Category: The cat

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.)

Ten day challenge day 6: come on, everybody, do your exercise

10 Day Write Blog Challenge button200

Today’s prompt:

Share a personal interest or hobby that you have aside from writing – how has this inspired and impacted your writing? Required: at least one photo!

I’m fairly certain the photo is meant to highlight my wonderfully creative hobby that I have in addition to writing. Alas. I have no such thing, at least nothing worth taking a picture of. Instead, I have this:

Exercise cat says no pain, no gain.

Yep. Exercise. I work out every single morning, even when I’m sick (because generally I don’t realize I’m sick until after I exercise). How does it inform my writing? Let me count the ways:

  • That initial tug of resistance. It lasts for all of five minutes.
  • Some days you simply flail around. That’s okay.
  • Some days, you’re so hot, you’re on fire.
  • Endurance.
  • Pyramiding up on the weights.
  • Lightening the load.
  • The zone.

In fact, I find exercise so similar to writing that I wouldn’t want to do one without the other. Plus, I use the same handful of workout tapes. I know the routines so well, I often daydream about my stories while I work out.

 

Animal Humane Society: Walk for Animals 2012

We’re walking again for the Animal Humane Society Walk for Animals. Five miles on what I hope will be a beautiful May Saturday. It’s got to be warmer than the last few years, yes?

Want to help? Click through to donate to Team Oreo (that’s us):

Animal Humane Society: Walk for Animals 2012

Why Team Oreo?

 

This is why.