November is coming

So, it is now T minus three days to the beginning of November...aka, National Novel Writing Month. I have been participating for the past five years. Since I started participating, I have started a new story each year. With the exception of one story, all of them remain unfinished.

Therefore, this year, I'm going to defer starting something new so that I can focus my energies on finishing a couple of the others I have been working on.

NaNo is great. NaNo is intense and stressful. Inevitably by mid-month I will be fully in the weeds with my story and half-convinced that this writing thing is totally for the birds. Then sometime in the third week, I start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Plot holes start getting filled (or at least flagged for later review) and somehow I crawl, exhausted and emotionally beaten, across the finish line.

Luckily for me, I have a relatively clear calendar, lots of coffee stocked in the pantry, and a brand new laptop at my disposal. A couple write-ins are already scheduled each week throughout the month, and of course there are all of the various online forums where I can go commiserate with other writers (of course, this won't be used as a procrastination tool...that would just be silly! Pfft!).

I have been hard at work getting A Dream and A Kiss ready for its release. I am behind schedule, but I am making amazing progress on the story.

I have also been absent from my blog for, oh my, four months. In that time, I have gotten a promotion at my day-job and have taken a few trips out of town. Now that autumn is just days away, I am trying to focus on sitting my butt in the seat and getting words on (virtual) paper. I am also looking ahead to the continuation of the Ellis family saga. Book 3 in the series will feature Porter, the strong, sensitive, silent type and by far the most dynamic of the brothers. I have his whole story mapped out in my mind, but I have to finish Warner's story first. He needs his happily ever after.

"It's an honor to even be nominated..."

I don't know how many of you watch award shows, but in nearly every award ceremony (Oscars, Grammy's, Golden Globes, etc), you will see interviews with celebrities on the red carpet. Inevitably, someone will say something to the effect of "It is an honor to even be nominated." I used to think that was a faux-humility BS statement that they said just to save face in case they lose.


I have since seen the error of my ways.


A few weeks ago, on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I checked my email and found out that I have been nominated for an award. Specifically, the RONE award through InD'Tale Magazine. My debut novel was reviewed in 2015 by that publication and was given 4.5 rating (out of 5). That put me in the running. Needless to say, my ego was stroked.


I now know the feeling of being flattered just by getting the nomination. To me, it's a pretty big deal. Yes, I will be disappointed if I don't win, but that doesn't take away the fact that I did well enough to be in the running.


Voting goes from May 9-15, and this is the link: http://www.indtale.com/2016-rone-awards-week-four


Of course, there is no pressure, but I would really appreciate the support if you want to help out.


Regina




P.S. Oh, and I'm still working on my follow-up novel. I'm getting close to having a completed manuscript.

The best laid plans of mice and men...

I have come to believe that I have time management issues. I had every intention of having A Dream and A Kiss ready for release by mid-March. Well, here it is mid-April, and it just isn't ready yet. I regret that I must push the release back a few months. I'm really, really, really hoping to have it ready by mid-July. However, I won't release it until I feel it is the best possible version of the story that I currently have the ability to write. Although I'm still relatively unknown as an author, I believe I owe it to my audience, myself, and my characters to write to the best of my abilities.

Good news, though! One of my beta readers told me today that Warner Ellis is now her new literary crush. Swoon! I mean, he is pretty dreamy. He has the strong, silent, sensitive thing down. I have really enjoyed getting to know him and translating his journey through his world to the page.

I let myself get distracted a fair amount. I have a full-time job and a couple recurring social events. Often times, I'm mentally fried by the end of my work day, so if I get a full page written in the evening, I think I'm doing pretty well. And then this happens when I am in the zone and ready to get some work done:

 

He's "helping" Mom do her work. Ugh! Thwarted. And he looks so offended when I put him down and get back to what I was doing.