CAMP NANO PROGRESS & HEARTIES RETREAT!

 

Hi everyone!

We are just past the half way mark through Camp Nano.   How are you doing? 

I'm off to a very slow start. I knew I would be. I'm just too much of a housewife. I can't let things go.

I have made strides in the story just not where I wanted to be. 

The first month of each quarter, Sarra Cannon and her Admin Team in our Hearties Facebook group put together a Virtual Writing Retreat. Each retreat is set in a virtual locale. The location for this month's retreat hasn't been announced yet and we are set to start on Friday. I have no clue what to 'pack' beyond my writing supplies. 

There are a lot of scheduled sprints over the course of the three-day weekend, allowing ample time to get some writing in.  You can join us either by being a part of the Heartbreathings Writing Community on Facebook or just following the sprints. You'll find a list of sprints on this month's Google Calendar on Sarra's website.  Go HERE then scroll down to see the Google Calendar. You can add this to your own Google calendar. 

Of course, this is Bob's last weekend home. I try not to work any more than necessary his first and last week home. Thankfully, he understands I need to write if I'm going to publish books and supplement his retirement. 

At least I have a writing space again.

While my space isn't perfect, I do have a table - if you count my sewing machine cabinet with the leaf open LOL. The important thing is I'm NOT at the dining room table anymore. Hopefully, by time for retreat I'll have my big work table cleared off and my comfy cushioned Captain's chair bar stool. Stay tuned for a picture of where my 'retreat' location will be. 

I'm hoping by next month to have this blog back on track adding back Spotlight Author. I just haven't had time to read. I do have a couple of things to share this week, though, so visit again.

All my best!

~Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 Good morning, everyone. 

I thought we'd find our own hide away to work on our novels.

courtesy of pixabay - Felix Mittermeier

All my best

~Angela

FRIDAY PHOTO

 To follow up on those cozy beach cottage stories yesterday, 

Photo courtesy of pixabay - PrebenGammelmark

All my best

~Angela

WRITING RETREAT RECAP

Good morning, friends.

Wow, what a week!
I left last Monday to spend five days in Eureka Springs AR. Eureka Springs is where the Planned to Perfection series is set. An Ozarks Christmas releases October 11th so I've been busy trying to get the revisions in order so I can get a copy out to beta readers no later than this coming Friday. Ack!!!
They say time flies when you're having fun. I have to say that while this was a working trip, I always enjoy any time I can get in the quaint Victorian tourist town.

One of the icon places is the Crescent Hotel:

  

The Crescent Hotel has housed many things over its lifetime. According to encounters (my own included) and TAPS, some residents never leave. From that upper deck, outside the Sky Bar, you can see the Christ of the Ozarks, over at The Passion Play:

After stopping in Springfield MO for lunch and a quick meet-up with my sister, her daughter and SO, I headed for Cassville MO. There I stopped to see my bestie Rose Sartin. She just had her first book released last fall. I featured her HERE. I wanted to make arrangements to have lunch when I came back through on Friday.

By the time I reached the Inn of the Ozarks Monday afternoon, I was too tired to do much of anything except unpack/ set up and call it a day. I zoned out to Ninja Warrior qualifiers in Indianapolis.

Tuesday, I put my BIC -HOK until time to dress for dinner. I have a scene in An Ozarks Christmas where Brendan and Stephanie have a little adult time to iron out some things. Brendan knew he needed someplace Stephanie couldn't just get up and walk away. She'd have to face some things. So I thought this the perfect setting.

We took the lunch train last summer with the girls but this was the first for dinner. A beautiful setting on a vintage rail dining car:

Table for 1 please:

Menu consisted of:

     Tomato Basil Soup:

     Garden Salad

     Entree (I chose the Prime Rib)

with Rice Pilaf and Steamed Vegetables in Hollandaise Sauce

     Dinner Rolls (scrumptious!)

I ate one then saved the other three to eat with my soup on Wednesday

Went great with the Chicken Dumpling from Myrtie Mae's

     Baked Alaska... in the form of:

Jessica pushing the Baked Alaska Engine

Periodically she would stop for photographs then toot the whistle and move on.

An enjoyable evening. I chose to sit alone so I could be aware of how voices carried throughout the train and make copious notes without being rude to a dinner partner. I did chat briefly with a lovely couple across the isle then met up with them again on Thursday at the buffet at Myrtie Mae's 

I didn't do anything Wednesday except work. Thursday I did walk up to the Crescent and had a drink in the Sky Bar. I brought 12 bbq wings back to my room for dinner. 

Friday morning I loaded up and headed back to Springfield. Made that stop in Cassville for Rose to tell me all about her week at the RWA conference in Denver and a quick stop at my sister's to check out her garden. 

Dinner with Skiz at Mikado's Chinese/ Seafood Buffet.

Spent the night in Springfield then attended the Sleuth's Ink meeting on Saturday.  Bob drove in Saturday morning to go to the gun show then met me afterwards. We did dinner at Mikado's then came home. 

I am so happy to be at my own desk, doing my own thing, with my hubby near by. I still have revisions work to do but I got a lot accomplished on my alone time. 

I highly recommend time away from everyday house stuff to really get yourself into your  novel when it comes to revisions. Even if you can only be gone a night or two, take it! You'll be happier with the end result.

Now I need a vacation :-D

Weekly Goal

Happy Monday, everyone.

Yes, I know I'm behind. The last post was about Bob coming home. I don't do a lot of computer time when he's home. I do the writing I need to do and that's it. He is the most important person in my life and when he's home, it's all about him. He truly is my hero.

That said, he leaves out tomorrow for his three weeks of playing riverboat Captain and I'll be back to my regular routine. Beginning Thursday I'll be spending four days with a friend from my Peoria crit group. We're looking forward to an intensive writing/ critique session - just us girls.

So tomorrow I'll work fast and furious on the rough draft of a paranormal/ time travel short story. Think the Ghost and Mrs. Muir. I love doing these kinds of stories. Part history and part contemporary, letting me play in both worlds. I'm planning to enter the story in the OCW competition. The deadline for entries is the end of this month and I have 'a few' I want to have done.

What are you working on?
Creative Blessings
Angela