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2012 Begins With…

I finished formatting Return to Shanhasson and loaded it to Smashwords.  I’ve also submitted the file to Amazon, so it should be up shortly.  Once everything’s up, I’ll create a post so everyone knows and I’ll beg for some new reviews or ratings.  *sheepish puppy dog eyes*

I went through Lady Wyre’s Reget and added a few hundred words to the end.  I’m still not sure that it’s *right* but I don’t know how much further to go.  I’ll let it sit awhile and see.  I’ll probably post it here so you guys can tell me what you think.  I need a satisfying ending — but it should also make you want to go buy Lady Doctor Wyre if you haven’t already read the main story.  A tough balance.

I really want this prequel to hook and entice.  I plan to create a chapbook via CreateSpace, so I’ll have something to sign…  at the RT Conference in Chicago!  Yep, I’m going, and I absolutely couldn’t be more excited!!!

So I’ve already crossed a bunch of busywork off my list.  Now I’m switching gears to a short project to decide if I have enough to whip it out in the next month or two for a submission call.  More details to come once I figure out what I’m doing.

Still not a lot of words…but definite progress!

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My Best Achievement in 2011

Is definitely my weight loss.

I’ve never been able to sustain any weight loss efforts this long before!  I’ll hit one year with Weight Watchers Online on 1/5/2012.  So far, I’ve lost 61 pounds, and yes, I still have quite a ways to go.  It’s taken me the last 6 months to lose 20 pounds, but that’s okay.  Slow and steady gives my body time to shrink even if the scale doesn’t budge.

You might think I’m joking, but my SIL keeps calling me the Disappearing SIL — even when I swear the scale didn’t budge at all.  I need to lose quite a bit more, so even when I maintain or don’t lose that much, I tell myself that gives everything time to shrink a little into place. :lol:

I went from never wearing jeans — because I refused to buy them so large and be devastated by the size — to wearing almost all jeans all the time.  Last night, I went to Kohl’s to spend a gift certificate from my Dad (exactly what I asked for – thank you, Papa!!), and was absolutely tickled to FINALLY get into the next lower size of jeans.  It seems like I’ve been stuck for months, but I just about bawled with joy when those new smaller Lee’s fit!  I still have a pair of Gap jeans in the same size that are too small, but I know I’m very very close.

The key for me was deciding that I don’t care how long it takes.  I don’t care if I have a small gain.  I don’t care if I temporarily slip off plan.  I WILL get back on and I WILL do it.  Again and again and again, even if it takes me the rest of my life.  I will eventually get to goal.  I’ll start over every single day, every single meal, if that’s what it takes.

Of course joining Romance Biggest Winner was also a great idea.  Having a weekly accountability above and beyone WW has kept me on track.  I wanted to lose 25 pounds I think – which I won’t quite make, but I’ll be very close.  I hope we run another round in 2012!

My number one goal for 2012 is to implement a consistent exercise routine, something that I’ve dabbled with this year but haven’t successfully committed to on a regular basis.  My plan is to customize Power 90 where I can switch up the “sweat” portion when I get too bored or feel too much hatred for those downward/upward dogs.  I have several other cardio-type exercises I can swap in as needed, but I love the strength portion of Tony’s workout.

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Mistletoe Madness Giveaway

Main Giveaway Hub

In these days of ultra cool electronics and games, I sometimes wonder if people care about homemade gifts from the heart.

 

I always try to make a few things for people on my list, but the busier I get with real life, the more I can’t quite pull off my big plans.

I just don’t have enough time to make all the things I want.  This year, I’m hurrying to finish some simple cross-stitch Christmas ornaments.  Next week I plan to do a lot of baking to take to family dinners.  One year I made easy flannel scarves, another year crochet bookmarks.

Yet I always secretly fear that people think homemade gifts are a little tacky or cheap.  What about you – what’s your favorite memory of a handmade gift someone gave you?

Comment on this post any time Dec. 16 – 23 to be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to any online book retailer of your choice (B&N, Amazon, ARe, etc.) and any book from my backlist, including a signed print copy of either Dear Sir, I’m Yours or Hurt Me So Good.  If you choose print, I’ll mail internationally.

Happy Holidays – let the Mistletoe Madness begin!

 

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Bad Blogger

Forgive me, blogosphere, for I’ve been lazy and busy.  It’s that time of the year when every moment outside of the Evil Day Job is packed with something to-do.  Like shopping, getting family pictures taken, hopefully sending out Christmas cards this year *crosses fingers – last time we tried to do this, JC Penney lost our order until Feb!*

Add to that the cold, dreary, darkness of December and I’ve just not had much gumption to work on writing either early or late.  Sigh.  I’ve got Rose about 3/4 formatted and lightly edited.  The Horse Master is done, except for putting an excerpt from Rose in.  I was hoping to get the entire trilogy up by the end of the year, but I might not make it.

I also want to get the Zombie story submitted sooner than later.

Oh, and all the bloghop/holiday giveaways to manage, which starts tomorrow!  (So watch here for cool prizes over the next few days!)

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Emotional Reads

One of the things I want to work on with my writing in 2012 is making sure I involve the emotions.  I want to take you on an emotional rollcoaster!  Wild joy, the depths of loneliness and doubt, and everything in between.

I’ve taken Margie Lawson’s Empowing Characters’ Emotions workshop (I plan to re-read all my notes next year), but I’m looking for highly emotional books you’ve enjoyed that I can add to Mt. TBR.  Some books I’ve heard recommended as “emotional” are Lisa Valdez’s Passion and E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey.  (Whispers, although I’ll admit that I’ve tried to read both in the past and can’t get through the samples.)

When you think of high emotions, what books would you recommend?

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RBW Post Turkey

I didn’t track much this past week.  I didn’t exercise either.  Sigh.  I was just too busy.  If I wasn’t running an errand or cooking, I was doing up dishes, cleaning the house for company, or writing (a little).  We even ended up with fried twist donuts in the house Thursday morning (for the company, of course), and I succumbed instead of eating my healthy yogurt as planned.

I gave away tons of leftovers but the fridges are still loaded.  We had another Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, brother, and sister Saturday, and of course Granny sent us home with MORE leftovers, including a nice big piece of Chocolate Angel Pie.  I ate it.

So why was the scale down .42% today?

I tried really hard to not OVER eat.  I ate what I wanted – but had small portions, ate slowly, and had NO seconds.  I ate extra vegetables and fruit and yogurt whenever possible (e.g. Saturday morning brunch before leaving for Mom’s I had Fage, blueberries, and Kashi, while the family gnoshed on Combos and beef jerky on the ride).  Then Sunday and Monday I was strictly back to plan, ate a little less than my point range but nothing extreme, drank my water, tracked my points, and avoided snacky food.  In other words, I got right back on track instead of allowing the feasting to continue.

Nearly to my next 5 pound star!

Romance Biggest Winner

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RBW Thanksgiving Edition

I haven’t been posting weekly Romance Biggest Winner updates because there’s not been much to report.  I’ve been hovering around the same number, up a pound, down a pound, wash and repeat over and over and over.

It’s frustrating to say the least.

However, I’ve also gotten just a little bit lazy on my tracking.  Where I was tracking faithfully every day, I’ve just been so busy — and had a few too many slips — to keep up.  When I’m writing hard, I tend to get up early and stay up later, which makes me even more hungry.  And yes, I’m always tempted to use munchies to help me stay awake even longer.  Enter my nemesis, the Lay’s potato chip.

But this NaNoWriMo I’ve been pretty strong.  I only indulged in chips once.  I even got a little exercise in last week — but I’m still not consistent yet.  Baby steps.

Yesterday I tracked my food before I ate it — planning my day out to the final point so I already knew I would have nothing else after the last apple snack.  I drank water with lemon (that I finally remembered to pick up), which helped me want even more water because I love the taste, especially bubbly water made by our SodaStream.

And today, I was finally thrilled to slip into that new decade on the scale.  .91% loss for RBW and 57 pounds lost for the year!  Woot!

Now a lot of you might be wondering what I’m going to do for Thanksgiving.  Will I make diet food?  Will I starve myself and gorge on all the goodies at dinner?

Here’s my philosophy.  I love to cook the big dinner.  I make it the way my mom always made it, with a few extras that That Man’s family likes.  I use the best quality ingredients I can find.  I make my own chicken broth for the gravy and noodles (and I don’t skim the fat off).  I make bone broth from the turkey carcass for another round of healthy soups after the big day.  I make real food.

Many “light” and “fat free” products have added corn syrup and fillers to make them taste good.  So I don’t often use them.  I do substitute light sour cream and light cheese occasionally because I personally can’t taste the difference.  But when I’m cooking for twenty people on Thanksgiving day, I’m making the best food I possibly can and I’ll use the real deal.

Will I have pie?  Yes.  Small pieces of both pumpkin and pecan.  Will I eat both mashed potatoes and carby homemade egg noodles?  Yep.  But I’ll eat in moderation.  I’m going to have a filling Greek yogurt and Kashi breakfast.  I’ll drink my water along with a gallon of coffee.  I’m preparing a healthy yet delicious spinach salad to eat along with the carbs, and my SIL is bringing a vegetable platter.  I’ll try not to eat until I’m miserable, which shouldn’t be too hard.  I’ll be too busy serving and cleaning up to eat a lot anyway.  As soon as the main late lunch is consumed, I’ll throw the carcass into a pot and start the late dinner soup fest with the leftovers.  (We’ll have people visiting all day)

So I won’t “diet” that day — but I will try to eat in moderation.  I’ll go into the day with a plan and do the best I can.  It’s only one day a year, the only day I’m responsible for cooking delicious food for so many people, and I’m going to enjoy it!

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NaNoWriMo2011 Day 21

I haven’t given up on hitting 50K but wallowed in the glow of finishing ZCR a bit too long.  It’s hard to switch gears without much down time, especially this time of year.  I’ve been a shopping, cleaning fool the past two weeks preparing for Thanksgiving.  I’ve got two fridges absolutely stuffed with all the fixings.  Cooking will start Tuesday night this week, Wednesday is prep day when I’ll bake the pies, make at least 10 batches of egg noodles, and mash 20 pounds of potatoes.  (We like our carbs…)  Then of course the turkey needs to go into the oven by 8 AM Thursday and we’ll have a house full of guests until late Thursday night.

Writing?  In all of that?

Yes.  I’m trying.  I did some plotting and brainstorming for Lord Regret’s Price.  I also decided to see if I could expand the free prequel, Lady Wyre’s Regret.  IF I can get to RT next April, I want to have something to hand out and sign (since Lady Doctor Wyre is an ebook).  I’m thinking about printing up a chapbook of the prequel and a nice excerpt.  But of course I want it to be the absolute best I have to offer, and there’s a lot more to how Lady Wyre and Regret meet than I’ve given you so far.

NaNoWriMo count:  40,450 words

Snippet:  this is continuing the free read prequel, Lady Wyre’s Regret.  First draft only, etc. etc.  I love the little line tying into the next book….  What exactly is Lord Regret’s price?

Waving regally, Charlotte paused on the front steps of Wyreton and awaited her public assassination.  Her heartbeat ramped to supersonic speeds, but she managed to smile for the millions of Britannians watching the Solstice Eclipse festivities.  Cameras flashed, broadcasting her departure for the royal ball.

As the Duchess of Wyre, she’d be fashionably late. Eternally
late, if Lord Regret manages to pull off this charade.

She heard the shocked whispers and gasps before she felt the assassin’s blade digging into her neck.  This time he didn’t spare any pressure, deliberately drawing enough blood to leave DNA evidence on her spotless white marble.

It must look real and authentic.

Drawing in a deep breath, she let a shrill scream echo across the plaza.  She clawed at his arm locked about her throat so tightly she couldn’t breathe.  Combined with the rigid corset, she was afraid she might actually pass out.

Pain burned across her throat and she screamed again.  She hadn’t counted on being so terrified.  Her orders had been
explicit.  He must rough her up enough to make it look real.  He must draw her blood, obviously wounding her severely enough that the general public would believe her dead.

Yet she couldn’t help that niggling doubt.  What if Majel had gotten to him?  What if someone had upped her price, making the amount on her head too attractive for the famous assassin to resist?  Every man has a price.  What is Lord Regret’s?