie recipe yesterday. It's a molasses ginger cookie. They're good, but I think my gingerbread chocolate chip cookie recipe is still better. I think maybe I need to stop looking for a different one especially since everyone in my family loves the gingerbread one. 

Random Photo:

                                              The molasses ginger cookies
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  While I did meet my weekly writing goal last week, I was only able to make up a few of the pages I was short the week before. I'm hoping to get those last pages caught up with this week's writing goal.

Motivational Quote: "I don't always stay energized or hopeful--that's the reality...But I do believe that the struggle is valuable." ~ Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg

What I'm Reading:  I started reading Hide and Seek by Mary Burton yesterday evening. This is the fourth book in the Criminal Profiler series.

Random Things: Can I say I can't believe it's November already? While I'm not ready to start decorating for Christmas, I am looking forward to making my holiday cards that I mail to friends and family and doing the baking for all of the cookie boxes we give out. I just need to finish the book I'm writing in the next couple of weeks so I can focus on all things holiday. My goal is to get my book turned in to my editor by the week of Thanksgiving.

Random Photo:

                              My sisters stopped by for a visit on Halloween. 😄
 

Monday Check In

 Last week...

Writing Related:  I did okay writing wise last week. I didn't hit my weekly goal of 12,500 new words but I did manage to write 7,750 new words so I'm about 19 pages short of where I should be at this time. This week should be quieter so I'm hoping to be able to make up most if not all of last week's shortfall along with this week's writing goal.

Motivational Quote: "So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit." ~ Edgar Guest

What I'm Reading: I'm about halfway through State of Affairs by Marie Force. This is the first book in the First Family series which is a spin off of the Fatal series. Both are a suspense or romantic suspense type series.

Random Things: It's been cold (highs in the 40's) for a few days then it warms up to the low to mid 70's then back to the 40's so I've been doing a lot of baking on the colder days. I've made cheese bread, tiger bread, shortbread cookies, and chocolate chocolate chip cookies. The problem with baking is that I've been eating all the things so no more baking until it's time to start the holiday baking. 

Random Photo:

These are the chocolate chocolate chip cookies. They taste like a cross between a cookie and a really fudgy brownie (which is my favorite kind of brownie).
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I hit the 200 page mark in the current book I'm working on. I settled on a title - Coming Home. This is the last book in the Echo Company series and is Jimmy and Callie's reunion story so the title seemed very fitting. I think I should be able to wrap the book up in about 100 to 125 more pages. I'll have to see how things go.

Motivational Quote: "Life is changing every day, things come and go, but always be yourself and stay focused on your dreams." ~ Tilda Moyo-Karizamimba

What I'm Reading: I started reading Catch Her Death by Melinda Leigh yesterday afternoon. This is the 7th book in the Bree Taggert series. 

Random Things:  We did go to the pumpkin farm last Friday. I bought a pumpkin to carve and two smaller, almost gourd like, ones. We also bought a few acorn squash. I'll probably carve the pumpkin next weekend and bake the seeds at the same time. I don't want to carve it too early. I'm not so worried that it'll be moldy or rotting by Halloween as I am that the squirrels in the neighborhood will have it half eaten by then. 

Random Photo:

Here's a picture of the pumpkin I bought. It's pretty good sized, not that you can tell from the picture. The farm we went to doesn't charge for their pumpkins by weight. Every pumpkin is $5.00 or less depending on the size. I paid $4.00 for this one.
 

Monday Check In

 Last week...

Writing Related:  I didn't meet my weekly page count goal last week. I had a couple of appointments and two of the expected great nieces/nephews were born. One is a girl named Gia Harper and the other is a boy named Rhys James. They were born 3 days apart. Needless to say I spent more time visiting the new babies and their parents and siblings than I did writing. I'll be back on track this week.

Motivational Quote: "Because you've made one, or a few, not-so-great decisions today, doesn't mean you need to throw the rest of the day in the garbage. Those decisions are in the past. This next minute, this next decision, is still in play." ~ Glenn Patrick Doyle

What I'm Reading: I'm about a third of the way through For the Love of Summer by Susan Mallery. I enjoy both her romance and women's fiction novels but I'm having a bit of a problem liking one of the main characters in this book. I'm hoping as I get further along in the book, I'll change my mind. 

Random Things:  It's going to be cold and rainy with highs in the 40's in my area the first part of the week so we've pushed our visit to the pumpkin farm from Wednesday to Friday when it's supposed to be sunny and about 60 degrees. I do want to purchase a pumpkin, but I'm not sure I'll carve it. I might just draw a face on it instead. I'm not that talented when it comes to pumpkin carving. 

Random Photo:

This is about as creative as I get when it comes to pumpkin carving other than the usual triangle eyes and nose and jigsaw type teeth.