Five More School Days Until Spring Break!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Yes indeed, it's the final stretch before our school district is off until April 2nd! My fingers are crossed that the weather will be free of snow. This week we had some unseasonably warm weather and I wouldn't mind that weather popping back in when I'm on break. I'll be getting some things done during my break including:

For life maintenance: Two doctor appointments (routine follow-ups) 

For self-care: A facial and a massage!

For the writing life: I'm doing two boozy book fairs. One on the 23rd- to kick off my break, and one on the 29,-to wrap up my break. And a podcast recording this week as well!

I'm also looking forward to the show from Shondaland called The Residence and it looks like it is going to be fun. I love a closed-room mystery and the cast is stacked with great actors! 

What are you reading this week? I'm continuing on my Alex Delaware kick. I'm currently listening to this one:

Procrastination Post

 

I should be drafting my book right now, but instead, I'm writing this procrastination post. Writing is hard! 

When I am drafting a book, chores can suddenly become more appealing.  Look how clean my house is, yes I've only written 146 words today. Can you relate?  And this weekend I'm going to lose an hour due to the time change!  I'm being overly dramatic of course. 

Speaking of dramatic. If you have Hulu, you've got to check out the show Paradise starting and produced by Sterling K. Brown. It's really good! A unique story with some good twists. 

We have 11 more days of school until Spring Break and then we are down to the final quarter of school. I recently had the idea to read the Jack Reacher series this summer since I enjoy the TV show. I didn't check to see how many Reacher books there were. Turns out there are 28 books. How nice for me! This is going to be an action-packed summer break!

In Like A Lion, March is Here. The Sunday Post

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Well, we made it through another  February and finished the month. This weekend is a three-day weekend for me. Our school district has off Casimir Pulaski Day. Casimir Pulaski is recognized for his contributions to helping America in the Revolutionary War. This is when everyone in America didn't want to be ruled by a king. Fourteen school days after Pulaski Day, we have our spring break. 

I made a grievous error and scheduled an endoscopy I have to have for my day off. What was I thinking? I really, really should have used a sick day for it! I'm not looking forward to that tomorrow. I scheduled it for super early in the morning, so I will have most of the day afterward. I should spend the day in bed reading, right? Recuperate and all that? 

March also means it's time for me to start drafting my next book!  Your Mr. Brightside, will be out this summer (knock on wood). What plans do you have for March? 

Later this month I'll be at an adult book fair! These are so fun! Will I buy more books than I sell? A distinct possibility!!!

A Hint of Spring, Dare I Dream?

 

It's too early to start seedings but not too early to start garden planning. Yesterday, the hubs and I looked online for another raised garden to add to our front yard. Once it is in place we will officially have more garden than grass, which has been my goal!

I've got some new reusable silicone trays and soil ready for seeds come my spring break at the end of March. Last year I started herbs from seeds and it worked out well. We will see how the vegetable seeds go. 

I also ordered three tomato plants from the Chicago Tomato Man, He has an incredible amount of heirloom tomato varieties. You pick and choose what types you want and then in May, you pick up your plants! 

Below is a June picture of our garden last year.

Is there anything you do to help with the winter doldrums? 

        

Galentine Bonanza!

 There is a group on Facebook that I belong too and for February 13th, there was a big Galentine's Day party were tons of romance authors, including me, did giveaways. I gave away four ebooks and I wound up winning some books from other authors! 

Are you familiar with any of these authors?

and Satin Pleasures!

Now all I need to do is find some time to read. This week should be a pretty good week for finding reading time. How is your reading going? Have you read any new to you authors lately? 

Sunday Post Mid February: The Joy of Doing Nothing

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Today I have a spot at a local brewery vendor market. My goal is to sell some books and to get a tarot card reading. I need to figure out a good question to ask for the reading. I'm feeling out of sorts for several reasons. One, I don't care for a non-elected person who has too much money screwing up our governmental agencies. Two, it's the time of year when I start getting really tired of the cold. Third, I have a medical test coming up--it's totally a surveillance thing, but still, any and all medical stuff up to and including dental appointments give me PTSD.  Call me, Crankypants. 

I'm glad I have a fun event to enjoy today and readers to meet! Monday I have the day off and my plan is to embrace the joy of doing nothing. Maybe I'll even take a long bubble bath?

How are you faring this week?

My orchid bloomed! Joy in the midst of winter!

 

Feeling Crafty?

This month I find my calendar stuffed with activities involving me leaving the house. I don't know how this has happened. I don't like being out in the evening in the winter. I really dislike being in a cold car waiting for it to warm up surrounded by cold dark air. But here we are! Last week I went to a paint and sip night (see painting below), a program about Black music history (at my library), and a bunco fundraiser ( l lost eleven times and won seven). Later this month I have a paint night at my library, a Soul Food cooking class, and I am going to Love's Sweet Arrow for a panel of authors discussing sexy romance!

One reason this is happening is happenstance, and also because I'm not drafting any book right now. After drafting my last book during October and November, I realized I needed to plan my writing around my work schedule instead of writing despite my work schedule.  I also planned a longer drafting period so that I'm not feeling like my brain is fried. Some authors can write 3, 4, or 5 thousand words a day.  I'd rather write more days in a row at a lesser volume of words. I'll be drafting my next book in March and April since we have only 14 days of school in March and 18 in April. Then I'll draft two books this summer. And that will get me all my first drafts for 2025. 

How are you doing? Overall I think February is the gloomiest month of the year! 

Here is my painting. For this paint night, you get an outlined canvas to paint. I showed it to my kiddo who said, so it's like a coloring book but a painting. Yes, that's it exactly.  Looking at it after it dried, you can see that I have made the most 1980s-colored painting humanly possible! 

The Sunday Post. The Big Game, Do You Care?

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

I don't pay much attention to football, but my husband enjoys it. I like to watch the awards shows each year, he likes the playoffs and the Super Bowl. He mentioned something about ordering pizza and that works for me. Are you planning to watch the game? Do you have a favorite football food?

I'm currently reading:

On the Brightside, Ten Special Editions of My New Book

Not long after I ordered paperback copies to sell at the Stupid Cupid Art Market, I realized the recipe I had put in the back of my book was missing butternut squash on the list of ingredients. Folks, I put the recipe for butternut squash soup in my book! 

I share this in case it makes anyone feel better about any mistakes they've made. I'm so glad I have an editor and a proof reader. In my next book I'll make sure to add the recipe before the book is proofread. I know both my editor and my proofreader would have caught my error.

Morals of my story:

1. Everyone makes mistakes--thankfully mine was easy to fix! I revised my files and uploaded corrected versions of my ebook and paperback! 

2. It's good to work with others! Teamwork makes my dream work!

This picture of my orchid is ten days old, now the buds are even bigger. Very soon it will bloom in Feburary for the third year. Something to look forward to in these trying times. 

Happy Black History Month! The Sunday Post

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. you can write about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Happy Black History Month! I read that the administration is trying to cancel the celebration of Black History. Now IMO, Black History is America's history and it can't be canceled. This week I'm sharing some of my favorite Black authors and their books. 

Wishing you a good week in these trying times.