NANO Prep or Panic?

November is National Novel Writing Month.  The goal is to write a 50,000 word book in 30 days.

30 days and nights of literary abandon. 

The date is rapidly approaching. Are you preparing or are you panicking?

I have been planning. A story idea that I have been mulling over in my mind for some time now is the project that I’m going to tackle.  I’ve been itching to get started on this one.  While the muse is jumping up and down over in the corner to get my attention with this story,  I have been trying  to discipline myself to focus on ONE thing while working out some things towards this story.

Does anyone fully grasp the  difficulty of that? ME? focus on just one thing? I’m like the queen of ADHD, iron in the fire juggling, and new shinies!

The list of projects keeps growing. There are times that I feel like throwing my hands up and conceding defeat but  I keep going. I’ve been really trying to focus my efforts on one project at a time. Of course,  the fates have decided that  practical jokes in my life are to be the thing right now. Irony and Chaos have teamed up to make my plans seem unimportant.

Each of us has to manage our time  and prioritize what we spend our 24 hours on. Then fate comes along and decides – nope!   It’s a good thing that I have been working from home and that I’m not on the clock for anyone else because my schedule is currently thrown out of the window. Yes, the one that I toiled over for three day to make sure I fit in my workout time,  meals that I often are prone to skip and then overeat later, writing time, editing time, our home business,  all disrupted because  a good portion of my time is now spent as a taxi driver.  NO,  not for checkered cab company but for my children.

We are currently down to one car between three adults. Instead of  being stuck her without a car,  I have opted to drive my kids to their school/jobs so that I can have a car when I need it.  Call it the privilege of ownership. OF course,  doing that means that a good chunk of my day is then spent driving. *SIGH*

Back to NANO prep. In order to maximize my time that is available for writing,  I am preparing.  I make outlines, but this time I am trying a new method that learned. I’ve spent the last week and a half in developing my characters and laying out the plot and subplots. I have never spent this much time on my characters before, so I really hope that it pays off.

When the stroke of midnight hits,  I will be sound asleep. I hope. Anyway, when I can write I will.  One of the things I really like about NANO  is the challenge of hitting the daily word count goal. There are days when that is easy peasy,  then there are days when 100 words seems  unattainable. It’s an exciting, stressful, demanding, insane time –  but I love it!

Of course I want to win. I don’t enter  things like this planning to fail.  That competitive part of me  is cued and  ready to go.  The practical part of me is saying what are you thinking? Yeah, it’s crazy in there. I accept it and move on. What else am I going to do? Live, laugh, have some wine!

NANO  is an opportunity to push yourself. NANO is a time to embrace the creative ideas that flood my brain. The goal is to WRITE! No editing, no revising,  no research – just WRITE! It’s kind of freeing but it’s kind of scary as well.

I have a plan. I have broken my scenes/chapters into 30 day segments. This is  a modified version of Lazette’s when she shared on my blog before. When you see a method that someone shares that is different from your own, examine it, scrutinize it,  dissect it. Take the parts that work for you and disregard the rest. Eventually you come up with a  method that is uniquely yours that fits you.  I think I’ve found that method for myself and I’m excited to  give it  a test run. That’s also part of what NANO is for me.

Do you NANO? Which side are you on,  prep or panic?

I’m prepped and ready to go. Just a case of pre-race jitters at the moment!

Write on my friends, write on!

Ellie

 

 

The Trickster Release

Today I have a real treat for you guys,  the youngest author I have ever hosted on my blog.

*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*NEW RELEASE*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*

The Trickster by @AuthorLGMiles

Genre: Children’s Adventure/Mystery

BUY THE BOOK

iBooks: http://apple.co/2f3MOdu

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ei5gwB

ABOUT THE BOOK

A curse passed down through the ages.

A soul trapped in limbo.

A mystery to be solved.

When three young friends decide to sneak out and spend the night in an abandoned house rumored to be the haunting place of the Trickster ghost, they will soon get more excitement than they bargained for…

***The Trickster is a children’s adventure/mystery chapter book perfect for ages 7-11. All ideas for the story were inspired by 4th grader, L.G. Miles and novelized by author Amy Miles***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FACEBOOK

L.G. Miles is a lover of all things Minecraft, Angry Birds, and Teen Titans Go. When he’s not at school he can be found on the golf course, drawing, or building legos. The Trickster is his debut novel.

Get your copy today and support this young man!

Write on my friends, write on!

Ellie

 

Unceasing

It’s been a while since I’ve made one of my Monday Mojo posts. I’ve thought about it,  debated over it, let the time pass me by, but it’s come down to a case of necessity.

Maybe it’s just me,  maybe it’s  a common thing, I really don’t know. What I do know is this: vacation time is a necessity. I’ve said before that I thought vacation time was essential and I’ve even made my case for it. However, coming off of the backside of vacation the necessity is crystalline.

This was my morning view for a week. Coffee,  my bullet journal, notebooks, and  ocean waves. The stress and strain slowly melted away. It didn’t happen the first day.  I was up at 5 am, not by choice.  Hotel mattresses aren’t the best and my back was hurting, so . . . up at 5 am  it was.  YES, on vacation. It sucks. Sort of.

So, up at 5 against my will, I started the coffee pot and donned the sweat jacket. Most mornings I was out on the balcony before sunrise. I never thought I’d ever say that. Sitting in a hard plastic chair, with a hot cup of joe, staring out at the ocean under  moonlight and listening to the waves caress the beach in its rhythmic cycle worked its magic in chipping off the stress that had built up over the past year.

The pressure builds slowly,  so slowly that it doesn’t register with us until it’s relieved. That’s how I was.  That’s how most of us are.  Maybe if you are an adrenaline junkie and you go do wild and crazy things on the weekends like base jumping,  then you don’t have that built up pressure. For the less adventurous of us, we work on a regular schedule,  knuckling through the day/week/month over and over not even realizing that it’s building.

Life has stress. Family gives us stress. Relationships give us stress. Our jobs give us stress.

I had been looking forward to a vacation, because it’s always nice to get away. I couldn’t even think about anything before Penned Con was over. My husband couldn’t take off before now because of production deadlines at his work. As adults, we don’t always get to do what we want when we want to do them. Sometimes we have to do unpleasant things because they are the responsible things to do and we have people depending on us.  Then, we get the chance to get away and somewhere between the first day and the trip back home,  you realize just how wound up and stressed out you’ve been.

Clarity –  it’s one of the side effects of being refreshed. 

During those early morning sessions on the balcony, yes it happened every morning except one, I breathed in deeply and exhaled the stale air of daily living. I shook off the tension that had built up over time and had been weighing me down. I have pages and pages  in both my bullet journal and story notebook that I logged in those early morning hours.

Time. Time to think, examine, search, ask questions. I realize that I am probably the last one in the boat on this but bear with me. In the words of Ferris Beuller, life moves pretty fast. Sometimes you get carried along life’s highway and find yourself at a spot where you aren’t really clear how exactly you got there, if you want to get back to point A or move onto point C, D, or Xeta.

I know for a fact that I don’t want to continue with how things have been in my life prior to this time away. My fitness level is at an all time low,  my self-esteem falling rapidly back to a low spot, my confidence withering, and the  home environment has not been a place of peace.

When you reach those types of crossroads,  you can either accept  life status quo or make changes towards the direction of your dreams.

I was at a point of feeling like why am I bothering trying to make a career of writing. I had someone close to me say just before penned con that it was a ‘glorified ego trip’, an expensive hobby. They quickly apologized for expressing it so bluntly but  things like that don’t come out of your mouth unless that is what they are thinking.  It always starts with a thought.

Are they right? Am I chasing a dream that I don’t have the talent to achieve? That was something else they said a few years ago.

Sitting on that balcony alone before the world began to stir, I asked myself questions. What if they are right? What if I never try? What if they are wrong? What do I WANT to do? 

I have to admit, and this is no secret to anyone that knows me or tunes in here very often.  I struggle with time management,  I struggle to stay on task with a project.  I have multiple books in my files that haven’t been published. One canceled contract,  another withdrawn contract, and very soon a contract ending. Maybe they are right. But my best work isn’t out there.

I feel good about some of the things I’ve written.  The Faere Warrior,  does anyone remember that one? It is actually book 2 of a Fae series, set aside to work on book 1.  I got discouraged and set it aside.  Kiss of the Dragon, remember that one?  I worked my butt off writing that and even had part of the second one, Embrace the Dragon written, then some critical comments and a withdrawn contract and I shelved it. Valkyrie’s Curse, started as a serial on Storytime Trysts.  I expanded it, revised it, and it became a series, planned for six books. Then there were differences with the publisher, it was put off,  pushed back and I shelved it.

Do I just give up too easy?  Do I not have the right stuff?  

The waves continued against the shore. Some crashed against the sand, others rolled in gently, some curled back outward to meet the next one.

Why do I push myself to write, then give up on myself?

I have this self-sabotaging cycle that I seem to be caught in.

On the third day of vacation, we were sitting on the deck of the hotel, overlooking the ocean. The waves were gentle, the water became crystal clear. Just like that,  you could see the shells and fish in the water from 100 yards away. In that moment, clarity also came to my mind. The waves have not ceased, they still came in, but they were gentle. Unceasing, never ending, relentless.

What did I want out of this life?

For me. What goals do I have for just me, not my marriage, not my kids,  not my parents or friends,  but for myself?  It’s not wrong to have aspirations.  It’s not wrong to have ambitions.

Why did I want to write?

Because I feel that it is something I can do and do well.  I want to inspire someone else the way that Tolkien inspired me.  I want someone to connect the way Twain did for me.  I want someone to be entertained and laugh the way that Louise Rennison made me laugh.  I want to inspire, encourage, entertain others.  I am an encourager.  Inspiring or entertaining others is part of being an encourager. I’m your biggest cheerleader and my own worst enemy.

Then why would I consider giving up my dream?

Words that someone else says to me? NO

Their fear or lack of confidence in me? NO

Because it’s too hard? NO

I had no good reason to give up but I had every reason in the world to keep at it,  to relentlessly, unendingly, unceasingly pursue my dreams.

I may fail but I’d rather try and fail than to never try at all. At least I will know that I gave it my best effort.

My best effort –  well that was a different matter. My best was far from what I’ve been doing lately.  There needs to be several changes occur in order for me to do my best.

That’s where I start. Get my house in order,  clear out the clutter of our house and my mind.

I don’t expect everyone to get aboard my dream train. In fact,  I rather expect some resistance and maybe even some sabotage.

The plan is simple. That’s part of the clarity.  I need simple in my life.

Step 1 – WRITE! Step 2- See step 1.

Write on my friends, write on. I know I will.

Ellie

 

 

 

 

Interview with Nikki Jefford

While I was at Penned Con 2016,  I got the opportunity to talk with and  interview a few authors live, one on one..  OK,  so I fangirled a lot as well. What can I say?

Nikki Jefford is one of those authors. I took a big breath, exhaled loudly,  then quickly approached her to do an interview.  She was such an amazing sport, and I know I cut into her set up time.

Sorry Nikki! I had only read the first  of her books but was already in love with this character and series. I was so nervous however,  that I forgot to get her to autograph a print copy for me. Next time Nikki, don’t let me forget!

You can tell I was nervous,  I was tongue tied, which is rare for me.

I first saw a post on Facebook in the Penned Con group from Nikki back in April I think. She posted a release for her latest book, True North (Aurora Sky, Vampire Hunter book 6) and I had never heard of it before that time. It piqued  my curiosity so I went over to Amazon and immediately got book 1,  because I can’t jump into a series on book 6 that’s just crazy. I’m currently on book 3.

I talk way too much when I am nervous and Nikki was great about it. *facepalm*

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nikki Jefford is the author of the Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter series and Spellbound Trilogy. She is a third-generation Alaskan now living in the Pacific Northwest with her French husband and their Westie, Cosmo. When she’s not reading or writing she enjoys taking long walks and motorcycling. Lifelong nature and animal lover with a fondness for hot chocolate, tea, wine, and baked goods.

Find out more at Nikki’s website at: http://www.nikkijefford.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornikkijefford/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiJefford

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkijefford/

Go check  out her latest book. Better yet,  get the series!

Write on my friends, write on!

Ellie

Interview with Amy Hale

While I was at Penned Con 2016,  I got the opportunity to talk with and actually interview a few authors.  OK,  so I fangirled a lot as well. What can I say?

(You may have to turn the volume up,  I haven’t figured everything out yet.)

Letters From Jayson by Amy Hale

Jayson wants a quiet place to finish his current project. With one missed deadline behind him, he doesn’t have time for distractions and interruptions.

When Lindsey temporarily moves into a beach house owned by her best friend’s fiancé, she finds that it’s already occupied… by Jayson. To him, she’s a nuisance and a distraction from his work. To her, he’s a conceited and bossy obstacle. Both annoyed at this unavoidable situation, they agree to make the most of their predicament and try to co-exist in peace until their work is done. But Lindsey and Jayson quickly learn there is a fine line between love and hate. Is it really possible to love someone that makes you so crazy? Blurb:

Lindsey is ready for a change.

Shallow relationships and a dead end job have left her longing for more, so when a rare, but difficult opportunity presents itself for a promotion and temporary change of scenery, she jumps at the chance to try something new.

Letters From Jayson is a heartfelt comedy about finding love and forgiveness in the midst of chaos.

Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Jayson-Amy-Hale-ebook/dp/B01J2EPZR2/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/letters-from-jayson-amy-hale/1123885820

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/letters-from-jayson/id1120781774

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/letters-from-jayson

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/640719

Excerpt:

An hour later, Lindsey retied her sarong around her waist and slowly made her way back to the house. She smiled as she walked, taking note of every detail she passed. The sand, the rocks, plant life—everything felt perfect. And the solitude was amazing. Not a sound outside of nature could be heard. The waves crashing softly were the perfect background music to start her new adventure. She pulled open the French doors and stepped inside the cottage. Then she froze in place. She heard humming. Masculine humming. It was coming from the vicinity of the kitchen.

At that moment, a man walked through the doorway with a knife in one hand. His piercing blue eyes met hers, and he stopped in his tracks. She let out a scream and grabbed the nearest thing she could find, which turned out to be a small potted plant. Lifting it over her head, she flung it at the intruder. He ducked just as it smashed against the wall next to him.

  “Get out,” she screamed. “Get out. Get out. Get out.”

“Lady. Hold up a minute,” the stranger yelled back. He quickly glanced at the remnants of the plant, disapproval on his face.

“I’m going to call the cops. I’ll have you put away for life. Get out of this house, you sicko.” She ran for the bed-room that she’d left her bags in, hoping she could shut him out and get to her cell phone.

He got there first and blocked the door. “Calm down.”

“Calm down?” she screeched as her eyes jumped from his to the knife still in his hand. She backed up as she blindly searched for something else to throw at him, and her hand landed on a small glass paperweight. She lobbed it at him, and his reflexes weren’t quite quick enough. It nailed him in the chest.

“Argh … Dammit! Stop throwing things at me.” He rubbed the spot where she’d hit him.

“If you think you can just waltz in here and … and … assault me, I’ll have you know that I will not go down without a fight.” Her tone was full of determination, but she was sure he could see the fear in her eyes.

“What are you talking about?” He held up his hands and only then seemed to realize he was holding a large kitchen knife. He looked back at her. “I’m gonna put the knife down and we will talk like rational adults, okay?”

She backed away from him several more steps before swallowing and giving him a reluctant nod.

He placed the knife on the table to his left, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. “Now, why are you yelling at me like a deranged banshee?”

“Why am I …” His description set her teeth on edge and her anger flared. “Listen, Bucko, I’m not an easy target, so don’t think you can smooth talk me or trick me into letting my guard down. And insulting me sure as hell won’t get you anywhere.”

He put his hands on his hips and raised one perfect eyebrow. “You listen, sweet cheeks, your virtue is safe. I don’t have to resort to forcing a woman if I’m in need of intimate company.” He took a moment to admire her red bikini and see-through sarong. “I mean, you’re hot and all, but don’t flatter yourself.”

She opened her mouth for a witty retort, but all that escaped was air. For a moment, she was actually speech-less, and that didn’t happen often. That moment quickly passed. “Why did you have a knife?”

He looked at her like she was an idiot. “To cut my sandwich.” He pointed to the coffee table in the middle of the room. A blue plate sat on one edge of the table—a large sandwich and a handful of chips covered most of the surface. An open beer bottle was nearby.

“A sandwich?” She was really confused. Why would a guy break in and make a sandwich? She looked him over then, really taking notice of him. She amended that thought—Why would a guy break in and make a sandwich, wearing nothing but lounge pants? He wasn’t just any guy, either, he might have easily been the most attractive man she’d ever set eyes on. He looked to be a few inches taller than her and was muscular everywhere. Not bodybuilder, vein-popping huge, but more like lean cut and definition that spoke of a man who took good care of himself. His face was classically handsome, with an angled jawline and rugged features, yet there was also something about him that made her think of that adorable boy she’d had a crush on in fourth grade. Maybe it was the bright-blue eyes, or the spiky but messy hair. Or it could have been that impish grin that told her he knew just what she was thinking. Damn, he caught me checking him out.

She shook off those thoughts and glared at him. Typical. Handsome and full of himself. Before she could fire off her next set of questions, he pinned her with a hard look.

“Now that we’ve established that the only thing I planned to murder is a hoagie, maybe you can explain to me what you are doing?”

She pulled herself to her full height and looked him in the eye. “I don’t owe you an explanation for anything.”

“Since you are in my house, uninvited, I might add, I’d say you do.”

Author Bio:

Amy Hale is an author, mother, and wife living in Illinois. She started her writing career in 2003 with non-fiction and educational pieces, but decided to take the leap to fiction in 2014. She’s always plotting new projects and writing down crazy ideas. She’s a hopeless romantic and adores all the various ways a love story can be told. Amy also loves mystery, humor, suspense, and other action-filled stories, so her goal is to blend the action with romance and keep you on your toes.
Her husband and kids are the center of her universe, although her cat believes otherwise. She also loves reading, music, and photography. When she’s not writing or reading, Amy can be found watching MST3K movies with her kids, or enjoying the scenery fly by from the back of her husband’s motorcycle.

 

Social Media:

Website: http://www.authoramyhale.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramyhale

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authoramyhale

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoramyhale/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoramyhale/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChcgDFwggfO6NziPrGtLzHg

Go check  out her latest book, and maybe take a gander at  her others!

Write on my freinds, write on!

Ellie

Bujo Revisions

I haven’t touched on the bujo in a while, so it’s time.

First a bit of refresher.  back in June,  I got the bright idea that I could streamline my efforts and go with a weekly spread. this was a bad idea. Not only did I feel stifled just like using those premade planners that eventually find their way to the trash bin, I didn’t stay on task and  was easily distracted. Oh, I made an effort to use it.  I  tried to convince myself that this was efficient. LIAR!

This was the first week.  I made an effort, really I did. but as you see, there is mostly blank space on this spread. The next week was just as bad. Then I decided, I know, it just needs to be jazzed up. So, I added a few  doodles and tried to make it work.  I ended up with more blank space and not using my bullet journal at all. The only thing salvageable for the month was my graph for word count. I liked a couple of the doodles I did, but overall I will give the idea a big fat F for failure. Check out my zodiac sign and the birdcage –  not too shabby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In August I went back to my daily spread. I expanded the level 10 life a bit, setting a goal towards each part. It was in August that I did the one artistic page that I really liked how it turned out:

I needed a little self-motivational talk,  some encouragement, and a means for a little artistic leeway. I’m never going to be a graphic artist,  but for my limited skill level, I thought it turned out well. Some days I managed to use my bujo, others I did not.  There are parts that seem like a redundant repeating  todo list. It’s all good, though.  After all, the main thing I need is to keep myself on task, and tackling my todo list. September’s Level 10 Life spread has noticeable improvement from the previous month. September dailies tracked my diet and water intake. I was diligent. By the end of the month, I had lost 7 pounds. It’s not record-breaking,  but it’s better progress than I have had in a long while.

My daily todo lists revolve around getting prepared for Penned Con. The last few days before the event, my bujo kept me from going into a full panic mode. The days after were jotting down note on the event, things that worked thing that didn’t,  things to remember for other events and a wish list for the future.

Which brings us up to October. I found some of my rubber stamps  that are fall and Halloween related and I’m having fun!  A two-stage stamp  of a pumpkin is replacing my usual banner shape for the day. My mini cube ink pads are adding some pizzazz to my pages. On my month at a glance,  I have  a stamp of a seashell that I absolutely love across the week that we are going on vacation. Yes, I’ve been counting down the days!  It’s strange, last year after my debut at Kentuckiana with Red Wine & Roses, we went on a cruise for a milestone anniversary. When we left Freeport Bahamas,  a hurricane was fast on our tail making for a rocking time on the trip home.  I won’t say it was a rocking good time because if I  would not have had that little patch behind my ear,  I would have been medivacked to shore.

So this year,  our vacation plans  post Penned Con  where Quotidiandose: 30 Days of Sass debuted are to Florida and guess what? Matthew is going double live GONZO terrorizing the Florida and eastern coast. What is the deal?  My heart and prayers go out to all of the folks own there and in the path, whichever path  it ends up taking.

I am mentally going through statements that I have made in the past of surviving a tornado, a flood, earthquakes, and wondering if I ever  said out loud any comment of a hurricane. Someone come give me a beat down if I ever say anything about a tsunami!

So, back to the bujo.  I  have made progress from things that everyone else was doing that sounded practical to making my own method that truly works for me.  I’ve kept the little weekly chart for tracking my word count. I like that much better than the app that used to be on Facebook.

A bullet journal aka bujo is a tool.   Mine is customized to me.  That’s the beauty of this,  you make it your own, make it work for you. If you are a minimalist then the weekly spread might be your thing.  If you tend to journal a lot then a lined journal might be your best bet. I need change. (You know, the thing yesterday that I was accused of not being able to handle?)  I need variety. There’s a bit of this and that in mine.  It’s not perfect, but it’s perfectly me.

By the way, it’s going with me to Florida.  We are both in need of some R&R. The plans consist of  wearing as little clothes as possible while not getting arrested or terrifying small children. Walking from the hotel to the beach ( A istance of about 20 feet), staring out across the ocean, listening to the waves, collecting shells, and drinking margaritas at sunset.

But before then,  I have several items still on my todo list.   You can go over to Youtube and follow me there. I would appreciate it. There isn’t much there yet,   but I will have more eventually. I better go check what else I have left to do.

Write on my friends,  write on!

Ellie

 

 

Cover Reveal

V.L. Locey just keeps cranking them out!  This woman is amazing!

I get the honor of helping her to reveal her latest.

 Roster Addition. 

V.L. Locey

M/F Erotic Hockey Romance Novella

Buy Links:

Amazon-http://tinyurl.com/zwwxrug

Blurb:

Veikko Aho, Wildcats star goalie, and his wife Liz are about to add a new player to their family roster. The open adoption of Maggie and Derrick’s granddaughter will help to heal the gaping hole infertility has left in the Aho’s life. Finally, that huge mansion on the Main Line will hear the sweet laughter of a child.

But the birth that the Aho’s are so looking forward too seems to be stirring up some anxiety and unspoken fears for the grandparents. As the seemingly endless night of labor drags on, power struggles that threaten to break up a long-standing friendship rise to the surface. Can both families put aside their petty differences or will this precious new Wildcat tear them apart?

 Excerpt:

A Little from Derrick

 The phone died just as I knew it would. “Love you too, Mags,” I said anyway then shoved my deceased phone into the front pocket of my trousers. A stiff wind whistled through the parking lot, making me move a little faster. Stepping inside the Doughnut Den, warm, moist air and the smell of freshly made doughnuts embraced me. My belly rumbled as I stepped up to the counter to order coffee for four adults and a box of a dozen assorted doughnuts. The cashier was a tiny little gal who seemed a little intimidated by the ugly old bear buying glazed and chocolate-covered. Even when I give her a smile and a tip, she hung back, never looking me in the eye. I was used to it. Ashley, the girl having my grandbaby, she was real quiet and backward around me for months until she got to know me better. Guess I was one scary type. Must be the beard and scars. You don’t play hockey for twenty years and not get battle scars.

I took my purchases to a table by the window so I could see Aho’s spiffy white Jaguar XJL Ultimate when he pulled up. Imagine my surprise when I saw the goalie climbing out of a metallic blue BMW coupe about ten minutes later. Aho took a moment to button up his long black coat then tuck a white scarf dangling around his neck into the front of his coat. He hurried across the parking lot, looking like some sort of high paid fashion model instead of a hockey player. I reached up to rub the knob on the bridge of my nose, a reminder of ten stitches needed after taking a high stick from some chucklehead from Boston. Hell, that musta been ten years ago now. Veikko, he didn’t have no scars. Not a one, and that was good. If you’ve never seen pictures of the old goalies back before they started wearing masks, you’d be terrified of what you were seeing.

“I was wondering if you’d be having a snack while you waited,” the Finn said after he entered the shop. I held up a half-eaten peanut-butter crème filled. Aho smiled then walked up the counter. That little girl didn’t seem to have any troubles chatting and blushing all over Veikko as he ordered drinks.

“I already got you some,” I informed him when he walked over to the table by the window.

“Ah, well, we’ll have refills.” His eyes dropped to the open box of doughnuts.

“Dig in,” I said then pushed the last bite of my peanut-butter crème filled into my trap.

“Thank you, but I’ll have to pass,” he said in that precise, refined way he spoke.

“I ain’t playing no more so I can grab a sweet now and again,” I informed him.

“It looks like you have grabbed five sweets,” he countered then gave me a wink. I closed the lid then pushed to my feet. The man was just rubbing me wrong for some reason. Probably, I was still pissed off about the train ride and was taking that out on him. “I envy you,” Veikko added as I gathered up my dirty napkins. My gaze jumped from the trash in my hands to the Finn. There wasn’t one damn thing I could think of that Aho would envy me, or anyone else, about. “You’re free now to enjoy the delights of life and not be so concerned about a few extra pounds and how they slow you down on the ice.”

“Oh, yah, being retired is about the best thing ever,” I lied like a rug then whipped my garbage into a can by the front door. Out into the cold we went, both of us carrying containers with coffee, and me with a box of doughnut under my arm. “So where are we, you know, in terms of the baby coming?”

“Not far yet,” he replied, turning his face from a gust of wind that sent papers flying up over our heads. “Elizabeth tells me that first time births can take many hours.”

“Yah, so I hear.” We stopped by the blue BMW. “Where’s the Jag? I didn’t think you ever left home without her.”

Aho grinned at me from across the roof of the Beemer. “That was before we were to be parents. As much as I love my Jaguar, it is not exactly the kind of car one carries a child in, is it?”

“Guess not,” I replied then slowly lowered myself into the car. I looked into the backseat, hoping to find a place to put the doughnut box, and saw a brand new car seat all strapped in and ready for use. I kid you not, seeing that car seat hit me puck between the eyes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Author Links:

Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452

Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey

Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/vllocey/

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey

My blog- http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/

Gone Writing Publishing Backlist Books and Upcoming Releases

Pink Pucks & Power Plays (Book One of the To Love a Wildcat Series)

A Most Unlikely Countess (Book Two of the To Love a Wildcat Series)

O Captain! My Captain! (Book Three of the To Love a Wildcat Series)

Reality Check (Book Four of the To Love a Wildcat Series)

Language of Love (Book Five of the To Love a Wildcat Series)

Final Shifts (Book Six of the To Love a Wildcat Series)

Clean Sweep (Book One of the Venom Series)

Twirly Girl (Book Two of the Venom Series)

Tape to Tape (Book Three of the Venom Series)

Roster Addition (A To Love a Wildcat Novella)

 

Torquere Press Backlist and Upcoming Releases

Two Guys Walk Into an Apocalypse (Part of the He Loves Me For My Brainssss anthology)

Two Guys Walk Into an Apocalypse 2: It Came From Birmingham

Two Guys Walk Into an Apocalypse 3: He’s a Lumberjack and He`s Undead

Love of the Hunter

All I Want for Christmas – A Toms & Tabbies Tale

Early to Rise – A Toms & Tabbies Tale

 Every Sunday at One (Part of the 2013 Charity Sip Anthology)

An Erie Halloween

An Erie Operetta

An Erie Garden Party

Back to the Garden (Also part of the Mythologically Torqued Anthology)

 

M/M Independent Releases

Coming October 12, 2016…On Broadway (part of the Changing on the Fly M/M hockey romance charity novella)

Coming Dec. 5, 2016…Holly & Hockey Boots (M/M erotic holiday hockey romance)

Coming in 2017 …

The Brighton Wood Blades (an LGBTQ erotic hockey romance series)

Two Man Advantage

Game Misconduct

Full Strength

Shutdown Pair

Long Change

See what I mean? This woman is a writing machine! Congratulations on your latest release! OH yeah,  the release date for this one will be November 16, 2016.

Write on my friends,  just like Vicki does! One day I want to have as many books as she does! Write on!

Ellie

Post Penned

Penned Con 2016 has come and gone.  The adrenaline has worn off,  the euphoria  has subsided, and I am wondering when I am going to get a chance to read all these books! Also,  making sure I am able to attend next year.

 

Let’s start with my table.  I shared a table with Sela Carson and had to buy a bundle of her books. I’m reading the first one now, so I’ll let you know once I finish it.  So, I did a new thing. Check it out.

You may need to adjust the audio on that one a bit. Feel free to follow me on Youtube! Please. Don’t make me beg. I will, but don’t make me.

Penned Con is  not like any other author event that I’ve been to. Now, I readily admit that I haven’t been to that many,  but since it’s right in my back yard –  I was astounded at how fantastic this one was.

You heard from Rick himself reasons why Penned is set apart. There were 139 attending authors in all genres, newbie or old hat. It’s all about the networking –  authors, readers, and supporters.   I met some amazing authors, wonderful readers, got some new readers, and tried not to embarrass myself by fangirling over a couple of my favorites. (Sorry Quinn Loftis, I hope I wasn’t gushing too much!)

I will be following up in the next few days with some of the other interviews I did.

Shout out to Rick Miles for the interview!

Write on my friends, write on!

Ellie

 

Plans Change

I recently had someone point out to me that I really don’t do well with change.

HUH?

Are you kidding me? Every single day of our lives, we change, improvise, adapt, overcome, and make a new plan. Human nature likes routine. Human nature likes to  function on auto-pilot and reserve brain cells.

Improvise, Adapt. Overcome.

Change happens. Hence, today’s post is changed from what I had planned. More about that later.

It seems a regular routine that I make plans and they are changed, they get changed, or I have to change them because I made an unrealistic plan.   Seriously,  I know it’s not feasible to unclutter my house in one week. The amount of STUFF contained by four people,  one of which is a serious packrat on the verge of hoarder, one that is completely disorganized and two that never put things back where they belong – yeah, I doubt I can get it one in a month! Maybe a room a week might be doable. That’s just one item on my list.

Here is a list of reasons why you have to  wad up your plans and  make new ones.

1. Unrealistic goals.  You would think being over 30 that I would have learned a long time ago to make more reasonable goals. This is one reason I have to keep reminding myself to make SMART goals. I get excited with a plan and get overly ambitious. That’s when I set myself up for failure by saying things like – I am going to have our entire house clutter free by the end of September.  Guess what? September came and went and I barely made a dent in it.  Not that I was busy preparing for Penned Con or anything. I am learning however, to look at my planner first,  check to see what is already scheduled before I make plans. Yeah, it’s only taken me this many years to figure this out. *eye roll*  (Eyeroll inserted courtesy of Mandee Shanklin)
2. Unexpected Surprises. Things come up. An unplanned trip to urgent care. A surprise visit from a stomach virus. Drop in guests that stay for hours and hours and possibly overnight. I’ve mentioned this before, but when you work from home, people assume that you don’t really do anything so you can go out to lunch at the drop of a hat,  you can have drop-in visitors that stay for hours, or you are free to go shopping with them all afternoon. While there are times that I may welcome the  occasional visitor,   most of the time it requires a great deal of self-discipline to manage my time.
3. Giant wrenches! There are times when  a giant wrench is thrown into the gears and everything comes to a screeching halt. For example: allocating my time divided between writing, editing, and stocking the resale shop. I made a plan to  go to the shop on Tuesdays and Friday. On Wednesday I made tags and do inventory. On Monday I spent a couple of hours cleaning items and deciding what goes this week. However, when my daughter’s work schedule changes and she has to be at work at one in the afternoon that leaves me without a car to  take my items to the shop. We’ve been juggling three cars between four adults. I really don’t want to buy a fourth car. It’s time for our girls to work on buying their cars. But in the mean time, I am the one who ends up without wheels. Before you say just take public transportation, we don’t have any here.  I live in a rural area. The neighbor’s  horses aren’t up for rent either.
4. Unforeseen Complications.  They pop up all the time.  This is why when you work for someone else and have to give an estimate for a deadline,  you factor 25% more time into your project projection because inevitably,  something will come up that delays your deadline.  It is more difficult to get step 4 accomplished than you originally planned for, so that means the extra time it took you to problem solve for that problem has pushed your completion date back by four days. This is also the reason why I have to make self-imposed deadlines. Without setting deadlines for myself,  I hit a snag and drift aimlessly for hours, days, sometimes it turns into weeks. Before you know it,  it’s been six months  that I’ve been stagnated.
5. Too Many Irons in the Fire. This. Right here.  This one more than anything else is the root of my problem. I know some people who pride themselves on juggling multiples of multiples. I’m not a juggler.  I’m not a single-minded individual either. I’m  somewhere in between, closer to the single-minded end,  but erratic enough that I always, ALWAYS have too many things going on at any given time. The problem is,  nothing gets my undivided attention, therefore I don’t ever get that full sense of satisfaction from focused effort on one thing at  a time. I”m working on this. I’m better than I was,  but I still have a long way to go.

So, back to my original plan for today.  I did some really cool stuff at Penned Con that I am planning to share.  I was planning to start on Monday,  but I was exhausted. Sorry –  not going to make any excuses. I was wiped. The adrenalin rush subsided and I was drained.  So scratch Monday.

Yesterday I had a car, so I was in a mad scramble to get all of my errands completed. I got a couple of hours of writing time  in the morning, then it was off on a big circuit to the shops, grocery store, bank, post office, and I forgot to stop at the library.

This morning,  I get feedback from individuals that  I talked with at Penned and their first impressions of me were based on comments made by another individual. Wow! Thanks for that. It may seem like I don’t handle change well but in fact, I do.  I talk about it, talk about my frustration with it,  but I manage it. If I didn’t handle it I would need a prescription for Xanax or one of those other things daily. Of course, as it was also pointed out if I were to take the Xanax,  then I probably wouldn’t stress eat.

Xanax versus brownies . . .  I am fond of brownies. Not as fond of the chemicals in the drugs. I need all the brain cells I can muster.  I freely admit I am a long time self-medicator with food. Now put my  brownies back on the table and back away slowly and no one will get hurt.

Plans change. We adapt. We make new plans. Life throws us a curve ball,  we bunt. It throws a speedball, we hit a homer! Sometimes we strike out,  but sometimes it’s a grand slam.

What about you? Are you adapting? Are you still in the game or are you sitting on the bench wringing your hands?  I haven’t given up yet, you shouldn’t either. Take a deep breath and get back in the game!

Write on my friends, write on!

Ellie