Category: pets

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the Merry Catmas

Triple xmas catQuiet holiday week here. I did a lot of baking and a little cleaning and even got some writing work in as well.

I finished up the revisions on the story I was working on–I added about 3,000 more words total. A few new scenes to round out what I was hoping to do with the story.

Next step is to proof it and maybe send it out for a beta read.

We didn’t have a white Christmas, but we did get some snow yesterday. Enough for sledding, which made my daughter very happy.

Also, I spent a fair amount of time tugging the creature pictured above out of the tree. We now have several cat-sized holes in the branches.

Writing Work:

  • Writing work: ~1,000 words
  • Short story revision
  • Design reading

Submissions:

  • Gretel and Hansel

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the cold

Xmas CatA quiet week with a bit of a cold snap–and a cold for me.

Even so, I got some writing work in. I’m working on a short story, did some design reading, and spent a wonderful few hours writing at the coffee shop yesterday while my daughter was at a holiday party.

One rejection, a fast one (I don’t mind those, plus it was a very nice personal one). I’ll have to search out another market this week.

And that’s about it. It’s kind of nice to have a quiet week after the flurry of activity of two releases within two weeks of each other. (Yeah. That was kind of crazy.)

Writing Work:

  • Writing work: ~2,000 words
  • Short story revision
  • Design reading

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Gretel and Hansel

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with nautical dog

nauticaldogAnother quiet week. I did some work on a short story. It’s historical, the first one I’ve written, so part of the revision process is underlining anything I’m uncertain about and researching to make sure the details/phrasing/whatever works for the time period and setting (WWII in France).

So, it was my intention to take all the Wired for Story classes, but now I’m having second thoughts. I’ve done a lot of craft work in the past several months–and my word count has suffered for it. I’m switching gears for a while and will do more drafting and revising.

And boating. With nautical dog. Of course.

Writing Work:

  • Story Focus class (second chapter of Wired for Story)
  • Photoshop tutorials (along with updating the Creative Cloud)
  • Revision work

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with a sad week

Sparky

It was a sad week around here. We said goodbye to our sweet girl Sparky on Tuesday. It was hard to let go, but also, it was time.

I did manage a little writing this week. Got a notion for a second installment (episode? story? I don’t know what to call it) featuring Katy, Malcolm, coffee, and ghosts from Ghost in the Coffee Machine. I’m hoping this will end up as both a standalone story but add to an overall story/character arc (because I have a notion for a third as well). This might be a tad ambitious.

I also reviewed audio files this week for The Maze. To say I’m excited about this would be an understatement. But it doesn’t leave much time for anything else–so, no submissions this week. Of course, the upside is no rejections.

Writing Work:

  • Ghosts and coffee ~ 2,000 words
  • The Maze: audio file review

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with not much to say

goldySo, our new pup, Mattie, is adjusting well. The cat is getting sneaky and finding ways to be in the same room as said pup without Mattie noticing. Of course, when she does, the cat zips back downstairs.

Summer is ending, we’re getting my son ready to head off to college (the image is your clue as to where he’s going) and my daughter to Jr. High (milestones, we have them). Not quite as much writing this week as last, but I’m heading into the home stretch of Pansy 2.0 and can see the whole way in front of me. While it’s a re-draft, many pieces are significantly different: new scenes, new characters, new twists. It’s been a lot of fun to write.

Nice rejection this week for a story that’s long enough that I might put it in Kindle Unlimited and call it done. But I still have a few more I can submit when I hit a little downtime.

Writing Work:

  • Pansy 2.0 ~ 6,011 words
  • World Building class

Submissions:

  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies

Rejections:

  • A Knight in the Royal Arms

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Weekly writing check-in: the one with a new pup

Mattie3 Mattie2So yes, this happened over the weekend.

Meet Mattie (short for Matilda). She looks like a puppy, but she’s actually four years old. According to the Animal Humane Society she’s a mix of Dachshund and a smooth-haired terrier. She is small and cute and very, very sweet.

Now let’s hope the cat will like her (I’m not too worried about our other dog).

Naturally, since I mentioned a dearth of rejections last week, I received two this week, although they were both personal and fairly positive, so there’s that. Writing work, some world building (although I’m a bit behind–blame the new dog). I would love to finish Pansy by the end of August, but I’m not 100% certain that will happen.

Writing Work:

  • Pansy 2.0 ~ 7,885 words
  • World Building class

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • The Madness in King’s End
  • Keeping Time

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet: Book Tour!

Well, admittedly, we were working with a limited budget, and the venues were small. Still, I think it went off splendidly. Here are the highlights:

Things got off to a slow start.
Things got off to a slow start.
They say this book is on fire.
They say this book is on fire.
car
As marketing techniques go, this one needs some work.
I hear this book really has legs.
I hear this book really has legs.
Coming soon to a local branch near you!
Coming soon to a local branch near you!
fence
No need to be on the fence about this book!

 

Ardent fan demanding autograph.
Ardent fan demanding kibble catnip autograph.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour as much as I did the real one! All without a single arrest for trespassing!

Available in print and electronic format:

Print, Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords

Also available as a Kindle Match Book. Buy the Print version from Amazon and get the Kindle version for 99 cents! (Note: you must buy the paperback first for this to work.)

No one eats until the frog eats

Frog on bough
Image via Wikipedia

So yesterday, Andrew and I went to see To Kill a Mockingbird at the Park Square Theatre with my mom. It was excellent. We enjoyed it very much, and Andrew and I had a good talk about the themes in the play on the way home. Plus! Bought new shoes.

The second we walk into the house, Kyra calls out, “Mommy! Andrew! Come look! We have a frog!”

(Why am I continuously surprised that things find their way into our house when Bob and Kyra are unsupervised? I shouldn’t be. And yet, I am.)

They went to the pet store and added some new tetras to the tank. Well, the tank needed some new tetras (all our other ones have slowly died off, and the danios are kind of lonely). But they also bought a frog, which can live in there as well.

However, since it eats bloodworms, we have to take it out of the tank to feed it. Fortunately, we only need to do this once a week. So, now, my Outlook has the recurring task of “Feed the frog” for every Friday.

The frog is named Matilda.

I think the new rule for Friday will have to be: No one eats until the frog eats.

Walk for Animals–the final countdown

walk1 Next Saturday is the Animal Humane Society Walk for Animals. I’ve been checking (somewhat compulsively) the extended forecast. Right now, next Saturday is sandwiched between to rainy days. Let’s hope for sun! Especially since I’m going to be walking with him.

For thirty five years, our local Animal Humane Society has sponsored the Walk for Animals. Since we adopted Oreo from there last September, Andrew thought this would be a neat way to give back.

Andrew’s goal is to raise $500.00. If you’d like to help, click the link below.

Andrew’s donation page at Walk for Animals. (Click the Support Andrew button on the page.)

And thanks!