MONDAY MOTIVATION - Making Progress!

 Good morning, everyone!

I have a full week ahead, bringing lots of things. 

I finally started tackling the household chores that have been let go during my illnesses. Felt good to give the bathroom and laundry room a deep clean yesterday but boy am I feeling it this morning.

One of the things I need to do this week is to contact the Media dept. at Fort Polk. I finally figured out what the internal struggle is of my hero (as well as a bit of enlightenment on the heroine's issues) In able to approach my hero's growth, I need to know if the scenario I have in mind for him, what has caused his struggle, is valid. When it comes to the military stuff, I'm trying not to leave anything to chance.

Last week, I sent off about eighteen requests for info from the authors in the Something Blue anthology releasing May 17th. I've heard back from three so far. I'd hoped to start shining the spotlight on those authors this week, running the spotlight on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until I had spotlighted all of the authors. One author I did hear back from was Shirley Jump. I've known Shirley for years. We each ran workshops back in our AOL days almost twenty years ago! She is happy to join us however, she is in the midst of wedding stuff and asked if I could put her last. I am happy to accomodate!

In the mean time, I did pick up a new Love Inspired on Saturday and will be using that tomorrow. 

As to my day job as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator (only for a few more months), the company will release a new catalog and line of products to the public on May 3rd. That means lots of prep work for promotion and project making between now and then. 

The kanban board didn't get completed last week so you'll see that on the list. I also didn't get to sprint every day but I did spend time making notes on the issue I mentioned above. 

* Kanban board

* Video tracking board

* Stampin' Up! necessities

I'll see you tomorrow with a Spotlight and book review

All my best

~ Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Getting There...

 

Good morning, everyone!

Bob left last Tuesday and I've slowly started to get things caught up. This wet, dreary, cold weather is not helping. There are more days than not I just want to snuggle under the covers in a dark room and binge-watch MASH... which I'm calling research since it is about the 'Police Action' of the Korean War Conflict.

Spring pollen is not helping. I wake every morning with a sinus headache. I take meds then try to accomplish at least a couple of things before my brain no longer wants to process.

Okay... I'm done whining. :-)  

Did I mention our weather is wet, cold, dreary and just flat miserable? I refuse to let it keep me from my appointed rounds today.

So far, I've located the missing price changes sheet for Stampin' Up! so I can share with my team member and encourage sales to my customers before prices go up 'slightly'. (we're talking .25-.50 per item but that ads up!)

I've also printed out what I need for my Stampin' Up! video for tomorrow and given thought to my videos for Wednesday and Friday.  - Progress

I still have the final two steps in HB90 bootcamp to complete. Again, all about the brain wanting to process. Plus, there are some deadline things I can't push to the side to finish. I am down to setting up the Kanban board. I just need to fine-tune the projects/ tasks first. I'm hoping to finish that up on Wednesday.

USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Sasha Summers will be joining us here soon. She is part of an anthology releasing May 17th then a new book of her own June 28th. She's already sent me pictures of her Writer's Nest. I'm contacting all of the authors and hope to shine the spotlight on all of them soon. 

For now, let's focus on this week:

* List the anthology authors and send initial emails

* Finish HB90/ set up Kanban board

* Sprint on An Ozarks Homecoming EVERY DAY

I do have one small task to get out of the way first thing this morning. I will be speaking at the Ozarks Romance Authors in Springfield MO on May 7th. The coordinator needs my summary today. Then it's on to the Top 3.

What are you working on? Please leave a comment. Let's network!

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Weekly Plan & HB90

 

Good afternoon, everyone!

Coming in late simply because I got sidetracked. 

As I told you in THIS POST, I took Sarra Cannon's HB90 course. I still have three days left of the course. I have spent a good portion of the past three days getting my social media calendar put together. I didn't feel I could effectively work the HB90 Q2 kanban board if I didn't have my social media road map.  That planner is finally in order. What does that mean?

Having the SM planner completed means I now know what blog posts and/ or videos and the coordinating projects figured out and know what I need to do.

Bob is home so I won't be working the long hours I normally wood. I'll be doing my posts a week ahead. Bob will leave out a week from tomorrow then look out! 

First off, the only thing I did the past two weeks was to take it really easy so the ribs could heal. I learned a hard lesson as well. The older I get, the slower I am to heal. I thought I would be back to near full-power in a week. Not so much. I fell on the 2oth of March. I'm just now able to do almost everything - as long as I pay attention to how I move/ bend.

Here's my plan for this week:

* Finish the HB90 course and Kanban board for Q2

* Finish research to answer military exercise question

* Spend quality time with Bob

The hard work will begin on April 13th when I dive into An Ozarks Homecoming yet again for Camp Nano.

What's your plan of attack for the week?

All my best!

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - My Weekly Plan

 

Good morning, everyone!

I've decided to go back to the Goal Setting posts for Monday with a bit of positivity woven in. Please bear with me on this transition.

Here we are - the first quarter of the year almost gone and I'm just now setting goals for the year. 

One of the first things I did was sign up for Sarra Cannon's HB90 Bootcamp course. I've followed the idea through her videos for the past three or four years but decided now was the time to actually take the course. I've followed Sarra for years. Life has thrown her lots of curves in the past year yet she is still smiling, still positive and still motivating others.

Her HB90 course has you setting and managing three main goals to through in a 90 day period.  We've just started this round but she offers the course four times a year. Follow her (under HeartBreathings) on YouTube, FB and IG to get a heads up when the next round will begin... usually the last two weeks of a quarter so the next round should begin about mid-June. She uses the Kanban board method. I'll drop one of her videos at the bottom of this post.  I love working with the Kanban board and have used her system very loosely the past couple of years. With having lost nearly the first three months of this year, I decided 'loosely' wasn't going to work if I want at least two more books published by the end of the year.  You will also find her HB90 planner in her ETSY SHOP.

We had our kick off call yesterday. For the next seven days, we'll be given assignments to help set us up for success. There's a lot of prep work. We don't even get to the KanBan board until Day 6 or 7. 

I'm already off to a slow start, having slept through the first twenty-five minutes while on pain meds. I am not a skier and usally pretty steady on my feet but...

We had about 2.5" of snow last Thursday. Most of it was gone by Saturday morning but I took the least steep part of the yard to go out to my truck. I needed a grocery trip. I made it to the truck once to start the vehicle warming up, came back into the house for my purse/ phone - then promptly fell on my backside going back to the truck. Mind you, there wasn't 1/4" of snow left anywhere I was walking and the temperature was above freezing. I was fine til I went to roll over so I could get up... and heard the #4 rib pop on the right side. So all the things I planned to do, like have my HB90 workbook/ planner ready to go for the conference call on Sunday didn't get done. I'm comfortable sitting/ reclining but getting up to move is like doing crunches, compacting the rib into the one below. So not comfortable or condusive to accomplishing anything. Of course, Bob is on the boat so I'm managing on my own.

My Top 3 for this week are simple

1 - Remember to take it easy so this rib can heal

2 - Work on An Ozarks Homecoming EVERYDAY

3 - Remember to take it easy

I'm not going to push myself. I need this rib to heal before I have to start working in the yard/ garden. That said, I think getting older is going to make healing a slower progress than I would like. It is what it is.

Here's one of Sarra's many videos using her HB90 method and her Kanban board:

What's on your agenda for this week? Are you writing? Share in the comments below what is going to be your biggest hurdle this week in achieving your goals!

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION

 

Good morning, friends!

Bob leaves tomorrow, so I've pre-written and scheduled this post. I'm trying to schedule more of them - 'batch blogging' so that I don't have gaps as I approach NanoWrimo.

I'll take tomorrow off from doing anything but maybe YouTube videos, napping or reading, then kick back in on Wednesday.

My Top 3 for this week:

# November Blogs

# November Videos

# November meal prep

TOP 3 3-15-21

 

The time has come to really dig in my heels and get back to business. 

Covid wasn't really an issue for me. I just got lazy. I didn't write, I didn't do much of anything I should have been doing.  I spent time with Bob when he was home. When he was gone, I did 'this and that' - nothing that really mattered.

How do you determine 'what matters'? How do I choose my Top 3.

Alexis Giostra (Alexis aka Miss Trenchcoat all across the internet) says that is the first step in determining what needs to be done... figure out what your priorities are. I'm posting her video at the end of this post.

For me, the blog posts are important. They keep my name out there in a cycle while helping to keep me focused on what I NEED to do rather than the nap I'd really like to take. hehe Curling up with a book some days just sounds much more fun.  Curling up with the book is one of my motivations for the Author Spotlight and Wednesday Reviews.

Next on my priority list is the writing. If I don't write, there won't be any more books and no supplemental income for when Bob retires. I have to find a time that lets my words flow efficiently while not sacrificing time with Bob. Nights work best for me. I also know that once supper is out of the way, all I want to do is spend the rest of the evening with him. 

Before I move on to the last item, let me stress that Bob is extremely supportive. If I tell him I need to write for a couple of hours, he totally gets it. I just live with the constant thought that if something ever happens to him, I don't want my lifelong memory to be that I didn't spend the time with him. Those are moments I can't get back. 

Last on my list is to clean out the office corner. 

The desk and the printer table are clean and I can be productive. However, it's the office island in serious need of a deep sorting. Once that is done, I can be more productive in the area. My planners and notebooks will be at hand, rather than moved from whatever 'mobile' site I've relocated to on any given day. 

We had this office/ art studio built so that I could be more productive... yet I'm not using the space efficiently. 

I've made some small changes to the clutter in the rest of the studio but I still have a long way to go. Every day that he is on the boat brings me closer to finding 'space peace'.

Here is Alexis' video: 

I'm hoping to share her CEO Strategy Planner for Creative Entrepreneurs soon. Alexis will be going through the planner om Saturday March 20th at 2 p.m. EST. Here's a link to her CHANNEL   If you've been looking for the planner to help get you on track, I hope you'll join us!

This week I'll be shining the spotlight on author, Roxanne St. Clair then reviewing her contribution to the 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers series. Adam is Book 2. If you ready Ryder's story (Book 1), you'll know that Adam is one of Bailey's (heroine) twin brothers.  My review will post on Wednesday.

Writer Tip Thursday comes from Lee Child then A. E. Chewing takes us inside her new Writer's Nest on Friday.

I hope you'll join me!

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 3-8-21

 

Good morning, everyone!

After accomplishing very little last week, I'm healthy, energized and ready to work this morning. Let's begin a brand new week with lots of positivity!

First off, I finished the beta reading/ edits for June Faver's future book (2022 ?) ...  DREAMING OF A COWBOY. Excellent book! Probably one of the best in the Garrett family line to date.I fall more and more in love with Big Jim with every book I read. Her most recent book, FOREVER  MY COWBOY, came out in January. I reviewed the book HERE. You'll also find June's social media links on that post.

This week begins a 7-week series for the Author Spotlight and Wednesday Review. We'll be taking a closer look at the seven authors who wrote the 7 BRIDES for 7 SOLDIER'S series. The previous link will take you to Amazon where you can pick up all seven books rather than purchasing individually.

Tomorrow, I'll shine the spotlight on author, Barbara Freethy then Wednesday I'll review the first book in the series, written by Barbara, Ryder.  I'm looking forward to delving in to the entire series and getting to know the authors behind these seven soldier heroes.

In the mean time, here is the list we'll be reading:

Ryder (#1) - Barbara Freethy

Adam (#2) - Roxanne St. Claire

Zane (#3) - Christie Ridgway

Wyatt (#4) - Lynn Raye Harris

Jack (#5) - Julia London

Noah (#6) - Cristin Harber

Ford (#7) - Samantha Chase

After I finished the edits for June last week, I wound up with a stomach bug that took me out the rest of the week. I'm planning to get back in to Book 2 tonight. To further encourage me (accountability) and so you can see how things are going, I'm going to add a word count widgit to my side bar.  All I have to do is remember to update, which I will probably do on Mondays. That way when you see my week ahead, you'll also be able to see how I did word-count wise on the previous week.

Remember, we also have the Writer Tip Thursdays with our new video series. I don't know how many I can schedule ahead on blogger but I have them lined up for the next several weeks.

One more thing, I am speaking on BLOGGING as an author platform at the 54th Annual Ozark Creative Writers conference October 7, 8, 9 this year. I'll be talking about making the most of a blog (both as opposed to and in conjunction with a website) as well as the social media marketing required to make it viable. If you want more information about the conference just click on the button on the sidebar. I hope you'll join us for this fabulous conference!

All my best!

~Angela

TOP 3 3-1-21

 Good morning, everyone!

Can I just say that having my husband home four weeks is both a blessing and a curse. Well, not a curse exactly but an interruption for sure. 

I've been asked how I will manage my time when he retires. That answer is simple, really. He will be home all the time. I won't feel like I need to squeeze a life time into twenty-one days. One of the reasons Bob and I've been married thirty-seven years is because we communicate with one another. We talk about everything and we don't keep secrets except when it comes to gifts. 

He knows that if my writing and crafting are going to be supplemental income for us then I will have to work a schedule. I need all day Sunday and Monday a couple of times a month to get blog posts done ahead of time.  I will also need a power writing day as well as a couple of hours every evening. 

I don't know if it has to be with my OCD or squirrel syndrome but once I'm in a project, I need to plow through. When I stop at some point before the end then I need to almost go back to the beginning and walk my way through til I get to where I left off. That is an exhausting journey. 

Writing, for instance, is something I can do in short spurts without that return to the beginning time of activity... as long as I finish a scene or at the very least a POV (point of view) then I can pick up where I left off next time. 

Having multiple projects in the same creative vein is also something I do not do well. I wind up with a mess that is a definite creative buzz kill. Let me finish this project, clear the decks then move on to the next. I'm working on that. 

My word for 2021 is CONTROL. I have to take control of my life, my house, my businesses or I'll be stuck in quick sand and accomplish nothing.  That's why I set a TOP 3 every week.  Actually, I set a Top 3 for my writing and another for my creativity. 

So here's my Top 3 for this week:

Getting as many of the March blog posts scheduled helps free up a lot of time as well as letting me work on one main project.  

#2 kind of goes along with #3. I still want to launch my AuthorTube. I want to share what I'm learning from Sarra Cannon as well as Alexis aka Miss Trenchcoat. I also know I'm not alone on this indie-publishing path. Watching videos from established indie authors is great but I also feel there needs to be a discussion with newbies. There is something empowering in knowing you are not alone. As the traditional pubs begin to become fewer and fewer, more and more smaller publishers are coming into the light. There are those of us who are individual small publishers... meaning we publish our own books and no one else. 

Regardless of the chosen path, this journey is not for the faint of heart. Let's hold each other up and reach our goals... whatever they may be. 

I'm often reminded of a scene from Pretty Woman where the guy says "Welcome to Hollywood. What's Your Dream?" (of all the Pretty Woman gifs out there, I couldn't find one of him and I think his single line is the most poignant of the entire film).

So tell me, What's YOUR Dream? Then set your Top 3.

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 2-15-21

 

Are you surprised? I'm not. When Bob is home, it is what it is. 

I did get to work on the Social Media a bit by organizing my files and getting my head in the right direction of what needs to go up and when. I've added my time-table cheat card back into my planner so that when I do post to SM, they are at the optimum times. Whether those times have adjusted since a lot of people are working from home or not, I don't know. I'd love to hear from you.  

In the mean time, here's a link to the cheat card I use (from Pinterest) by mommiedaze.com

The other thing I really need to do before I can move forward on etsy projects is getting the work table cleared off. I was 'almost' there when Bob came home. From there, any time in the studio was spent working on the collabs I'm in. 

I've already set my Q1 plan for the rest of this quarter and hope to have the kanban board up by the end of the week. I'm a very visual person so having the board up with all the sticky notes to move around as I accomplish things is super important to me... just as soon as I unearth the kanban board from the January Junk Journal supplies. 

I'll talk more about my Kanban board plan on Friday. 

Tomorrow, I want to introduce you to an old love and see if I can discover what the author of said love has been up to.

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 - 2-8-21

 Good morning, friends!

Well, last week was pretty much a bust for me. With Bob home, I really don't have a head for business or writing. I used to have a time in the morning between my getting up at 5 a.m. and Bob at around 8 a.m. This trip home he's been getting up either with or before me. With him home, I'm also going to bed later so I'm waking up later. I've lost my 'me' time in the morning but that's okay. I see so many stories of women who've husbands have died unexpectedly. I don't want to be one of them then wishing I'd spent more time with them. You can't turn back time. 

With that behind me, my Top 3 for this week will pretty much be the same... and hopefully have time to execute at least part of them.

As I write this on Sunday morning, I'm already working on the blog posts for February. Bob hasn't gotten up yet. For my AuthorTube, I am going to run an introduction video then plan to post there at least once per week for now. Some of those videos I will be able to batch and schedule. 

A couple of things I'll be talking about early on are Sarra Cannon's scheduling your writing time as well as the business side using the CEO Strategy Planner for Creative Entrenpreneurs by Alexis Giostra.  While Alexis is more about the business side of writing, Sarra's will help me get (and stay) on track. I just need to pull them out more than once in a blue moon and USE their proven methods.  

I'm going to link both of the videos below so that you can check them out. 

Sarra Cannon - (HeartBreathings Channel for writers) - 

Create Your 2021 Writing Schedule

Alexis aka Miss Trenchcoat (Alexis Giostra)

CEO Strategy Planner for Entrepreneurs

I will be talking about my Writing Schedule this week then next week, after Bob has gone back to work, I can be a bit more detailed when it comes to the business side of what I need to be doing. Really, the two planners work in tandem to hopefully get my writing and business back on track for a successful 2021. 

I hope you'll join me on this journey.

This week, I'm starting something new.

Each week I'll as you a question. A Blog IS Social Media yet the Social part is lost if there isn't any interaction. I hope you'll join the weekly discussion.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Do you schedule in or have a specific writing time? Share your journey, tips and tricks with the rest of us... 

Let's Be Social!

All my best!

~Angela

TOP 3 - February 1

I don't know about you but I find it hard to believe we have knocked out the first month of 2021. Seriously, where does the time go?

I did well on my challenges last week. I wound up not traveling for the interview. Too wet and dreary. I am not a cold/ wet weather person. Advetnures With Purpose will be coming through again late summer when weather will be nicer and I'll have more of an idea of where I want the story to go. 

Here is my plan for this week:

I also would like to get my Q1 Kanban board set up. If you don't know what that is, I'm linking Sarra Canon's video below. 

This will be Bob's first full week home but other than a trip to drop my car off at the garage, I think we're home all week so I can accomplish the things I need to. 

After having shone the spotlight on June Faver last week, I received my pre-ordered copy from Amazon. That is my current read. I hope to have a review posted on Wednesday.

In the mean time, FOREVER MY COWBOY is available for purchase on Amazon.

Tomorrow I turn the spotlight on another artist I think you'll enjoy. 

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 - January 25

 Well, not only am I coming in late today but last week was pretty much a wash to the list. Don't get me wrong. I got a lot accomplished but not from the list. This week I've adjusted my Top 3 based on what I must get done... not what I'd like to do.

As you probably saw from here, the blogs just did not get done last week. I'm not sure what the problem was other than trying to go too many different directions at once. This week, the blogs take first place.

I only got three ticklers written for June Faver's challenge. I have a problem coming up with blurbs without names. Sometimes the names come to me then I'm off. We are at Day 25 and I have 12. Hmmm If I can knock out 5 tonight with the girls I'll be thrilled, but I'm not sure that is going to happen.

Now that Bob will be home I want to reschedule the interview with the lady from the bakery in West Plains. I've waited for him to be home so that as soon as I do the interview, while everything is fresh in my brain I can go to my hotel room and scribble scenes while the information is fresh in my brain, not just on the recorder or in my notes. Also, if anything else comes to mind while I"m writing, I can stop back at the bakery for follow-ups.

Of course, right now a  lot depends on weather when it comes to travel, and a dependable vehicle. 

The thing that put me behind today was lack of sleep. I love a good thunderstorm and was awakened by one around 3 a.m.  About the time the storm hit hard, i discovered not one but two leaks in my bedroom ceiling... right over my head!

I spent the next 2 hours, stripping the bed and moving the mattresses to a safe spot then putting pans in place to catch the drips. The drips only lasted about twenty minutes though it's still raining as I write this (almost 12 hours later!) We've had over 3" of rain - the majority of that in a 4 hour time span. I moved to the recliner for the rest of the night - or should I say mornign - so am working on very little sleep.

Words will be slow today but I'm making myself charge through and be productive!

What do you do to 'carry on' in spite of life's bumps? I'd love to hear. Inspire me!

All my best 

~Angela

TOP 3 - January 18

 Welcome back!

Thank you while I took necessary time off last week to find my office corner. I can work at a real desk again even though, as I type this, I'm sitting at the dining room table The animals like it better out here in their comfy chairs but don't want me out of sight. Spoiled babies, the lot of them!  Okay, only my precious beagle and my oldest black cat. The other cat stays in the bedroom pretty much all the time because the black beast really can be a bully.

I've been working on putting the plotting planner together so I know exactly what my daily target word count needs to be to meet deadlines. The plotting planner is a good system. I just need to actully use it this time around. My plotting planner consists of my book projects themselves as well as the Writing Goals planner. I got the idea from Sarra Cannon (yes, you'll see her name come up a lot. She is my mentor on this indie-publishing journey). I'm posting her video here. Her plan for mapping out your writing goals, or any major project you want to accomplish, is a great video. 

That's me for today. I'm off to see if I can get my goals set for the year. 

All my best,

~Angela

TOP 3 - January 4, 2021

 Welcome to a brand new year!

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to hit the RESET button and take CONTROL this year. CONTROL is my power word for 2021. Do you have a power word? Is there a part of your life you want to get a better handle on? Balance? Perserverance? If you have one, please share in the comments below.

Here's my Top 3 to kick off 2021!

I'll be looking for Sweet Romances as well as one or two with a bit more heat for my February reviews. If there is an author or book you would like me to share with the rest of the world, please leave names/ book titles in the comments below. 

All my best

~ Angela

TOP 3 - December 14, 2020

 This will be my last Top 3 for 2020. Effective Saturday, I am off the blog until January 4th. Bob isn't always home for Christmas. This year I get him for Christmas and New Years. 

That doesn't mean I won't be working behind the scenes prepping for the new year, only that I won't be spending hours on blog posts. I'd rather be losing at DEAL cards with Bob ;-)

Here we go for our last Top 3 of this year:

I am also starting to line up some special guests for 2021. My Goal is to have one Special Guest during one of the normal Author Spotlights. If there is someone you'd love for me to interview and showcase, please let me know in the comments below or email me - AngelaDrake(at) webname (dot) com

Merry Christmas!

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 - December 7, 2020

 This has been a year! 

I don't know what 2021 has in store for us but I know that I am laying the ground work now for a successfull year ahead. 

One of the things I have planned is to release not one but two books in the Planned To Perfection series. 

While on my road trip I spent an evening in a hotel binge-watching Sarra Cannon's plotting series on youtube. Here's the PLAYLIST. With my Plotting Notebook and pen in hand, I went to work trying to figure out what wasn't working with Book 2. 

I FOUND IT! Thank you, Sarra Cannon for a fabulous free course. You broke through the dam and helped me see what I was missing. 

With the new plotting notes at hand, I'm spending some time every day/ evening actually writing again!

I'm also hard at work prepping my office, as well as the rest of the house, for Christmas decorations. I'm determined the entire village is going up in the office this year. I've not had the whole community up since we moved here over twelve years ago. I've since added pieces and it's important to me to set them up. At least in my office, I can set the village up then close the door - keeping the cats from walking through like Godzillas. ;-)

What's on your Top 3 this week? How are you preparing for this out-of-norm holiday season?

Please share in the comments below. We could all use ideas during this time.

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 - November 30, 2020

 Wow!

I did not realize when I left on my road trip 14 days ago I'd failed to post a TOP 3. Of course, there really wasn't anything to tell you about other than I was off to IA to spend time with a young lady in my life to help her prepare for the birth of twin girls... her first babies. 

Kassie had been in my daycare since she was five weeks old. She will turn 23 next month. She has always been like a second daughter to us and I wasn't missing the chance to be with her during this time just as I spent time with our daughter as she prepared for the birth of both of her girls. 

First babies are always special. This time, I don't get to be a grandma. Instead, I am Mimi and Bob is Pop Pop.

I got home a week ago and have been trying to reaclimate. The girls, Neomia Marie and Malina Ray were born Saturday night between 11 and 11:30 p.m. Mom and girls are doing fine.

I'm only working a couple of weeks this month. I used to take the entire month of December off but with a commitment with Alexis Giostra, I'll be working at least part of the month. I'll be sharing a video where I talk about that project in a few days. 

In the mean time, let's make the most of the time I am working:

What's on your agenda for this week? Please share in the comments below!

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 - November 2

 Good morning, everyone!

Wow, what a difference between yesterday and today. Woke up to twenty degrees cooler than yesterday morning. I guess it's November, after all, but geez! Good thing I'll have the oven on this morning so I can dry can grains and pasta for the pantry.

Is it just me or does everything start moving faster once November hits?

Since I have been busy trying to get stuff caught up around here before Bob comes home on Wednesday, I've not taken the time to sit down and fill in the Preptober Workbook - a freebie from author Sarra Cannon. I'm posting her video walk -through below.

There is a relatively new bakery about an hour from me. She opened last fall or early spring. Small but beautiful shop. I hope to talk to her about what she went through in opening her bakery so I know my heroine's journey as getting her bakery open is her make or break in the story.

Lastly, 2,000 words per day. That may adjust once I fill in the Preptober book, which I hope to work on today.  One other thing to add to the list is to add a word count bar to the blog side-bar. 

Speaking of being busy, there will be blank spots as we go through the next two months. I want to enjoy the holidays. There won't be a Writer's Nest post again this month or possibly next. I do have someone scheduled for December but she's in the middle of a major move and not sure she'll be settled in by December. 

I do have a new series coming in December, though so stay tuned!

With that, I wish you Happy Reading!

~Angela

TOP 3 - October 26

 Good morning, friends!

After a very productive week last week, I'm hoping to build on that momentum and really prep for NanoWrimo this week. 

When National Novel Writing Month changed their format last year I was totally lost. For me, the site just is not user-friendly any longer. I ran The Cauldron Cave thread over there for eleven years. Last year, I just could not get into it.  So this year, I've decided to do things a bit different. The biggest change is I will no longer be running the cafe there. Someone else is welcome to do so. 

NOTE: That thread on the NanoWrimo sight is NOT connected to this blog in anyway.

I'm launching my AuthorTube Channel on YouTube as well as putting my own word count bar of some type on the blog. I'm looking at one of these from Tracy Lucas.

That's it for me this week. I'm off to do a serious house clean!

All my best

~Angela

TOP 3 - October 19

 Hi, Everyone!

I'm getting a really late start today.

I woke up at 4:30 this morning to loud rounds of thunder, buckets of rain and a lovely lightning show. I rolled over and went back to sleep until 8 a.m

I had almost 2" of water in the rain gauge and still coming down. 

Cold, wet, overcast and just not very inspiring.

The weather also meant I was without internet for the morning. By the time internet was back, I had a long meeting.

Apparently, we're moving into the wet season about three weeks ahead of the norm so I'll be batching blog posts this week so I won't have any coming up late. I especially want to get ahead of the game before Nano hits.

Tomorrow I'm shining the Author Spotlight on Shea MacLeod

I first met Shea through a Savvy Authors class on journaling your novel. As my husband said, that class was made for me. I took the class, have journals Book 2 in the Planned to Perfection series and since bought the book of the class - Write Novels Fast   She also writes great cozy books. I'll introduce you to her latest one tomorrow. I hope you'll join us!

All my best

~ Angela