Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I didn't finish the edits on Garrett's book as I planned. My mom was under the weather for a few days so I spent extra time with her making sure she was okay. I should be able to finish the last of the edits this week. 

Motivational Quote:  "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life." ~ Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart, actor) from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

What I'm Reading:  I just finished First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong last night. It's the 4th book of the Haven's Rock series which is a spin off from her Rockton series. Both are good mystery/suspense type stories but in order to understand what's going on in the Haven's Rock series, you do need to read the Rockton series first as some of the characters from Rockton carry over to Haven's Rock.

Random Things:  We had a quiet Easter holiday with just my mom and two of my sisters over for dinner. I made a homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert. The frosting was bought from the store (Betty Crocker). I have yet to master the art of making frosting that doesn't taste like you're chewing sugar or like you just took a bite off a stick of butter.  

Random Photo:

I forgot to take a picture of my carrot cake before we cut it so here is one that I found on FreePik that looks very close to my cake except for the little carrot on top. 

 

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  The first part of 2025 has not been good to me writing wise. I had hoped to have Garrett's book released into the world in April. It's now the 2nd week of June and I'm still writing the first draft. Between my old laptop dying a slow death (for which I'm thankful because it gave me time to transfer everything off it), back related health issues, unexpected guests and/or events popping in or up, and life in general, trying to get this first draft written is turning out to be a much longer process than I planned. 

Motivational Quote:  "We are all worthy of love and connection. Even in those moments where we feel that we perhaps aren't. Even those moments where we feel like we're the only one who might be struggling." ~ Vivek H. Murphy

What I'm Reading:  I didn't end up reading The Third Grave by Lisa Jackson.  There were some things that made the book not a good fit for me.  I started reading Rituals by Kelley Armstrong last night. This is the fifth and final book in the Cainsville series.

Random Thing:  You ever buy something for yourself or your home because it's something you need or need to replace? You don't think too much about the item, just that it's a necessity so you go purchase it and it ends up making you feel better or happier than you expected? Well, I did that last week. I bought a new broom. That's right, a broom. I can't tell you how happy this broom makes me. It's ten times better than the old one and makes sweeping and clean up so much easier. 

Random Photo:

                                   Here's my new broom that makes me happy. 😀
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Writing is going slower than I'd hoped, planned, or like. My trusty laptop refuses to show more than a black screen so I've had to transition to an extra laptop that was my mom's but that she rarely uses. It's taking some getting used to and it didn't have Word or Excel on it so I had to bite the bullet and purchase the monthly subscriptions for those programs. My old laptop was from 2018 so when I purchased the software for it back then, it was the pay one time version. 

Motivational Quote: "You don't have to be an overachiever every day. Sometimes just waking up in the morning and not giving up on yourself is a huge accomplishment in itself." ~ Muniba Mazari

What I'm Reading:  I'm about halfway through Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong. This is the third book in the Cainsville series.  The series is more in the fantasy genre than I expected from the first book. I don't normally read fantasy but it's holding my interest enough to keep me reading and there is only one more book in the series.

Random Thoughts:  I didn't realize how many websites I had bookmarked that I lost when my old HP laptop screen bit the dust. Most of them were writing research related so I can easily find them again through a search but I did have a few sites saved for other purposes. Thank goodness I keep everything important backed up to the cloud so I didn't lose anything important.

Random Photo:

                      Mrs. Green and Somebody enjoying the late afternoon sun yesterday.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I've hit a major plotting snag in Garrett's book. I'm going to take this week to go back through my notes and plot points to see if I can figure out how to get myself out of the corner I've written myself into. 

Motivational Quote:  "If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building or do you change the nail? ~ Rwandan and Burundian proverb.  I thought this was particularly apt this week considering the problem I'm having with Garrett's story right now.

What I'm Reading:  I finished Omens by Kelley Armstrong so while I'm waiting for the second book in the Cainsville series to be sent to my local library through the inter-library loan service I've started reading Where the Creek Bends by Linda Lael Miller.

Random Thoughts:  Nearly all of the trees on my street either have small leaves or buds of leaves except for the tree in my front yard. It's still completely bare without a hint of even the tiniest bud in sight. It's always the first one to lose all of its leaves and always the last one to get any. The thing is I'm pretty sure it's the same type of tree that lines most of the street. 

Random Photo:

Somebody practicing his new trick. He will balance a small toy on his head for a treat or two.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I didn't hit the 12k mark I was aiming for, but I did get 10k done so I'm happy with that. I'm hoping to get at least that much done this week but I'm having family in town two days this week plus I need to do a bit of baking for the upcoming Easter holiday so fingers crossed that I'll get a decent amount written. 

Motivational Quote:  "Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races, one after another." ~ Walter Elliott

What I'm Reading:  I'll be starting Omens by Kelley Armstrong tonight. It's the first book in the Cainsville series. This is an older series that was recommended to me by one of my sisters. I borrowed the book from the library probably a year or so ago with the intention of reading it, but never got to it before it had to be returned. I'm determined to read it this time around.

Random Thoughts:  Oh my goodness! Where is spring? It's been cold in the 30's and snowy or a wintery mix of snow and rain for most of last week. I'll put a picture below of what it looked like outside my living room window last Tuesday.

Random Photo:

           It was still snowing when I took the photo, but you can't really tell in the picture.

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I sent out Coming Home to my editor and beta readers last Tuesday. I'm in a holding pattern until I get feedback from them so I'm taking a small break from writing right now.

 Motivational Quote: "Try not to over-think." ~ Amy Beager  I repeated the quote from last week because now I'm trying not to overthink the changes I made to the book before I sent it out for feedback. 

What I'm Reading:  I finished reading Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong last night. It was a stand alone rom-com. It was a fun, fast read.

Random Thoughts:  Like most people, I did a lot of holiday gift shopping over the weekend. I have a few small items I need to pick up from local retailers, but thankfully the majority of the shopping is done. Thank goodness for online shopping. 

Random Photo:

                     Me, trying to decide what holiday cookies to make and give away this year.
 

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  As I mentioned in my last Monday post, I'm doing my own Camp NaNoWriMo this month. I feel like I had a good start. I need to write at least 10k a week to make my goal of 40k by the end of the month. I ended the week with 8k which is slightly less than the 10k goal, but it was an incredibly busy week with appointments three out of the five week days that took up my usual writing time. It should be easier to do the 10k this week as I only have one physical therapy appointment. 

Motivational Quote: "You can't go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending." ~ James Sherman

What I'm Reading:  I'll be starting Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong tonight. This is the third book in the Rip Through Time series. I'm not usually a fan of time travel books, but this series is the exception. 

Random Thoughts:  I rooted a sweet potato in water about six weeks ago to see if it will grow into a flowering vine since sweet potatoes are part of the morning glory family. I planted it in a pot about 2 weeks ago and it's growing like crazy. I put a picture of it below.

Random Photo:

                                            Here's the planted sweet potato.

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Had an okay week writing wise. I'm going to do Camp NaNoWriMo this month. It officially starts today, April 1st. I'm hoping by participating, it'll help me get between 25k and 30k written in April. 

Motivational Quote: "I believe any success in life is made by going into an area with a...furious optimism." ~ Sylvester Stallone

What I'm Reading: I finished The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong last night. It's the second book in the Haven's Rock series. I'll start a new book tonight but I haven't chosen one yet. I have four books I borrowed from the library so it'll be one of those. 

Random Thoughts: My cat, Mrs. Green, likes to sit on my lap in the evenings. Usually when I'm trying to do something that makes it difficult for her to sit on my lap like crocheting. When she does settle in and get comfortable, I hate to disturb her. It's become a joke among my family that I can't do anything if the cat is on my lap. Change out "dog" for "cat" and I could be Charlie Brown in the picture below.

Random Photo:

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related: I didn't get any writing done last week. I contracted a stomach bug that was so virulent that I ended up in the hospital due to dehydration and low electrolyte and magnesium levels. I was discharged Wednesday afternoon, but it took the next three days for me to completely recover and get back to my normal self. 

Motivational Quote:  "There is no royal and flower strewn road to success, and if there is I have not found it for what success I have obtained is the result of many sleepless nights and real hard work." ~ Madam C. J. Walker

What I'm Reading:  I'll be starting Murder at Haven's Rock by Kelley Armstrong this evening. This is the first book in the Haven's Rock series, but in my opinion, it could be considered a continuation of the Rockton series.

Random Thoughts:  The last few weeks have been a test of patience. I am sincerely hoping I'm done with heath issues and other things that have been keeping me from the things I want and/or need to do.

Random Photo:

Our few crocuses have blossomed. Our daffodils and tulips are growing tall and should blossom soon.

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related: I had really productive writing sessions last week. I think I got more written than I have in the last few weeks prior. I'm working hard to get the book done and ready to go to my beta readers by the end of June. I've also booked my editor for the same time so I definitely need to ensure the book is ready to go to by then.

Motivational Quote: "I just embrace every day as it comes and try to live the best I can." ~ Ellie Simmonds

What I'm Reading: I started The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong on Friday, but haven't had a lot of time to read it. It's the second book in the A Rip Through Time series. I'm not usually a fan of time-travel books but I really liked the first book (A Rip Through Time) so decided to read the next book.

Random Things: I can't believe it's the first Monday in June already. This year is flying by. The funny thing is if you'd asked me how I felt the year was going back in March, I'd have said it was dragging unbearably. It must the the winter season that makes time seem to drag and once we get to late spring and summer that time seems to pass so much quicker.

Random Photo:

  Mrs. Green was fascinated by the swirling circle of dots while my laptop updated.

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related: I had a productive week last week. I feel like I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of finishing the rewrite of the ending of Ivan's story. I'm pretty sure I'll only need to write another 70 or so pages.  

Motivational Quote: "He who waits for chance may wait a year." ~ Yoruban Proverb  (I want to add "Or longer.")

What I'm Reading: I started reading Omens by Kelley Armstrong yesterday afternoon. It's the first book in the Cainsville series.

Random Things: I've been squeezing in time on Sundays to make cards for family members who have birthdays at the end of this month. We have 4 practically in a row. My sister's birthday is 07/25, one niece's birthday is 07/27, another niece's birthday is 07/28, and the first niece's husband's birthday is 07/30. Crazy, right?

Random Photo:

                        Mrs. Green lounging on the bed mocking me as I go off to work.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Slow progress last week, but at least it's some progress. I should be able to get quite a bit done this week. I only have an appt on Wednesday after work to get my car inspected.

Motivational Quote: "You have to take it as it happens, but you should try to make it happen the way you want to take it." ~ German proverb

What I'm Reading: I'm reading Alone in the Wild by Kelley Armstrong. This is the fifth book in the Rockton series. If you haven't read the series already, I highly recommend it.

Random Things: I can't believe this is the last full week of May and that Memorial Day is next Monday. This month has just flown by. I feel like it just started a few days ago. 

Random Photo: 

                      Somebody has his own home. He's not sure he likes it or not.