Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I've started receiving feedback from my beta readers on Garrett's book. I've gone through some of the notes and comments. I should have the feedback from the remaining beta readers by the end of this week. I hope to get through everything and set up a schedule to make any necessary changes and do line editing at the same time. I do know that one section needs major rewriting so I may tackle that first.

Motivational Quote:  "Work with peace in your heart, find peace in your soul, and everything else will follow." ~ Juan Manual Santos (Colombian politician)

What I'm Reading:  I finished Beautiful Exile by Catherine Cowles last night. It's the 4th book in the Sparrow Falls series. I have a couple of books from the library that I can start tonight but haven't decided which one I want to read first. One is a contemporary romance by Ali Hazelwood and the other is a fantasy type mystery by Meg Shaffer. 

Random Things:  My post-op appointment went well. I no longer have to wear the orthopedic boot unless I'll be doing a lot of walking or standing. The surgeon was pleased with how the incision looks and how well the swelling and bruising looks. I'm glad he's pleased because while there is only some residual swelling, the bruising looks horrific. The entire top of my foot from both sides of my ankle to just under my toe nails is one giant bruise ranging from a deep, dark purple to a reddish hue. 

Random Photo:

I came across this on Facebook. It made me laugh probably because I've been told that I have too many books as well.  
 

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I didn't do any writing last week. I spent a lot of time sitting on the sofa with my foot propped up on a stack of pillows. I go for the post-op appointment on Wednesday and am hoping I'll get the all clear to get back to my normal daily routine or at least some of it.

 Motivational Quote: "Everything works out in the end. If it didn't, it's because it hasn't come to an end yet." ~ Fernando Sabino (Brazilian writer quoting his father)

What I'm Reading:  I'm currently reading The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. I should finish it this evening. I'll start reading Delicate Escape by Catherine Cowles on Tuesday.  

Random Things:  I currently have to wear an orthopedic boot on my right foot when I'm up and walking around. I'm trying not to do too much walking because one of the straps on the boot goes right across the incision and presses on it. I'm really hoping when I go see the surgeon on Wednesday he'll say I don't have to wear it anymore. 

On a side note - Happy Memorial Day. Please take a moment to remember our service members who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms they fought and died for.

    

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I tweaked a few minor things in Garrett's book but didn't find anything major that jumped out at me. I sent the manuscript to my beta readers late yesterday afternoon. They'll have two weeks to go through it and send me suggestions, corrections, and such. I want to start working on the back cover copy but I have a busy week this week so I'm not sure how far I'll get with that.

Motivational Quote:  "Everyone must row with the oars he has." ~ Dutch Proverb

What I'm Reading:  I'm reading two books right now. I'm reading The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden before I go to sleep at night. During the day I'm reading Broken Harbor by Catherine Cowles. It's a romantic suspense with a hockey player as the main male character. It's the 3rd book in Sparrow Falls series. I haven't read the first two books but I'm not feeling lost at all. While the books are part of a series I think they can also be read as stand alones.

Random Things:  It's finally warming up enough for the Lily of the Valley flowers in our yard to show tiny buds. It's supposed to be colder this week so I'm hoping it's not so cold the buds die before having a chance to bloom.

Random Photo:

  Here's a photo of the Lily of the Valley flowers. If you look close, you can see the tiny buds.

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Good writing week last week. I should finish up the last of the first round of edits/revisions by the end of the week. I will have to go back and rewrite part of the beginning due to changes I've made to the rest of the book. I hope to get that done by the end of the first full week of April.

Motivational Quote:  "There are only so many hours in the day, so some parts of your life will be out of whack. You can try to have it all if you manage expectations and redefine what joy, protection, and safety mean to you."  ~ Gabrielle Union (American actor and activist)

What I'm Reading:  I started reading Bloodlust by Sandra Brown last Friday. I didn't realize it was the second book in a series. Despite that, I don't feel lost at all or that I needed to read the earlier book first. 

Random Things:  Like most people, I'm looking forward to spring weather. Any day that's 50 degrees or higher makes me want to put away the winter coats, boots, and gloves. Not to mention the shovel and snow brush. I haven't put away the latter yet because I'm certain that as soon as I do, we'll get one last late winter storm. The winter coats will have to stay out a bit longer because we have temperatures in the 30's more often than not.

Random Photo:

This seemed appropriate since I'm working on first draft edits and finding more things that need "fixing" than I expected.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I didn't get anything worth mentioning written last week. Between unexpected visitors, an unexpected project that turned out to be much more time consuming than I thought it was going to be, and life stuff in general, it was difficult to even get to the laptop to do any writing. Unfortunately, some of that will carry over into the first part of this week but I am hoping to get some writing time in on Thursday and Friday. 

Motivational Quote:  "New month. New Blessings." ~ Francheska Medina

What I'm Reading:  I just started The Third Grave by Lisa Jackson last night. It's the most current book in the Reed/Gillette series but I am told you can read it as a stand alone.

Random Thing:  It's been a very rainy spring at least here in upstate NY. We've had rain on both days every weekend since the first weekend in April with the exception of May 10th and 11th. I understand that rain is necessary, but I feel like we've gotten our fill. I'd be happier if it rained during the overnight hours and was sunny and dry during the daylight hours. It'd make commutes, grocery shopping, and running errands a lot easier.

Random Photo:

Blueberries were on sale at our local farmers market so I bought a couple of containers. I froze most of them for later use, but I used some to make blueberry muffins yesterday afternoon.