Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I finished the last of the edits for Garrett's story. I'm going to take this week and give it one last read through so I can fix anything I might find. I'll then format it and get it ready to send to my beta readers over the weekend.

Motivational Quote:  "I'm inspired by a person's work ethic. Hard work motivates me to keep pushing through even when I am exhausted or overwhelmed or going through things." ~ Rita Ora, (Kosovan and British singer-songwriter)  

What I'm Reading:  I started Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry yesterday afternoon.  I've had this book on my TBR list for a while and was finally able to borrow a copy from the library.

Random Things:  Now that we're slowly moving into warmer weather, I've been doing a lot of baking on the cooler days. I rarely bake in the summer but still want homemade bread, muffins, and cookies so I've been making batches of different kinds of cookies and muffins and bread and freezing them so when it's 90 degrees with high humidity and I want a muffin or a cookie, I can just pull a few out of the freezer in the morning and have them with lunch later in the day. 

Random Photo:

I made Hermit cookie bars for the first time. I found the recipe in one of my mom's old cookbooks (copyright date was 1975). They turned out pretty good but seemed more like a gingerbread brownie than a cookie. I would make them again though. 
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  It's been a busy couple of weeks but I've still managed to make progress on Garrett's book. I'd say I'm about two-thirds of the way through edits for the book, maybe a little less. I'm still on track to be finished by 4/4 unless something unexpected crops up. And given the way the last 2 weeks have gone, that's entirely possible.

Motivational Quote:  "The greatest relationship, the greatest one you will ever have is with yourself. Believe me. Have faith in yourself." ~ Sheryl Lee Ralph (American actress)

What I'm Reading:  I started reading Free Falling by Jill Shalvis Saturday evening. This is the 2nd book in her Colburn Brothers series.  

Random Things:  I made Ciambellone (an Italian citrus cake) for the first time just over a week ago now. You can make it with lemons, limes, or oranges. I used lemons. I've never made a bundt type cake from scratch before. The top of the cake cracked a bit when I tipped it out of the pan but overall I was happy with how it turned out. It had a good lemon flavor but I think it would have better with a lemon glaze. The recipe I was given calls for powdered sugar to be sifted over the top before serving. I would make it again but with a lemon icing or glaze.

Random Photo:

                                                    The Ciambellone that I made.
 

Monday Check In

 Welcome to my first Monday Check In of 2026. 

Last week...

Writing Related:  I spent the last week reading through the draft of Garrett's story and making a lot of notes. Leaving it alone for about a month really helped me see what needs fixing. There are some plot holes that need filling, some areas that need fleshing out in terms of description and emotion, a sub-plot that kind of meandered off into nothing, and of course way too many uses of the word "just." It seems to be one of my favorite words to use in my writing. I'm not sure how much time I'll get to work on revisions this week as both my mom and I have doctor appointments, I have a four hour class, and we'll be having family visiting on Thursday that may take up most of the day. 

Motivational Quote:  "We have to believe that we are never too old, never too jaded, and never too broken to take our first steps toward change. We wake up every single day with the ability to start fresh - it is never too late to take advantage of that." ~ Bianca Sparacino (Canadian writer)

What I'm Reading:  I started reading Beyond What is Given by Rebecca Yarros yesterday afternoon. It's the third book in her Flight & Glory series. 

Random Things:  I really want to make good use of my time this year so I'm trying a new to me way of scheduling my day. I'm hoping it'll help keep me on track not only with my writing career goals, but with some projects around the house I'd like to have checked off by June. I'm going to follow the new process for the 1st quarter of the year and see how it goes. It'll be hard to see if the process is working this month as my family has a lot going in January. No slow start to the new year for us but things will slow down drastically in February and March which I'm pretty happy about. Those are the worst of the winter months where I live so I'm fine with not having a million things to do outside the house during that time. 

Random Photo

One of my sisters gave me this coffee cup as a gift. I think applies to reading and when I'm writing and have to stop for one reason or another while the words are flowing. 
 

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Nothing writing related last week since I finished the first draft of Garrett's story at the end of November. I'm letting it rest so to speak and will start the editing and revision process in January.

Motivational Quote:  "Fear has a very concrete power of keeping us from doing and saying the things thar are our purpose." ~ Luvvie Ajayi

What I'm Reading:  I'll finish reading He Falls First by Jill Shalvis this evening. This is the first book in her new Colburn Brothers series. 

Random Things:  I still have packages for gifts I ordered online that haven't been delivered yet, but all of the gift shopping is done except to pick up a couple of gift cards which I'm doing this morning. I'm hoping to start wrapping the things that have been delivered sometime this week. I have about 40 gifts that will need to be wrapped plus I help my mom wrap her gifts as well so getting an early start is crucial to ensure everything is wrapped or gift bagged by December 21st when we'll celebrate Christmas with two of my nephews and their families. 

Random Photo:

Mrs. Green also thinks it's the most wonderful time of the year since boxes are arriving almost daily for her to take over sometimes before I can even get the items that were delivered out of the boxes.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I finished the first draft of Garrett's book late yesterday afternoon. Whew! Now the hard work begins. This draft will need a lot of editing. I'm almost certain parts of it will need to be rewritten. I want to ensure I have the right amount of setting details as well as character information and emotion. I'm going to let the manuscript sit for this month so I'll have some distance from it in January and be able to see what's working and what isn't more clearly. It's a good month to let it sit because I never manage to get much writing done in December. The days are taken up with shopping, baking, decorating, wrapping, and helping my mom with those same things. 

Motivational Quote:  "No matter what situation you're in, find something good about it, rather than the negative things. And in dealing with other human beings, find the good in them as well." ~ Wilma Mankiller quoting wisdom from Cherokee elders

What I'm Reading:  I'm a little more than halfway through These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean. I love her historical romances. This is her first contemporary novel. I had a really hard time getting into it. It's very slow going. Some of the characters are completely unlikable. I'm not sure if that's intentional or not. The main female character is somewhat of a doormat as well. Despite those things, I'm trying to finish reading it.

Random Things:  I can't believe it's December 1st already. It seemed like November just started a few days ago and now it's over. I'll be putting away our few fall decorations and putting out our Christmas decorations today but not the Christmas tree yet. I usually do that 2 weeks before the holiday because I have to rearrange the living room to have a place for the tree so that it's not in the way.

Random Photo: 

 Here's a old photo of Somebody checking out a Christmas ornament. If you look closely, you can see the teeth marks on the toe of the boot where he decided to see how it tasted.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  In my last actual post, I mentioned that I was going to participate in Sarra Cannon's Rough Draft Challenge. I decided against it because while my sister is home from the hospital, she's very limited in what she can do so I'm helping her out with things like laundry, grocery shopping, vacuuming, etc which cuts into writing time. I'm still hoping to get the first draft of Garrett's story finished by the end of this month. 

Motivational Quote:  "So what if it doesn't look the way you planned? All of these days still belong to you, and even the greatest disappointments have their uses." ~ Yrsa Daley-Ward

What I'm Reading: I started reading When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein Saturday afternoon. It's a contemporary romance that was recommended to me by a friend. I've never read anything by Ms. Stein before but am always willing to read books by new authors. 

Random Things:  I took a short break from social media a couple of weeks ago. I don't usually spend a lot of time on it in general, just about 30 minutes in the morning and probably the same amount in the evening but I still needed a break. I took that hour and used it to try a few new to me bread recipes. A couple I would make again. One was a complete failure. But my favorite was the Big and Bubbly Focaccia recipe from the King Arthur Flour baking website. It was the first time I'd ever made focaccia. It's my new favorite bread to make. I can see why the people at King Arthur flour named it their 2025 Recipe of the Year. Here's a link to recipe if you're interested in trying it - Big and Bubbly Focaccia Recipe   I've put a picture of how mine turned out below. 

Random Photo:

 

If you like baking bread, this is a good one to try. I included the link to the recipe above. 

 

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I'm still writing in what feels like slow motion. I saw the orthopedist last week. Unfortunately, he said it could take weeks/months for my nerve to calm down. I start physical therapy for it tomorrow. I'm hoping that after I have a few sessions it will at least make it easier to write/type.

Motivational Quote:  "It's important to focus on a goal, I think, but also recognize the progression on the way there..." ~ Aimee Mullins

What I'm Reading:  I'll start reading The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster this evening. It's the first book in the Firefly Summer series.

Random Thing:  I love summer. It's my favorite time of year and always seems like it's the shortest season where I live. But this year? I'm looking forward to fall and cooler temperatures. We've had so many 90 degree or more days this summer. It's just been too hot and humid. Even with the central air on, I don't sleep well which makes me feel lethargic and headachy. It seems like the heat drains my energy making it hard to get through the day until I can fall into bed exhausted only to wake up feeling even more tired than the day before. 

Random Photo:

 

I found this water bottle at a local store. The goldfish is hooked on to the straw so when you have it filled, it will look like it's swimming in your water or whatever you're drinking. I didn't buy it, but it did make me laugh.

      

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I'm still having difficulty with getting much writing done due to my ulnar nerve issue. I'm counting the days until next Monday when I can see the orthopedist and find out what's going on and what treatment he will recommend.

Motivational Quote:  "Your progress is not on a schedule. Your success is not on a time clock. Your healing is not based on speed. You're not too late. You haven't missed it. There is no rush. Breathe." ~ Eso Tolson

What I'm Reading:  I finished reading The Love Fix by Jill Shalvis last night. It's the eighth book in the Sunrise Cove series. I'll pick a new book to read tonight.

Random Thing:  I thought the above quote was particularly appropriate considering I am feeling behind schedule with this book and am worried how long it will take for my nerve to heal so that I can get back to my usual writing schedule. 

Random Photo:

         I've been trying new flavors of iced tea. My sister brought me this one to try.
 

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 managed to get 5k written last week despite dealing with the fallout from an unforeseen event. There are still some details that need to be taken care of and I'm having a minor medical procedure done tomorrow so I'm not sure how much I'll get written this week. 

Motivational Quote:  "Decide what is yours to hold and let the rest go." ~ Taylor Swift.             I came across this quote a few days ago. It felt the like the universe was trying to tell me there is only so much I do regarding the unexpected event I mentioned above so I'm doing what I can and hoping for the best.

What I'm Reading:  I started reading The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros last night. It's a stand alone contemporary romance novel. I'm not very far into it but I'm enjoying it so far. 

Random Thoughts:  I can't believe it's the last day of March. This month has flown by. For me, March usually drags on and on and on. It's the month that seems to never end. It's more than likely because by the time early March arrives, I'm so tired of winter weather that I'm anxiously counting the days to spring. I don't mean the official start of spring shown on calendars, I mean real spring - when the days are sunny with temperatures in the 60's and low 70's. Unfortunately, those days don't usually show up in my area until the end of April or early May. 

Random Photo:

I'm a big fan of Pop-Tarts and eat way more of them than I should. My sister bought this from an Etsy shop and gave it to me for Christmas last year.

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I worked on Garrett's book. I was able to keep to my writing schedule but didn't quite make my 12k goal by the end of week. I'm about 500 words short. I don't have any appointments etc this week so I'm hoping to get a significant amount of writing done to get back on track to meet the deadline to have the first draft written.

Motivational Quote:  "Courage, determination, and a single minded vision. These are the qualities the biggest achievers have in common." ~ Shah Rukh Khan

What I'm Reading:  I'm currently reading Great and Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros. This is a contemporary romance.

Random Thoughts:  Even though the official start of spring isn't for a few more weeks, I'm starting my annual spring cleaning chores. I have a few additional tasks this year. I want to go through our cookbook book shelf and donate any that we don't really use.  

Random Photo:  

                                           Homemade Chocolate Brownie Muffins  

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I worked on Garrett's book last week. I didn't get as much written as I'd hoped, but I should have at least 12k words written by the end of this week. 

Motivational Quote:  "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence." ~ Calvin Coolidge

What I'm Reading:  I started reading The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren yesterday afternoon. I'm also reading Now or Never by Janet Evanovich. This is the 31st book in the Stephanie Plum series. I'll write more about why I'm reading two books at once, which I very rarely do in the Random Thoughts section below.

Random Thoughts:  Regarding Now or Never, I keep picking it up, then putting it down after a couple of chapters and either going to do something else or reading something else because I'm having issues with the main character. I loved this series in the past, but the last few books have dimmed my enthusiasm for it. I just don't like how the Stephanie Plum character doesn't ever seem to learn from her mistakes or show any character growth, not to mention cheating on her boyfriend then excuses it because the guy she's cheating with is so hot that she can't help it.

Random Photo:

                                      How I've been feeling about writing lately. 😉
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  I've received feedback on Coming Home from my editor and all of my beta readers. Thankfully, they all liked the book. There are a few minor tweaks I'll need to make and/or fix but overall, there won't be a lot of rewriting or editing to be done before the book is released in early January 2025.

 Motivational Quote: "To fulfill a dream...to be given the chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life." ~ Bette Davis

What I'm Reading:  I'll be starting Beach Read by Emily Henry tonight when I go to bed. I've heard good things about it so I'm looking forward to reading it.

Random Thoughts:  Cookie baking will commence today and continue throughout the week. We make 12 different kinds of cookies and about 10 dozen of each type every year. We pack them in containers and give them out to friends and family. Every year I say we're not going to cut back and not make so many different kinds, but we always end up with 12 anyway. Some recipes are tried and true that have been made for years (since I was a child) and some are newish having been made at least 3 years and some are new, new being made for the first time. It's a lot of work, but I look forward to it every year.

Random Photo: 

The frosted sugar cookies we make every year and have been making since I was a child.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I'm going to have to push back the release of Caine's book  It's killing me to have to do it, but I don't have any choice. It'll only be 3 weeks later than the originally scheduled date but it's still later than I said it would be published. The title is One Last Chance. It will be available for purchase on 09/04/24.

Motivational Quote:  "I have to believe that when things are bad I can change them." ~ Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe) from Cinderella Man.

What I'm Reading:  I still reading The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. I haven't had a lot of free time to read lately. I'm also finding it hard to like either one of the main characters.

Random Thoughts:  Caine's book has been a bear to write from start to finish. First, I fell and broke 1 rib and fractured 2 others that made it hard to sit and write for any length of time, then I ended up in the hospital for a week. After I was released, it still took me a bit to get back to feeling up to writing and not spending that time sleeping. Then my editor had a family emergency which I totally understand. These things happen. That's life. She was wonderful about keeping me apprised of when she'd be able to get to my submission(s) but it also delayed things a bit. Now, I have this latest issue that is causing an additional delay. As much as I love this book and think that it's a great book, I'll be so glad when it's finally published and I can move on to the next book in the series. 

Random Photo: 

                         This is how I feel the writing of One Last Chance has been. 😄
 

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Caine's book is finished, I hope. I'm sending it to my beta readers today. While they have it, I'm going to work on the back cover copy.  I think writing the blurb is almost harder than writing the actual book. It might take me the whole week to get the blurb done to the point where I think it's not completely terrible.

Motivational Quote:  "You can always attempt things and if they do not work out well; fine. But at every point in time, you just need to put in your best." ~ Kafayat Sanni

What I'm Reading:  I started The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center a few days ago. I've read a lot of her work and enjoyed most of them. I think there was only one that I didn't finish. 

Random Thoughts:  I don't usually watch sports of any kind but when the Olympics roll around, I find myself glued to the TV. I try to watch as many of the different sporting events as I can during the summer games. During the winter games, I usually only watch the ice skating, skiing, bobsled, and luge events. 

Random Photo: 

          My doctor's office decorated their year round tree for Shark Week this month.
  

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Had a pretty good writing week last week. I need to contact my cover artist to get on her schedule for the cover of Caine's book. I've already booked my editor so I need to get my butt in gear to make sure the manuscript is ready for her by the time I'm supposed to send it to her.

Motivational Quote: "Be faithful in small things because it is in them your strength lies." ~ Mother Teresa

What I'm Reading: I'll be starting Pretend You're Mine by Lucy Score tonight. 

Random Thoughts: I'm trying to decide if I want to cut my hair this summer. It's nearly to my waist and I almost always wear it tied up in the warm weather so why not get it cut shorter. I can't seem to make up my mind - one day I'm going to cut it, the next day I'm not going to cut it. I don't have any real reason to hurry to make a decision since it's been cool and rainy lately. 

Random Photo: 

                          I saw this on Facebook and it really resonated with me

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Not much writing done last week. I slipped on some black ice in our driveway and ended up with a mild concussion, one broken rib, two cracked ribs, and a bunch of bruises. Needless to say, the concussion and pain from the rib injury made it very hard to concentrate. 

Motivational Quote: "Hope is your superpower. Don't let anybody or anything make you feel hopeless." ~ Bryan Stevenson

What I'm Reading: I hope to start reading Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey tonight. It's a Christmas themed book but I don't mind. I'll read holiday themed books throughout the year despite what holiday the book revolves around.

Random Thoughts:  Just thought I'd share some info that I learned up close and personal about broken/cracked ribs. They don't tape or bind them any more. The only treatment is ice, heat, and pain medication. It also takes about ten weeks on average for broken or cracked ribs to fully heal. I was not happy to hear that. 

Random Photo:

  Aren't these cute? I think they were made with AI, but I wish they were available for sale. 

 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related:  Rough writing week last week. So many unexpected things popped up eating into my writing time. I'm planning to get back on track this week and hopefully getting some extra pages in to make up for last week's lack of pages.

Motivational Quote: "This day...is too dear with its hopes and invitations to waste a moment on the rotten yesterdays." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

What I'm Reading:  I started reading Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score yesterday afternoon. It's the third and (I believe) final book in the Knockemout Series.

Random Thoughts:  Even though we've had a mild winter (so far), I'm looking forward to spring. I have so many things I want to plan and do once the winter weather is definitely gone. 

Random Photo:

                                 Mrs. Green and Somebody sharing the sofa.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related: Another good writing week last week. I also fit in a writing related class that I hope will help with future releases.

Motivational Quote:  "Where you are today is a result of your thought of yesterday." ~ Halima Musa

What I'm Reading: I picked up two books from the library on Friday. One is Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score. I've never read anything by Ms. Score but I've heard great things about the book. I have to admit I'm a little wary of starting it. The book has 552 pages. I didn't realize it was that long. My concern is I don't have a lot of free time to read and am worried I might not be able to finish it before it's due to be returned to the library. The second book is Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'm trying to build better habits this year and hope this book might help me achieve that.

Random Thoughts:  I eat a snack after dinner two or three times a week. I have the snack even if I'm not hungry. It's become a habit that I don't need to be doing. One of the ways I'm trying to break the habit is by crocheting in the evenings while I'm spending time with my mom or watching TV. If my hands are busy, I'm hoping it'll keep me from needing the snack. I also won't want to eat anything while working on a project so nothing happens to it. Hopefully, I'll break the habit and end up with a new throw blanket for the sofa in the process.  

Random Photo: 

                          Mrs. Green keeping me company as I write Caine's book.
 

Monday Check In

Last week...

Writing Related: I started writing the next book in the Echo Company series. This will be Caine's book. I've got the first 30 pages written. While I'm not officially participating in NaNoWriMo this year, I do have a personal goal to have 120 pages of this book written by December 2nd.

Motivational Quote: "Find your dream. It's the pursuit of the dream that heals you." ~ Billie Mills (Tamakoce Te'Hila)

What I'm Reading:  I'm reading Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen. It's the third book in the Ice Cream Shop mystery series. I think I should finish it either tonight or tomorrow night.

Random Thoughts:  It's only November so I'm trying not to talk about (complain) about the weather especially since we've been lucky enough not to have any snow yet. We've been having quite a bit of rain. I don't mind the rain though, it doesn't pile up like snow does and I don't have to brush off my car when it rains. It has been colder than usual for this time of the year. I guess as much I do like the crisp, cool air of fall, I'm just not ready for temperatures in the low 30's and high 20's during the day.

No "Random Photo" this week.