AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT- Matthew McConaughey & The Art of Livin'

 Good morning, everyone!

I have been a fan of Matthew McConaughey for years. Phenomenal actor. He is also a best selling author with his book GREENLIGHTS.  Did you know he is an awesome motivational speaker?

I'll share a video with you in a moment, but first I want to tell you about a unique opportunity to hear him speak as well as other motivational speakers such as Tony Robbins. There's another guy I stand behind. I have his cassette series (yes, I've been following him THAT long LOL) PERSONAL POWER and still listen to it every couple of years or when I need to find direction. 

His book, GREENLIGHTS, has sold over three million copies! The book is amazing. Knowing his voice from movies and YouTube, I could 'hear' him as I read. 

On April 24th, Matthew McConaughey and special guests will be speaking LIVE on-line. If you'd like a seat for this amazing  (FREE)  virtual conference, Click the hyperlink to save your seat ---->  The Art of Livin'  (though there is a BONUS buy-in option)

Remember that video I promised? Here's a a tiny taste of what you can expect from The Art of Livin'.

I hope you'll join me for this incredibly motivating opportunity!

All my best!

~Angela

THOUGHTFUL MONDAY

 Good morning, friends!

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - A Final Push

 Good morning, everyone!

Well, first off, I apologize for no review of Something Blue last week. For some reason I can't get it to open on either of my Kindles and I just have not had time to sit and call customer service about the issue. 

I hope to have a review post for Wednesday on a totally different book. For now... 

The date has changed for Dean and Rhonda's visit. They will be here on the 9th! Yikers! That really cuts my time but I'm on a mission.

First off, I need spending money for Wednesday. So I'm paying myself an hourly wage (mind you - below the minimum wage but still...) so I can hit the Hobby Lobby clearance sale. 75% off paper crafting supplies is something I can't afford to miss since I use them in my 'day job'. I spoke with a manager at the store this morning and she told me they are behind but that everything should be in place later this week. When you're on a budget, you can't afford to miss big-ticket items like dies when there's a price reduction that large!

There's still time to Register!

https://www.ozarkcreativewriters.com/

I did not get any entries for OCW. I really had something in the back of my mind, but like Book 2, if I can't produce a quality product, I'm not going to just put something out there.

I did make progress on Publish & Thrive. I'm really enjoying the course though I know I'm still a couple weeks behind. I've been making time almost daily to sit and watch while taking lots of notes. I found out I may not need the LLC so postponed that appointment with Chrys. 

For this week, I fixating on three things:

1 - The studio. Since I lost a week with the visit date being moved up, I don't have a choice. 

2 - The Graphic 45 project is due on Friday. I'd love to post no later than Thursday

3 - Continue with Publish & Thrive

Hopefully, I'll see you back here on Wednesday.

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Deadlines!!

 Good morning, everyone!

The last couple weeks were completely crazy! I'm still trying to get the studio/ office redo done and now I have a deadline of September 14th. My brother-in-law and his wife will be here for a long weekend visit, arriving on the 16th. Of course, Bob comes home the week prior so I really only have two weeks to get the studio finished. Progress is being made but not as fast I'd like as I'm also working with creative deadlines.

Bee Journals

I'm on the final push to finish these three bee-themed journals. The prototype is for me but the other two are for two very special 'bee' friends. My plan is to finish these up by the weekend and get them mailed. That will let me put the remaining bee-themed items in my Etsy shop then clear the deck for the next creative project.

Graphic 45 Papers

I LOVE  working with Graphic 45 papers. The quality is amazing and the vintage images fit my style. Of course, throw in anything Halloween in the mix and I'm all over it like whipped cream on pumpkin pie!  They currently have a challenge going on to create something using their product. Winner will receive $150 credit to their store. Yes please!  Deadline is September 2nd but I'm shooting for the end of this month.

OZARK CREATIVE WRITERS

I've been attending the Ozark Creative Writers conference for the past twenty-six years. I've missed two conferences. one - when my youngest granddaughter was born then the one that was canceled due to Covid.  Each year they offer a long list of contests (with prize money) 'free' to enter for the cost of your conference registration. Unless I get something done and submitted by August 25th, this will be the first year I've not entered. I could really use the prize money to pad the author bank account for covers, business expenses, and funding research trips.  I can usually write short stories pretty quickly so I'll be really pushing on a couple of those this week. Technically, the deadline to enter is August 28th, but while I do work better in a time crunch, I hate the thought of actually entering last minute. 

I heard something from Sarra Cannon yesterday that I'd been thinking all along. An Ozarks Homecoming story isn't ready to be written. All I'm doing by forcing the story to come out, is burying everything deeper. Trust me, I really did not mean for this book to take me three years - and I have no intention of letting the other stories I have rattling around in my head (or starts in the file drawer) to take as long either - if I can help it. 

For those who don't understand, writing is a process and I'm a stickler for getting things right the first time. That was drummed into me in second grade. If you're going to do something, do it right the first time. Don't waste your time having to go back and do something over.

In the case of An Ozarks Homecoming it's imperative I get things right the first time. There is no 'do-overs' or opportunity to correct mistakes you will catch. I fear you'll call me on something then never pick up another one of my books. I can't risk that!

While I do these other things, the story is percolating in my brain. I've not turned loose of the story, I promise.

So my goals for this week:

* Catch up on Publish & Thrive course (meeting with attorney on Wednesday about LLC)

* Entries for Ozark Creative Writers aka OCW

* Finish bee journals

* At least 1 entry for G45

* Finish the cube storage unit organization.

Those should keep me out of trouble. 

I'll be back tomorrow for the wrap-up of Something Blue with my review of the anthology.

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATIONS - Where Did July Go?!

 Good morning, everyone!

Wow! We are headed into fall. I am so ready. We've finally gotten some rain, hopefully enough to get tomatoes ripening. I know we're finally going to mow the lawn for the first time since May.

After being gone an entire month, Bob came home last week. He was home for a couple of days before heading out last Saturday to spend some time with his youngest brother. He'll be home Wednesday evening. From there I only have him home for six days so we're going to be doing lots of things together.

I have been taking part in the PowerhouseAuthorSummit and finally broke down last night and bought the life-time access. I'll be talking more about that on Wednesday.

In the mean time, here is my Top 3 for this week:

* Register for Ozark Creative Writers

* Look over potential contest entries

* Finalize 3rd quarter project plans

I've registered for the conference first thing this morning before I forgot - again. There's plenty of time to still register. I've been attending the conference for 28 years - only missing one the year my youngest granddaughter was born (not counting the one canceled due to the you know what). Click on the Ozark Creative Writers logo in the side bar. 

I'll spend some time today looking over the contest entries. Mostly seeing if there's anything in my file I can breathe life in to or that I could come up with quick. I only have about two weeks left. We shall see. 

With Bob gone two more days, I'm off to see what I can accomplish.

All my best

~ Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Slip and Slide

Good morning, everyone!

I've had a busy week. Still laying out the studio re-do. I spent most of last week painting two ladder shelf units and the new foot stool crate. I like to sit on the sofa in my office, away from the loving animal assistants, but I need my feet up. On the up-side, the sofa is cleared, cleaned and put back into place so I can use it. 

Another big project was rearranging my Little Golden Book collection (all 272) to make room for my Doctor Dan Medical Kit. I'm still researching that item but as you'll see from one of the pictures below, the toy doesn't appear to have ever been played with. all the components are still within the rubber bands holding them in place. The only deterioration is in the plastic wrapping.

However, once I had the LGB shelf in order and put the sofa back in place, I wound up laying components for another project I need finished by the end of the week on the sofa.  LOL It's a process, I tell you.

The meeting with the retired Combat Training Officer was an amazing experience. Listening to him talk was an emotional experience. He answered all of my probability questions and I finally feel as if I have everything I need to finish An Ozarks Homecoming.  Now to just make the time. 

My problem is I can not work in chaos - I think I've mentioned this a time or two. With the studio remodel in progress and needing my 'office' off the dining room table by this Wednesday, my real focus has been on the studio project and things I can move out of my way once the one creative project is finished. I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I need to locate a couple of organization items tomorrow and the rest should be here Wednesday. I'm so ready for this to be done and be able to write with a clear head.

I will only get three work days this week. Bob will be home on Wednesday after being gone a full month! The weekend belongs to him. 

*  Make the house presentable

*  Get blog posts for the next two weeks set up

*  Continue to get studio/ office in order. 

Keep in mind, while the studio and office are in the same room I do have specific areas for each. Right now I'm focusing on the studio part. With that, the 'office' work station will be on the large island in the middle of the room. Phase 2 - the 'office' is going to take a bit longer - probably during my holiday break. 

I have been using my HB90 planner. Right now my kanban plan is in the planner. I don't have space to put the physical board up in the office just yet.  Part of my board tickets are for the blog posts for the month of August as well as continuing progress on the studio. 

We have the final two Something Blue authors this week then we'll be moving on to new books and authors. Holiday stories should be coming out beginning this month. I'm ready for holiday reads! Who's with me?

All my best

~Angela

 

 

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Back On Track!!

Good morning, everyone!

Wow, after last week I'm ready for a fresh start.

I didn't get any writing done last week because I crunched to get things out of the way in preparation for a FREE on-line writer's conference I heard about from Sarra Cannon earlier in the week.

WEBSITE

I encourage everyone to check out the website and watch the videos. Just go to SCHEDULE 2022 then click on the YouTube icon next to the sessions that interest you.

This was an intense three days of great information on both Writing and Publishing. My brain is kind of on over-load as I took copious notes and screenshots from most of the sessions. I still have a few to go back and watch thanks to a migraine that hit on Friday. I made connections with some really great people and found some new sprinting groups I hope to take part in. 

One thing that was a REAL eye-opener is how much time this whole writing business thing is going to take. I mean, I KNEW but I just didn't absorb the enormity of the process. I know the over-all journey is an evolution and I'll get there. That's what Sarra Cannon's HB90 course is all about - avoiding the overwhelm while still moving the needle forward.   

The coordinators realized they probably could have timed this better, since this is Camp Nano month so they've scheduled the 2023 YouTube conference for June 23-25, 2023.  Mark your calendar for an amazing conference from the comfort of your own home!

Speaking of Sarra Cannon, She did an awesome presentation on Saturday talking about Planning To Thrive. She is a planner girl and pretty much everything she does involves a planner. She also just opened registration for the Publish & Thrive course that starts in a few weeks. Here's her video with all the details:

PUBLISH & THRIVE INFORMATION VIDEO

Note that she does offer payment options as well as a bundle savings when you purchase Publish and Thrive PLUS the HB90

I do have a busy week but one I'm SUPER excited about.

I have an interview later today with a retired combat training officer from Ft. Polk Army training grounds. This interview should clinch the research I need to finish An Ozarks Homecoming. I don't recall if I mentioned but a few months back I finally realized what my hero's internal struggle is - all stemming from an incident when he was stationed at Ft. Polk. However, I'm determined to not misrepresent the military in any way so I needed to find someone who could tell me if the incident that led to his struggle is plausible. Jason should be able to answer those questions. 

For this week:

1 - Continue work on studio

2 - Kanban board

3 - Write 500 words per day minimum - beginning today!

The 500 word per day challenge came as a result of meeting  Joe from SixCats Press during the AuthorTube Conference. I'll link his video down below. I'm a few days behind to be in sync with him but as Amber McCue would say - I'm right on time!

That pretty much brings you up to speed. I'll be back tomorrow and Wednesday with the next two Something Blue anthology authors - Robyn Neeley and Annie Rains.

All my best

~ Angela

 

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Slow Start

 Good morning, everyone.

Last week got so messed up fast. 

I did get some prep work done on the novel using Renee George's workbook. I came home on Sunday to be greeted with my husband's plan to forge ahead with purchasing a 'newer' vehicle. A bit of back story.

While in town on Saturday, my dependable truck decided not to be so dependable. I had to call Bob to drive two hours round trip to trade vehicles with me. He instantly decided it was time to further pursue trading in my truck for a 2012 Toyota 4-Runner he'd had his eye on. Mind you, this trade in is supposed to replace MY vehicle.

Courtesy of Pixabay

The other challenge was I've been saving for three years to pay cash for whatever vehicle I decided on. I was about $5k short for the 4-runner. I spent Sunday and 4th of July crunching numbers to see if we could make it work - for a vehicle I wasn't sure I wanted.

Tuesday was a very long day. We gathered the cash, went to our favorite cafe for breakfast then into the dealership. I was very dubious about the vehicle but I slid into the driver's seat, positioned everything and found myself quite comfortable. I was surprised when we could take it for a test-drive without a sales rep. My biggest concern in any vehicle is being able to see and not having blind spots. I'm 5'4". The seat has to be almost all the way up to reach the pedals and I need to be able to see over the backs of seats, etc. I drove the SUV out of town a ways and back so that I had both in-town and highway traffic to check for those blind spots and get a feel for how she handled. Yes, I said SHE... I name my vehicles. They have to get me through a lot of travel and be dependable. 

One of the things that sold me on the 4-runner is that the 2012 model was the last one they put the 4-runner body on a truck chassis... helping to make me feel as if I'm driving my truck but with a lot of interior space.

After the test drive we went to the bank to see about a personal loan. We've not had a car payment in 15 years and I wasn't starting this close to Bob's potential retirement (though he keeps moving the date farther and farther out.

Courtesy of Pixabay

I can not believe it took the bank FIVE HOURS to approve a very small personal loan for someone who's had the same job for 12 years, has a credit score of 840 and had twice the amount sitting in our checking account (part of which we were applying with my savings) I miss small-town banking. Mind you, we were using a trade in vehicle (NOT my truck) that did not have AC and it was 104* with a heat index of 110*!! We ate lunch, ran a couple of errands than camped out in the bank lobby, hoping to hurry the process along.

After a grueling day, we came home with ANGEL:

Snowball is the truck in the background.

Yes, she looks like a police vehicle LOL but I do love her. I'm ordering personal plates this week and part of my author account paid the sales tax. Though, Bob has announced he gets to take the first road trip with her! That's okay. He'll need the amazing AC as he drives across KS to visit his brother.

Bob even took off an extra day of work so we could take care of this. He wanted to insure I had a dependable vehicle while he's on the boat. Good thing. Two days later, Snowball started to creak and grind so she is parked indefinitely. Without Angel, I would be too. LOL

So where does this long story leave me regarding my writing?

I didn't get any writing done last week. I just needed to decompress. I spent yesterday getting ahead on as many blog posts as possible for the entire month. I'll spend today setting up the rest of this week - with a Writer's Nest Guest.

The whole car thing last week did throw off the Something Blue anthology schedule. I'll be adjusting that this week. Last Wednesday's missing post will run this week then we'll be back on track next week.

1 - Set up rest of blog posts

2 - Finish workbook and start writing on An Ozarks Homecoming

3 - Kanban board set up (I did finally get to finish setting up my HB90 and 6 M4L planners on Saturday. I'm getting there!)

So how crazy is your summer? Are you driving your dream car? If not, what would that dream car be? Share in the comments below and inspire everyone else to Manifest their desires.

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Let the Writing Begin!

Good morning, everyone!

I'm writing this on Sunday. I know what my week is going to look like and I'm trying to get ahead of business so once Bob leaves, I can focus on two main areas. 

I took this weekend for a personal retreat in a hotel away from household duties and distractions to really get some hard outlining done, both in my HB90 planner (I'm using a mini from Happy Planner with a pretty gold outer cover) and on An Ozarks Homecoming. 

After fighting this manuscript so much, then losing the flash drive (which I found), I decided to take a new approach.  While at the BTP Conference last month, I met author Renee George. Neat gal. While I'm not a fan of the 4-letter word, her two planner/ workbooks intrigued me. I came home and ordered this one:

AMAZON

I do like her 'outlining' layout so I'm approaching this round with a fresh perspective and seeing if that helps get the story moving. I'm not an outline kind of writer but this is more about 'what points do you need to hit in this story' then take it from there. 

Her book is also based on a 3-book plan, which is exactly what I have left to write in this series.

* write every day for Camp Nano beginning July 5th (Bob leaves that morning)

* start process on organizing the stamp (creative) collection - it will be a process

* Use HB90 planner religiously to stay on task the next 21 days.

That's it for me this week!

I hope you all have had a safe and happy 4th of July. 

I'll be back tomorrow and Wednesday with two more author spotlights from Something Blue!

All my best

~Angela

 

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Time for Family

 Good morning, everyone!

I warned you last week would be a busy week. I got back from the BTP Conference on Sunday, finished flying through the house touch-up before Bob's Mom and her husband arrived on Monday afternoon. They left Wednesday after breakfast. With their departure, I just wanted to breathe. I've promised Bob most of this week belongs to him since he'll be leaving a week from tomorrow. 

He isn't always home for 4th of July. I'm not sure what we'll do since he'll be home but I would be happy sitting on the sofa watching Macy's and Capitol 4th. 

I hope to get the Something Blue authors back tomorrow and Wednesday but at this moment I can't promise.

For one, Tabby finished her antibiotics this morning. With the Feline Leukemia rearing it's ugly head more and more every day, she wants to snuggle with me more and more. I'm a strong believer in that the Earth Mother brings me these animals to make their journey to the Rainbow Bridge a one full of love. 

That said, here is my week:

* Blog what I'm able to fit in

* Finish HB90 course and set up Kanban Board

* Mixed Media art class (Tuesday night)

* Find work table so I can participate in said class

That's it for me this week. What's your adventure?

All my best

~Angela 

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Busy Week!

 Good morning, everyone!

Have you been checking out the Something Blue authors? These gals are super talented. 

Speaking of talented folks, I have a fabulous surprise for you this week. How many of you have seen A HEAVENLY CHRISTMAS on the Hallmark Channel during Christmas?

That movie is one of my favorite and 'must-see' holiday movies. The movie has also brought me a dear friend, Gregg McBride.  Gregg wrote the story. You can find out more about him on his YOUTUBE Channel

Gregg just released his first children's book - Biron the Bee Who Couldn't, released last Friday. In his honor, I'm stepping away from the Something Blue authors to shine the spotlight on Gregg all week long! You won't want to miss all Gregg has to share.

This week and next are super-busy for me. Bob comes home Wednesday, I leave for the Between The Pages writing conference on Friday. I'll get home on Sunday night and my in-laws arrive the following Tuesday. The house is my main focus this week. They've not visited in six years.

Beyond that, I really want to spend quality time with Bob. We've not just enjoyed each other's company in his past two trips home. With that in mind, I will do my best to schedule blog posts ahead between cleaning jags and conference time. 

We had the live kick-off for the Q3 of HB90 boot camp. If you recall, I had cracked my ribs two days before the Q2 kick off so the whole thing kind of tanked. I'm healthy and ready to make Q3 a productive quarter. By the weather forecast, the temps are going to be unbearably hot for the remaining of the summer so a good time to stay in and stay focused.

I'm also hoping to participate in Camp Nano and get serious about writing/ finishing Book 2. I am hoping to meet with the combat training officer on Wednesday to get a couple of questions answered. Bob will leave on the 5th so I will have the rest of the month to pound out words! I should have a word count bar up on my blog soon, courtesy of Sarra Cannon's husband, George. 

My Top 3 for this week:

1 - Put studio back together.

      I'm after Progress, not Perfection.  My in-laws haven't seen the studio since they helped lay the floor six years ago. All we had was walls and windows at the time.

2 - Straighten up the rest of the house. Presentable not Perfect

3 - Pack and be ready to enjoy three days of being with writer folks and being away from the house!

I'll be back tomorrow to shine the spotlight on Gregg McBride. I hope you'll join me!

All my best

~AngelaBTP

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Official News!

 Good morning, everyone!

Before I give the details, let me say that I am OFFICIALLY back to work. 

I was talking with my sister this morning and she is concerned about my health. I don't seem to have a lot of the usual energy these days. 

Let's start with - I'm 60! Not sure how the hell that happened but it is what it is.

Next - As of January I have been diabetic for three years. My whole dietary thing has had to change

More importantly - Because of the first two, bouncing back from things is taking longer. I went from a 7-day stomach flu, to cracking two ribs, to trying to have the energy to have a semi-clean house for company from England, to dealing with a head cold/ spring sinus stuff. Dreary, rainy weather hasn't helped my mood.  

To top it off, my sweet Tabby had several teeth removed last week as a result of a recent diagnosis of Feline Leukemia. This means her life span will be shorter than most cats. As a result, we snuggle a lot. She is a mommy's girl and wants to sleep wherever I am so we've taken to napping every day. 

I'm also starting a book I'm hoping will help me over this. 

AMAZON

The book by Reader's Digest is about creating an overall lifestyle that will not only reverse diabetes but make life 'livable' again. Not just about lowering blood sugar but better health in general. I'll keep you posted.

As I said, I'm back to work this week - a full seven days of productivity. I'm not going to be working on my book for a couple more weeks, but I have a plan I'll share with you later. Aside from work, this week is all about getting the house in order before my mother-in-law's arrival on the 21st. She hasn't visited since my office was nothing more than walls and her husband helped Bob lay the floor. 

My Top 3 for this week:

1 - Blog/ video posts for creative business up and running as far into the month as I can

2 - FINALLY getting stuff in my etsy shop!

3 - Get the basics of the office organized

That's certainly enough to keep me out of trouble with the low energy level I have. 

What's on your agenda for the week?

Whatever you have going on, know that you can't do everything at once. Pick something and run with it!

All my best

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Finding Balance

 Good morning, everyone!

Shhhh.... don't tell anyone but I'm actually ahead of the game this week. 

I'm still battling a head cold but the worst is behind me. At least I can think of two things at once. 

Bob leaves tomorrow and I can dive in to a full work schedule again. I am soooo ready to get caught up. June is going to be a busy month with something going on every weekend. Ugh! The last thing on the list is my in-laws coming for a short visit the last week of the month. I'm okay with that. They've chosen not to stay with us but they'll be here during the day so I really do need to put the house in some semblance of order. Wish me luck!

My Top 3 for this week don't even include writing... just catching up.

1 - Items into the etsy shop

2 - A 5-part art project with a deadline of May 31st. Thanks to company and a head cold I haven't gone beyond the design stage for them so I'll be super busy this week

3 - begin a major purge around the house

This should set me up for next week when I can get back to writing. I need to order the new cover for Somewhere Down the Line, do edits on the story then schedule a time to get the book formatted so I can put a much better version of the book out than what has been up the past 10 years. Having the rights back has been such a relief. 

I also need to look at potential contest entries for the Ozark Creative Writers conference coming up in October. Deadline for entries is usually mid- August. Check out the link. We'd love to have you join us! Though I will warn you that hotel rooms at Best Western Inn of the Ozarks & Convention Center fill up fast! You'll find other hotels in the area though. That is peak season so don't wait too long!

Page Lambert is our keynote this year. Page is delightful and always full of inspiration. There are others joining us but Friday night entertainment will be western author/ songwriter, singer Mike Blakely. I first met Mike at this conference over 25 years ago. You won't want to miss his sessions or his music!

That's it for me this week! Time to throw Sunday dinner together then see if I can continue my winning streak in cards. 

Tomorrow, we continue our Author Spotlight series with two more from the Something Blue anthology! Teri Wilson has quite a royal reputation and Lacey Baker is multi-genre talented! 

All my best!

~Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Find the Office

 Good morning, everyone!

I had a nice weekend in Springfield. Bob wound up not getting home until Thursday afternoon around 1. We ate an early supper then I was on the road by 3. I was flat tired by the time I got to the hotel. I didn't even go out for supper. Just a quiet night in the room visiting with writer friends in Chatzy.

Friday I got some work done at the hotel, a little magazine/ coffee time at Barnes & Noble where I fell in love with this beauty. 

I refraind from spending almost $40 on her... at that moment. I went back and got her Sunday afternoon. I decided that since I knew there wouldn't be a Mother's Day present coming my way, I'd just treat myself. Hand-tooled leather from Tusany, Italy. I haven't decided what I'll use her for yet, but I wanted her. Sometimes that's all you need.

While in the city, I bought a compact external 1T hardrive to put a copy of the manuscript files on. I don't think I can lose this 3x4 drive. 

My sister and I had lunch together after my talk on Saturday. Was nice to just sit and visit with her for a couple of hours and talk writing. She is an excellent writer just not interested in the publishing end, but she's a great sounding board and bouncing ideas off of. 

The writer's group meeting with OzarksRomanceAuthors went well. Was great to see old friends. I belonged to the group as well as their sister group Sleuth's Ink, but Springfield is a four-hour round trip plus the meeting time, followed by lunch.Since I was coming into the city anyway, I wanted to do some shopping so the Saturday meeting turned into usuallya 2-night stay at the hotel. Mind you, I get an excellent rate based on the number of years I've been staying but I just couldn't afford the expense anymore. 

Saturday night, several of us met up again for dinner at Mikado's Supreme Buffet for Chinese and crab legs. 

Available May 17th

Pre-Order now for .99

I spent time Sunday morning before check-out trying to get blog posts set up. Tomorrow, I'm kicking off nine weeks of the Something Blue series. There are eighteen authors in this series. Rather than the normal Author Spotlight on Tuesday's, I'll be running them Tuesdays and Wednesdays until you've had the opportunity to meet all of these talented ladies and read their sweet romance stories.  

I'll start by showcasing the anthology overall. Then I'll kick off the series with the first author, Susan Sands and her story, THEN, AND NOW.

I look forward to sharing this anthology with you. In the meantime, click the pre-order link above so you'll have your copy as soon as the book releases to Kindle. 

With this being Bob's first week home, I only have one goal this week and nothing to do with writing.

I have a friend in the states from England. She will be here later this week. I MUST find my studio. LOL So, I'm picking one project in there per day until I've made it possible for us to sit in there to craft and visit before she heads for another artist friend's house in SE Kansas for a crafting retreat. When the project is done for the day, then the rest of the time will belong to Bob.

All My Best

~ Angela

MONDAY MOTIVATION - Busy Week Ahead and....

 Good morning, friends!

A new month with a full calendar. Surprised? I'm not. 

Saturday, I'll be speaking to the Ozarks Romance Authors in Springfield MO. Bob gets home Wednesday night then I'm headed to the city Thursday morning after coffee. I'll have some quiet time at the hotel to (hopefully) get some writing done.  I just have one problem....

My manuscript flashdrive for An Ozarks homecoming has vanished. I only keep it in one of two places and it isn't in either place. I know I worked on the manuscript here at the dining room table within the past 3 weeks. This is where I've been living since Bob went out. By Wednesday I'll be back on my work table in the office - just in time for Bob to come home. LOL However, that isn't helping me find the flashdrive. 

I've about decided I'm supposed to start over. I have a good portion in Word on the computer and I think most of my research links bookmarked.  I'm trying not to sweat about it. The flashdrive is in the house and will turn up when it's time. 

In the mean time, I have enough to keep me busy this week:

* Finish Presentation outline, design/ print handouts

* Officially move off dining room table

* Have blogs/ videos done and uploaded to computer by Wednesday afternoon

Sadly, this week is all about the prep work for leaving Thursday. I'll probably sleep like a rock Thursday nigth then Friday I'll be able to make sense of starting the manuscript from the pieces I have. 

Spotlight Author for the next Tuesday/ Wednesday Through end of the month will focus on the authors in the anthology Something Blue. The book releases May 17th but you can pre-order now for.99.

That's it for me today. Time I started plowing through the list.

All my best

~ Angela

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