First of all... : #TheSundayPost

Showing posts with label #TheSundayPost. Show all posts

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Exciting Happenings This Week! 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. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Tonight I'm a guest host on the podcast Christmas Countdown! Exciting! I've been listening to the podcast since it started and now I get to be on an episode sharing my top five favorite (recent) Christmas movies! Do you listen to podcasts? If you like Christmas, you must check out the five-star goodness of Christmas Countdown!

https://christmascountdownshow.com/

And then later this week I'll be attending the Chicago North Romance Writer's Spring Fling. I'm volunteering and I've been assigned to be a moderator for two different panels! I'm more nervous about that than the podcast. I don't want to mess up a panel! Fingers crossed that it goes smoothly! And then on Saturday, as I mentioned previously I'll be doing my first author signing. Amazing, it feels surreal! If you had told me a year ago I'd be writing a series of romance books, I wouldn't have believed you.

Speaking of books, I'm happy to share the cover for my second book in the Marley Creek Romance Series!

Coming out 4//30/2024! You can pre-order it now here: https://a.co/d/39I9z4x

Stay tuned for Tomorrow's blog where I will talk about my brother's North Carolina restaurant and the book Last Night by Luanne Rice.

Friday, March 15, 2024

The Sunday Post--Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here in Chicagoland, St. Patrick's Day is a big deal. There have been parades and celebrations since the first weekend in March. I'll be spending the day selling Tastefully Simple at a craft show. I hope people still come out to the craft show. You see, the South Side Irish Parade is always the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, and this year that means the parade is on St. Patrick's Day. It's a big deal around here. Last year me and the husband walked in the parade with our Congressman.
How about you, do you have plans for St. Patrick's Day?

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In book news, Do you all want to see the new book cover for my book? What do you think?

I'm excited to say I'm up to 16 reviews on Amazon! Want to check it out or add it to your wish list? Here is the link: https://a.co/d/7Usna3U

Have you been reading? I'm currenty reading these books:

Saturday, February 10, 2024

I've been sick the whole month so far! Rude! #TheSundayPost

I have spent this month with a miserable sinus infection. The worst is at night when I am coughing, coughing, coughing. It's still pretty bad but not as bad as last week, so I guess I'm getting better. I have done all the things you are supposed to do to alleviate symptoms. One problem I have is that I can't take any decongestant stuff because it causes me to have restless legs.

The other day my No Gouda Without You author copies arrived and I've been exhausted and sick to do an unboxing video! A total bummer!

I didn't have the energy or attention span to read or blog. I did manage to work on writing my second book, that's about all I could manage. My manuscript is due to my editor on March 2nd, so that was my motivator.

How are you doing? I hope you have not been sick! My fingers and toes are crossed that I start feeling better each day this week. I've got books to share here and I'd like to have the energy to read!

Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Sunday, January 21, 2024

The Sunday Post- Not Sure How That Happened

I wrote and published a whole Sunday post yesterday and then today I made a post for Tuesday and then I somehow managed to overwrite that post and accidentally post my Tuesday post this afternoon. Whoopsy.

How was your week? It was cold here and we had some more snow but not a bunch. This coming week it's supposed to be above freezing and I'm happy about that because on Tuesday I'm medically cleared to run again. Obviously, I'll need there to be snow and ice-free sidewalks.

I've got two of my posts for this week done, one is for my own book release, No Gouda Without You, and another new release You Are Enough that will be out on Thursday. I also finished reading Between Mischief and Magic and I'll review that either Friday or Saturday.

Have a great week!

Saturday, January 13, 2024

The Sunday Post, Week One Back to School In the Books

Thankfully I have tomorrow off work. I love a nice three-day weekend. 2024 has brought the winter weather to Chicagoland. For the most part, we got off easy in December. We didn't have measurable snow and we had more than a handful of days in the 40s and even 50s. Now those days are gone and we have about five inches of snow blowing around and it's crazy cold! We are below zero Fahrenheit (-17 Celcius) until Wednesday.

I have said before on this blog that I have made a conscious effort to embrace the winter season. I've learned to appreciate the quiet of a cold winter day, to look forward to hot tea and lots of layers. But when it's below zero, ooof. That's too cold!

This weekend I worked on the proofreading edits and formatting of my book. Let me just say, I am learning so much about grammar and fun stuff like not using numerals in fiction.

How are things by you? Did you have a nice week? Read anything good? See any good TV or Movies?

This week on the blog I'll be talking about:

If you enjoy wondering if your narrator is unreliable..this is a book for you!

Saturday, January 6, 2024

The Sunday Post Oh, No! Back To Work Tuesday

All good things must come to an end, right? My break was nice, but I spent all of it recuperating from surgery, so it might have been more enjoyable if not for that. This weekend we finally got a little snow, just about all of December it was too warm for snow. Now that I'll be returning to school, it will probably get really cold and we will have snow!

This week I began drafting the second book in my Marley Creek series! Next weekend I am planning to go to a new brewery in my area for research purposes. The main male lead in this book owns a craft brewery and I'd like to be able to write good descriptive scenes.

Speaking of reading, I find myself in the midst of reading two books that have main female characters who are pastry chefs. I"ll be sharing my thoughts on those two books this week as well as Not Just Gal Pals my first finished read of the year.

How was your first week of 2024?

Saturday, October 28, 2023

The Sunday Post, Lots of Writing, Not Too Much Reading

Is it just me or did this month FLY by??? I can't believe Halloween is just a couple of days away! We don't get any trick-or-treaters, which is a bummer! I do get to see all the kids at school that dress up so that is fun. The kids dressed up on Friday because that was the day they had their Fall Festival Party. Here are the top costumes small kids are wearing this year:

1. Sonic --lots of different versions

2. Spiderman- lots of different versions

3. Elsa from Frozen, again there are several different costumes for Elsa too!

4. Mario

5. Chuckie --popular with boys and girls.

I dressed up as a marathon runner because I'll take any excuse to get to wear my medals! All that running was really hard! LOL

Speaking of hard work, I've been working on writing a Small Town Romance and it's (knock on wood) going really well! The plan is to publish it in Jan 2024. I am going the indy publishing route. I'll post updates here and if you want to know more or to get an ARC when the time comes, please sign up for my newsletter! (see below!)

I did finish reading Venice, Acutally by Kelly Reynolds and I'll be sharing my review of this fun holiday novella tomorrow.

Sunday, October 15, 2023

The Sunday Post, Finally Fully Staffed

Hi All! Did you live where you could see the eclipse yesterday? We should have seen some of it, but it was a gloomy rainy day so we couldn't see anything! A real bummer. There is a lunar eclipse at the end of this month, so hopefully, it won't be cloudy and we will be able to see that event.

This week we got a new employee in the lunchroom. We've been short-staffed since last Thanksgiving, so this is a major development in my work life. I hope she enjoys working with the kids and us at the school and decides to stay a long time!

This week I'm planning to make a nice beef stew, I don't have a recipe in mind, I think I might wing it, we will see!

In the books department, I finished listening to Holly and will discuss that tomorrow and I am reading an ARC for a holiday romance novella that will be released on October 24th. Lastly I'm finishing a paranormal romance, this one is a MM (Male/Male) pairing and not my typical read.

How was your week?

Saturday, October 7, 2023

The Sunday Post, Fall is here for real!

This week I started working on a passion project, I just finished week one of said project and I am very happy to say I'm on track. I don't want to say more because I don't want to jink anything. More details to come by Thanksgiving.

This weekend, the temperatures are finally feeling like sweater weather, in fact, today for the first time since early April, I'm wearing a sweater! I got it back in August for my birthday from Stitch Fix and have been waiting patiently to wear it.

I like that it has color blocking and button detail on the sides- and it's all the fall colors!

I'm currently reading Much Ado About You, it's fun but for a romance, it's pretty long.

And I'm listening to Holly by Stephen King. I hope to prioritize finishing it ASAP.

I really like the cover, it feels so Halloween. I hope you are having a great day! Any fun plans this week?

Sunday, July 23, 2023

The Sunday Post- July is Winding Down

This week was very busy, my parents came to visit, the hubs had a work event overnight downtown, we went to a concert at a new concert venue, and Saturday we had a graduation party. Busy in a good way. This upcoming week is looking busy as well, so I am really embracing audiobooks. How are things by you? It has not been very, very hot here --but if the forecast is correct this week is going to be in the 90-100 (mid to high 30s for those of you that use Celcius) I will have to be mindful about whether or not it is safe to walk our dog. How about you? How is your weather?

Books I'll be talking about:

Saturday, July 15, 2023

The Sunday Post -- Christmas In July is Coming!

What do you think about Christmas in July? Do you partake via reading a holiday themed book or by turning on the Hallmark channel? I am more of a start buying Halloween/Autumn stuff by July 25th, but I am not opposed to reading a Christmas book in the summer. At the moment I have a few books I'm in the midst of reading soI don't think I'm going to be fitting in a Christmas book.

Before I share the books I'll be talking about this week. Here is a recipe I recently made that was delicious--this recipe is gluten free if you use tamari sauce. If you want to add protein you could add chicken, pork, seafood, or tofu.

1. Soak 7 oz of rice noodles in cold water for 10 min. 2. You put 2 tbsp of Toasted Sesame Oil in a pan and add a chopped shallot, a couple of chopped scallions, 2 zucchini that have been sliced with a vegetable peeler, 2 carrots that have also been sliced with a vegetable peeler, add a couple of tbsp of soy or tarmari sauce, pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 cup of water cook until water is gone and noodles are tender--about 10 minutes. I added Onion Onion seasoning.

YUM!!!

And now to the books:

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Where Does The Time Go?

I swear the last few weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye and I really slacked off on posting here! I have been reading, as always I'd like to read more, and since there are only so many hours in the day and I swear I spend at least three hours a day minimum on just laundry, dishes, and cooking--I'm working on getting back to listening to more books. Audiobooks are amazing and it helps me to keep up with what I want to read.

I have decided this is our Midwestern Summer. In May I traveled with friends to Wisconsin. In June Tom and I went to a wedding in Kohler, WI. At the end of June we went and stayed in Downtown, Chicago and during the 4th of July weekend we went on a day trip to Crown Point, IN. In August we are going to Minnesota and then I think in September we are going to St. Louis.

The Midwest is awesome. I highly recommend you make a plan to visit us here in the Midwest. I am partial to Chicago since we live in the suburbs. Chicago has amazing food--so many restaurants. And loads of free activities. While w were downtown I went to a free concert in Millenium Park for example.

Bookwise I have several books to blog about including:

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