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.

Wanna Read A Bodyguard Romance? BETRAYED by Eveline Rose

Do you enjoy Bodyguard romances? Enjoy a damsel in distress theme?  If you really crave a nice opposites attract, BETRAYED is one to read! BETRAYED is the fourth book in the Shepperd and Sons Investigations series. Each book features a member of the SSI staff saving someone. 

This is a standalone series. The series features found family--something I love! The romance happens behind closed doors. In this book, there is a big action-filled climax. We end the book with a nice HEA. I give this five stars based on me wanting to pick it back up as soon as possible every time I was interrupted and had to set it down!

Happy weekend reading! As always, if you read a book take a quick second when you are done to rate and/or review! It makes a big difference! Then tell a friend!

Here is a link for more info or to purchase: https://a.co/d/eKNaVgQ

 

Book Birthday Today! It App-ened One Night!

Out into the world, it goes! I hope people like it. I write stories I'd like to read, so hopefully there is a nice bunch of people out there who enjoy reading the same things I do. I also hope that we caught the typos between my editor, my proofreader, and my reviews!

When I was writing this book in October and November, there were days when I didn't think I'd ever finish it! Then I had it finished a week before it was due. 

Sometimes authors talk about their book babies and I didn't understand why until I was revising my first book. Writing a book is like being in labor. Once it's done and the baby has arrived you quickly forget the finer points of how arduous the whole process was to endure! 

So now the drafting process is almost a warm fuzzy memory and the finished version is ready for everyone! 

Here is the link to my website if you'd like to get any of my books or become a subscriber for bonus scenes, ARC opportunities, and other special perks. 

https://victoriahamelauthor.com

 

This Month Has Been Years Long, But We're Finally In The Last Week!

 Time for the January Cozy Mystery Book Club on YouTube!

This is my first time reading a book by author Olivia Blacke. Vinyl Resting Place, like all of the book the club reads, is a first in a series. First in the series books can be tricky, the author has to introduce us to characters and setting plus have a whole murder mystery on top of it! 

This book is about sisters who open up a vinyl record store outside Austin, Texas. When they are having their soft opening night a body is found! Their uncle is suspect, so the sisters have to clear him. Since the youngest sister Juni's only job is to work at the new record store, that is now a crime scene, she is the main character who is trying to solve this mystery. 

If you've read this book, come join us for the live stream on Tuesday. I had a 'wait, what?' moment in the book and I'm looking forward to seeing if I was the only one! 

It's going to be warm enough as this week continues that I won't have to wear my fleece-lined snow boots to work, which will be nice!